Research briefings

This page provides access to research briefings produced by the House of Commons Library, the House of Lords Library and the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST). You can filter the research briefings by date, type, or one of 350 topics. Pick your options from the dropdown menus.

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    Glossary

    • Commons Briefing papers: Papers providing in-depth and impartial analysis on every major piece of primary legislation and on other topics of public and parliamentary concern. Regular statistics papers are also published.
    • Lords Library Notes: Authored publications by the research section of the House of Lords Library that provide analysis of Bills, subjects for debate in the House and other issues of interest to Members.
    • POSTbriefs: Responsive policy briefings from the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology based on mini-literature reviews and peer review, typically commissioned by select committees and library research services.
    • POSTnotes: Proactive four-page policy briefings from the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology based on reviews of the research literature, interviews with stakeholders and peer review, commissioned by the POST Board.
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    Topics

    Topics: Research material can be filtered by subject using the topic terms. The topics are arranged in a taxonomy (a hierarchical classification) and can be further filtered using sub-topics.

Displaying 61-80 out of 7958

Deaf children's services
Published Monday, September 10, 2018 | Commons Debate packs CDP-2018-0192
On 13 September 2018, there will be a Westminster Hall debate on Deaf children's services, sponsored by Jim Fitzpatrick MP, and starting at 1:30pm.

Topic: Special educational needs

What if there's no Brexit deal?
Published Monday, September 10, 2018 | Commons Briefing papers CBP-8397
What could happen if the EU and UK negotiators don't agree a withdrawal agreement in time and the UK has to leave the EU on 29 March 2019 without one - and with no framework for future relations either? This paper looks at how such a situation might come about, the constitutional implications for the UK and the devolved administrations, and what the impact might be in a range of policy areas.

Topics: Administration of justice, Agriculture, Animals, Aviation, Benefits administration, Benefits policy, Business support, Central government, Civil law, Climate change, Common Agricultural Policy, Companies, Competition, Constitution, Consumers, Crime, Criminal law, Defence equipment and procurement, Defence policy, Devolution, Economic policy, Economic situation, Electricity, Employment, Energy, Environmental protection, EU budget, EU defence policy, EU external relations, EU law and treaties, Europe, European Commission, European Council, European Parliament, Financial services, Fisheries, Food, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Health services, Health staff and professions, Higher education, Housing benefits, Human rights, Immigration, Industrial health and safety, Industry, Information technology, Intellectual property, International development, International economic relations, International law, International organisations, International politics and government, International trade, Medicine, Military operations, Nuclear power, Overseas territories, Parliament, Pensions, Pollution, Privacy, Public expenditure, Railways, Regulation, Renewable energy, Research and innovation, Roads, Science, Shipping, Small businesses, Standards, Students, Taxation, Teachers, Terrorism, Utilities, Waste management, Water

Manufacturing: Key Economic Indicators
Published Monday, September 10, 2018 | Commons Briefing papers SN05206
Manufacturing: Data on manufacturing jobs, output and producer confidence.

Topics: Economic situation, Manufacturing industries

Service industries: Key Economic Indicators
Published Monday, September 10, 2018 | Commons Briefing papers SN02786
Service industries: Data for the sector that incorporates the retail sector, the financial sector, the public sector, business administration and cultural activities.

Topics: Economic situation, Service industries

Suicide Prevention: Policy and Strategy
Published Monday, September 10, 2018 | Commons Briefing papers CBP-8221
This House of Commons Library briefing paper examines suicide prevention policies and strategies throughout the UK. It outlines national and local approaches to prevention policy in England, as well as Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It does so by considering the strategies of the UK Government, as well as the devolved administrations, from various policy perspectives.

Topics: Armed forces, Benefits policy, Civil law, Criminal law, Employment, Employment schemes, Further education, Health services, Higher education, Local government, Media, Prisons, Railways, Schools, Sickness, disability and carers' benefits, Students, Working age benefits

Tax avoidance: a General Anti-Abuse Rule
Published Friday, September 7, 2018 | Commons Briefing papers SN06265
UK tax law is specifically targeted rather than purposive: in tackling the exploitation of loopholes in the law, governments have legislated against individual avoidance schemes as and when these have come to light. This note looks at the case that has been made recently for a general anti-avoidance rule, and the Coalition Government's introduction of a 'narrower' General Anti-Abuse Rule in 2013.

Topic: Taxation

National Minimum Wage - sleep in care
Published Friday, September 7, 2018 | Commons Briefing papers CBP-8243
This briefing summarises recent developments relating to payment of the national minimum wage for sleep-in care duties

Topic: Employment

Legislating for the withdrawal agreement
Published Friday, September 7, 2018 | Commons Debate packs CDP-2018-0203
On Thursday 6 September 2018, the Leader of the House announced that there would be a General Debate on Monday 10 September 2018 concerning legislating for the withdrawal agreement. This debate relates to the Government White Paper Legislating for the Withdrawal Agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union which was published on 24 July 2018.

Topics: Constitution, EU law and treaties, Parliament

Self-employment in the construction industry
Published Friday, September 7, 2018 | Commons Briefing papers SN00196
This note gives some background to the question of employment status and the difficulties it has caused in the construction sector, before discussing initiatives by both the Labour Government in 2009 and the Coalition Government in 2014, and more recent debates as to the possibility of a longer-term solution to this issue.

Topics: National insurance, Taxation

Human rights abuses and UK assistance to Bahrain
Published Friday, September 7, 2018 | Commons Debate packs CDP-2018-0197
A Westminster Hall debate on "Human rights abuses and UK assistance to Bahrain" has been scheduled for Tuesday 11 September 2018 from 9.30-11:00am. The debate has been initiated by Andy Slaughter MP.

Topics: Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Human rights, Middle East

E-petition 223729 relating to rescinding Article 50 if the Vote Leave campaign broke electoral laws
Published Friday, September 7, 2018 | Commons Debate packs CDP-2018-0202
A Westminster Hall debate on the ‘e-petition 223729 relating to rescinding Article 50 if the Vote Leave campaign broke electoral laws’ has been scheduled for Monday 10 September 2018. The debate has been initiated by Daniel Zeichner MP.

Topics: EU law and treaties, Legislative process, Parliament

A guide to the EU budget
Published Friday, September 7, 2018 | Commons Briefing papers SN06455
This note considers the EU's spending and how it is financed.

Topic: EU budget

National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and the self-employed
Published Friday, September 7, 2018 | Commons Briefing papers CBP-7918
This paper looks at the way in which the self-employed are treated for the purposes of National Insurance, in the context of proposals made in the 2015 Budget to scrap Class 2 National Insurance contributions (NICs), and proposals in the Spring 2017 Budget to increase the rate of Class 4 NICs. In the latter case, the Government cancelled its plans a few days after the Budget, and in the former case announced recently that it would not proceed with the abolition of Class 2 NICs during this Parliament.

Topics: National insurance, Taxation

Personal service companies & IR35
Published Thursday, September 6, 2018 | Commons Briefing papers SN05976
The 'IR35' rules to prevent the exploitation of personal service companies for tax avoidance were introduced in April 2000, following a long and contentious consultation exercise. This legislation remains unpopular among freelancers who use this corporate form to provide services. This note looks at recent debate on how these rules might be reformed and wider concerns about the use of employment intermediaries to avoid tax.

Topics: National insurance, Taxation

Funeral Poverty
Published Thursday, September 6, 2018 | Commons Debate packs CDP-2018-0200
This House of Commons Library landing page has been prepared in advance of a debate entitled "Funeral Poverty". It will be led by Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck MP and will take place in Westminster Hall on Tuesday 11th September 2018, starting at 2.30pm.

Topics: Bereavement benefits, Incomes and poverty

Brexit: energy and climate change
Published Thursday, September 6, 2018 | Commons Briefing papers CBP-8394
A House of Commons Library Briefing Paper discussing key energy and climate change policy in the UK, the status of related Brexit negotiations and the possible impact of Brexit on these policy areas, including in relation to a no deal scenario.

Topics: Climate change, Energy, EU law and treaties

Fisheries: Brexit Negotiations
Published Thursday, September 6, 2018 | Commons Briefing papers CBP-8396
Following Brexit, the UK will no longer be part of the EU Common Fisheries Policy. It will become an independent coastal state and be fully responsible for managing fisheries in the UK’s Exclusive Economic Zone of 200 miles.

Topics: EU external relations, EU institutions, EU law and treaties, Fisheries, Food, Marine environment

The growth in short-term lettings (England)
Published Thursday, September 6, 2018 | Commons Briefing papers CBP-8395
This Commons Library briefing paper examines the growth in short-term lettings through online peer-to-peer platforms. It outlines the positive impacts of the accommodation sharing economy, and growing concerns about the adverse effects of high levels of short-term lettings in some areas. The paper discusses calls from some sectors for greater regulation of short-term lettings in England, and provides a brief overview of the regulatory approaches in other countries.

Topics: Housing, Internet and cybercrime, Tourism

Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014
Published Thursday, September 6, 2018 | Lords Library notes LLN-2018-0095
This House of Lords Library Briefing has been prepared in advance of the debate to take place on 13 September 2018 in the House of Lords on the motion moved by Lord Harries of Pentregarth that this House takes note of Part II of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 and the effect it has had on third party election campaigning.

Topics: Charities, Election expenditure, Elections

Distributed Ledger Technology
Published Thursday, September 6, 2018 | POSTbriefs POST-PB-0028
Distributed ledger technology (DLT) is a type of digital records system that allows multiple identical copies of a ledger to be stored on different computers on a network and updated by multiple different users. This POSTbrief provides a technical overview of the different types of DLT and how they work. It discusses some of the main applications of DLT and highlights the benefits and challenges of the technology.

Topics: Companies, Energy, Financial institutions, Financial services, Industry, Information technology, Privacy, Science, Taxation

Displaying 61-80 out of 7958

About libraries

House of Commons Library

The House of Commons Library provides research, analysis and information services for MPs and their staff.

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The House of Lords Library delivers research and information services to Members and staff of the House in support of parliamentary business.

POST

The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology produces independent, balanced and accessible briefings on public policy issues related to science and technology.

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