Research briefings

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• Prison population statistics Published 24 May 2012 | Standard notes SN04334 This note provides a detailed summary of the prison population in England and Wales with a more limited analysis of the situation in Scotland. Topic: Prisons
• Work Programme Published 23 May 2012 | Standard notes SN06340 Overview of the Government’s main welfare-to-work scheme designed to tackle long-term unemployment. Topic: Employment, Employment schemes, Unemployment
• Constituency casework: consumer protection Published 23 May 2012 | Standard notes SN05356 This note provides a brief introduction to UK consumer protection law. Most importantly, it refers to sources of information that may be helpful to Members’ staff when dealing with straightforward questions. Topic: Consumers
• Refprming Financial Markets VI: Solvency II Published 23 May 2012 | Standard notes SN06339 This is one of a series of notes which looks at actual or proposed reforms of either certain parts of the financial services sector or reforms of certain activities. It deals with the Solvency II directive. Topic: Financial services
• Prisoners' voting rights Published 23 May 2012 | Standard notes SN01764 This standard note looks at the current position regarding convicted prisoners and the franchise. Topic: Elections, Electoral franchise, General elections, Prisons
• Calling in a planning application Published 23 May 2012 | Standard notes SN00930 This note describes how the Secretary of State can call in a planning application to determine it herself, after a public inquiry. Topic: Planning
• Smart meters Published 23 May 2012 | Standard notes SN06179 Between 2014 and 2019 more than 50 million new ‘smart meters’ will be rolled out to 30 million homes and smaller businesses in Britain. These are intended to allow consumers to see and adjust in real time what energy they are using. The Public Accounts Committee considers the challenges associated with roll-out 'huge'. Topic: Climate change, Electricity, Energy, Energy conservation, Fuel poverty
• EU ETS and Aviation Published 23 May 2012 | Standard notes SN05533 The aviation sector has been included in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme from 1 January 2012 as part of EU efforts to reduce emissions by 20% by 2020. Topic: Aviation, Climate change
• Egypt’s presidential election 2012 Published 23 May 2012 | Standard notes SN06338 Egyptians vote on 23 and 24 May to elect a new president. If no candidate wins 50%, a second round will be held on 16 and 17 June. There are signs, however, of a looming crisis over the division of power and the role of the military. Topic: Africa, Election results : international, Elections, Middle East
• Confidentiality and openness in the family courts Published 23 May 2012 | Standard notes SN06102 This note provides information on the new rules which enable duly accredited media representatives (but not the wider public) to attend certain family proceedings held in private, subject to a power for the court to direct their exclusion. It also deals with the rules governing communication of information and statutory reporting restrictions for family proceedings. Topic: Children and families, Family law
• Business and Consumer Confidence: Economic Indicators page Published 23 May 2012 | Standard notes SN02817 In May 2012, slightly less manufacturers thought that output would rise over the next three months than thought it would fall – the difference was -3% of firms, according to the CBI. This is down from +24% of firms in April – a fall of 27 points, which is the largest month-on-month fall in output expectations since at least 1988. Topic: Consumers, Economic situation, Manufacturing industries
• The draft Energy Bill 2012 Published 23 May 2012 | Standard notes SN06324 The 2012 Queen’s Speech announced that "My Government will propose reform of the electricity market to deliver secure, clean and affordable electricity and ensure prices are fair”. This will be done through the latest in a line of Energy Bills, published in draft for pre-legislative scrutiny on 22 May 2012. Topic: Climate change, Energy, Energy conservation, Fuel poverty
• Criminal Memoirs Published 23 May 2012 | Standard notes SN02993 This note explains the civil recovery scheme designed to prevent criminals profiting from accounts of their crimes (for example in an autobiography or television or newspaper interviews). It also looks at the rules preventing serving prisoners from publishing such information and at the relevant media codes of practice. Topic: Crime, Prisons
• Roads: tolling Published 23 May 2012 | Standard notes SN00442 This note outlines the policies of successive governments towards the introduction of tolling on the UK road network. It also provides information on tolled undertakings such as the Dartford Crossing and the M6 Toll Road, and on European legislation that affects the installation and use of tolls. Topic: Roads
• Food Advertising on Television Published 23 May 2012 | Standard notes SN04020 This note discusses the effects of the Ofcom ban on junk food advertising aimed at children and future policy options Topic: Broadcasting, Food, Health education and preventive medicine
• Labour policy on Domestic Violence - 1999-2010 Published 22 May 2012 | Standard notes SN03989 The Labour Government introduced a number of reforms to the legal remedies for victims of domestic violence, and introduced a number of non-legislative measures. This note examines the development of Labour policy in this area. Topic: Crimes of violence
• Domestic violence Published 22 May 2012 | Standard notes SN06337 Domestic violence accounts for 18% of all violent incidents. Nearly one third of women and nearly one fifth of men say they have experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16. This standard note looks at the Goverment's policy on this area. Topic: Civil law, Crime, Crimes of violence, Criminal law
• Inflation: Economic Indicators page Published 22 May 2012 | Standard notes SN02792 Summary of latest inflation data from both the CPI and RPI inflation indexes. Topic: Economic policy, Economic situation
• Regulation of will writers Published 22 May 2012 | Standard notes SN05683 Although certain legal activities, known as “reserved legal activities”, may be carried out only by regulated legal professionals, such as solicitors and barristers, much legal advice, including will writing, may be delivered by people who are not subject to regulation. The previous Government decided against including will writing as a reserved legal activity in the Legal Services Act 2007 because it considered that evidence had not shown statutory regulation in this area to be necessary, and favoured voluntary regulation instead. This note deals with the law in England and Wales except where specifically stated. Topic: Civil law, Wills and intestacy
• Iran: is a compromise in the making? Published 22 May 2012 | Standard notes SN06336 For the first time since January 2011, the negotiating group that deals with Iran’s nuclear programme is in talks with Iranian representatives. Whether or not this is a result of increased economic pressure and a growing threat of military action, there has been some speculation that this times the talks may be serious and that there is a real prospect of a compromise. Topic: Arms control, Iran