Research briefings

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• Commercial Lobbyists (Registration and Code of Conduct) Bill 2012-13 [Bill 39 2012-13] Published 31 January 2013 | Standard notes SN06541 The Commercial Lobbyists (Registration and Code of Conduct) Bill 2012-13 is a Private Member’s Bill promoted by Thomas Docherty. It seeks to create a statutory register for commercial lobbyists and a legally enforceable code of conduct. It was presented on 25 June 2012, and is scheduled for second reading on 1 February 2013. Topic: Central government, Parliament
• FoI and Ministerial vetoes Published 29 January 2013 | Standard notes SN05007 The Lord Chancellor, Jack Straw, issued the first ministerial veto in relation to a FoI request on 23 February 2009 for the contents of the legal advice on military action against Iraq. Two subsequent vetoes were issued protecting communications on devolution issues and a fourth on. A fourth veto was issued on 8 May 2012 blocking the release of the NHS Transitional Risk Register and a fifth in July 2012 blocking extracts from Cabinet minutes on the military action against Iraq in 2003. The most recent, the sixth, was on 16 October 2012, relating to the release of correspondence from Prince Charles to Government departments. This Standard Note traces the history of the veto within FoI legislation and summarises comparative examples abroad. Topic: Central government, Freedom of information, Ministers
• Government policy announcements Published 18 January 2013 | Standard notes SN05648 The Ministerial Code states that when Parliament is in Session, the most important Ministerial announcements should be made in Parliament. However there have been occasions when, for whatever reason, announcements have not been delivered in Parliament first. Often in such cases the Speaker has made a statement to the House deprecating what has happened and sometimes calling on the minister concerned to account for his/her actions. Topic: Central government, Parliament
• Coalitions at Westminster Published 07 December 2012 | Standard notes SN06404 Amended 17 January 2013 This standard note looks at coalition governments at Westminster. Topic: Central government, Parliament
• Honours for political service Published 26 November 2012 | Standard notes SN06433 This Note examines developments in honours for political service. Topic: Central government, Crown
• Individual ministerial accountability Published 09 November 2012 | Standard notes SN06467 This Note looks at the recent debate on the question of individual ministerial responsibility in the context of civil service reform and civil service capability. Topic: Central government, Ministers, Parliament
• PIL: Government Chief Whips since 1945 Published 23 October 2012 | Standard notes SN04417 Topic: Central government, Parliament
• Limitations on the number of Ministers and the size of the Payroll vote Published 14 September 2012 | Standard notes SN03378 This standard note sets out the statutory limits that apply to ministerial appointments. It summarises recent proposals to reduce the number of Ministers and provides figures for the size of the payroll vote since 1979. Topic: Central government, Ministers
• Investigatory inquiries and the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921 Published 03 September 2012 | Standard notes SN02599 The Inquiries Act 2005 made significant changes to the system of public inquiries in the UK and is fully covered in Standard Note 06410. The subject of parliamentary inquiries is covered in Standard Note 6392 Parliamentary Commissions of Inquiry. This Note looks at other types of inquiries which can be established, statutory or non-statutory, and at the predecessor to the Inquiries Act, the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921 which had formed the main basis for statutory inquiries over some 80 years. Topic: Central government, Public administration, Public inquiries
• The Inquiries Act 2005 Published 03 September 2012 | Standard notes SN06410 This Note explains the provisions of the Inquiries Act 2005. This Act is the main statutory basis for establishing an inquiry into matters of major current concern. The Note sets out details of each inquiry held under the Act and examines some of the procedural issues. Topic: Central government, Public administration, Public inquiries
• Special advisers Published 07 August 2012 | Standard notes SN03813 This Standard Note summarises developments regarding Special Advisers since 2000. Topic: Central government, Civil Service, Ministers
• Business Appointment Rules Published 26 July 2012 | Standard notes SN03745 This note explains how the rules operate which regulate the appointment of former Permanent Secretaries (and deputy secretaries) and former Ministers to posts in the private sector. Topic: Central government, Civil Service, Ministers
• Ministerial Residences Published 13 July 2012 | Standard notes SN03367 This note provides information on ministerial residences including their allocation, financial arrangements and hospitality rules as well as historical notes on each residence. Topic: Central government, Ministers
• Parliamentary Private Secretaries Published 05 July 2012 | Standard notes SN04942 This note sets out the history and development of the position of Parliamentary Private Secretary as well as discussing the role and functions of the post and the limitations placed upon its holders. Topic: Central government, Ministers
• The Ministerial Code Published 19 June 2012 | Standard notes SN03750 This Note looks at the Ministerial Code and the developments connected with it since 2010. Topic: Central government, Ministers
• How the UK Government deals with EU Business Published 10 May 2012 | Standard notes SN06323 This Note looks at UK Government and Civil Service structures and culture; what happens at the UK-EU interface, and methods for transposing EU law into UK law. Topic: Central government, Civil Service, EU law and treaties, Europe, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
• Queen’s Speech 2012 Published 18 April 2012 | Standard notes SN06254 This Standard Note gathers together speculation on the issues that might be included in the forthcoming Queen’s Speech. Topic: Central government, Parliament
• Orders under the Public Bodies Act 2011 Published 29 March 2012 | Standard notes SN06279 Amended 27 September 2012 The Public Bodies Act 2011 received royal assent on 14 December 2011. The Act provides for orders to be brought forward to abolish, merge, modify the constitutional arrangements of; modify the funding arrangements of; and modify or transfer the functions of public bodies. Topic: Central government, Non-departmental public bodies, Parliament
• Parliamentary involvement in public appointments Published 02 March 2012 | Standard notes SN04387 This note sets out the background to pre-appointment hearings; considers the operation of the hearings to date; and outlines the findings of research commissioned by the Cabinet Office and the Liaison Committee on the impact of the pilot. It also briefly reviews the Liaison Committee’s proposals for reforming pre-appointment hearings in the light of that research. Topic: Central government, House of Commons, Non-departmental public bodies, Parliament, Public administration
• Honours Published 02 February 2012 | Standard notes SN02832 Amended 07 February 2012 This Note sets out the current operation of the Honours system and summarises the results of earlier reviews. Topic: Central government, Crown