Research briefings

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• PIL: Number of House of Commons Divisions Published 11 February 2013 | Standard notes SN04670 Amended 04 March 2013 This PIL lists the number of Commons divisions since 1945-46. Topic: House of Commons, Legislative process, Parliament
• 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
• Effectiveness of select committees Published 29 January 2013 | Standard notes SN06499 This note introduces the Liaison Committee's review "Select committee effectiveness, resources and powers" (November 2012) and the academic literature on the effectiveness of select committees Topic: Parliament
• 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
• All-women shortlists Published 18 December 2012 | Standard notes SN05057 This note looks at the background to the Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates) Act 2002 which allowed political parties to draw up all-women shortlists of candidates for elections; and its extension. It gives details of Labour candidates selected through all-women shortlists and methods of positive action used by the main political parties to increase the number of women MPs. Topic: Elections, Equality, General elections, Members of Parliament, Parliament, Political parties, Sex discrimination
• Post-Legislative Scrutiny Published 13 December 2012 | Standard notes SN05232 This note outlines the background to and the Government’s approach to post-legislative scrutiny. By March 2012, 44 memorandums on post-legislative assessments had been published. The note also gives some details of the Justice Committee’s inquiry into the operation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 that followed the publication of the Government’s post-legislative assessment of the Act. Topic: Legislative process, Parliament
• The Code of Conduct for Members- recent changes Published 10 December 2012 | Standard notes SN05127 Amended 22 January 2013 This Note sets out recent changes to the Code of Conduct for Members and Guide to the Rules relating to the conduct of Members. Topic: Members of Parliament, 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
• Pre-legislative scrutiny under the Coalition Government Published 07 December 2012 | Standard notes SN05859 This Standard Note takes as its starting point the formation of the Coalition Government in May 2010 and reviews both the commitments given on pre-legislative scrutiny and the draft bills published to date. Topic: Legislative process, Parliament
• House of Commons Background Paper: Disciplinary and Penal Powers of the House of Commons Published 27 November 2012 | Standard notes SN06487 This Note provides information on rules covering disciplinary and penal powers of the House of Commons. Topic: House of Commons, Members of Parliament, Parliament
• The publication of MPs' expenses by IPSA Published 26 November 2012 | Standard notes SN05784 This Note sets out the background to the information made available by the Commons for Members' allowances paid in the 2005-2010 Parliament. It then outlines IPSA's policy on release of allowances data and the position in the Welsh and Northern Irish Assemblies and the Scottish Parliament. Topic: Freedom of information, Members of Parliament, Parliament
• The Ombudsman- the developing role in the UK Published 20 November 2012 | Standard notes SN04832 This Note is designed to provide background on the work of the Ombudsman, and examines recent developments in the role. Topic: Parliament, Public administration
• Acts and Statutory Instruments: Volume of UK legislation 1950 to 2012 Published 14 November 2012 | Standard notes SN02911 The number of Acts has been declining over the last 20 to 30 years, but the number of Statutory Instruments has been increasing. This note shows the numbers of pieces of legislation over the last 50 years. It looks at both primary (Acts) and secondary legislation (Statutory Instruments). Topic: Legislative process, Parliament
• PIL: Parliaments held away from Westminster Published 12 November 2012 | Standard notes SN06471 Parliaments held away from Westminster. Topic: House of Commons, House of Lords, Parliament
• PIL: Meeting Places of the Houses of Parliament at Westminster Published 12 November 2012 | Standard notes SN06470 Meeting places of Parliament at Westminster other than the two main chambers. Topic: House of Commons, House of Lords, Parliament
• Fast-track legislation Published 12 November 2012 | Standard notes SN05256 This note reviews the House of Lords Constitution Committee’s inquiry into fast-track legislation and the Government’s response. It reports how information has been provided to Parliament on bills that have been fast-tracked. Topic: Legislative process, Parliament
• 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
• Retrospective legislation Published 30 October 2012 | Standard notes SN06454 This Note explains what retrospective legislation is and provides some examples, in the context of the statement on 29 October 2012 by Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, on his plans to introduce retrospective legislation to amend the Mental Health Act 1983, the Mental Health (Approval Functions) Bill 2012-13. Topic: Legislative process, Parliament
• e-Petitions Published 29 October 2012 | Standard notes SN06450 This note reviews the introduction of the Government’s e-petitions system and the House’s decision to allow, on an experimental basis, debates on e-petitions to take place in Westminster Hall in additional sittings on Monday afternoons when the Backbench Business Committee so determines. Topic: House of Commons, Parliament
• PIL: Government Chief Whips since 1945 Published 23 October 2012 | Standard notes SN04417 Topic: Central government, Parliament