Research briefings

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• Voting Behaviour in the EU Council Published 23 May 2013 | Standard notes SN06646 This Note looks at the voting behaviour of Member States in the EU Council when a Qualified Majority is required for the adoption of an EU measure, and at other factors which may influence the outcome of a QMV decision. It also considers the UK’s voting record and possible future scenarios when the voting rules change and the Eurozone expands. Topic: Economic and monetary union, EU Council of Ministers
• Components of GDP: Economic Indicators page Published 23 May 2013 | Standard notes SN02787 Latest data on the components that make up GDP, including household consumption, government spending, investment, net trade and output by sector. Topic: Economic situation
• Post-Legislative Scrutiny Published 23 May 2013 | Standard notes SN05232 This note outlines the background to and the Government’s approach to post-legislative scrutiny. By January 2013, 58 memorandums on post-legislative assessments had been published. The note also gives some details of individual inquiries held by Select Committees in response to the publication of several Memorandums, as well as some detail on post-legislative scrutiny in the House of Lords. Topic: Legislative process, Parliament
• Railways: High Speed Rail (Preparation) Bill (Bill 10 of 2013-14) Published 23 May 2013 | Standard notes SN06624 In the 2013 Queen’s Speech the Government announced a ‘paving bill’ to authorise further spending on preparation for the HS2 project. This short note will cover the Parliamentary stages of the paving bill through to Royal Assent. Topic: Railways
• A minimum price for alcohol? Published 23 May 2013 | Standard notes SN05021 In public debate the term “minimum pricing” has been used generically to refer to two different policies. The first is to set a minimum price per unit of alcohol. The second is to ban the sale of alcohol below cost price. Topic: Alcoholism, Competition, Licensing
• Civil legal aid: changes since 1 April 2013 Published 23 May 2013 | Standard notes SN06645 This note examines the changes made by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 and some of the further changes proposed in the Ministry of Justice’s most recent consultation paper. Topic: Civil law, Legal aid
• Service industries: Economic Indicators page Published 23 May 2013 | Standard notes SN02786 The service industry incorporates the retail sector, the financial sector, the public sector, business administration and cultural activities . Topic: Economic situation, Service industries
• National Citizen Service Published 23 May 2013 | Standard notes SN06364 The National Citizen Service (NCS) is a voluntary programme for 16 year olds, designed to take place after pupils have finished year 11. Topic: Children and families, Voluntary organisations
• Retail Sales: Economic Indicators page Published 23 May 2013 | Standard notes SN02818 The annual increase in the value of retail sales in the three months to April 2013 was 1.0%. Topic: Economic situation, Service industries
• Inflation: Economic Indicators page Published 23 May 2013 | Standard notes SN02792 Summary of latest inflation data from both the CPI and RPI inflation indexes. Topic: Economic policy, Economic situation
• High cost consumer credit Published 22 May 2013 | Standard notes SN05849 This note outlines issues about high cost credit lending and attempts to reform it. It looks at evidence from various academic research and other reports into the impact of the sector on individuals both here and abroad. It also looks at the opportunities for other lenders to enter the market and to offer more competition to the current market leaders. Topic: Financial services
• The Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Bill [Bill 7 of 2013-14] Published 22 May 2013 | Standard notes SN06639 The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill (Bill 7 of 2013-14) was introduced in the Commons on 9 May 2013. This standard note gives a brief outline of the main areas of the Bill together with sources for further reading. Topic: Animals, Anti-social behaviour, Criminal law, Police, Terrorism
• Revocation of planning permission Published 22 May 2013 | Standard notes SN00905 This note covers the rarely-used procedure that occasionally allows planning permission to be revoked after it has been granted. Topic: Planning
• Public Finances: Economic Indicators page Published 22 May 2013 | Standard notes SN02812 Excluding the effects of the £28 billion Royal Mail pension transfer and QE interest payments, borrowing in 2012/13 was £120.6 billion, 0.3% lower than in 2011/12. Topic: Economic situation, Public expenditure
• Community Infrastructure Levy Published 22 May 2013 | Standard notes SN03890 This note covers the method of financing infrastructure called Community Infrastructure Levy. Topic: Planning, Regeneration
• Housing complaints - the role of designated persons Published 22 May 2013 | Standard notes SN06644 This note provides information on the new role introduced by the Localism Act 2011 for "designated persons" in relation to complaints against social landlords by their tenants. Topic: Housing, Social rented housing
• Planning Reform Proposals Published 22 May 2013 | Standard notes SN06418 This note sets out recent Government proposals to reform certain aspects of planning law and policy. Topic: Planning, Regional planning and development
• Broadband – Update 2013 Published 22 May 2013 | Standard notes SN06643 How the Government aims to meet its targets for increasing access to faster internet connections. Topic: Internet and cybercrime, Telecommunications
• Disputes over the British Indian Ocean Territory: a survey Published 22 May 2013 | Research papers RP13/31 Between 1968 and 1973 the British Government cleared the entire Chagos Archipelago of its inhabitants, opening the way for a US military base on the biggest island, Diego Garcia. The Archipelago was made a British overseas territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). Two main disputes have arisen from these events. One has been between the Chagos Islanders and the British Government over the legality of the former’s removal and whether they have a right to return. The other has been between the UK and Mauritius about sovereignty over the BIOT. The UK has said that it will cede sovereignty to Mauritius once the BIOT is no longer required for defence purposes. Topic: International politics and government, Overseas territories
• Local Elections 2013 Published 22 May 2013 | Research papers RP13/30 This paper summarises the results of the local and mayoral elections held on 2 May 2013. Topic: Election results : UK