Research briefings

Displaying 61-80 out of 4916

Sort by: Most recent first Most recent last

• Oxbridge 'elitism' Published 22 February 2013 | Standard notes SN00616 Interest in the background of students who go to Oxford and Cambridge is very longstanding. The 1852 Royal Commissions on both universities identified access by poorer students as an important and longstanding issue. The debate about elitism at Oxford and Cambridge has tended to focus on a single indicator -the proportion of students accepted from state schools- and particularly whether it has gone up or down in the latest year. This gives a limited view only. A fuller picture needs more context, including longer term trends in this indicator, rates of entry for other under-represented groups, data on other prestige universities and a better understanding of the types of state schools that send pupils to Oxbridge. Both universities now take more than half of their entrants from state schools, if overseas entrants are excluded. These rates are generally increasing, but the historical data shows that progress has been slow. Topic: Higher education, Students
• Petrol and diesel prices Published 22 February 2013 | Standard notes SN04712 Road fuel prices have increased steadily since their recent lows in early 2009. Petrol prices reached a record monthly high in May 2010, set new records in December 2010 and in each of the following five months and broke these again in March and April 2012. Diesel prices exceeded their summer 2008 highs in January 2011 and also set new highs in each of the next four months. New records were set in February, March and April 2012. Prices fell by 10 11 pence per litre over summer, approached the earlier highs in early autumn 2012 but fell back somewhat in winter. Topic: Energy, Oil, petrol and natural gas, Roads
• Recognising the killings of Iraqi Kurds as genocide Published 21 February 2013 | Standard notes SN06560 The killings of thousands of Iraqi Kurds under Saddam Hussein's rule has been recognised by some as genocide, which has a specific definition under international law. Topic: Human rights, International law, Iraq
• Private sector letting and managing agents: should they be regulated? Published 21 February 2013 | Standard notes SN06000 This note considers the regulation of private sector letting and managing agents. Topic: Owner occupation, Private rented housing
• Northern Ireland draft bill 2012-13 Published 21 February 2013 | Standard notes SN06559 This Note sets out the main provisions of the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) draft Bill published on 11 February 2013. The draft Bill is due to be given pre-legislative scrutiny by the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, beginning on 25 February 2013. Their report is expected to be published by the end of this session. Topic: Northern Ireland Assembly
• Buses: concessionary fares Published 21 February 2013 | Standard notes SN01499 This Note summarises the legislation covering concessionary fares on buses in England. It also gives information on the position in London, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Topic: Buses
• Public Finances: Economic Indicators page Published 21 February 2013 | Standard notes SN02812 Excluding the effects of the £28 billion Royal Mail pension transfer, borrowing to date in 2012/13 is £93.8 billion, 1.6% higher than over the same period last year. Topic: Economic situation, Public expenditure
• Unemployment by Constituency, February 2013 Published 20 February 2013 | Research papers RP13/12 This paper contains labour market figures for parliamentary constituencies, as well as a summary of the latest national and regional statistics. Topic: Economic situation, Employment, Unemployment
• Unemployment by constituency: change in methodology, 2013 Published 20 February 2013 | Standard notes SN06556 The Library has changed the methodology used to calculate the claimant rates shown in the monthly Unemployment by Constituency research paper, following the publication of new 2011 Census data for parliamentary constituencies. This note provides details of the changes. Topic: Unemployment
• “Chuggers”: face-to-face charity fundraising Published 20 February 2013 | Standard notes SN06027 “Chuggers” (charity muggers) is a term sometimes used to describe those involved in face-to-face fundraising where people are asked to sign direct debits to charity, often on the street. Charities and other organisations which use this method of fundraising do not use the term “chuggers” and instead refer to “face-to-face” or “F2F” fundraising. Topic: Charities
• In brief: Malawi under President Joyce Banda Published 20 February 2013 | Standard notes SN06557 Joyce Banda became Malawi's president in turbulent circumstances in April 2012 and since then has sought to build domestic support and win back previously alienated Western donors through an economic and political reform programme. While she has had some successes, there is currently growing public discontent about the economy and her political position is still vulnerable. Her prospects in the 2014 elections are uncertain. Topic: Africa, International development, International politics and government
• Retirement Age Published 20 February 2013 | Standard notes SN00961 As of 1 October 2011, the Employment Equality (Repeal of Retirement Age Provisions) Regulations 2011 abolished the DRA. Topic: Age discrimination, Employment, Equality, Older people
• Unemployment - International Comparisons: Economic Indicators page Published 20 February 2013 | Standard notes SN02800 The UK harmonised unemployment rate for Q3 2012 was 7.8%. This was below the rate of France and Italy (10.3% and 10.7%, respectively, in Q3) but above that of Germany (5.3%). Topic: Economic situation, International economic relations, Unemployment
• Single-tier state pension Published 20 February 2013 | Standard notes SN06525 This notes look at the Government's proposals, set out in a White Paper published on 14 January 2013, to introduce a single-tier state pension Topic: Pensions
• Parliamentary Approval for Deploying the Armed Forces: An Update Published 20 February 2013 | Standard notes SN05908 Topic: Armed forces
• Pensions: civil partnerships and same sex marriages Published 20 February 2013 | Standard notes SN03035 This note looks at the way in which forming a civil partnership affects rights to state, occupational and personal pensions and at the relevant provisions in the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill 2012-13 Topic: Civil partnerships, Equality, Pensions
• Census 2011: Eastleigh Constituency Published 19 February 2013 | Standard notes SN06555 2011 Census data showing how Eastleigh constituency compares with others in England and Wales. Topic: Census, Population
• Draft Care and Support Bill 2012-13 Published 19 February 2013 | Standard notes SN06402 This note provides general information on the draft Care and Support Bill that was announced in the Queen’s Speech on 9 May 2012 and published by the Government on 11 July 2012. Topic: Health education and preventive medicine, Older people, Sickness, disability and carers' benefits
• Tax increment financing Published 19 February 2013 | Standard notes SN05797 Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced on 20 September 2010 that the Coalition Government would allow local authorities to use tax increment financing (TIF) in order to finance infrastructure projects. This would be implemented by the Local Government Finance Bill 2010-12, which is currently awaiting report stage in the House of Commons. Topic: Local government
• Parish councils: creation and abolition Published 19 February 2013 | Standard notes SN04827 This note describes the procedures for creating and abolishing parish councils. Topic: Local government