Constitution

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on the constitution. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

Date	Description
31.07.2013	State and ceremonial funerals
	This Note explains the arrangements for state and ceremonial funerals, including examples from the past. It shows the distinction between the two types of funeral, looks at what is known about the process to decide whether a state funeral will be held for a commoner, and provides some information on costs.
15.01.2013	Referendum on independence for Scotland
	The UK and Scottish Governments reached agreement in October 2012 on the legislation needed to hold a referendum on Scottish independence. This Note discusses the agreement, and the draft 'Section 30 Order' by which the UK Parliament will give the Scottish Parliament the power to hold the vote. It also covers the question of the franchise and some reaction to the agreement.
31.12.2012	The Turks and Caicos Islands
	This note briefly reviews the crisis of political and economic governance which has affected the Turks and Caicos Islands since 2008. A period of direct rule came to an end when fresh elections were held in November 2012. Only time will tell whether the Turks and Caicos Islands are now set on a new course - and, if so, what that course is.
21.12.2012	Constitutional change: timeline from 1911
	This note contains a short and highly selective chronology of constitutional change over the past century. Prominent themes include parliamentary reform, devolution and changes to the franchise.
27.11.2012	Nepal: re-setting the peace process?
	This note covers events in Nepal since 2006, where a painful and protracted peace process has been underway. At the end of May 2012, the Constituent Assembly supposed to draw up a new Constitution was dissolved without having achieved its objective. The key sticking point was federalism. Since then, the political parties have argued about how to re-set the process. While there is growing agreement that what is needed is a new 'national unity' caretaker government and elections in 2013 for a fresh Constituent Assembly, there is still fierce dispute over which party should provide the prime minister. The president has given the parties until the end of the month to decide.

Research Papers

Date	Description
19.12.2012	Succession to the Crown Bill 2012-13
	The Succession to the Crown Bill would make changes so that gender would no longer play a part in determining the order of succession to the Crown, and so that a person marrying a Roman Catholic would no longer be barred from becoming or remaining monarch. It would also remove a requirement for descendants of George II to seek permission from the monarch to marry, replacing it with a requirement for the first six people in the line of succession to seek consent if they wish to remain in line to the throne. This Paper discusses the existing rules, the changes proposed by the Bill, and the process among the 16 states of which the Queen is Head of State to make the changes together.
12.07.2011	Sovereign Grant Bill
	The Sovereign Grant Bill concerns the way in which the monarchy is funded. It seeks to replace the Civil List and other grants that support the Queen's official duties with a new Sovereign Grant, based on a percentage of the profits of the Crown Estate. The new grant is designed to deliver at first a broadly similar level of finance in cash terms to what is available at present. There are mechanisms for adjusting the level in future, and for using any significant surplus as a means to reduce the grant. The Sovereign Grant is intended to be a typical government grant that will lead to the royal finances being audited by the National Audit Office, and subjected to full parliamentary scrutiny.
20.01.2011	Fixed-term Parliaments Bill: Commons Stages [Bill No 64 of 2010-11]
	This Research Paper summarises all the Commons stages of the Fixed-term Parliaments Bill. It complements Research Paper 10/54 which was prepared for the Commons Second Reading. No major amendments were made to the Bill during its Committee stage and no amendments were made during Report.
11.11.2010	Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill 2010-11: Commons Stages
	This Paper summarises all Commons stages of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill 2010-11. It supplements Research Paper 10/55 which was produced for the Bill's Second Reading and replaces Standard Note 5697 'Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill: Progress of the Bill'. No major changes were made during the passage of the Bill in the Commons, but the text of the referendum question was altered and legislative provision was made for the combination of polls on 5 May 2011.
01.09.2010	The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill [Bill 63 of 2010-11]
	This Paper has been prepared for the Second Reading debate in the House of Commons. The Bill seeks to enable the next general election to be fought under the Alternative Vote system, provided this change is endorsed in a referendum on 5 May 2011 and boundary changes have been made to reduce the size of the House of Commons to 600. New rules for the redistribution of seats are designed to give primacy to numerical equality in constituencies and regular redistributions would take place every five years.

Select Committee Reports

Date	Description
15.02.2012	Constitution Select Committee (HL) twenty-fourth report on the Referendum on Scottish Independence.
	Constitution Select Committee (HL) report [Lords]
11.01.2012	Constitution Select Committee (HL) twenty-third report on Voting at the close of poll.
	Constitution Select Committee (HL) report [Lords]
14.12.2011	Constitution Select Committee (HL) twenty-second report on the Health and Social Care Bill:
	Constitution Select Committee (HL) report [Lords]
16.11.2011	Constitution Select Committee (HL) twenty-first report on Part 1 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment...
	Constitution Select Committee (HL) report [Lords]
02.11.2011	Constitution Select Committee (HL) twentieth report on the Protection of Freedoms Bill.
	Constitution Select Committee (HL) report [Lords]

Early Day Motions

Date	Description
07.12.2010	GENDER EQUALITY IN SUCCESSION TO THE THRONE
	That this House notes with concern that under the rule of primogeniture men have precedence over women in succeeding to the Throne; further notes the application of gender equality ...
04.06.2009	PARLIAMENTARY REFORM
	That this House urges the Government to include within a constitutional renewal bill the election by secret ballot of a Business Committee of the House to arrange business whilst allowing ...
10.06.2008	IRAQI REFERENDUM ON OCCUPATION
	That this House notes the claim of the occupying powers in Iraq to be introducing democracy; further notes that democracy and occupation are almost certainly incompatible; takes account ...
10.06.2008	PROCEDURE ON THE EU CONSTITUTIONAL TREATY
	That this House notes the exceptional importance of the events of the week of 9th June 2008 to the future independence of the UK and the supremacy of Parliament; welcomes the judicial ...
15.05.2008	BURMESE CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM
	That this House condemns the announcement by Burma's ruling junta that a new constitution was given overwhelming backing in a referendum carried out on 10th May in the midst of the ...

Lords Library Notes

Date	Description
11.02.2013	Succession to the Crown Bill (HL Bill 81 of 2012-13)
	The Succession to the Crown Bill makes changes to the laws of succession to the Crown. This Library Note summarises the proceedings which have taken place on the Bill during its passage through the House of Commons, ahead of the Bill's second reading debate in the House of Lords on 14 February 2013.
17.01.2011	Debate on 20 January: Constitutional and Parliamentary Effect of Coalition Government
	This Library Note aims to provide background reading for the debate on 20 January 2011: "To call attention to the constitutional and parliamentary effect of Coalition Government".