Environmental protection
All Standard Notes
37 Documents
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 15.05.2013 | The Water Bill |
| The Government plans to introduce a Water Bill in this parliamentary session. It will probably focus on increasing competition in the water sector, and it will also aim to deliver other objectives including the provision of flood insurance, the better management of water supplies and more sustainable water abstraction. | |
| 22.04.2013 | Flood insurance |
| this note outlines issues relating to flood insurance within the UK. | |
| 27.03.2013 | Seabass fishing |
| This note covers issues surrounding seabass - an important fish species for commercial fishermen and recreational anglers. | |
| 15.03.2013 | Marine Conservation Zones |
| This note describes the designation of Marine Conservation Zones in England, which were introduced under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. The Government has proposed to designate 31 MCZ in 2013; additional MCZ may be designated in following years. A public consultation on the proposals closes on 31 March 2013. | |
| 13.02.2013 | Aviation: night flights |
| This note explains the rules on night flights at designated and non-designated airports. | |
| 08.02.2013 | Carbon Price Floor |
| This note summarises the Governmnent plans to introduce a carbon price floor by April 2013 | |
| 05.02.2013 | Bin collection - Alternate weekly collection |
| Waste collection can be a contentious issue, particularly when local authorities decide to move away from weekly bin collection to alternate weekly collection (AWC). This note describes the reasons why authorities have chosen to do this, and related issues including the recently announced Weekly Collections Support Scheme. | |
| 14.01.2013 | Green Belt |
| This note describes the Government's policy on the green belt, related plannning restrictions and concern over Green belt changes. | |
| 03.01.2013 | Green Investment Bank |
| The Government has announced the creation of a Green Investment Bank to stimulate investment in green technologie. This note includes details of its role and its location. | |
| 21.12.2012 | Icy fishing: UK and Iceland fish stock disputes |
| In spite of generally excellent bilateral relations, Iceland and the UK have had a number of fisheries disputes. There are now increasing tensions between the two parties after Iceland started catching large quantities of mackerel. Iceland has been condemned for 'plundering' the stock and for threatening its long-term future. The stock is worth some £200 million to the UK economy. The dispute has become known as the Mackerel War. | |
| 17.12.2012 | Shale gas and fracking |
| On 13 December 2012 the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change announced that exploratory hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for shale gas could resume in the UK, after a temporary moratorium following small seismic tremors near Blackpool in April and May 2011. | |
| 22.11.2012 | Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative |
| This note summarises the main features of the extractive industries transparency initiative and outlines the sphere of operations of the UK's main mining companies. The note is prepared for the debate on 28 November 2012 on UK mining industries. | |
| 08.11.2012 | The Forestry Commission and the sale of public forests in England |
| This note sets out information on the sale of public forests managed by the Forestry Commission | |
| 20.09.2012 | Deepwater and Arctic oil drilling |
| This note outlines several examples of how previously inaccessible sources of hydrocarbons are now starting to be exploited, the regulatory regimes that surround this and the increasing controversy over drilling in the Arctic. | |
| 23.07.2012 | The Antarctic Bill |
| This Private Member's Bill makes provision for expeditions in Antartica to have contingency plans to deal with environmental emergencies. | |
| 18.07.2012 | Antarctica: the treaty system and territorial claims |
| The unique treaty system that protects the Antarctic is constantly updated and sometimes challenged. A current Private Member's Bill would implement recent changes in the UK. | |
| 20.04.2012 | The Chagos Islanders |
| This note provides brief background about the situation of the Chagos Islanders, paying particular attention to the legal dispute over whether they have the right of return and the recent establishment of a Marine Protection Area around the British Indian Ocean Territory (with the exception of Diego Garcia). The note is not comprehensive in its coverage and will not be automatically updated. | |
| 16.03.2012 | Waste Water National Policy Statement |
| This note provides background information on the Waste Water National Policy Statement, which streamlines planning policy for nationally significant waste water treatment projects such as the Thames Tunnel. | |
| 05.03.2012 | The Rio+20 UN conference on sustainable development |
| From 20-22 June 2012 the UN will hold a conference on sustainable development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, twenty years on from the 'Earth Summit' of 1992, also held in Rio. This note sets out the likely agenda for the conference and some surrounding political issues. | |
| 05.01.2012 | Durban Climate Conference |
| This note covers run up and outcome of the UN climate change conference that took place in Durban between 28 November and 11 December 2011. | |
| 30.11.2011 | Surface water drainage charge (rain tax) |
| This note introduces the debate surrounding the surface water drainage charge, or 'rain tax'. Following a change in legislation, water companies are now permitted to introduce surface water drainage charge concessionary rates for community groups. | |
| 07.09.2011 | Septic tanks: new regulations |
| From January 2012 all septic tanks have to be registered or permited to protect groundwater supplies. A review has been launched to determine whether this approach is the most appropriate. | |
| 13.07.2011 | Energy from waste and incineration |
| This note looks at the role of energy from waste and incineration. | |
| 17.03.2011 | Wreck Removal Convention Bill 2010-11 |
| This note briefly describes the Wreck Removal Convention Bill 2010-11; a Private Members' Bill sponsored by Dr Thérèse Coffey MP. The Bill provides measures to enable the United Kingdom to ratify and implement the International Convention for the Removal of Wrecks. It would insert new sections and a Schedule into the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. | |
| 03.03.2011 | Illegally Logged Timber: EU and UK legislation |
| This note covers the EU ban on the import of illegal timber and proposals for UK legislation. | |
| 11.02.2011 | Aggregates levy |
| This note discusses the introduction of the aggregates levy and its impact on the quarrying sector. | |
| 12.01.2011 | Cancun Climate Conference |
| This note covers the climate negotiations which have taken place since the Copenhagen Conference (COP 15) in December 2009, in the lead up to the next meeting in Cancun in November 2010. | |
| 05.08.2010 | Fly tipping--the illegal dumping of waste |
| There are large environmental, social and financial impacts associated with fly tipping and the illegal dumping of waste. Local authorities, the Environment Agency and landowners spend more than £100 million every year tackling the consequences of fly tipping. This note gives a general overview of the extent of the problem of fly-tipping and the powers and responsibilities of the Environment Agency, local authorities and landowners to deal with it. | |
| 01.07.2010 | Marine litter: 'continents' of rubbish |
| A large amount of plastic is accumulating in large areas of the sea. These areas have been dubbed 'great garbage patches' or 'plastic continents'. The long term environmental impacts of marine plastic pollution are unknown. There are concerns that it may lead to chemical contaminants entering the food chain, although more research is required. | |
| 13.05.2010 | Public conveniences |
| This note sets out the law relating to the provision of public conveniences and the powers of local authorities. | |
| 10.05.2010 | Boiler scrappage scheme |
| The Government's boiler scrappage scheme closed to new applicants on 26 March 2010. Some energy companies operate a similar scheme beyond that date, but constituents are advised to obtain quotes from a range of sources, including local independent boiler fitters, to ascertain which provides the best value. | |
| 31.03.2010 | Threatened species statistics: The Red List 2010 |
| Threatened species statistics: The Red List 2010. By Rachael Harker. SN/SG/2766. IUCN, The World Conservation Union, produces a regular Red List of Threatened Species to catalogue those taxa that are facing a risk of global extinction. This Note summarises some of the findings from this list and compares the 2010 results with earlier lists. | |
| 10.03.2010 | Dealing with nuisance trees and hedges |
| This note sets out the options available to homeowners to deal with nuisance trees and hedges. It includes details of high hedges legislation | |
| 07.01.2010 | Sources of historical statistics |
| Details of online sources of historical statistics across all subject areas other than the economy. These sources are either long-term time series or snapshots of a range of data from a specific point in the past.They allow comparisons between the present day and the start of data collection and any intervening period and give an understanding of patterns -have trends been smooth, random, cyclical etc? Snapshots cover a wider range of data and help us make more general comparisons between 'then' and 'now'. Most of the series go back to around the 1920s or earlier. . This note does not include links to economic data or anything to do with family history. | |
| 25.06.2009 | Greenhouse gas emission statistics |
| Updated to included final 2007 and provisional 2008 data, carbon budgets and the lastest projections | |
| 25.06.2009 | Cabin air quality |
| This note sets out issues and concerns about cabin air quality; specifically in relation to the unintentional release of chemicals into the cabin air supply, also known as "fume events". | |
| 28.08.2008 | Renewable Energy Statistics |
| Updated with 2007 data and 2020 targets. |
All Research Papers
16 Documents
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 12.03.2013 | Energy Bill: Committee Stage Report |
| This paper complements Library Research Paper 12/79 on the Energy Bill 2012-13. It covers the Bill's Second Reading and Committee Stages. The Bill seeks to implement electricity market reform and introduces 'contracts for difference' to support all forms of low carbon generation, including nuclear. Government amendments made during Committee Stage related to cheaper energy tariffs and setting a decarbonisation target. | |
| 13.12.2012 | Energy Bill |
| The Energy Bill [Bill 100 of 2012-13] seeks to implement 'electricity market reform' and through this achieve 'secure, clean and affordable' electricity supplies. The Bill was introduced to the Commons on 29 November 2012 and will have its Second Reading debate on 19 December 2012. A draft Bill was subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee. | |
| 30.10.2012 | Antarctic Bill |
| This Private Member's Bill makes provision for expeditions in Antarctica to have contingency plans to deal with environmental emergencies. | |
| 10.11.2010 | Sustainable Livestock Bill. Bill 5 of 2010-11 Public Bodies (Sustainable Food) Bill. Bill 12 of 2010-11 |
| The Sustainable Livestock Bill aims to reduce the environmental impacts of livestock production in the UK. It also aims to amend the way agricultural subsidies are used to make them more environmentally friendly. It includes a duty to give consideration to supporting sustainable practices and consumption through public procurement of livestock produce. The Public Bodies (Sustainable Food) Bill would create a duty on the Secretary of State to prepare a Code for Sustainable Food to promote the procurement of healthy and sustainable food by public bodies. This could be made compulsory if uptake was not extensive enough. | |
| 16.06.2009 | Marine and Coastal Access Bill [HL] |
| The Bill covers a broad range of marine issues and would: (1) set up a new Marine Management Organisation (MMO) under which many of the existing, diverse areas of marine regulation would be centralised; (2) streamline the existing marine licensing system and provide powers to create a joined up marine planning policy; (3) introduce new measures to reform fisheries management; (4) provide a framework for establishing marine conservation zones; and, (5) enable the creation of a route around the English coast. | |
| 22.10.2008 | Climate Change Bill [HL]: Committee Stage Report |
| Climate Change Bill. (Bill 129 of 2007/08) House of Commons Library Research Paper 08/79. | |
| 06.06.2008 | Climate Change Bill [HL] |
| (Bill 97 of 2007-08) | |
| 24.04.2008 | Social Indicators |
| Social Indicators. [Includes articles on 'Gambling in New South Wales, Australia' and 'A new era for UK official statistics: the launch of the UK Statistics Authority, and Topical Subject Pages on world food prices, the weather in 2007 and excess winter mortality.] House of Commons Library Research Paper 08/37. | |
| 14.06.2007 | The Sustainable Communities Bill Committee Stage Report |
| 25.04.2007 | Social Indicators |
| Social Indicators. [Includes article on Smoking in Public Places and The 2007 Census Test and a Topical Subject Page on Waste and Recycling] House of Commons Library Research Paper 07/38. | |
| 15.01.2007 | The Sustainable Communities Bill |
| 23.01.2006 | Merchant Shipping (Pollution) Bill [HL] |
| 02.06.2005 | Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill (Bill 3 2005-06) |
| Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill (Bill 3 2005-06). House of Commons Library Research Paper 05/39 | |
| 04.01.2005 | Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill (Bill 11 of 2004/05) |
| The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill (Bill 11 of 2004/05). House of Commons Library Research Paper 05/01. | |
| 10.10.2002 | Sustainable development and the 2002 World Summit |
| Sustainable development and the 2002 World Summit. House of Commons Library Research Paper 02/55. | |
| 24.06.1998 | Agriculture and the Environment |
| Agriculture and the Environment. House of Commons Library Research Paper 98/70. |
