Parliament
This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on Parliament. 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 |
|---|---|
| 02.08.2013 | House of Commons Background Paper: Traditions and customs of the House |
| This note outlines a number of the lesser-known and more unusual customs, procedures and behaviours of the House of Commons. It covers aspects of debate in the Chamber of the House; aspects of protocol; and specific traditions. | |
| 02.08.2013 | House of Commons Background Paper: Divisions in the House of Commons |
| This Standard Note describes the current practice and historical development of divisions. | |
| 02.08.2013 | House of Commons Background Paper: Father of the House |
| The Father of the House is a title that is by tradition bestowed on the senior Member of the House, which is nowadays held to be the Member who has the longest unbroken service in the Commons. This Standard Note discusses the duties associated with the post and its history. It also refers to the opposite title of 'Baby of the House', held by the youngest Member. | |
| 02.08.2013 | House of Commons Background Papers: Parliamentary questions - recent issues |
| This Standard Note explains the operation of the system of Parliamentary Questions in the House of Commons. It also provides background material, covering developments and issues studied over the last ten years. | |
| 02.08.2013 | Opposition parties in the House of Commons |
| This note describes the development of the roles and entitlements of the opposition parties, in particular the Official Opposition, in the House of Commons. It lists the current opposition parties and their electoral performance, and discusses how the procedures and practices of the House make allowances for the Opposition. |
Research Papers
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 26.07.2012 | Olympic Britain |
| Olympic Britain tells the story of the profound economic and social change in the UK since the two previous London Olympics, in 1908 and 1948, using statistics and expert analysis. The book can also be browsed using the Parliament website at www.parliament.uk/business/publications/research/olympic-britain/ | |
| 04.07.2012 | House of Lords Reform Bill 2012-13 |
| This Research Paper discusses the House of Lords Reform Bill 2012-13, placing it in the context of the previous draft bill and wider debates on the subject. | |
| 11.02.2011 | Wash-up 2010 |
| The wash-up period at the end of a Parliament allows a Government to get onto the statute book essential or non-controversial legislation that would not otherwise complete its passage through Parliament because of Dissolution. This paper describes the wash-up process; reviews the proceedings on wash-up in 2010; and provides details of Bills that received Royal Assent in each of the last six wash-up periods. | |
| 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. |
Select Committee Reports
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 13.09.2011 | Parliament's role in conflict decisions - government response to the Committee's eighth report. |
| Government response. Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee report [Commons] | |
| 14.07.2011 | Select committees and public appointments. |
| House of Commons Liaison Committee report [Commons] | |
| 09.06.2011 | Cabinet Manual. |
| Government response. Public Administration Select Committee report [Commons] | |
| 10.05.2011 | Parliament's role in conflict decisions. |
| Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee report [Commons] | |
| 28.04.2011 | Seminar on the House of Lords: outcomes Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee seventh |
| Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee report [Commons] |
Early Day Motions
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 07.12.2011 | SKYLINE OF THE PALACE OF WESTMINSTER |
| That this House congratulates the hon. Members and staff of the House who have successfully campaigned for the removal of the prefabricated buildings which blighted the roof of the ... | |
| 24.11.2011 | LOBBYING |
| That this House calls for Government action on lobbying that would prohibit relatives and partners of Government Ministers from hawking their contacts and influence to the highest bidder ... | |
| 24.11.2011 | BREACHES OF THE MINISTERIAL CODE (No. 2) |
| That this House calls for new clarity in the Ministerial Code on declarations of interest on Ministerial engagements that are classified as Ministerial or private; and notes the recent ... | |
| 24.11.2011 | BREACHES OF THE MINISTERIAL CODE |
| That this House notes that the investigation into the breach of the Ministerial code by the former Secretary of State for Defence was itself a breach of the code which explicitly names ... | |
| 14.11.2011 | AN ENGLISH PARLIAMENT |
| That this House should establish a select committee to report on the cases for and against establishing an English Parliament. |
Lords Library Notes
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 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". |
POST Papers
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 01.09.2009 | Futures and Foresight, May 2009 |
| This POSTnote examines the key characteristics of futures work and its use by governments and parliaments. | |
| 01.01.2009 | E-democracy, January 2009 |
| This POSTnote looks at recent UK e-democracy initiatives, and at challenges faced in their design and implementation. It examines debate over the purpose of eDemocracy and where its future lies. |
