The House of Commons has given the Personal Data (Digital Twins) Bill its First Reading. The Private Members’ Bill, introduced by Dame Chi Onwurah MP, would regulate software and algorithms that use personal data to model an individual’s preferences or behaviour. It would give individuals rights over the creation, holding and use of digital twins, including a requirement for explicit consent before a person’s digital twin can be created. The Bill would use a technology-neutral definition to cover different forms of digital replication, including artificial intelligence tools, chatbots, content-generation systems and deepfakes. It would prohibit the creation or use of digital twins of children, on the basis that children cannot meaningfully consent and parental consent would not be sufficient. It would also seek to address unauthorised replicas of a person’s likeness, including malicious deepfakes and digital replicas of performers, while allowing digital twins where the individual has consented. The Bill is scheduled for Second Reading in the House of Commons on 13 November 2026.

On 25 November 2025, the House of Commons held a debate on pension investment in UK equities.

The House of Commons has implemented a series of accessibility improvements following an inquiry conducted by the Modernisation Committee into access to the Commons and its procedures. Over a six-month period, the Committee gathered evidence from MPs, Peers, staff, estate users and accessibility experts. The Director General of the House of Commons confirmed measures including an accessible toilet near the Commons chamber, enhanced large-font signage, improved escalator safety markings in Portcullis House and upgraded lighting in the colonnades. These initiatives followed concerns raised by disabled MPs regarding navigation difficulties, inadequate facilities and poor visibility in the Palace of Westminster. The Clerk of the House of Commons announced that accessibility will remain a central focus in the House’s upcoming strategy and the overhaul of governance structures.

The House of Commons Library has published a briefing on an SNP-backed private members' bill. The Devolution (Immigration) (Scotland) Bill, sponsored by Stephen Gethins MP of the Scottish National Party (SNP), seeks to amend the Scotland Act 1998 to grant the Scottish Parliament legislative competence over immigration matters. Currently, immigration is a reserved matter under the Scotland Act, meaning it is controlled by the UK Parliament. The bill proposes removing immigration-related provisions from the list of reserved matters, effectively transferring responsibility to the Scottish Parliament. The SNP argues for more generous visa rules for Scotland, citing its reliance on migration for population growth. The bill's second reading is scheduled for 25 April 2025.

The House of Commons on 5 December published motions relating to Lords amendments to the Employment Rights Bill (ERB), in advance of its consideration of the those amendments on 8 December (to be followed by a swift ping-pong back to the Lords, expected on 10 December).The government amendments include: guaranteed hours offers for zero hours workers—the government has offered a concession in the form of consultation on the initial reference period unfair dismissal—in addition to the reduction of the qualifying period from two years to six months (rather than its removal altogether), the government amendments would remove the unfair dismissal compensation cap entirely by omitting section 124 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (ERA 1996)reasons for dismissal for which there is no qualifying period—the government proposes to include in the list of reasons in ERA 1996, s 108(3) dismissal for failure to disclose a spent conviction or ancillary circumstances seasonal workers—the government proposes to consult with those representing the interests of seasonal workers and their employers before making regulations contributions to political funds from union members—the government amendments provide for an opt-out notice to be given on a day specified in, or determined by, the trade union’s rules, and for the Secretary of State to publish guidance (within three months of the measures coming into force about the kind of provision which the Secretary of State considers it is appropriate for the rules of a trade union to make for these purposes industrial action balloting—the government amendments require the Secretary of State, before bringing regulations into force to have regard to the effect provision for balloting other than by post on the proportion of those eligible to vote in such ballots doing so a number of MPs have tabled an amendment that the Commons should insist on the removal of the unfair dismissal qualifying period.

The House of Commons has published the government response to the Speaker’s Conference (2024) First and Second Reports on the security of MPs, candidates and elections. The response confirms actions across key themes including candidate security, policing consistency, electoral law, protective orders, online safety and public attitudes. It also highlights measures such as the Defending Democracy Taskforce, £31m investment ahead of the General Election, new legislation in the Crime and Policing Bill to restrict protests at the homes of public office holders, a new aggravating factor in sentencing and expanded disqualification orders. The response also commits to developing a code of conduct for campaigning with the Speaker and the Electoral Commission.

On 15 September, the House of Commons overturned the amendments made by the House of Lords to the Employment Rights Bill (ERB) during the Third Reading. The Lords proposed a number of amendments, including: a six-month qualifying period to claim unfair dismissal, an right to request guaranteed hours, and a weakening of the provisions on fire and rehire. The House of Commons instead chose to reinstate the government’s original provisions.

The House of Commons considered the House of Lords’ amendments on 15 April 2026. During that session, MPs generally accepted non-controversial changes made by the Lords—such as technical drafting fixes, administrative provisions, and specific measures like the Atomic Weapons Establishment pension scheme transfer. However, the House of Commons firmly rejected the Lords’ removal of the mandation power and instead voted to reinstate a more limited version. This caps mandation at 10% of assets in default funds and 5% in UK-linked assets, in line with the Mansion House Accord—a voluntary agreement by 17 of the UK’s largest DC pension providers to increase investment in unlisted assets both globally and in the UK.

The House of Commons library has published a research briefing on fire and rehire, examining the tactics used by employers, the current legal context and proposed reforms. The briefing explains that while the practice is not unlawful in itself, forthcoming changes under the Employment Rights Act 2025 due to take effect in January 2027, will make fire and rehire automatically unfair unless the employer is experiencing financial difficulties. The briefing also summarises existing legal protections for employees, discusses recent high-profile cases involving British Airways, Centrica and P&O Ferries, and reviews reform proposals, including three Private Members’ Bills introduced since 2020.

The House of Lords is the upper house of Parliament in the United Kingdom. Over the course of the last hundred years, the composition of the House of Lords and the limits upon its power have changed greatly, and still greater change is sought by some political parties. Nevertheless, the House of Lords continues to play a vital role in reviewing and amending legislation. The judicial work of the House of Lords ended on 30 July 2009. From 1 October 2009 the UK Supreme Court has fulfilled that function pursuant to the provisions of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (CRA 2005). For more information see Practice Notes: Separation of powers: legislative, executive and judiciary and Judges. This Practice Note concerns the House of Lords in its existing form as part of the UK legislature. Origins of the House of Lords The concept of Parliament can arguably be traced back to the 11th century in the form of the ‘Witans’; an Anglo-Saxon political body made up of councils consulted by Saxon kings

The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill 2024-25 is scheduled to be debated on its second reading on 15 October 2024. The Bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 5 September 2024. The Bill would remove the right of hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords.

The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill has completed all parliamentary stages, paving the way for Royal Assent. The Bill removes the remaining right of 92 hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords, abolishes the House’s jurisdiction in relation to claims to hereditary peerages, and makes provision for resignation from the House. The government stated that the measure fulfils a manifesto commitment and completes reforms begun by the House of Lords Act 1999, which had retained a limited number of hereditary peers on an interim basis, thereby ending the hereditary principle in the second chamber. To support the continued functioning of the House, the government confirmed that additional life peerages would be offered to the Official Opposition and Crossbenchers, with nominations to be determined by the Opposition, and indicated that further reforms relating to retirement and participation requirements may follow.