The House of Lords Built Environment Committee has published its report ‘New Towns: Laying the Foundations,’ which recommends creating a new agency to manage and oversee the government’s new towns delivery programme. The Committee concluded that existing structures are unable to provide the necessary leadership and long-term stewardship for the programme’s success. Key recommendations include delivering projects through development corporations that incorporate local authority representation, establishing a legal framework to facilitate balanced investment by both private and public sectors, and reforming the compulsory purchase regime to exclude hope value from land valuations. The Committee also advises that the government retain an ownership stake in each development corporation and establish a centralised planning agency to oversee high-level design standards.

The House of Lords Commission (the Commission) has welcomed the publication of an independent report into the running of the Lords Administration, conducted by Keith Leslie and Liz Mohr. The External Management Review was set up to consider recommendations made by Naomi Ellenbogen QC in her 2019 report, as well as to recommend wider improvements for the Lords Administration. The report outlines detailed analysis of issues such as ‘governance, leadership structures, management and people development’ and makes thirty-seven recommendations on changing how the Lords Administration is run. The Commission has welcomed the review and will hold a standalone meeting in February 2021 to consider the recommendations in detail and to create an implementation plan.

The Justice and Home Affairs Committee has published a letter to the Minister of State for Legal Migration and the Border, Tom Pursglove MP, setting out the Committee’s conclusions and recommendations following its inquiry into electronic border management systems. The Committee considers the ongoing rollout of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) by the Home Office and the introduction of two new systems by the EU, the Entry/Exit System (EES) and the Electronic Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). It has a number of concerns about preparedness for the rollout of these systems.

The House of Lords Conduct Committee has concluded its comprehensive review of the code of conduct, recommending several substantive changes. Key proposals include removing the requirement to register non-financial interests, introducing a new 'minor cases procedure' for general breaches, and clarifying that members' public-facing social media activity may fall within the code's remit in certain circumstances. The Committee also suggested allowing debates on its reports, except in cases involving bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct. If approved by the House, these amendments would take effect from April 2025.

The House of Lords Constitution Committee has published a report advocating for enhanced measures to protect the UK constitution. Key recommendations include appointing a senior minister to advise the Prime Minister on constitutional matters, potentially enshrining advisory bodies' roles in statute, and amending the Attorney General's oath to emphasise their duty to the rule of law. The Committee also proposes embedding constitutional considerations more firmly in the policy-making process and calls for greater transparency regarding responsibility for the Council of Nations and Regions. These proposals aim to bolster institutional safeguards and mitigate risks associated with the flexibility of the UK's uncodified constitution, particularly in light of recent constitutional stresses.

The House of Lords Constitution Committee has written to the Cabinet Office, seeking further details on the implementation of recommendations from its report on union governance. Key questions include the updating of Devolution Guidance Notes, the addition of a 'principle of positive engagement' to intergovernmental relations principles and specifics of a new Memorandum of Understanding with devolved administrations. The Committee also requests information on the review of the 2022 intergovernmental relations structure, a timetable for finalising common frameworks and suggestions for enhancing Intergovernmental Relations Transparency Reports.

The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee has launched an inquiry into fiscal devolution in England, issuing a call for evidence on 24 April 2026. The inquiry follows the Chancellor's commitment in her March 2026 Mais Lecture to publish a roadmap for fiscal devolution at this year's Budget, covering plans to give regional leaders control of a share of national taxes. The committee is seeking responses to 12 questions covering the aims of fiscal devolution, appropriate levels of devolution, spending and revenue-raising powers for local areas, equalisation mechanisms, governance arrangements, transitional issues, and risks. The inquiry will examine what fiscal devolution can achieve, including promoting economic growth and enhancing democratic accountability, and will consider international examples of fiscal devolution from other countries.

The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee ('the Committee') has launched an inquiry examining how tax and pension arrangements affect older workforce participation. The inquiry will investigate existing incentives created by tax and pension systems, policies to encourage extended working lives, and methods to support recruitment and retention of older workers. Written evidence submissions are invited until 28 April 2025, with particular focus on economic impacts of increased older workforce participation.

The House of Lords European Affairs Committee heard evidence on the legal context for a potential UK-EU relationship reset from expert witnesses, Professor Catherine Barnard from the University of Cambridge, Sir Richard Aikens who is a retired judge at Brick Court Chambers and Professor Graham Butler a Professor of Law at the University of Southern Denmark. Key points included that while the Trade and Cooperation Agreement allows for supplementing agreements, significant changes would likely require new UK legislation. The EU's approach may be influenced by experiences with other non-members. On security and defence, a partnership could offer flexibility but formal UK decision-making is unlikely. Any sanitary and phytosanitary agreement would probably require dynamic alignment with EU rules. Unlike the previous administration, the current UK Government has not ruled out a role for the European Court of Justice. The ongoing sand-eel fishing dispute highlights tensions over environmental standards and sovereignty that could impact reset negotiations.

International Trade analysis: The House of Lords International Agreements Committee (IAC) has welcomed the government’s undertaking to increase scrutiny of free trade agreements (FTAs) and other trade deals in an exchange of letters with Lord Grimstone of Boscobel, Minister for Investment. The Grimstone rules will ensure that Parliament is consulted at the pre-negotiation, negotiation, and post-signature phases of FTAs. Baroness Hayter, chair of the IAC, has also called for greater scrutiny in non-legally binding arrangements such as Memoranda of Understandings (MoUs), but the government has not agreed that the Ponsonby rule allowing for parliamentary scrutiny extends to instruments such as MoUs.

The House of Lords International Agreements Committee (IAC) has reported for special attention and debate the Convention establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine, which would create a mechanism to review, assess and determine compensation claims relating to damage, loss and injury resulting from Russia’s internationally wrongful acts in and against Ukraine. The Committee notes that the Convention forms part of a broader compensation framework comprising the Register of Damage, the proposed Claims Commission and a future Compensation Fund. While recognising the Convention’s significance within wider international efforts to address claims arising from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the Committee draws attention to the Convention’s current temporal scope, which is limited to damage occurring on or after 24 February 2022, and the absence of an established Compensation Fund or agreed source of funding for compensation awards. The Committee further notes that, although the Claims Commission would provide a mechanism for adjudicating claims, assessing losses and maintaining a record of damage, its overall impact may depend on whether compensation awards can ultimately be funded and paid.

This immigration analysis considers the House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee report, Settlement, Citizenship and Integration, following its inquiry into the government’s proposed reforms to indefinite leave to remain (ILR), citizenship and integration policy. The report focuses on what happens after entry: the route to permanent settlement through ILR or citizenship, including the proposed ‘earned settlement’ scheme. The proposals include extending the baseline qualifying period for settlement from five to ten years, longer routes for lower paid workers and refugees, and the retrospective application of the new rules to those already in the UK. The Committee’s majority is critical of those elements, concluding that longer routes would undermine integration and increase poverty, while retrospective change would be manifestly unfair and damage the UK’s attractiveness to migrants whose skills the UK wishes to retain. The report nevertheless accepts the principle that settlement may be ‘earned’ through requirements relating to conduct, language, work and contribution, provided the scheme is fair, evidence-based and supported by an integration strategy.