Reference
Ben Howlett
Ben Howlett, Conservative MP for BathRead More
Byron Davies
Byron Davies, Conservative MP for Gower Read More
Brendan O’Hara
Brendan O'Hara, SNP MP for Argyll & ButeRead More
Battery hens and broiler chickens
Battery hens and broiler chickens are the terms used to describe poultry raised in "industrial" highly intensive farming environments, for egg production and meat production, respectively.Read More
British Summer Time (BST)
British Summer Time marks the beginning and the end of the official summer season.
BST is calculated by putting Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) forward one hour at the start of the period and removing one hour at the end.
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Begging
What is begging? Begging is the solicitation of money or food, especially in the street. There is a close relationship between begging and homelessness and homeless charity Crisis estimates that over 80 per cent of beggars are homeless. People who beg are among the most vulnerable in society, often trapped in poverty and deprivation, and...Read More
Business Rates
Business rates are paid by occupiers and owners of commercial and industrial property to the local authority, but at a rate set by central Government. Read More
BNP
The BNP's prominence in the news far outweighs its modest support. Before the setbacks of the 2010 general election many commentators became concerned the party would benefit from the 'perfect storm' of a recession and mass disillusionment with mainstream politics after the expenses crisis. In the 2005 general election, the party stood 119 candidates across...Read More
Business and the Usual Channels (Lords)
Time is the dominant force in Lords as it is in the Commons. It is not, however, subject to the same tight control at the hands of the Government as it is in the Lower House. While there is a broad consensus that the Government has a right to its business, there is a similar...Read More
Binge Drinking
What is binge drinking The definition of binge drinking has been open to debate, but has tended to become increasingly more inclusive the higher binge drinking rises up the political agenda. Traditional medical definitions of binge drinking tended to assume a period of intense drinking extending over several days, whereas now journalists and increasingly many...Read More
Bishops
The 24 most senior bishops in the Church of England are entitled to sit, speak and vote in the House. Apart from the two archbishops (of Canterbury and of York) and the Bishops of Durham, London and Winchester, the seniority of bishops is measured in the number of years they have held office. If a...Read More
Business statement
The weekly business announcement by the Leader of the House takes the form of a statement, which is followed by requests for debates and changes to business from all sides. This normally lasts a full hour.Read More
Business and the Usual Channels (Commons)
It is impossible to over-emphasise the importance of time, and the control of time, in the Commons. It is a key Parliamentary tactic because, except in certain circumstances, legislation falls if it does not become law before prorogation. This means that a government cannot fulfil its commitments to the electorate and implement its policy, which...Read More
Business and the Parliamentary Bureau
The agenda for the parliament is decided by the Parliamentary Bureau, which agrees a weekly business motion. Chaired by the presiding officer, it is made up of representatives of each party with more than five MSPs and meets in private. Representatives' votes are weighted in line with their parties' seats in the parliament, so the...Read More
Bill Team
All Government Bills originate in departments and have Bill team of civil servants assigned to oversee the drafting and passage of the Bill, as supervised by the sponsoring Minister. Draft Bills also have Bill teams, who tend to participate in the pre-legislative scrutiny process in Parliament.Read More
Business (Wales)
The agenda is normally decided by the Welsh Assembly Government in the person of the Business Minister (on the advice of the Business Committee), who tables a weekly business motion. If ten AMs have indicated that they object to the motion, it is put to a vote. The Assembly Government can normally rely on its...Read More
Bullying in schools
'Bullying' refers to physical or psychological chastisement or intimidation.Read More