Author : Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: European Scrutiny Committee
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 586 pages
File Size : 40,3 MB
Release : 2010-09-22
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780215554765
First report of Session 2010-11 : Documents considered by the Committee on 8 September 2010, including the following recommendations for debate, the Cotonou Agreement; a twelve-point EU action plan in support of the MDGS; European security and defence pol
Author : Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: European Scrutiny Committee
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 58 pages
File Size : 18,44 MB
Release : 2011-03-16
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780215556912
Twenty-first report of Session 2010-11 : Documents considered by the Committee on 9 March 2011, including the following recommendations for debate, use of passenger name records for law enforcement purposes, report, together with formal Minutes
Author : Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: European Scrutiny Committee
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 156 pages
File Size : 39,58 MB
Release : 2011-09-22
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780215561589
Forty-first report of Session 2010-12 : Documents considered by the Committee on 14 September 2011, including the following recommendations for debate, Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy; Financial management: prevention of Fraud
Author : Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Public Administration Select Committee
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 52 pages
File Size : 15,50 MB
Release : 2014-04-14
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 0215070895
How complaints are handled determines the quality of the relationship between consumers and public services. The best performing organisations welcome complaints as a way of engaging consumers. A failure to recognise the importance of complaints leads to insufficient redress for the individual, limits the impact that complaints have in improving services, and alienates the public. In some parts of public services, there are encouraging signs of increased attention to good complaints handling. However, Government as a whole cannot be said to be complying with best practice in complaints handling or adapting to the needs and expectations of today's citizen. Success depends on the right leadership. The Committee recommend that: there should be a minister for government policy on complaints handling; the primary objective of the Cabinet Office review of complaints handling in Government should be to change attitudes and behaviour in public administration at all levels in respect of complaints handling; in respect of complaints from MPs handled by ministers, replies must be accurate, clear and helpful and with no sharing of confidential information or delegation of responsibility for responding; the Government should create a single point of contact for citizens to make complaints about government departments and agencies; and the Government should provide leadership to those responsible for various parts of administrative justice, to ensure that there is a clear and consistent approach to sharing, learning and best practice.
Author : Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 442 pages
File Size : 14,8 MB
Release : 2012-09-14
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780215048387
On cover and title page: House, committees of the whole House, general committees and select committees
Author : Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Publisher : Stationery Office
Page : 92 pages
File Size : 22,94 MB
Release : 2013-05-01
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9780215057266
Around 80% of online gambling in the UK is conducted with operators which are not licensed here. In December 2012 the Government published a very short draft Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill to require overseas gambling operators to obtain a Gambling Commission licence. The overseas-based remote gambling operators generally opposed the Bill, on the grounds it was unnecessary for consumer protection, might drive consumers to cheaper unlicensed operators and was principally intended to bring overseas operators within the UK's tax regime. Much of the UK-based gambling industry, sports bodies and organisations working to combat problem gambling supported the principle of the Bill. Almost all those who gave oral or written evidence to the Committee raised the issue that the enforcement regime would have to be rigorous in order to provide any of the benefits to consumers. The Committee supports the principle that gambling should be regulated on a ’point of consumption' basis. The Committee also notes the concerns raised about taxation of the online industry. The Government stated that the ability to bring all operators serving UK consumers within the tax net is a consequence, but not the prime motivation, of the draft legislation. The Committee notes in this regard that, in setting a tax rate for remote gambling, the Treasury should bear in mind that too high a rate would be liable to drive customers and companies into the unregulated, black market.
Author : Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 250 pages
File Size : 34,34 MB
Release : 2011-08-03
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9780215561138
This report notes mounting concern that UK Armed Forces may be falling below the minimum utility required to deliver the commitments that they are currently being tasked to carry out let alone the tasks they are likely to face between 2015 to 2020 when it is acknowledged that there will be capability gaps. The Committee is concerned that UK Armed Forces will be continually operating at the maximum level envisaged by the Defence Planning Assumptions. The Committee is not convinced that this aspiration can be achieved by co-operation with our allies given the challenges of aligning political with operational needs. The SDSR identified seven military tasks and the Defence Planning Assumptions that underpin them. However the Review fails to show how decisions such as those on the Aircraft Carriers and Nimrod MRA4 will lead to the Armed Forces being able to undertake those military tasks. The Committee has serious concerns over the realisation of what is called "Future Force 2020", the Government's intended shape of the Armed Forces from 2020, particularly as the provision of the necessary resources is only a Government aspiration, not Government policy. The MoD must reform, and ensure substantially improved transparency and control over, its finance and budgetary practices. When committing to undertake new operations the Government should state from the outset where that operation fits in the Defence Planning Assumptions and which of the military tasks it is meeting. The Committee is concerned that the Government seems to have postponed the sensible aspiration of bringing commitments and resources into line, in that it has taken on the new commitment of Libya while reducing the resources available to MoD.
Author : Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Public Administration Select Committee
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 20 pages
File Size : 16,4 MB
Release : 2014-03-27
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780215070517
There has been concern in the last few years that former Ministers and Crown Servants have inappropriately used knowledge they gained in Government to seek new employment in other sectors. Over two years ago the Committee launched an inquiry to examine the effectiveness of the Business Appointment Rules in ensuring propriety in the future employment of former Ministers and senior Crown servants; and to consider the potential of the Big Society agenda to increase traffic through the "revolving door" between the public sector and business and the voluntary sector. The report "The Business Appointment Rules" was published on 17 July 2012. Some twenty months later, the Government has not responded to the Report. The Committee has raised this matter both through correspondence with the Rt Hon Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office, and by way of Parliamentary Questions. The Committee views the Government failure to respond to a Select Committee Report as unacceptable behaviour and in this instance as obstructive and secretive, both showing a cavalier attitude in its responsibilities towards Parliament and thereby deliberately impeding a cross-party scrutiny of Government policy in this area.
Author : Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Welsh Affairs Committee
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 44 pages
File Size : 13,49 MB
Release : 2014
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 0215072960
Shale gas represents an opportunity for Wales but it must not come at the expense of Wales's natural environment. Both the UK and Welsh Governments must consider environmental risks, including the traffic and noise caused by commercial shale gas operations as well as the visual impact and other environmental risks associated with fracking. The issue of treatment, transportation and disposal of wastewater is a growing concern: toxic and radioactive water must not be allowed to contaminate water courses. The Government forecasts that nearly 70% of the UK's gas supply will be imported by 2025. It is vital that the UK identifies new sources of gas if it is to safeguard the UK's security of supply. Shale gas production across the UK is currently at the exploratory stage and there is no good data yet on the amount of shale gas in Wales. Should considerable reserves of shale gas be present-as industry representatives predict-it could be a decade before a viable shale gas industry is created in Wales. The UK Government and the Welsh Government should work with commercial companies and others to provide a reliable range of estimates of shale gas available in Wales and assess the overall impact of shale gas supply on the level and mix of energy produced in Wales and the UK. The Welsh Government should also begin to consider how the employment opportunities presented by shale gas production could be maximised
Author : Marc Geddes
Publisher : Manchester University Press
Page : 278 pages
File Size : 12,90 MB
Release : 2019-12-06
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 1526136821
Based on unprecedented access to the UK Parliament, this book challenges how we understand and think about accountability between government and Parliament. Drawing on three months of research in Westminster, and over forty-five interviews, this book focuses on the everyday practices of Members of Parliament and officials to reveal how parliamentarians perform their scrutiny roles. Some MPs become specialists while others act as lone wolves; some are there to try to defend their party while others want to learn about policy. Amongst these different styles, chairs of committees have to try to reconcile these interpretations and either act as committee-orientated catalysts or attempt to impose order as leadership-orientated chieftains. All of this pushes and pulls scrutiny in competing directions, and tells us that accountability depends on individual beliefs, everyday practices and the negotiation of dilemmas. In this way, MPs and officials create a drama or spectacle of accountability and use their performance on the parliamentary stage to hold government to account. Dramas at Westminster: Select committees and the quest for accountability offers the most up-to-date and detailed research on committee practices in the House of Commons, following a range of reforms since 2010.
