Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Public Administration Select Committee Publisher: The Stationery Office ISBN: 021507873X Category : Political Science Languages : en Pages : 56
Book Description
The controversy around the Government's handling of flooding last winter showed that arm's-length Government is confused and opaque. Organisational forms and names are inconsistent. Most public bodies answer to Ministers but some are directly accountable to Parliament. There is no agreement on how many types of body exist. There are overlaps and blurring between categories. Accountability arrangements and reforms so far have been ad hoc. The Government has reviewed non-departmental public bodies, but it should review all forms of arm's-length Government, including executive agencies and non-ministerial departments. The Government should establish a clear taxonomy of public bodies: constitutional bodies, independent public interest bodies, departmental sponsored bodies, and executive agencies. All public bodies should sit in one of the categories, so that it is clear how each is to be governed and sponsored. This is essential in order to clarify who is accountable for what. This would promote understanding of what is expected of relationships and explain the rationale for locating functions in particular organisational forms. Up to date, plain English statements of statuses, roles and relationships are needed even if the underlying arrangements are complicated. This is far from the reality in many cases, particularly in the NHS. With a budget of £95.6 billion NHS England is now by far the largest public body in England and its accountability should not be in any doubt, but it is still evolving. There is insufficient understanding across Government about how arms-length Government should work.
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Transport Committee Publisher: The Stationery Office ISBN: 9780215065735 Category : Business & Economics Languages : en Pages : 36
Book Description
The Committee support the strategic case for HS2 and stand by the conclusions as set out in the Committee's report of 2011 (HCP 1185-I, ISBN 9780215038579) that HS2 is needed to provide a long-term increase in the capacity of the railway and that alternative proposals to increase capacity are not sufficient to accommodate long-term forecast demand. Connectivity, which can encourage economic activity and increase productivity, is also part of the justification for HS2, especially for the lines north of Birmingham. Also there is still a strong case for building north to south concurrently with building south to north. The Committee see HS2 as helping to promote economic growth in the UK's major city regions and contribute to a rebalancing of the economy. Local authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships must develop economic development strategies to make the most out of HS2 and they must be supported in doing this by central Government. The report sets out 14 conclusions and recommendations.
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Transport Committee Publisher: The Stationery Office ISBN: 9780215062246 Category : Business & Economics Languages : en Pages : 56
Book Description
Flight time limitations regulate the number of hours that pilots and crew work in order to prevent fatigue. Fatigue contributes 15-20% of fatal aviation incidents caused by human error. In July 2013, Member States of the European Union voted strongly in support of a draft proposal on flight time limitations by the European Commission. Overall, the Commission's draft regulation represents an improvement but concerns remain. Particularly about the apparent reluctance of the Commission when developing these regulations to set a lower limit for the flight duty period at night in accordance with the scientific evidence on this matter. It is disappointing that the UK Government has not pressed for a lower limit. It is also disappointing that a consensus has not been reached on the draft regulations with crew and pilot representatives. It is recommended that the European Scrutiny Committee requests the UK Government to press the Commission to ensure an effective monitoring regime is put in place to examine whether the 11 hour limit is at least as safe as the current regime and that they request the European Commission provide an assessment of the regulation two years after its implementation. The Committee also concluded that: the potential under-reporting of pilot fatigue must be properly recognised if it is to be effectively tackled; information should be regularly published on the use of Commander's discretion to extend their crew's flight duty period if unforeseen circumstances arise; and scientists must have a more central role in the development and assessment of flight time limitation proposals
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Transport Committee Publisher: The Stationery Office ISBN: 9780215064646 Category : Business & Economics Languages : en Pages : 102
Book Description
In this report looking at policy for improving road and rail access to ports, the Transport Committee urges the Department for Transport (DfT) to become a keener advocate for UK ports. The Government should contribute to significant improvements to strategic networks which also deliver wider benefits - rather than simply expect port operators to pick up the entire bill for measures required to mitigate increased traffic due to port expansion. If the Government chooses to apply European Commission state aid rules in this area more strictly than other EU countries it should explain why it does so. Policy in this area should be applied consistently across the country. While some ports have contributed towards transport schemes to improve access, others have not and the differences in approach have not been explained or justified. Ports should also continue to contribute to local transport infrastructure improvements, following discussions with relevant local bodies. The Department for Transport should demonstrate whether port master plans have had any impact, highlighting good examples of such plans and of how they have influenced decision makers. Finally, the Government should devise a more effective successor to the Waterborne Freight Grant, to stimulate coastal shipping.
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Environmental Audit Committee Publisher: The Stationery Office ISBN: 0215078128 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 68
Book Description
Emissions of a number of airborne pollutants increased in 2013, after being steady between 2010 and 2012 and in a longer term decline before that. The UK failed to meet targets for nitrogen dioxide pollution in 34 of the 43 zones specified in the EU Ambient Air Quality Directive in 2012, resulting in the European Commission launching infraction proceedings against the UK in February 2014 in regard to 16 zones that would not be compliant by 2015. The Committee's report recommends an overarching Environmental Strategy be implemented, to set out strategic principles and good practices; facilitate discussion between central and local government and identify how they can work together and with the wider community; encompass clear environmental assessments; identify work required to fill data gaps in assessments; map appropriate policy levers to environmental areas; and set out how environmental and equality considerations will be addressed in policy areas across Government. The report concludes that the Government should set up an independent body-an 'Office for Environmental Responsibility'-to (i) review the Environment Strategy we advocate; (ii) advise Government on appropriate targets; (iii) advise Government on policies, both those in Government programmes and new ones that could be brought forward to support the environment; (iv) advise Government about the adequacy of the resources (in both central and local government) made available for delivering the Strategy; and (v) monitor and publish performance against the Strategy and its targets.
Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. European Scrutiny Committee Publisher: The Stationery Office ISBN: 0215088182 Category : Business & Economics Languages : en Pages : 134
Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Transport Committee Publisher: The Stationery Office ISBN: 0215081153 Category : Business & Economics Languages : en Pages : 64
Book Description
The Transport Committee welcomes record investment committed to the 'classic' rail network but calls for greater regional balance in spending. Network Rail must also regain the confidence of passengers following recent disruption. The Committee calls for the Government to take responsibility for rolling stock, to address general shortages and ensure there will be sufficient trains to run on newly-electrified lines. The Committee also concluded: (i) Record levels of funding show a welcome commitment to ’classic' rail but this should be set in a longer-term strategic plan for the rail network, which ties into a wider transport strategy; (ii) The overrunning Christmas engineering works were unacceptable; (iii) Network Rail must have adequate contingency plans. They must also work with Passenger Focus and train operating companies to improve communication with passengers when engineering works fail; (iv) In the light of the change of status of Network Rail the ORR must reconsider whether fining a public sector body remains an effective means for the regulator to exert control; (v) Greater transparency is essential around rail spending. Criteria used to allocate spending should be published.
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: European Scrutiny Committee Publisher: The Stationery Office ISBN: 9780215062505 Category : Political Science Languages : en Pages : 108
Author: Alexander Horne Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN: 1509908722 Category : Law Languages : en Pages : 425
Book Description
Parliament and the Law (Second Edition) is an edited collection of essays, supported by the UK's Study of Parliament Group, including contributions by leading constitutional lawyers, political scientists and parliamentary officials. It provides a wide-ranging overview of the ways in which the law applies to, and impacts upon, the UK Parliament, and it considers how recent changes to the UK's constitutional arrangements have affected Parliament as an institution. It includes authoritative discussion of a number of issues of topical concern, such as: the operation of parliamentary privilege, the powers of Parliament's select committees, parliamentary scrutiny, devolution, English Votes for English Laws, Members' conduct and the governance of both Houses. It also contains chapters on financial scrutiny, parliamentary sovereignty, Parliament and human rights, and the administration of justice. Aimed mainly at legal academics, practitioners, and political scientists, it will also be of interest to anyone who is curious about the many fascinating ways in which the law interacts with and influences the work, the constitutional status and the procedural arrangements of the Westminster Parliament.
Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. European Scrutiny Committee Publisher: The Stationery Office ISBN: 0215081005 Category : Political Science Languages : en Pages : 108
Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Public Administration Select Committee
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Transport Committee
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Transport Committee
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Transport Committee
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Environmental Audit Committee
Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. European Scrutiny Committee
Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Transport Committee
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: European Scrutiny Committee
Author: Alexander Horne
Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. European Scrutiny Committee