Download or read book Fifteenth Report of Session 2005 06 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: European Scrutiny Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2006-01-30 with total page 84 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fifteenth report of Session 2005-06 : Documents considered by the Committee on 18 January 2006, including, energy efficiency, civil aviation security, value added tax, 2004 annual reports of the European Court of Auditors, access to European databases on

Download or read book Readiness and recuperation of the Armed Forces written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010-02-10 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Defence Committee states that the forthcoming Strategic Defence Review should take account of the current low readiness levels of the Armed Forces and the need for their effective recuperation. The Armed Forces have been involved in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for many years while maintaining key standing tasks such as the strategic nuclear deterrent and UK air defence. They have been deployed above the Defence Planning Assumptions, the level at which they are structured and funded, for seven years. Nevertheless, the Committee considers it unsatisfactory that readiness levels have been allowed to fall to the extent that they have and recommends that the Strategic Defence Review reviews the utility and content of the Defence Planning Assumptions and readiness targets. Recuperation is the process by which force elements are returned to target levels of readiness. It involves all the underlying components: manpower; equipment; training; and logistics support. The drawdown of troops from Iraq should provide the MoD with an opportunity to recuperate the Armed Forces and to reverse the fall in readiness. But there have also been pressures on personnel, with significant numbers of the Army and the Marines and those in key "pinch point trades", such as medical personnel, being deployed more frequently than the MoD would wish - breaking harmony guidelines. If readiness is to be improved, then the Army must return to being deployed within harmony guidelines as soon as practicable.

Download or read book Ministry of Defence written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Committee of Public Accounts and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2006-06-27 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following on from the NAO report (HCP 595-I, session 2005-06; ISBN 0102936250) published in November 2005, the Committee's report examines the recommendations made to improve the MoD's procurement of defence equipment focusing on time, cost and performance data for 30 defence projects in the year ended March 2005. This covers the 20 largest projects where the main investment decision has been taken and the 10 largest projects still in the assessment stage. The Committee's report focuses on three main issues: options for enhancing programme and project management of defence acquisition; the impact of older projects on overall acquisition performance; and value for money from the Defence Industrial Strategy. Findings include: i) the MoD has reduced the forecast costs of its top 19 projects by some £700 million, but these cuts were needed to bring the Defence Equipment Plan under control rather than the result of better project management; ii) some of the latest capability cuts are short-term expediencies which may result in an erosion of core defence capability or in higher costs throughout the life of individual projects; and iii) despite previous assurances that it had restructured many of its older projects to address past failures, the MoD still attributes much of its historic poor performance to so called "toxic legacy" projects which continue to accumulate considerable time and cost overruns, and it is now time that such projects were put on a firm footing with realistic performance, time and cost estimates against which the MoD and industry can be judged.

Download or read book The work of Defence Estates written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2007-09-14 with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is one of the largest landowners in the UK, with a total estate (including land and property) valued at around £18 billion. Defence Estates (an Agency of the MoD until April 2007 and now re-integrated as part of the MoD) has responsibility for managing the defence estate, with an annual budget of £1.15 billion. The Committee's report examines the work of Defence Estates, focusing on the standard of accommodation for Service personnel and their families. The report highlights concerns about sub-standard accommodation, particularly in relation to the operation of the regional prime contracts for single living accommodation and the maintenance of service families accommodation under the housing prime contract. It argues that the provision of good quality accommodation for Service personnel and their families, modern and efficient office accommodation, and a well-maintained training estate, play a vital role in contributing to the effectiveness of our Armed Forces, particularly important given the current high tempo of operations. Overall, the report finds that although Defence Estates is doing much good work, there are considerable challenges ahead. A substantial increase in investment in the defence estate is required and the MoD must resist the temptation to take from the estates budget when the defence budget is stretched.

Download or read book Working with the Voluntary Sector written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Committee of Public Accounts and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2006-03-02 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The term third sector describes a range of voluntary and community sector organisations including small local community groups, registered charities, foundations, trusts and co-operatives. Following on from the NAO report (HCP 75, session 2005-06; ISBN 0102933243) published in June 2005, the Committees report examines the progress made by central government departments and other funders to improve the way they work with the third sector to achieve value for money in the provision of public services. Findings include that voluntary sector funding represents less than one per cent of central government spending and only limited progress has been made to increase the sectors involvement in delivering government programmes. Voluntary sector organisations are often subject to greater scrutiny and monitoring than private sector providers, and fairer funding practices need to be applied by departments. The Public Service Agreement target to achieve a five per cent increase in voluntary sector participation in public service delivery by 2006 is likely to be met, but the Home Office and the Treasury need to set revised targets beyond 2006 to provide a real incentive to departments to increase their engagement with the sector.

Download or read book Parliaments and the European Court of Human Rights written by Alice Donald and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016-08-18 with total page 419 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The European system of human rights protection faces institutional and political pressures which threaten its very survival. These institional pressures stem from the backlog of applications before the European Court of Human Rights, the large number of its judgments that remain unimplemented, and the political pressures that arise from sustained attacks on the Court's legitimacy and authority, notably from politicians and jurists in the United Kingdom. This book addresses the theme which lies at the heart of these pressures: the role of national parliaments in the implementation of judgments of the Court. It combines theoretical and empirical insights into the role of parliaments in securing domestic compliance with the Court's decisions, and provides detailed investigation of five European states with differing records of human rights compliance and parliamentary mobilisation: Ukraine, Romania, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands. How far are parliaments engaged in implementation, and how far should they be? Do parliaments advance or hinder human rights compliance? Is it ever justifiable for parliaments to defy judgments of the Court? And how significant is the role played by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe? Drawing on the fields of international law, international relations, political science, and political philosophy, the book argues that adverse human rights judgments not only confer obligations on parliamentarians but also create opportunities for them to develop influential interpretations of human rights and enhance their own democratic legitimacy. It makes an authoritative contribution to debate about the future of the European and other supranational human rights mechanisms and the broader relationship between democracy, human rights, and legitimate authority.

Download or read book Monitoring the Government s response to court judgments finding breaches of human rights written by Great Britain: Parliament: Joint Committee on Human Rights and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2007-06-28 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the UK's institutional arrangements for protecting human rights, both Parliament and the judiciary have a central role. When the courts give a judgement finding that a law, policy or practice is in breach of human rights, it is for Parliament to scrutinise the adequacy of the Government's response and in some cases decide if there needs to be a change in law. An important part of the role of the Committee is to help Parliament in this function. This report brings together all their monitoring work in relation to both judgements of the European Court of Human Rights and declarations of incompatibility given by UK courts under the Human Rights Act.

Download or read book The Departmental Annual Report 2005 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2005-12-20 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: departmental annual Report 2005 : Fourth report of session 2005-06, Vol. 1: Report, together with formal minutes, and lists of oral and written Evidence

Download or read book Executive Power written by Robert Hazell and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2022-11-03 with total page 552 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book considers the function of the royal prerogative in the changing landscape of the British constitution. It explains each of the prerogative powers in separate chapters. It clarifies the respective roles of government, Parliament and the courts in defining the extent of prerogative powers, and in regulating their use. It also looks at which powers should be codified in statute, which should be regulated by convention, and which could be left at large. The book is very timely in contributing to current debates. The fevered parliamentary debates over Brexit thrust the prerogative centre-stage. Recent controversies have ranged from the role of Parliament in assenting to treaties, to the prorogation and dissolution of Parliament, to the grant or withholding of royal assent to bills. In their 2019 election manifesto, the Conservative Party stated that 'After Brexit we also need to look at the broader aspects of our constitution, the relationship between the Government, Parliament and the courts; the functioning of the Royal Prerogative...'. The book covers the whole range of prerogative powers, from going to war and ratifying treaties, appointing and dismissing ministers, regulating the civil service and public appointments, to the grant of honours and pardons and the issue of passports. Its 19 chapters provide a comprehensive guide to the operation of the prerogative – past, present, and future – together with suggestions for reform.

Download or read book Service Complaints Commissioner for the Armed Forces written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009-07 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this inquiry the Committee examines the effectiveness of the current Service complaints procedures based on the findings of the Service Complaints Commissioner, Dr Susan Atkins, in her first annual report. It also examines the Commissioner's evaluation of the support given to her by the Ministry of Defence during the year. The report sets out the background to the creation of the role and details the Service Complaints System that is explained to Service personnel in Joint Service Publication 831 (issued December 2008). Finally the Committee considers how the Commissioner has operated in her first year. The Commissioner has set clear aims, values and objectives for her office: understanding the environment of the three Services, delivering good customer service, ensuring widespread knowledge of the new system, establishing a reliable recording system for complaints, ensuring effective integration of the SCC and Tri-Service systems, establishing expectations and requirements, and delivering her annual report on time. The Committee commends Dr Atkins for her regular and frequent visits to military bases and to operational theatre to gain an understanding of the environment of the three Services, and how the complaints system operates in practice. Knowledge in the Services of the Commissioner and her role is patchy and more should be done by the Ministry to improve that. Staff resources should also be increased. It is still too early to decide whether the Commissioner has sufficient powers. The next annual report should be presented formally to Parliament.

Download or read book Recruiting and Retaining Armed Forces Personnel written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recruiting & retaining the right number of well-trained personnel is vital for the continuing success of the United Kingdom's Armed Forces. Yet recruitment and retention targets are not being met. There is particular concern about shortages in 'pinchpoint' trades - trades or areas of expertise where there is not enough trained strength to perform operational tasks without encroaching on the time provided between deployments for recuperation, training and leave. This report sets out to examine the factors which hamper recruitment and retention in the Armed Forces and reservists & identify what the MoD is doing to improve these. There is also concern and exmination of the issue of why ethnic minority personnel form such a low proportion of the Armed Forces.

Download or read book Legislative Scrutiny written by Great Britain: Parliament: Joint Committee on Human Rights and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2005-10-24 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Joint Committee on Human Rights examines every Bill in respect of Convention rights and other international human rights instruments to which the UK is a signatory. This report covers the: Charities Bill; Consumer Credit Bill; Criminal Defence Service Bill; Identity Cards Bill; Racial and Religious Hatred Bill; Road Safety Bill; National Lottery Bill; Crossrail Bill.

Download or read book Ending the Scandal of Complacency written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Transport Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although road accident deaths have halved between 1958 and 2007 whilst the number of licensed motor vehicles and vehicle mileage covered increased by 400 per cent, the current rate of 3,000 deaths and 250,000 injuries is still an unacceptably high level. Road accidents are the largest single cause of death for people between the ages of 5 and 35 in Britain, and road accidents cost our economy some £18 billion each year. The number of deaths and injuries on roads far outweighs the deaths and injuries in other transport modes, and should be viewed as a major public health problem. The Government should establish a British Road Safety Survey to track overall casualty and safety trends, and review current methods for recording road-traffic injuries. The Committee recommends a systems approach to road safety: ensuring the vehicle, the road infrastructure, regulations and driver training are designed to similar safety and performance standards. Other recommendations include: more 20 mph speed limits; a more proactive approach to determining the safety benefits of new vehicle technologies; action on young drivers - who represent a disproportionate risk to road users - and vulnerable users: motorcyclists, elderly and child pedestrians and cyclists, horse riders; a higher priority given to enforcement of drink-drive and drug-drive offences. The Committee recommends the establishment of an independent Road Safety Commission with powers to work across the whole of government, ensuring that a high priority and adequate resources are given to road safety and that all government departments and agencies give active support. The Government should also establish a road accident investigation branch, like those in aviation, rail and marine.

Download or read book Climate change written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2007-09-13 with total page 70 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Raising awareness and encouraging citizen involvement at a domestic level is fundamental to tackling climate change. This work examines: information and the raising of awareness about climate change; household energy efficiency; microgeneration; economic instruments and personal carbon allowances; and the role of the government.

Download or read book The UK Government s vision for the Common Agricultural Policy written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2007-05-23 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In December 2005 the Government launched a "Vision for the Common Agricultural Policy", which was intended to stimulate debate and show how the Common Agricultural Policy should change in 10-15 years. This report examines the proposals and finds them a lost opportunity. The Government should have directed the debate towards scrapping the existing CAP and replacing it with a Rural Policy for the European Union. There should thus be a new Vision document, launched in a more subtle way so that allies for reform can be enlisted. The credibility of the document depends on the Government providing full and detailed evaluation of the impact of proposals on biodiversity, the environment, markets for agricultural goods and individual farm enterprises. This should be done by mid 2008. The long-term justification of the expenditure of taxpayers' money is the provision of public benefit. These public goods should be measurable and capable of evaluation.

Download or read book Free Speech after 9 11 written by Katharine Gelber and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016-04-14 with total page 187 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although there has been a lot written about how counter-terrorism laws impact on human rights and civil liberties, most of this work has focussed on the most obvious or egregious kinds of human rights abrogation, such as extended detention, torture, and extraordinary rendition. Far less has been written about the complex ways in which Western governments have placed new and far-reaching limitations on freedom of speech in this context since 9/11. This book compares three liberal democracies - the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, in particular showing the commonalities and similarities in what has occurred in each country, and the changes in the appropriate parameters of freedom of speech in the counter-terrorism context since 9/11, achieved both in policy change and the justification for that change. In all three countries much speech has been criminalized in ways that were considered anachronistic, or inappropriate, in comparable policy areas prior to 9/11. This is particularly interesting because other works have suggested that the United States' unique protection of freedom of speech in the First Amendment has prevented speech being limited in that country in ways that have been pursued in others. This book shows that this kind of argument misses the detail of the policy change that has occurred, and privileges a textual reading over a more comprehensive policy-based understanding of the changes that have occurred. The author argues that we are now living a new-normal for freedom of speech, within which restrictions on speech that once would have been considered aberrant, overreaching, and impermissible are now considered ordinary, necessary, and justified as long as they occur in the counter-terrorism context. This change is persistent, and it has far reaching implications for the future of this foundational freedom.

Download or read book Thirtieth Report of Session 2005 06 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: European Scrutiny Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2006-06-02 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The European Scrutiny Committee assesses the legal and/or political importance of each EU document, decides which EU documents are debated, monitors the activities of UK Ministers in the Council, and keeps legal, procedural and institutional developments in the EU under review. In this publication the Committee examines 19 documents, five of which it has not cleared and which it believes will require further negotiation and discussion. Fourteen of which it has approved. The uncleared documents include: European small claims procedure; Maritime safety; the European Institute for Gender Equality. The Documents that have been cleared include: eGovernment in Europe; Competition policy: public transport; Guidance on posting of workers; the Western Balkans and the EU.