Download or read book Fifth 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 2005-10-27 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fifth report of Session 2005-06 : Documents considered by the Committee on 12 October 2005, including: the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Commission legislative proposals; Marketing of maize genetically modified for resistance to corn rootworm; Declara

Download or read book Twenty fifth 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 2006-04-26 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Twenty-fifth report of Session 2005-06 : Documents considered by the Committee on 19 April 2006, report, together with formal Minutes

Download or read book Thirty fifth Report of Session 2005 06 written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. European Scrutiny Committee and published by . This book was released on 2006-07-19 with total page 55 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thirty-fifth report of Session 2005-06 : Documents considered by the Committee on 12 July 2006, report, together with formal Minutes

Download or read book The last report written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Science and Technology Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2007-11-07 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On 28 June 2007, the Prime Minister announced changes to the machinery of Government that had an impact upon the select committee system within the House of Commons. As a result, the Science and Technology Select Committee will be dissolved and replaced by a new Innovation, Universities and Skills Select Committee at the beginning of the next session of Parliament. This Report explains the role that the Science and Technology Committee has played within Parliament and the science community. It outlines the Committee's innovations, its impact and concerns regarding future science scrutiny in the House of Commons. It concludes that, in the long term, a separate Science and Technology Committee is the only way to guarantee a permanent focus on science across Government within the select committee system and recommends that the House be given an opportunity to revisit this issue.

Download or read book The Legacy Report written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Science and Technology Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following a two-year absence the Science and Technology Committee was re-formed in October 2009 to conduct cross-departmental scrutiny of science and technology. This report summarises the Committee's work of this session. It also reviews the historical landscape of science scrutiny in Parliament across the work of predecessor committees, and documents the impacts they have had on policy and the culture of scientific debate within Westminster. The Committee highlight several inquiries and reports that have had significant impact in informing legislative decisions and holding government to the standard of evidence based policy making.

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 Local authority investments written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Communities and Local Government Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009-06-11 with total page 84 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The collapse of Icelandic financial institutions in the autumn of 2008 brought to light not only the surprisingly large amounts of money invested by local authorities, but also the fact that local authorities had invested nearly £1 billion in Iceland, funds that were consequently at risk. This prompted the Committee to launch an inquiry into local authority investments, in order to understand current practice, to study the roles and responsibilities of various groups and individuals involved, and to make recommendations intended to limit the exposure of local authority funds to such risk in future. The unusual nature of the recent financial situation should not excuse failures that occurred in local authority financial arrangements. The inquiry reveals a degree of misunderstanding, misinformation and complacency on the part of some crucial players, both within local authorities and in the wider financial sector, which contributed to the putting of taxpayers' money at unnecessary risk. There is significant room for improvement in the guidance and codes of practice for local authorities: to be more explicit in certain areas in order to make the system more transparent; to explain where the responsibilities lie, both in executing and in overseeing treasury management, including more rigorous training and reporting; and to highlight the variations of service on offer by different external service providers. It was the role of external service providers, specifically some of the treasury management advisers, which caused the Committee most concern and the Financial Services Authority should investigate the services provided by them as soon as possible and should take a more active role in their regulation.

Download or read book The Balance of Power written by and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009-05 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The balance of power between central and local government matters because it affects the responsibility and accountability for delivery of services and improvements to local people and communities. Democracy is strengthened where local people understand what local government is responsible for in terms of both policy and resources, where they can hold to account local government for its performance, and where, crucially, they believe that local government can make a real difference. Local authorities should have the freedom to shape the development of their communities and the scope to unlock the full potential of local innovation. Yet the predominant trend, particularly since the second world war, has been for central government to increase its powers and responsibilities at the expense of local government. This report looks at the current role of local government, assessing where it could be more proactive in making best use of existing structures, and where change is required elsewhere - by central government and its agencies and by Parliament - to increase the scope for autonomous local government activity. It considers the role of central government, and the advantages to be gained at both the local and the national levels from adopting a "minimalist" as opposed to a "maximalist" role in relation to local government, advocating further cultural change within central government to facilitate a decentralised balance of power structure. The Committee also addresses the pressing need for reform of local government financial arrangements, with a view to enabling local government to raise more of its own money.

Download or read book Mobility Scooters written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Transport Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the light of anecdotal accounts of accidents involving the vehicles, but little hard evidence, MPs urge the Government to collect better data on the use of scooters as well as incidents and injuries where they are involved. To develop sound policy, we need a comprehensive evidence base detailing the number and nature of incidents involving mobility scooters on the UK's pavements and roads. Only by doing so, will issues such as the legal status of mobility scooters, the appropriateness of proficiency tests and the rights of users to take the vehicles on public transport be adequately addressed. The Committee's report notes that the Department for Transport has launched a consultation on many of these issues, but is concerned that after a similar review in 2005, Ministers failed to act on many of its findings. With a growing number of mobility scooter users on the UK's pavements and roads, the MPs call on the Government to take decisive action where necessary.

Download or read book Preventing violent extremism written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Communities and Local Government Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010-03-30 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report from the Communities and Local Government Committee (HCP 65, session 2009-10, ISBN 9780215545466) looks at "Preventing violent extremism". For the Committee, as delivered so far the Prevent programme has stigmatised and alienated those it is most important to engage, and tainted many positive community cohesion projects. Moreover, the government's strategy to limit the development of violent extremism in the UK sits poorly within a counter-terrorism strategy. The Committee has set out a number of improvements for the Prevent programme and calls on the government to clarify urgently how information collected for the purposes of project monitoring and community mapping under Prevent does not constitute 'spying' or 'intelligence gathering' of the type undertaken by the police or security services.

Download or read book The UK and European Human Rights written by Katja S Ziegler and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2015-10-22 with total page 815 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The UK's engagement with the legal protection of human rights at a European level has been, at varying stages, pioneering, sceptical and antagonistic. The UK government, media and public opinion have all at times expressed concerns about the growing influence of European human rights law, particularly in the controversial contexts of prisoner voting and deportation of suspected terrorists as well as in the context of British military action abroad. British politicians and judges have also, however, played important roles in drafting, implementing and interpreting the European Convention on Human Rights. Its incorporation into domestic law in the Human Rights Act 1998 intensified the ongoing debate about the UK's international and regional human rights commitments. Furthermore, the increasing importance of the European Union in the human rights sphere has added another layer to the relationship and highlights the complex relationship(s) between the UK government, the Westminster Parliament and judges in the UK, Strasbourg and Luxembourg. The book analyses the topical and contentious issue of the relationship between the UK and the European systems for the protection of human rights (ECHR and EU) from doctrinal, contextual and comparative perspectives and explores factors that influence the relationship of the UK and European human rights.

Download or read book New Labour s Countryside written by Michael Woods and published by Policy Press. This book was released on 2008-09-10 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book analyses the specific ways in which family lives have changed and how they have been affected by the major structural and cultural changes of the second half of the twentieth century.--

Download or read book The Opening of Heathrow Terminal 5 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 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: BAA opened Heathrow's fifth terminal for business on 27 March, after six years of construction at a cost of £4.3bn, on time and within budget. Passengers had been promised a "calmer, smoother, simpler airport experience". Multiple problems, however, meant that on the first day of operation alone, 36,584 passengers were frustrated by the 'Heathrow hassle' that Terminal 5 (T5) had been designed to eliminate. Problems were experienced with the baggage system, car parking, security searches and aspects of the building itself. When the baggage system failed, luggage piled up to such an extent that it was transported by road to be sorted off-site. According to British Airways, 23,205 bags required manual sorting before being returned to their owners. The Committee finds that most of these problems were caused by one of two main factors: insufficient communication between owner and operator, and poor staff training and system testing. The Committee was pleased to find that steps were being taken at all levels to address the problems at the source of T5's problems, and BAA, British Airways and the union Unite are working together to make Terminal 5 a success.

Download or read book The work of the Committee in 2007 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008-01-23 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: work of the Committee In 2007 : First report of session 2007-08, report, together with formal Minutes

Download or read book The work of the committee in 2007 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 2008-01-23 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Work of the Committee In 2007 : Third report of session 2007-08, report, together with formal Minutes

Download or read book The Licensing Act 2003 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Culture, Media and Sport Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report examines the operation and impact of the Licensing Act 2003. In conclusion the Committee makes several recommendations. These include: that the Government should, together with local authorities, licence applicants and other stakeholders, evaluate the licensing forms with the aim of making them more user friendly; that in the case of not for profit clubs only the bar area should be taking into account when assessing the rateable value of the premises; that sports clubs should be placed in a fee band based on 20 per cent of their rateable value; that a national database of licence holders be implanted and that the allowable period for transferring a personal licence due to death should be increased to 21 days; increasing the limit of Temporary Events Notices (TENs) to 15 per year whilst enhancing the ability to object to the granting of a TEN; that the density of venues in a particular area should always be taken into consideration when granting a premises licence; the exemption of venues with a capacity of 200 or less from the need to obtain a licence for the performance of live music and the reintroduction of the two in a bar exemption; the introduction of portable licences for circuses and possible exemption of certain low-risk small-scale travelling entertainments; the creation of a new category be created for adult clubs such as lap dancing clubs and that they be licensed, in accordance with Government proposals, under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act.

Download or read book Draft Heritage Protection Bill written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Culture, Media and Sport Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In April 2008, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) published a Draft Heritage Bill and the Government has indicated that the Bill will be in next year's legislative programme. The Bill is designed to unify heritage protection regimes, allow greater public involvement in decisions, and place heritage at the heart of the planning system. The Committee has undertaken pre-legislative scrutiny of the bill but this was undermined by the incomplete nature of the legislation. The Committee also felt that the Government must prioritise the revision of Planning policy guidelines (PPGs) 15 & 16 to ensure that the new guidance on planning policy can be implemented at the same time as the Bill. Further serious issues of concern included the accuracy of current cost estimates & impact assessment and sufficient staffing with the necessary skills, in particular conservation officers. The Committee was also not convinced that Heritage Partnership Agreements (HPAs), a new system of management agreements for owners of large estates, were a robust business option. Nor could any evidence be found that either DCMS or English Heritage had considered any amendments to the legislation which would improve the operation or effectiveness of the enforcement powers for local authorities.