Download or read book Monitoring the Government s Response to Human Rights Judgments written by Great Britain. Parliament. Joint Committee on Human Rights and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the Committee's second annual report monitoring the Government's response to human rights judgments in the European Court of Human Rights. The Committee criticises the Government for its failure to respond to many of its recommendations in its previous report (17th report session 2006-07, HL 128/HC 728, ISBN 9780104011065). The Committee believes the Government should take a consistent and transparent approach across departments to the way in which it responds to declarations of incompatibility and judgments fro the European Court, with the Ministry of Justice co-ordinating the response to adverse judgments. This report also examines a number of issues arising from outstanding judgments: access to artificial insemination for prisoners and their partners; controlling membership of trade union; prisoners' voting rights; investigations into cases involving the use of lethal force; security of tenure for gypsies and travellers, and the corporal punishment of children.

Download or read book Work of the Committee in 2008 09 Second Report of Session 2009 10 Report Together with Formal Minutes and Written Evidence written by Great Britain. Parliament. Joint Committee on Human Rights and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A report that provides an overview of the Committee's work during the 2008-09 parliamentary session and draws attention to improvements to the human rights landscape in the UK which it has commended in reports during the year. It also mentions a number of continuing areas for concern.

Download or read book The work of committees in 2008 09 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Liaison Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010-03-16 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: work of committees In 2008-09 : Second report of session 2009-10, report, together with formal minutes and Appendices

Download or read book Select Committees and public appointments written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Liaison Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2011-09-05 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report considers the experience of some three years of holding 'pre-appointment' hearings by select committees to examine the 'preferred candidate' for certain public appointments before that appointment is confirmed. Whilst the committee considers the experiment a success they do recommend a number of changes. They propose a three tier list: Posts in the first tier are those considered to be of sufficient constitutional significance as to require a process which is effectively a joint appointment by Government and the House of Commons. Posts in the second tier are those which the committee proposes should be subject to an enhanced an improved version of the current process, and which should be subject to an 'effective veto' by the House of Commons or its committees. For posts in the third tier, pre-appointment hearings should be at the discretion of committees.

Download or read book The Work of the Committee in 2007 and the state of human rights in the UK written by Great Britain: Parliament: Joint Committee on Human Rights and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008-02 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Work of the Committee in 2007 and the state of human rights in the UK : Sixth report of session 2007-08, report, together with formal Minutes

Download or read book Parliament and Public Appointments written by Great Britain. Parliament House of Commons. Public Administration Select Committee and published by . This book was released on 2008-05-02 with total page 14 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Government response to HC 152, session 2007-08 (ISBN 9780104851791)

Download or read book Parliament and Government Finance written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Liaison Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Parliamentary scrutiny of the Government's finances needs to be improved. The purpose of scrutiny is to make the government's financial decisions transparent, to give those outside Parliament opportunity to comment, to have the opportunity to influence the Government's financial decisions and to hold the Government, departments and other public bodies to account. The complexity of the Government's financial system is a major problem. There are: departmental budgets determined in spending reviews; estimates; and resource accounts. Complicated reconciliations are needed to relate one to another. The Treasury has started an Alignment Project which should improve consistency and continuity between these three types of document. Parliament is not receiving the information required for effective scrutiny. Financial reporting to Parliament should: include the information that departmental managers use to monitor performance, rather than just financial control and audit information; enable an overall view of planned expenditure; highlight the information which is significant; relate the information to objectives and to what is achieved by spending the money; identify key risks; use graphs; be provided in good time; use plain English; and enable as assessment of the quality of financial management. The Committee makes specific proposals based on these principles. Select committees and the House should, together, engage with financial issues before the Government makes decisions. The House should take back the right to debate and vote on individual government programmes or items of expenditure, and more than three days a year (the current allotment) should be made available for this purpose.

Download or read book Top pay in the public sector written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Public Administration Select Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010-03-24 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Government response is to HC 172-I (ISBN 9780215542847)

Download or read book Investigating the Conduct of Ministers written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Public Administration Select Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The post of Prime Minister's Independent Adviser on Ministerial Interests was created in March 2006, and extended by the incoming Prime Minister in July 2007. Part of the new Independent Adviser's role is to investigate allegations that the Ministerial Code has been breached. This Report considers the suitability of the new mechanism for investigating alleged breaches of the Code. The creation of an investigatory capacity is welcomed as an important step. However, the Committee identifies limitations on the Independent Adviser's powers which cast doubt over the effective ability of any holder of the post to secure public confidence. The Independent Adviser should be free to instigate investigations rather than, as at present, being dependent on being invited to do so by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister should also undertake that findings of investigations into the conduct of ministers will routinely be published. Constitutional watchdogs such as this new investigator need to be demonstrably independent of those they regulate. The post of Independent Adviser meets none of the criteria associated with independence. The holder of the post, Sir Philip Mawer, has been appointed by the Prime Minister on a non-specific term of office which can be terminated by the Prime Minister at any time and on any grounds. He has no staff of his own, no office and no budget, but relies on the Cabinet Office for all these things. There has been no open advertisement process and no parliamentary involvement in the appointment. Until these defects are remedied, the Committee has difficulty accepting the suggestion that the new investigator can meaningfully be considered to be independent.

Download or read book Public Services and the Third Sector written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Public Administration Select Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the 11th report from the Public Administration Select Committee (HCP 112-I, session 2007-08, ISBN 9780215521545) and focuses on public services and the third sector. Third sector organisations include charities and not-for-profit organisations as well as social enterprises. Government has been commissioning more public service deliveries from such organisations and the Committee, in this report, seeks to assess the impact of that policy approach, looking at the effects both on government and the service users as well as the public at large. The main claim for the use of third sector delivery service is that they can deliver a distinctive service that will improve the outcomes for service users. The Committee could not find evidence to corroborate that claim and believes that the Government's priority ought to be a greater understanding of the needs of the users of particular services and then identifying the organisation best placed to fulfil such services. The Committee believes such appointments should be based on merit as established through the tendering process but that importance lies with the commissioning authorities designing service specifications which play to the strengths of the best placed organisations. The Committee further states that "intelligent commissioning" is key, and that judgements about the use of a contract or grants, the importance of price on who wins the contract and whether there is scope for innovative methods of service delivery are important in getting the best result. The Committee also identified risks, and that it is important users of such services should not be affected whether a service is provided directly by the State or contracted out and that the Human Rights Act (PGA 1998. Chp. 42, ISBN 9780105442981) and the Freedom of Information Act (PGA 2000 Chp. 36, ISBN 9780105436003) should be extended to cover all organisations providing public service. For Volume 2, oral and written evidence, see (HCP 112-II, ISBN 9780215521552).

Download or read book Parliament and public appointments written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Public Administration Select Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008-01-16 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Report welcomes and responds to the Government's proposal to involve select committees in public appointments by inviting committees to hold non-binding pre-appointment hearings with nominees for key positions. The Report clarifies the purpose of these hearings: to expose nominees to parliamentary and public scrutiny before the final ministerial decision on the appointment, to increase the likelihood that those appointed will be effective in their accountability to Parliament and the public. The Report also establishes criteria to determine which posts should be subject to these hearings, and identifies major auditors, ombudsmen, regulators and inspectors, as well as those responsible for the appointments system itself; along with appointments normally made on merit but where Ministers have chosen not to follow the usual processes. Finally, the Report responds to concerns about involving select committees in public appointments, including several raised by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, and proposes ways of managing the risks identified, largely through a framework of clear protocols to be agreed between the Government and the Liaison Committee, and also by monitoring and reviewing the effect of the hearings on public appointments over time.

Download or read book Work of the Committee in 2007 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Treasury Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008-01-18 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report gives an account of the work of the Treasury Committee and Sub-Committee in 2007. The report identifies four main themes of work: (i) a flexible reponse to topical issues; (ii) a strengthened and continuing priority for the scrutiny of the key elements of economic policy; (iii) a continuing commitment to scrutiny of the expenditure and administration of the Chancellor's of the Exchequer's departments; (iv) a commitment to innovations in practice. The report analyses the extent to which the Committee has fulfilled the core tasks of departmental select committees. Reports produced by the Committee, for this 2007 period, include: Are you Covered? Travel Insurance and its Regulation, (HCP 50-I, session 2006-07, ISBN 9780215032638); Unclaimed Assets within the Financial System, (HCP 533, session 206-07, ISBN 9780215035806); Financial Inclusion Follow-up: Saving for all and Shorter Term Saving Products, (HCP 504, session 2006-07, ISBN 9780215038128).

Download or read book The 2007 comprehensive spending review written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Treasury Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2007-12-03 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report is in five main sections: overall spending issues; efficiency and value for money; the new performance management framework; child poverty; and individual spending settlements. The planned rate of growth of public spending is set to be considerably slower than the rate of growth of recent years. This could lead to cost pressures on departmental spending as there will be a greater proportional growth in the Annual Managed Expenditure. There will also be cost pressures from public sector wage settlements, population growth and needs in particular sectors. The efficiency programmes are highly ambitious but the Committee recommends that savings should only be recorded if it could be shown that service standards have been maintained. There is a welcome for the decision not to impose explicit targets for reduction in Civil Service numbers. On child poverty the Committee note a possible tension between the target to halve child poverty by 2010-11 and that of eliminating child poverty by 2020. There is a concern that the Government has drawn back from a whole-hearted commitment to meet the 2010 target. They want the Government to either initiate a debate on the trade-off between the two targets or rededicate itself to the 2010-11 target, making it clear that the resources are available within the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Download or read book User Involvement in Public Services written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Public Administration Select Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report considers various forms of user involvement in public services, from consultation with service users to stronger variants such as user control over service provision. It examines some of the arguments given for making public services more responsive: that it would be more democratic, that it would improve service levels and that it would be cost-effective. It also explores some of the potential implications of greater user involvement-for staff working in public services, for service users and for how public services are organised and evaluated. Involving public service users by allowing them to control or influence the way in which services are provided can improve service quality, make for more appropriate services and increase people's satisfaction with public services. It is, however, still early days for many of the stronger forms of user involvement, such as individual budgets in social care. Initial evidence about such initiatives seems promising, but there is a need for comprehensive and rigorous monitoring and evaluation, particularly regarding their cost-effectiveness. In addition, involving service users is not always appropriate. In some circumstances it could create inequalities of service, as well as being risky and expensive. In other situations people may simply be unwilling or unable to engage in this way. A key challenge for the Government and for public service providers will be to establish where user involvement is desirable, and in what form. Service providers also need to ensure that user involvement complements the contribution made by public service workers.

Download or read book The Work of the Committee In 2008 09 written by and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: work of the Committee In 2008-09 : First report of session 2009-10, report, together with formal minutes, and written Evidence

Download or read book Parliamentary Commissions of Inquiry written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Public Administration Select Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report considers the case for Parliament to be able to initiate and conduct inquiries into serious and significant matters of public concern. It takes up the recommendationmade by this committiee's predecessor Committee (in the Government by Inquiry Report) that there should be a parliamentary mechanism for initiating inquiries. These would take the form of Parliamentary Commissions of Inquiry, composed of parliamentarians and others. In the Report, the committee examines the justification for creating Parliamentary Commissions of Inquiry in particular, that they would enable Parliament to hold the Executive to account more effectively. Then it covers some of the practical issues involved in setting up inquiries of this nature: how Parliament could instigate an inquiry, its composition, and its operation and powers. The committee concludes that it is crucial, in constitutional sense, that Parliament has the necessary powers and abilities to scrutinise the Executive and hold it to account. Proper parliamentary scrutiny should include the ability to establish and undertake inquiries into significant matters of public concern. Parliament has, in the past, conducted investigationsof this kind and as the great forum of the nation, should be expected to do so. The committee's recommendation for Parliamentary Commissions of Inquiry would promoteeffective parliamentary accountability by creating a process for Parliament to initiate inquirieswhere it rather than the Executive sees fit.

Download or read book Justice Denied written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Public Administration Select Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the Committee's response to the Government's response (HC 41-!, session 2008-09, ISBN 9780215525536) to the Parliamentary Ombudsman's 4th report of session 2007-08 (HC 815, session 2007-08, ISBN 9780102957303).