Download or read book House of Commons International Development Committee Implications for Development in the Event of Scotland Becoming and Independent Country HC 692 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: International Development Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2013-12-19 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The UK's aid programme, much of which is delivered from Scotland, is genuinely transformational. The UK provided £8.7 billion of aid in 2012/13, but it is the quality of this aid - not just its quantity - which sets the UK apart. As part of the UK, Scotland makes a tremendous contribution to all this. If Scotland were to become an independent country, its development agency would inevitably be a much smaller player. From 2013 onwards, the UK Government plans to spend 0.7% of Gross National Income on Official Development Assistance. If Scotland were to become independent, the UK's overall GNI - and the amount of money it spends on ODA - would fall. "Scotland has 8.3% of the UK's population share, so we estimate that the UK's ODA would fall by around 8.3%, or £1 billion. DFID's work - either its bilateral programmes or its funding to multilateral organisations - would inevitably then be subject to cuts. MPs are also concerned that during any transitional period, the restructuring of DFID and the setup of an independent Scottish development agency would divert management attention towards restructuring and away from frontline delivery by both agencies. In addition, a significant proportion of DFID's workforce is based at its Scottish office in East Kilbride, including a number of senior staff. By contrast, the number of jobs available with an independent Scottish development agency is likely to be relatively few (or the new Scottish development agency would be heavily overstaffed). The impact on jobs would therefore be substantial.

Download or read book Implications for Development in the Event of Scotland Becoming an Independent Country written by and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Implications for Development in the Event of Scotland Becoming an Independent Country written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. International Development Committee and published by . This book was released on 2014-02-28 with total page 5 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Government response to HC 692, session 2014-14 (ISBN 9780215065865)

Download or read book Implications for Development in the Event of Scotland Becoming an Independent Country written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. International Development Committee and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Nation Again written by Paul Henderson Scott and published by Luath Press Ltd. This book was released on 2013-10-31 with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the Scottish people prepare for their biggest ever collective decision with a proposed referendum near at hand, The Independence Book forcefully sets out the Case for Independence. The Imperative of Independence is demonstrated by varied distinguished authors, including contributions from Neil Kay, Tom Nairn and Betty Davies. Each author tackles the subject in a different way - personal, political, historical or academic - but the key denominator is clear: Independence Must Come. BACK COVER: If you believe in the Case for Independence, this book will provide you with a stirring endorsement of your view. If you are sceptical, it might well persuade you to convert to the cause. If you are downright hostile, this book could be dangeroud - it could prompt you to rethink. Suddenly Scottish Independence is within grasp. Is this a frivolous pipedream, a romantic illusion? Or is it, as the writers of this dynamic and positive collection of essays insist, an authentic political option, feasible and beneficial? As the Scottish people prepare for their biggest ever collective decision, this book forcefully sets out the Case for Independence. The distinguished authors, from a variety of different perspectives, argue the acase for the Imperative of Independence. The case is made in various styles - personal, political, academic, historical, philosophical. But the key denominator is clear - Independence Must Come: it will be good for Scotland (and England too).REVIEWS: If anyone were to ask me if there's a handy wee book which effectively argues the case for Scottish independence and, just as importantly, counters the main Unionist objections, then this is the book I'd recommend. It does what it says on the tin.

Download or read book Nation to Nation written by Stephen Gethins and published by Luath Press Ltd. This book was released on 2021-03-17 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scotland has a distinctive place in the world. Nation to Nation explores how this unique relationship with the rest of the world has developed over the years and how it manifests itself today. In this book Stephen Gethins combines his knowledge from years of work in the field - from the conflict zones of the former Soviet Union to the corridors of power in Westminster and Brussels - with insights from political, cultural and academic figures who have been at the heart of foreign policy in Scotland, the UK, Europe and North America. Gethins looks at Scotland's foreign policy to better inform the debate about our country's future and its relationships with its neighbours near and far.

Download or read book Scotland Analysis written by Great Britain: Scotland Office and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2013-02-11 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The UK Government is undertaking a major cross-government programme of analysis prior to the referendum on Scottish independence in 2014. The aim is to provide a comprehensive and detailed analysis of Scotland's place in the UK. This paper, the first of a series to be published in 2013 and 2014, examines the UK's constitutional set-up and the legal implications of independence. The UK Government is convinced that the current devolution offers the best for Scotland: the Scottish Parliament and Government are empowered to take decisions on a range of domestic policy areas - such as health, education, policing - while Scotland continues to benefit from decisions made for the UK as a whole - defence and security, foreign representation, economic affairs. Independence is very different to devolution. Based on independent expert opinion (published as Annex A), the paper concludes that if there were to be a vote in favour of leaving the UK, Scotland would become an entirely new state whilst the remainder of the UK would continue as before, retaining the rights and obligations of the UK as it currently stands. Any separation would have to be negotiated between both governments. Legal and practical implications of independence, both at home and abroad, are addressed. An independent Scotland would have to apply to and/or negotiate to become a member of whichever international organisations it wished to join, including the EU and NATO. Scotland would also have to work through its positions on thousands of international treaties to which the UK is currently party.

Download or read book Foreign policy considerations for the UK and Scotland in the event of Scotland becoming an independent country written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Foreign Affairs Committee and published by Stationery Office. This book was released on 2013-05-01 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With just over sixteen months to go before the Scottish referendum there are still significant gaps in the Scottish Government's proposed foreign policy, according to a report published today by the Foreign Affairs Committee. There has not been enough analysis on what sort of overseas diplomatic network and external security and intelligence provision Scotland would have to set up. There needs to be a more realistic assessment of the extent to which Scotland could expect the rest of the UK (RUK) to co-operate with, and support it, on security and intelligence. There is a pressing need for official legal advice on a wide range of international legal issues including EU accession, EU opt-outs and membership of international organisations. The Report says that the overwhelming body of law, evidence, practice and precedent supports the view that the RUK would inherit the vast majority of the UK's international rights and obligations whereas Scotland would start anew internationally if it became independent. Having two co-equal states could lead to a level of legal and political insecurity that would not be tolerated by other states. The report disputes the view that Scotland's journey towards membership of the EU and NATO would be straightforward. It is for the EU itself to determine in accordance with its regulations whether and how Scotland would become a member. Scotland may have to make trade-offs to secure the unanimous support it would need from within the EU.

Download or read book Why Scotland Should Become An Independent Country written by James Hosie and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2023-11-24 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Embark on a thought-provoking exploration of the multifaceted case for Scottish independence. This comprehensive journey unfolds across diverse realms, delving into the potential impact on self-governance, cultural identity, and economic control. Discover how an independent Scotland could shape its destiny in resource management, social policies, and international relations. From language preservation to strategic considerations in tourism, transportation, and digital infrastructure, this narrative paints a vivid picture of a nation crafting its path. Engage with the vision of a Scotland committed to social equality, strengthened local governance, and a prominent role in global cultural diplomacy. This exploration is a compelling guide, meticulously weaving together the myriad reasons, possibilities, and aspirations that underpin the call for Scottish independence. Whether you are a passionate advocate or a curious observer, delve into the rich complexities of the debate and contemplate the future of this nation.

Download or read book HC 1138 International Development Committee The Legacy Parliament 2010 15 written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. International Development Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2015 with total page 25 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the end of the 2010-2015 Parliament approaches, the Committee has taken the opportunity to look back on their work. This Report outlines some of the Committee's work, progress and effectiveness during this Parliament and sets out areas that may be of interest to their successor committee. It has also provided the opportunity to scrutinise what actions the Government has taken with regard to issues and recommendations raised in our reports.

Download or read book The Scottish Political System Since Devolution written by Paul Cairney and published by Andrews UK Limited. This book was released on 2012-01-30 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents a narrative of Scottish politics since devolution in 1999. It compares eight years of coalition government under Scottish Labour and the Scottish Liberal Democrats with four years of Scottish National Party minority government. It outlines the relative effect of each government on Scottish politics and public policy in various contexts, including: high expectations for ‘new politics' that were never fully realised; the influence of, and reactions from, the media and public; the role of political parties; the Scottish Government's relations with the UK Government, EU institutions, local government, quasi-governmental and non-governmental actors; and, the finance available to fund policy initiatives. It then considers how far Scotland has travelled on the road to constitutional change, comparing the original devolved framework with calls for independence or a new devolution settlement. The book draws heavily on information produced since 1999 by the Scottish Devolution Monitoring project (which forms one part of the devolution monitoring project led by the Constitution Unit, UCL) and is supplemented by new research on public policy, minority government, intergovernmental relations and constitutional change.

Download or read book HC 523 The Independent Commission for Aid Impact s Performance and Annual Report 2013 14 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: International Development Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2014-09-05 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Independent Commission on Aid Impact (ICAI) is an independent commission which reports to the House of Commons International Development Committee, not to the Department for International Development (DFID). The Committee ensures its accountability to Parliament in two main ways: through a sub-Committee, which takes evidence on the reports published by ICAI; and through an inquiry each year carried out by the full Committee into ICAI's Annual Report. 2013-14 has been a busy year for ICAI, with 12 reports published on a wide range of DFID's activities. ICAI's Annual Report contained three headline findings for DFID this year. Firstly, tighter management of multilateral partners is needed. Secondly, DFID needs to continue to improve its aid programme management capacity, especially where contractors are implementing programmes. Thirdly, DFID's corporate results agenda - and in particular its use of 'reach indicators' - is distorting programming choices. The Committee shares ICAI's concerns on these issues and intend to follow up its recommendations in two forthcoming inquiries this autumn: Beyond Aid; and DFID's Departmental Annual Report 2013-14. DFID spends a large amount of money - at least £200 million - on self-evaluation. However, it cannot provide an exact total. The Committee question this large expenditure, especially given that an ICAI evaluation recently found that DFID staff struggle to use self-evaluation material in their work. The contracts of the current ICAI commissioners, contractor consortium and staff all end in May 2015. While staff contracts may be renewed, new commissioners and contractors must be recruited. Planning is underway for the transition to the next phase of ICAI: all possible efforts must be made to ensure this goes as smoothly as possible.

Download or read book HC 741 Appointment of the Chief Commissioner of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. International Development Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2014 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Chief Commissioner of ICAI has a crucial role in scrutinising aid spending by the UK Government and reporting to Parliament through the International Development Committee. The Committee are pleased to endorse the appointment of Dr Alison Evans to this post, but recommend that at least one of the existing Commissioners be reappointed for a further term to ensure continuity, and that one of the Commissioners be an audit professional. The selection process used resulted in an unranked list of four candidates deemed "appointable" being presented to the Secretary of State for consideration. This puts too much power in the hands of the Secretary of State for an independent scrutiny post and threatens to undermine the candidate in the eyes of the public who may assume that the candidate most sympathetic to DFID was chosen. The Committee recommend that panels for ICAI Commissioner appointments should be invited to rank candidates or otherwise advise the Secretary of State as they see fit. In the longer term, it is recommended that the Committee be able to choose the Chief Commissioner from the list of candidates.

Download or read book Disability and Development HC 947 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: International Development Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2014-04-10 with total page 78 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Disabled people in developing countries are the poorest of the poor: if we are serious about tackling extreme poverty, our development work has to target them. So while it's good the UK government has brought disability on to the agenda for global development goals (1) - DfID must now lead by example and make effort to ensure the needs of disabled people become a clear and sustained priority going forward within its own development programmes. Despite enormous global advances in education and health since the turn of the millennium, disabled people continue to be excluded from the most basic of services. The Committee calls for DfID to: produce a disability strategy; appoint a larger team responsible for disability; and strengthen reporting processes; show much more ambition in its work with disabled people by targeting them and their needs explicitly; give disabled people a central role in its work; and promote attention to the needs of disabled people including making it an explicit requirement that funding reaches disabled people, especially in disaster and conflict situations where they are amongst the most at risk

Download or read book HC 663 The Future of UK Development Co operation Phase 2 Beyond Aid written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. International Development Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2015 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The number of low income countries is falling. At the same time, the importance of global issues - conflict, climate, migration, trade, tax, financial stability, youth unemployment, urbanisation economic development, and infectious disease - is rising. The Committee argues that aid remains vital for addressing poverty in poor countries, for encouraging economic development, for providing global goods such as tackling climate change, combating diseases such as Ebola and providing humanitarian assistance, but new forms of co-operation have to be developed in order to meet these challenges. This will include new financial mechanisms and facilitating links with UK institutions in a wide range of areas, including health, education, culture, law, culture and science. This will require the Department for International Development (DFID) to put more emphasis on working with small organisations and less on programme management.As the focus moves away from aid, policy coherence for development must be at the heart of a new approach. This means working across Government in the UK, and with global partners in the multilateral system, to maximise the impact on development of all the UK's actions. This approach and changes will require DFID staff to develop different skills.

Download or read book HC 504 The Implications of Scottish Independence on Business Higher Education and Research and Postal Services written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Business, Innovation and Skills Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2014-08-08 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A 'Yes' vote for independence will break up the UK single market and in the short-term could leave Scottish businesses uncertain of their position in Europe, says the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee in this report. A protracted Scottish negotiation over EU membership, and the uncertain investment environment arising from a 'Yes' vote, will have a damaging impact on businesses in Scotland, as well as other parts of the UK. The Committee raises serious concerns that a 'Yes' vote may also leave Scotland facing a currency 'limbo' and in the short term unable to join a sterling currency union and without the prospect of adopting the Euro. Also, the Scottish Government's stated intention to renationalise the Royal Mail upon achieving independence is an un-costed aspiration, bereft of any detail of how it is to be paid for or how it would be done. The Committee also fears for the future of the Universal Postal Obligation in an independent Scotland with its continued survival likely to be secured only at significant additional cost. On higher education, the Committee explored the topics of student fees and UK research collaboration. The central plank of the Scottish Government's HE policy, to charge tuition fees to students from other parts of the UK, was likely to be illegal under EU law. The Committee also expressed concerns this policy would result in Scottish universities facing a financial shortfall, given the significant income currently received for non-domiciled UK students.

Download or read book HC 247 Recovery and Development in Sierra Leone and Liberia written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. International Development Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2014 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sierra Leone and Liberia have made remarkable recoveries since their civil wars. Ban Ki Moon was in Freetown this month to bring an end to the UN Security mission and set the UN presence on a conventional development footing from 1st April 2014. In Liberia there has been a gradual drawdown of the peacekeeping mission which will approximately halve the UN military presence by 2015. However both countries remain fragile with high unemployment and concerns about corruption. The devastating Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone and Liberia demonstrates the dangers of ignoring the least developed countries in the world. The weak state of the health system in both countries has greatly reduced the effectiveness of the response to Ebola. There is an alarming lack of capacity in the health system, including a shortage of skilled clinicians.The Committee have determined that the scale of the Ebola crisis now unfolding in Sierra Leone and Liberia, may well be connected to declining levels of international support for health system improvements in what remain two of the poorest and least developed countries in the world.