Download or read book Ministry of Defence main estimates 2007 08 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2007-07-10 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Main Supply Estimates are the means by which the Government requests resources from Parliament to meet its expenditure plans for the coming financial year, setting out a resource-based Estimate for each Department and for public service pension schemes. The Committee's report focuses on the Estimates for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for 2007-08 (HCP 438, session 2006-07; ISBN 9780102944969). It identifies no issues which require to be debated by the House of Commons before the House is asked to agree to the Main Estimates, but the report highlights the fact that MoD's request for resources of £33.7 billion in the Main Estimates does not include the expected costs of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and so greatly underestimates the total expected cost of the MoD's activities in 2007-08. It argues that the MoD should include estimated costs of military operations in its Main Estimates, instead of waiting for the Supplementary Estimates as it does at present, as it is unacceptable that the MoD is incurring costs on military operations, without parliamentary approval and without even providing Parliament with an outline of the anticipated costs.

Download or read book The Iran hostages incident written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2007-12-14 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On 23 March 2007 15 Royal Navy personnel from HMS Cornwall were captured by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard while conducting a boarding operation on a merchant vessel in shallow waters near the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab waterway, between Iraq and Iran. They were taken to Iran, paraded before the international media and detained until their release and return home on 5 April. On their return, the Royal Navy staged a press conference for some of the detainees: two of them subsequently sold their stories to the media. Lt General Sir Rob Fulton was appointed to inquire into the operational circumstances and factors leading to the capture of the Royal Navy personnel. His report was confidential and not published but the Defence Committee was allowed to see it to ensure Parliamentary scrutiny. The Committee reports that Fulton robustly identified serious weaknesses in intelligence, communications, doctrine and training. Whilst there were insufficient grounds for courts martial, formal administrative action has been taken against a number of Service personnel. The Government has made good progress towards implementing Fulton's recommendations. The Committee also considered the findings of the Hall report into media access to Service personnel (available at www.mod.uk). The decision to allow the Service personnel to sell their stories was a serious mistake and deeply damaging to the reputation of the Royal Navy. The Secretary of State for Defence has accepted responsibility and apologised. This should not absolve others from blame.

Download or read book Sessional returns written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010-01-27 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On cover and title page: House, committees of the whole House, general committees and select committees

Download or read book Landmine Monitor 2009 written by and published by Monitor. This book was released on with total page 1274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Operational costs in Afghanistan and Iraq written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008-03-10 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Operational costs in Afghanistan and Iraq : Spring supplementary estimate 2007-08, eighth report of session 2007-08, report, together with formal minutes and written Evidence

Download or read book The work of the Committee in 2007 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008-01-31 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report sets out the work of the Committee during 2007. The report highlights aspects of the Committee's working practices which depart from previous practice or which may otherwise be of interest. In particular it draws attention to the webforum held during its inquiry into Medical Care for the Armed Forces; its taking of evidence outside Westminster, in Birmingham and Edinburgh; and the growing amount of informal activities of the Committee. It also underlines the importance of visits to the Armed Forces on operational deployments. Whilst the MoD was commended for overall timeliness in responding to the Committee's inquiries, in one inquiry: 'UK Defence: commitments and resources'; there was a delay which hindered the progress of the Committee

Download or read book Ministry of Defence annual report and accounts 2008 09 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010-02-24 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report examines the administration, expenditure, activities and achievements of the MoD during the 2008-09 financial year, as detailed in the Ministry of Defence annual report and accounts 2008-09 (ISBN 9780102962239). It continues a series of inquiries and, indeed, the Committee sees it as cause for concern that the NAO found the need to qualify the MoD's resource accounts for the third consecutive year. Whilst it is acknowledged that capability in theatre must be the Department's first concern, failing to maintain accurate and full information on personnel and to keep track of assets has the potential to threaten the long-term capability of the Department, including operational capability.

Download or read book Medical care 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 2008-02-18 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Committee investigated the provision of healthcare for the armed forces, and examined six key areas. The first was the treatment of personnel seriously wounded on operations, and the procedures for caring for them, from the point of wounding to evacuation to and treatment in the United Kingdom. The second area was the rehabilitation work for those with serious musculo-skeletal or neurological, injuries. The third was the relationship between the Ministry of Defence and the National Health Service in terms of delivering healthcare. The fourth area examined was the care for veterans and service families. The fifth issue was mental healthcare, both for service personnel and for veterans. Finally, the report examines the role of reserve personnel in the Defence Medical Services. Clinical care provided by the Defence Medical Services (DMS), in conjunction with the NHS, for personnel injured on operations is world-class. Rehabilitation work is also found to be exceptional. Services to the armed forces are delivered by the DMS, NHS, charities and welfare organisations, and this helps link the community with service personnel. The Committee would like a wider debate on which services are most appropriately provided by each sector. The Ministry of Defence's decision to base its secondary care around units embedded in NHS Trust is supported, but there is scope for more sharing of best practice between the DMS and the NHS. With veterans, the Committee is not sure adequate procedures are in place to identify veterans and to ensure priority access to services. Mental health is a vital responsibility for DMS, but a robust tracking system for veterans is needed. The reserve forces' contribution to the delivery of military healthcare is praised, but there is a danger of being overstretched.

Download or read book Public Finance and Parliamentary Constitutionalism written by Will Bateman and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-09-24 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Public Finance and Parliamentary Constitutionalism analyses constitutionalism and public finance (tax, expenditure, audit, sovereign borrowing and monetary finance) in Anglophone parliamentary systems of government. The book surveys the history of public finance law in the UK, its export throughout the British Empire, and its entrenchment in Commonwealth constitutions. It explains how modern constitutionalism was shaped by the financial impact of warfare, welfare-state programs and the growth of central banking. It then provides a case study analysis of the impact of economic conditions on governments' financial behaviour, focusing on the UK's and Australia's responses to the financial crisis, and the judiciary's position vis-à-vis the state's financial powers. Throughout, it questions orthodox accounts of financial constitutionalism (particularly the views of A. V. Dicey) and the democratic legitimacy of public finance. Currently ignored aspects of government behaviour are analysed in-depth, particularly the constitutional role of central banks and sovereign debt markets.

Download or read book The future of NATO and European defence written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008-03-20 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report is presented prior to the NATO Summit at Bucharest in April 2008 and examines the status of NATO in dealing with the security environment that exists in Europe today. The situation in Afghanistan offers a key test of the strengths and failings of the NATO Alliance. To bring stability and encourage development and reconstruction in this region requires a long-term military and financial commitment on the part of the Alliance. Failure in Afghanistan may diminish the effectiveness of NATO and undermine allied unity, perhaps pushing the United States to question the purpose of NATO itself. The Bucharest Summit will have to address a number of issues in respect of Afghanistan, including the need to generate sufficient military forces to carry out operations. NATO faces broader questions about its role and relevance in the 21st century, and the Defence Committee believes it needs to launch a far-reaching review of its strategic concept, setting forth a future role and purpose. NATO's willingness to fulfil a global role is critical to the continued support of the United States. NATO has shortfalls across a range of specific military capabilities which are seen as compromising its ability to mount and sustain the expeditionary operations that underpin the Alliance. The creation of the NATO Response Force is seen as representing a significant achievement but it needs to be financed out of NATO Common Funding. The Committee states that NATO's biggest shortfall is a lack of political will, where a large and growing gap exists between the United States and the European members in defence spending. The Committee further states that the relationship between NATO and the EU is plagued by mistrust and characterised by unhealthy competition. Improving communication and cordination between the two is seen as essential. The Committee views NATO as indispensable to the Alliance.

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 UK Operations in Iraq and the Gulf 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 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: UK operations in Iraq and the Gulf : Fifteenth report of session 2007-08, report, together with formal Minutes

Download or read book Ministry of Defence annual report and accounts 2006 07 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008-01-28 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report analyses the Annual Report and Accounts 2006-07 of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) (published as HC 697, session 2006-07, ISBN 9780102946369). The MoD's assessment of its expected achievements against its six Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets, which run until the end of March 2008, has deteriorated since the previous year's Annual Report and Accounts. At the end of 2007, the MoD did not expect to meet the target relating to generating forces and expects "only partly" to meet targets relating to recruitment and retention, and defence equipment procurement. The failure to meet the target for generating forces is a consequence of the continuing high levels of deployment of the Armed Forces. The Committee is concerned that the Armed Forces have been operating at or above the level of concurrent operations they are resourced and structured to deliver for seven of the last eight years, and for every year since 2002. Achieving manning balance in all three Service continues to be a challenge. Shortages remain within many specialist trades in all three Armed Services, but especially in the Army Medical Service. The report notes the failure to meet harmony guidelines in the Army and the Royal Air Force - another indicator of the pressure on the Armed Forces from the continuing high level of operations - and another target missed by all three services is for ethnic minority recruitment. The MoD continues to experience substantial forecast cost increases on equipment programmes, and the report notes delays in delivering equipment programmes to the planned in-service dates. The MoD faces difficult choices in the face of expected cuts in the defence programme and the management of a streamlining exercise to reduce civilian posts in the headquarters.

Download or read book Index to Chairmen written by and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Defence Equipment 2009 written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The mission of the MoD's (Ministry of Defence's) Defence Equipment and Support (DE & S) organisation is to equip and support our Armed Forces for operations now and in the future. Support to current operations in Afghanistan and Iraq has taken priority and the organisation has performed well. The Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) system remains highly effective in enabling vital equipment to be provided quickly to the two theatres to meet rapidly changing threats, but there are concerns that UORs represent a partial failure to equip our forces for predicted expeditionary operations, and on their effects on the core budget in future years. DE & S' performance in procuring longer-term equipment declined significantly in 2007-08. The forecast costs for the 20 largest defence projects increased by £205 million and the forecast delays increased by some 100 months in the year. The improvements promised by both the long-standing application of the principles of 'smart procurement' and the more recent formation of the DE & S organisation appear not to have materialised. The FRES (Future Rapid Effect System) programme has been a fiasco, being poorly conceived and managed from the outset. The Committee condemns the failure to date to publish an updated version of the Defence Industrial Strategy and considers that its continuing absence increases the risk that the UK Defence Industrial Base will not be able to meet the future requirements of our Armed Forces. Finally, the UK's future military capability depends on the investment made today in Research and Development. Sufficient funding for defence research needs to be ring-fenced and the MoD must recognise the very high priority of research and reverse the recent cut in research spending.

Download or read book Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Report 2007 08 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Foreign Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report is the Committee's annual review of how the FCO is managing its resources, examining the departmental annual report for 2007-08 (Cm. 7398, ISBN 9780101739825). Chapters cover: new strategic framework; performance measurement; global network; essential services; FCO Services; personnel issues; transparency and openness; financial management; public diplomacy and communication; the British Council; the BBC World Service. The Committee is concerned that the FCO is facing serious financial pressures in this financial year due to the Treasury's withdrawal of its support for the Overseas Pricing Mechanism (OPM) which used to protect departments from the weakening of sterling. There is a risk that the FCO may not be able to meet higher international subscriptions over the next two financial years, causing its performance against Public Service Agreement targets to suffer. The likely increase in the UN Regular Budget and other international subscriptions will push this figure even higher. The FCO should have to shoulder the financial burden from within its already tight budget to pay for subscriptions which also benefit other Government departments. The Committee recommends that additional nondiscretionary costs should properly be met by the Treasury.

Download or read book The Stationery Office Annual Catalogue 2008 written by U K Stationery Office and published by Stationery Office Annual Catal. This book was released on 2009-11 with total page 612 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: No public library discount on this title.