Download or read book Departmental Annual Report and Scrutiny of the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Business and Enterprise 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 examines the matter of accountability to the House of Commons of Lord Mandelson of Foy and Hartlepool, the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. As a member of the House of Lords he is unable to answer questions in the House of Commons. The report compares the current situation with previous examples of Cabinet ministers being in the House of Lords. The Committee notes that the current situation differs from the past in that a significant proportion of the ministerial support team is based in the Lords or shared with other departments. It is unfortunate that the department for business is so thinly represented in the Commons. One solution would be to amend Standing Orders to allow Lord Mandelson to appear at the Despatch Box to answer questions in the Commons. There are precedents for this approach. Such a change might, though, encourage governments to appoint more members of the House of Lords as department heads, and the Committee feels that would be an unwelcome and significant constitutional change. The Procedure Committee should investigate a mechanism for parliamentary questions to the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
Download or read book The Creation of the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and the Departmental Annual Report 2008 09 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Business, Innovation and Skills Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The new Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (DBIS) was formed in June 2009 by the merger of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). This report looks back on the last departmental report of the old Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and considers the progress made in moving forward the new Department. The Committee welcomes the creation of the new Department which brings under one roof the business and further and higher education sectors. The Committee believes this could deliver significant potential benefits. The report examines the merger process, the delivery agencies, public service agreements and departmental strategic objectives, and future departmental reports and resource accounts. The report also focuses on the Automotive Assistance Scheme, designed primarily to support investment in low carbon plant and research and development. It welcomes the lowering of the limit of the Scheme from £5 million to £1 million, in line with its recommendation made in July, but is deeply concerned that not a single loan or loan guarantee has been made under the programme. The Committee calls on the Government to expedite its negotiations, and prove to the Committee and the automotive industry that the Scheme can provide tangible benefits to companies in the sector.
Download or read book Work of the Committee 2008 09 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Business, Innovation and Skills Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Work of the Committee 2008-09 : Second report of session 2009-10, report, together with formal Minutes
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 The Insolvency Service written by House of Commons Business and Enterprise and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009-05-06 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the economic downturn there has been an alarming increase in the number of companies entering liquidation and unprecedented numbers of people are being made bankrupt. So the Committee decided to review the work of the Insolvency Service and found it to operate in a generally efficient and effective way. The investigation, though, uncovered concerns about the insolvency regime. Public confidence in the insolvency regime will be damaged unless prompt, robust and effective action is taken to ensure that pre-pack administrations (when a company's business and assets are sold on terms that were negotiated between the buyer and the administrator before the company formally entered administration) are transparent and free from abuse. This causes particular outrage where the existing management buy back the business and continue to trade clear of the original debts ("Phoenix pre-packs"). Pre-packs of this kind fuel concerns about illegitimate, self-serving alliances between directors and insolvency practitioners. The interests of unsecured trade creditors must take a higher priority, especially in "phoenix" pre-pack administrations. The Committee welcomes the new practice statement, Statement of Insolvency Practice 16, which aims to increase the transparency of pre-packs. Monitoring of its implementation, in the recession, becomes a matter of considerable urgency. Insolvency practitioners' remuneration is perceived as unduly high by many creditors: the Insolvency Service should publicise the results of it monitoring to see whether insolvency practitioners are complying with the current practice statement governing the approval of their fees. The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform must ensure the Service's funding arrangements are sufficiently robust to handle the very high levels of insolvency.
Download or read book Broadband written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Business, Innovation and Skills Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010-02-23 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Digital Britain is a vital part of public policy which will define the United Kingdom's telecommunications networks for years to come, and so there must be a full-time Minister dedicated to the issue. This report supports a swift roll-out of Next Generation Access (NGA) networks across the country.
Download or read book Full speed ahead written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Business, Innovation and Skills Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010-03-22 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Motorsport and aerospace are two industries in which the United Kingdom is a world leader and the Committee believes that the future success of the UK economy will be based on these types of industries. Concerns regarding the aerospace included the current US complaint in the World Trade organisation and the Government's right to support the industry through Repayable Launch Investment; and that the UK aerospace sector has access to export trade credit at less favourable rates and through a more complex system than other countries. In examining the motorsport industry the Committee felt that there was a lack of understanding and effective engagement by Government. They are not content with the Government's current plans to take forward its work with the sector through the UK Automotive Council. Instead they recommend that the Government establish a dedicated motorsport policy team within the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Small and medium-sized enterprises also play a very important role in supporting both sectors but they have been hit worst by the recession and the Government needs to do more to encourage high performance engineering firms to diversify. Both sectors require a highly skilled workforce and more needs to be done to align the education system with the skills needs of the industries. Finally is the problem of the 'non-green' image that both industries have.
Download or read book Regional Development Agencies and the Local Democracy Economic Development and Construction Bill Report together with formal minutes written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Business and Enterprise Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill proposes substantial changes to the way that economic development policies are delivered. The four main proposals relating to economic development are: merging the existing regional economic and spatial strategies into a single integrated regional strategy, with local authorities and regional development agencies (RDAs) being jointly responsible for its drafting and agreement; giving local authorities the duty to undertake an economic assessment of their areas; devolving funding to local authorities to enable them, rather than RDAs, to deliver economic development policies; and encouraging collaboration between local authorities in delivering these policies. The Committee notes the strong support for a level of governance between central government and local authorities for the delivery of economic development policies and business support. The Committee would have liked more evidence about the effectiveness of RDAs and it is surprised the Government has proceeded with plans to restructure the way regional policy is made before the review of RDAs the Government has commissioned from PricewaterhouseCoopers is available. The Committee expresses concern over some proposals contained in the Bill: most importantly, there needs to be a proper balance between RDAs' business focus and the role of councillors in representing the views of their constituents. The proposals in the Bill about the relationship between RDAs and local authorities place too much weight on the views of RDAs and business interests, particularly during the drafting and agreement of the single integrated regional strategy. The role of local authorities - and of the communities they represent - must be strengthened. Many of the provisions of the Bill need clarifying.
Download or read book Energy Policy written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Business and Enterprise Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In July 2008 the Committee completed an inquiry into energy prices and fuel poverty but since then there have been a number of developments within the energy sector. Amongst these developments were the publication of Ofgem's energy supply probe, the Government's launch of a one billion pound package to tackle fuel poverty and the creation of the new Department of Energy and Climate Change. These events have taken place against the back-drop of a global financial and economic crisis. This report looks at the implications of these developments for the future of the UK's energy policy. This is the Committee's last report on energy-related matters, as from January 2009 responsibility for the scrutiny of energy policy will pass to the new Energy and Climate Change Committee.
Download or read book Pre appointment Hearing with the Chairman elect of Ofcom Dr Colette Bowe written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Business and Enterprise Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The committees held a joint pre-appointment hearing with Dr Colette Bowe, the chairman-elect of Ofcom. This position is one of those key public positions identified by the Governance of Britain green paper as qualifying for pre-appointment hearings from Parliamentary committees. The report examines briefly the role the chairman and provides some biographical information about Dr Bowe, her cv, and a transcript of the oral hearing. The committees conclude, having questioned Dr Bowe, that she is a suitable candidate for the post.
Download or read book Mergers Acquisitions and Takeovers written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Business, Innovation and Skills Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mergers, acquisitions and Takeovers : The takeover of Cadbury by Kraft, ninth report of session 2009-10, report, together with formal minutes, oral and written Evidence
Download or read book Accountability to the House of Commons of secretaries of state in the House of Lords written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Procedure Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010-03-22 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Accountability to the House of Commons of secretaries of state in the House of Lords : Third report of session 2009-10, report, together with formal minutes and written Evidence
Download or read book Goats and tsars written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Public Administration Select Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010-03-11 with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report from the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) concludes that the practice of appointing ministers from outside Parliament via the House of Lords should be exceptional and subject to more checks and balances. Introducing a wider range of experience into ministerial teams can sometimes make government more effective, but government could also achieve this by making greater use of the range of talent on their own backbenches. The Committee argues for more scrutiny of outside appointments when they are made. The Prime Minister would be required to explain to the House of Commons why an appointment had been made, under what terms and what was expected of the minister during their time in government. The prospective appointee could be required to attend a pre-appointment select committee hearing. PASC identifies a strong argument of principle that ministers in an unelected House of Lords should be accountable to all Members of the House of Commons. People who have been appointed to the Lords to be ministers should not automatically receive a title and place in the legislature for life. It may be preferable to have a limited number of ministers who are members of neither House but accountable to both. The Committee also examined the role of so-called 'tsars'. There should be much more transparency about such appointments, with greater clarity about their roles and responsibilities and a public statement of what they have achieved in their posts.
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 Pub companies written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Business, Innovation and Skills Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010-03-04 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Previous report on this subject was HC 26-I, session 2008-09 (ISBN 9780215530127) by this Committee's predecessor the Business and Enterprise Committee
Download or read book Pub Companies written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Business and Enterprise Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report deals with the relationship between pub companies and their lessees. It is interested, specifically, in those companies which operate a tied estate, whose operations have frequently been criticised on the grounds that they are unfair to lessees who not only have to pay rent, but are also forced to buy beer at higher prices than those they could obtain elsewhere. Those who support the system maintain that the tie gives pubcos an incentive to support their lessees and that the revenue stream from the beer tie means that basic rents are lower than they would otherwise be. The Committee prepared a report in 2004 and put forward a number of recommendations and they were interested to see the extent to which those recommendations have been implemented. They found that many of the problems identified earlier remain and that the imbalance of bargaining power persists. There are strong indications that the existence of the tie pushes up prices not just to lesses but to consumers. However they are wary of simply recommending that it be abolished as that may simply put too much power to brewers and distributors. The OFT has declined to act in the past and the Committee recommends that the Secretary of State refer the matter to the Competition Commission for urgent investigation. Provisionally they feel that the tie should be severely limited.
Download or read book The Stationery Office Annual Catalogue written by Stationery Office (Great Britain) and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 628 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
