Control of health services to be decentralised
In an attempt to focus on patient outcomes and meet fiscal savings targets the Government intends to reform the National Health Service (NHS) by localising decision-making.
The Public Accounts Committee comments on proposals outlined in the Health and Social Care Bill in 'National Health Service Landscape Review’ (HC 764) by examining the Bill’s value for money risks and implications.
National Audit Office assesses value of private finance projects
The National Audit Office (NAO) has considered outcomes of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) projects to assess their overall success and whether PFI is value for money for the Government.
In ‘Lessons from PFI and Other Projects’ (HC 920) the NAO draws on five major PFI reports examined in 2010 which considered 162 projects between them with a capital value of £18 billion.
Independent Commission on Banking releases interim report
The Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) aims to improve the stability and competition in UK banking as outlined in its ‘Interim Report’.
The report sets out the ICB's current and provisional views on possible reforms for UK banking and seeks responses to those views.
BBC World Service cuts should be reversed, says Committee
The Foreign Affairs Committee believes that cuts to the British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) highly valued global radio network should be discarded, as detailed in the report 'The Implications of Cuts to the BBC World Service’ (HC 849).
The BBC World Service promotes British values across the globe and its journalists have played an important part in contributing to the BBC's coverage of recent dramatic events in North Africa. Former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan described the service as “perhaps Britain’s greatest gift to the world”.
Committee reviews Budget measures and its forecasters
The Treasury Committee comments on plans outlined in the Budget 2011 ahead of the Second Reading of the Finance Bill and calls for a full review of the independent Budget forecast group.
The report 'Budget 2011’ (HC 897) looks at the way the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) functioned in preparation for the first Budget since it was permanently established and stresses the need to assess the appropriateness of its operating model.
BBC makes progress with major IT project through in-house development
The BBC expects to complete its digital media programme by summer 2011 since terminating its contract with Siemens to implement the task in-house.
As detailed in the report 'The BBC's Management of its Digital Media Initiative’ (HC 808), the Digital Media Initiative (the Programme), initially contracted to Siemens with the intention of saving £17.9 million, made a loss of £38.2 million.
UK arms should be supplied to Arab nations more cautiously
A report from four select committees details Government misjudgment of supplying arms to North Africa and the Middle East as they may have been used inappropriately for internal repression.
'Scrutiny of Arms Export Controls (2011): UK Strategic Export Controls Annual Report 2009, Quarterly Report for 2010, Licensing Policy and Review of Export Control Legislation’ (HC 686) is the first joint report on arms export controls since the present Government took office in May 2010.
Revised disability benefit to be implemented by 2014
The Government will introduce a fairer and simpler disability payment from 2013/14 as detailed in the 'Government's Response to the Consultation on Disability Living Allowance Reform’ (Cm. 8051).
The existing disability living allowance (DLA) will be replaced by a Personal Independence Payment for people aged between 16 and 64, taking into consideration over 5,500 responses received from individuals and organisations in the consultation period.