Government announces 2010 Budget
'Budget 2010: Securing the Recovery’ (HC 451) is fiscally neutral and confirms the Government's plans to more than halve the deficit over four years. It identifies £11 billion of cross-cutting savings announced under Smarter Government and details £5 billion savings from targeting and prioritising spending.
On tax the Government intends to progress tax consolidation plans and announces the continuation of above inflation increases in fuel, alcohol and tobacco duties to 2014-15. Overall spending will continue to rise in 2010-11 to help support the economy through the recovery, but expenditure will grow at the slower rate of 0.8% a year on average from 2011-12 to 2014-15.
Report encourages improvements to the Intelligence and Security Committee
'Counter-Terrorism Policy and Human Rights (Seventeenth Report): Bringing Human Rights Back In' (HL 86 & HC 111) reports on The Joint Committee on Human Rights call for a fundamental, independent review of the necessity for and proportionality of all counter-terrorism measures adopted since September 11 2001. It questions the way that the policy imperatives of national security and public safety have been used to justify squeezing out human rights considerations.
New homes must be designed to cope with future climate change recommends Committee
Climate projections show that Britain can expect wetter winters, drier summers and a higher likelihood of flash-floods, heat waves and droughts. However, adaptation to climate change has been given only a fraction of the attention that has gone into reducing greenhouse gases, reports 'Adapting to Climate Change' (HC 113).
The Government must build awareness and support for the wide-ranging and urgent programme of action that is needed to protect people, property and prosperity and safeguard the natural environment.
Government reorganisation needs to be more cost effective recommends the NAO
Between May 2005 and June 2009, there were over 90 reorganisations to central government. 'Reorganising Central Government' (HC 432) finds that these cannot demonstrate value for money, given that most had vague objectives and that costs and benefits were not tracked.
The average annual cost of reorganisations is almost £200 million, around 85% of which is for the reorganisation of arms length bodies. Since 1980, 25 central government departments have been created, including 13 which no longer exist. By comparison, in the United States only two new departments have been created over the same period.
Law Commission reviews the illegality defence
This final report, 'The Illegality Defence’ (HC 412) concludes a long-running review of the illegality defence, which has considered how the defence applies to the law of contract, unjust enrichment, tort and trusts.
The illegality defence arises when the defendant in a private law action argues that the claimant should not be entitled to their normal rights or remedies because they have been involved in illegal conduct which is linked to the claim.
Department for Work and Pensions must reduce benefit overpayments
'Department for Work and Pensions: Management of Benefit Overpayment Debt' (HC 444) examines the action the Department for Work and Pensions is taking to tackle overpayment and stem the rising trend in benefit debt; improve its knowledge of its client base; and set realistic targets to improve debt collection and improve write-off.
The Department has increased cash recoveries from £180 million in 2005-06 to £281 million in 2008-09. However, yet again, evidence proves that the Department needs to significantly improve how it makes benefit payments. The total amount of money owed to the Department as the result of benefit overpayments is now £1.85 billion and is rising as recoveries are not keeping pace with the increase in referrals.
High speed rail network proposed by the Department for Transport
In January 2009, the Government established High Speed Two Ltd (HS2 Ltd) to consider the options for a new high speed rail network in Britain, starting with a costed and deliverable proposal for a new line from London to Birmingham.
HS2 Ltd's report concludes that there is a strong business case for a new London to Birmingham line, and sets out detailed recommendations for the design of its route, together with a range of options for how it might be extended to serve other conurbations.
More work must be done on improving prisoner reconviction rates, says NAO
More than 60,000 prisoners serve sentences of under 12 months each year at a cost to National Offender Management Service (NOMS) of around £300 million. These prisoners tend to have more previous convictions than other offenders with an average of 16 previous convictions each and, as a group, they also have a high level of homelessness, joblessness and drug and alcohol problems.
NOMS is successfully keeping the vast majority of short-sentenced prisoners safe and well - a notable achievement in a time of prison overcrowding - but is currently struggling to manage this group effectively, in part because most spend six weeks or less in prison. However the provision of daytime activity for them is generally inadequate to meet HM Inspectorate of Prisons' standards for a healthy prison.
Decision on retention of DNA records must balance public safety against individual privacy recommends report
As a result of growing concern about the increasing size of the police National DNA Database, the Committee decided to take evidence on the subject. This process however was largely overtaken by the introduction of the Crime and Security Bill on 19 November 2009.
'The National DNA Database’ (HC 222-I) now focuses on two main issues:
- the principle of retaining DNA profiles taken from individuals arrested but not subsequently charged or from those charged but not convicted; and
- the lack of consistency in decisions to remove from the database their profiles.
Report examines the MoD’s ability to deliver equipment programme
The ability of the Defence Equipment and Support organisation within the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to deliver the equipment programme is overshadowed by the existence of a funding gap which the National Audit Office (NAO) estimates could be as much as £36 billion over the next ten years.
Both the NAO's 'Major Projects Report 2009' (HC 85-I) and Bernard Gray's 'Review of Acquisition' for the MoD have confirmed that the MoD's ten year equipment programme is unaffordable. Furthermore the MoD's practice of delaying projects so as to reduce costs in the early years of a programme is adding to overall procurement costs and so further increases the funding gap.
Department for Transport neglected risk analysis when negotiating Metronet contract
In 2003, the Government entered into three innovative 30 year contracts with private sector contractors to upgrade London's underground rail system. Four years later, in 2007, two of the three contractors (Metronet BCV and Metronet SSL, known collectively as Metronet) went into administration when they could no longer meet their spending obligations.
'Department for Transport: The Failure of Metronet' (HC 390) reports that the loss to the taxpayer arising from Metronet's poor financial control and inadequate corporate governance is some £170 million to £410 million. The Department's oversight and management of risk on the Metronet contracts were inadequate, especially given that it provided a £1 billion a year grant, was ultimately responsible for delivery and carried the majority of the risk of failure.
Committee suggests that street availability of cocaine has not been affected by enforcement
Cocaine is a dangerous drug linked to heart disease, long-term erosion of cognitive brain function, and has extremely toxic effects when combined with alcohol. In 2008 some 235 sudden deaths were associated with cocaine.
Cocaine powder use in the UK has quintupled from 1996 to 2008-09, contrary to the overall trend in illicit drug use in the UK. Any successful policy against cocaine must address both supply-side enforcement and demand reduction.