Expenses supervision often costs more than claims
As identified in ‘Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority’ (HC 1426), money claimed by politicians in over a third of cases was less than the amount spent to process them by the independent body responsible.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) established an expenses system in May 2010 and overall in 2010-11, 38% of claims submitted were for less than the average cost of IPSA’s administration costs.
Police reform proposals examined by Committee
In the report, 'New Landscape of Policing’ (HC 939), the Home Affairs Committee scrutinised the proposals set out by the Government in July 2010 for improving UK police.
More than a year after the Government announced it was phasing out the National Policing Improvement Agency it is yet to announce any definite decisions about the future of the vast majority of the functions currently performed by the Agency. The Committee suggested a delay in phasing out the Agency until the end of 2012.
Task Force urges cut back on farming regulations
The independent Task Force commissioned to review the regulation of farming has stressed the importance of forming a new approach to regulation that is less regulatory and more risk-based.
In 'The Outcome of the Independent Farming Regulation Task Force’ (HC 1266), the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee welcomes the Farming Regulation Task Force’s findings and calls on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to implement its recommendations promptly.
Failure of national fire project worst in years, say MPs
The Committee of Public Accounts has found the project to communicate fire and rescue emergencies to workers at a national level to be the worst failure in years with £469 million of investment wasted.
The FiReControl project was launched in 2004, but following a series of delays and difficulties, was terminated in December 2010 with none of the original objectives achieved, the report 'The Failure of the FiReControl Project’ (HC 1397) details.
European electricity plan to cut costs and make jobs
The Energy and Climate Change Committee has proposed an idea to connect the UK’s electricity system with mainland Europe which could save the UK money and create tens of thousands of jobs.
The report, 'A European Supergrid’ (HC 1040), details how a European supergrid may bring a host of economic benefits including new jobs in the offshore renewable industry and 25% savings on capital cost by connecting each new offshore wind or marine energy farm compared to individual site connection.
Civil Service reform requires thorough planning
In the report, ‘Change in Government: the Agenda for Leadership’ (HC 714), the Government are said to have failed to recognise the scale of reform required for the Civil Service and to set out a sufficient programme for change.
The Coalition Government requested a sizeable challenge for the Civil Service: to transfer power out of Whitehall and into communities, and as a result fundamentally change the way it works.
Commission sets out plans for stable UK banking
The Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) published its ‘Final Report’ detailing how they intend to create a sustainable UK banking system that is stable and competitive.
Implementation of these reform plans will happen by 2019, intended to result in better-capitalised, less leveraged banking more focused on the needs of savers and borrowers in the domestic economy.
Practical education vital for future scientists
Concerns have been raised over the lack of time dedicated to taking science students on field trips and engaging them in practical experiments as it is an essential part of their education, an inquiry found.
The report ‘Practical Experiments in School Science Lessons and Science Field Trips’ (HC 1060-I) discusses schools’ reluctance to provide practical science education because there is a lack of qualified teachers and technical support, however, its absence has been blamed on health and safety concerns.
Road network requires change to reduce congestion
As responsibility for UK roads is split between several organisations, a collective approach is required to lower the existing road network's congestion rates.
Discussed in ‘Out of the Jam: Reducing Congestion on our Roads’ (HC 872)’, the cost of road congestion for the UK economy is expected to be £22 billion per annum until 2025; road and traffic management therefore requires reform without road building or road pricing.
Baha Mousa Inquiry findings revealed
‘The Report of the Baha Mousa Inquiry’ (HC 1452) details findings of the investigation into an Iraqi civilian’s cause of death whilst detained by British troops eight years ago.
On 15 September 2003, 26-year-old Baha Mousa died in a detention facility in Basra, Iraq; a combination of his weakened physical state and a final struggle with the guards working at the facility led to his death, the report finds.
UK egg producers under threat from European imports
By 2012 caged hen farmers will be required to provide the animals with better living conditions which could affect their sales if cheaper alternatives are imported to the UK from other European countries.
In the report 'The Welfare of Laying Hens Directive - Implications for the Egg Industry’ (HC 830) the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee warns of a potential commercial disaster over animal welfare regulations that could result in unfair competition for UK egg producers.
Committee recommends changes to ministerial decision-making process
The report, 'Select Committees and Public Appointments’ (HC 1230), considers the experience of some three years of holding 'pre-appointment' hearings by select committees to examine the 'preferred candidate' for certain public appointments before that appointment is confirmed.
The Liaison Committee considers the experiment a success. However, they recommend a number of changes including that the list of posts to which the procedure applies be refined.
Urgency for UK HIV and AIDS prevention
The health issue of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is one of the most serious in the UK; preventative action is required as the number of people being treated has trebled since 2000.
By the end of next year 100,000 UK citizens will be living with HIV, the report, ‘No Vaccine, no Cure: HIV and AIDS in the United Kingdom’ (HL 188) discusses, and the Government must intervene to prevent further infection.
Committee apprehensive about public-private projects
The Committee of Public Accounts voices concerns about the continuing financial cost of private finance initiatives (PFI) for public organisations in the report 'Lessons from PFI and Other Projects’ (HC 1201).
The Committee believes that some of the Government's cases for using PFI has not been based on robust analysis, but on ill-founded comparisons and invalid assumptions.