Foreign Office should make lasting budget cuts
A Committee has urged the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to make sustainable savings to improve on short term solutions that were proposed to decrease a budget overspend of nearly £100 million.
The report 'Spending Reduction in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’ (HC 1284) details the FCO’s overspend of £91 million in 2009-10: whilst drastic cuts were made for recovery, the improvements were short term in nature and should be revised to help maintain vital services for the future.
Turkey urged to reduce crime before joining EU
Before its accession to the European Union (EU), Turkey should collaborate with the partnership’s authorities to tackle its organised drug and immigration crime.
In the report, 'Implications for the Justice and Home Affairs Area of the Accession of Turkey to the European Union’ (HC 789), the Home Affairs Committee highlights a number of potential benefits of the connection but expresses concerns about possible consequences on EU external border security.
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”.
European Union funds require successful management with fluctuating exchange rates
With the risk of a decline in the euro, the National Audit Office (NAO) believes that more could be done to manage European Union (EU) funds supplied to the UK.
'Managing the Impact of Changes in the Value of the Euro on EU Funds’ (HC 759) highlights that while the EU’s funds to the UK are denominated in euros, UK departments must supply recipients with payment in pounds. If the exchange rate alters and the euro decreases in value, this could cause loss for departments in situations where a figure has already been agreed in pounds before payment from the EU.
Structure and governance of euro examined
2008 marks the tenth anniversary of the creation of the European Central Bank (ECB) and the setting of conversion rates between the currencies of the original participating countries of the eurozone. Since then the euro has been introduced in fifteen Member States with negligible transition costs.
This Report, 'The Euro'
(HL 90), examines the structure and governance of the eurozone institutions and developments in the eurozone economy in the past ten years.
EU's financial management examined
European Union (EU) expenditure in 2006 was over £72 billion, with £2.9 billion in net UK contributions – the second highest after Germany.
This National Audit Office Report, 'Financial Management in the European Union' (HC 480), examines the state of financial management in the EU.
EU reform Treaty signed
‘The
Treaty of Lisbon’ (Cm. 7294), also known as the reform Treaty, was signed
on 13 December 2007 at an EU summit in Lisbon, Portugal.
Risk in overseas territories examined
This Report, ‘Managing Risk in
the Overseas Territories’ (HC 4), examines the work of UK government
departments in overseas territories under British sovereignty.
EU Constitution Reform Treaty examined
In
‘European
Union Intergovernmental Conference’ (HC 1014), the European Scrutiny
Committee sets out their conclusions on the EU Constitution Reform Treaty.
Single Payment Scheme delays examined
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and
the Rural Payments Agency spent £122m implementing the European Union Single
Payment Scheme which replaced Common Agricultural Policy subsidies.
This Report
‘The
Delays in Administering the 2005 Single Payment Scheme in England’ (HC 893)
examines the problems encountered in administering the payments.
Modernising European Union labour law
In its Green Paper about the need for labour market reform,
the European Commission (EC) argued that the increasing diversity of 21st
century working relationships means that existing labour law is no longer
adequate.
Market intervention recommended on phone
charges
Around 140 million EU citizens are affected by roaming
charges (charges for making and receiving mobile phone calls whilst abroad).
The House of Lords European Union Committee’s Report
‘Mobile
Phone Charges in the EU: Curbing the Excesses’ (HL 79-I) finds that these
roaming services currently lack transparency and are not sufficiently
competitive, thus presenting a significant challenge to the single market as
excessive roaming charges impact not only directly on customers but also create
barriers to small and medium enterprises operating effectively across the
EU.
Disability discrimination laws "should protect
mental health"
This Report
‘Improving
the Mental Health of the Population: Can the European Union help?’ (HLP 73-
I) from the House of Lords European Union Committee brings together
evidence on the impact of mental health problems from a wide range of
individuals and organisations.
EU financial management strengthened
This Report from the National Audit Office
'Financial
Management in the European Union' (HC 401) examines the state of financial
management in the European Union.
The Report looks at the background,
presents key findings in respect of the main expenditure areas, irregularities
and possible fraud, and looks at ways of improving financial management.
Reducing EU regulations could benefit
businesses
The Davidson Review focuses on the implementation of
European legislation in the UK. It was commissioned as part of the Government's
commitment to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens on the private, public and
voluntary sectors.
Delays in single payment subsidies to farmers
The Single Payment Scheme replaced previous EU subsidies to
farmers based on agricultural production with one payment for land management.
The European Commission gave some discretion to Member States over how to
implement the scheme: the Rural Payments Agency is responsible for
administering single payment scheme payments in England.
Operational change needed to cut costs, says NAO
Analysis of central government department accounts identifies that whilst effective action was taken in 2010-11 to reduce spending, better understanding of costs is imperative to meet further cuts by 2014-15.
In ‘Cost Reduction in Central Government: Summary of Progress: Cabinet Office and HM Treasury’ (HC 1788) the National Audit Office warns that long-term changes are required by Cabinet Office and HM Treasury to achieve a further 19% of cutbacks as required by the spending review.