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.
Sustaining a Higher Value-added Economy, Government Response to the Business and Enterprise Committee's Eleventh Report of Session 2008-09, First Special Report of Session 2009-10
Sustaining a Higher Value-added Economy, Government Response to the Business and Enterprise Committee's Eleventh Report of Session 2008-09, First Special Report of Session 2009-10
Government response to HCP 746-I, (ISBN 9780215540898). Formerly this committee was the Business and Enterprise Committee, renamed on 1 October 2009 to reflect the name changes of Departments Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, and Innovation, Universities and Skills
The UK contains more than 26 million homes which, collectively, emitted 41.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2004, representing more than a quarter of the UK's emission of the main greenhouse gas driving climate change. The Government plans that the three million more households to be added to the housing stock over the next 12 years will be as carbon-neutral as modern building methods, technologies and regulation can make them. But the Government must pay as much attention to reducing the carbon footprint of the existing housing stock, given the UK's challenging target of reducing carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050. Domestic energy efficiency measures taken since 1970 have halved what UK domestic energy demand would otherwise be, but the amount of energy used now needs to decline sharply if the target is to be achieved. Chapters examine: regulation and encouragement; financial incentives; energy performance certificates; breaching the barriers to change; newer technologies; older buildings. There are many existing means to achieve rapid reductions in carbon emissions. such as cavity-wall insulation, loft insulation, double-glazing, condensing boilers, more efficient lighting. One problem is that of engaging with a greater proportion of the population and convincing them of the need for action. The proposed Green Homes Service due in late 2008 should provide a one-stop source of information for householders to overcome this "information barrier" to quick, simple and cost-effective action in many homes. The Committee believes that substantial and rapid change is possible if millions of individuals and families can be encouraged to rise to the challenge.
The Department for Culture, Media & Sport and the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform are jointly responsible for digital switchover, the programme to convert over 1,100 tv transmitters to ditigal and switch off analogue signals by 2012. The Departments have passed to the BBC responsibility for funding the public information campaign and delivering the help scheme, and set aside £803 million of licence fee money to pay for these activities. The BBC is accountable to the BBC Trust for the value for money with which it uses the licence fee, not the Departments. Therefore the Departments have no means of holding the BBC to account for this use of licence fee money. To data, take-up of the help scheme has been significantly lower than the Departments expected. If help scheme take-up rates experienced in Copeland, the first area to switch, were replicated across the country, there would be a £250 million surplus in the licence fee settlement. The Departments have not decided how any surplus would be handled and it is felt generally that the Departments have not taken effective action to protection consumer interests.
Timeshare is popular, especially amongst UK consumers, but the sector has often caused problems. The European Communities removed many of the worst excesses with its 1994 Directive, which introduced a right of withdrawal, a cooling-off period, and a ban on advance payments during the cooling-off period. However there are loopholes that have been exploited by the unscrupulous and complaints about long term holiday clubs have grown dramatically. The Commission is seeking to address these problems with proposals for a broader directive. This report considers that directive's strengths and weaknesses.
There has been a significant improvement in economic relations between the UK and India since the 2006 report from the Trade and Industry Committee (HC 881-I, 3rd report session 2005-06, ISBN 9780215029355), which urged greater engagement with India. Both Government and private sector bodies have worked to achieve this. The sizeable investments and deals made both by Indian companies in the UK and British companies in India are encouraging signs of a deepening relationship which should benefit both countries. The establishment of the UK-India Business Council is perhaps the most tangible manifestation of this. This new report welcomes the improved climate, but identifies areas for further work. India's economy has recently enjoyed growth rates of around 9 per cent a year; it is possible this will slow slightly in 2008 and 2009. India faces significant challenges, such as real poverty, poor infrastructure and public sector bureaucracy. But the Indian market is liberalising and has much to offer. Not all the barriers to a deepened relationship are on the Indian side. The recommendations in this report on education links, on visas, on the future of JETCO, on the work of UKTI and on trade negotiations need to be seen against this wider backdrop.
Since last investigated in 2003, the Export Credits Guarantee Department has continued to make progress on sustainable development that deserves to be recognised. Sound foundations have been laid and mechanisms put in place that offer a good framework for further action. There is still room for improvement in the way sustainable development is incorporated into the agency's decision-making and the ECGD must ensure its activities are in line with wider Government aspirations on sustainable development. The challenge is for the ECGD to demonstrate that sustainable development is given appropriate weight within its current remit and that it does nothing that would actively undermine this principle. In particular, the ECGD should identify areas where its environmental standards could be tightened. More rigorous standards can then be applied across its portfolio, including to aerospace exports. The ECGD must improve the transparency of its assessment processes and increase the level of disclosure of project information. It is important that the department does more to attract renewable energy and other projects that support sustainable development; support from Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR) will be vital in taking this forward. The ECGD's approach to sustainable development is all the more important because of its ability to influence and raise standards internationally. A bolder approach from the ECGD on sustainable development issues and transparency will be vital in improving the performance of Export Credit Agencies in general.
A report from the 'Business and Enterprise Committee' that inquires into the effect of the 'Big 6' energy companies - which include Npower, Centrica, EDF Energy, Scottish Power, and Scottish and Southern Energy - all raising their prices between January and April 2008. It aims to feed into a separate inquiry being carried out by Ofgem.
Incorporating HC 1849-i-v, session 2010-12. Additional written evidence is contained in Volume 3, available on the Committee website at www.parliament.uk/justicecttee
The Government's draft Consumer Rights Bill has the potential to consolidate, simplify and modernise consumer law however issues and inconsistencies must be resolved. The current proposals would apply a statutory right that services under a contract must be provided with reasonable care and skill [a fault-based standard]. This does not provide sufficient consumer protection. The Draft Bill should require that services must achieve the stated result, or one which could be reasonably expected [an outcomes-based standard]. As the Bank of Ireland case demonstrated, the right to terminate a contract does not necessarily protect consumers from detriment. This report recommends an addition to the grey list - the indicative list of contract terms which may be regarded as unfair. The Government's proposals for enhanced consumer measures, which would require traders that have breached consumer law to compensate consumers, are welcome. However, private enforcers should also be able to use them. The collective proceedings regime has the potential to improve access to redress for victims of competition law breaches but the Government must clarify the certification requirements for such proceedings. The creation of rights and remedies for digital content is welcome, but the Government must do more to communicate how the proposals will work in practice. Under the draft Bill, the remedies available to consumers of digital content would depend on whether the content is intangible (such as a music download) or tangible (such as a CD). In appropriate circumstances, consumers should have the right to reject and obtain a refund irrespective of whether they purchase intangible or tangible digital content
This report is the Committee's annual review of how the FCO is managing its resources, examining the departmental annual report for 2007-08 (Cm. 7398, ISBN 9780101739825). Chapters cover: new strategic framework; performance measurement; global network; essential services; FCO Services; personnel issues; transparency and openness; financial management; public diplomacy and communication; the British Council; the BBC World Service. The Committee is concerned that the FCO is facing serious financial pressures in this financial year due to the Treasury's withdrawal of its support for the Overseas Pricing Mechanism (OPM) which used to protect departments from the weakening of sterling. There is a risk that the FCO may not be able to meet higher international subscriptions over the next two financial years, causing its performance against Public Service Agreement targets to suffer. The likely increase in the UN Regular Budget and other international subscriptions will push this figure even higher. The FCO should have to shoulder the financial burden from within its already tight budget to pay for subscriptions which also benefit other Government departments. The Committee recommends that additional nondiscretionary costs should properly be met by the Treasury.
Companies House has two main functions: the incorporation, dissolution and restoration of limited companies; and the maintenance of a register of company details, annual reports and accounts which it makes available for public inspection. It funds its work by charging fees and pays a small dividend to the Treasury each year. Companies House handles a vast amount of data. It is now doing much more of this electronically. This move has not been entirely smooth. In the Committee's view, the greatest difficulties facing Companies House, and those who use its services, arise from matters which are not directly controlled by Companies House itself - namely the way in which the internet has enabled faster and easier access to information. The Committee makes a number of recommendations about assessing particular risks and trying to reduce them. An underlying theme of this report is the need for Companies House to do more to explain the limitation of the information it holds. It is felt that much more could and should be done to make clear that the role of Companies House is to receive and publish data and that its power to verify information is extremely limited
Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill, Fifth Report of Session 2013-14, Report, Together with Formal Minutes and Written Evidence
Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill, Fifth Report of Session 2013-14, Report, Together with Formal Minutes and Written Evidence
While it accepts that there may be a pressing need to reform non-party campaigning, the report Legislative Scrutiny: Transparency Of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning And Trade Union Administration Bill (HL 61, HC 755) calls on the Government to pause the passage of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill to allow for further scrutiny and for further consultation with the Electoral Commission, the Commission on Civil Society and Democratic Engagement and relevant stakeholders. The report recommends that there be more careful consideration of the potential impact on campaigners' rights to free speech and freedom of association. The Committee welcomes the Government improvements made to Part 2 during its passage though the Commons, but suggest that concerns remain. The Joint Committee express concerns regarding: the lack of clarity about the practical effects of the provision in this Part of t
2007 review, first joint report of session 2006-07, fourteenth report from the Defence Committee of session 2006-07, seventh report from the Foreign Affairs Committee of session 2006-07, eleventh report from the International Development Committee of session 2006-07, tenth report from the Trade and Industry Committee of session 2006-07, report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence
2007 review, first joint report of session 2006-07, fourteenth report from the Defence Committee of session 2006-07, seventh report from the Foreign Affairs Committee of session 2006-07, eleventh report from the International Development Committee of session 2006-07, tenth report from the Trade and Industry Committee of session 2006-07, report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence
The Government published a consultation document "Export Control Act 2002: 2007 review of export control legislation" in June 2007 (further details can be accessed at http://www.berr.gov.uk/consultations/page39910.html). This report contains the Quadripartite Committee's own review of export control legislation, along with its response to the Government's consultation document. The Committee concludes that the Export Control Act 2002 has provided a sound legislative basis for controlling and regulating the UK's strategic exports but with gaps and shortcomings. It also welcomes the Government's review as a constructive process that addresses many of the issues the Committee and other parties have raised over several years, and praises the improvement in the volume and quantity of information that the Government provides. But the review does not mention HM Revenue and Customs, the department that enforces the controls; and it ignores the EU dimension despite a significant part of the export control regime being derived from EU legislation. The Committee makes nearly 100 recommendations and observations on the review and the operation and effectiveness of the UK export control legislation.
The changes in the machinery of government, announced in June 2007, led to this assessment of the place of the Department for International Development (DFID) in trade policy structures and how this area could be best managed across government. The inquiry also followed up on the report 'Conflict and development: peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction' (HC 923-I 2005-06) and the responsibility of the former Department of Trade and Industry in relation to the regulation of activities of UK companies operating in developing countries. Although the reaction to the changes in the machinery of government are broadly positive, there are reservations about complexity, unclear lines of accountability and new layers of bureaucracy. The increase in the number of DFID ministers is welcomed but there are concerns that the brief of the Trade Policy Minister might be too wide.
There has been repeated criticism in recent years from a variety of sources about both the quantity and quality of legislation. The Committee's inquiry into Ensuring standards in the quality of legislation has considered these criticisms, analysed the core problems and causes of bad quality legislation, and looked to provide solutions for both the Government and Parliament to improve the quality of legislation. The Scottish Parliament, Northern Ireland Assembly and National Assembly for Wales have adapted the Westminster model in order to improve the quality of their legislation; it is now the turn of Westminster to look at their processes and adapt them for use here. The Committee has concluded that it would be beneficial for Parliament and the Government to work together to agree standards for what makes good legislation, and as a starting point for discussion publishes a draft Code of Legislative Standards with the report. The Committee also recommends the creation of a Joint Legislative Standards Committee to provide oversight of the Cabinet's Parliamentary Business and Legislation Committee's approach to and use of the finalised Code of Legislative Standards, to ensure that the quality standards set out in the Code of Legislative Standards are met. The Committee considers that these recommendations would also improve the quality of constitutional legislation, in particular, by requiring the Government to adopt an agreed test to identify constitutional legislation and thereby improve Parliament's scrutiny of it
Getting Results : The Better Regulation Executive and the impact of the Regulatory Reform Agenda , fifth report of session 2007-08, Vol. 2: Oral and written Evidence
The Marine Bill was designed to establish a new UK-wide strategic system of marine planning to balance conservation, energy and resource needs, based on the principle of sustainable development and working with the devolved administrations. The Committee reports here reservations about the framework nature of the draft Bill. It was felt that too much of its policy is contained in secondary legislation or guidance. That there are significant areas of confusion of responsibility - between UK and international, especially EU, obligations; between devolved adminstrations; the many agencies and other bodies who will be involved in delivering the proposals in the Bill.
The European Union's (EU) common Energy Policy commits the EU to generating 20 per cent of total energy consumption from renewables by 2020. The European Commission proposed national renewable energy targets for each Member State and it was suggested that 15 per cent of UK energy be derived from renewables by 2020.
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.
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