The Committee's report examines the recent price increases in gas supply and the resulting rises in electricity prices (as about 40 per cent of electricity generation in England and Wales is gas-fired), focusing on the effects of the price increases on all types of energy customers. The report seeks to assess whether the rises are a temporary response to short-term supply problems or the start of a long-term increase in UK energy prices, and to consider possible responses by Ofgem, the regulator of the gas and electricity markets, and the DTI to the problem. Topics discussed include: Ofgem's report into wholesale gas prices and reactions to it; the decline in production from the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS); gas storage and supply issues; the behaviour and transparency of the gas market and regulation issues; oil indexation in gas contracts; competition within European markets; vertical integration; the electricity market; new infrastructure projects; and the future of gas prices.
The public sector spends nearly GBP 125 billion, or ten per cent of GDP, each year purchasing goods and services in the UK economy. This report focuses on whether the rules and practices relating to procurement of goods and services by public authorities hinder or help UK manufacturers in obtaining public contracts.
The Committee's report examines the work of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) as part of a programme of short inquiries into the non-departmental public bodies associated with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (formerly the DTI). A NAO report (HCP 593, session 2005-06; ISBN 0102936161) published in November 2005 highlighted three key areas of concern about the OFT and its approach to its work, focusing on making best use of its resources; improving the management of investigations; and improving the measurement of its achievements and the communication of its work. The Committee commends the OFT for its positive response to address these concerns, and although it is too soon to make a balanced assessment of the results, they are encouraged by the evidence of progress so far. The report also examines issues relating to staffing constraints, the merger referral threshold, the OFT's role in voluntary industry codes of practice, and the OFT's Consumer Direct telephone service.
The 1998 White Paper 'Our competitive future: building the knowledge based economy' (CM 4176 ISBN 0101417624) proposed a ten year programme to enable the UK to close the productivity gap by exploiting the potential benefits of a modern knowledge driven economy. More than six years on, this report is a review of the progress that has been made. The topics covered include: UK performance since 1998; the development of new products, processes and services; science and knowledge research bases; knowledge transfer and exploitation; information and communication technologies, competition from low-cost economies. One of the conclusions is that although the UK's science and knowledge research bases and businesses are collaborating more frequently, the performance in knowledge exploitation has been disappointing and the relative position of the UK against the rest of the G7 has remained unchanged. Another conclusion is that although there is some evidence that outsourcing abroad can be beneficial, the Government should keep the trend under review in case there are strategic loses.
The aircraft manufacturer Airbus was established in 1970 by the French, German and UK governments (with the Spanish government joining a year later) in order to develop a coordinated and collaborative European response to the dominance of the global civil aviation market by American companies. Since October 2006, following the decision by BAE Systems to sell its stake in the company, Airbus has been wholly owned by EADS (a joint venture between its French, German and Spanish parent companies).Recent Developments with Airbus (HC 427-I) examines recent challenges faced by Airbus, including reduced competitiveness as a result of the weak US dollar, delays and cost overruns in its flagship A380 aircraft, its restructuring programme, and the financing of the A350 XWB project. It also looks at the future role for the UK Government and the Regional Development Agencies, the implementation of the UK's National Aerospace Technology Strategy, and the impact of the current World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute between the US and the European Union (EU) over government subsidies.Given the fact that the sale of BAE's stake in the company has left the UK without a significant shareholding in
the impact of the new EU member states on UK business, eleventh report of session 2006-07, report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence
the impact of the new EU member states on UK business, eleventh report of session 2006-07, report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence
In May 2004, the fifth enlargement of the European Union saw the accession of eight Central and Eastern European states (the 'A8' countries of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia), with Cyprus and Malta joining at the same time. This was the largest expansion in the EU's history, adding ten member states and 75 million people. In January 2007, the accession of Bulgaria and Romania (the 'A2' countries) added a further 30 million people. The Committee's report examines the impact on UK business of the accession of the 'A8' and 'A2' countries, following on from two previous inquiries ("Industrial and Trade Relations with Central Europe", HCP 893, session 1997-98, (ISBN 9780105550785); and "Industrial and Trade Relations with the Baltic States", HCP 835, session 1999-2000 (ISBN 9780102524000)). The Committee's report concludes that the EU accession of these countries has been beneficial to the UK economy and business, chiefly through the plugging of gaps in the UK labour market as well as through increased opportunities for exports and investment. However, these benefits could be greater if businesses were better informed about the resulting opportunities, and the Government should consider what it can do to reduce the 'fear factor' of investing outside UK businesses' comfort zones, particularly in the new member states which are accessible to small and medium-sized companies. The Committee also highlights the importance of improving the skills base of the domestic workforce if UK business wishes to remain globally competitive.
Although initially sparked by the collapse of MG Rover, this inquiry into the UK automotive industry was broadened to examine the following subjects: the principal reasons for the different records of success by different companies;how companies arrive at investment and closure decisions; the role played by trade unions; the appropriate Government response to closure announcements and what the Government could do to help the supply chain and workforce if plants are closed. Overall it foresees mixed prospects for car manufacturing in this country and thinks it is important that the industry and Government put extra effort into improving skills, increasing R&D, adopting lean manufacturing techniques and strengthening the local supply chain.
This book systematically reviews world Internet development over the past 50 years, and comprehensively discusses the great contributions it has made to economic and social advances. Further, it describes the development, status and trends related to the Internet in major countries around the globe in 2019, and provides an in-depth analysis of the latest conditions, dynamics and development trends in key areas, including information infrastructure, information technology, digital economy, digital government, Internet media, cyberspace security, and international cyberspace governance. Moreover, the book further modifies and enhances the Global Internet Development Index System, in order to better show the Internet development strengths and advantages in various countries, and to reflect the global development trends more comprehensively, accurately and objectively. This book reviews the significant developments and summarizes the lessons learned as well as the future challenges. From a global perspective, it offers a vision of building a community with a shared future in cyberspace based on the new concepts, new ideas and new achievements of various countries participating in cyberspace development and construction. As such it is a valuable reference resource for anyone working in Internet related fields, such as those in government departments, internet enterprises, scientific research institutions, colleges and universities wanting to fully understand world Internet development.
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