The work of the British Council 2008-09

The work of the British Council 2008-09 PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Foreign Affairs Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215543813
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 52

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Book Description
The British Council is the UK's international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. Its purpose is to "build engagement and trust for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people worldwide." As well as education, it runs programmes in the arts, science, sport, governance and English language in 110 countries and territories worldwide. 2009 marked the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Council. It receives Grant-in-Aid from the FCO for its public diplomacy activity: £209 million 2008-09, a 6% increase from 2007-08. The Committee concludes that the change in extent of data provided and the presentation of that data in the British Council's 2008-09 annual report makes it more difficult to track and evaluate the Council's performance over a period of years. In future the annual report should include fuller performance data, including corporate performance scores and reach, to facilitate year-on-year analysis. The recent decline in some of the scores achieved in relation to quality of service, particularly in that relating to engagement with decision makers and senior influencers, gives cause for concern. The Committee welcomes the Council's efforts to re-establish itself in Iran and Zimbabwe, its increased focus on China, and its progress in implementing NAO suggested administrative reforms (HC 625, session 2007-08, ISBN 9780102954173). 2009-10 will be a difficult year for the British Council and further cuts in staff and services may be unavoidable. In these circumstances it is important that the Council concentrates its activities on its core business and key objectives.

The work of the British Council 2008-09

The work of the British Council 2008-09 PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Foreign Affairs Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215543813
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 52

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Book Description
The British Council is the UK's international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. Its purpose is to "build engagement and trust for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people worldwide." As well as education, it runs programmes in the arts, science, sport, governance and English language in 110 countries and territories worldwide. 2009 marked the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Council. It receives Grant-in-Aid from the FCO for its public diplomacy activity: £209 million 2008-09, a 6% increase from 2007-08. The Committee concludes that the change in extent of data provided and the presentation of that data in the British Council's 2008-09 annual report makes it more difficult to track and evaluate the Council's performance over a period of years. In future the annual report should include fuller performance data, including corporate performance scores and reach, to facilitate year-on-year analysis. The recent decline in some of the scores achieved in relation to quality of service, particularly in that relating to engagement with decision makers and senior influencers, gives cause for concern. The Committee welcomes the Council's efforts to re-establish itself in Iran and Zimbabwe, its increased focus on China, and its progress in implementing NAO suggested administrative reforms (HC 625, session 2007-08, ISBN 9780102954173). 2009-10 will be a difficult year for the British Council and further cuts in staff and services may be unavoidable. In these circumstances it is important that the Council concentrates its activities on its core business and key objectives.

The Work of the British Council 2008-09

The Work of the British Council 2008-09 PDF Author: Great Britain. Parliament House of Commons. Foreign Affairs Committee
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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The Work of the British Council 2008-09

The Work of the British Council 2008-09 PDF Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Foreign Affairs Committee
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780215554031
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 5

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Book Description
Responses to HC 333, session 2009-10 (ISBN 9780215543813)

The work of the BBC World Service 2008-09

The work of the BBC World Service 2008-09 PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Foreign Affairs Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215543820
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 60

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Book Description
The Committee welcomes a strong performance by the BBC World Service across all media in 2008-09, particularly the unprecedented growth in online audiences. The report examines the overall performance, noting a global reach in radio and television of 185 million adults a week and the high regard for objectivity and relevance achieved by the Service in surveys of customers. Ratings for value and loyalty were also high in some countries. The report then reviews specific successes and problems in particular countries or services: BBC Arabic television; BBC Persian television; other language services; online and mobile technology; China; Russia; Sri Lanka; Rwanda; Azerbaijan; and administration. The Committee concludes that 2009-10 will be a difficult year for the BBC World Service and that further cuts in staff and services should be avoided. The World Service is of key importance in providing a source of high quality and politically independent broadcasting worldwide.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Report 2008-09

Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Report 2008-09 PDF Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Foreign Affairs Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215544940
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 276

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Book Description
The FCO departmental report and resource accounts 2008-09 published as HC 460-I,II (ISBN 9780102961614)

Funding of the arts and heritage

Funding of the arts and heritage PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215558916
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Book Description
Funding of the arts and Heritage : Third report of session 2010-11, Vol. 2: Evidence

Government reform of higher education

Government reform of higher education PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Business, Innovation and Skills Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215038555
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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Book Description
This report concludes that the Government's communications strategy on tuition fees could have been more effectively realised. It urges the government to "reconsider funding widening participation in higher education through a programme similar to the 'pupil premium'." The committee also concluded that "focusing financial support on providing money for living costs to students while they are studying would be a more effective means of support than fee-waivers and would be more consistent with the message that students should not be dissuaded from applying to university because of the cost." and recommends that the National Scholarship Programme be refocused accordingly. Furthermore reforms are not yet complete with a number of consultation exercises currently out for responses, including early repayment penalties for loans, the future of student number controls, loans for students studying at alternative providers, "off quota" students and a new regulatory framework for new and alternative providers. The detail to be required in the Key Information Sets has yet to be finalised. There will also need to be changes to both OFFA and HEFCE to reflect their changing responsibilities in higher education. The committee highlights the fact that the new fee regime is to start at the beginning of the next academic year and there is concern that the necessary coherent package of reforms be delivered to that timetable. The report also stresses that the reforms should be implemented as a package and not in a piecemeal way

Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Report 2007-08

Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Report 2007-08 PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Foreign Affairs Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215526274
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 320

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Book Description
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.

The migration debate

The migration debate PDF Author: Sarah Spencer
Publisher: Policy Press
ISBN: 144730456X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
A contribution to one of the most hotly contested issues in Europe, The migration debate provides a well-balanced, critical analysis of UK migration policies, in a European context, from entry controls through to integration and citizenship. Exploring the pressures and constraints that have shaped a rapidly shifting policy terrain, this accessible overview offers a considered assessment of policy options to provide the foundation for a less polarised, better-informed public debate. Unusual in its coverage of immigration for work, study, family and protection, and in its insistence that an understanding of integration processes must be considered alongside analysis of entry controls, The migration debate will be of equal value to policy makers as to a multi-disciplinary academic readership.

Meeting the aspirations of the British people

Meeting the aspirations of the British people PDF Author: Great Britain. Treasury
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780101722728
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 292

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Book Description
The Government's objective is to build a strong economy and a fair society, in which there is opportunity and security for all. The 2007 Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review, 'Meeting the aspirations of the British People' (Cm 7227), presents updated assessments and forecasts of the economy and public finances, describes reforms that the Government is making and sets out the Government's priorities and spending plans for the years 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11, including: maintaining macroeconomic stability; investing in the future with total public spending rising from £589bn in 2007-08 to £678bn in 2010-11 including an additional £2bn for capital investment in public services; continuing the sustained investment in the NHS, with resources rising from £90bn in 2007-08 to £110bn by 2010-11 and with value for money savings of at least £8.2bn contributing to the funding of the conclusions of the Darzi Review 'Our NHS, our future'; further sustained increases in resources for education, science, transport, housing, child poverty, security and international poverty reduction and the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; simplifying the tax system to make it fairer, simpler and more efficient; modernising the tax system through major reforms to inheritance tax and capital gains tax; steps to protect the environment, including reforms of the tax regime for aviation and a new Environmental Taxation Fund to support the demonstration and deployment of new energy and efficiency technologies. For related publications, see 9780102944556 (2007 Budget Statement), 9780101698429 (2006 Pre-Budget), and for the Darzi Review see (http://www.ournhs.nhs.uk/files/283411_OurNHS_v3acc.pdf)