House of Commons: Sessional Returns - HC 1

House of Commons: Sessional Returns - HC 1 PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215062277
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 350

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Book Description
On cover and title page: House, committees of the whole House, general committees and select committees. On title page: Returns to orders of the House of Commons dated 14 May 2013 (the Chairman of Ways and Means)

House of Commons: Sessional Returns - HC 1

House of Commons: Sessional Returns - HC 1 PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215062277
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 350

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Book Description
On cover and title page: House, committees of the whole House, general committees and select committees. On title page: Returns to orders of the House of Commons dated 14 May 2013 (the Chairman of Ways and Means)

Twenty-seventh Report of Session 2012-13

Twenty-seventh Report of Session 2012-13 PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: European Scrutiny Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215053152
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 100

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Book Description


HC 1140 - Local Transport Expenditure: Who Decides?

HC 1140 - Local Transport Expenditure: Who Decides? PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Transport Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 0215072863
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 40

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Book Description
Transport infrastructure in some parts of the UK may get left behind under the new system to be used from next year (2015) to share out central government money for local major transport schemes. The Government has again changed the system for distributing money to local areas for major transport projects, with much more emphasis now on competition for funding. This will not necessarily help regions get a fairer share of transport funding and could make the situation worse. The Government's focus on using competition to bring in private sector funding for projects could disadvantage the regions, where there tends to be less private sector money available compared with London. Those Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) which are well organised and resourced will have an advantage in bidding for funds. Other areas may lose out as a result. In addition, with greater reliance on competitive bidding for funds, there will see more money wasted on failed bids. Strategically significant schemes such as access to ports must not get overlooked. The changes are set against a backdrop where far less money is spent on transport projects outside London than in the capital. Transport infrastructure spending is £2,500 per head in London compared with £5 per head in the north east. This inequality must change. The Committee calls for the new funding arrangements to be reviewed by the end of the next Parliament to ensure that they are efficient and effective in providing funding for the most urgent transport priorities.

House of Commons - Committee of Public Accounts: Whole of Government Accounts 2011-12 - HC 667

House of Commons - Committee of Public Accounts: Whole of Government Accounts 2011-12 - HC 667 PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Committee of Public Accounts
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215064868
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 40

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Book Description
The Whole of Government Accounts for 2011-12 presents the combined financial activities of some 3,000 organisations. It provides vital data on which Government needs to act. Key issues have been identified, such as the £19.4 billion liability for clinical negligence claims. But it is frustrating to see other issues seemingly ignored in long-term policy making and spending decisions. In one year, the public sector was defrauded of over £20 billion and the tax gap rose to £35 billion. The financial liabilities for dealing with nuclear waste also keep growing. There is room for improvement in the document itself and how it is used. Users find it hard to understand, for example, why the Government debt and deficit highlighted in the WGA differ from those reported in the ONS's National Accounts. Also, by changing definitions in its commentary published alongside the WGA, the Treasury makes it difficult to track changes over time. The Treasury's introduction in the commentary of a new concept of so-called 'direct' expenditure leaves out key costs such as the interest paid on the National Debt. The publicly owned and controlled bodies - such as Network Rail and the taxpayer owned banks - are still being excluded, in defiance of normal accounting rules. The usefulness of the WGA is also being limited by the length of time it takes to produce the document and by poor quality data from some of the bodies. The accounts have again been qualified over the completeness, timeliness and accuracy of the information supplied for schools and academies

HC 257 - Investing In The Railway

HC 257 - Investing In The Railway PDF Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Transport Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 0215081153
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 64

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Book Description
The Transport Committee welcomes record investment committed to the 'classic' rail network but calls for greater regional balance in spending. Network Rail must also regain the confidence of passengers following recent disruption. The Committee calls for the Government to take responsibility for rolling stock, to address general shortages and ensure there will be sufficient trains to run on newly-electrified lines. The Committee also concluded: (i) Record levels of funding show a welcome commitment to ’classic' rail but this should be set in a longer-term strategic plan for the rail network, which ties into a wider transport strategy; (ii) The overrunning Christmas engineering works were unacceptable; (iii) Network Rail must have adequate contingency plans. They must also work with Passenger Focus and train operating companies to improve communication with passengers when engineering works fail; (iv) In the light of the change of status of Network Rail the ORR must reconsider whether fining a public sector body remains an effective means for the regulator to exert control; (v) Greater transparency is essential around rail spending. Criteria used to allocate spending should be published.

HC 713 - Smaller Airports

HC 713 - Smaller Airports PDF Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Transport Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 0215084071
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 37

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Book Description
Smaller airports are economic and social enablers. They facilitate vital national and international connections for people and businesses in the UK. The Committee found that Air Passenger Duty (APD) is the principal threat to the smaller airports sector. APD cannot be amended to support people, businesses and regional economies because of the operation of European competition law, while proposals to devolve it to the regions would serve only to spread a patchwork of market distortions across the UK. It was disappointing that the concerns the Committee raised about APD in their First Report of Session 2013-14 on Aviation strategy were ignored by the Treasury. The Committee urges Transport Ministers to pursue those recommendations and the important concerns raised by smaller airports with the Treasury. The Airports Commission will publish its final report on expanding hub airport capacity in the south-east shortly after the general election. The whole country will only be able to share the economic benefits if airlines secure slots to provide services to UK airports outside London. The DfT needs to assess how new slots might be allocated and whether slots could be ring-fenced for domestic services

House of Commons - Transport Committee: Flight Time Limitations: Follow Up - HC 641

House of Commons - Transport Committee: Flight Time Limitations: Follow Up - HC 641 PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Transport Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215062246
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 56

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Book Description
Flight time limitations regulate the number of hours that pilots and crew work in order to prevent fatigue. Fatigue contributes 15-20% of fatal aviation incidents caused by human error. In July 2013, Member States of the European Union voted strongly in support of a draft proposal on flight time limitations by the European Commission. Overall, the Commission's draft regulation represents an improvement but concerns remain. Particularly about the apparent reluctance of the Commission when developing these regulations to set a lower limit for the flight duty period at night in accordance with the scientific evidence on this matter. It is disappointing that the UK Government has not pressed for a lower limit. It is also disappointing that a consensus has not been reached on the draft regulations with crew and pilot representatives. It is recommended that the European Scrutiny Committee requests the UK Government to press the Commission to ensure an effective monitoring regime is put in place to examine whether the 11 hour limit is at least as safe as the current regime and that they request the European Commission provide an assessment of the regulation two years after its implementation. The Committee also concluded that: the potential under-reporting of pilot fatigue must be properly recognised if it is to be effectively tackled; information should be regularly published on the use of Commander's discretion to extend their crew's flight duty period if unforeseen circumstances arise; and scientists must have a more central role in the development and assessment of flight time limitation proposals

House of Commons - Transport Committee: Access to Transport For Disabled People - Volume I: HC 116

House of Commons - Transport Committee: Access to Transport For Disabled People - Volume I: HC 116 PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Transport Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215062307
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
In the UK some 11.5m people already live with a recognised disability and more than a fifth of them experience some difficulty when using transport networks. So it's essential that the Department for Transport delivers an ambitious Accessibility Action Plan. Changes made ahead of the 2012 Paralympic Games delivered access for disabled people to significantly more parts of the public transport network for the first time and highlighted the immense value of such improvements for all. Yet a year later, there is a risk that some of the momentum from London 2012 is being lost because further key accessibility improvements planned have been watered-down or abandoned. The Committee's recommendations include: imposing penalties on bus operators who claim to offer accessible routes but then fail to provide accessible buses; the phased introduction of audio-visual information systems on all buses over the next ten years; phasing out the need for disabled travellers having to book organised assistance in advance; financial incentives to encourage investment in fully accessible vehicles by taxi and private care hire vehicle operators; and a change to EU rules so that in future airlines are required to allow carers to travel free of charge when the airline judges a disabled person incapable of travelling independently. The Cabinet Office should convene a working group of ministers and officials to improve cross-government working on accessibility in order to secure the full benefits to be gained from widening disabled people's access to employment and training, healthcare and wider participation in all parts of society

House of Commons - Transport Committee: Access to Ports - HC 266

House of Commons - Transport Committee: Access to Ports - HC 266 PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Transport Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215064646
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 102

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Book Description
In this report looking at policy for improving road and rail access to ports, the Transport Committee urges the Department for Transport (DfT) to become a keener advocate for UK ports. The Government should contribute to significant improvements to strategic networks which also deliver wider benefits - rather than simply expect port operators to pick up the entire bill for measures required to mitigate increased traffic due to port expansion. If the Government chooses to apply European Commission state aid rules in this area more strictly than other EU countries it should explain why it does so. Policy in this area should be applied consistently across the country. While some ports have contributed towards transport schemes to improve access, others have not and the differences in approach have not been explained or justified. Ports should also continue to contribute to local transport infrastructure improvements, following discussions with relevant local bodies. The Department for Transport should demonstrate whether port master plans have had any impact, highlighting good examples of such plans and of how they have influenced decision makers. Finally, the Government should devise a more effective successor to the Waterborne Freight Grant, to stimulate coastal shipping.

House of Commons - Transport Committee: High Speed Rail: On Track? - HC 851

House of Commons - Transport Committee: High Speed Rail: On Track? - HC 851 PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Transport Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215065735
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 36

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Book Description
The Committee support the strategic case for HS2 and stand by the conclusions as set out in the Committee's report of 2011 (HCP 1185-I, ISBN 9780215038579) that HS2 is needed to provide a long-term increase in the capacity of the railway and that alternative proposals to increase capacity are not sufficient to accommodate long-term forecast demand. Connectivity, which can encourage economic activity and increase productivity, is also part of the justification for HS2, especially for the lines north of Birmingham. Also there is still a strong case for building north to south concurrently with building south to north. The Committee see HS2 as helping to promote economic growth in the UK's major city regions and contribute to a rebalancing of the economy. Local authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships must develop economic development strategies to make the most out of HS2 and they must be supported in doing this by central Government. The report sets out 14 conclusions and recommendations.