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PFI: the STEPS Deal
This report from the Committee of Public Accounts looks at the PFI deal struck between HM Customs and Excise and the Inland Revenue, in April 2001, when it transferred the ownership and management of most of their estates to Mapeley, a private sector consortium. The deal was to provide a reduction in costs, particularly in having the ability to vacate up to 60% of the estates, with residual lease costs being borne by Mapeley. The contract was won by Mapeley because it offered a cheaper bid, based on speculative returns from the increases in commercial property values over a 20-year time period, also it believed it would win other business contracts to increase profits. Once the PFI contract was signed the freehold and long-leasehold properties were transferred to a company based in Bermuda. Because of the implications for capital gains tax and a later request from Mapeley for additional money, The Committee makes a number of recommendations on how the contract could have been better handled by the Department.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
On the basis of the NAO report 'More than a roof' (ISBN 0102932255, HC 286, Session 2004-05), the Committee took evidence from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on levels and causes of homelessness, progress in alleviating its consequences and the development of services to prevent to problem. Among the conclusions were the needs: to improve information and statistics on homelessness; for clearer responsibilities for social landlords; and a longer-term solution to unsatisfactory temporary accommodation.
News International and phone-hacking
This report concentrates on the issue of whether witnesses have previously misled a select committee of the House of Commons over the extent and knowledge of phone-hacking. The Committee concludes that several individuals misled the Committee in 2009 and more recently, and that the News of the World and News International corporately misled the Committee about the true nature and extent of the internal investigations they carried out into phone-hacking, made statements that were not fully truthful, and withheld documents. The companies' directors - including Rupert Murdoch and James Murdoch - should be prepared to take responsibility for these failings. The Committee reports its findings for the House of Commons to decide whether a contempt has been committed and, if so, what punishment should be imposed.
Leave the Fighting to McGuigan
Traces the life and career of the Irish-born boxer who became featherweight champion of the world, and describes the title bout in which he defeated Eusebio Pedroza
Welfare to Work
The Government has spent over £800 million since 1998 on helping over-50s find work. Of the 2.7 million people over 50 and under the state pension age, who are not working, between 700,000 and 1 million would like to work, and, of these, some 200,000 are actively seeking employment. Government initiatives include the New Deal 50 plus, which provides access to a Personal Adviser for over 50s seeking work as well as financial incentives; the Age Positive campaign which encourages an an end to age discrimination; and the PRIME Initiative for over-50s interested in self-employment. The report includes the following recommendations: Jobcentre Plus and the Learning and Skills Council should eliminate duplication by harmonising their contracting with local service providers. Better use should be made of performance targets, for example. Jobcentre Plus should develop performance measures to indicate improvements in employability of those who have participated in programmes but are not yet ready for work. All major employment programmes should be evaluated to determine their net economic effect, and their continuing value for money.
Irish Masculinity on Screen
Examining images of gender and violence, this book analyzes selected works of three influential artists of the Irish cinema--Ford, Sheridan and Greengrass--whose careers, taken together, span the period from 1939 to the present. These three explore fundamental questions about identity, patriarchy and violence within Irish and Irish-American contexts, and in the process upset conventional notions of masculine authority. Furthermore, Ford's later films interestingly depart from the egalitarian ideals that distinguish his pre-World War II films.
Helping Those in Financial Hardship
The Social Fund provides a safety net to help those on low incomes, when they find it hard to pay for important items or cope with emergencies. There are seven types of award but in this report the Committee has considered five: budgeting loans, crisis loans, community care grants, funeral payments and sure start maternity grants. The report looks at three main areas: raising awareness of the Social Fund; its administration; and whether it treats people consistently.
The Regeneration of the Millennium Dome and Associated Land
The first competition (1999-2001) to find a future use for the Millennium Dome, failed to find a buyer able to complete the deal on acceptable terms. (This initial competition was for the Dome itself, without additional land.) The second sale process (2001-2004) led to a deal with Meridian Delta Ltd and the Anschutz Entertainment Group for the development over 20 years of the whole northern Greenwich Peninsula (over 100 acres), including reuse of the Dome. It preserves the Dome in place until 2018, housing a large indoor arena and leisure complex, and provides for a major office development and some 10,000 new homes on the adjacent land. The Committee criticizes English Partnerships for not making a clear, open offer of all the land that was available at the outset of the second competition. It is suggested that the value for money aspects of the deal have not been fully analysed, and that the public sector should consider taking a royalty, or a percentage of gross takings, instead of profit sharing. English Partnerships should ensure it takes a proactive part in this joint venture.
In the Name of the Son
London, 19 October 1989. An electrified young man, with eyes wild and a clenched fist, bursts out of the Old Bailey and declares his innocence to the world. Gerry Conlon has just won his appeal for the 1974 Guildford pub bombing. After fifteen years in prison, freedom beckons. Or does it? Following his release, Conlon received close to one million pounds from government compensation, movie and book deals; he ran in the same circles as Johnny Depp, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Shane MacGowan. Conlon seemed to have it all. Yet within five years he was hooked on crack cocaine and eating out of bins in the backstreets of London. Beyond the elation of his release was the awful descent into addiction, is...
Department of Health: Reforming NHS Dentistry
Traditionally dentists are independent contractors who choose where to locate their premises and how much NHS dentistry to provide. Over the past 10 years there has been an increase in the number of patients experiencing difficulties in accessing NHS dentistry and during this time there has also been pressure to reform the dental remuneration system. In 2003 major changes were announced in which Primary Care Trusts were to be given responsibility for commissioning NHS dental services and a deadline of October 2005 was set for implementing new contracts. This report looks at how the risks of the service are being managed including the mismatch between supply and demand, the ability of Primary Care Trusts to commission services and variations in oral health.
