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Is there a future for regional Government? : Session 2005-06, Vol. 2: Written Evidence

This report focuses on the work of Yorkshire Forward, its use of resources (forecast to be around £360 million in 2009-10) and how the regional strategies it has developed benefit the region's population of over 5 million, especially in the current economic climate. Yorkshire Forward has led the development of three Regional Economic Strategies (RESs). Although developed by Yorkshire Forward it is felt that it is important that the RES is owned by the region and Yorkshire Forward is commended for its consultative and collaborative approach. It is important that full account is taken of the region's diversity and it will need to be ensured that this is reflected in the new Integrated Regional Strategy, but this should not mean that sub-regional concerns are put ahead of a balanced approach to the interests of the region as a whole and should not detract from Yorkshire Forward's original core economic focus. The Committee is also concerned about the impact of budget cuts and a reduction in funding on the work of Yorkshire Forward and they recommend that Yorkshire Forward's budget not be decreased further

This report looks at improving visitor's access to Parliament, and assesses what the focus of Parliament's visitor services should be and who should be the main target audience. The report sets out options for varying scales of visitor facilities and what kind of facilities should be provided, and what proposals for change are required. One part of the strategy is to improve public engagement with Parliament with an upgrade of the Parliamentary website. Also an upgrade of the new visitor route through the Visitor Reception Building and Westminster Hall, along with a better welcome for visitors. Further, initiatives to explain the work of the select committees to the media, along with outreach programmes to schools and the wider public. The Committee is sceptical of the value for money of a full-scale visitor centre, and states that existing strategies, such as improved educational facilities about Parliament and its' working would provide better engagement with the public. School trips to Parliament would be the best means of communicating the work and history of the institution. The Committee recommends improved facilities for the Parliamentary Education Service.

On cover and title page: House, committees of the whole House, general committees and select committees

Each year the Government deposits 1200 European policy documents for scrutiny, some of which are cleared straight away, whilst others are reserved for further scrutiny. These are normally considered by one of seven policy-based sub-committees and this report summarises the work undertaken by the Committee through its sub-committees. also reports on UK's Presidency of the EU and looks ahead to likely developments in 2006.

Devolution : A decade on, fifth report of session 2008-09, Vol. 2: Oral and written Evidence

A cross-party committee of MPs warns that the rushed timetable of one of the government's flagship bills could risk restoring the public's faith in Parliament while significantly limiting scrutiny of the bill's impact. The 3rd report from the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee (HCP 437, ISBN 9780215554895) of the 2010-11 session says that for primarily political reasons, the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill links two provisions which could have been considered separately. Of particular concern to the committee is that if either House substantially amends the rules for holding the referendum on the alternative vote, the government may have to reconsider the date of the vote or run the risk of serious administrative difficulties which could undermine the outcome. The committee stresses that voters must understand what they are voting for and that recommendations by the Electoral Commission on the intelligibility of the referendum question should be implemented. The Committee also states that the government's failure to attempt to reach cross-party consensus on its boundary reform proposals adds fuel to the fire for those claiming the bill is being brought forward for partisan motives and may embolden future governments to do the same. The committee also questions why the public is not being offered a referendum on constituency boundary reform, which significantly affects how voters are represented in Parliament. Also, while the committee agrees that there may be a case for reducing the number of MPs, it says the Government has singularly failed to make it. The impact of boundary reforms on local politics appears to have been given little or no consideration and the committee expresses concern about the potential impact of the current proposals on the ability of MPs to fulfil their responsibilities to their constituents.

The history of reform of the House of Lords has a long history since the Parliament Act 1911, and since the House of Lords Act 1999 removed the right of all but 92 hereditary peers to sit in the Lords, there has been a number of initiatives to further the debate on reform. The latest proposals are contained in the draft Bill (Cm. 8077, ISBN 9780101807722) published in May 2011, which was referred to the Joint Committee. In this report the Joint Committee acknowledges the controversial aspects of certain of the proposals and the members of the Committee reflect wider differences of opinion, many of the report's recommendations being decided by a majority. The majority supports the need for an electoral mandate, provided the House has commensurate powers. The current functions and role would continue, but the House would probably seek to be more assertive, to an extent that cannot be predicted. The Committee recommends a House of 450 members, 80% elected on a system of Single Transferable Voting (preferably that used in New South Wales, not the one proposed in the Bill) for a 15 year term.The main sections of the report cover: functions, role, primacy of the Commons and conventions; electoral system, size, voting system and constituencies; appointments, bishops and ministers; transition, salaries, IPSA, disqualification. The Committee recommends that, in view of the significance of the constitutional change, the Government should submit the decision to a referendum.