The Wardman Wire

100 UK Government Written Statements

Amidst all the news about the floods and the new Prime Ministerial initiatives by Gordon Brown, last week more than 100 UK Government “Written Parliamentary Statements” were released in the 2 or 3 days before Parliament closed for the summer 10 week break.

The effect of this method is that was no opportunity for questions, and there will be no Parliamentary debate before mid-October at the earliest – by which time presumably they hope that people will have forgotten about it. Unfortunately for governments, the blogosphere does not go on holiday.

Can Bloggers Provide Scrutiny while MPs are away?

I’d like to do my bit to prevent government policy going out undebated and unexamined, so I’m compiling a list of articles in the blogosphere about these written statements.

Compiling this list a couple of things have really got my attention that I had missed before

• They will be reviewing 160,000 tax credit decisions. Another 160,000 mistakes – and what has that cost?
• More than 3 million experiments are now carried out on live animals per year.

I’ll be blogging about the Abolition of 20+ District Concils and the impending changes in the Tax Laws to get around the recent House of Lords Decision in the Arctic Systems case.

Write an Article – and I will link you in

If you thought you didn’t have anything to blog about over the summer – you do now. If you cover any of these, drop in a comment, and I will link to you from the appropriate point.

The Ones that Immediately Jump out at Me

• Membership of Ethics Group to Monitor National DNA Database.
• Annual Report for Criminal Records Bureau.
• Reports on the Riots Last Year at Immigration Removal Centres.
• Prevention of Terrorism Act Annual Report.
• Police Complaints Commission Annual Report.
• Intelligence and Security Committee Report.
• Intercept Evidence in Court.
• Statement on How to Restrain Children.
• Parliamentary Pay
• Personal Accounts Delivery Authority (wtf is the “Personal Accounts Delivery Authority” – Banks? Or Babies? Aha – pensions).
• Local Government Unitary Councils – abolition of 20+ district councils.
• Disability Rights Commission: Annual Report and Accounts.
• King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia (State Visit). Somebody should tell Peter Tatchell.
• Prospects for the European Union in 2007? Why is this being published in the second half of the year?
• GP Services (Better Access)
• Medical Expert Witnesses.
• Security Industry Authority – UK private security industry
• Learning and Skills Council Annual Report.
• Disability Rights Commission Annual Report.
• Data Protection and Technology Guidance – schools fingerprinting children.
• Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2006-07.
• Independent Police Complaints Commission (Annual Report).
• Living Animals (Scientific Procedures) – these went over 3 million this year.

The Full List of Written Ministerial Statements

Coutesy of www.TheyWorkForYou.com, with links back to the statements themselves.

Thursday, 26 July 2007

• House of Lords
  • Attorney-General: Consultation
    Paper
  • Finance Bill 2008
  • Senior Salaries Review
    Body
  • Taxation: Business Tax
    Reforms
  • Taxation: Small Businesses
    and Settlements Legislation

• Treasury
  • Business Tax Reforms
  • Ultra-Low Sulphur Diesel
  • Small Businesses and
    Settlements Legislation
  • Flooding (Tax Help)

• Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
  • OECD Innovation Review
    (North of England)
  • Informal Competitiveness
    Council (Lisbon)
  • Regional Development Agencies

• Communities and Local Government
  • Planning Consultation
    Papers
  • Tall Buildings Guidance

• Defence
  • DSDA Longtown
  • Operational Effectiveness

• Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
  • Agency Annual Reports
  • Private Sewers Transfer
  • Climate Changes Agreement
  • Update on Flooding

• Foreign and Commonwealth Office
  • Travel Advice
  • VFS Online (Independent
    Investigation)

• Home Department
  • Criminal Injuries Compensation
    Authority
  • Independent Police Complaints
    Commission
  • UKvisas

• Justice
  • Child Care Proceedings
    System
  • Juvenile Secure Settings
    ( Restraint Methods)

• Cabinet Office
  • Civil Service Pension
    Reform

• Leader of the House
  • Procedure Committee’s
    First Report (Public Petitions and Early-day Motions)
  • Parliamentary Pay, Pensions
    and Allowances

• Prime Minister
  • Machinery of Government:
    Equalities Office

• Transport
  • BRB (Residuary) Ltd.
  • Ministerial Cars
  • Strengthening Local Delivery

Written Ministerial Statements

Wednesday, 25 July 2007

• House of Lords
  • Child Maintenance
  • Comprehensive Spending Review
  • EU: Economic and Financial
    Affairs Council
  • Northern Ireland: Scott
    Review
  • Pensions
  • Pensions: Personal Accounts
    Delivery Authority
  • Public Money
  • Questions for Written Answer
  • Value Added Tax (Betting,
    Gaming and Lotteries) Order 2007

• Treasury
  • Economic Affairs
  • Ecofin
  • Managing Public Money
  • Tax Credit Administration
  • Value Added Tax (Betting,
    Gaming and Lotteries) Order 2007

• Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
  • Regulatory Reform (Next
    Steps)
  • Small Firms Loan Guarantee
    UK Civil Plutonium and
    Uranium Figures

• Children, Schools and Families
  • Electronic Common Assessment
    Framework

• Communities and Local Government
  • Leaseholders’ Monies
  • Local Government

• Defence
  • Ballistic Missile Defence
  • Operation Banner
  • RAF Hercules XV206 Board
    of Inquiry
  • Future of ABRO and DARA
  • Mental Health Statistics
  • Nuclear Steam Raising
    Plant

• Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
  • Landfill

• Foreign and Commonwealth Office
  • Wilton Park

• Health
  • NHS Pharmaceutical Contractual
    Arrangements

• Home Department
  • National DNA Database
  • Criminal Records Bureau
  • Identity and Passport
    Service
  • Immigration Removal Centre
  • Prevention of Terrorism
    Act 2005 (Lord Carlile’s Report)

• Justice
  • Civil Court Fees
  • Land Registry
  • Office for Judicial Complaints

• Prime Minister
  • Intelligence and Security
    Committee Report
  • Machinery of Government:
    Defence Trade Promotion .
  • Review of Intercept as
    Evidence

• Transport
  • Barking to Gospel Oak
    Railway
  • Highways Agency (Annual
    Report and Accounts)
  • Highways Agency (Traffic
    Officer Service Progress)
  • MSC Napoli

• Work and Pensions
  • Child Maintenance and
    Other Payments Bill
  • Deregulatory Review of
    Private Pensions
  • Personal Accounts Delivery
    Authority

Written Ministerial Statements

Tuesday, 24 July 2007

• House of Lords
  • Comprehensive Spending Review
  • Department for Work and
    Pensions: Agencies’ Annual Reports and Accounts
  • Disability Rights Commission:
    Annual Report and Accounts
  • National School of Government:
    Annual Report and Accounts
  • Social Fund and Social Fund
    Commissioner: Annual Reports

• Cabinet Office
  • National School of Government
  • “The Future Role of the
    Third Sector in Social and Economic Regeneration: Final Report”

• Defence
  • Basra International Airport

• Foreign and Commonwealth Office
  • King Abdullah of Saudi
    Arabia (State Visit)
  • Strategic Arms Controls
  • Prospects for the European
    Union

• Health
  • GP Services (Better Access)
  • Death Certification
  • Medical Expert Witnesses

• Home Department
  • Security Industry Authority

• Innovation, Universities and Skills
  • Learning and Skills Council

• Justice
  • Her Majesty’s Courts Service
  • Tribunals Service
  • Youth Justice Board

• Work and Pensions
  • Agency Annual Reports
    and Accounts
  • Disability Rights Commission
  • Social Fund Annual Reports

Written Ministerial Statements

Monday, 23 July 2007

• House of Lords
  • Disability: Independent
    Living Funds
  • National Insurance.
  • Taxation: Tax Benefit Reference
    Manual

• Treasury
  • Tax and Benefit Reference
    Manual

• Children, Schools and Families
  • Data Protection and Technology
    Guidance

• Defence
  • Annual Report and Accounts
    2006-07

• Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
  • Animal Products (Import
    Controls)

• Health
  • Prescription Charges

• Home Department
  • Independent Police Complaints
    Commission (Annual Report)
  • Living Animals (Scientific
    Procedures)

• Justice
  • Emoluments

• Prime Minister
  • Cabinet Committees

• Transport
  • Government Car and Despatch
    Agency

• Work and Pensions
  • Independent Living Funds
  • National Insurance Credits

Phew!

Tags: Written statements in Parliament, Basra International Airport, Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Regulatory Reform (Next Steps), Child Care Proceedings System, Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, Children, Schools and Families Data Protection and Technology Guidance, Civil Service Pension Reform, Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, Criminal Records Bureau, Death Certification, Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2006-07, Agencies’ Annual Reports and Accounts, Deregulatory Review of Private Pensions, Disability Rights Commission: Annual Report and Accounts, DSDA Longtown, Economic Affairs Ecofin, EU: Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Finance Bill 2008, Future of ABRO and DARA, GP Services (Better Access), Highways Agency (Annual Report and Accounts), Highways Agency (TrafficOfficer Service Progress), Home Department, Identity and Passport Service, Immigration Removal Centre, Independent Police Complaints Commission (Annual Report), Informal Competitiveness Council (Lisbon), Intelligence and Security Commit[tags]Written statements in Parliament, Basra International Airport, Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Regulatory Reform (Next Steps), Child Care Proceedings System, Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, Children, Schools and Families Data Protection and Technology Guidance, Civil Service Pension Reform, Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, Criminal Records Bureau, Death Certification, Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2006-07, Agencies’ Annual Reports and Accounts, Deregulatory Review of Private Pensions, Disability Rights Commission: Annual Report and Accounts, DSDA Longtown, Economic Affairs Ecofin, EU: Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Finance Bill 2008, Future of ABRO and DARA, GP Services (Better Access), Highways Agency (Annual Report and Accounts), Highways Agency (TrafficOfficer Service Progress), Home Department, Identity and Passport Service, Immigration Removal Centre, Independent Police Complaints Commission (Annual Report), Informal Competitiveness Council (Lisbon), Intelligence and Security Commit[/tags]