A think-tank report called for a new social contract between experts and society, with responses to scientific issues formed through popular debate. It was just as important to recognize uncertainty as evidence. Rather than denying the political motivations for decisions, policy-makers should be clear when they were led by public opinion.
Source: Alan Irwin, Kevin Jones and Jack Stilgoe, The Received Wisdom: Opening up expert advice, Demos, available from Central Books (020 8986 5488)
Date: 2006-Dec
The Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006 was given Royal assent. The Act allowed the government to deliver reform of outdated or over-complicated legislation more quickly, and enabled the mergers of those regulators not covered by separate legislation.
Source: Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006, Cabinet Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Act | Cabinet Office press release | Personnel Today report
Date: 2006-Nov
An article examined the policy process behind recent welfare reforms. It considered the policy styles used in a broad range of social policy areas, on the basis of interviews with leading policy actors. A mix of policy-making methods was being used, including the classic 'top-down' approach, the use of external commissions, and a more 'bottom-up' approach where policy was to a large degree designed by external groups.
Source: Trine Larsen, Peter Taylor-Gooby and Johannes Kananen, 'New Labour's policy style: a mix of policy approaches', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 35 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Oct
A new book examined transparency as a doctrine of good governance and social organization, and identified its different forms. It assessed the benefits and drawbacks of measures to enhance various forms of transparency; and it examined how institutions responded to measures intended to increase transparency, and with what consequences.
Source: Christopher Hood and David Heald (eds.), Transparency: The key to better governance, Oxford University Press (01536 741727)
Links: Summary | British Academy press release
Date: 2006-Sep
An article said that it was increasingly difficult to understand and explain the shape and delivery of contemporary social policy unless the role of business was considered.
Source: Kevin Farnsworth and Chris Holden, 'The business-social policy nexus: corporate power and corporate inputs into social policy', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 35 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Aug
An audit report said that the purpose of regulatory impact assessments was not always understood by government departments. There was a lack of clarity in the presentation of the analysis, and persistent weaknesses in the assessments. As a result, in many cases RIAs had not offered a robust challenge to proposals to regulate.
Source: Evaluation of Regulatory Impact Assessments 2005-06, HC 1305 (Session 2005-06), National Audit Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | NAO press release
Date: 2006-Jun
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill.
Source: Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill: Government Response to the Committee's Third Report, Fifth Special Report (Session 2005-06), HC 1205, House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | MPs report
Date: 2006-Jun
A report by a committee of peers accused the government of "lamentable" attempts to consult on a new law aimed at cutting red tape. It said that ministers failed to recognize the constitutional impact of the plans. It welcomed changes to the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill, but said more safeguards were needed.
Source: Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill, Eleventh Report (Session 2005-06), HL 194, House of Lords Constitution Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | HOL brief | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Jun
A new book (by a former policy adviser to the Prime Minister) said that the democracies of western Europe and North America had achieved a rough balance between being too strong and too weak, yet still suffered from constant crises of moral purpose. There was a growing trend of anti-politics, manifest in falling turnouts and party membership, and an assumption that politicians represented the worst venality rather than the highest ideals.
Source: Geoff Mulgan, Good and Bad Power: The ideals and betrayals of government, Penguin (020 7813 4330)
Links: Summary | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Jun
The head of the civil service published a new civil service code, following consultation. For the first time the code provided for the independent Civil Service Commissioners to consider a complaint direct from a civil servant, and also made clear that the code formed part of the contractual relationship between a civil servant and their employer.
Source: Civil Service Code, Cabinet Office (020 7261 8527)
Links: Code | Cabinet Office press release | Consultation responses | FDA press release
Date: 2006-Jun
A report by a committee of peers examined government and public attitudes to risk. It called on the government to pay more attention to the risks to personal liberty posed by new legislation. It said that (for example) the ban on smoking in public places was not justified by the risks to health from passive smoking.
Source: Government Policy on the Management of Risk, Fifth Report (Session 2005-06), HL 183, House of Lords Economic Affairs Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | ASH press release | IOSH press release | BBC report
Date: 2006-Jun
A think-tank report called for a shift in New Labour's vision from economics to politics. The reinvigoration of democracy was important in its own right: but it was also fundamental to Labour's platform of economic and social justice. it said that the time might be coming for an elected, one-off, fixed-term constitutional convention to devise a programme of reform.
Source: Michael Wills, A New Agenda: Labour and democracy, Institute for Public Policy Research, available from Central Books (0845 458 9911)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Jun
A report examined why disengagement from formal democratic politics had grown in recent years, and how it could be reversed. It said that the political system was in danger of "meltdown" if major changes were not made. It called for a shift in power from ministers to Parliament, and from central to local government. It also recommended state funding of political parties, and a voting age of 16.
Source: Power to the People, POWER Inquiry (0845 345 5307)
Links: Report | Summary | Hansard Society press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Feb
A report examined the constitutional reform programme of Labour governments since 1997. It highlighted how many changes the initial reforms had set in train, and how much dynamism there still was working its way through the system.
Source: Robert Hazell, Wave upon Wave: The continuing dynamism of constitutional reform, Constitution Unit/University of London, available from Imprint Academic (01392 841600)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Feb
The government published a guide for local authorities, their partners and other interested bodies on enhancing the capacity of citizens to participate more effectively in local decision-making.
Source: Rhys Andrews, Richard Cowell, James Downe, Steve Martin and Dave Turner, Promoting Effective Citizenship and Community Empowerment: A guide for local authorities on enhancing capacity for public participation, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Guide
Date: 2006-Feb
A report examined whether the central government policy process created 'political and regulatory risk' - uncertainty arising from actions or the structure of policy or regulatory processes.
Source: Political and Regulatory Risk, Regulatory Policy Institute (01865 792858)
Date: 2006-Feb
The Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill was given a second reading. The Bill was designed to place the Civil Service Code of impartiality and professionalism on a statutory footing, and make any change to the Code subject to Parliamentary approval; remove the hereditary principle from the House of Lords, and allow for the disqualification of peers found guilty of serious criminal offences; repeal the legislation that limited protests around Parliament; and remove the Prime Minister from involvement in all judicial appointments in England and Wales.
Source: Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill, Ministry of Justice, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 20 October 2009, columns 799-878, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | MOJ press release
Date: 2006-Jan
A think-tank report said that changes to the United Kingdom's constitution since 1997 had damaged the accountability of parliament to the voters, parliament's powers to hold the government to account, and the independence of judges.
Source: Martin Howe, ABC: A Balanced Constitution for the 21st Century, Politeia (020 7240 5070)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Jan
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on the system of central government and policy-making.
Source: Good Government: Government and Other Responses to the Committee's Eighth Report, Seventh Special Report (Session 2008-09), HC 1045, House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | MPs report
Date: 2006-Jan