An article said that the 'Barnett formula' (for determining public expenditure levels in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) ignored differences in prosperity and differences in need.
Source: R. Ross Mackay, 'Identifying need: devolved spending in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland', Contemporary Wales, Volume 18 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Nov
A new book examined the ways in which devolution was experienced and understood by citizens from the devolved regions of the United Kingdom.
Source: John Wilson and Karyn Stapleton, Devolution and Identity, Ashgate Publications (01235 827730)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Nov
A report by a committee of MSPs said that a stronger governance framework was needed for the parliamentary commissioners and ombudsman to ensure that they were more accountable to Parliament for their spending.
Source: Inquiry into Accountability and Governance, 7th Report 2006, SP Paper 631, Scottish Parliament Finance Committee, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SP press release | Children Now report
Date: 2006-Sep
A survey examined public attitudes towards the Scottish Parliament, local government, and electoral systems. The Scottish Parliament was trusted and accessible: but people incorrectly assumed that it had limited power to make final decisions.
Source: Scotland - Poll Position: Public attitudes towards Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections, Electoral Commission (020 7271 0500)
Links: Report | Electoral Commission press release | BBC report
Date: 2006-Sep
An article said that devolution was central to an understanding of developments in social policy in the United Kingdom; and also that social policy was a key means to develop a critical understanding of the process of devolution itself. However, the discussion of devolution had largely focused on institutional and/or organizational differences - marginalizing the wider social relations of welfare around which social policy was organized.
Source: Gerry Mooney, Gill Scott and Charlotte Williams, 'Rethinking social policy through devolution', Critical Social Policy, Volume 26 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Aug
An article examined the ways in which social policy was being used to recreate and reproduce a sense of nation and national identity in post-devolution Scotland and Wales. Devolution had important consequences for people's sense of Britishness, Scottishness, and Welshness - not least in relation to the ways in which social policies were presented and 'legitimated'.
Source: Gerry Mooney and Charlotte Williams, 'Forging new ways of life ? Social policy and nation building in devolved Scotland and Wales', Critical Social Policy, Volume 26 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Aug
A report by a committee of MPs examined ways of improving the communications procedure between the Scottish and Westminster Parliaments, and how MPs could be better alerted that a particular Bill before Parliament had been subject to a 'Sewel motion' in the Scottish Parliament. (The Sewel Convention seeks to ensure that the United Kingdom Parliament legislates on devolved matters only with the express agreement of the Scottish Parliament.)
Source: The Sewel Convention: The Westminster perspective, Fourth Report (Session 2005-06), HC 983, House of Commons Scottish Affairs Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | BBC report
Date: 2006-Jun
Two linked papers examined some of the key challenges and opportunities that Scotland would face over the next 20 years, across key areas of Scottish life and society.
Source: The Strategic Audit 2006, Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400) | Trend Analysis Papers 2006, Scottish Executive
Links: Strategic report | Trends report
Date: 2006-May
The Scotland Office published its annual report for 2005-06.
Source: Annual Report 2006, Cm 6834, Scotland Office and Office of the Advocate General for Scotland, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-May
The Prime Minister wrote to the newly appointed Secretary of State for Scotland (following a Cabinet reshuffle), setting out priorities for the Scottish Office. He asked him to build on the "effective working partnership" which had been established with the Scottish Executive since devolution.
Source: Letter from Tony Blair MP (Prime Minister) to Douglas Alexander MP (Secretary of State for Scotland), 10 May 2006
Links: Letter
Date: 2006-May
A report said that, although devolution was generally working well, there had been remarkably little thinking about devolution as a coherent package of reforms. The system was working largely because Labour had led the governments in Westminster, Edinburgh and Cardiff since 1999: but at some point issues would become the subject of party-political conflict.
Source: Charlie Jeffery et al., Final Report, ESRC Devolution Programme/School of Social and Political Studies/Edinburgh University (0131 650 8489) Links: Report
Date: 2006-Mar
A report by a committee of MSPs examined the Scottish Commissioner for Human Rights Bill. The committee, although making clear its commitment to ensuring the continuing protection of human rights in Scotland, questioned what added value a Commissioner could bring.
Source: Scottish Commissioner for Human Rights Bill, 1st Report 2006, SP Paper 508, Scottish Parliament Justice 1 Committee, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report part 1 | Report part 2 | SP press release
Date: 2006-Feb
A new book examined the question of Britishness – past, present, and future. It investigated how devolution had brought a new focus on the future of Britain and the nature of Britishness; discussed the challenge of a more diverse society, with the search for a basis of social cohesion and solidarity; and examined the Prime Minister's Britishness project, with its aim of producing a statement of British values.
Source: Andrew Gamble and Tony Wright (eds.), Britishness: Perspectives on the British question, Wiley (01243 779777)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Jan
