The government's Chief Scientific Adviser published revised guidelines on scientific analysis in policy-making, following consultation.
Source: Guidelines on Scientific Analysis in Policy Making, Office of Science and Technology/Department of Trade and Industry (020 7215 5000)
Links: Guidelines | DTI press release | Royal Society press release
Date: 2005-Oct
A think-tank report said that democratic power was more unevenly distributed than income, and the inefficiency of the electoral system meant that less than 3 per cent of the British electorate had anything like a fair share of democratic power.
Source: Nic Marks with Ruth Potts and Perry Walker, Spoiled Ballot: Why less than three per cent have a fair share of power in Britain, New Economics Foundation, available from Central Books (020 8986 5488)
Links: Report (pdf) | NEF press release
Date: 2005-Sep
A literature review examined civic participation activity in public policy-making. Across many different contexts there was concern that, to date, civic participation appeared not to have made a significant impact on decision-making.
Source: Linda Nicholson, Civic Participation in Public Policy-Making: A literature review, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Aug
An article explored the implications of making social policies reflect consumer choice.
Source: Philip Jones, 'Consumers of social policy: policy design, policy response, policy approval', Social Policy and Society, Volume 4 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-Jul
A report said that the Confederation of British Industry routinely exaggerated the costs of environmental regulation, ignored the benefits of it, and falsely presented its anti-regulatory position as if it had consensus support across the business community.
Source: Simon McRae, Hidden Voices: The CBI, corporate lobbying and sustainability, Friends of the Earth (020 7490 1555)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | FOE press release | CBI press release
Date: 2005-Jul
A paper examined the factors that could help, or inhibit, a positive contribution to policy-making by outsiders working in Whitehall.
Source: Ruth Levitt and William Solesbury, Evidence-informed Policy: What difference do outsiders in Whitehall make?, Working Paper 23, Centre for Evidence Based Policy and Practice/University of London (020 7882 7657)
Links: Link removed
Date: 2005-Jun
A think-tank report argued that democracy was facing a 'crisis of legitimacy' which the main political parties were failing to address. Voters had unrealistic expectations of political leaders and their ability to deliver far-reaching change. A new form of leadership was needed which acknowledged its own limitations, while challenging the public to tackle the big issues (such as climate change or the pensions crisis) by changing their own attitudes and behaviour.
Source: Tom Bentley, Everyday Democracy: Why we get the politicians we deserve, Demos, available from Central Books (020 8986 5488)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | Demos press release
Date: 2005-Jun
A new book (by a group of Conservative Party politicians) analyzed the Conservative Party performance in the 2005 General Election. It presented a series of policy ideas on health, education, crime, local government, and constitutional reform - based on the common theme of devolving power to individuals and local communities.
Source: Douglas Carswell MP et al., Direct Democracy: An agenda for a new model party, Direct Democracy, available from Telegraph Books (0870 161 3344)
Links: Summary | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Jun
A book chapter examined whether Labour governments since 1997 had projected a coherent approach to social policy.
Source: Peter Robinson and Kate Stanley, 'A progressive consensus in the making?', Social Policy Review 17: Analysis and debate in social policy, 2005, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Table of contents
Date: 2005-Jun
The Department for Constitutional Affairs published its annual report for 2004-05.
Source: Delivering Justice, Rights and Democracy: DCA Departmental Report 2004/05, Cm 6530, Department for Constitutional Affairs, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report
Date: 2005-Jun
An article said that there were unavoidable limits to the use of externally produced knowledge by government - including democracy; time; the social role of ambiguity; and reflexivity. However, the shift to greater dependence on knowledge was unlikely to reverse, so long as all other areas of economic and social life were changing in tandem towards greater dependence on knowledge and greater awareness of the complexities involved in any production or use of knowledge.
Source: Geoff Mulgan, 'Government, knowledge and the business of policy making: the potential and limits of evidence-based policy', Evidence & Policy, Volume 1 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-May
A paper examined the reasoning, including the moral reasoning, employed in public administration.
Source: Ciar n O'Kelly and Melvin Dubnick, Taking Tough Choices Seriously: Public administration and individual moral agency, Institute of Governance, Public Policy and Social Research/Queen s University Belfast (028 9097 2549)
Links: Paper (pdf)
Date: 2005-May
The Government Chief Scientific Adviser began consultation on potential revisions to the guidelines covering the use of scientific analysis in government policy-making. The document highlighted the need for analysts and policy-makers to be explicit about the level of uncertainty surrounding the evidence they presented.
Source: Guidelines on Scientific Analysis in Policy Making, Office of Science and Technology/Department of Trade and Industry (020 7215 5686)
Links: Consultation document (pdf)
Date: 2005-May
The three main political parties published their general election manifestos.
Source: Britain Forward Not Back, Labour Party (08705 900200) | Are You Thinking What We're Thinking? It's time for action, Conservative Party (020 7222 9000) | The Real Alternative, Liberal Democrats (020 7222 7999)
Links: Labour Party Manifesto (pdf) | Conservative Party Manifesto (pdf) | Liberal Democrat Manifesto (pdf)
Date: 2005-Apr
The Inquiries Bill was given a third reading and received Royal assent. The Act provided a framework for statutory inquiries set up by Ministers into events causing public concern. It gave Ministers powers to exclude the public from all or part of an inquiry, to control publication of the final report, to restrict the publication of documents, and to insist on the omission of crucial evidence from the final report on public interest grounds.
Source: Inquiries Act 2005, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 6 April 2005, columns 1492-1499, TSO
Links: Text of Act | Explanatory notes | Hansard | DCA press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Apr
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on the Inquiries Bill.
Source: Government Response to the Public Administration Select Committee's First Report of the 2004/05 Session: 'Government by Inquiry', Cm 6481, Department for Constitutional Affairs, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response (pdf) | MPs report | HOC Library research paper (pdf)
Date: 2005-Mar
A think-tank report examined the rise of media-driven campaigns. It said that the press and media were manufacturing dissent in a way that resonated with public concerns and challenged the legitimacy of elected politicians.
Source: Kirsty Milne, Manufacturing Dissent: Single-issue protest, the public and the press, Demos, available from Central Books (020 8986 5488)
Links: Report (pdf) | Demos press release
Date: 2005-Mar
An Inquiries Bill was given a second reading. The Bill aimed to provide a comprehensive statutory framework for inquiries set by Ministers to look into matters of public concern.
Source: Inquiries Bill [HL], Department for Constitutional Affairs, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 15 March 2005, columns 149-218, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | HOC Library research paper (pdf)
Date: 2005-Mar
A think-tank report said that government was over-using quangos in policy implementation; that a substantial number of them duplicated each other s efforts; and that many were excessively costly.
Source: Dan Lewis, The Essential Guide to British Quangos 2005, Efficiency In Government, available from Centre for Policy Studies (020 7222 4488)
Links: Summary (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Feb
The United Kingdom ratified the United Nations' Aarhus Convention, covering the public's involvement in three areas of environmental democracy - access to environmental information, participation in environmental decision-making, and access to justice in environmental matters.
Source: Press release 24 February 2005, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (020 7238 6000)
Links: DEFRA press release | FOE press release
Date: 2005-Feb
A report by a committee of MPs considered the effectiveness of inquiries established by Ministers to investigate events that had caused public concern. It recommended that Ministers should justify their decisions whether to hold an inquiry or not on the basis of a published set of criteria.
Source: Government by Inquiry, First Report (Session 2004-05), HC 51, House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Feb