House Of Commons Environment Food And Rural Affairs Committee Departmental Annual Report 2012 13 Hc741

Author : Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 40 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 2014-01-07
Category : Science
ISBN : 0215066006

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House of Commons - Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee: Departmental Annual Report 2012-13 - HC741 by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Pdf

The Committee has examined the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) annual report and accounts for 2012-13 (HC 40, session 2013-14, ISBN 9780102985672). Defra is one of the smallest of Government Departments but it has faced among the most substantial budget cuts, which are set to continue up to 2016. Defra relies on a large number of arms length bodies to deliver many significant areas of policy. Ministers must clarify how further budgets cuts of over £300 million over the coming 2 years will impact on the funding provided to these agencies and the ability of the Department to respond to emergencies, exemplified by the flooding over Christmas and the New Year. Among the most significant challenges facing the Department in the next 12 months is implementation of the new Common Agricultural Policy, and there are risks that the introduction of a new digital system for delivering payments to farms will cause problems for those farmers who do not have access to rural broadband. The Committee found that the results of the Defra staff survey revealed an increased lack of confidence in the management and leadership of the Department, issues which must be addressed. Further challenges facing Defra in the coming year include policy relating to bovine TB and badger culling, its proposals on biodiversity offsetting, the introduction of plastic bag charging, and examining the role and potential of GM technology in food production.

Author : Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 41 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2015-03-24
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 9780215084460

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HC 942 - Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee - Work of the Committee: 2010-15 by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Pdf

Author : Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 36 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2015-02-10
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 9780215081421

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HC 802 - Defra Performance in 2014-15 by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Pdf

The Department's total expenditure for 2013-14 was £6.252 billion, taking into account both its activities funded directly by Parliament and grants made following the receipt of money from the European Union, predominantly to fund agricultural subsidies and rural development schemes. The Government budget allocated to and spent by Defra is known as the Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) and it is set at Spending Reviews. The Department has underspent its central Government funding allocation each year since the 2010 Spending Review. In 2013-4, Defra spent £2,433 million of its DEL to meet its strategic objectives which resulted in a £61 million (2 per cent) underspend compared to its budget. The Department's Annual Report and Accounts 2013-4 state that the £50 million underspend against resource DEL was due to the following factors: (a) £30 million was not spent as the UK Government challenged EU disallowance penalties on 2010 and 2011 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) scheme expenditure; and; (b) £20 million was intentional underspend following approval from HM Treasury to carry the funding into 2014-15 to spend on flood prevention

Author : Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 44 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2014
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780215078322

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HC 241 - Waste Management in England by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Pdf

The Government must act to increase recycling rates across England by 2020. It also needs to be ensured that only genuinely residual waste is sent to energy-from-waste plants and to do more to encourage the use of heat outputs from such facilities to improve the overall energy efficiency of this waste management method. Defra 'stepped back' from waste management at a time when we need both a more ambitious approach to waste management and stronger Government leadership to drive up static recycling rates in England and make better use of energy recovery options such as local heating for homes. Ministers must now show that waste policy remains an important priority. On a household level there is too much confusion about what can or can't be recycled - and very little confidence in the process. Communication must improve and be tailored to local circumstances by local authorities, but Defra should provide support at a national level - particularly in relation to common issues and problems. The Committee calls for clear guidance from Defra on how much waste treatment capacity is needed in England to gain an optimal balance between the export of refuse-derived fuel and local treatment. MPs support the use of anaerobic digestion for processing waste, but not for use with purpose-grown crops. More work is also needed to address the issues surrounding separate food waste collections. MPs also call on the Government take action to curb the frequent occurrence of fires at waste management sites

Author : Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 44 pages
File Size : 45,7 Mb
Release : 2014-06-10
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780215072887

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HC 984 - Primates as Pets by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Pdf

Urgent action is required to establish the numbers of primates kept in captivity by private individuals across the UK and to improve their welfare. Little is known about the types and numbers of primates being kept or traded by private individuals in the UK and about the manner in which they are being kept. A ban is not ruled out, but such a step must be based on solid evidence and cannot be imposed before every opportunity to improve the operation of our existing framework has been exhausted. Defra should commission independent research to establish the extent of the problems in this area and to report with a plan of action within six months of receiving the research results. The Government must ensure that standards for primates kept in private match those required in zoos. The quality of care that these animals enjoy should be the same whether they are kept in a circus, a pet shop, a private home or a zoo. If the Committee's suggested changes prove insufficient and the evidence for doing so proves compelling, then a ban on the trade and keeping of privately kept primates should remain an option for the future. The report also calls for the Government to: ensure that legislation governing pet sales is fit for the internet age; boost public awareness of existing regulatory controls and guidance; increase the utility and efficacy of the Primate Code; expedite the publication of guidance to local authorities on the Dangerous Wild Animals Act.

Author : Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 36 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2014-06-17
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780215073013

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HC 240 - Winter Floods 2013-14 by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Pdf

The Government must not neglect maintenance of flood defences and watercourses if homes, businesses and farmland are to gain better protection against future flooding risk, the EFRA Committee warns in this report of an inquiry triggered by the recent winter floods. The Committee calls for fully funded plans to address the current backlog of dredging and watercourse maintenance as well as to maintain the growing numbers of man-made flood defences. The devolution of maintenance activity to internal drainage boards and to local landowners, wherever possible, is supported. The Committee also urges the Government to address the confusion over maintenance responsibilities through a widespread education campaign. It is essential that Environment Agency funding cuts do not lead to unintended consequences where funding is redirected to one operational area to the detriment of another. The report also calls for a reassurance from Defra that frontline flood jobs at the Environment Agency will not be cut. The Committee identifies the current split between capital and revenue budgets as a major barrier to targeting funding according to local priorities, and can see no reason why the Government cannot move to a total expenditure approach for flood funding to allow more flexibility to spend in the most effective way.

Author : Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 36 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 2015-02-03
Category : Broadband communication systems
ISBN : 9780215081308

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HC 834 - Rural Broadband And Digital-Only Services by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Pdf

Access to broadband can be an unexpectedly emotive and complex subject. Written evidence the Committee has received explains how poor broadband can lead to a range of problems: from reduced access to online learning resources for students, to families being unable to use everyday online services such as BBC iPlayer and rural businesses being powerless to function in an increasingly online marketplace. Overall, poor broadband can produce a feeling of a two-tier society with the ’have and have nots'. This feeling is most apparent in rural communities which by their geographical nature are often the hardest for the infrastructure to reach.The move to an online-only Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) system for payments this year provides a clear example of how online-only services often need to be accessed by those located in geographical areas which are difficult for current broadband infrastructure to reach or for good coverage and speed to be provided. CAP payments offer a prime example of the wider Government policy to make services ’digital-by-default'. This policy has clear ramifications when broadband access is limited or non-existent.

Author : Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 40 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2015
Category : Food supply
ISBN : 9780215081070

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HC 703 - Food Security: Demand, Consumtion and Waste by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Pdf

The myriad choices millions of people make every day over what food to buy and from where to buy it shape the nation's food production and supply systems. It is essential to harness these decisions to support the public policy goal of enabling all to access healthy and affordable food. Both supply and demand issues must be managed if a growing world population is to be fed at a time when environmental impacts, including those of climate change, are constraining food production. In this report the Committee make recommendations on managing consumer demand, such as by encouraging the purchase of sustainably sourced products or the most nutritious food in order to help to deliver environmental and health goals.

Author : Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 32 pages
File Size : 53,5 Mb
Release : 2014
Category : Dairy products
ISBN : 9780215081063

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HC 817 - Dairy Prices by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Pdf

Worldwide pressure on milk prices has resulted from a combination of rising supply and falling demand, partly because of reduced demand from China and a Russian trade ban with the EU. Rapid and wide fluctuations in milk price bring pressure to bear on the UK dairy industry, and farmers have been leaving it in significant numbers in recent years. While there is no single solution to the problems created by these rapid changes in milk prices, it is incumbent on the Government, and Defra in particular, to promote UK dairy produce domestically and in growing export markets. Action to encourage the spread of Producer Organisations, a review of the EU intervention price for milk and clearer regulation on the labelling of dairy products could all assist a struggling industry. The voluntary code of best practice in the dairy industry, introduced after similar price difficulties in 2012, has been adopted by about 85 per cent of dairy producers and welcomed in improving matters as far as it goes. Closer attention is required, however, to the sharpness and frequency of price changes in the dairy market, which affect investment and financial planning. The Groceries Code Adjudicator's role, concerning the relationship between direct suppliers and major retailers, is too restricted to be of assistance to the vast majority of dairy producers, as they are indirect suppliers.

Author : Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 36 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2011-04-28
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 0102969671

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Lessons from PFI and other projects by Great Britain: National Audit Office Pdf

Lessons from the experience of using PFI can be applied to improve other forms of procurement and help Government achieve its aim of securing annual infrastructure delivery cost savings of £2 billion to £3 billion. To secure the best value for money from all types of procurement, the public sector needs to develop skills the NAO has identified. These are collecting better data to inform decision-making; ensuring projects have the right skills; establishing effective arrangements to test, challenge and, if necessary, stop projects; and using commercial awareness to obtain better deals. The case for using private finance in public procurement needs to be challenged more. Also, privately financed projects will often still be off balance-sheet which may continue to act as an incentive to use PFI. There has not been a systematic value for money evaluation of operational PFI projects by departments. So there is insufficient data to demonstrate whether the use of private finance has led to better or worse value for money than other forms of procurement. The Treasury and departments should identify alternative methods for delivering infrastructure and related facilities services to maximise value for money for government. The NAO welcomes the current plans of the Treasury and Cabinet Office to strengthen project assurance. The report highlights the need for independent challenge capable of stopping projects which do not give the prospect of value for money. This is particularly important as there is still a shortage of the skills needed to manage and oversee complex major projects.

Author : American Psychiatric Association
Publisher : American Psychiatric Publishing
Page : 368 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 1996
Category : Medical
ISBN : 0890423067

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American Psychiatric Association Practice Guidelines by American Psychiatric Association Pdf

The aim of the American Psychiatric Association Practice Guideline series is to improve patient care. Guidelines provide a comprehensive synthesis of all available information relevant to the clinical topic. Practice guidelines can be vehicles for educating psychiatrists, other medical and mental health professionals, and the general public about appropriate and inappropriate treatments. The series also will identify those areas in which critical information is lacking and in which research could be expected to improve clinical decisions. The Practice Guidelines are also designed to help those charged with overseeing the utilization and reimbursement of psychiatric services to develop more scientifically based and clinically sensitive criteria.

Author : American Psychiatric Association
Publisher : American Psychiatric Publishing
Page : 108 pages
File Size : 41,7 Mb
Release : 2000
Category : Antidepressants
ISBN : UOM:39015042644321

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Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Major Depressive Disorder by American Psychiatric Association Pdf

This manual provides the American Psychiatric Association's guidelines for the treatment of patients with major depressive disorder. It is divided into three sections, covering treatment recommendations; background information and review of available evidence; and future research needs. It seeks to summarize the specific forms of somatic, psychotherapeutic, psychosocial and educational treatments that have been developed to deal with major depressive disorder.

Author : Mark Blaug
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 218 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 2019-07-16
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781000316278

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The Economics Of The Arts by Mark Blaug Pdf

The economics of the Arts is a new field with a small but rapidly-growing literature, which has emerged in recent years out of the eagerness of economists to apply their techniques to hitherto untried areas and the recognition by Arts administrators of the rapidly increasing economic pressures on the Arts. This book of readings is the first of its kind. Of the 16 articles, 8 are directly concerned with the Arts in America; the other 8 deal with the British scene. What can economics say about so non-economic a subject as the Arts? Obviously, finance for the Arts involves economic considerations. But in addition, economics provides, among other things, a logic of rational choice, and the economists' style of thinking, therefore, is adaptable to any problem of choice in respect of any set of goals, whether they be economic goals or not. Then, there is the question of whether economics can provide a case for public support for the Arts, that is, whether the State should subsidize the Arts. This is a familiar problem in the economics of welfare but its application to the Arts raises novel questions and even economists are not agreed on whether economics can provide such a rationale. Also, there is the question of criteria for public expenditure on the Arts, assuming that the case for some public expenditure has been made. Can economists tell us how much the State should spend on the Arts? Surely, they can help us with a host of other questions: should museums and galleries charge fees; should museums ever sell off parts of their collections; can the Arts economize on their expenditures; how can modern music be most effectively encouraged by public funds; are ticket prices an important element in the demand for the Arts; and does the low pay of artists discourage individuals from taking up artistic occupations?

Author : Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 164 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2012-06
Category : Agriculture and state
ISBN : 0215045505

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Greening the Common Agricultural Policy by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Pdf

The European Commission proposes that 30% of 'direct payments' made to farmers under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) would be conditional on compliance with three new 'greening' measures. While supporting the Commission's desire to improve the environment, the EFRA Committee rejects the approach proposed. Instead it calls for the EU to set high-level objectives for the CAP that provide for flexibility to apply the right measures for local conditions through 'decentralising' environmental protection under the CAP to Member States. This report highlights the huge benefit that UK 'agri-environment' schemes have brought to biodiversity, food production and the countryside. The Committee also urged Defra to ensure that the UK's tenant farmers should not be excluded from these schemes. The Committee concludes that Defra must ensure the balance of funding between mandatory and voluntary aspects of the CAP should not leave UK farmers at a competitive disadvantage relative to their counterparts in the rest of Europe. MPs also warn that measures proposed by the Commission would be even more complex than the current system - adding costly bureaucracy and generating more errors in the system. Likewise, the committee concludes that the Commission's crop diversification measure would in the UK have perverse consequences that are far less environmentally beneficial than crop rotation. Of the three 'greening' measures offered, the Commission's proposal for Ecological Focus Areas (EFA) has the potential to deliver the greatest environmental benefit. However, the lack of definitions within the proposals make it difficult to assess what, if any, such benefits would actually be delivered

Author : Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 200 pages
File Size : 54,6 Mb
Release : 2011-06-21
Category : Law
ISBN : 0215558286

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Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons Pdf

The Bill has 4 parts and 16 schedules. It implements the proposals set out in 'Proposals for the reform of legal aid in England and Wales (Cm. 7967, ISBN 9780101796729 ) in part; 'Proposals for reform of civil litigation funding and costs in England and Wales' (Cm. 7947, ISBN 9780101794725 ); and 'Breaking the Cycle: effective punishment, rehabilitation and sentencing of offenders' (Cm. 7972, ISBN 9780101797221) in part. Part 1 abolishes the Legal Services Commission and places a duty on the Lord Chancellor to secure the availability of civil and criminal legal aid. Part 2 amends the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973; Civil Partnership Act 2004; and the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985. Part 3 sets out changes to some general sentencing provisions; plans to release more defendants on bail rather than holding them in custody; remand of children otherwise than on bail; release on licence; gives the Secretary of State to make rules in respect of the employment and payment of prisoners, making them work harder, longer and pay more compensation to their victims; out of court disposals and introduces a compulsory jail term for anyone threatening with a knife or offensive weapon