The committees held a joint pre-appointment hearing with Dr Colette Bowe, the chairman-elect of Ofcom. This position is one of those key public positions identified by the Governance of Britain green paper as qualifying for pre-appointment hearings from Parliamentary committees. The report examines briefly the role the chairman and provides some biographical information about Dr Bowe, her cv, and a transcript of the oral hearing. The committees conclude, having questioned Dr Bowe, that she is a suitable candidate for the post.
The Committee's inquiry addresses concerns that the operation of libel laws and the impact of costs were stifling press freedom. It also considers the balance between personal privacy and press freedom, and the increasing use of injunctions and super-injunctions. It also examines press standards in the UK, particularly considering Madeleine McCann's disappearance, the suicides in and around Bridgend in 2008 and phone hacking and blagging. The Committee does not consider that it would be right to legislate on privacy. The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) should amend its Code to include a requirement that journalists notify the subject of their articles prior to publication, subject to a "public interest" test. The report also assesses the damage so called 'libel tourism' has caused to the UK's reputation as a country which protects free speech and freedom of expression. In cases where the UK is not the primary domicile or place of business of the claimant or defendant, the claimant should face additional hurdles before being allowed to bring a case. There is an urgent need to control defamation litigation costs more effectively. Competitive and commercial factors led to an inexcusable lowering of press standards in the gathering and publishing of 'news' about the McCann case, and self-regulation signally failed. The PCC should be renamed the Press Complaints and Standards Commission, reflecting its role as a regulator, not just a complaints handling service. The regulator should have the power to fine its members where it believes that the departure from the Code of Practice is serious enough to warrant a financial penalty.
This report investigates: the governance of the BBC's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide; the activities of BBC Worldwide, including programme sales, production, magazines and websites; BBC Worldwide's acquisition of Lonely Planet; and the possible partnership between BBC Worldwide and Channel 4. There are major benefits from the BBC undertaking commercial activities: the profits generated by the exploitation of the BBC's intellectual property can be reinvested in the BBC's public services, to the benefit of licence fee payers. But the manner in which some of the BBC's commercial revenue is generated, and the governance arrangements within which the BBC Worldwide operates, causes increasing concern. Worldwide has proved successful in recent years in exploiting new commercial opportunities, made possible by a loosening of the rules that govern the limits to its operations. However, there a balance to be drawn between Worldwide generating a return for the BBC, and limiting Worldwide's operations in order to ensure it upholds the BBC's reputation and does not damage its commercial competitors. Worldwide's minority stakes in overseas production companies, its controversial acquisition of Lonely Planet, and its growing portfolio of magazines, suggest that the balance has been tipped too far in favour of Worldwide's unrestricted expansion, jeopardising the reputation of the BBC and having an adverse impact on its commercial competitors. It is in the interests of the UK's creative economy as a whole that BBC Worldwide's activities are reined back. The BBC Trust should reinstate the rule that all BBC commercial activity must have a clear link with core BBC programming.
This report examines the operation and impact of the Licensing Act 2003. In conclusion the Committee makes several recommendations. These include: that the Government should, together with local authorities, licence applicants and other stakeholders, evaluate the licensing forms with the aim of making them more user friendly; that in the case of not for profit clubs only the bar area should be taking into account when assessing the rateable value of the premises; that sports clubs should be placed in a fee band based on 20 per cent of their rateable value; that a national database of licence holders be implanted and that the allowable period for transferring a personal licence due to death should be increased to 21 days; increasing the limit of Temporary Events Notices (TENs) to 15 per year whilst enhancing the ability to object to the granting of a TEN; that the density of venues in a particular area should always be taken into consideration when granting a premises licence; the exemption of venues with a capacity of 200 or less from the need to obtain a licence for the performance of live music and the reintroduction of the two in a bar exemption; the introduction of portable licences for circuses and possible exemption of certain low-risk small-scale travelling entertainments; the creation of a new category be created for adult clubs such as lap dancing clubs and that they be licensed, in accordance with Government proposals, under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act.
The Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill proposes substantial changes to the way that economic development policies are delivered. The four main proposals relating to economic development are: merging the existing regional economic and spatial strategies into a single integrated regional strategy, with local authorities and regional development agencies (RDAs) being jointly responsible for its drafting and agreement; giving local authorities the duty to undertake an economic assessment of their areas; devolving funding to local authorities to enable them, rather than RDAs, to deliver economic development policies; and encouraging collaboration between local authorities in delivering these policies. The Committee notes the strong support for a level of governance between central government and local authorities for the delivery of economic development policies and business support. The Committee would have liked more evidence about the effectiveness of RDAs and it is surprised the Government has proceeded with plans to restructure the way regional policy is made before the review of RDAs the Government has commissioned from PricewaterhouseCoopers is available. The Committee expresses concern over some proposals contained in the Bill: most importantly, there needs to be a proper balance between RDAs' business focus and the role of councillors in representing the views of their constituents. The proposals in the Bill about the relationship between RDAs and local authorities place too much weight on the views of RDAs and business interests, particularly during the drafting and agreement of the single integrated regional strategy. The role of local authorities - and of the communities they represent - must be strengthened. Many of the provisions of the Bill need clarifying.
The new Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (DBIS) was formed in June 2009 by the merger of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). This report looks back on the last departmental report of the old Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and considers the progress made in moving forward the new Department. The Committee welcomes the creation of the new Department which brings under one roof the business and further and higher education sectors. The Committee believes this could deliver significant potential benefits. The report examines the merger process, the delivery agencies, public service agreements and departmental strategic objectives, and future departmental reports and resource accounts. The report also focuses on the Automotive Assistance Scheme, designed primarily to support investment in low carbon plant and research and development. It welcomes the lowering of the limit of the Scheme from £5 million to £1 million, in line with its recommendation made in July, but is deeply concerned that not a single loan or loan guarantee has been made under the programme. The Committee calls on the Government to expedite its negotiations, and prove to the Committee and the automotive industry that the Scheme can provide tangible benefits to companies in the sector.
