Conclusions and recommendations
1. We
consistently make it our goal not just to scrutinise the performance
of departments, but to make constructive proposals which lead
to real improvements in the governance of Britain. We also seek
to pursue those proposals over time. In doing so, there are signs
that Committees in general, and this Committee in particular,
have had a real effect on people's lives. Our proposals on constitutional
reform are shaping Government thinking, and will no doubt shape
the law. Our recommendations on the vexed questions of propriety
and peerages aim to give the public greater confidence in Parliament.
Most directly, our work on following up the recommendations of
the Ombudsman has helped to bring justice to those who have suffered.
That we have helped more than 100,000 victims of pension scheme
wind-ups, ensuring that they will not retire into undeserved hardship,
is more than enough justification for our work. (Paragraph 8)
2. We were heartened
to learn that the Prime Minister apparently agrees that parties'
powers of patronage should be reduced, and that changes are needed
to the tests applied for prospective peers. We look forward to
seeing the Government's considered response to our Propriety and
Peerages report, which is due by mid-February 2008. (Paragraph
17)
3. We remain greatly
concerned by the Government's apparent willingness to contest
the Ombudsman's special status in determining whether maladministration
has occurred. (Paragraph 23)
4. some former civilian
internees during the Second World War remain excluded from compensation,
even under the new criteria. We continue to call for some independent
adjudication of the few individuals who continue to be excluded
but whose complaints seem, on the face of it, to be just. (Paragraph
24)
5. The Government's
acceptance of Sir Andrew Young's review's findings means that,
at long last, we feel able to say that justice has been done for
the victims of pension scheme wind-ups. Although this result
was a long time in coming, we recognise that this represents a
very significant commitment of public funds, albeit to a very
deserving cause. The continual pressure of this Committee, other
parliamentarians and tireless campaigners has paid off, and represents
a superb advertisement for what parliamentary democracy can achieve.
(Paragraph 29)
6. We are concerned
that the task of implementing the "public benefit" requirements
in the Charities Act 2006 is an essentially political task, involving
political judgements and accountability for those judgements.
As such, it is understandable if the Charity Commission is finding
it difficult. Although we are glad that they are involving us
in the process, there remain real issues of democratic legitimacy.
(Paragraph 37)
7. The Cabinet Office
has consistently failed to produce responses to our recent reports
within two months—quite often failing by a great distance.
While there may on occasion be good reason for this failure, the
cumulative effect has a negative impact on our ability to follow
up our work. We hope that there will be substantial improvements
in 2008. (Paragraph 50)
8. More constitutional
reforms may be on the table in 2008, whether they are greater
parliamentary oversight of prerogative powers, more independence
for ethical regulators, or changes arising out of questions about
propriety and peerages. We hope to be able to look back a year
from now on twelve months of significant change. (Paragraph 52)
| 
