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Chapter 1
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As a starting point, there are many useful sites for the main institutions of the British state and government. For example, see the monarchy (www.royal.gov.uk), the Anglican Church (www.cofe.anglican.org), the House of Commons and House of Lords (www.parliament.uk and www.explore.parliament.uk), the new Scottish Parliament (www.scottish.parliament.uk), the Welsh Assembly (www.assemblywales.org/) and the Northern Ireland government web site www.nics.gov.uk. Another useful introductory site related to British politics is www.historylearningsite.co.uk/gbpolitics.htm, which offers a comprehensive glossary of terms including liberal and representative democracy.
Political party sites
All the major political parties have web sites, and there are other sites that may be of interest to students of British politics such as www.bubl.ac.uk/uk/parties.htm. See also the following list and subsequent chapters.
Labour www.labour.org.uk
Conservative www.conservative-party.org.uk
Liberal Democrats www.libdems.org.uk
Scottish National Party www.snp.org.uk
Plaid Cymru www.plaidcymru.org/
(See Chapters 16 and 17 for more links to party sites).
Other sites of interest
www.direct.gov.uk is a good first point of entry for internet information on the public sector in the UK, as is www.number-10.gov.uk.
www.hmso.gov.uk for Her Majesty's Stationery Office, contains legislation, statutory instruments and other official government publications.
www.britannia.com is a private site on all things British, in particular see www.britannia.com/gov.
www.bankofengland.co.uk for the Bank of England.
Economic and social statistical data can be found at www.statistics.gov.uk. The Cabinet's site at www.cabinet-office.gov.uk provides valuable information on the ministerial structure, the Civil Service and the public sector. General information about British culture and traditions can be obtained from www.english-heritage.org.uk.Chapter 2
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There are a variety of excellent sites dealing with the historical evolution of British political, social and economic institutions. A comprehensive introduction to the major developments in different periods can be found at www.spartacus. schoolnet.co.uk. Useful material regarding political and social reforms is also available at www.britishhistory.about.com and this site also contains valuable information on foreign policy relevant to the British Empire.
Additional data can be obtained from www.academicinfo.net. For students willing to dig deeper into British history we suggest you visit the Historical Manuscripts Commission at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk.
British trade union sites
The Department of Trade and Industry offers constructive information on trade unions and collective rights at www.dti.gov.uk/er/union.htm. History and news about trade unions can be found at the Trades Union Congress site www.tuc.org.uk, the General Federation of Trade Unions www.gftu.org.uk and the public service workers' union www.unison.org.uk. See also The Guardian's special report on trade unions www.guardian.co.uk/unions/archive.
There are a variety of web sites from other trade unions in the UK: for example, the Communications Workers Union, www.cwu.org; the Transport and General Workers Union, www.tgwu.org.uk; the Public and Commercial Services Union, www.pcs.org.uk; the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union, www.bectu.org.uk; the University and College Union, www.ucu.org.uk; the National Union of Students, www.nus.org.uk.
International union sites
For students interested in the international union arena, you can visit the International Labour Organisation at www.ilo.org and also the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions web site at www.icftu.org. Valuable information on this topic is also obtainable from www.global-unions.org as well as www.etuc.org(European Trade Unions Confederation).Chapter 3
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For students interested in the historical development of economic theories and practices that shaped modern Britain, there is an excellent set of entries in the Economic History Network at www.historyofeconomics.org . Contemporary economic models of relevance to today's world are regularly discussed on the web site of the World Economic Forum www.weforum.org.
The main policy goals and achievements of economic and fiscal policy can be found at www.number-10.gov.uk; there are other relevant sites related to economic and fiscal policies. These include the Treasury site www.hm-treasury.gov.uk; the Bank of England, www.bankofengland.co.uk; and the Department of Trade and Industry, www.dti.gov.uk. It might also be worth looking at the British Chambers of Commerce web site at www.chamberonline.co.uk.
A number of societies and research groups provide critical assessments of economic theories such as the Institute of Fiscal Studies, www.ifs.org.uk; the National Institute for Economic and Social Research, www.niesr.ac.uk; the Centre for Economic Policy Research, www.cepr.org; the Adam Smith Society, www.adamsmith.org; the Institute for Economic Affairs, www.iea.org.uk; and DEMOS, www.demos.co.uk. The Financial Times, www.ft.com and the Economist, www.economist.com offer regular market, financial and economic analysis.Chapter 4
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For a comprehensive introduction to the core doctrines of the British constitution, see www.historylearningsite.co.uk/british_constitution.htm. There are also some sites containing information on the sources of constitutional authority. For example, the British Library offers an electronic version of Magna Carta at www.bl.uk/collections/treasures/magna.html and an interesting description of the 1689 Bill of Rights can be found at www.royal.gov.uk/output/page100.asp. The main governmental sites with constitutional information are www.dca.gov.uk/constitution/reform/pubs.htm and the Parliament site, www.parliament.uk.
Academic commentary and analysis on constitutional issues are available from the Constitution Unit at University College London, www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit. For careful and systemic evaluations of the state of British democracy, see www.democraticaudit.com .
For the implications of British EU membership on the constitution, see www.europa.eu.int and the Home Office at www.homeoffice.gov.uk. More specific information about the European Court of Justice is available from www.curia.europa.eu/en/transitpage.htm.Chapter 5
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For a comprehensive introduction to the core doctrines of the British constitution, see www.historylearningsite.co.uk/british_constitution.htm. There are also some sites containing information on the sources of constitutional authority. For example, the British Library offers an electronic version of Magna Carta at www.bl.uk/collections/treasures/magna.html and an interesting description of the 1689 Bill of Rights can be found at www.royal.gov.uk/output/page100.asp. The main governmental sites with constitutional information are www.dca.gov.uk/constitution/reform/pubs.htm and the Parliament site, www.parliament.uk.
Academic commentary and analysis on constitutional issues are available from the Constitution Unit at University College London, www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit. For careful and systemic evaluations of the state of British democracy, see www.democraticaudit.com .
For the implications of British EU membership on the constitution, see www.europa.eu.int and the Home Office at www.homeoffice.gov.uk. More specific information about the European Court of Justice is available from www.curia.europa.eu/en/transitpage.htm.Chapter 6
These are links to external websites over which Pearson Education has no control. Pearson Education cannot be held responsible for any content within these websites.
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A good way to start your research on the structure of ministries and departments is to visit the Cabinet Office web site www.cabinet-office.gov.uk and the direct government web site on www.direct.gov.uk where you will find a comprehensive description of the ministerial network and the organisation of the Civil Service. Web site addresses for Whitehall departments are listed in Table 6.1.
The official reference point for the Civil Service is their home page www. civilservice.gov.uk. In addition there are various sites where the functioning of the Civil Service is scrutinised. The FDA is the trade union and professional body for Britain's senior public servants (www.fda.org.uk). Using their search engine enables access to a variety of reports and articles on the Civil Service. Useful information is also available on www.epolitix.com (here again we recommend you use their search engine) and the Study of Parliament Group at www.spg.org.uk.Chapter 7
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The web has much information concerning the British Civil Service and its transformation. The British Council also offers interesting insights on the reform of the Civil Service (www.britcoun.org/governance). Since 1997, there have been major transformations in this area, for which the best source of information is the Cabinet Office web site www.cabinet-office.gov.uk and the Civil Service official site www.civilservice.gov.uk. A good deal of documentation on the renewal process can be obtained by using the search engine of the Archive of Official Documents web site at www.archive.official-documents.co.uk.
If you are interested in a comparative perspective on the reform of the Civil Service, visit the World Bank web site at www.worldbank.org/publicsector/ civilservice.
There are also many sites offering information on the myriad quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations (quangos). You can also check the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (www.ocpa.gov.uk). We suggest that you also visit the Committee on Standards in Public Life (www.public-standards.gov.uk) and the Local Government Association (www.lga.gov.uk). Academic analysis of public administration can be obtained from www.sourceuk.net/ indexf.html.
Her Majesty's Stationery Office (www.hmso.gov.uk) has full documentation on the Local Government Act 1992 and the Citizen's Charter. Visit the Council of Europe site (www.coe.fr/ index.asp) for the full text of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights. Reports on the quality of British democracy in general can be found at www.democratic.org.uk. For comments and feedback on the public sector and its management, visit www.publicnet.co.uk.
Chapter 8
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The amount of information on the European Union in general, and the role Britain plays in it, increases almost on a daily basis. There are certain web sites that can be regarded as thresholds for entering into this debate.
The Labour Party (www.labour.org.uk) sets out what is essentially the government's view and the pro-integration lobby is exemplified by the views of organisations such as the European Movement at www.euromove.org.uk and the coalition known as Britain in Europe (www.britainineurope.org.uk); you can also visit the Young European Movement at www.yem.org.uk.
The Conservative Party (www.conservative-party.org.uk) reflects the views of the 'Eurosceptic' position. Other groups on this side of the debate provide material at Youth for a Free Europe (www.free-europe.org.uk), the Bruges Group (www.brugesgroup.com), the Democracy Movement (www.democracy-movement.com) and the Libertarian Alliance (www.libertarian.co.uk).
For excellent media coverage of the debate, see the Guardian's special reports on Britain and the EU (www.politics.guardian.co.uk/eu), Britain and the euro (www.politics.guardian.co.uk/euro) and the more general report on European integration (www.guardian.co.uk/eu). Daily news reports and comments on European affairs are available from www.euobserver.com. You might also want to visit www.europolls.co.ukfor information on opinion polls. The official EU website is www.europa.eu.int.Chapter 9
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The impact of the European Union in the design and implementation of governmental policies in Britain cannot be underestimated. In our previous chapter we focused on the conflicts that such influence may engender with the United Kingdom. Now we can suggest some useful web sites on the structure and functioning of the European Union and its impact on Britain.
The inevitable first step is to visit the EU official web site at www.europa.eu.int/ index_en.htm, where you can find links to the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers, the European Commission and other relevant institutions. We suggest you consult the European Committee of the Regions (www.cor.europa.eu/) and the European Economic and Social Committee (www.eesc.europa.eu/). Reliable statistical data on the EU is available at www.europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat. The official publications of the EU can be accessed from www.euros.ch.
For official British policy towards Europe, visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office site (www.fco.gov.uk). You might also want to visit the European Foundation at www.europeanfoundation.org.
An excellent source for academic approaches to the EU is the European Research Papers Archive (www.eiop.or.at/erpa/). Visit also the Centre for European Reform (www.cer.org.uk) and the working papers of the Jean Monnet Programme (www.jeanmonnetprogram.org).Chapter 10
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Specific sites on Northern Ireland are Northern Ireland Government (www.nio.gov.uk); Official Documents (www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/19980047.htm); CAIN web site (www.cain.ulst.ac.uk/) and the Mitchell Report (www.irishnews.com/mitchell.html). See also the Constitution Unit web site (www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit).
Chapter 11
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The question of devolution and regional politics in the United Kingdom has become a central component of the political agenda. There are many sites covering aspects of this process. Highly valuable information and feedback on devolution can be found at www.devolution.info, www.devolve.org. For an excellent source of academic research on devolution and constitutional change, see www.devolution.ac.uk. You might also be interested in media coverage; if so, visit www.guardian.co.uk/Devolution.
Specific sites on Scotland
Government: www.scotland.gov.uk
National Archives of Scotland: www.nas.gov.uk
Institute of Governance – University of Edinburgh: www.institute-of-governance.org
Scottish affairs: www.scottishaffairs.org
Scottish Independence web server: www.forscotland.com
Specific sites on Wales
Government: www.wales.gov.uk
Wales official legislation: www.wales-legislation.hmso.gov.uk
Specific sites on England
English petition online: www.petitiononline.com/engfree/petition.html
Specific sites on Northern Ireland
Government: www.nio.gov.uk
Official documents: www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/19980047.htm
CAIN web site: www.cain.ulst.ac.uk/
Mitchell Report: www.irishnews.com/mitchell.html
Specific sites on the Greater London Authority
Information about the mayor and other aspects of the work of the Greater London Authority can be accessed via the comprehensive web site at www.london.gov.uk. For example, material concerning City Hall, the purposebuilt centre for the authority, can be found at www.london.gov.uk/gla/city_hall/ and data on the authority and its members can be accessed directly via www.london.gov.uk/assembly/.Chapter 12
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Although Britain has a highly centralised form of government, local councils offer a fundamental channel of representation for citizens. The first step is to visit the Local Government Association (www.lga.gov.uk) and the New Local Government Network (www.nlgn.org.uk). The Central and Local Government Information Partnership was set up to enable central and local government to work together to develop an efficient and effective infrastructure for policy development, implementation, monitoring and reporting – visit their web site at www.clip.gov.uk. The Improvement and Development Agency was established by and for local government in April 1999; its mission is to support self-sustaining improvement from within local government – visit them at www.idea.gov.uk.
The local government ombudsman (www.lgo.org.uk) investigates complaints of injustice arising from misadministration by local authorities and certain other bodies. The Institute of Local Government Studies (University of Birmingham) provides valuable academic insights into the problems arising in relation to local government and administration. Visit also the National Association of Local Councils at www.nalc.gov.uk.
There are also a number of independent associations engaged in the expansion of local democracy; a good example is Localis (www.www.localis.org.uk).Chapter 13
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Before visiting specific pressure groups' web sites, you might want to log on to www.historylearningsite.co.uk/pressure_groups.htm where you can find basic answers to questions such as: What are pressure groups? How do they influence democratic performance? What is pluralism?
There are tens of thousands of pressure groups in Britain, many of them with web sites, and some with excellent and innovative ones. In the following list you can find samples of those with particularly good web sites and those mentioned in the chapter. Each site will provide basic information about the group, such as its history, objectives, activities and the ways in which you can become involved.
Action on Smoking and Health: www.ash.org
Amnesty International: www.amnesty.org
Black Information Link: www.blink.org.uk
British Medical Association: www.bma.org.uk
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament: www.cnduk.org
Campaign for an Independent Britain: www.bullen.demon.co.uk
Charter 88: www.charter88.org.uk
Child Poverty Action Group: www.homelesspages.org.uk
Chronicle World (changing Black Britain): www.chronicleworld.org
Commonwealth Foundation: www.commonwealthfoundation.com
Compassion in World Farming: www.ciwf.co.uk
Confederation of British Industry: www.cbi.org.uk
Conservation International: www.conservation.org/xp/CIWEB/home
Country Landowners' Association: www.cla.org.uk
Countryside Alliance: www.countryside-alliance.org
Friends of the Earth: www.foe.co.uk
Greenpeace: www.greenpeace.org/homepage
International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives: www.iclei.org
League Against Cruel Sports: www.league.uk.com
Local Government Association: www.lga.gov.uk
Mind: www.mind.org.uk
National Farmers' Union: www.nfu.org.uk
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children: www.nspcc.org.uk
National Trust: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Nexus: www.netnexus.org/nexus
Press for Change: www.pfc.org.uk
Royal National Institute for the Blind: www.rnib.org.uk
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds: www.rspb.org.uk
Shelter: www.shelter.org.uk
World Conservation Monitoring Centre: www.unep-wcmc.org
World Council of Churches: www.wcc-coe.orgChapter 14
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There is sound evidence of the enormous influence that mass media has on every aspect of contemporary British politics. In this section you will find links to Britain's most important media sites as well as links to academic and professional associations engaged in the analysis of the effects of mass media in contemporary Britain. The government's Office of Telecommunications is the United Kingdom's regulator for the telecommunications industry (www.oftel.gov.uk). There are other web sites for Britain's chief media regulators; these include the Broadcasting Standards Commission (www.bsc.org.uk), the Advertising Standards Authority (www.asa.org.uk), the Information Commissioner (who is responsible for data protection and freedom of information) (www.dataprotection.gov.uk), the Internet Watch Foundation (www.iwf.org.uk) and the Press Complaints Commission (www.pcc.org.uk). OFCOM's new site is www.ofcom.org.uk.
There are also independent associations aimed at improving the quality of media coverage, some of them include the Campaign for Freedom of Information (www.cfoi.org.uk), the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom (www.keywords.dsvr.co.uk/freepress/index.html), the Community Media Association (www.commedia.org.uk), the Presswise Trust (www.presswise.org.uk), Indymedia (www.uk.indymedia.org) and Media UK (www.mediauk.com). Some of the unions representing media workers include Unison (www.unison.org.uk), the National Union of Journalists (www.nuj.org.uk) and BECTU (www.bectu.org.uk).
You also might want to visit www.newscorp.com where you can find useful information on media ownership in the United Kingdom. Interesting insights are also available from the Press Association (www.pa.press.net). At www.cultsock.ndirect.co.uk/MUHome/cshtml/ you can find an impressive number of links and resources for all issues related to mass media.
A very comprehensive and fully updated list of Britain's newspapers, magazines, TV and radio stations can be found at www.rapidtree.com.
Chapter 15
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We strongly recommend that you visit the government's Electoral Commission web site (www.electoralcommission.gov.uk). Among other important aspects here you will find an ongoing consultation on the way elections are financed. The Election Page (www.election.demon.co.uk) offers thorough coverage of all British elections with additional links. As the next general election approaches, all the political parties will publish their manifestos on the web (see Chapters 16 and 17 for site details, or consult Richard Kimber's Political Science Resource Pages at www.psr.keele.ac.uk). The Democratic UK site (www.democratic.org.uk) has information on alternative electoral systems, including online election demonstrations for the devolved assemblies. For more general information on British voting behaviour and public opinion, see Market and Opinion Research International (MORI) (www.mori.com), which includes a digest of polls published by other companies, ICM (www.icmresearch.co.uk) and Yougov (www.yougov.com). For data sets on British attitudes and public opinion, see the British Election Study (www.essex.ac.uk/bes) and the UK Data Archive (www.data-archive.ac.uk), both at the University of Essex, and the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at the University of Michigan (www.icpsr.umich.edu). For comparative information about elections, voting patterns, electoral systems and electoral administration in other countries, consult the excellent web site of the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) (www.idea.int). See also www.pippanorris.com for papers and data on many aspects of elections and links to other sites, and www.electionworld.org for information on elections in many countries.
For Scottish elections results and analysis, visit www.election.scotsman.com; for Northern Ireland, www.ark.ac.uk/elections; and for Wales, www.wales.gov.uk. There are also many sites engaged in analysis and proposals for electoral reform - one useful site being Direct Vote (www.myweb.tiscali.co.uk/voter/).Chapter 16
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The main political parties in Britain include, in alphabetical order:
Conservative Party: www.conservative-party.org.uk
Democratic Unionist Party: www.dup.org.uk
Labour Party: www.labour.org.uk
Liberal Democrats: www.libdems.org.uk
Plaid Cymru: www.plaidcymru.org
Progressive Unionist Party (NI): http://www.pup-ni.org.uk
Provisional Sinn Fein: www.sinnfein.ie
Scottish National Party: www.snp.org.uk
Social Democratic and Labour Party: www.sdlp.ie
Ulster Unionist Party: www.uup.org
Other web sites of interest include:
Conservatives: The Bow Group (www.bowgroup.org), the Eurosceptic Bruges Group (www.brugesgroup.com), the right-wing Monday Club (www.conservativeuk.com).
Labour: The Fabian Society (www.fabian-society.org.uk), the Tribune newspaper (www.tribweb.co.uk), theNew Labour Renewal journal (www.renewal.org.uk), the left-wing Campaign Group (www.poptel.org.uk/scgn), Campaign for Labour Party Democracy (www.home.freeuk.net/clpd), the far-left Militant (www.militant.org.uk).
Liberal Democrats: The Liberator (www.liberator.org.uk).Chapter 17
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There are a number of political ideology sites that cover Britain and the world. The Keele Guide to Political Thought and Ideology on the Internet (www.keele.ac.uk/depts/por/ptbase.htm) is an A–Z guide to political thought, theory and ideologies. In addition to this you can also visit the Social Science Information Gateway (www.sosig.ac.uk/roads/subject-listing/World-cat/polideol.html) for a general introduction to the leading currents in political thought.
In more specific terms, the LockeSmith Institute offers an excellent account of the formative years and historic development of classical Liberalism (www.belmont.edu/lockesmith/); on the same topic, very interesting insights can be found in the Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy (www.plato.stanford.edu/entries/liberalism/). With regard to neo-liberal theory, a brief historical account of its evolution can be found at www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/FreeTrade/Neoliberalism.asp and a more academic approach is available at www.globalpolicy.org/globaliz/econ/histneol.htm. The main trends within Conservatism and its potential evolution are described and critically assessed in www.ukconservatism.freeuk.com. A very insightful analysis of the main currents within Marxism is available from the above-mentioned web site of Keele University.
Concerning the specific ideological features of the main British parties, a good deal of information can be obtained from a careful reading of the political speeches given by their respective leaders.
A complete list of party manifestos since 1945 is available at www.psa.ac.uk.
Data collected by the party manifestos project (Budge et al.) that codes and counts party policy commitments is available from the book Mapping Policy Preferences (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001) and its associated CD-ROM.Chapter 18
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For a complete list of political parties' web sites see Chapter 16 of this book. The Westminster parliamentary structure is described thoroughly in www.parliament.uk, which also provides general information on representative democracy in the United Kingdom as well as in-depth information on both chambers and their members. Acts of the UK Parliament are available at Her Majesty's Stationery Office (www.hmso.gov.uk/acts.htm). POLIS is the Parliamentary Online Indexing Service (www.polis.parliament.uk); it provides an excellent database on all sorts of issues related to parliamentary activities in the United Kingdom. Other useful information about Parliament may be obtained from the Committee on Standards in Public Life (www.public-standards.gov.uk).
For information on the Scottish Parliament, visit www.scottish.parliament.uk. Information on the Welsh Assembly is available at www.wales.gov.uk; for data on the Northern Ireland Assembly, visit www.ni-assembly.gov.uk. The institutional structure and the list of members of the European Parliament are available at www.europarl.eu.int; for a more specific search, visit the UK Office of the European Parliament at www.europarl.org.uk/uk_meps/MembersMain.htm.
The best (and certainly the most fun) source of information about what is happening in Parliament is www.revolts.co.uk (which is run by Philip Cowley of the University of Nottingham). The web pages contain discussion papers, updates and even competitions.
In addition to the parties themselves, there are many institutions devoted to the design of the parties' political agendas and their implementation through Parliament. In this respect, it might be worth looking at some of the issues raised by some of the most prestigious think tanks in the United Kingdom. The Centre for Policy Studies is closely related to the Conservative Party. On its web site you will be able to find a wide range of academic articles combining policy making and conservatism; visit it at www.cps.org.uk. Finally, the Fabian Society (www.fabian-society.org.uk/int.asp) and the Institute for Public Policy Research (www.ippr.org) are quite representative of New Labour thinking.Chapter 19
All links provided below were active on website launch. However, due to the dynamic nature of the Internet, links do occasionally become inactive. If you find a link that has become inactive, please try using a search engine to locate the website in question.
As a first step we suggest that you visit the web site for the Department for Constitutional Affairs (www.dca.gov.uk). This contains a large amount of information about the structure of the courts, the case load and judicial appointments. For more specific information on legal issues visit www.judiciary.gov.uk or the Government Legal Service at www.gls.gov.uk. It might also be worth looking at the web site of the Law Commission for England and Wales (www.lawcom.gov.uk). In addition, the Government's Court Service (www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk) is an executive agency of the Lord Chancellor's Department. It covers policy, legislation and the magistrates' courts' activities. The Crown Prosecution Service is responsible for prosecuting people in England and Wales charged by the police with a criminal offence; visit them at www.cps.gov.uk.
The process of European integration has strengthened the influence of the European Union in the functioning of the legal systems of all its country members. Visit the European Court of Justice at http://curia.europa.eu/. On the web site of the Council of Europe (www.coe.int) you have access to the full text of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights; the Human Rights Act is available at www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/19980042.htm. The International Court of Justice represents a crucial step towards juridical globalisation; their web site is available at www.icj-cij.org.
A great deal of information and critical analysis is available from the Judicial Studies Board (www.jsboard.co.uk) and the Law Society (www.lawsociety.org.uk). Justice is one of the UK's leading legal and human rights organisations. You can visit it at www.justice.org.uk. You can also visit Liberty's web page (www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk).Chapter 20
These are links to external websites over which Pearson Education has no control. Pearson Education cannot be held responsible for any content within these websites.
All links provided below were active on website launch. However, due to the dynamic nature of the Internet, links do occasionally become inactive. If you find a link that has become inactive, please try using a search engine to locate the website in question.
There are a number of very good web sites that cover key aspects of police, policing and crime in the United Kingdom. The first stop for students is the web site for the police services of the UK (www.police.uk). The Metropolitan Police web site is available at www.met.police.uk.
The government maintains an individual web site on police reform (www.policereform.gov.uk).
Rethinking Crime and Punishment (www.rethinking.org.uk) is an independent organisation that aims to raise the level of public debate about the use of prison and alternative forms of punishment in the UK. You can also obtain useful information on crime and the strategies oriented to prevent it at www.crimeconcern.org.uk. The Independent Police Complaints Commission web site is available at www.ipcc.gov.uk.
Chapter 21
All links provided below were active on website launch. However, due to the dynamic nature of the Internet, links do occasionally become inactive. If you find a link that has become inactive, please try using a search engine to locate the website in question.
In the wake of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, issues related to intelligence and security have become more important than ever before. Global security provides an excellent introduction to the organisation and the different institutions of Britain's intelligence agencies at www.globalsecurity.org. The official web site of MI5 can be found at www.mi5.gov.uk, and of GCHQ at www.gchq.gov.uk. A great deal of information about the National Criminal Intelligence Service is available from www.ncis.co.uk. It is worth consulting the United Kingdom mission to the UN at www.ukun.org. Official documentation on the national intelligence machinery can be obtained from www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/ document/caboff/nim/natint.htm. The full text of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 can be obtained from www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2001/20010024.htm, the Official Secrets Act 1989 is on www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/ acts1989/Ukpga_19890006_en_1.htm and for the Security Services Act 1996 visit www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1996/1996035.htm.
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 is available at www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/20000036.htm. The Information Commissioner (www.dataprotection.gov.uk) enforces and oversees the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The Campaign for Freedom of Information monitors existing access rights and provides practical guides to help people use them; visit it at www.cfoi.org.uk. Liberty is an independent organisation devoted to the protection of civil liberties and human rights; its web site is available at www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk.
Chapter 22
For a specific site, we suggest you start by looking at the Ministry of Defence site at www.mod.uk; in its 'about us' section you can find a full list of links to all the main defence institutions in the UK. In addition the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (www.fco.gov.uk) provides insightful information on global and regional foreign relations. The Department for International Development (DFID) is the UK's government department working to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty; visit it at www.dfid.gov.uk. The 2001–2 publications of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee can be obtained from www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmfaff.htm.
Britain has always been substantially involved in a series of international organisations. Currently the process of European integration occupies a privileged place on the agenda; the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has an excellent section on the relations between Britain and the EU, you can find it at www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029391674. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is the largest regional security organisation in the world. It is active in early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation. Visit its web site at www.osce.org.
It is also worth visiting the web sites of the major international organisations in which Britain participates. The European Union (www.europa.eu.int), NATO (www.nato.int), the Council of Europe (www.coe.int) and the United Nations (www.un.org). We suggest you also visit the Royal Institute of International Affairs (www.riia.org).
Chapter 23
The protection of the environment has acquired a central role in the government's agenda in the last decade. There are many web sites of institutions dealing with environmental policies. The first stop is the government's Environment Agency (www.environment-agency.gov.uk) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at www.defra.gov.uk. The Institute for European Environmental Policy (www.ieep.org.uk) is an independent organisation dedicated to the analysis and development of European environmental policy. Environmental Data Services (www.ends.co.uk) is an independent publisher; on its web site you have access to daily information on a wide variety of topics related to environmental policies and strategies; it also provides excellent links to sites devoted to the analysis of issues such as air pollution, waste and recycling, and environmental law. You can access it from www.ends.co.uk/links/index.htm.
The Policy Library (www.policylibrary.com/environment/index.htm) offers a very comprehensive section on environmental policies. The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (www.cieh.org) is a professional and educational body, dedicated to the promotion of environmental health.
The Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment is based at the University of East Anglia. It works with the aim of mitigating environmental problems in both developed and developing economies; visit the centre at www.uea.ac.uk/env/cserge/. You can also visit the Environmental Change Institute at Oxford University (www.eci.ox.ac.uk). For information on legal aspects of environmental protection, visit the US-based Environmental Law Institute (www.eli.org).
In Chapter 13 of this edition you can find a comprehensive list of web sites belonging to pressure groups in the UK, which includes a wide variety of nongovernmental organisations, interest groups and social movements devoted to the protection of the environment. Some of the most important ones are Friends of the Earth (www.foe.org) and Greenpeace International (www.greenpeace.org).
Chapter 24
In Britain, economic and fiscal policy is dominated by the Chancellor of the Exchequer; the main policy goals and achievements can be found at www.number-10.gov.uk. There are other relevant sites related to economic and fiscal policies, including the Treasury site (www.hm-treasury.gov.uk), the Bank of England (www.bankofengland.co.uk) and the Department of Trade and Industry www.dti.gov.uk. Some useful information is available at the government's Centre for Management and Policy Studies (www.cmps.gov.uk). It might also be worth looking at the British Chambers of Commerce (www.chamberonline.co.uk). The Confederation of British Industries is at www.cbi.org.uk. You can find the Trade Union Congress at www.tuc.org.uk.
There are a number of think tanks and research groups where economic theories receive critical assessment. Some of them are: the Institute of Fiscal Studies (www.ifs.org.uk), the National Institute for Economic and Social Research (www.niesr.ac.uk), the Centre for Economic Policy Research (www.cepr.org), the Adam Smith Institute (www.adamsmith.org.) and the Institute for Economic Affairs (www.iea.org.uk). The Financial Times (www.ft.com) and the Economist (www.economist.com) offer regular market, financial and economic analysis.
In the Policy Library web site, under the entry on economic policy, you can find an excellent set of resources on topics such as agriculture, employment, business and taxation. We strongly suggest you visit the site at www.policylibrary.com.
Chapter 25
In general, social policy concerns the health, education and welfare of British citizens. The most important governmental institutions related to social policy are the Department of Health (www.doh.gov.uk), the Department for Education and Skills (www.dfes.gov.uk), the Department for Work and Pensions (www.dwp.gov.uk) and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Housing and Housing Policy section (www.housing.odpm.gov.uk). New Deal is a key part of the government's welfare to work strategy; its web site is available at www.newdeal.gov.uk. Information on social policies for children is available from the Child Support Agency (www.csa.gov.uk).
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (www.jrf.org.uk) is one of the largest social policy research and development charities in the UK; its web site provides excellent information on housing, education, child support and other important areas. The New Policy Institute maintains a web site devoted to the monitoring of poverty in the UK; among other valuable sources it offers a good deal of statistical information on income distribution. Visit it at www.poverty.org.uk. There are a variety of other sites that can prove useful for a proper understanding of how social policy works in Britain, including the National Health Service (www.nhs.uk), the Social Security and Child Support Commissioners (www.osscsc.gov.uk) and the Pension Service (www.thepensionservice.gov.uk).
In addition, you can consult the National Health Service Confederation (www.nhsconfed.org), the Association of University Teachers (www.aut.org.uk) and the National Institute for Social Work (www.nisw.org.uk).
Chapter 26
Equal opportunities for women, ethnic minorities, disabled people and those with alternative sexual orientations have become important issues for government and politics in Britain. A good starting point is the government's Commission for Racial Equality (www.cre.gov.uk) and the Equal Opportunities Commission (www.eoc.org.uk); it is also recommendable to check the Women and Equality Unit (www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk), and the Women's National Commission (www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/wnc). Her Majesty's Stationery Office (www.hmso.gov.uk) has official statistics on labour force trends with respect to race, gender and disability. Funded through the European Social Fund, Equal is an initiative which tests and promotes new means of combating all forms of discrimination and inequalities in the labour market; visit it at www.equal.ecotec.co.uk. The TUC campaigns against discrimination at work and in wider society. It has a special section devoted to equality at www.tuc.org.uk/equality.
Liberty (www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk) is an independent organisation devoted to the protection of civil rights and the promotion of equal treatment humans. For the protection of people with disabilities, visit the Disability Net at www.disabilitynet.co.uk. A variety of organisations aim to promote equal treatment for gays, lesbians and transgendered people; one of them is Stonewall (www.stonewall.org.uk).
Chapter 27
British democracy and politics are changing at a pace hardly ever seen before. A wide variety of issues that were regarded as secondary in the past have come to occupy the very centre of the political scene. Students of politics in Britain and around the world have privileged access through the internet to the ideological debates, decision-making processes and legislative bodies where these changes occur. One of the leading arguments for changes in the UK system relates to the widening of political participation. Most of the decisions taken in this respect are available from www.number-10.gov.uk. However, the government is not the only institution putting forward strategies for change; every political party has its own way of conceiving a 'wider democracy'. A full list of the main political parties in Britain is available from www.bubl.ac.uk/uk/parties.htm.
The main advocate of constitutional reform in the UK is Charter88, whose web site is available at www.charter88.org.uk.