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Tag: 2009

  • HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Dr Mong Joon Chung welcomed to Downing Street [December 2009]

    HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Dr Mong Joon Chung welcomed to Downing Street [December 2009]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 7 December 2009.

    The Prime Minister has met Dr Mong Joon Chung, vice-President of FIFA and chairman of the ruling Grand National Party in South Korea, at Downing Street.

    Gordon Brown and Dr Chung discussed their cooperation in taking forward the G20 agenda as South Korea takes over the Chairmanship in January.

    Before the meeting the PM said they would also discuss England’s bid for the World Cup in 2018.

    “We have an outstanding bid, world-leading facilities and infrastructure, and a country that is totally united in its determination to bring the world cup to England.

    I look forward to discussing the 2018 bid with Dr. Chung, and will be reiterating to him that the government will offer its fullest support to give our bid the best prospects of success.”

  • HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Putting the frontline first – Smarter Government and Technology [December 2009]

    HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Putting the frontline first – Smarter Government and Technology [December 2009]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 7 December 2009.

    The Prime Minister has outlined plans for improving frontline services, increasing Government efficiency, and using technology to help hospitals, schools and police forces get better value for money.

    During a speech titled “Putting the frontline first: Smarter Government”, Gordon Brown said identifying more efficient  ways of working will deliver savings in excess of £12 billion over the next four years, including £3 billion of new efficiency savings identified since the budget.

    The PM said the UK is now entering the third generation of public services where power will shift to the users of public services.

    He said every citizen from next year will have access to information on the performance of public services including hospitals and schools. And within five years, the Government also plans to shift the majority of large transactional services online.

    “This increased transparency and accountability will enable citizens to compare local services, lobby for improvements, choose providers and demand changes in service delivery – with the web as a powerful new tool for sharing customer experience – in the same way that social networking sites provoke debate and discussion and mobilise opinion.”

    Mr Brown said the goal was to make government and institutions both responsible and responsive to the British people.

    • During the speech the PM also announced plans to:
    • Cut the senior civil service pay bill by up to 20 per cent over three years to release savings of £100 million a year.
    • Halve Whitehall spending on consultancy, and reduce spending on marketing by a quarter – in total, an annual saving of £650 million.
    • Merge or abolish 123 government arms length bodies with the remainder subjected to greater oversight, with a view to save a further £500 million a year.
    • Relocate more staff outside London and the south east.
  • Gordon Brown – 2009 Speech to Christian Tea Party

    Gordon Brown – 2009 Speech to Christian Tea Party

    The speech made by Gordon Brown, the then Prime Minister, on 7 December 2009.

    At the centre of our society, perhaps more so than any other country I know in Western Europe, is the belief that churches and faith have a role. At the centre of our society is the belief that the legitimate public debate is how we interpret our Christian values and our faiths to make for a better society. At the centre of that is also a sense that families are important. What we can do to support family life in this country is absolutely crucial.

    While there may be controversies about individual issues, where I am happy to join the debate and look at anything that people think needs to be changed to make for a better society, let us not forget that this is a country where the Christian values that were so important over all the centuries are still right at the centre of our national life. Never forget that, when we are reading newspapers or watching television, whatever you see day to day, there are issues far more important than the day-to-day coverage of individual events. They are the basic values that underpin our society.

    Of all the faiths of the world, each one of them has at its centre this sense that we have responsibility to other people. We have a duty to treat people fairly and are our brothers’ and sisters’ keeper. That is as true for what we do in our local neighbourhoods and communities as it is for the duties that we owe to people in the poorest parts of the world.

    All of us, in our own different ways, for the largest of causes, can make a difference by what we do as individuals. As climate change, debt relief or tackling poverty prove, it is not about leaders and politicians, or people who are an elite or separate from ordinary people. It is about all of us doing this together.

  • Gordon Brown – 2009 Speech to the British Racing Drivers’ Club

    Gordon Brown – 2009 Speech to the British Racing Drivers’ Club

    The speech made by Gordon Brown, the then Prime Minister, on 7 December 2009.

    Prime Minister:

    Ladies and gentlemen, let me say first of all what a great pleasure it is to be here today. Indeed, it is a great privilege to be here today. The first person I want to thank is the President of the British Racing Drivers’ Club for all the work he does not only on behalf of motor racing, but on behalf of Britain. Damon Hill, thank you very much for everything that you do. I want to acknowledge here a very good friend of mine who has done a huge amount, not just in Britain but in every part of the world, to promote sport: Sir Jackie Stewart. Jackie, thank you for everything that you do. There is another champion here who has done so much over so many years for the sport, and is seen as a legendary figure right across the country, Stirling Moss. It is a great pleasure to have you here today, and to thank you for everything that you do.

    It is a particular privilege for me to be here on the day when we are announcing that Silverstone, the first racing track to have a world championship race in 1950, will now have for another seventeen years the British Grand Prix. I believe that all those who have contributed to that success and to that announcement today deserve our praise. It puts Britain right at the centre of world racing for seventeen years to come. Thank you all for what you’ve achieved.

    Now it is a particular honour and privilege to be back for the second year running, to be able to say that we have a British world champion in motor racing, and to say how proud not only those who are sportsmen and sportswomen feel, but how proud our whole country feels. Motor racing is one of the sports. Since I was young, I have followed the fortunes of Jim Clark, and then Stirling Moss, and then Graham Hill, and then Jackie Stewart; more recently, James Hunt, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill – all the great motor racing drivers that we have had, and there are many more.

    What motor racing does is combine the great sporting talent of individuals, who are the drivers themselves, with the brilliant teamwork for which Britain is famous as well: the engineering and the team genius that makes up for a successful motor racing team.

    Jenson Button had probably one of the most difficult starts to a season that a driver could ever have had. He had to fight back against the loss of his team to start with. He took a salary cut. He fought back, and then had a brilliant start to the season, and then went on to win at the Brazilian motor racing championship, the World Championship, for the first time. Jenson, we are so proud of everything that you have achieved.

    We are proud of the brilliant boys at Brawn winning the Constructors’ Championship too. For many years, Formula 1 has been a beacon of the UK’s engineering and innovation capabilities. That is why we are so proud of everything that is achieved. Jenson and Lewis Hamilton will be working together next year, and to be able to say today that we have a world champion in whom we have so much pride, who fought back against all the odds, who achieved something when some people thought at the beginning of the season it was impossible: Jenson, the whole country is proud of you, and I ask you to come to the stage to receive the trophy, the Richard Seaman trophy. You are a brilliant ambassador for British sport, and I thank you for what you are doing.

  • HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister Gordon Brown presents award to Jenson Button [December 2009]

    HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister Gordon Brown presents award to Jenson Button [December 2009]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 7 December 2009.

    The Prime Minister has presented an award to Formula 1 driver Jenson Button recognising his championship-winning performance this year.

    Gordon Brown told guests at the annual British Racing Drivers’ Club Awards that the driver was a “brilliant ambassador for British sport” before presenting him with the Richard Seaman Trophy, named after the pre-war Grand Prix driver.

    Last year, the Prime Minister presented the same award to last year’s F1 champion Lewis Hamilton.

    Speaking at this year’s ceremony, the PM said:

    “What motor racing does is combine the great sporting talent of individuals, who are the drivers themselves, with the brilliant teamwork for which Britain is famous as well: the engineering and the team genius that makes up for a successful motor racing team. Jenson Button had probably one of the most difficult starts to a season that a driver could ever have had. He had to fight back against the loss of his team to start with. He took a salary cut. He fought back, and then had a brilliant start to the season, and then went on to win.”

    The awards came on the day that it was announced that the British Grand Prix will remain at Silverstone for the next 17 years.

    The PM said:

    “I believe that all those who have contributed to that success and to that announcement today deserve our praise. It puts Britain right at the centre of world racing for seventeen years to come.”

  • Jim Murphy – 2009 Webchat on Scotland’s Future in the United Kingdom

    Jim Murphy – 2009 Webchat on Scotland’s Future in the United Kingdom

    The text of the webchat with Jim Murphy, the then Secretary of State for Scotland, on 8 December 2009.

    Quintin Oliver: Sitting here in Belfast, and pondering a Scottish referendum on independence (however unlikely), where would separation leave Ulster Unionism? Cleaving to England alone? or maintaining the East-West link and waving yet more Saltires over here?

    Jim replies: Hello Quintin

    Thanks for your message.

    Support for Scotland staying part of the UK has increased in recent months. It seems that the longer the current administration in the Scottish Government are in power the lower the support for their policy of separation becomes. If there were ever to be a referendum the polls show that most Scots support Scotland remaining part of the Union. So your concerns about Scotland’s place in the UK are shared by most Scots.

    john paterson: Can you please tell me why on earth we still have a Scotland Minister and what does the role entail, given we have a Scottish Government? thank you

    Jim replies: We made a mistake in making the job of Secretary of State for Scotland a part time role. Wales and Northern Ireland have full time Cabinet Ministers and Scotland is no less important than Wales and Northern Ireland. At a time of the recession it is crucial that Scotland has a voice in the Cabinet speaking up for Scotland. But ultimately it’s not for me to decide the value of the role. It’s for the people of Scotland. They will be the judge.

    JIM LAMB: I would like to see Scotland along with Wales And Northern Ireland.Go COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT from England.That means that they pay thier own pensions,social security payments,medical care,education.EVERYTHING A independent country has to pay for it’s OWN people.A mirgration system set up that a visa would have to be sort for people that want to live or work in England.But would exclude any unemployment or social bennifits. All health care would have to be paid for.This would apply to ALL imigrants to England.The English people are fed up of having to pay taxes to countries in this so called United Kingdom,that want independece,but still want billions of assistance from England.What free education does Scotland boast about,when the English pay for it?And when Scots go to English uni’s they get it free.When English students go to uni’s in Scotland they have to pay.That is rubbish and needs to stop.The English people want to be COMPLETLY INDEPENDENT,the United Kingdom needs to be disbanded as soon as possible.James A Lamb.

    Jim replies: Thanks for getting in touch James but I don’t agree with your view. The Union of the United Kingdom is a great success and has seen us through difficult times in the past. At these difficult economic times we are stronger together. The UK is the most successful Union of Nations in the world and despite the cultural differences we still have so much in common. We are better together and our best days can still be ahead of us.

    Ulysses: Why not have a devolved Parliament for the English?

    Jim replies: That’s up to the people in the regions of England and we had a referendum on regional assemblies in the North East of England and they voted no. So that hasn’t gone any further.

    Sam Harpendon: Isn’t there a tension in your white paper where on one hand further powers are being offered to Holyrood, but on another hand, you’re also seeking to take back a number of powers? What’s the message there?

    Jim replies: Thanks Sam.  The aim is to have the power exercised where it makes most sense. So we propose more financial powers for Edinburgh and further devolution in certain areas. You are also right to say some things are better being done again at a UK level which is why we are “re-reserving” them. The full list of proposed changes can be found at the Scotland Office website

    Ian Gordon: If Scotland does separate from the rest of the UK, will you take back all the Scottish MPs who were assigned to seats in the rest of the UK just because they were safe seats?

    Jim replies: Ian – Thanks.  My view is that most people north or south of the border don’t really decide about someone in business, politics or any other fields based on whether you are Scottish or English. There are 400,000 English people in Scotland and I think 800,000 Scots in England. Both countries are better because of that.

    kenn: Hi Jim With the PMs announce on Monday that more frontline services are to be available online, what investments are planned to resolve lagging Scottish broadband infrastructure in rural areas to ensure we can avail of these services? – Kenn

    Jim replies: Kenn – I was asked about this in the Commons recently and said that no one should be excluded from super-fast broadband because of geography or income. More information on government plans can be found at the Digital Britain website

    ross mclean: DO YOU THINK IT’S OKAY TO LOCK CHILDREN UP IN DUNGAVEL? WHAT IS THE UK GOVERNMENT DOING TO END THIS SICKENING PRACTICE?

    Jim replies: Ross. This is an important issue.  I have previously said that no one gets involved in politics to lock families up which is why we are trying to do something different by encouraging families to return home voluntarily. I hope that this is successful. But as I said when I announced this new approach there is a difficult issue about what you do about those people who simply refuse to leave the UK.

    Adam Lipman: Why should Scotland leave the union? Do you not believe it is beneficial for the whole country, not just Scotland, to stay together. After all the investment and subsidies the UK as a whole has put into Scotland, you want to leave when time get a little tough. I heard Alex talking about North Sea oil? one trillion pounds worth. The UK, not Scotland, pumped huge amounts of money into exploration and drilling for this oil. Why does Scotland deserve this when it is just about to dry up? Does your party only focus on the 5 million people who live just over the border, who have been treated very well since the union was formed or do they even consider the 50 million souls just south of the border? We must stay together in an ever changing world for many reasons!!

    Jim replies: Adam – I agree. I think that we all benefit from the four nations of the UK sticking together. We have so much in common and can achieve so much together in good times and in the more difficult economic times that we are now in. It makes sense economically and socially. Most Scots agree and I think most people across the UK know it is a good thing.

    Jack Thompson: How will the Calman recommendations protect Scottish banking? Scottish banks are regulated from London, not Scotland and nothing in these proposals change that.

    Jim replies: The crisis in banking isn’t caused by the constitutional arrangements of the UK, but by a failure in regulation. But what is clear is that it was only through the support of the British taxpayer that the Royal Bank and  Bank of Scotland were saved. If Scotland had been independent, people accept these banks would have broken an independent Scotland.

    Alistair Cook: Progressive politics should take power to the people. Why not more Devolved power? Devolution should be for people not a party.

    Jim replies: Alistair – We do propose more power to be devolved and I would like to go further in giving more power to the people on control over their public services. Power shouldn’t just be about election times.

    Jack Thompson: Are you saying that the people of Scotland will be able to elect their Secretary of State for Scotland or, decide for themselves if they even want the post? I know this is not a question on the White Paper but, I’ll take what I’m given.

    Jim replies: Jack I don’t think we are about to directly elect a Secretary of State for Scotland. It’s really only Presidents and Mayors that are directly elected and that isn’t the system we have for our Cabinet-based system, either in the UK or Scottish Government.

    Jack Thompson: One of the recommendations of the Calman Commission is to increase respect between Westminster and Holyrood. To date, you and your Government have spent a considerable amount of time putting down the SNP Government; in fact you spent most of your speech on this paper disparaging the SNP showing more respect to the Conservatives than to the SNP. Does this mean that your Government will show a greater deal of respect to the current Scottish Government? If so, how

    Jim replies: I want a better relationship with the Scottish Government but it takes two willing parties and often that doesn’t happen. The Calman Commission suggested a better way of doing this and I think we should make progress. The public won’t forgive politicians who squabble in the same old way during the recession. So I think things should improve.

    Jack Thompson: Thank you for that answer but, that means all of your arguments about staying together mean that when London experiences a serious market failure like the recession we all lose. How would these proposals help Scotland weather another economic storm?

    Jim replies: The RBS was the biggest bank  in the world and it was saved by taxpayers in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The Calman Commission isn’t a plan to prevent global recession but it is a way of giving more power to the Scottish Parliament and having a much more accountable Parliament in Edinburgh.

    Jack Thompson: The Government plans on reducing expenditure to Scotland by the same amount as the 10 pence on the pound tax plans raise or lower. Does that not mean that the tax raising powers are in fact worthless as ANY Scottish Government as they can only reduce the income in garners as opposed to raising more than the rest of the UK?

    Jim replies: Jack, the Chancellor will make his announcements tomorrow in the Pre-budget Report but the new powers are about making the Parliament more accountable. At the moment the Scottish Parliament simply spends the money that the UK Government gives to it. In future it will have to decide on the size of its own budget. And because the decisions on the economy in Scotland taken by the Scottish government will impact on the tax income then there is a double accountability. 1. Accountable for a tax decision. 2. Accountable for economic decisions which affect employment and income through tax for the government.

    Adan Lipman: why should we have a union. Does Scotland cost the UK as a whole (England specifically) more than it produces? Subsidies etc?

    Jim replies: We all benefit in different ways from the Union of the United KIndom. The way in which public spending in the UK is decided is, as you know, through the Barnett formula and that has led to a 62 per cent real terms increase in government investment over the past decade in public services. However it is more expensive to run public services in Scotland. Scotland has only 10 per cent of the UK population but a third of the land mass and this is just one of the reasons why the services are more difficult to run in Scotland.

    Sally: Why are you delaying taking forward the recommendations from the Calman Commission? Even Kenneth Calman said it could be done quickly and easily.

    Jim replies: Sally.  Thanks for your question.  We are not delaying the work on Calman. We have produced our White Paper. The entire redesign of the way in which tax is paid in Scotland is an intricate issue which will require a huge amount of very detailed legal and technical work which we are now looking at. We are committed to introducing a Scotland Bill in the Commons early in the new Parliament.

    Ross McLean: Jim – you haven’t done anything about child detention. I read this weekend about a ten year old girl locked up. That can’t be right under any circumstances. Can you act before the General Election to make something happen. It’s just not right.

    Jim replies: Ross. We are trying to do things differently so that’s not a fair accusation. But in government you have got to try to design a system which provides help and support to those who need it. In an immigration process it’s inevitable that some people will be refused permission to stay. The big question is how do you support those who are willing to return home voluntarily and that is what we are trying to do. But the difficult question is what do you do in a  situation where someone just point blank refuses to leave the UK.

    Jack Thompson: Do you think that you can get all of the proposals in the White Paper through before the next General Election? As we all know Parliament’s time is running out, can you realistically make it?

    Jim replies: Jack – One question at a time!

    We won’t get it all through by the general election. We can make progress on better working relationships between the UK and Scottish Parliaments. I have met the Speaker of the Commons and the presiding Offcer of the Scottish Parliament about all of this.

    On the financial powers, that will require a lot more work, and we will work hard on that. As I mentioned earlier we will introduce legislation to put our Calman plans into law after the general election.

    Thanks to everyone for all their questions. Got to go now. Happy to try this again in the future.

    Jim.

  • HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : 2009 Pre-Budget Report [December 2009]

    HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : 2009 Pre-Budget Report [December 2009]

    The press release issued by Downing Street on 9 December 2009.

    The Chancellor has said the Pre-Budget Report sets out plans to protect frontline services while halving the deficit.

    Alistair Darling presented the report to Parliament today, which included plans to help the unemployed, reduce borrowing, and secure growth.

    As part of the plan, the Chancellor said that from today, a one-off levy on bank bonuses over £25,000 would be used to pay for measures to help the young and older unemployed back into work.

    The Chancellor said he expects the UK economy to return to growth in the fourth quarter of this year, and growth next year is forecast to be between one per cent and 1.5 per cent, he said.

    The Chancellor outlined a number of measures in the Pre-Budget Report:

    • VAT will return to 17.5 per cent on 1 January, as planned
    • Support for the Mortgage Interest Scheme would be extended for a further six months
    • From next month, anyone under 24 unemployed for longer than six months will be guaranteed work
    • The minimum number of hours over 65s need to work before receiving Working Tax Credit will be reduced
    • The UK will finance four Carbon Capture and Storage demonstration projects
    • An additional £200 million will be made available to help with energy efficiency
    • Up to 125,000 homes will receive help to replace the most inefficient boilers and an extra 75,000 households will benefit from an extension of the Warm Front scheme
    • A 10 per cent corporation tax rate on income which stems from patents in the UK will be introduced
    • Plans for rail electrification between Liverpool, Manchester and Preston will go-ahead
    • Government measures mean more than half of additional revenue raised will be paid by the top two per cent of earners
    • No one earning under £20,000 will pay any more NI contributions
    • Free school meals will be extended to half a million primary school children of low income working parents
    • A further £2.5 billion will be set aside for military operations in Afghanistan
  • HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Gordon Brown’s message on the Pre-Budget Report [December 2009]

    HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Gordon Brown’s message on the Pre-Budget Report [December 2009]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 9 December 2009.

    Today’s Pre-Budget Report shows the Government is committed to growth and supporting families and frontline services, the Prime Minister has said.

    In a message following the Chancellor’s speech to the House of Commons today, Gordon Brown said Government’s priorities were to secure economic recovery, halve the deficit and protect the services people rely on.

    He added that the Pre-Budget Report had also sent a clear message to the banks about the consequences of paying big cash bonuses.

    The PM said:

    “Today we set out our three-point plan for Britain’s future. Our priorities are securing the recovery and going for growth; making the tough choices necessary to halve the deficit in four years; and putting frontline services first.

    “All the measures are underpinned by our core values – those values we share with you – of fairness and responsibility. Our actions so far have helped keep you in your jobs and homes, protected your savings and kept many small businesses afloat. And we have prevented recession turning to depression.

    “But the recovery is still fragile and so we will continue our support until it is secured – to do otherwise would be reckless and dangerous. And as we emerge from recession, we will make sure we lock in economic growth by giving businesses room to flourish and by investing in new green technologies to make the most of the enormous potential of a low carbon economy.

    “Strong growth will be vital to getting the public finances back in shape. But on its own it won’t be enough to meet our commitment, which we are enshrining in law, to halve the deficit in four years. That will mean fair taxes – and by fair we mean that those most able to pay will pay the most – ruthless efficiencies by Whitehall, and tough decisions to make cuts to some budgets and scrap some programmes no longer needed. But I assure you that all along we will protect schools, Sure Start centres, and frontline NHS and policing – those essential services which we all pay for and all need at times.

    “The global economic crisis, which began with a catastrophic failure in the banking sector, has hit many hard through no fault of their own. So today was also important because we sent a clear message to the banks: that if they insist on paying big cash bonuses there will be consequences.

    “The biggest risk for Britain is a decade of austerity – of limited growth, limited employment and limited opportunity. The Pre-Budget Report shows that we are a government committed to growth, living within our means and at all times supporting you, your families and those services on which you rely.”

  • HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Gordon Brown and President Sarkozy call for global banking compact [December 2009]

    HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Gordon Brown and President Sarkozy call for global banking compact [December 2009]

    The press release issued by the Department for International Trade on 10 December 2009.

    Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have called for a “global compact” to regulate the banking sector and ensure financial institutions are operating on a level playing field across the world.

    Writing in the Wall Street Journal ahead of the European Council meeting today, the two leaders said the compact should recognise the risks to taxpayers if banks fail and the imbalance between risks and rewards in the banking system.

    They added that a one-off tax on bank bonuses should be considered as a priority as this year’s bonuses had arisen partly because of governments bailing out banks.

    They said:

    “We propose a long term global compact that will encapsulate both the responsibilities of the banking system and the risk they pose to the economy as a whole. Various proposals have been put forward and deserve examination. They include resolution funds, insurance premiums, financial transaction levies and a tax on bonuses.

    “Among these proposals, we agree that a one-off tax in relation to bonuses should be considered a priority due to the fact that bonuses for 2009 have arisen partly because of government support for the banking system.”

    The Prime Minister and President Sarkozy will be among the European leaders taking part in the two-day European Council meeting, which begins today in Brussels.

  • HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Government launches plan for “people-centred” NHS [December 2009]

    HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Government launches plan for “people-centred” NHS [December 2009]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 10 December 2009.

    Gordon Brown and Health Secretary Andy Burnham today spoke of their five-year plans for the NHS during a visit to King’s College Hospital in London.

    Mr Burnham today launched a new strategy document which lays out plans for the NHS until 2015 and includes a greater emphasis on patient choice, particularly for those with serious long-term conditions.

    The Prime Minister said that plans focused on “making the health service far more personal to people’s needs” and “giving people the security to know the health service is always there when they need it”.

    The strategy document ‘NHS 2010-2015: from good to great. Preventative, people-centred, productive,’ includes:

    • A greater emphasis on patient satisfaction
    • Increased out-of-hours access to GPs
    • One-to-one carers and health professionals for patients with serious long-term conditions
    • The ability for patients with terminal conditions to choose where they spend their final days
    • Improved job security for frontline staff
    • The ability for the best hospitals to extend their reach through their local community via GPs
    • More control and choice for patients over the care they receive
    • Legislation to limit waiting times, particularly for cancer treatment
    • NHS Health Checks for all patients between 40 and 74 by April 2012

    During the hospital visit, Gordon Brown and Andy Burnham met staff working in a haematology unit where doctors are using pioneering techniques to treat patients with blood cancers.

    The Health Secretary said of the plans:

    “For the NHS to become truly great, it must become more preventative and people-centred … This means top quality care is our goal and patient safety our top priority. This is right for our times. Quality care is not always about spending more money, but about spending it in the right places. Moving care from hospitals into homes and communities is better for patients and more efficient.”