Tag: Downing Street

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 4 December 2009.

The Prime Minister outlined plans for childcare vouchers in a letter to Dr Roberta Blackman Woods MP and Ms Fiona Mactaggart MP.

He confirmed that all families who currently receive vouchers will continue to get the same support and that tax relief will be retained for any new childcare vouchers that are issued in the future.

Additionally, from April 2011, all new recipients of childcare vouchers will get the same income tax relief as basic rate taxpayers do currently in order to ensure that the system does not disproportionately benefit higher rate taxpayers.

The Prime Minister wrote to the members of Parliament saying:

“I have already made clear that no family currently in receipt of tax relief for their childcare vouchers will see any change in the support they receive. But following our discussions I can now also say that we will retain tax relief for new childcare vouchers issued in the future. However, there still remains a concern that a disproportionate benefit is accruing to higher rate taxpayers. So in order to ensure that this tax relief is given on a fairer basis to all families, we will ensure that all taxpayers get the same income tax relief as basic rate taxpayers do currently. This will take place from April 2011 and will not affect those receiving vouchers issued before that date.”

In the letter Gordon Brown said that the government will continue to make progress to provide free part-time nursery places for all two year olds whose parents want them, albeit at a slower rate.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 4 December 2009.

The Prime Minister met the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat, in the House of Commons today.

Mr Brown took the opportunity to discuss the Cyprus settlement talks with Mr Talat and, in a statement made after the meeting, said that the UK continues to support the progress made in negotiations.

The PM also commended Mr Talat and the President of Cyprus, Dimitris Christofias, for the “perseverance and resolve” they have shown while trying to reach a solution.

The Prime Minister said:

“Having striven for a settlement for many years, Mehmet Ali Talat knows well how vital a solution in Cyprus is for all Cypriots as well as for the region and for Europe. I commend both leaders for the perseverance and resolve they have displayed in their search for a settlement.

The two Cypriot leaders have shown enormous courage and determination to get this far. I know that both leaders are fully committed to finding a solution and I hope that the negotiations can be intensified so the two leaders can fully exploit the opportunity that now exists to resolve the issue to the benefit of all Cypriots.

The UK continues to support these efforts and welcomes the good progress made so far. We hope to see further progress over the coming months. With political courage and compromise on both sides, these talks have every chance of success.”

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.”

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.

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.”

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

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.”

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.

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.”

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

Gordon Brown has announced the appointment of six new Business Ambassadors to help promote UK industry abroad.

They will join an existing 18 Ambassadors and will be responsible for promoting key business areas such as Life Sciences, Information and Communications Technology, the Creative Industries and the Low Carbon Industries.

The Business Ambassadors Network was launched in 2008, specifically to provide support to small and medium-sized enterprises, which traditionally face greater challenges promoting themselves internationally than their larger counterparts.

The Prime Minister said of the network:

“Since the UK Business Ambassadors network was set up just over a year ago, its members have carried out over 70 international engagements in some 25 different markets, promoting British trade across the globe and playing an important role in championing UK business.

“I am delighted that a further six leaders from business and academia will be joining the team, promoting our businesses and working with them to develop opportunities worldwide and boost growth.”

The new Business Ambassadors are:

•           Chris Brinsmead, Chairman, Astra Zeneca UK
•           Lord Ara Darzi, Professor, Imperial College and Former Health Minister
•           Larry Hirst, Chairman, IBM Europe, Middle East and Africa
•           Lady Barbara Judge, Chairman, UK Atomic Energy Authority
•           Professor Julia King, Vice-Chancellor Aston University; author, King Review of low carbon transport
•           Sir John Sorrell, Chairman, London Design Festival; co-Chair, Sorrell Foundation