Tag: Press Release

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 13 February 2003.

Economic Secretary to the Treasury, John Healey, was in Kirklees, Yorkshire, today to see some of the ways waste is put into action in the region.

As Chair of the short-term Ministerial Group on Waste, an initiative announced in the Government’s Pre-Budget Report, Mr Healey was keen to see waste technologies in use on the ground.

Visiting two Huddersfield waste management sites, Mr Healey said:

“This is proving to be a useful first-hand experience. I have seen some novel approaches to waste management in practice and I have been struck by the commitment shown by all concerned.”

The Minister toured the materials recycling facility and the energy from waste plant on Diamond Street, Huddersfield, both operated by SITA Kirklees. The materials recycling facility deals with 12,000 tonnes of material collected from local homes each year. Similarly, the energy from waste plant can deal with 136,000 tonnes of household and commercial waste annually. Waste is incinerated and, using state of the art technology, the heat produced is used to raise steam to drive a turbine and produce electricity for the National Grid.

Accompanied by Cllr David Payne of Kirklees Council’s Environment and Transportation Cabinet, Mr Healey heard how the Council and SITA are also currently considering using some of the energy produced for district heating.

From high tech turbines the Minister then moved on to more basic technology with an award-winning Huddersfield project that turns waste cardboard into caviar using little more than worms, and at the same time gives local young people a chance to gain some specialised training and national vocational qualifications.

The ABLE project, which recently won a National Grid Community 21 Award, involves a partnership between the Green Business Network, East Wakefield PCT, and Turning Point. It involves a cyclical process in which waste cardboard is put to use as bedding at a local equestrian centre, before being composted in worm beds, and the excess worms fed to sturgeon fish that, long-term, will be sold as fish and caviar to local restaurants. Met by Project Leader Graham Wiles, Mr Healey was told how the scheme has just been given 34 acres of land by Yorkshire Water to roll the scheme out in the Wakefield district.

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 17 February 2003.

Increasing the momentum of economic reform in Europe at this time of global risk and uncertainty is the key theme of a new report issued by the Government.

Today’s report ‘Meeting the Challenge: Economic Reform in Europe’ evaluates the progress made on economic reform within the EU since the March 2000 Lisbon European Council, and identifies the priorities for future action.  It finds that while some progress has been made towards meeting the Lisbon Council objective of transforming the European economy into the most dynamic and competitive in the world, there is much more to do.

The key priorities for reform set out in the report, which should form the basis for discussion at the Brussels European Council under the Greek Presidency on 21st March, include:

• Policies to boost employment, skills and to make labour markets more flexible, with each country taking action domestically to tackle unemployment.
• Promotion of well-regulated, dynamic and flexible markets by dismantling regulatory barriers in order to simplify the burdens on business. In future, all new legislation must be thoroughly examined to ensure that it improves the climate for business and reflects the views of European firms.
• Measures to promote Research and Development and to tackle barriers to innovation, by both increasing R&D spending and improving the effectiveness and commercial use of research.
• A more strategic approach to competition policy, with competition authorities that look at markets as well as reacting to cases, with genuine liberalisation across the single market in goods and services, and a focus on results not just legislation.
• A modernised and streamlined state aids regime, to ensure the rules and their implementation support economic growth both at the national and regional level.

The Treasury’s main report is accompanied by ‘Structural Indicators of European Economic Reform: Measuring Europe’s Progress, February 2003’, which examines progress over a wide set of indicators.  Achieving the Lisbon goal requires economic reform based upon robust evidence and complemented by rigorous monitoring of outcomes.  A comprehensive set of structural indicators has been developed in recognition of this.  Indicators on key policy areas help to identify best practice, to monitor progress against targets and to highlight strengths and weaknesses.

Commenting on today’s report the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, said:

“At this challenging time for the world economy each continent has to play its part to maintain the conditions for stability and growth. In the US, alongside action on monetary and fiscal policy, steps are being taken to reform accounting and auditing standards. Japan is in the process of reform of its financial and banking sector. And in Europe we must do more to reform our product, labour and capital markets so as to make our economies more flexible.

“While some progress has been made, the collective challenge we face is immense. Levels of productivity, employment and growth have consistently underperformed those of the US in the past decade. If Europe is to fulfil its ambition to be a world economic leader, and not remain vulnerable to the ups and downs of the world economic cycle, then it is vital that we demonstrate our commitment at next month’s Brussels Council to implement the ambitious goals we have set for ourselves.”

“As we push ahead with these reforms we need a common understanding that in a world where businesses must respond quickly and people must adapt to change, flexibility in product, labour and capital markets is the means to achieve, not the enemy of, social justice. We should recognise that the right kind of flexibility in European product, labour and capital markets can advance both economic efficiency and social cohesion.”

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 21 February 2003.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Paul Boateng, will today meet representatives in Edinburgh of Scottish business and trade unions with Helen Liddell, Secretary of State for Scotland, to hear their views on the Treasury’s November 2002 Pre Budget Report. As part of his two day trip to Scotland ahead of the forthcoming Budget he will also see for himself the positive impact on Edinburgh and Glasgow of Private Finance initiative (PFI) projects and the Scottish Executive’s delivery on public services.

Welcoming the opportunity to consult with local groups Mr Boateng said:

“The Government is committed to working in partnership with the Scottish Executive to build a stronger Scottish economy and fairer Scottish society. The Pre Budget Report last November set out our proposals, which will help to raise productivity and promote enterprise and employment opportunities in Scotland, build a fairer society and tackle poverty in Scotland, and protect the Scottish environment.

“The policies followed by the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, have provided a stable and successful macroeconomic framework, delivering low inflation, low interest rates and low unemployment in Scotland.

“As a result of our prudent policies, the Government has been able to provide the Scottish Executive with the resources to deliver well funded devolved public services in accordance with the priorities of the people of Scotland.

“Scottish business and trade unions have a vital role to play in modernising the Scottish economy and I welcome the opportunity to discuss with them the proposals in the PBR ahead of the impending Budget.

“Through PFI, Scotland has seen £2 billion in investment in new schools and hospitals and over 65 separate projects – a massive investment in public services. It shows that a partnership approach between the public and private sectors delivers complex infrastructure projects on time and on budget.”

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 25 February 2003.

New improved tax and NICs incentives will enable employers to play their part in meeting the childcare needs of all their employees, Paymaster General Dawn Primarolo said today.

The proposals mark another step towards achieving the Government’s vision of every parent being to find affordable, good quality childcare.

Launching the consultation document, Dawn Primarolo said:

“The Government is determined to help parents to balance their work and family life. Employers have a very important role to play in helping their staff to achieve a balance and particularly in helping parents meet their childcare needs. We are committed to supporting them in this and today’s proposals will help to ensure that more parents than ever before have access to affordable, good quality childcare.”

Stephen Burke, Director of the Daycare Trust welcomed the consultation saying:

“We welcome this review of tax incentives for employer supported childcare. It’s an opportunity to encourage employers to do more for working parents, particularly those on lower and middle incomes. The current arrangements need to be enhanced so that more employees benefit from help with childcare provided by employers. Beyond that, the review can examine how best to enable employers to fulfil their corporate social responsibility. More help with childcare will mean a better work-life balance for parents and a better start in life for their children.”

The key proposals in the consultation paper are:

• expanding the workplace nurseries tax exemption to include all forms of registered childcare, including approved home childcare;
• simplifying the requirements for the tax exemption to make it easier for employers to qualify by removing the condition for the employer to have management responsibility of the provision;
• introducing a new tax exemption for childcare vouchers (that are currently only exempt from NICs);
• introducing a financial limit for the tax and NICs exemption on all formal childcare provision (other than workplace nurseries) and childcare vouchers; and
• ensuring that where schemes are offered, childcare support is available to the whole workforce.

Dawn Primarolo was speaking at the Royal London Hospital’s workplace nursery, a model example of how an NHS employer can help its employees with their childcare needs.  Rachel Elu, a nurse and mother of two young children who are cared for by the nursery, said:

“Having a nursery on site has been extremely helpful to me.  It has made working full time possible, given me peace of mind and with the help of Working Families Tax Credit, has made it financially possible.”

Another working mother, nurse Jane Latchford, said:

“Without Fee Direct childcare would be too expensive and I wouldn’t be able to return to work.”

Paul White, Chief Executive, Barts and the London NHS Trust said:

“We have made great efforts in this Trust to enable staff to balance family with work commitments.  We currently provide 64 nursery spaces at the Royal London Hospital and we are opening a new nursery at Barts next month for a further 43 children.  We offer more than many other employers do as we subsidise nursery places using the employers’ NICs savings we make to benefit parents on lower incomes.”

Praising what the Trust has done Dawn Primarolo said:

“This nursery is an excellent example of an employer helping staff meet their childcare needs and provides first-rate support to vital public sector workers.”

DETAIL

Currently employees are exempt from tax on the benefit of a place in a nursery provided by the employer.  If the nursery is not on the employer’s own premises the employer is required to be wholly or partly responsible for both the financing and management of the nursery.

Widening the workplace nurseries exemption to cover all forms of registered and approved home childcare would enable parents the choice of good quality childcare that best suits their needs, for example registered nurseries, childminders, after-school clubs and approved home childcare.  The extension could particularly help parents such as those who commute or work shifts, and parents of school-age children or disabled children.

Employer-provided childcare vouchers are free from employers’ and employees’ Class 1 NICs.  They can be used for any form of childcare and to any amount. A new matching tax exemption for childcare vouchers is proposed to provide consistent treatment of employer-support for childcare to help parents to choose the best form of good quality childcare that meets their needs without being influenced by differing tax treatment.

A financial limit of £50 per week is proposed for the extended tax exemptions on formal childcare provision (other than workplace nurseries) and childcare vouchers to ensure that they are affordable and fairly targeted.

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 3 March 2003.

At their discussion of the UK economy on 26 February, IMF Directors “commended the UK authorities for the pursuit of prudent and credible economic policies in the context of a sound medium-term policy framework” and noted the “strong performance of the UK economy” based on low inflation and sustained output and employment growth.

Based on a wide-ranging assessment of the UK economy prepared by IMF staff, Directors also considered the outlook for the UK economy including possible risks, the conduct of monetary and fiscal policy, measures to enhance productivity and employment, and plans for investment in public services.

Commenting on the IMF’s report, the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, said:

“As the IMF Directors accept, our tough action to restore the public finances to a sound footing and to keep inflation under control, means that we have been able to weather the global slowdown while keeping public debt to GDP low. But with continued uncertainties in the world economy, it is important that we maintain our discipline and stick to our long-term course. So there will be no relaxation of the fiscal rules, no quick fixes and, with the recent Public Sector Pay Review Body recommendations coming in at around 3 per cent, no relaxation of our discipline on public sector pay.

“The IMF Directors also recognise the need to respond to the demand for better public services and rightly highlight the importance of reform to increase the efficiency of public spending. While rejecting user charges where they would be at the expense of equity and efficiency, reform must enhance public sector productivity and decentralise control to where it can be exercised most effectively in the interests of the users of public services.”

As in the previous three years, at the request of the UK Government the IMF is today publishing its Article IV staff report on the UK economy in full, along with the record of the IMF board discussion, and the UK’s statement in the board meeting.

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 6 March 2003.

The Government today outlined its contribution to thinking on reform of European regional policy, prioritising the flexible and local delivery of regional policy and reinforcing EU Member States’ shared commitments to economic and social development.

The proposals, which will contribute to the EU debate on the future of Structural Funds:

• respond to European enlargement and the need for growth in all EU nations and regions;
• offer new freedoms and flexibilities to localities and regions, empowering them to build local economic strength;
• promise that if the Government’s proposals are accepted we will provide additional UK government funds for regional policy in the next spending review in place of EU receipts;
• modernise state aid rules to reflect real economic and market effect.

Announcing the proposals at a breakfast meeting with the TUC and CBI the Chancellor Gordon Brown said:

“With our plans to increase UK funding for regional policy, devolve decision-making power to the regions and return key regional policy responsibilities from the European Union back to Britain, the future control of regional economic policy is moving from Brussels to London and then from Westminster to the nations and regions themselves. Creating a new framework which, by enshrining the principle of subsidiarity, provides the flexibility for Member States to pursue the right regional policies to meet their differing needs.”

The Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott commented:

“This approach will support our commitment to a strong, domestic regional policy.  Devolved and decentralised decision-making are at the heart of the Government’s policies. This is true for economic development, as it is for sustainable communities.  The EU framework for Devolved Regional Policy is a further step toward the vision for devolution to the English regions that we set out in ‘Your Region, Your Choice’.”

Trade and Industry Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, said:

“By maintaining a strong European dimension to regional policy, the EU Framework offers benefits to all Member States, old and new. Targeting resources on the poorest countries, rather than spreading it thinly over rich and poor alike, will strengthen the single market and provide more trade opportunities for all UK companies.”