Reform Media Summary

7 April 2008

Economy

A report by the Treasury Select Committee has found that those below the age of 65 with no children earning less than £18,500 are in a worse financial position after the removal of the 10p rate. John McFall, Chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, commented: “While tax simplification is a laudable aim, it seems strange that the abolition of the 10 pence starting rate of income tax disadvantages mainly low income households” (FT, p.2; Independent, p.5, p.28 [leader], p.38; Mirror, p.10, p.14; Express, p.2; Sun, p.2, p.8 [Trevor Kavanagh]; Times, p.1, p.6, p.7, p.16 [leader]; FT Weekend, p.2; Mail, Saturday, p.2; Times, Saturday, p.26; Mail,.p.5, p.14 [leader]; Guardian, p.13; Telegraph, p.2, p.24 [Janet Daley], B.1).

Speculation about the probability of an interest rate cut on Thursday has increased. 48 of 63 economists polled by Reuters last week expected the Monetary Policy Committee to cut rates by a quarter of a percentage point (FT, p.3; Telegraph, p.6; Mail, p.2; Express, p.2, p.50; Sun, p.2).

Alistair Darling, the Chancellor, calls for a “clear and detailed plan of action” to calm turmoil in the financial markets (FT, p.2).

A survey of more than 700 employers by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has revealed that less than 15 per cent of organisations have signed up to the employer skills pledge, one of the main planks of the Government’s strategy to raise the standard of British workers (FT, p.4).

George Mudie, a senior member of the Treasury Select Committee and one of Gordon Brown’s closest allies, called for Ministers to strike an urgent deal with leaders to delay repossessions and help struggling householders through short-term difficulties (Observer, p.2).

The FT Weekend reports that as many as one in three housing deals are falling through as buyers can’t get the mortgage they need (FT, Weekend, p.1; Telegraph, Saturday, p.1).

Tax payers are contributing more than £21 billion per year to fund the pensions of public sector workers according to the latest official figures (Telegraph, p.4)

New Cabinet Office figures show that almost £2 billion was spent on quangos last year (Telegraph, p.2).

Education

In a policy paper published today, David Cameron will release plans whereby children will not be allowed an independent appeal after being excluded from school. Michael Gove, the Shadow Secretary for Children, advocates giving schools more power to expel unruly children. He said: “There is a severe discipline problem in Britain’s schools …. It is preventing teachers teaching and children learning, and the poorest children are worst affected” (Telegraph, p.1; Sun, p.2).

A survey by the British Market Research Bureau show that there is a 23 percentage point gap between the proportion of the wealthiest children who aspire to a university education and their poorest classmates (Guardian, p.6).

No independent schools will offer diplomas in September according to data from Parliamentary written answers (Telegraph, Saturday, p.10).

New guidance will reportedly require local authority admissions forums to investigate the social mix of grammar schools (Sunday Telegraph, p.1).

In their columns, both Martin Ivens and Matthew d’Ancona criticised Ed Balls’ comments on faith schools last week (Sunday Times, p.17; Sunday Telegraph, p.25).

A government commissioned report has found that schools and colleges are spending more than £700 million a year on entering children for examinations (Times, p.14).

A report by Policy Exchange has found that Britain is facing a primary school teacher shortage and will require 18,000 extra teachers by 2015 (Telegraph, p.10; Independent, p.13).

Research by the IPPR suggests that schools are failing to get rid of bad teachers, with weak performers being recycled into new jobs (Observer, p.5; Telegraph, p.10).

Kunskapsskolan, Sweden’s biggest independent school’s group, has announced plans for 30 academies or trust schools in England in the next 10 years (FT Weekend, p.5).

Health

A report by the Health Commission shows that 140,000 complaints are made against the NHS each year, with one in three complaints relating to the lack of respect shown to patients (Mail, p.8; Telegraph, p.12; Express, p.28).

Figures from the Health and Safety Executive show that injuries to health workers have cost the NHS £235.2 million in the three years to April 2007 (Telegraph, p.12).

According to the British Medical Association up to half of all junior doctors are being pressured to work unpaid extra hours (Independent on Sunday, p.19; Telegraph, p.12).

Patients should be able to see consultants in GP’s surgeries a report by the NHS Alliance will recommend this week (Telegraph, Saturday, p.6).

Figures released by the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology show that the UK has one of the worst safety records for fertility in Europe (Telegraph, p.12).

According to research by the London School of Pharmacy, children’s lives are being put at risk by the surge in the prescription of anti-psychotic drugs (Guardian, p.9).

Ministers are hoping to conclude an unprecedented long-term pay deal with 1.2 million NHS workers that would give them an 8 per cent pay rise by 2010 (Observer, p.14).

More than half of all newly-qualified physiotherapists cannot find a job in the NHS despite long waiting lists for treatment. Sandra Gidley, Liberal Democrat spokeswoman for Public Health, commented: “The Government is in danger of driving young people away” (Mirror, p.24).

Saturday’s Times reported that the London Strategic Health Authority has begun a review of it’s property portfolio (Times, Saturday, p.2).

Home Affairs

Data obtained by the Liberal Democrats from Parliamentary questions shows that the proportion of children being added to the DNA database is rising with 5,000 being included every month. However, other figures show that the number of children and teenagers regularly committing crimes has also gone up in the last ten years (Telegraph, p.10, p.14, p.25 [leader]).

The Mail reports that the Home Office has called for police to be less focused on minor crimes (Mail, p.25).

The Government has abandoned plans to use satellite tracking systems on known sex-offenders following problems with the pilot scheme (Mirror, p.26; Sun, p.4).

A report has estimated that the cost to the tax payer of keeping suspended police officers on full pay was £8 million last year (Mirror, p.27; Express, p.16).

Politics

ICM/Sunday Telegraph poll: Conservatives 43 (up 6 on last month), Labour 32 (unchanged), Liberal Democrats 18 (down three) (Sunday Telegraph, p.1).

Further coverage of MPs expenses (FT Weekend, p.1, p.3; Telegraph, Saturday, p.8; Mail, Saturday, p.4-5; Independent, Saturday, p.4-5; Telegraph, Saturday, p.16; Times, Saturday, p.20 [leader]; Express, Saturday, p.1; Sun, Saturday, p.2; Mirror, Saturday, p.8-9).

Nick Clegg was interviewed in Saturday’s Times (Times, Saturday, p.32).