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Brown's 'family finances' package Brown targets 'family finances'
(about 1 hour later)
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said that helping family finances was his "immediate priority" as he outlined his legislative programme for next year.Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said that helping family finances was his "immediate priority" as he outlined his legislative programme for next year.
The PM pledged more help for first-time buyers, a savings scheme for eight million low earners and more flexible working rights for parents. He pledged help for first-time buyers, a savings scheme for the low paid and flexible working rights for parents.
The aim was to build a "more prosperous and fairer Britain", he said. Employees will also get the right to ask for training and hospital funding will be linked to performance.
David Cameron said Mr Brown had "run out of steam". Nick Clegg said he had "scraped the barrel to save himself". The Tories said Mr Brown had "run out of steam". The Lib Dems said he had "scraped the barrel to save himself".
Mr Brown was making his statement to MPs ahead of next week's by-election - and with his fortunes at a low ebb after poor local election results. Mr Brown was making his statement to MPs ahead of next week's by-election in Crewe and Nantwich - seen as crucial to Labour's prospects of recovery after dire local election results.
'Complete farce' It comes after Tuesday's surprise £2.7bn tax cut designed to head off a backbench rebellion over the abolition of the 10p tax cut - dubbed by the Conservatives "exercise in political survival".
It also follows Chancellor Alistair Darling's £2.7bn tax cut announced on Tuesday to compensate those who lost out when the 10p tax rate was scrapped. But with rising inflation and ministers predicting a 10% drop in house prices this year, Mr Brown was under pressure to shore up the economy and prove his government has not run out of ideas.
The Conservatives called that tax move "an exercise in political survival" by the government, while the Liberal Democrats said tax policy had "descended into a complete farce". In his now annual Commons statement on the government's programme for the next Parliamentary session - effectively a preview of November's Queen's Speech - he also mentioned immediate measures to boost the housing market.
He announced a £200m fund to buy unsold new homes and rent them to social tenants or make them available on a shared ownership basis.
An additional £100m would be also made available to shared equity schemes to help more first-time buyers to purchase newly-built homes on the open market.
KEY PARTS OF PLANS £200m to buy unsold new homes and rent them to social tenants£100m for shared equity schemes to help first-time buyers purchase new-build homesParents' councils to help run schoolsMore accountable chief constablesProtection for depositors in the event of future bank collapsesHelp for first-time buyersExtension of flexible working to parents with older childrenJobless skills and training assessmentsTests for immigrantsSeas and shores protection, plus review into last year's floods implementedLords reform, party funding reform and consultation on Bill of Rights Live: Point-by-point coverageIn full: All the planned billsKEY PARTS OF PLANS £200m to buy unsold new homes and rent them to social tenants£100m for shared equity schemes to help first-time buyers purchase new-build homesParents' councils to help run schoolsMore accountable chief constablesProtection for depositors in the event of future bank collapsesHelp for first-time buyersExtension of flexible working to parents with older childrenJobless skills and training assessmentsTests for immigrantsSeas and shores protection, plus review into last year's floods implementedLords reform, party funding reform and consultation on Bill of Rights Live: Point-by-point coverageIn full: All the planned bills
In the Commons, Mr Brown said there would be immediate support for the housing market, with the setting up of a £200m fund to buy unsold new homes and rent them to social tenants or make them available on a shared ownership basis.
An additional £100m would be made available to shared equity schemes to help more first-time buyers to purchase newly-built homes on the open market.
A Banking Bill, introduced in the wake of the crisis over Northern Rock, would bolster protection for depositors against future bank collapses.A Banking Bill, introduced in the wake of the crisis over Northern Rock, would bolster protection for depositors against future bank collapses.
A national savings scheme would be created for eight million people on low incomes, with each pound saved matched with a contribution from government.A national savings scheme would be created for eight million people on low incomes, with each pound saved matched with a contribution from government.
Schools will be made more accountable to parents through the first independent qualifications system and guarantee the highest standards. Schools would be made more accountable to parents through the first independent qualifications system and guarantee the highest standards.
Labour MPs cheered as Mr Brown said the right of flexible working will be extended to parents with older children from next April, along with new rights for agency workers.Labour MPs cheered as Mr Brown said the right of flexible working will be extended to parents with older children from next April, along with new rights for agency workers.
Police reformsPolice reforms
The prime minister's plans for the next parliamentary session, essentially a preview of the Queen's Speech, also includes police reform. There will be a police reform bill, with chief constables will be made accountable to a directly elected representative.
Chief constables will be made accountable to a directly elected representative.
I've no idea what we can expect you to bring forward next - Christmas? How desperate are you? Nick CleggLib Dem leaderI've no idea what we can expect you to bring forward next - Christmas? How desperate are you? Nick CleggLib Dem leader
That official could then influence police priorities by, for example, requesting more resources to tackle gun crime. There may also be moves to introduce different degrees of homicide including provocation, diminished responsibility, complicity and infanticide - subject to consultation.
The Conservatives say the idea is a reworded version of their plan for US-style sheriffs, put forward in their 2005 general election manifesto. And a new Sentencing Commission to monitor the size of prison populations.
There will also be legislation to speed up the seizure of criminal assets in a Policing and Crime Reduction Bill. A bill to introduce a new national coroners service with full-time coroners and a right of appeal for families is also planned.
Tests for immigrants to receive British citizenship will be made tougher, with newcomers expected to learn English and prove they are making an economic contribution. Tests for immigrants to receive British citizenship are to be made tougher, with newcomers expected to learn English and prove they are making an economic contribution.
An NHS constitution will be established to set out what patients can expect from the health service, including entitlements to minimum standards of access, quality and safety. Hospital funding will be linked to performance in England by using patient experience to measure quality of care and an NHS constitution established to set out the standards patients can expect.
'Desperate week''Desperate week'
Jobless people will be required to have their skills and needs assessed under a Welfare Reform Bill. The long-term unemployed will be forced to retrain or face having their benefits cut under a Welfare Reform Bill.
Mr Cameron said he welcomed many of the measures, as his party had proposed them in the first place.Mr Cameron said he welcomed many of the measures, as his party had proposed them in the first place.
HAVE YOUR SAY A last ditch attempt to save their skins, only prompted by the dismal recent elections Richard Bown Send us your comments
"This Queen's Speech has nothing to do with the long-term needs of the country and everything to do with your short term political survival," he told Mr Brown."This Queen's Speech has nothing to do with the long-term needs of the country and everything to do with your short term political survival," he told Mr Brown.
"We need a government that tackles the underlying causes of poverty, that fights family breakdown, that breaks open the monopoly of state education - we need a government that can work with the voluntary sector."We need a government that tackles the underlying causes of poverty, that fights family breakdown, that breaks open the monopoly of state education - we need a government that can work with the voluntary sector.
"You can't do that and we can.""You can't do that and we can."
Mr Clegg said Mr Brown had faced "a desperate week", with early announcements on the 10p tax rate and "a rag bag of proposals" in the draft Queen's speech. Lid Dem leader Nick Clegg said Mr Brown had faced "a desperate week", with early announcements on the 10p tax rate and "a rag bag of proposals" in the draft Queen's speech.
Memoirs
"I've no idea what we can expect you to bring forward next - Christmas? How desperate are you?""I've no idea what we can expect you to bring forward next - Christmas? How desperate are you?"
The prime minister's speech comes after a difficult two weeks which have seen Labour's worst local election performance in 40 years, as well as criticism of Mr Brown's own behaviour in memoirs by John Prescott and Cherie Blair. Critics say Mr Brown's decision to preview the government's programme diminishes the role of the monarch and the relevance of the State Opening of Parliament in November.
It is the second draft Queen's Speech. Mr Brown introduced the idea when he became prime minister last year.
Critics say it diminishes the role of the monarch and the relevance of the State Opening of Parliament in November.
But the government says it is appropriate to announce proposed measures earlier to allow consultation over the summer, resulting in a more concrete Queen's Speech.But the government says it is appropriate to announce proposed measures earlier to allow consultation over the summer, resulting in a more concrete Queen's Speech.