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Cabinet meeting is held in Leeds Cabinet discuss Mumbai situation
(about 2 hours later)
Ministers have visited businesses and schools across Yorkshire ahead of a meeting of the Cabinet in Leeds later. Gordon Brown has chaired a Cabinet meeting in Leeds dominated by the government's response to the Mumbai attacks and the economic situation.
Gordon Brown visited the headquarters of Halifax bank, where staff expressed concerns about possible job losses after its merger with Lloyds TSB. Foreign Secretary David Miliband briefed ministers on developments in the Indian city where police are still battling gunmen at several sites.
Foreign Secretary David Miliband is expected to brief ministers later on the deadly attacks in Mumbai. Mr Brown said there was "no evidence" to back up reports that some of the attackers were of British origin.
It is the second time Mr Brown has held Cabinet outside London - the first was held in Birmingham in September. Earlier, Mr Brown spoke to local business people about the economy.
Economic focus Indian speculation
The Leeds gathering, the first since Monday's pre-Budget report, will be held at an undisclosed location in the West Yorkshire city. The Leeds gathering, the second Cabinet meeting outside London in the past two months, took place at the Royal Armouries Museum in the West Yorkshire city.
Downing Street sources say there will almost certainly be some discussion of the pre-Budget report, and ministers will finalise the detail of their next legislative programme, which the Queen will set out before Parliament on Wednesday. The meeting was dominated by the still unfolding situation in Mumbai, where one Briton was killed and at least seven injured in a wave of attacks on high-profile locations in the city.
There will also be an update from Foreign Office Minister Lord Malloch-Brown on the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which he has just returned from. Mr Brown said the government was "doing everything in its power" to help British citizens caught up in the violence.
Ahead of the meeting, Chancellor Alistair Darling and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Yvette Cooper attended business events in the region while Gordon Brown took part in a roundtable discussion with members of the public about the economy. Amid reports that some of the attackers may be British, Mr Brown said people should be "very careful" about speculation of this sort.
He said the Indian prime minister had made no mention of this during their talks on Friday.
British security sources have told the BBC they are asking their Indian counterparts for information following a report on Indian news channel NDTV that there were British citizens among the militants.
Ministers also discussed the pre-Budget report and finalised the detail of their legislative programme for the next Parliament, which will be outlined in the Queen's Speech on Wednesday.
Ahead of Friday's meeting, Chancellor Alistair Darling and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Yvette Cooper attended business events in the region while Gordon Brown took part in a roundtable discussion with members of the public about the economy.
At the session, Mr Brown said he believed the UK would "come through the downturn a lot better than many other countries".At the session, Mr Brown said he believed the UK would "come through the downturn a lot better than many other countries".
Later on Friday Schools Secretary Ed Balls will unveil funding for after-school facilities for sport and music. Mr Brown also visited the headquarters of Halifax bank, where staff expressed concerns about possible job losses after its proposed merger with Lloyds TSB.
The cabinet includes three West Yorkshire MPs: Environment Secretary Hilary Benn, Schools Secretary Ed Balls and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Yvette Cooper. Later on Friday Schools Secretary Ed Balls unveiled funding for after-school facilities for sport and music.
October's Cabinet meeting in Birmingham was the first away from London or Chequers since 1921.October's Cabinet meeting in Birmingham was the first away from London or Chequers since 1921.
On that occasion David Lloyd George gathered ministers in Inverness to discuss Ireland's renunciation of the British monarchy at a time when he was holidaying in the Highlands.