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| Hollande plans new aid for France's deprived suburbs | Hollande plans new aid for France's deprived suburbs |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The French government has unveiled a new bill by President Francois Hollande to help the country's deprived suburbs, scene of unrest in recent years. | |
| Some 5bn euros (£4.4bn; $6.6bn) of direct state investment would be injected next year into projects to generate jobs and improve housing. | Some 5bn euros (£4.4bn; $6.6bn) of direct state investment would be injected next year into projects to generate jobs and improve housing. |
| Mr Hollande visited the troubled Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois this week. | Mr Hollande visited the troubled Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois this week. |
| He acknowledged that the "slow-burning fuse" of suburban unrest was still burning, but said it could be stopped. | He acknowledged that the "slow-burning fuse" of suburban unrest was still burning, but said it could be stopped. |
| "While this fuse burns slowly, we can stop it with projects that are long-term, very long-term,'' he said. | "While this fuse burns slowly, we can stop it with projects that are long-term, very long-term,'' he said. |
| The riots of 2005 began in Clichy, rapidly spreading through run-down housing estates across the country. | The riots of 2005 began in Clichy, rapidly spreading through run-down housing estates across the country. |
| Such areas are home to large populations of recent immigrants and their descendants, often from France's former Muslim-majority colonies in North Africa, and have long challenged the country's social cohesion. | Such areas are home to large populations of recent immigrants and their descendants, often from France's former Muslim-majority colonies in North Africa, and have long challenged the country's social cohesion. |
| Rioting broke out two weeks ago in another Paris suburb, Trappes, after the arrest of a Muslim man who allegedly tried to strangle a police officer when police told his wife to remove a banned full face veil. | Rioting broke out two weeks ago in another Paris suburb, Trappes, after the arrest of a Muslim man who allegedly tried to strangle a police officer when police told his wife to remove a banned full face veil. |
| No-one for an instant believes the new initiative will resolve the tensions, but the president clearly wants to signal that he sees the suburbs as a priority, the BBC's Hugh Schofield reports from Paris. | No-one for an instant believes the new initiative will resolve the tensions, but the president clearly wants to signal that he sees the suburbs as a priority, the BBC's Hugh Schofield reports from Paris. |
| 'New tools' | 'New tools' |
| Francois Lamy, the minister looking after the Socialist government's new initiative, told AFP news agency that the bill would "reform the tools of urban policy". | Francois Lamy, the minister looking after the Socialist government's new initiative, told AFP news agency that the bill would "reform the tools of urban policy". |
| Credit would be concentrated on the 230 areas most in need. | Credit would be concentrated on the 230 areas most in need. |
| Target areas would be redefined in terms of income, Mr Lamy said, in contrast to past schemes which considered such factors as property ownership, single-parent families and unemployment. | Target areas would be redefined in terms of income, Mr Lamy said, in contrast to past schemes which considered such factors as property ownership, single-parent families and unemployment. |
| In Clichy, population 30,000, the jobless rate is 22.3%, or twice the national average. | In Clichy, population 30,000, the jobless rate is 22.3%, or twice the national average. |
| French governments of the left and right have been injecting funds into the deprived suburbs for nearly four decades. | French governments of the left and right have been injecting funds into the deprived suburbs for nearly four decades. |
| In October 2005 the deaths of two Clichy teenagers sparked three weeks of looting and car-burning in housing estates across France. | In October 2005 the deaths of two Clichy teenagers sparked three weeks of looting and car-burning in housing estates across France. |
| Mr Hollande's bill is expected to go before parliament in the autumn. | Mr Hollande's bill is expected to go before parliament in the autumn. |