NEWS HEADLINES

Saturday, 26 November, 2011

Articles

MPs expenses

IPSA has made a routine announcement of its annual review of the system, and the issues within the scope of that review are matters for Ipsa.
The Government has consistently made clear its view that the reformed expenses system should be seen by the public as transparent, independent and value-for-money.

EU Treaty Change

A strong, successful and sustainable euro is in all our interests. Britain has a big national interest in the crisis being resolved. The Prime Minister and Chancellor Merkel discussed the issue of the treaties and, as Chancellor Merkel said, Germany has her interests and so does Britain. We have a strong relationship and strong links of friendship with Germany. We both want to see a successful Europe and we have agreed to work together to achieve our respective interests.

NHS Reforms

We believe passionately in the NHS. It is our most precious national asset. That is why we are increasing investment in the health service by £12.5 billion over the next four years - investment opposed by Labour. The NHS will remain free at the point of delivery, and based on need, not ability to pay, no matter who you are.
Our health service is facing huge challenges that, if not dealt with today, will mean a crisis tomorrow. Enormous financial pressures, increasing costs of drugs and a rapidly ageing population loom large on the horizon, threatening to undermine our health service unless we act now. Doing nothing is not an option.

We have listened to the experts in the independent NHS Future Forum, we have learned from them, and have improved our modernisation plans for the NHS. There is widespread support for the principles underpinning our plans: more patient choice, more control for doctors and nurses on the frontline; a focus on quality for patients rather than narrow process targets; and more clout for members of the public. The steps we are taking will safeguard the NHS for future generations.

Affordable Housing

We are determined to get Britain building and deliver the affordable homes this country needs. Our Affordable housebuilding programme is already on track to deliver up to 170,000 new affordable homes across the country over the next four years. On top of this our Housing Strategy published this week will help get stalled construction sites back on track, bring empty homes back into use and make disused public sector land available for building.

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Syria
President Assad has ignored countless calls by the international community to put an end to the horrific violence in Syria. In the European Union we have adopted strong sanctions already and we are working with our European partners to add further to those sanctions in the coming days and weeks. We are also debating the matter in the United Nations General Assembly and are sponsoring a resolution on Syria.

The Govt. remain disappointed that the resolution which they sponsored at the United Nations' Security Council was vetoed by Russia and China and we hope that they can return to the matter in the future. We commend the efforts made by the Arab League to put proposals to the Syrian regime, but these proposals have not been accepted: a great mistake on the part of the regime.

On 21 November the Foreign Secretary met members of the Syrian opposition. He expressed our view that the Assad regime should step aside and our belief that that is the best thing for the future of Syria. But he also emphasised the importance of non-violent protest, as well as the importance of achieving a united platform and a unified body among the opposition so that they can come to a united view of the way forward.

As long as the violence continues, we will continue to press the Syrian regime to bring an end to this killing.

Bahrain
The Govt. will be reviewing the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry's report in detail and discussing the findings with our partners. Since the beginning of the unrest we have continually expressed our serious concerns about the human rights situation in Bahrain and made clear that this must be addressed openly and urgently. The report offers an important opportunity to rebuild trust and confidence and promote reform and reconciliation.

Some of the Commission's findings are deeply worrying, in particular the use of systematic torture and excessive force against detainees. We therefore welcome the King of Bahrain's initial response to the report and the Government's commitment to implementing the recommendations, ensuring accountability for past human rights abuses and putting in place mechanisms to prevent future abuses. The world will be watching to ensure that it acts decisively in the coming days and weeks to address the serious abuses identified. This will be crucial to Bahrain's future stability.

We also urge all opposition groups to act on the report's recommendations, demonstrating their commitment to reconciliation and contributing to the process of renewal. The UK stands ready to offer Bahrain assistance in this critical work.

Labour's 'Plan B' of more spending, more borrowing and more debt is a plan for bankruptcy. What we're facing is a debt crisis - too much borrowing and too much debt at every level - and the solution cannot be even more borrowing and more debt.