TOP 100 UK SITES
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| Nobel win for British IVF pioneer The man who devised the fertility treatment IVF is awarded the Nobel prize for medicine. bbc.co.uk |
We won't deviate from cuts plan – Hammond Transport secretary says spending cuts will be manageable and plays down fears of double-dip recessionThe government will not deviate from its massive cuts programme despite fears that drastic cuts could damage the economy, the transport secretary, Philip Hammond, indicated today.Departments will be given "clear and firm" budgets in order to clear the structural deficit by 2015, said Hammond. If economic figures were to deteriorate unexpectedly, Bank of England measures such as quantitative easing could be used, he added.In today's Observer the newly appointed shadow chancellor, Alan Johnson, attacked the government's plans for deep and immediate spending cuts, warning they would "fundamentally alter our community" and inflict greater and more lasting damage on public services than Margaret Thatcher's cuts in the 1980s. He suggested the coalition's economic strategy heightened the risk of a double-dip recession.There have been signs that ministers are growing increasingly nervous about the effect their plans for £83bn worth of cuts – to be unveiled in 10 days' time – could have on jobs and economic activity.The message from the government has appeared inconsistent, with the energy and climate change secretary, Chris Huhne, saying the planned cuts programme could be reassessed or curtailed if circumstances altered.On BBC1's Andrew Marr Show this morning Hammond played down the fears of a double-dip recession, saying "all the indicators" suggested the UK economy would continue to grow and unemployment fall during the course of the parliament.Asked about the ability to "finesse" cuts to avoid a double-dip recession, the former shadow Treasury chief secretary said: "The plans that the chancellor will set out in his spending review statement on 20 October will set out a pattern of reduction for departments over the four years of the spending review, so departments will have clear and firm budgets."And our view has always been that fiscal policy should be set for the medium term, and monetary policy should be used to deal with any short-term shocks."Hammond insisted the cuts would be manageable. "We have always said that the reductions in public spending will be over a four-year period – this isn't going to be a cliff edge next year," he said."Departments will reduce their spending in line with the plans agreed by the chancellor over a period of four years. So if a department is reducing its spending by 25% overall, it won't be 25% in year one. It will be maybe 6% in year one, and 6% in year two."Huhne said yesterday that cuts could be scaled back if economic conditions deteriorate. Later, however, the chief secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, told the Scottish Liberal Democrat conference the planned cuts were "unavoidable".Johnson told the Observer Labour would not oppose all cuts but warned that the depth of the cuts – 25% in many departments – when combined with complex and costly complex reorganisations of the NHS and police services, would cause joblessness and insecurity across the country.Pointing to Ireland's descent back towards recession, he said: "We don't have to look far to see what the effect can be of cutting too deep too soon. Even if double dip doesn't happen, the way this coalition is implementing these changes will fundamentally alter our community and lead to a situation where we spend years trying to repair the damage."If you think of Thatcher in the 80s, the most she cut was 10%, and we are still feeling the effect of that in Hull, the city I represent."He said he strongly opposed the coalition's decision to withdraw child benefit from families with a higher rate taxpayer because it was "probably the most precious" of universal benefits.He said he would look seriously at further action against the banks, including plans to increase the bank levy and target bonuses. "We should look at all of that. It is totally reasonable to look at that without in any way failing to realise the importance of financial services to our economy."He added that people were angered by the unfairness that allowed bankers to receive massive bonuses at a time of spending cuts. "They believe that these huge disparities in wealth are wrong. We are at a time and in an era where people are questioning that much more than they would have done before and I think that is right."Meanwhile a report from Research Councils UK is due to warn that drastic cuts to the UK's science and technology budgets could mean "game over" for British science. The report warns that cuts of £1bn for scientific research would lead to a fall in GDP of more than £10bn.Spending review 2010Tax and spendingPublic sector cutsPublic services policyPublic financeConservativesLiberal-Conservative coalitionEconomic policyToby HelmAlexandra Toppingguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
SNP to cut NHS management by 25% The number of senior NHS bosses in Scotland will be cut by a quarter to help fund the abolition of prescription charges. bbc.co.uk |
British aid worker died of fragment injuries, inquest hears Linda Norgrove, who was killed during a rescue attempt in Afghanistan, died of injuries to her head and chestKidnapped aid worker Linda Norgrove, who is believed to have been killed accidentally by US forces sent to rescue her in Afghanistan, died of penetrating fragment injuries to her head and chest, an inquest heard today.Detective chief inspector Colin Smith of the Metropolitan police revealed details of the postmortem examination at the opening of the inquest at the coroner's court in Salisbury, Wiltshire.Norgrove's death was initially blamed on her captors but US forces later said she may have been killed accidentally by one of those sent to free her.An American soldier is reportedly facing disciplinary action for throwing the fragmentation grenade believed to have killed her.Norgrove, 36, was kidnapped by militants in the Dewagal valley in Kunar province on 26 September.Three local staff were taken with her when the cars they were travelling in were ambushed.The staff were released unharmed but Norgrove was killed during the rescue mission on 8 October.The former United Nations employee was working for the firm Development Alternatives Inc (DAI) at the time of her kidnap.Based in Jalalabad, she supervised reconstruction programmes in the eastern region of Afghanistan funded by the US government.Norgrove's funeral will be held on Tuesday at Uig community centre in Timsgarry, Uig, on the Isle of Lewis, where her parents Lorna, 62, and John, 60, live.AfghanistanUS militaryguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Witnesses ‘lied to hide Prince’s involvement,’ court told Witnesses in the Chelsea Barracks case “concocted an untrue story” to cover up the involvement of the Prince of Wales and the Emir of Qatar in the cancellation of an £81 million modernist housing project, the High Court was told yesterday. timesonline.co.uk |