Policy Announcements, Friday 23 February

Government

• The UK and US have held high level talks on the possibility of putting a "Son of Star Wars" anti-ballistic missile defence system on British soil. An article in The Economist claims Prime Minister Tony Blair has lobbied President George Bush for the system. But government sources have told the BBC that talks are "to keep Britain's options open", not a lobbying effort. The US said it is still more likely to site a missile defence system in eastern Europe than in the UK.
• The Government announced £54.3m in capital funding to improve in-patient and residential drug and alcohol facilities and access to those services. The money will be used to increase capacity and improve outcomes for patients. This investment will mean more places for patients, improvement to buildings and improved access to services for all client groups. The successful bids include provision for women only facilities and for women with children, as well as families with children, individuals with disabilities, offenders and those at risk of offending, and individuals from black and minority ethnic communities.
• Labour chairman Hazel Blears is to launch a bid for the deputy leadership, urging the party not to distance itself too radically from Tony Blair. She will be the sixth MP to enter the race to replace John Prescott when he stands down later this year with the prime minister. Ms Blears, seen as a Blairite, is to make an announcement on Saturday.
• MPs have criticised the standard of financial management and planning at the environment department. The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had a "poor year", concluded a report from a Commons select committee. "The department itself has to take much of the blame for the precarious financial situation it found itself in 2006/07," the study said. "Some minor factors for the deficit, such as costs related to the spring 2006 avian influenza outbreak, were largely beyond the department's control.

Conservatives

• David Cameron says he backs Labour's city academy programme - but claims it must go "further and faster". He says he wants more freedoms for the flagship scheme, which sees private sponsors provide up to £2m, and being given a say in the way they are run. The academies have attracted criticism and are viewed by some as a threat to the future of state education. But the Conservative leader said being in opposition was not just about opposing the government."
• A hooded teenager pictured making a gun gesture behind David Cameron proves the Tory leader's point about "anti-social behaviour", his spokesman said.
• News that the government is set to deploy more troops to Afghanistan reveal that Britain has failed to persuade its NATO allies "to carry their share of the burden", the Conservatives have said.

EU

• The UK has announced that it is inviting tenders for brokerage and trading of its EU Emissions Trading Scheme surplus New Entrant Reserve. This will begin a process of appointing one or more brokers/ traders to sell allowances on behalf of the UK Government and the devolved administrations. The allowances to be disposed of are a proportion of the surplus Phase I New Entrant Reserve. The UK has made a public commitment to release the surplus NER but will also aim to ensure that there are sufficient allowances remaining in the NER following the disposal, so that new entrants will still have access to allowances until the end of the current Phase.