Policy Announcements, Tuesday 06 March

Government  

• Communities Minister Phil Woolas offered grants totalling more than £4.3 million to 343 organisations to promote a common sense of citizenship. Ministers have set out the challenge for all living in a multicultural Britain of learning to celebrate our shared heritage while doing more to understand our individual differences. The announcement recommends funding groups with practical solutions to build capacity among faith communities to support inter faith work. The announcement follows bids from more than 1,200 organisations to the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund. This is the second round of a £13.8 million fund to help organisations promote community cohesion and shared citizenship at a local community level.
• Plans to split up the Home Office could undermine attempts to improve Britain's national security apparatus, a report has warned. A study released by Demos on Tuesday concluded that home secretary John Reid's proposals for a security ministry and a separate justice department are "counter-intuitive" and could be "counter-productive". It also called for a national strategic vision which can co-ordinate the work of all government departments.
• Nine out of ten people support the idea of staying in education or training until the age of 18 - with the strongest support coming from grandparents - according to research published today by Education Secretary Alan Johnson. In a speech to the Sector Skills Development Agency Mr Johnson highlighted the research which shows public support for extending compulsory education.
• Greater clarity is needed on the government's plans to overhaul the post office network, MPs have said.A report from the Commons trade and industry committee questioned whether a proper analysis of the needs of the network had been undertaken. The current 14,263 is viewed as unsustainable by ministers, and trade secretary Alistair Darling has announced plans to close thousands of branches.
• Ministers and civil servants need take a more strategic view of policy and be more honest about future challenges, a report has claimed. MPs have called for parliament to receive regular reports of long-term policy thinking, a greater role for department heads in strategic planning, and better training for civil servants. The report from the Commons public administration committee - based on evidence from ministers, civil servants and experts - has been published as the government's policy review and process comes to a close.
• A new drive to cut long waits across the country for hearing services, was announced by Health Minister, Ivan Lewis. Improving Access to Audiology Services in England is published today and was developed in close consultation with a range of organisations, including the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID).
• Public Health Minister Caroline Flint today announced that the Government is to fund a major study looking at why some gay men appear to be taking more risks with their sexual health in recent years. The results of the study will help the NHS and gay men's health organisations with their work to promote safer sex amongst the most at risk groups and assist with improvements to sexual health services for gay men.

Conservatives  

• David Cameron has pledged to create a new European Union that reflects the public's priorities. Making clear he will not take his party out of Europe, the Conservative leader said the EU should instead be focusing outwards on issues such as global warming, world poverty and economic health.  

Liberal Democrats  

• Commenting ahead of the House of Commons debate on House of Lords reform, Liberal Democrat Shadow Constitutional Affairs Secretary, Simon Hughes MP said that the Lib Dems have agreed to vote en masse for at least four out of five of the members of the upper house to be elected.