Policy Announcements, Wednesday 28 March

Government  

• The minimum age for a marriage visa is to be raised from 18 to 21, in a bid to combat forced marriages. Spouses or fiances who want to come to the UK from outside the EU may also have to pass an English test first. People who act as guarantors for people on family visit visas could also face fines of £1,000 if they overstay. The proposals are part of efforts to strengthen UK border controls, which will see more people being screened before they enter the UK.   
• Members of Parliament have voted to give themselves £10,000 each a year to spend on things like websites to boost "public understanding" of Parliament. The new allowance comes on top of the £20,000 office running costs allowance and £7,000 for pre-paid envelopes.  
• Education and Skills Secretary Alan Johnson and Schools Minister Jim Knight today announced that up to 40,000 places on the first ever Diplomas will be available for young people from September 2008. Courses in five areas, from engineering to creative and media, will be offered by pioneering partnerships of schools, colleges and training organisations. These groups are working with employers to give young people hands-on options alongside other qualifications like GCSEs, A-levels and apprenticeships. Students will be able to learn in different environments, including schools, colleges and the workplace.  
• A new stronger code of practice was launched today that will make leasing shops and offices more user-friendly for small businesses. The new code will mean that small businesses get a step-by-step occupier's guide to contract negotiations which will help tenants avoid the pitfalls of bad contracts. It will allow them to see at a glance what kind of lease they are signing up to.  
• The government has announced proposals aimed at protecting Christmas savers following last year's collapse of the Farepak hamper scheme. Brian Pomeroy, the chairman of the financial inclusion taskforce, has published his review into Christmas hamper savings schemes. The review, commissioned after the Farepak collapse, argues that more must be done to protect savers' money after the Swindon-based scheme collapsed, leaving 150,000 families £40m out of pocket. 
• Children's social workers will receive a £13 million boost to help pay for Information and Communication Technology (ICT), through funding announced today by Children's Minister Parmjit Dhanda. The money is aimed at helping the social care workforce change and adapt to new ways of working and to keep in step with developing technologies. Advances in technology are already having an impact on the social care sector and this capital grant will help employers invest in the latest mobile ICT, including laptops and Personal Digital Assistants.