Policy Announcements, Friday 30 March

**Government  **

• The economy and employees needs to be "flexible", Tony Blair is to say in a speech about work. His ideas about "flexi-Britain" include urging employees to adapt quickly to the needs of their bosses to keep the "knowledge economy" moving. In return, employees should benefit from family-friendly hours and workplace rights. Mr Blair will say the government's role should be to encourage skills training while protecting workers' rights. In a speech in Manchester on Friday, he is to say: "The modern world of work is defined by flexibility.  
• Clinicians on new professional executive committees (PECs) will gain greater control over local NHS priorities, policies and investment plans under new guidance published today designed to ensure that clinicians from a multi-professional background are firmly part of primary care trusts' (PCTs) decision making process. New guidance for PECs, issued today by Health Minister Andy Burnham, advises that all PEC members should be appointed on the basis of their skills, competencies, and ability to lead. Clinicians must also be in the majority on the committees.  
• Ed Miliband, Minister for the Third Sector, today announced that the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) will manage a new £30m programme to enable community-led third sector organisations to own and run under-used public buildings. The new Community Assets Fund (CAF) - set up by the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) in the Cabinet Office - will offer grants for refurbishment of local authority buildings, ensuring they are appropriate for community use and for transfer to third sector ownership or management. The CAF will provide valuable new facilities for communities and respond to the third sector's desire to make best use of local assets.