Review of the Papers, Wednesday 09 May

**Government  **

• Tony Blair planned to divide Gordon Brown's fiefdom of the Treasury into two after the 2005 election under proposals drawn up in intense secrecy for the prime minister. The idea was fleshed out in a 200-page document prepared for Mr Blair by his strategy adviser, Lord Birt; the head of the No 10 strategy unit at the time, David Halpern; and another senior No 10 aide, Gareth Davies. Had the plan gone ahead, Mr Brown may have been asked to move to the Foreign Office. It was abandoned when political advisers told Mr Blair voters wanted him to cooperate with his chancellor. http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0,,2075277,00.html  
• The Treasury is poised to write off £2bn - equivalent to 1p on income tax - as uncollectable from Gordon's Brown's tax credit scheme, a report by MPs reveals today. The figure is almost four times higher than disclosed a year ago. The complex scheme, which pays out money to the low paid, has been dogged by fraud and error since it was introduced in 2003. Ministers have already admitted that £5.8bn has been paid to people who should not have received the money. http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/story/0,,2075285,00.html
• The NHS should be run outside politics by a board appointed by Parliament, the British Medical Association says. The NHS should have its own constitution and make clear that it cannot provide everything possible, focusing instead on core services that meet the needs of the great majority of patients most of the time, it says. These changes would prevent day-to-day political meddling and let patients know what they could expect, the BMA says in a discussion paper. The plans arise from dissatisfaction among the medical community about the Government's reforms, James Johnson, chairman of the BMA Council said. There was "intense unhappiness" in the entire workforce, with reforms that lacked logic or coherence. Professionals had been marginalised by changes over 15-20 years, and the "constant dabbling" by politicians was dividing managers from clinicians, he said. The recommendations envisage the NHS as an organisation that is a cross between the BBC and an old-style nationalised industry: run by a board, reporting to Parliament, and governed by a constitution that would set out principles, rights, and responsibilities. Patient input would be strengthened by greater local involvement, the division between purchasers and providers eroded if not abolished, and clinical leadership given greater priority. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article1763831.ece
• Gordon Brown is expected to call a halt to the rapid expansion of the private sector's role in the National Health Service in a significant departure from the health reforms of Tony Blair. Cabinet allies say Mr Brown is deeply concerned by the way Labour has lost its reputation as the NHS's champion and now stands accused by many of its own supporters of masterminding the creeping "privatisation" of the service. Mr Brown, who is on course to succeed Mr Blair as Prime Minister in early July, is also said to be concerned that some contracts with the private sector to provide simple NHS operations have not provided good value for money. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/09/nbrown09.xml
• Buy-to-let investors will face a new "green tax" on their properties from next year, it emerged last night. They will have to pay several hundred pounds for compulsory energy performance certificates, which are already a key component of the controversial Home Information Packs. Around 850,000 people own buy-to-let properties, many of which have been bought to augment their pensions. They have already been hit with extra red tape this year with a scheme that requires them to give their tenants' deposits to a third party for safekeeping. Experts said last night that buy-to-let landlords would be forced to employ qualified energy inspectors to give their properties an energy rating between A and G. The certificates would likely cost around £200 and could require renewal as often as every three years, adding considerably to the financial and administrative burden of renting out a property. The Government confirmed last night that it was extending the energy certification scheme to rental property in October next year. However, no regulations or guidelines for landlords have been produced. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/09/ntax09.xml
• Councils should consult householders before abandoning weekly rubbish collections, Ruth Kelly, the Communities Secretary, told MPs yesterday. She said changes to waste and recycling policies should be done in close consultation with communities - although it was still the prerogative of councils to make changes. Her comments followed increasing controversy in England as more councils switch from weekly collections to fortnightly ones - picking up recyclable waste one week and other domestic rubbish the next. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/09/nbins09.xml