Policy Announcements, Monday 11 June

Government

• A £500,000 fund is today being awarded to innovative schemes to tackle youth homelessness, ranging from crash pads for teenagers to supported lodgings and a text message service offering housing options. Housing Minister Yvette Cooper announced that 27 local authorities and partnerships would receive the investment for their plans to reduce youth homelessness. National Statistics released today show that new cases of homelessness reported by local authorities have fallen by 17 per cent in comparison to the same period last year to 17,230 - the lowest level since the early 1980s. However, more than a third of new cases of homelessness last year were young people aged under 25. The funding builds on a package of measures announced last year in the Government's National Youth Homelessness Scheme, including a new target to end the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for 16 and 17 year olds by 2010.
• Employers should make use of the wide pool of resources and skills that disabled employees have to offer according to John Hutton, Secretary of State for the Department for Work & Pensions. He today announced a new initiative, 'Employ Ability', which will highlight the benefits of employing disabled people and dispel some of the myths. With over 600,000 vacancies in the British economy waiting to be filled, Mr Hutton believes that employers may be missing out on talented and motivated staff if they refuse to look at disabled workers as a solution to their staffing needs.
• A new bypass which will tackle congestion and enhance safety in Earl Shilton in Leicestershire has been given the go-ahead with £14.8M of Government funding, Transport Minister Gillian Merron announced today. The 5km single carriageway will link the A47 Hinckley Northern Perimeter Road from a new roundabout at Carrs Hill on the A47 Leicester Road, north east of Earl Shilton. There will also be a combined footway and cycleway along the length of the bypass.   A new road scheme which will accelerate the regeneration of former coalfield areas in Castleford and Normanton is to benefit from £6.5M of Government funding, Transport Minister Gillian Merron announced today. The £12M Glass Houghton Coalfields Link Road, a 3.4km single carriageway linking the A655 Normanton Bypass to the A6359 Leeds Road, in Castleford, forms part of a wider package of regeneration and transport measures for the area which are being developed by Wakefield Metropolitan District Council.