Policy Announcements, Monday 02 July

Government

• The home secretary has briefed MPs on the attacks in London and Glasgow, saying that new anti-terrorism legislation will be brought forward. ****Jacqui Smith told the Commons that so far six arrests had been made in connection with the attempted bombings in London and the incident at Glasgow airport on Saturday. On action to be taken in the future, Smith said there would a new anti-terrorism bill following a consultation on the proposals. "We have started a full consultative review of counter-terrorist legislation with a view to a bill later this year, this process will continue," she told the Commons. "We have refocused the Home Office, developed the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism, established a weekly security board chaired by myself to co-ordinate the efforts of key departments and agencies.
• Gordon Brown is to reveal plans to reform the House of Commons this week. The changes are expected to include the prime minister giving up the power to declare war without Parliament's approval and to appoint bishops. Mr Brown told the BBC he would not run a "sofa-style" government, a criticism which has been levelled at Tony Blair. A full list of proposed reforms had been expected on Monday but this will be delayed to Tuesday because of the attempted London and Glasgow bombings.
• The smoking ban in England is the "single most important public health legislation for a generation", Health Secretary Alan Johnson has said. He said the ban on smoking in enclosed public places, which came into force on Sunday, would improve the health of hundreds of thousands of people. But there have been isolated signs of opposition to the smoking clampdown. The landlord of the Dog Inn in Hereford and the boss of a lapdancing club in London have vowed to challenge the ban. Pubs, clubs and restaurants - and all enclosed public places - are now smoke-free zones, a change which Mr Johnson said was popular with 80% of the population.