Policy Announcements, Wednesday 11 July

Government

• Gordon Brown has put a major expansion of house building at the heart of his legislative programme for the next session of Parliament. The prime minister told MPs that more people would be helped onto the housing ladder. Other legislation will focus on issues including climate change, energy, skills and pensions. Speaking in the Commons, he said the aim of the measures would be "to support all parents with children, not just some" and help more people purchase property and find work. "In this way we respond to the rising aspirations of the British people, by ensuring that the opportunities which today are only available to some are available to all," Brown said. The announcements came in a statement setting out the government's draft legislative agenda ahead of this autumn's Queen's Speech, which will take place on November 6.
• Gordon Brown has indicated that the government is set to rethink its policy of creating supercasinos to help economic growth. During an exchange at prime minister's questions Brown said it was time to consider whether the giant gambling centres were the best way to regenerate deprived areas. Labour MP Andy Reed asked the prime minister to think again about supercasinos as he believed they would encourage social problems. The government had been forced to reduce the number of supercasinos it would licence to one. Manchester was recommended as the location by the Casino Advisory Panel but it was rejected by peers.