Policy Announcements, Thursday 12 July

**Government  **

• England's secondary curriculum is being overhauled to give teachers more flexibility in the classroom whilst focusing on the basics, ministers say. A quarter of the school day is to be freed up so that teachers can focus more on individual students' needs. But more subjects like personal finance and cookery are set to be included - plus languages like Mandarin and Urdu. Schools Secretary Ed Balls pledged to enhance teaching of "the three Rs" and said there would be "no dumbing down".  
• The Government is investing more than £40 million to help the UK aerospace industry take a significant step towards developing environmentally-friendly engines with reduced noise, fuel burn, carbon and nitrogen emissions. Environmentally Friendly Engine (EFE) is a £95 million collaborative industrial research programme, led by aero-engine maker Rolls-Royce, to help design and test the technology needed for new generation of gas turbine engines over the next decade.  
• Restrictions on shooting and selling game dating back to the 1830s will end in England and Wales from August. Game licences will no longer be needed and pheasants, grouse and other game will be able to be sold all year round. But moves to end the ban on shooting game on Sundays and Christmas Day have been abandoned, after much opposition.