Policy Announcements, Tuesday 17 July

**Government  **

• The government has unveiled plans to abolish regional assemblies and give more power to local authorities and regional development agencies. Communities minister John Healey told MPs that the government wanted to scrap the current assemblies and create a single regional strategy. The plans to devolve decision-making powers to local communities aim to implement the prime minister's "vision of a modern democracy in which power is exercised at the lowest level and those with power are held more clearly to account",  Healey said. They are to be put in place following a consultation period.  
• A £7.5million annual package of Government funding to help boost sustainable travel to school is to continue for another two years, it was announced today. Transport Minister Rosie Winterton and Schools Minister Andrew Adonis confirmed that funding would continue for the Travelling to School project, a joint initiative between the Department for Transport and the Department for Children, Schools and Families that encourages children to walk, cycle, or take public transport to school.