Policy Announcements, Thursday 26 July

Government  

• Alex Salmond has said he will soon publish a white paper on Scottish independence. The Scottish first minister, who heads a minority nationalist administration, told the BBC on Thursday that he would press ahead with the plan despite the clear majority against separation in the Holyrood parliament. The paper is set to be released in the next two weeks, fulfilling the SNP's election pledge to do so within 100 days of taking power. It will set out plans for a referendum on independence, which could be held in 2010.  
• The children's minister has pledged new funding and the use of unclaimed bank assets to finance "exciting, modern, up-to-date places" for young people. Publishing a 10-year youth strategy on Thursday, Beverley Hughes told MPs that it was the "most ambitious commitment to all our young people for decades". In the spending review period of 2008 to 2011, ministers will put £124m worth of new funding into youth services and facilities, with extra cash for the most disadvantaged areas. In addition £100m will go to proven third sector providers to expand and sustain their work.  
• Legislation aimed at protecting the victims of forced marriages and preventing them from taking place has received Royal Assent, the Ministry of Justice announced today. Under the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act, where a forced marriage has or is about to take place, courts will be able to make orders to protect the victim or the potential victim and help remove them from that situation. The courts will have a wide discretion in the type of injunctions they will be able to make to enable them to respond effectively to the individual circumstances of the case and prevent or pre-empt forced marriages from occurring.
• Women and carers received a huge boost today thanks to the reforms to the state pension system in the Pensions Act 2007, which has received Royal Assent. For many low income women, this could mean an extra £50 a week by the 2050s from the state pension. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Peter Hain said: "This Act will deliver the most important reforms to the state pension system in generations.
• Members of the public could soon be able to suggest topics for House of Commons debates via e-petitions. The development follows the popularity of a similar system introduced in 10 Downing Street last year. The government has accepted a report by the Commons procedure committee which also says ministers should reply to all petitions received within two months. The committee's chairman, Tory MP Greg Knight, said e-petitions would make Parliament more "transparent".  

Conservatives  

• The Conservative security spokesman has recommended a series of new policy measures, including a new force to deal with national emergencies. Former intelligence chief Dame Pauline Neville-Jones published the findings of her national and international security policy group at an event at the Chatham House think tank on Thursday, where she was joined by Tory leader David Cameron. The approximately 2,000-strong emergencies force would be equipped to cope with disasters such as terrorist attacks and the widespread flooding that has damaged parts of the country in recent weeks. The proposals also included plans for a new border police force, something the prime minister has already pledged to move towards. And the report suggested increasing the size of the Army to cope with overstretch and setting up a national security council of experts to advise on policy.  

Lib Dems  

• Liberal Democrat Shadow Solicitor General, David Howarth MP has demanded a major reform of the role of the Attorney General. The call came on the day that the Solicitor General, Vera Baird, announced a consultation into the Attorney General's role.Mr Howarth said: "Following the controversy over BAE Systems and Al-Yamamah as well as the prosecution decisions on the cash for honours affair, reform of the role of the Attorney General is long overdue. Politicians should be taken out of individual prosecution decisions. General policy guidance is obviously acceptable as long as it is made openly and publicly but never again should we have a politician in a position to decide whether or not a prosecution should go ahead. We cannot allow the BAE Systems situation to reoccur."