| Gordon Brown has said new government measures will offer "real help" to homeowners, families and businesses as he focuses squarely on the economy. He told MPs planned new laws in the Queen's Speech would help the UK "in the downturn and the upturn" to follow. In a slimmed down programme, ministers will attempt to prevent another banking crisis and protect depositors. But David Cameron criticised the plans, calling it "last year's Queen's Speech from yesterday's prime minister." 'Not honest' The Tory leader said the programme of measures - which include forcing long-term jobless to do more to find work and to protect homeowners under threat of losing their homes - was driven by short-term political calculations not the need for long-term change. The prime minister had failed to "be honest about the state of the country" and its economic position, he added. "The truth is that he is borrowing so much because he has spent so much," he said. There was no commitment to public service reform nor any "recognition of how the world has changed" in the past year in terms of the problems facing business and families. "The prime minister is wrong for a recession and he is wrong for a recovery." But Mr Brown accused the opposition of failing to support measures to boost the economy and financial system and ignoring the reality that the economic downturn is a global phenomenon which requires global co-operation and solutions. The Tories had shown they were "uncaring about the difficulties people face", he argued. "In an era of yes, we can, only the opposition are saying no we won't." 'Meagre' Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said the package of measures was "meagre" from a "fag-end government running out of ideas". The measures were "no use and no help" to people facing "unprecedented" economic worries, doing nothing to cut household fuel bills or get banks to lend more freely. "People have a right to expect something big from the government," he said. "Rarely has so much been promised and so little delivered." Earlier in a speech to MPs and peers, amid the traditional pomp and ceremony of the State Opening of Parliament, the Queen said: "My government's overriding priority is to ensure the stability of the British economy during the global economic downturn. "My government is committed to helping families and businesses through difficult times." Bills in the Queen's Speech include: • Welfare Reform Bill: Plans to make the long-term unemployed in England, Scotland and Wales start training courses or face benefit cuts and to assess skills when people first claim. • Citizenship, Immigration and Borders Bill: Brings together customs and immigration and introduces a new path to citizenship which rewards good behaviour but holds the process up "if migrants don't make an effort to integrate or commit even minor crimes". • Banking Bill: Gives Bank of England statutory duty to ensure financial stability and allows the Treasury and FSA to intervene earlier to prevent another bank crisis. Was introduced early and has already started its passage through Parliament. • Policing and Crime Bill: Increases accountability of police through directly elected representatives on police authorities. Tightens control of lap dancing clubs and cracks down on cheap alcohol sales. • Equality Bill: for England, Wales and Scotland - Aims to streamline laws on sex, race and religious discrimination, improve enforcement and allow political parties to use all-women shortlists until 2030. • Health Bill: Establishes an NHS Constitution outlining the rights and responsibilities of staff and patients. • Child Poverty Bill: Will "enshrine in law the government's commitment to eradicate child poverty by 2020". • Children, Skills and Learning Bill: New legislation to fulfil the government's pledge to eliminate weak schools by 2011. There were 18 bills in the draft Queen's Speech, but this has been stripped down to 12, plus two carried over from the previous Parliamentary session, making it the shortest Queen's Speech since Labour came to power in 1997. Binge drinking Plans to ban shops from displaying cigarettes in shops have been put on hold for further consultation amid fears they would hit small retailers. But the Department of Health said new restrictions on the sale of tobacco aimed at protecting children, particularly those from a poor background, would be announced shortly. Pubs and bars are also likely to face a mandatory code of conduct banning "£10 all you can drink" deals and similar promotions and fines for drinking in public places where it is banned will go up from £500 to £2,500. Among the bills not included is the Communications Data Bill, thought to include proposals for a giant database of all phone and internet traffic, which has been put out for further consultation. Gordon Brown's much-vaunted Constitutional Renewal Bill - which would give MPs the final say over war and remove a ban on protests outside Parliament - has also been put on hold, to return when Parliamentary time allows. Plans to extend the right to request flexible working to many more parents are included despite concerns about the impact on businesses during a likely recession. Families on lower incomes are to be encouraged to save more through financial incentives. And a voluntary code of conduct requiring banks to give customers notice if they plan to withdraw or alter credit facilities will be made mandatory, the government said, but this is not part of the Banking Bill. Among the more eye-catching measures thought to be included in proposed welfare reforms are lie detector tests for people claiming benefits - already used by 25 councils - to try to reduce fraud. But TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said the proposals looked like a "leftover from pre-recessionary times". And the SNP said the Queen's Speech showed the "UK government has its head in the sand over the current economic reality". And Plaid Cymru said there was need for much tougher controls on banks and energy companies to help hard-pressed families and businesses. "I would like to see the banks coming under some form of regulation, to ensure that they do start lending to each other, but also, crucially, they start lending responsibly to individuals," said Elfin Llwyd, the party's leader at Westminster. |
Government plans focus on economy
/ 10:40 AM /
Thousands of jobs could be filled by foreign workers because of loophole
/ 10:36 AM /
| The Business Visitor Visa allows foreigners coming to the UK for work purposes to stay for up to six months. It is designed to make it easier for business visitors coming on brief trips or stop-overs. But a clause in the scheme also allows for "secondees" from overseas companies who have contracts with UK firms providing they are being paid by the overseas company. Migrationwatch warned that could see foreign companies effectively running a rolling exchange programme of its staff with a British firm, replacing a worker every six months with another, rather than the UK company hiring a local worker. It warned another potential loophole category is "persons undertaking specific, one-off training in techniques and work practices used in the UK, provided this is not on the job training". It comes on the day the next two tiers of the new points based system, aimed at restricting the number of migrant workers, come in to effect but those arriving under a business visa would not have to go through the points system. Business leaders have also warned there could now be a "two-tiered" system of seconded workers coming in under the visa regime and others having to meet the points criteria. Migrationwatch chairman, Sir Andrew Green, said "The Government scrabbled to produce these rules only days before the system goes live. "Far from being "tough" the rules for business visitors drive a coach and horses through the entire work permit system. Now any foreign company with a contract with a British company can send as many seconded staff as they wish for periods of six months each. "This could easily be used to replace more expensive British workers as the recession bites. The Government must think again and take urgent measures to put proper controls in place." A total of 1.74 million people arrived on the old visitor visa for business purposes last year. Migrationwatch warned other aspects of the visa system are also impossible to police, including a requirement that the business visitor is self sufficient or being supported by a friend or family. It said the system was "so full of loopholes as to undermine the entire scheme". It called for a ban on secondees and for all business visits to be limited to six weeks. Also coming in to effect today are Tiers 2 and 5 of the points system, which relate to skilled migrants and temporary workers respectively. The Government claims it will restrict workers under Tier 2, especially through the narrowing of the so-called shortage list of occupations which allow companies to employ from outside the European Economic Area. But it was exposed earlier this month went it emerged it will only cut numbers by 14,000. Figures earlier this week showed jobs filled by foreigners in the last two years increased by almost half a million over the period while the number of British-born employees has slumped by 149,000. Frank Field MP and Nicholas Soames MP, co-Chairmen of the Cross Party Group on Balanced Migration, said: "Today certainly marks a major reconstruction of the immigration system which has been in a state of collapse. "That is to be welcomed but no amount of spin can hide the fact that the Points Based System will not stop tens of thousands of non-EU migrants coming to the UK and competing with the British unemployed for work." A Home Office spokesman said: "We will not tolerate abuse of the system – that's why we have tightened our guidelines to ensure business visitors cannot use this route to take British jobs. "Secondees are paid by their company back home, cannot stay for more than six months, and must prove they can support themselves. "These new rules safeguard the visitor route into the UK from abuse and keep Britain an attractive place to do business." John Cridland, CBI Deputy Director-General, said: "We support the business visitors visa scheme, but suggested that safeguards be introduced to prevent it being abused by unscrupulous companies. We therefore look forward to seeing the government's policies soon." |
Romanian and Bulgarian work restrictions to stay
/ 10:22 AM /
| THE GOVERNMENT is expected to impose work restrictions for Eeropean Union citizens from Romania and Bulgaria for at least another three years due to rising unemployment levels in the State. This is despite lobbying by the Romanian and Bulgarian governments, which say the move is discriminatory and treats them as second-class EU members. The European Commission has also encouraged member states to lift labour restrictions against the two member states. The Government decided to impose a two-year work permit requirements on Romanian and Bulgarian nationals when the two countries joined the EU in January 2007. Under EU law, the Government may impose these "transitional restrictions" for seven years in total. The Government is expected to make a decision on the issue at a Cabinet meeting shortly. A spokesman for the Romanian embassy confirmed it has been in contact with the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Coughlan in a bid to have the restrictions lifted. "We are hoping for a revision of the present mechanism and hope we will be treated like other EU countries. If it is not possible to completely lift the restrictions, we are hoping for a more flexible way of dealing with the issue, especially if the economic situation improves," the spokesman said. However, Government sources say the restrictions will most likely be maintained due to the lack of job opportunities, as well as the significant numbers of EU citizens from Eastern Europe still resident here. The Romanian Community of Ireland, a representative group for many of the country's citizens, have also called for a change in the Government's stance. The group's chairwoman, Anca Lubu, says it is very difficult for citizens to get work permits because of delays of up to three months in processing them. "Very few employers are willing to wait that long. We feel it's not fair and it's creating a second class EU citizen. "I know there may be economic difficulties in Ireland, but this is about equality and treating EU citizens fairly," she said. A small number of employment permits have been issued to nationals of Romania (241) and Bulgaria (58) between January 2007 the end of October 2008. Bulgarian and Romanian citizens are free to travel and live here, even though they may not get a job without a work permit and do not qualify for social welfare. There are exceptions, such as the self-employed, or those who were resident and held a work permit for a year prior to 2007. The Government's stance is at odds with that of 2004, when it, along with the UK, allowed citizens from the 10 new EU accession states to work in Ireland without a permit. Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern at the time accused countries sticking to a policy of keeping closed borders of taking a "negative position". However, he justified the Government's decision not to extend the same benefits to Romanians and Bulgarians two and a half years later on the basis that Ireland had experienced a very significant inflow of economic migrants since May 2004. The Government said it was appropriate to be cautious and concentrate on the integration needs of those who had already come to live and work here. This position was supported by trade unions and the employers' group, Ibec. The two groups are also understood to support the renewals of labour restrictions on Romanians and Bulgarians. |