National Policy Forum - Your Southeast CLP representatives

Annual Conference 2007 Policy Announcements

Conference 2007 – Health announcements

Lord Darzi reported to Conference on the background to his initial report on the long-term organisation of the NHS. Lord Darzi is still practicing as a surgeon two days a week, as well as being a Health minister.

Lord Darzi announced that we would revolutionise access to GP surgeries, with longer opening hours, the ability to attend a surgery near work as well as near home, more 24 hour walk-in centres and community health facilities.

To fight hospital infections, every hospital in the country will have a full deep steam clean – a measure proved as essential in the USA. Matrons will have more powers to order extra cleaning, and the new regulator Ofcare will inspect, with the power to close wards.

The number of matrons will be doubled, to 5,000.

Cancer screening will be extended to a wider age range for breast cancer, cervical cancer and colon cancer.


Conference 2007 – Education announcements

The watchdog monitoring curriculum and exams will be split. One body will set the national curriculum and monitor school standards. The other will be an independent watchdog of exam standards.

Teaching assistants will have a new pay structure that is more like that of teachers.

Every secondary school pupil will have a personal tutor.

There will be small-group tuition for 600,000 children, and one-to-one tuition for 300,000 primary school children.

There will be a catch-up programme for primary school writing skills.

We will work to end physical and cyber-bullying of children.


Conference 2007 - Sustainable Communities and Housing announcements

Gordon Brown, Hazel Blears and Yvette Cooper all called for Tory and Lib Dem councils to stop obstructing house building and to start doing it.

The number of new homes built will increase to 240,000.

The social housing budget will increase by 50%, to £8.6bn per annum.

The number of new eco-towns will double, from 5 to 10.

All high-energy light bulbs will be phased out from sale within 4 years (saving 5 million tonnes of carbon pa), and the government will work with the industry to phase out high-energy domestic appliances.


Conference 2007 - Sustainable Communities and Housing announcements

Gordon Brown, Hazel Blears and Yvette Cooper all called for Tory and Lib Dem councils to stop obstructing house building and to start doing it.

The number of new homes built will increase to 240,000.

The social housing budget will increase by 50%, to £8.6bn per annum.

The number of new eco-towns will double, from 5 to 10.

All high-energy light bulbs will be phased out from sale within 4 years (saving 5 million tonnes of carbon pa), and the government will work with the industry to phase out high-energy domestic appliances.


Conference 2007 - Prosperity and Work announcements

We will close private equity and non-dom tax loopholes.

The link between pensions and earnings will be restored.

There will be more schemes to help lone parents into work.


Conference 2007 - Britain in the World announcements

As well as further reform of the United Nations, to make it more effective, the Prime Minister will be urging the UN to form an Environmental Agency.

Accommodation for soldiers will be improved.