7:29 am PT, Thursday, Mar 17, 2005
What the budget had instal for disabled people and other excluded groups!
An article by John Perry - Editor
The Government believes Stem cell research holds the key to tackling some of the world's most intractable diseases, from diabetes to Parkinsons. they firmly believe that Britain can be a world leader.
Building on the £40 million Research Council investment and £20 million committed by the Wellcome Trust, and supported by the new UK Stem Cell Foundation, Britain has a ten year development plan to create a new national network for stem cell research.
They consider the NHS is potentially the richest source of medical knowledge in the world and are setting the goal that Britain become the world's premier location for tracking diseases and developing drugs to treat them.
A New Deal for jobs and skills.
New rules to encourage Incapacity Benefit claimants into work and reforms in housing benefit to help job creation.
Building on the 40 per cent increase in the numbers of lone parents in work since 1997 they are next month to extend to new areas the £2000 first year return-to-work bonus for lone parents.
In areas that are seen to have high ethnic minority unemployment there are to be new centres for vocational qualifications and for entrepreneurship. And alongside a new Union Learning Academy they are also allocating £65 million for the coming year to employers for the employer training pilots.
From next month servicemen and women injured in the line of duty will be entitled to new compensation payments. Currently such compensation payments would be taxed where recipients stay on in the forces but not taxed if they leave. In future no serviceman or woman will be penalised when they continue to serve their country.
Heritage Lottery Fund, Sports England, the government and the private sector are joining together to create Britain's first national community service for young people, with private finance matching public finance up to £150 million to recruit one million young volunteers.
Having accepted the recommendations of the Commission for Africa, they will work throughout the G8 Presidency to secure their implementation. The International Development Secretary has announced that by July he plans to sign new debt-reduction agreements with 19 of the world's poorest countries, Britain unilaterally providing their share of 100 per cent relief on multilateral debts, the money used to fund urgently needed health and education.
From next year they will offer help with early learning in every area for all children who need it. And through increased funding for Sure Start and the national parenting fund, they will provide new help for parents to help their children grow and learn.
To support children's centres and children's services they will end a long-standing grievance and refund the VAT incurred by local councils on these services.
Senior pupils also need access to the most modern computer hardware and software, not only in the classroom but at home, they will be offered the opportunity at low cost to lease computers for home use And for individuals in full-time education or unwaged training up to £75 a week in education maintenance allowances and children's benefits will be on offer.
For teenagers who are both out of work and out of education, they will pilot special transitional help if you agree to return to training.
Every year 150,000 16 and 17 year-olds are in work but not in training. So building on the adult employer training programme and starting in eight areas, every young employee will be offered apprenticeships or college-based training, with time off for employees in return for financial help to employers.
And to help ensure all further education colleges are centres for excellence serving both teenagers and adults they have announced a five-year, £1.5 billion programme for their renovation and renewal.
In the past, present and future they have provided:
a.. Free TV licences for pensioners over 75s
b.. Free eye tests for all pensioners
c.. Free hospital charges
d.. A £200 winter allowance free of tax
e.. A £200 council tax refund.
In every community of the United Kingdom there is, from next year, free local bus travel for every pensioner and every disabled person!
Will this budget promote social and economic inclusion for disabled people and other excluded groups? Or will it continue to promote social and economic exclusion?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask]
In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn
