Yesterday in parliament
Police payBrown defended the decision to stage the police pay award as thousands of officers marched through London to protest against the deal. Nearly 18,000 set off from Park Lane in response to home secretary Jacqui Smith’s decision to delay a 2.5% rise.But the prime minister said the decision was necessary as part of the “fight against inflation”. He hoped the government could soon move towards two or three year pay deals for public sector workers to give them “stability and certainty”.Safe streetsThe prime minister was taunted by Tory Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire) over Smith’s admission that she would not walk alone at night in parts of London. Crabb demanded: “What’s happening on Britain’s streets when the home secretary needs an armed police escort to go and buy a kebab?” Brown told him: “I want everybody in Britain to be safe and feel safe on our streets.” Ken LivingstoneBrown defended Ken Livingstone’s record as Tories called for an independent investigation into corruption allegations at the London Development Agency. Police are investigating four LDA projects, Tory Greg Hands (Hammersmith and Fulham) said as he called for an inquiry into Mr Livingstone’s role as the capital’s mayor.The prime minister said the investigations were a matter for police but credited Mr Livingstone with helping to reduce crime and improve transport. Appointments scrutinyMPs are to be allowed to scrutinise key appointments to public posts before the job is filled, the prime minister announced. There would be “pre-appointment scrutiny” by relevant select committees in a bid to increase parliamentary transparency. He formally proposed Timothy Burr as the next National Audit Office head.TerrorismThe foreign secretary, David Miliband, promised additional staff and resources for the fight against terrorism. Announcing a new strategic framework for the Foreign Office, he said he would “increase substantially” resources put into counter-terrorism and counter nuclear proliferation.He confirmed a shift in diplomatic staff from Europe and the Americas to Asia and the Middle East.Obesity epidemicThe health secretary, Alan Johnson, set out the Government’s ambition for Britain to be the first major country to “reverse the rising tide of obesity“. He announced a series of initiatives backed by %26#163;372 million funding.The government wanted to make breast feeding the “default option” for mothers, introduce compulsory cooking lessons and give councils power to limit the spread of fast food restaurants near schools and parks.For Tories, Stephen O’Brien said reversing rising obesity was a “social responsibility”. The “crisis” had to be tackled but without “over-weening, nanny state, maddening lifestyle diktats”, he added. Judges’ board Judges are set to get a greater say in the way the courts in England and Wales are funded and managed, lord chancellor Jack Straw and lord chief justice Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers said in a joint statement.A new board to oversee the running of Her Majesty’s Courts Service will have responsibility for setting out the “leadership and broad direction” with an independent non-executive chairman who will be neither a judge nor a civil servant. Three judicial representatives will give judges “greater engagement” in courts funding. Scottish banknotes The government was urged by liberal democrat Malcolm Bruce (Gordon) to take steps to ensure traders in England accept Scottish banknotes.But Scottish secretary, Des Browne, said he had found the notes were widely accepted and there was little he could do to correct the problem. Manchester football fansManchester football fans were urged by sports minister, Gerry Sutcliffe, to set aside local rivalries and observe a minute’s silence for the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster, which caused the deaths of eight Manchester United players.The appeal was echoed by Manchester Withington’s MP, liberal democrat John Leech, who implored “a small minority of idiots” not to ruin the tribute. Plastic bagsMore than 632,000 branded plastic bags have been bought by the Work and Pensions Department at a cost of %26#163;22,667 over the last year, junior minister Anne McGuire disclosed.The vast majority were used by the Health and Safety Executive for national campaigns and orders placed since last September have been for biodegradable plastic bags.
Tags: breast feeding, campaigns, epidemic, health, investigations, obesity, protest