In The Loop: 12/01/09

Companies to get £2,500 for each long-term jobless recruit
"The government is to give firms that recruit people unemployed for more than six months "golden hellos" of up to £2,500, in a move that provides £500m to keep employers hiring.

The unexpected initiative, which will be announced at the government's jobs summit this morning, is the latest effort to tackle rising unemployment, which is predicted to hit 3 million by the end of the year. Last week, the skills secretary, John Denham, announced measures to increase apprenticeships by 35,000 and a system of internships to ensure students unable to find employment still find training." [Guardian]

Plans to increase Britain's gas storage capacity left in tatters by credit crunch
"Plans to build vital facilities to help Britain secure its energy supplies at a time of increasing fears about reliance on Russian gas are in doubt as a result of the credit crunch, energy groups warn.

Stag Energy says the credit crunch is making it harder to raise the £600m for the Gateway project to build a storage facility beneath the Irish Sea. It received planning permission for the project in November." [Guardian]

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EU Council Monitor - 28/11/08

Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council Meeting
The conclusions of the Council meeting are available for download here: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/cms3_applications/applications/newsRoom/loadBook.asp?BID=87&LANG=1&cmsid=354

Les Etats membres de l’Union européenne sont tombés d’accord pour retirer l’amendement n°138 ( dit " amendement Bono ") du Paquet “Christine Albanel, ministre de la Culture et de la Communication, se félicite que tous les Etats membres de l’Union européenne soient tombés d’accord pour retirer l’amendement n°138 ( dit « amendement Bono ») du Paquet Télécom.
http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/actualites/index.htm

In the Loop: 31/09/08

Petrol price to drivers still not falling as fast as a barrel of oil 31/10/08
“The price of petrol at the pump is not falling as fast as the price of oil from peak levels over the summer, according to Guardian analysis.

The average pump price is falling by about a penny every five days but still has 5.8p a litre to drop if it is to catch up with recent sharp declines in the price of oil.” [Guardian]

Barclays raises more than £7bn from Middle East investors 31/10/08
“Barclays is raising up to £7.3bn from Middle East investors, who could end up owning more than a third of the UK's second largest bank. The move allows the bank to strengthen its balance sheet without taking help from the taxpayer.

The cash injection is coming from the royal families of Abu Dhabi and Qatar, who have both agreed to pump billions into Barclays to bolster its capital ratios. The Qataris, who already own a significant shareholding in Barclays, are providing up to £2.3bn. Once the deal goes through they will own up to 15.5% of the bank.” [Guardian]

People-power a step closer in energy bill 31/10/08
“The prospect of households with wind turbines and solar panels being able to sell power back to the national grid has come a step closer after the government tabled an amendment to a bill that would allow people to generate enough power to serve a community of more than 1,000 people.

The government said 10 days ago it was keen to get the proposal into the energy bill after facing down opposition from power companies concerned that allowing individuals and communities the chance to profit from energy creation significantly altered the market. The measure will be debated in the Lords next week.” [Guardian]

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Heron's Eye: 30/10/08

Chancellor demands cheaper petrol as Shell posts record profits 30/10/08
“Alistair Darling today called on oil companies to pass on lower costs to consumers by cutting petrol prices as Royal Dutch Shell posted a 71% rise in profits.

The chancellor said that he wanted the recent drop in the oil price, which has halved in recent months, to be passed on to the pumps as soon as possible.” [Guardian]

Government accused of breaking rules over Sellafield decommissioning plans 30/10/08
“The government was last night under pressure from parliament's most powerful watchdog committee to re-open consultations on the deal which has landed taxpayers with the bill for nuclear accidents and leaks when a private consortium takes over the decommissioning of Sellafield next month.

Edward Leigh, chairman of the Commons public accounts committee, has written to Ed Miliband, the energy and climate change secretary, telling him that his ministry had broken Treasury rules and failed to given MPs the opportunity to object to the indemnity to private firms.” [Guardian]

Ministers accused of arrogance over 128-day parliamentary session 30/10/08
“Opposition politicians have accused the government of "arrogantly" misusing its oversight of parliamentary business, as it emerged yesterday that the number of days MPs would attend parliament in the next session would be the smallest since 1979-80.” [Guardian]

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Heron's Eye 27/10/08

Government must be bold to deal with recession 24/10/08
MP John McFall lays out a possible solution to ensure an equitable injection into the economy. [Guardian]

Borrowing more is responsible, says Gordon Brown 27/10/08
“Gordon Brown insisted today that increasing borrowing to shore up the economy was the "responsible" thing to do.” [Guardian] [Guardian]

MP's anger as state bears cost of any Sellafield disaster 27/10/08
“Taxpayers have been left with unlimited liability amounting to billions of pounds should there be a repeat of a nuclear accident at Sellafield under a deal signed with a US-led consortium which takes over the decommissioning of the waste facility from November 24. The indemnity even covers accidents and leaks that are the consortium's fault.” [Guardian]

Woolas dropped from TV panel after gaffes
“Immigration minister Phil Woolas has been axed by the government from a high-profile television appearance, days after making a series of gaffes. Woolas, who controversially called for population curbs and predicted the disestablishment of the Church of England, had been due to appear on tonight's Question Time on BBC1. A Home Office spokesman confirmed the change of plan but insisted the decision had been taken on the basis of the most topical subject matter.” [Guardian]

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In The Loop: 20/10/08

More government data loses revealed 20/10/08
Its good to know that civil servants are as careless with their own possessions as they are with the personal data they hold on the nation.

The Liberal Democrats have today published statistics showing that Home Office employees have lost 3,492 security passes since 2001 - more than one a day. [Guardian]

UK wind farm plans on brink of failure 20/10/08
Last week Britain committed itself to cutting greenhouse gases by 80 per cent. This week Gordon Brown will claim the UK is now a world leader in wind power. An Observer investigation reveals his hopes could be blown wildly off course. No country has tried to switch so fast to renewable energy - but rising costs and technical problems mean that, without urgent action and cash, the targets cannot be met. [Guardian]

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Heron's Eye: 15/10/08

Ed Miliband: No retreat from green agenda despite recession
“The new energy and climate change secretary, Ed Miliband, insisted today that there must be no retreat from the government's climate change agenda in the face of the coming recession, as he prepared to accept proposals from Lord Turner's climate change committee tomorrow to increase Britain's statutory target to cut carbon emissions from 60% to 80% by 2050.” [Guardian]

Gordon Brown: I am very angry with Lords over 42 days
“Gordon Brown today said he was "very angry" with the House of Lords after it threw out his plans to detain terrorism suspects without charge for up to 42 days, forcing the government to abandon its proposal.” [Guardian]

The end of capitalism? No, just another burst bubble
“So this is to be Brown's Falklands. Victory on Mount All-fall-down. Bonfire of the bonuses. Service in St Paul's. March-past by the Royal Troop of Derivatives Traders. Anthem to the Bankers' Brigade. Tomb of the Unknown Arbitrageur” [Guardian]

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Grimsdale's Ire: 10/08/08

Pressure grows on Met boss after fresh claims of racism
Sir Ian Blair's leadership of Scotland Yard looked increasingly fragile last night as Britain's most senior Asian police officer announced that he was launching a legal claim against the Metropolitan Police over allegations of racial discrimination. [Guardian]

Call for Bill of Rights on homes and health
Britons should be guaranteed a legal right to a decent standard of living, health and housing under a Bill of Rights, according to a report by an influential group of parliamentarians. [Guardian]

Coal plant protesters injured in skirmishes with police
Protesters battled with police yesterday but failed to shut down Kingsnorth coal plant as the climax of the week-long climate camp ended with a series of skirmishes. [Guardian]

Capital charmer
Decca Aitkenhead interviews Boris Johnson following his first one hundred days in office as the Mayor of London. [Guardian]

Untested drugs offer cancer hope
Thousands of terminally ill cancer patients are to be offered the chance to take experimental drugs that may extend their life by months or even years, The Observer can reveal. [Guardian]

Warning over backlash in bail hostel row
The government has been accused of a 'shocking lack of consultation' over its plans to open hundreds of bail units in residential areas despite fierce opposition from councils. [Guardian]

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In The Loop: 03/08/08

Crisis is set to worsen as jails run out of cells

Britain's jails will struggle to cope with a predicted rise in prisoner numbers because the government plans to build far fewer cells than may be needed, The Observer has established.

Minutes from a private briefing given by the Justice Minister, David Hanson, to senior prison staff, civil servants and penal experts indicate that the government is facing a cells crisis.

'Our projections show we're going to need something like 96,000 prison places by 2012, 2014,' Hanson told the briefing last month. In a transcript seen by The Observer, he also expressed a desire to remove 6,000 prison places dating from Victorian times, which have long been criticised by penal reformers. [Guardian]

Energy giants forced to act on fuel poverty

Energy companies are to be told to reallocate some of the £3bn they must spend to reduce carbon emissions towards directly helping the fuel poor, following uproar over last week's decision by British Gas to hike gas bills by a third. [Guardian]

Property market: House prices down 8.1% in largest fall for 17 years

The average price of a UK home is now £15,000 less than it was a year ago, with prices tumbling at their fastest rate since 1991 in the year to July, Nationwide said yesterday. [Guardian]

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Grimsdale's Ire: 01/08/08

Blindfolds that wrecked a deal to boost global trade

Excellent article by Phillip Stephens in the FT, discussing the lack of heroes participating in the Doha round. He mentions the likely effects on international trade, geopolitics and on the impact on the poorest nations. [FT]

Erdogan must seize this chance to reform Turkey

Soli Ozel on a key episode in Turkey’s democratisation process, involving Turkey’s court deliberating that the AKP should not be shut down despite being engaged in anti-secular activities. [FT]

A windfall tax is an easy solution – but a wrong one

The Independent’s leading article on why a windfall tax on energy companies would only be a short-term solution and how more effective regulation would be more appropriate. [Independent]

The Cost of Oil Subsidies

NY Times editorial on developing economies continuing their oil subsidies. [NYTimes]

Sam Freedman: Good teachers are made in the classroom

Sam Freedman, head of the education unit at Policy Exchange reinforces the importance of high quality teaching on educational attainment and on possible innovations such as paid learning on the job to encourage recruitment and development of trainees. [Independent]

Pensioners are a blessing, not a problem

Melanie McDonagh takes an optimistic view of the consequences of longer life expectancy on society. [Telegraph]

How to regain popularity: windfall taxes or surcharge on banks?

Michael White on Gordon Brown’s options for alleviating poverty caused through soaring energy prices. [Guardian]

The return of Nicolas Sarkozy, the great reformer

Rosemary Righter on Nicolas Sarkozy’s sudden flourish of legislative reforms. [Times]

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In The Loop: 31/07/08

Higher oil price boosts BP profit

Oil giant BP has announced a 6% rise in profits for the second quarter of 2008, largely thanks to a sharp rise in the price of oil. [BBC]

Climate activists occupy proposed site for coal-fired power station

Climate change activists yesterday occupied the proposed site for Britain's first coal-fired power station in 30 years, claiming the development will cause huge damage to the environment if it goes ahead. [Guardian]

Next prime minister or this one must deal with rising energy prices

Excellent article by Micael White on UK utility companies’ failure to develop modern infrastructure to keep down the price of energy. [Guardian]

Cable calls for social tariff for energy providers

Vince Cable was asked about rising energy prices, the housing market and the profits of Centrica. He called for a social tariff whereby energy providers would feed money back to those most in need.

He said on the issue of home heating that as summer moves to winter, “those high prices will really bite. We have 2.5 million people in fuel poverty.

He said that for the energy providers, “there should be an obligation to provide a real social tariff.” [PoliticsHome]

'Oil from algae' promises climate friendly fuel

A liquid fuel made from plants that is chemically identical to crude oil but which does not contribute to climate change when it is burned or, unlike other biofuels, need agricultural land to produce sounds too good to be true. But a company in San Diego claims to have developed exactly that – a sustainable version of oil it calls "green crude". [Guardian]

Two wheels

Wonderful look by Claire Armitstead on the relationship between cycling and political values. [Guardian]

UK is second in the world at research

UK scientists publish more research than any other country in the world except the United States, the science minister will say today. However, China now publishes almost the same number of studies as the UK – four times as many as it did 10 years ago. [Guardian]

United States economy shrinks for first time since 2001

The US economy shrank at the end of 2007 for the first time in six years, according to official figures, leading analysts to speculate the world's largest economy may be in recession. [Guardian]

House prices suffer record fall

House prices continued to fall in July, recording their largest year-on-year drop since the property market crash of the early 1990s, figures from Nationwide building society showed today. [Guardian]

Nasa discovers giant lake on surface of Saturn moon

Nasa scientists said today they had discovered the first direct evidence that the surface of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, has lakes of liquid hydrocarbons - the only object other than Earth to have standing liquids on its surface. [Guardian]

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