News in Brief
The Government has succeeded in reversing a Lords defeat on its plans to scrap the Assisted Places Scheme, which helps fund private prep school places for children from less well-off families. Peers voted last week, by a majority of 37, for pupils at the private schools to continue to receive help until the normal leaving age of 13. But the Lords amendment was rejected on Tursday night in the Commons by 286 votes to 120. Labour plans to use savings from scrapping the scheme to cut class
sizes for infants.
A bomb has been intercepted which was addressed to one of Northern Ireland's politicial leaders. The parcel bomb, addressed to the leader of the UK Unionist Party, Robert
McCartney, was spotted in Belfast. It was described by police as
"crude but viable", and was sent to Mr McCartney's office at the Northern Ireland Forum where
politicians have been discussing the future of the Province. Mr McCartney, who walked out of the multi-party talks at
Stormont on Monday, is currently on holiday. His party has blamed Republicans for
the attack.
A special new brand of the Scots' national tipple was launched to
celebrate the publication of the White Paper on devolution. A host of local celebrities, including writer William McIlvanney and actor
Dave Anderson, turned out at a pub in Glasgow to toast the plans for home rule
with the whisky, named Referendum.
The blend has been made by the
umbrella organisation co-ordinating the campaign for Yes, Yes votes in the
referendum on September 11.
An £800m deal under which Ministry of Defence telecommunication
systems will be turned over to the private sector has been announced by the
Government. Junior defence minister John Spellar -- who warned he could not rule out
compulsory redundancies -- said the 10-year contract, with a consortium led by BT, would save the taxpayer £100m. It is the biggest deal struck
by the MoD under the Private Finance Initiative, which aims to bring private
finance into public sector projects.
The Prime Minister's wife is the new patron of a leading breast cancer
charity.
Cherie Blair was asked to become patron of Breast Cancer Care after she
expressed a personal interest in the work of the charity. "I have experience of seeing a loved one die of breast cancer so I know the
effect it can have on the woman who is suffering from it and her family," she
said. "Good quality practical and emotional support, like that provided by Breast
Cancer Care, can make a huge difference and I am honoured to have been asked to
become a patron."
The Chancellor has announced plans to strengthen the role of the Commons Treasury Select Committee in probing the performance of the Bank of England. Gordon Brown said the move was part of his drive for more "openness and accountability" over monetary policy. The Committee will be able to interview the Bank's Governor, Eddie George, as often as it sees fit. The House of Commons is also to be given the chance to debate the Bank's annual report.
