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 South East MPs made junior ministers after the Prime Minister's
reshuffle |
Three of our region's MPs have taken up junior ministerial jobs following Gordon Brown's reshuffle. Jonathan Shaw, Chatham and Aylesford, moves from his position at DEFRA to a new role at the Department of Work and Pensions as Minister for Disa...
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| Featured news |
| Improving education for all |
Labour's Education Secretary Ed Balls has announced major reforms to strengthen schools’ accountability to parents and the public, raise school standards and reform pupil testing and assessment The reforms will strengthen the role of Key Stage 2 national tests for 11 year olds, radically reform Key Stage 3 testing and introduce a new, simpler and more comprehensive way of reporting to parents on primary and secondary school performance. Ed Balls commenting on the reforms which will mean that children will no longer be required to sit national tests at age 14 said: “Key Stage 2 tests are here to stay. They are essential to giving parents, teachers and the public the information they need about the progress of every primary age child and every primary school. “The final year of primary school is critical to prepare children for the step up to secondary school. Key Stage 2 tests are a robust, objective and consistent source of information for parents at a crucial transition point for their child, and a pupil’s performance at 11 in the core subjects reflects many years of learning at that school. “The early years of secondary school are critical for children’s achievement at school, and we know that some children fall behind at this age. It is vital that secondary schools identify 11 to 14 year olds who need help or one-to-one tuition to catch up - as well as those who can be stretched further.” He added: “The emerging evidence shows that single level tests...
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| Prime Minister’s speech on the global economy |
Gordon Brown's speech on the global economy, which he delivered at the Reuters building 14/10/08 - Check against delivery - Good Morning, and I am very grateful to Niall Fitzgerald and Reuters for inviting me to speak to you this morning, and I did notice, when he had the choice, Niall chose to read his own speech rather than refer to mine. You know at this difficult time for the world economy I wanted to come here today, to the heart of our financial services industry, to discuss with you the steps that we are taking here in Britain and what I believe the international community must now do immediately together to secure the future of our financial system. Britain, as you know, has two great financial traditions: from the coffee houses of London and the establishment of the Royal Exchange we were the pioneers of a modern day banking system built on trust. It was always said of the City, my word is my bond, and that is the trust that must underpin everything that we do in the future. Our second tradition, represented by this company and many others, is our openness to the world. We are internationalists, we have more global reach as a country than any other. While some would use the world financial crisis to recommend policies that are protectionist, we know that the only way forward is to maintain, indeed extend, our tradition of openness, an open trading economy...
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| Landmark day as NHS achieves extended GP hours target early - Bradshaw |
Ben Bradshaw MP, Labour's Health Minister, has welcomed news that the Labour Government has achieved its target of later evening and weekend opening hours in 50 per cent of England's GP surgeries three months ahead of schedule, saying: "This is a landmark day for patients. Labour's reforms are creating a fairer NHS, one in which everyone can see a doctor when they need to and when they want to. "Ahead of schedule, half of England's GPs now offer later evening and weekend opening thanks to Labour's deal with the British Medical Association. It means fairer, more convenient access to a doctor for people who couldn't otherwise fit it around their work or their children. "Although they try to conceal it, the Conservatives have pledged policies which would make it harder for families to see a GP at weekends or in the evenings. "David Cameron needs to come clean and to tell patients which GPs would stop offering weekend and evening opening under his unfair plans."...
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Three of our region's MPs have taken up junior ministerial jobs following Gordon Brown's reshuffle. Jonathan Shaw, Chatham and Aylesford, moves from his position at DEFRA to a new role at the Department of Work and Pensions as Minister for Disa...
