David Cameron spent more than an hour answering questions from listeners and staff on subjects including cyber-bullying, apprenticeships, the spare room subsidy and childcare costs.
After the Q&A, the Prime Minister said:
I really enjoyed it. There were lots of great questions and a really big variety – internet, musical taste and everything else.
Listen to the full Q&A on the Capital FM website.
With over 1 million more people visiting A&E compared to 3 years ago, last year’s harsh winter put exceptional pressure on urgent and emergency wards.
The new funding will go to A&E departments identified as being under the most pressure and be targeted at ‘pinch points’ in local services.
The aim is for patients to be treated promptly, with fewer delays in A&E, and for other patients to get the care, prescriptions or advice they need without going to A&E.
Hospitals have put forward proposals aimed at improving how their services work. These include improvements to both A&E and improvements to other services away from A&E so there are less unnecessary visits or longer stays in urgent and emergency wards.
Some of the local initiatives could include:
Currently, A&E departments are performing at their usual level for the summer period with over 95% of patients seen within 4 hours since the end of April. It is hoped that providing the additional funding at this stage will ensure the NHS is better prepared for the busier winter period.
Prime Minister David Cameron said:
With over a million more people visiting A&E in the last 3 years, services and staff can find themselves under pressure during the busier winter period.
While A&E departments are performing well this summer and at a level we would expect for this time of year, I want the NHS to take action now to prepare for the coming winter.
The additional funding will go to hospitals where the pressure will be greatest, with a focus on practical measures that relieve pinch points in local services.
By acting now, we can ensure doctors, nurses and NHS staff have the support they need and patients are not left facing excessive waits for treatment.
Jeremy Hunt, Health Secretary said:
This £500 million will help A&E departments to prepare for winter and give patients confidence that they can quickly access safe and reliable emergency care.
We will do whatever it takes to make sure the best A&E care is there for every patient when they need it, and we’re backing our hard-working NHS staff with the resources they need to deliver this.
The Department of Health and NHS England are working to relieve pressure on A&E in the longer term. A £3.8 billion fund has been agreed which will focus on joining up services, so that health and care services work more closely together, keeping people healthier and treating them closer to home. Professor Sir Bruce Keogh is leading a review into the demands on urgent and emergency care and how the NHS should respond. Sir Bruce is expected to report in the autumn.
NHS England, Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority (NTDA) are working closely with the local NHS to identify those A&E departments that will benefit most from this extra funding boost.
In addition, patients across the country will benefit from a £15 million cash injection to NHS 111 to prepare the service for potential winter pressures.
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Prime Minister David Cameron said:
I send my warmest wishes to Muslims in the UK and overseas as they celebrate the festival of Eid-al-Fitr. After a month of longer summer days fasting, praying and putting aside many of the things that we can take for granted, Muslims will come together with friends and family to celebrate this joyous occasion. I wish you all Eid Mubarak.
The Prime Minister today (7 August 2013) visited the Jamia Mosque in Manchester as Muslims in the UK prepare for Eid 2013.
The Prime Minister met senior members of the mosque, as well as members of the local community who use it.
He wished ‘Eid Mubarak’ to them and the wider UK Muslim community, heard views on a range of issues and discussed the challenges and opportunities ahead.
It was also an opportunity to recognise the positive response by the overwhelming majority of the Muslim community to the tragic death of Drummer Lee Rigby.
In his letter, the Prime Minister made clear that he hopes the election of Dr Rouhani presents an opportunity for Iran to take a different course for the future and to improve the UK’s bilateral relationship with Iran on a step-by-step and reciprocal basis, saying:
On the occasion of your inauguration, I wanted to write to express the hope that your election will present an opportunity to improve relations between our countries.
Improving bilateral relations will be a gradual process and several issues will need to be addressed.
The Prime Minister also called for Iran to engage constructively and seriously with the international community on its nuclear programme and to support a peaceful resolution to the crisis in Syria.
The official records of the Prime Minister’s Office and the Cabinet Office from 1983 have been released by the National Archives.
Following a change to the Public Records Act, this is the first year where we will release 2 years’ worth of official records as we move from releasing files when they are 30 years old, to when they are 20 years old.
Find out more about the 1983 files on the History of Government blog.
1983 was a very eventful year for the government on the international front – amongst the many foreign policy challenges you can read about are the relationship with President Reagan during the Cold War and the prime minister’s visit to China where the papers cover subjects from the sovereignty of Hong Kong to London Zoo’s desire for a fertile female panda.
There were also many economic challenges at home as the government began the move towards its privatisation programme and discussed plans for a miners’ strike.
Read a biography of Baroness Thatcher.
Visit the National Archives website to find out more about how all these challenges were dealt with in the words of those at the centre of Mrs Thatcher’s government.
The first results from the NHS Friends and Family Test are published today.
The test asks patients whether they would recommend A&E and inpatient wards to their loved ones based on their own experience. It will grow into the most comprehensive ever undertaken, and covers around 4,500 NHS wards and 144 A&E services. It allows hospital trusts to gain real time feedback on their services down to individual ward level and increases the transparency of NHS data to improve choice and quality.
The test was first announced by the Prime Minister in January 2012 and means that patients will now have a real voice in deciding whether their care is good enough or not – and hospitals will be able to take swift action to make any necessary improvements.
Speaking about the test, the Prime Minister said:
I am determined to give patients a far greater voice within the NHS as a way of highlighting the best and worst of care within our hospitals.
With the Friends and Family Test, we now have a single measure that looks at the quality of care across the country.
I want the NHS to put patient satisfaction at the heart of what they do and expect action to be taken at hospitals where patients and staff say standards are not good enough.
Find out more about the test from NHS England.
Download the data from the Friends and Family Test.
On a visit to the Bentley headquarters in Crewe, Prime Minister David Cameron welcomed the announcement, saying:
This £800 million investment and 1,000 new jobs from Bentley is fantastic news for both Crewe and for the UK as a whole. It is another important milestone in strengthening our economy.
One sector that we know is sprinting ahead in the global race is our booming automotive industry. One vehicle rolls off a production line somewhere in the UK every 20 seconds and we have just launched the government’s automotive industrial strategy to help continue this success for years to come.
I am delighted that Bentley will be building their new vehicle here, not only creating a thousand jobs, but safeguarding many more, as well as increasing training opportunities for highly skilled apprentices.
The SUV will go on sale in 2016. Over the next 3 years Bentley will invest more than £800 million in its headquarters in Crewe and the development of new models.
Read more about this story on the Bentley Motors website.
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The Prime Minister said:
It’s wonderful news from St Mary’s Paddington, and I’m sure that right across the country, and indeed right across the Commonwealth, people will be celebrating and wishing the Royal couple well. It is an important moment in the life of our nation, and I suppose above all it is a wonderful moment for a warm and loving couple who have got a brand new baby boy.
It’s been a remarkable few years for our Royal family – the Royal Wedding captured people’s hearts, the extraordinary and magnificent Jubilee and now this Royal birth. All to a family that has given this nation so much incredible service and they can know that a proud nation is celebrating with them a very proud, happy couple tonight.
Photo credit: John Stillwell/PA Wire/Press Association Images
Prime Minister David Cameron has responded to the launch of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s Action Plan on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS), which commits to set out new rules on tax transparency.
This follows a request by the G20, supported by G8 leaders at the Lough Erne Summit hosted by the Prime Minister, for the OECD to produce a comprehensive action plan for the reform of the international tax system. Domestic and international actions will address BEPS.
The plan, which will be rolled out over the next 2 years, will give governments the tools to prevent corporations from paying little or no taxes.
Tax is one of the key priorities for G8 2013 – find out why with our tax factsheet.
Speaking about the OECD Action Plan, the Prime Minister said:
This report shows how taxpayers, governments and businesses all suffer when some companies manipulate the tax system to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. And it highlights how much we still have to do to bring the international tax system, conceived back in the 1920s, into the 21st century.
That’s why I put the issue at the heart of our G8 agenda. I’m delighted that the OECD have risen to the challenge we set at Lough Erne: committing to set out by next September new rules for a common template that will require multinationals to disclose where they earn their profits and where they pay their taxes.
At the G20 Summit in St Petersburg in September, I will call on fellow leaders to get behind this action plan to ensure that we break down the walls of corporate secrecy, once and for all, and that all companies pay their fair share.
More information about Base Erosion and Profit Shifting is here.
Updated: Updated with new links and video for anniversary of the opening ceremony.
A year on from the London 2012 opening ceremony, the inspirational power of the Olympic and Paralympic Games is delivering lasting change in sport, communities, the economy, east London and awareness and perceptions around disability.
Celebrating the London 2012 Olympic legacy
Read ‘Inspired by 2012’ – a new report about building a lasting Olympic legacy.
Speaking about the Olympics legacy, Prime Minister David Cameron said:
With companies across the country we are harnessing the Olympic momentum and delivering the lasting business legacy of the Games that will help make Britain a winner in the global race.
But that’s not where the good news ends. The Games are also delivering a strong social legacy. Last summer, Games Makers changed the way Britain views volunteering. Since then, thousands of people have been inspired to get involved with their local sports clubs.
The UK economy has seen a £9.9 billion trade and investment boost from the London Olympic and Paralympic Games, 1 year into a 4-year programme of activity and events.
This boost comes from businesses securing contract wins, additional sales and new foreign investment in the last year. An independent report projects the total benefit to the UK from hosting London 2012 could reach up to £41 billion by 2020.
Read more about the economic boost from London 2012.
The UK has also seen an increase in volunteering since the Games, halting the steady decline seen since 2005.
An event in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park kickstarted a summer of ‘Join In’ activity to encourage people to volunteer locally.
1.4 million more people are playing sport at least once a week than in 2005 when the Olympic bid was won. Meanwhile, £1 billion investment is going into youth and community sport over 5 years to encourage greater participation and improve facilities.
The legacy of all the permanent venues on the Olympic Park was secured within a year of the Games – the park has started to reopen this summer with major sports, music and cultural events set to take place.
London 2012 also brought forward investment in east London by a generation and 70,000 unemployed Londoners were helped into Games-related employment, creating a labour market legacy.
Read more about the London 2012 Olympic legacy.
The Prime Minister wrote about the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill receiving Royal Assent in Pink News and the Evening Standard.
He wrote:
I am proud that we have made same sex marriage happen. I am delighted that the love two people have for each other – and the commitment they want to make – can now be recognised as equal. I have backed this reform because I believe in commitment, responsibility and family. I don’t want to see people’s love divided by law.
Making marriage available to everyone says so much about the society that we are and the society that we want to live in – one which respects individuals regardless of their sexuality. If a group is told again and again that they are less valuable, over time they may start to believe it. In addition to the personal damage that this can cause, it inhibits the potential of a nation. For this reason too, I am pleased that we have had the courage to change.
I also want to acknowledge those that worked to bring about this moment: the campaigners, groups such as Out4Marriage and Freedom to Marry, and the team in the civil service and Parliament who worked to deliver it.
The UK is rated as the best place in Europe for LGBT equality – but we cannot be complacent. There are subjects we must continue to tackle: not least taking a zero tolerance approach to homophobic bullying, and caring for elderly members of the LGBT community. Rest assured, this government will work tirelessly to make sure this happens.
As the sun shines this week on our country, the LGBT community now know that the unique bond of marriage is available to them. As Lord Alderdice put it when arguing for civil partnerships in 2004: ‘One of the most fundamental rights of all is the right to have close, confiding, lasting, intimate relationships. Without them, no place, no money, no property, no ambition – nothing – amounts to any value. It seems to me a fundamental human right to be able to choose the person with whom you wish to spend your life and with whom you wish to have a real bond.’
I couldn’t agree more. Yesterday was an historic day.
Prime Minister’s video message for Ramadan 2013
I’d like to send my sincere greetings to everyone observing the Holy month of Ramadan.
This is a month which demonstrates the true spirit of Islam.
Muslims in Britain and around the world will sacrifice the day-to-day luxuries that we can take for granted, they will pray for people in need, and they will fast to show devotion to God and recognise those who go hungry in our world.
I am very proud to be Prime Minister of a nation in which people can freely practise their beliefs.
And it should be a source of pride to all Muslims that this month, even those living with extreme hardships will give up the little they have and pray for others.
Many will be praying for Muslims around the world. Those caught up in conflict, those who are seeking justice and democracy, or those living in the poorest regions on earth, who struggle to get by day to day.
As Prime Minister I am delighted that the British Government has been able to keep its promise to invest 0.7% of our gross national income on helping the world’s poorest and I am grateful that we have been able to partner with Muslim and other organisations to help those in need overseas.
Ramadan is a shining example of how humanity can come together in a positive way for a common good, and I pay tribute to all those who take part. To Muslims at home and overseas I wish you: Ramadan Kareem!
Andy Murray, the 2013 Wimbledon men’s champion, has arrived at Downing Street.
He was met at the front door by the Prime Minister, before attending a cross-party reception in the Downing Street garden where he met the Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition.
This follows a consultation period launched in February.
The new national curriculum embodies high expectations in every subject and will raise standards for all children. It combines the best elements of what is taught in the world’s most successful school systems, including Hong Kong, Massachusetts, Singapore and Finland, with some of the most impressive practice from schools in England.
It has been designed to ensure England has the most productive, most creative and best educated young people of any nation. It aims to create a population with the knowledge and skills not just to get a good job and succeed in life, but also to help us compete and win in the global race.
The Prime Minister said:
We are determined to give all children in this country the very best education – for their future, and for our country’s future. The new national curriculum is a vital part of that.
This curriculum marks a new chapter in British education. From advanced fractions to computer coding to some of the greatest works of literature in the English language, this is a curriculum that is rigorous, engaging and tough.
As a parent this is exactly the kind of thing I want my children to be learning. And as Prime Minister I know this revolution in education is critical for Britain’s prosperity in the decades to come.
This is a curriculum to inspire a generation – and it will educate the great British engineers, scientists, writers and thinkers of our future.
Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove said:
We are introducing a tougher, more rigorous national curriculum. Schools will focus more on essay writing, mathematical modelling and problem solving. For the first time children will be learning to programme computers. It will raise standards across the board – and allow our children to compete in the global race.
Read the written ministerial statement from the Secretary of State for Education.
Dear Malcolm,
The 25th Anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster is a fitting moment to mark the skill, bravery and dedicated professionalism of all those who work offshore.
The oil and gas industry is one of the UK’s greatest industrial success stories. The sector has made – and will continue to make – a significant contribution to our country’s economic prosperity.
Conditions in the North Sea are some of the harshest anywhere in the world. The work to provide the fuels we all rely on is a triumph of technical ingenuity and committed human endeavour.
In this testing environment the highest safety standards are paramount. I know how tirelessly the industry works to prevent incidents like Piper Alpha from ever happening again.
Over the last 25 years the North Sea has embraced continuous improvement in health and safety – an appropriate lasting memorial to those who suffered so terribly a quarter of a century ago.
We will never forget the 167 who lost their lives on 6th July 1988. And my thoughts as Aberdeen remembers its loss are with their families and loved ones, the survivors and all those involved on that tragic night.
Yours,
David Cameron
Prime Minister
To mark the occasion, the Prime Minister said:
Our National Health Service is one of the most precious institutions we have. We all know it, because all of us have been touched by it. I will never forget the care my son Ivan received and the inspirational people who helped Sam and me through some of the most difficult times. The consultants, the community nurses, the care team – every one of them became part of our lives. When you have experienced support and dedicated professional care like that, you know just how incredibly special the NHS is.
The Prime Minister and Health Secretary today set out plans to make the NHS a more personal service for vulnerable and elderly patients. Older people with complicated health needs will have a named clinician responsible for them at all times when they are out of hospital, whether they are at home or in a care home. This will mean every element of their treatment is personalised and tailored around their individual needs.
Today also sees the launch of Genomics England, a new organisation tasked with radically improving our understanding of disease and designing treatments better tailored to individual patients.
Find out more about these announcements from the Department of Health.
The Prime Minister first attended the inauguration of London Array, the world’s largest offshore wind farm located 12 miles off the Kent and Essex coasts in the outer Thames Estuary.
A ceremony was held to mark the occasion at the Turner Contemporary gallery in Margate, Kent, from where the wind farm’s 175 turbines can be seen.
London Array will be able to power the equivalent of around half a million UK households and should help reduce harmful CO2 emissions by more than 900,000 tonnes a year. As well as marking a big step forward for UK renewable energy generation it will help ensure a reliable electricity source for the south east.
Speaking at the inauguration, Prime Minister David Cameron said:
This is a great day for Kent and a great day for Britain. London Array has been built by some of the bravest seamen, the most talented engineers and hardest workers. It will bring benefits to Kent for years to come.
More than 75 organisations and 6,700 individuals were involved in its construction, with up to 1,000 people working on site. The lessons learned are expected to help reduce the cost of future offshore wind farms.
Inward investment for the project came from Denmark-based DONG Energy, the E.ON Group and Abu Dhabi’s Masdar.
Later, the PM joined Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in London for the official groundbreaking ceremony of the 39-acre Battersea Power Station site redevelopment.
The long-awaited project will transform the area into a vibrant new neighbourhood and see the iconic Grade II* listed power station fully restored and opened to the public, 30 years after it was decommissioned.
Some 3,500 new homes, shops, restaurants and offices will be built, set in a 6-acre riverside park with the power station at its heart.
The redevelopment will generate 15,000 new jobs and has attracted inward investment from a Malaysian-led consortium of SP Setia, Sime Darby and EPF, with redevelopment undertaken by the British-based Battersea Power Station Development Company.
Armed Forces Day message from the Prime Minister
The Prime Minister has recorded a message to mark Armed Forces Day, “one of the most important dates in the British calendar”.
In the message, the Prime Minister talks of the “pride and gratitude” he feels whenever he meets men and women of the Armed Forces.
Armed Forces Day will be celebrated by thousands of people across the UK today, recognising the contribution made by the men and women of our Armed Forces. The national event for Armed Forces Day is being hosted this year by the city of Nottingham.
David Cameron launched the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering in 2011 with the Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition. All three will be at the prize’s inaugural royal reception which will award internet pioneers Bob Kahn, Vint Cerf, Louis Pouzin, Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Marc Andreessen.
Recognising the importance of engineering and innovation, the Prime Minister said:
This is a fantastic week for innovation, which is absolutely vital to jobs and growth in our economy. Yesterday I met the face of engineering’s future in Downing Street as we launched a drive for 100,000 new engineering apprentices – and today we have the inaugural Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering.
More than any other time in history our world is being shaped by innovation, new ideas, new technologies and new companies. This is the story of the global economy. People young and old around the world will be inspired by the incredible feats that these men have achieved – with our very own Sir Tim Berners-Lee a shining example of Britain’s ability to succeed in the global race.
The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering is a £1 million global prize rewarding those whose groundbreaking engineering work has worldwide benefit to humanity.
Flags are being raised at hundreds of locations across the UK today, 24 June, in advance of the national event on Saturday 29 June which is being hosted this year by the city of Nottingham.
Government departments, local authorities, businesses and Number 10 Downing Street are flying the Armed Forces Day flag to show support for the men and women of the UK Armed Forces past and present.
In London, the flag is flying on various famous landmarks, including the City of London’s Guildhall, the Mayor of London’s office, Tower Bridge, the BT Tower and the Bank of England. In addition, around the country, communities large and small are raising the flag to show their support, including in Glasgow, Cardiff, Birmingham, Liverpool and Newcastle.
The Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir David Richards, said:
Armed Forces Day is an opportunity for the nation to show its backing for the Armed Forces. We are very grateful for all the support you give us. It makes a difference to every soldier, sailor and airman to know that you value them.
‘Flying the Flag’ is a symbol for all to see that the public care for our servicemen and women, past and present, who continue to rise to the very difficult challenge of defending this country and its interests.
The city of Nottingham, home to this year’s national event, is raising the Armed Forces Day flag at a ceremony at local landmark Wollaton Hall. The flag is being delivered by 4 servicemen, who will parachute into the park in front of the Hall, before the flag is raised by the Lord Mayor of Nottingham, Councillor Merlita Bryan.
Now in its fifth year, Armed Forces Day is attracting a host of supporters from businesses, such as National Express and Transport for London’s Crossrail, to celebrities and sports personalities including Barbara Windsor, Ricky Hatton and Chris Evans.
You can upload your images to the Armed Forces Day Facebook page or share them with the @ArmedForces_Day Twitter account, using the hashtag #ArmedForcesDay. In either case, please include the flag’s location, and a personal message of support if you choose.
