Showing posts with label passed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label passed. Show all posts

Monday, May 2, 2011

Japan quake relief budget passed

2 May 2011 Last updated at 09:10 GMT An elderly woman salvages scrap metal in a ruined area of Sendai on 28 April 2011 The funds will help remove rubble and rebuild regions devastated by the tsunami Japan's parliament has passed a 4tn yen ($49bn, £30bn) emergency budget for reconstruction following the 11 March earthquake and tsunami.

The bill, unveiled last month, passed the lower house on Saturday and was approved unanimously by the upper house budget committee early on Monday.

It will help fund new housing for tens of thousands of people who lost their homes.

It will also support businesses hit by the disaster.

According to the latest police figures, 14,704 people are now known to have died in the disaster and another 10,969 remain missing.

Budget wrangle

Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda said further spending would follow in the months ahead. Ultimately the disaster could end up costing Japan $300bn, analysts say.

Allocations intended for pension funds, child allowances and slashing motorway tolls have been diverted into the emergency budget.

The opposition backed the emergency package, but Prime Minister Naoto Kan's government is expected to face tougher battles to secure future reconstruction funds using a mixture of borrowing and tax hikes.

Japan already has a debt burden double the size of the economy.

Polls over the weekend showed mounting public concern over Mr Kan's leadership during the crisis, which has seen exports severely hit by power and supply shortages.

Work to bring the crippled nuclear plant in Fukushima under control is continuing, after the earthquake knocked out cooling systems to the reactors.

Workers have been pouring water into reactors to cool fuel rods, but have then faced the challenge of containing contaminated waste water leaking from the reactor buildings.

Their goal is to gain access to reactor buildings to restore cooling systems. On Monday workers were preparing to install an air purifier in the No 1 reactor building to reduce radioactivity, a spokesman said.

Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) has said it could take up to nine months to bring the plant fully under control.

On Monday top government spokesman Yukio Edano said the government would not cap liabilities faced by Tepco, because the disaster was "not impossible to foresee".


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Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Scottish government budget passed

9 February 2011 Last updated at 17:08 GMT From Democracy Live: MSPs pass the Budget Bill at decision time.

The minority Scottish government's £33bn budget has been passed by MSPs, after a series of last-minute concessions to opponents.

Finance Secretary John Swinney agreed to demands from the Lib Dems and Tories to boost support for youth employment, private sector projects and housing.

The SNP minister told parliament the measures were fully-funded without "detriment" to the spending plans.

The Scottish budget is being reduced by about £1bn after Treasury funding cuts.

The Budget Bill was passed by 79 votes to 48. Labour refused to support the plans.

Mr Swinney - who faced opposition claims that the budget, as it stood, failed to promote economic recovery - said a record 25,000 modern apprenticeships would now be delivered.

The finance secretary said he was providing an extra £15m for college bursaries between 2010 and 2012 and an extra £8m to back 1,200 more college places in 2011-12.

Continue reading the main story Deliver a total of 25,000 modern apprenticeshipsAn extra £15m for college bursaries between 2010-12Boost college places by 1,200 with an extra £8m£10m to help small firms recruit more staff£16m more for housing in 2011-12Freight Facilities Grant boosted by £2mEdinburgh capital city supplement up by £400,000.And he said an extra £10m would go to helping small businesses take on more workers.

Housing programmes will also get a £16m boost in 2011-12, the finance secretary added.

Mr Swinney told parliament: "I believe we have prepared a budget that best meets the needs of the people of Scotland.

"The government has listened to the calls that others have made of it and we responded in the spirit of building consensus across the chamber.

"At a time when businesses and households across Scotland are acting to set their own finances in order at this most challenging of times, it is essential for this parliament to do likewise."

Labour finance spokesman Andy Kerr said rising unemployment was the "signal failure" of four years of SNP government.

"Our focus today, tomorrow and the day after must be jobs, jobs, jobs," said Mr Kerr.

He added: "That is the priority of our constituents and the need of the country.

Continue reading the main story image of Brian Taylor Brian Taylor Political editor, BBC Scotland

The budget duly carried by 79 votes to 48, with no abstentions.

The wind-up speeches continued the argument between the SNP and Labour.

For Labour, David Whitton argued that the budget fell short of what was required to boost the economy and jobs.

Closing the debate, John Swinney accused Labour of "hypocrisy", arguing that he had conceded - or exceeded - each of the requests made directly to him by Labour in negotiations.

"The recovery of our economy is critical for every Scot - but no Scot could fail to be critical of the lack of economic foresight in this budget."

Conservative Derek Brownlee said: "This budget is a compromise - and it is the better for that.

"It is obvious it is not a Labour budget - it balances, and doesn't add another £200bn to national debt.

"This government - as its predecessor did - proclaims that growing the Scottish economy is its top priority - we did not feel that aim shone through the original draft budget."

Jeremy Purvis, the Lib Dem finance spokesman, added: "This is a better budget.

"It's better for young people wanting the skills they and we need for the economy, it's better for colleges that will able to provide more opportunities, and it's better for businesses that will have more opportunities to take on apprentices."

Green MSP Patrick Harvie said the budget passed only because the SNP had found enough votes, rather than on the basis of parliamentary "consensus".

Mr Swinney has already had to cover a £30m hole in the budget - the SNP's last before the May Scottish election - after failing to win enough support for his proposed tax on large retailers.

The finance secretary outlined several areas where the concessions could be paid for, including higher-than-expected income from non-domestic rates and an increase in the amount of cash to be carried forward to next year's budget.

The SNP budget will see cuts to spending and a public sector pay freeze, as well as a 3% "efficiency savings" target.

The finance secretary said he would shield local authorities from cuts if they agree to implement key SNP policies, including continuing the council tax freeze and maintaining police officer numbers - boosted by 1,000 since the SNP came into power in 2007.

NHS spending is protected, although there is a pledge to reduce the number of senior managers in the health service by 25% over the next four years.

Mr Swinney said the budget involved a £2.5bn infrastructure investment programme in health, education and transport.


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VIDEO: Budget passed at Decision Time

MSPs have voted to pass the Budget (Scotland) Bill on 9 February 2011. 79 MSPs voted for the bill, with 48 against.

The minority Scottish government's £33 bn budget was passed by MSPs, after a series of last-minute opposition concessions.

Finance Secretary John Swinney agreed to demands from the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives to boost support for youth employment, private sector projects and housing.

Labour refused to back the spending plans, saying they failed to support economic recovery.


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