Public Services

Rise in Down’s Syndrome pregnancies

Recent research from the University of London shows that the number of Down’s Syndrome pregnancies has risen by more than 70 per cent over the last 20 years. The number of babies being born with Down’s Syndrome would have risen by a shocking 48 per cent without improvements in antenatal screening.

Conservative Councils start the cutting

Essex County Council have revised their budget and aim to make savings of £300 million by 2010. Meanwhile, Conservatives in Lancashire are cutting education positions in a budget cutting drive.

Improving schools standards means more flexibility

Melanie Phillips’ support for Michael Gove in the Mail today is confused. While she is right to point out that more pupils should leave school able to read, write and count, she is wrong to assume that the Conservative’s solutions will give us the outcomes we need.

Loans sell off would not affect students but funding system needs reform

The National Union of Students has been reassured by Ministers that sale of the student loans book will not impact student paying back their loans. But conservative think tanks, such as Reform, have been urging politicians to consider saving £1.2 billion by introducing market rates for student loans while the Confederation of British Industry have suggested that, in addition, grants should be cut.

Back to basics: Gove is no progressive

Michael Gove has spent a long time over the past few years brandishing his credentials as a zealous reformer, committed to freeing up schools and finally breaking the link between background and achievement. In these terms, his speech yesterday attest

True Tory agenda of public service profit revealed

Right-wing think tanks have revealed the true Tory public services agenda with a coordinated set of policy recommendations to encourage the break up of the NHS into competing social insurers and to allow private companies to profit from state education.