Feb 4
More government waste
The cost of the government’s spin operation has increased from 575,000 quid in 1997 to 2.4 million this year. Ministers said this was because the government was doing more. Well, there’s an easy cure for that, then.
The taxpayer has paid nearly 30 million pounds to maintain and sell off the empty Millennium Dome, according to the government’s latest figures.
London’s businesses could be forced to pay 2 billion towards the cost of Crossrail. But then, they have fewer votes that the people who’ll use it.
A survey for NHS trust chiefs conducted by the Health Service Journal finds that half believe they will be unable to balance their books this year. (The other half probably can’t even find their books anyway.)
Predictable results
The Public Accounts Committee has slammed the government’s 500m-pound ‘Warm Front’ scheme for failing to help the most ‘fuel impoverished’ families.
Don’t blame us: Ministers have warned 56 councils who plan to raise council tax by over 5 per cent. Anything to do with the ICM poll that says people blame the government for last year’s whopping 13 per cent average rise?
The UK’s traditional travelling circuses say the 500-quid-a-venue charges under the new Licensing Act will put them out of business.
A poll finds that 22 per cent of them employers they have staff who are not
skilled enough to do their jobs. (Electors might say the same of our MPs.)
Criminal statistics
England and Wales jail more offenders per capita than any other EU country,
according to new figures from the World Prison Population List.
Almost 5,000 more motorists than burglars are being jailed each year as part of tougher sentencing by magistrates and judges.
Meanwhile, violent crime rose by 14 per cent compared with 2002. Assaults rose by 17 per cent and homicide/serious wounding by 18 percent.
1 Comment so far
Why do I get the feeling that country is being run by Michael Jackson?