News round-up 20/9: Further £14bn of spending cuts needed, think tank warns

Deficit reduction

A further £14bn worth of spending cuts needs to be found for the Government to meet its target for deficit reduction, according to The Institute for Public Policy Research think tank, the Guardian reports.

Having analysed Treasury figures, IPPR estimated that necessary cuts would be equivalent to 70,000 teachers, 10,000 police officers and 30,000 defence staff.

Education

The education watchdog Ofsted has warned that schools receiving money from the Government’s pupil premium need to reveal how the funds are making a difference to the poorest children’s achievements, the Guardian reports.

Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw said that it was not “rocket science” to find out how the spending was influencing the most disadvantaged pupils.

Regeneration

Bristol City Council has launched a local currency, the Independent and Financial Times (£) report.

Notes worth £B 1, 5, 10 and 20 are exchangeable for goods with local independent retailers.

It is based on smaller schemes elsewhere but is the first to cover a city. The council hopes retailers who accept the notes will use them to buy supplies from other local businesses, as there is a 3% premium charged to convert them back into sterling.

Council staff can choose to have part of their salaries paid in the new currency.

Environment

Energy and climate change secretary Ed Davey is expected to say today that people who live up to six miles from a wind farm should get ‘rewards’ for putting up with them, the Daily Telegraph reports.

He will suggest that developers should offer communities benefits such as new playgrounds, village halls or church repairs.

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