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Archive for January, 2011

 

 

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A coalition of disability advocacy groups is beginning to splinter after a revised restraint and seclusion bill introduced in the Senate last month opened the door for the practices to be included in students’ individualized education plans, or IEPs.

 

The National Disability Rights Network — an umbrella group for the protection and advocacy organizations in each state — is now publicly supporting the new Senate bill, which allows restraint and seclusion to be included in IEPs under certain circumstances. Curt Decker, the group’s executive director, calls it a “political compromise” that is necessary in order to protect students, many of whom live in states with no regulations over the use of restraint and seclusion.

 

“In a perfect world (restraint and seclusion) would not belong in such a document,” Decker says of the IEP. “I know there are a lot of parents who feel very strongly about this, but for those of us who work in Washington, we know that an absolute ban is a non-starter.”

 

The news comes as the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, or COPAA, said just last week that they oppose the measure as it is now being considered, arguing that allowing restraint and seclusion in IEPs “legitimizes practices that the bill seeks to prevent.”

 

Both groups are part of a coalition of nearly two dozen national disability advocacy groups known as The Alliance to Prevent Restraint, Aversive Interventions and Seclusion, or APRAIS, that helped secure passage of a bill in the House of Representatives in March. The House version would limit restraint and seclusion to situations where there is imminent danger and prohibit the practices from being included in students’ IEPs. (Read all of Disability Scoop’s coverage of restraint and seclusion >>)

 

Read in Full: 

http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2010/11/02/advocates-split-restraint/11004/



 

This is Emma Jane-Cross, CEO of Beatbullying’s avatar

During the week, Beat Bullying will be hosting an online march called The Big March heading for 10 Downing Street, where marchers will hand over a petition to a virtual David Cameron asking Government for help to protect children from bullying, violence and harassment.

To mark the launch of Anti-Bullying Week 2010 on Monday, 15 November, The Big March will see tens of thousands of avatars of children, parents, teachers and celebrities march across computer screens via over thirty charities’ and organisations’ websites to take a stand against bullying.

A campaign website, The Big March Park, is open from 15 September and is packed with interactive content areas, virtual tents pitched by charities such as Hansard Society and Action For Children, and companies like Google and Facebook, where children, parents and teachers alike can engage with a variety of educational and fun activities promoting children’s wellbeing. Activities cover themes like e-safety, bullying prevention, how to get involved in campaigning, and with lesson plans and a parents’ area, it offers something to parents, teachers and kids alike.

Beatbullying is also encouraging the Government to set up a Big March Bullying Commission to investigate how Government, schools, families and communities can reduce incidents of bullying and give children a life free from violence and harassment.

MediaCom is helping Beatbullying to raise the profile of the campaign and promote the activity worldwide.  Media brands such as MTV, Facebook, First News, Bliss magazine, News of the World, Real Radio, Jazzy Media, M&C Saatchi, MediaCom and The Sun and companies and brands including Google, the Metropolitan Police, TOTAL Little Learners, Robinson’s Fruit Shoot, Barry M, Stardoll, Piczo, Pom Bear, Habbo, Mumsnet, Girlguiding UK and the National Union of Students, have allowed the Big March to walk across their websites.

Celebrities and opinion formers as diverse as Beatbullying ambassador Aston Merrygold, Freddie Flintoff, Sir Michael Parkinson, CyberMentors’ President, Professor Tanya Byron, Children’s Commissioner Maggie Atkinson and top girl band The Saturdays have joined the petition to end bullying.

You can join The Big March by becoming a fan on Facebook, following on Twitter (#bigmarch), wearing your Beatbullying Big March Sillybandz with pride or by visiting the Big March Park at www.beatbullying.org/bigmarch. It doesn’t matter how you do it – it’s your support that counts.

Source/View Film re Bullying & Autism(05:53):  http://www.autism.org.uk/news-and-events/news-from-the-nas/anti-bullying-week-starts-15-november.aspx

 Pixie Lott

Lott backing anti-bullying campaign

Wednesday, November 3 03:26 pm

Pop singer Pixie Lott has offered up one of her songs to accompany an anti-bullying drive. 

The Turn It Up hitmaker has allowed the Beatbulllying organisation to use her track Get Weak to promote their Big March campaign, which is calling for a government law against school bullying.

Lott says, “As an ambassador of Beatbullying I know that anyone can be a victim of bullying – it’s not embarrassing!

“Tall or short, skinny or big, they always find something to pick at. Don’t let them win. If you’re determined to make it, you can and you will.”

Source:  http://uk.news.yahoo.com/1/20101103/ten-lott-backing-anti-bullying-campaign-c60bd6d.html

 

Bullying On School Run ‘Goes Unreported’

 Monday, 15 November, 2010.

Nearly half of all 11 to 16-year-olds see bullying on the way to or from school, new research has revealed at the start of national Anti-Bullying Week.

Around 43% of those surveyed said they saw bullying on the school run but only half of those reported it, a study by the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) has found.

The research discovered 47% of those who witnessed bullying did not report it, with 50% of 13-16 year olds failing to do so.

Of the young people who did not report bullying incidents, 44% said they believed it was none of their business and 10% said they did not know who to tell.

ABA chairwoman Ross Hendry said: “This research shows us that a significant number of children and young people in England are suffering from bullying on their school journey.

“Whether they travel by bus, car, public transport or if they walk to school we need to make sure they are protected.

“It’s of great concern that nearly half of young people who see others being bullied do not report it and that such a large proportion don’t think its any of their business to do so.”

Former boxer Joe Calzaghe, who is supporting the campaign, told Sky News cyber-bullying was also a problem.

He said: “Children are still getting harassed online, on websites – it’s a big big problem and it has to be sorted out.”

The report was released as Beatbullying, a separate anti-bullying charity, prepares to launch a “digital demonstration” in support of children’s rights.

More than 750,000 people, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, have created virtual avatars that will “march” across around 60 partner websites against bullying.

Visitors to the sites will see the avatars crossing their computer screens carrying banners bearing customised anti-bullying slogans.

And on Wednesday, a group of bullying victims and their families will meet Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

A spokesman for the Department for Education said: “It’s simply unacceptable for a child to be victimised, whether it’s in or out of school.

“That is why we will put heads and teachers back in control, giving them a range of tough new powers to deal with bullies and the most disruptive pupils.

“Heads will be able to take a zero-tolerance approach and will have the final say – both in and outside of school.”

Dr Katherine Rake, chief executive of the Family and Parenting Institute, said greater interaction between parents and teachers could help protect children from bullying, but added it is less common at secondary schools than primaries.

“Thankfully, a culture change is already under way in terms of parental engagement with schools,” Dr Rake added.

Source:  http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20101115/tuk-bullying-on-school-run-goes-unreport-45dbed5.html

Recent Reader Contribution:  Hello, I have an anti bully website that may help your readers which has many free resources for children and teachers to use along with fun educational games and free downloads as well as showcasing my anti bully program. It also has a free 16 page animated anti bully book which can be viewed by clicking on the boy bottom right of my home page where it says… kids help. I just thought that it may be something of interest to everyone out here to help them combat bullying behavior in our schools. I hope you enjoy my free resources and visiting my website. Many thanks Kind regards Johnny.

Website:  http://www.wix.com/speakuptoyourteacher/



 

ScienceDaily (Oct. 21, 2010) — Researchers from the University of Valencia (UV) have identified the effects of the way parents bring up their children on social structure in Spain. Their conclusions show that punishment, deprivation and strict rules impact on a family’s self esteem.

“The objective was to analyse which style of parental socialisation is ideal in Spain by measuring the psychosocial adjustment of children,” says Fernando García, co-author of the study and a researcher at the UV.

The study, which has been published in the latest issue of the journal Infancia y Aprendizaje, was produced on the basis of a nationwide surrey carried out on 948 children and teenagers aged between 10 and 14 (52% of whom were girls), describing the socialisation practices of their parents. On the basis of these answers, the families were classified into one of four classic parental socialisation types — authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent and neglectful.

The results show that the ideal family style in Spain is the indulgent one. “The scores for children from indulgent families were the same, or even better, than those from authoritative families,” the researcher points out.

According to the expert, imposed discipline systems, such as punishments, deprivation and strict rules, which try to force children do things, have a knock-on effect on family self-esteem, and are associated with incomplete emotional development and a certain level of resentment towards the family, even if they are applied by parents who have very cordial relationships with their children, “at least in cultures such as in Spain, where little value is placed on hierarchical relationships.”

The researchers highlight the need for parents to work hard “on aspects that are often not sufficiently addressed,” such as communication, polite relationships, showing an interest in children’s problems and giving reasoned explanations about the consequences of their actions. “These are activities that, at the end of the day, call for involvement, dedication and care,” says García, with the objective being for all people to become mature, responsible and able to do things for themselves.

Read in Full:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101021090153.htm



 Preschool Graduation, USA

 

ScienceDaily (Oct. 21, 2010) — Two children, both age 3, enroll in publicly funded preschool. But they may have vastly different experiences: One child may attend preschool for 8 hours a day and be taught by a teacher with a bachelor’s degree while the other child may be in preschool for only a few hours a day, under the supervision of a teacher with a 2-year degree. Why is there so much variability and are these programs meeting their potential for adequately preparing youngsters for school?

 

In a new report in Psychological Science in the Public Interest, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, Robert C. Pianta (University of Virginia), W. Steven Barnett (Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey), Margaret Burchinal (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), and Kathy R. Thornburg (University of Missouri) review the current state of publicly funded preschool, what science has taught us about early childhood education, and offer suggestions for improving efficacy of these programs.

 

The programs that fall under the category of “publicly supported preschool education” (e.g., child care centers, Head Start, and state-funded pre-kindergarten) have such a wide variety of basic aims, funding, program models, and staff qualifications, it almost seems as though no two preschool programs are alike.

 

“Overall, preschool in the United States is a stunningly complex, wide-ranging, and highly varied assortment of early care and educational offerings that take place in very diverse settings and with often inadequate resources that are also constrained in how they may be used,” Pianta and his colleagues write. One reason for this variability is differences in the major government programs that fund them. For example, pre-kindergarten is often supported at the state and local levels while Head Start standards and regulations are determined at the federal level.

 

Despite all of these differences, numerous studies have shown that preschool improves the learning and development of young children, and that the benefits of preschool are long-lasting: Enrollment in preschool has been associated with less grade repetition, higher rates of high school graduation, and improved social behavior. Children from low-income homes in particular benefit from preschool education in comparison with their peers from high-income homes.

 

Read in Full: 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101021190617.htm



 

Commonsense explanations of neuroscience.



 

Article Date: 17 Oct 2010 – 0:00 PDT

It could happen to students cramming for exams, people working long hours or just about anyone burning the candle at both ends: Something tells you to take a break. Watch some TV. Have a candy bar. Goof off, tune out for a bit and come back to the task at hand when you’re feeling better. After all, you’re physically exhausted.

But a new study from Stanford psychologists suggests the urge to refresh (or just procrastinate) is – well – all in your head.

In a paper published this week in Psychological Science, the researchers challenge a long-held theory that willpower – defined as the ability to resist temptation and stay focused on a demanding task – is a limited resource. Scientists have argued that when willpower is drained, the only way to restore it is by recharging our bodies with rest, food or some other physical distraction that takes you away from whatever is burning you out.

Not so, says the Stanford team. Instead, they’ve found that a person’s mindset and personal beliefs about willpower determine how long and how well they’ll be able to work on a tough mental exercise.

“If you think of willpower as something that’s biologically limited, you’re more likely to be tired when you perform a difficult task,” said Veronika Job, the paper’s lead author. “But if you think of willpower as something that is not easily depleted, you can go on and on.”

Job, who conducted her research at Stanford and is now a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Zurich, co-authored the paper with Stanford psychology Professor Carol Dweck and Assistant Professor Greg Walton. 

Read in Full:  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/204787.php



 

Article Date: 22 Oct 2010 – 0:00 PDT

Magicians rely on misdirection – drawing attention to one place while they’re carrying out their tricky business somewhere else. It seems like people with autism should be less susceptible to such social manipulation. But a new study in the U.K. finds that people with autism spectrum disorder are actually more likely to be taken in by the vanishing ball trick, where a magician pretends to throw a ball in the air but actually hides it in his hand.

In the vanishing-ball illusion, a magician throws a ball in the air a few times. On the last throw, he merely pretends to throw it, making a tossing motion and looking upwards while the ball remains concealed in his hand. But observers claim to “see” the ball leaving the hand. This misdirection depends on social cues; the audience watches the magician’s face. People with autism are known for having trouble interpreting social cues, so Gustav Kuhn of Brunel University and his coauthors Anastasia Kourkoulou and Susan R. Leekam of Cardiff University thought they could use magic tricks to understand how people with autism function.

For this experiment, 15 teenagers and young adults with autism spectrum disorder and 16 without autism watched a video of a magician performing the vanishing-ball illusion. Then they were asked to mark where they last saw the ball on a still image of the magician. The last place it appeared was in the magician’s hand, but many people mark a position higher up and say that he threw the ball. “We strongly suspected that individuals with autism should be using the social cues less than typically developing individuals,” says Kuhn – that people with autism would watch the ball rather than the magician’s face, and thus have a better idea of what happened.

But the exact opposite happened. People with autism were much more likely to think the magician had thrown the ball. Kuhn speculates that this is because the people in the study were all students at a special college for autism, where they would have been taught to use social cues. When he examined where their eyes had looked, he found that, like normally-developing people, they looked first at the magician’s face – but their eyes took longer to fix there. They also had more trouble fixing their eyes on the ball. The results are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. 

Read in Full:  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/205400.php



 

 

Thursday, October 21, 2010

 

The parents of an autistic 12-year-old student have filed a class action lawsuit against the Gateway School District in federal court, claiming that the district misled them about the student’s educational progress and left him nearly four years behind as he entered fifth grade.

 

The plaintiffs, who are identified only by their initials, filed suit Monday on behalf of all of the district’s autistic children, claiming that several other parents have similar complaints.

 

The suit accuses the district of violating several federal laws, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which mandates that schools provide disabled students with “appropriate [special] education services sufficient to address their educational needs,” the suit says.

 

District spokeswoman Cara Zanella referred comment to the district’s attorneys, William Andrews and Bruce Dice, who could not be reached.

 

The federal law requires, among other things, that districts provide students who have disabilities with an Individualized Education Program, a curriculum tailored specifically to their needs and abilities. It also requires that teachers set annual goals for students and advise parents as to how students are progressing toward those goals. Finally, it allows parents to participate in the process of formulating the IEP.

 

According to the suit, the boy was a student at Ramsey Elementary School from kindergarten to fifth grade. During that time, his parents said, they received “reports detailing substantial educational gains in academic, functional and developmental skills.”

 

Based on report cards and meetings with teachers, his parents believed he was nearly up to grade level, performing at a third- or fourth-grade level at the end of his fourth-grade year. They also participated in meetings addressing the child’s IEP.

 

But as he prepared to enter Moss Side Middle School, new progress reports showed the boy was actually functioning at a first- or second-grade level. The parents confirmed this with outside professionals and concluded that “the District had misrepresented years of previous educational process.”

 

They also said parents of other autistic children experienced similar problems and characterized it as “pervasive misrepresentation of students’ educational progress.”

 

Read in Full: 

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10294/1096751-298.stm?cmpid=news.xml



 

Royal College of Psychiatrists, London

Article Date: 21 Oct 2010 – 5:00 PDT

Responding to the Government’s Spending Review, Professor Dinesh Bhugra, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said:

“The ring-fencing of the NHS budget in the Spending Review is to be welcomed, as are the promises to expand psychological therapies for people with mental illness, provide treatment for mentally ill offenders in the criminal justice system, protect the medical research budget, and give an extra £2 billion for social care. However the NHS will still have to make £20 billion of savings, which will put huge pressures on services. Historically, mental health services have been an easy target for cuts because mental health has been poorly understood and stigmatised. It’s a challenge to us all to ensure this does not happen again.

“The RCPsych is most concerned that the mental health workforce should not become deskilled by a lack of training opportunities, or become demoralised by ill-thought out staffing cuts or service closures. These would have a disastrous knock-on effect on individuals, society and the wider economy.

“Efficiency savings do need to be found – but these must be informed by a robust evidence base of what really works. The RCPsych, together with other partners in mental health, will do all it can to safeguard the quality of care for those with mental illness. We will do this by seeking solutions to existing barriers to good care, and helping to identify ways of streamlining systems and reducing waste.”

Source:
Royal College of Psychiatrists  

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/205378.php



Chancellor George Osborne


Disabled people among the hardest hit by spending review


Osborne limits employment support allowance to one year


Anna Bawden

guardian.co.uk Wednesday 20 October 2010 21.55 BST


Disabled people will be among the hardest hit by the comprehensive spending review. The chancellor announced savings of £2bn by limiting to one year the length of time people can claim the contributory element of employment support allowance (ESA).


ESA was brought in to replace incapacity benefit and supports people who are unable to work because of ill health or disability. These cuts mean that people who moved on to ESA and who previously worked will only be able to claim it for one year. At the moment, there is no time limit and people can claim ESA until they find another job.


After one year, people with assets, savings or partners who work will no longer receive benefits. Single people with no assets may be able to qualify for a means-tested safety net, but everyone else will have to manage on their husband or wife’s salary – no matter how low it may be – or dip into any private savings they may have.


The change will affect hundreds of thousands of people, as 1.7 million Britons have moved from incapacity benefit to ESA. Many of them are likely to have been put on the contributory version of the benefit.


Critics said the announcement penalised people who had paid national insurance contributions for years precisely to cover them in the eventuality that they are unable to work through sickness or incapacity. They also said that the decision would make it much harder for disabled people to find jobs.


Those entitled to ESA get access to specialist support to help them find employment, such as advice on CVs and interviews.


Richard Hawkes, chief executive of the disability charity Scope, said: “The government has not delivered on its promise to support disabled people into work, penalising those on ESA and jobseekers’ allowance who have worked and paid national insurance in the past and who now cannot rely on getting the support they need when they need it, in an increasingly difficult employment market. Disabled people and their families do not have ‘broad shoulders’, so why are they bearing the brunt of these cuts?”


The spending review also hit benefits for the 380,000 disabled people living in care homes. The government intends to save £135m by cutting the mobility component in disability living allowance for people in residential care.


This is the money that helps disabled people get to the shops or visit their families. With no mobility funding, disabled people with no family or friends nearby will in effect become prisoners in their care homes, unable to get out at all.


Read in Full:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/oct/20/spending-review-disabled-people


Spending Review 2010: Key points at-a-glance


Here are the key points of Chancellor George Osborne’s Spending Review.


  • *About 490,000 public sector jobs likely to be lost
  • *Average 19% four-year cut in departmental budgets
  • *Structural deficit to be eliminated by 2015
  • *£7bn in additional welfare budget cuts
  • *Police funding cut by 4% a year
  • *Retirement age to rise from 65 to 66 by 2020
  • *English schools budget protected; £2bn extra for social care
  • *NHS budget in England to rise every year until 2015
  • *Regulated rail fares to rise 3% above inflation
  • *Bank levy to be made permanent

Listed below are details of what each department will spend between 2011 and 2015 based on government figures.


Current spending includes items such as salaries, hospital medicines, and school text books. Capital spending includes assets such as school buildings, roads and bridges.


Business, Innovation and Skills


Annual budget: £21.2bn


What’s being cut: Current spending down 25%; capital spending down 52%


Administration costs to be cut by £400m with 24 quangos axed. Train to Gain programme to be axed. University teaching budget to be cut by 40% and further education budget to fall by 25%. The science budget to be frozen – in cash terms – rather than cut as had been feared. Funding for 75,000 adult apprenticeships a year.


Cabinet Office


Annual budget: £2.6bn


What’s being cut: Current spending up 28%; capital spending down 28%.


Support for citizenship and “big society” projects. Cabinet Office officials to move into Treasury. Civil List cash funding for Royal Household to be frozen next year. New system of funding for Royal Household from 2013.


Communities and Local Government


Annual budget: £33.6bn


What’s being cut: Local Government – current spending down 27%; capital spending down 100%: Communities – current spending down 51%; capital spending down 74%


Councils will see a 7.1% annual fall in their budgets. But ring-fencing of local authority revenue grants will end and councils will have freedom to borrow against their assets. Funding for social housing to be cut by more than 60%, with new tenants having to pay higher rents. But the government hopes these changes will free up funds to build 150,000 new affordable homes over the next four years.


Culture, Media and Sport


Annual budget: £2bn


What’s being cut: Current spending down 24%; capital spending down 32%


Administration costs to be cut 41% while core arts programmes will see a 15% fall in funding. Free museum entry to remain in place. BBC licence fee to be frozen for next six years. Corporation will also fund World Service and BBC Monitoring. Adds up to equivalent of 16% savings over the period.


Watch: Osborne on museum funding


Defence


Annual budget: £46.1bn


What’s being cut: Current spending down 7.5%; capital spending down 7.5%


The RAF and navy will lose 5,000 jobs each, the Army 7,000 and the Ministry of Defence 25,000 civilian staff. The Harrier jump jets and the Ark Royal aircraft carrier are being axed while the planned Nimrod spy planes will be cancelled. Key spending decision on Trident to be delayed until 2016.


Watch: The Chancellor on defence cuts


Education


Annual budget: £57.6bn


What’s being cut: Current spending down 3.4%; capital spending down 60%


Five quangos to be abolished. But direct funding to schools in England is to be protected. Their budget will rise 0.1% in real terms each year, taking funding from £35bn to £39bn. But spending on school buildings to fall 60%. Confirmed £2.5bn “pupil premium” for teaching for disadvantaged pupils. Educational Maintenance Allowances to be replaced. Sure Start budget to be protected in cash terms.


Watch: Osborne on schools budget


Energy and Climate Change


Annual budget: £3.1bn


What’s being cut: Current spending down 18%; capital spending up 41%


Plan for tidal barrage on the Severn estuary scrapped. But £200m funding for wind power development and £1bn for green investment bank.


Environment, Food and Rural Affairs


Annual budget: £2.9bn


What’s being cut: Current spending down 29%; capital spending down 34%. Investment to continue in flood defences – £2bn over period to 2015.


Foreign Office


Annual budget: £2.2bn


What’s being cut: Current spending down 24%; Capital spending down 55%. Number of Whitehall-based diplomats reduced.


Health


Annual budget: £106.4bn


What’s being cut?: Current spending up 1.3%; capital spending down 17%


The NHS in England will see its budget rise by 0.4% over the next four years, fulfilling a Conservative election pledge to protect spending. New cancer drug fund to be provided. But £20bn in efficiency and productivity savings sought in NHS by the end of the parliament. An extra £2bn for social care by 2014-15.


Home Office


Annual budget: £10.2bn


What’s being cut?: Current spending down 23%; capital spending down 49%


Police budget cut by 4% a year, focused on bureaucracy rather than manpower. Aim to maintain “visibility and availability” of officers on beat. But some experts believe 18,000 police jobs could be lost. UK Border Agency budget to fall 20%. Counter-intelligence budget to fall 10%.


International development


Annual budget: £7.7bn


What’s being cut?: Current spending up 36%; capital spending up 20%


The overseas aid budget is to be protected from cuts but not the department’s other costs. Budget to rise to £11.6bn over four years to meet UN aid commitment. But aid to China and Russia is to stop and there will be a reduction in administration costs.


Justice


Annual budget: £9.7bn


What’s being cut?: Current spending down 23%; capital spending down 50%


Plan for new 1,500-place prison to be dropped. 3,000 fewer prison places expected by 2015. £1.3bn capital investment in prison estate.


Northern Ireland/Scotland/Wales


Annual budget: £55.5bn


What’s being cut?: Scotland’s block grant to fall by 6.8% by 2014-5. SNP ministers have said that cuts to the Scottish budget will threaten 12,000 jobs. Central funding for Wales is to be cut by 7.5% – the Welsh Assembly Government says its budget will be cut by £1.8bn in real terms over four years. Northern Ireland funding to be reduced by 6.9% over four years, First Minister Peter Robinson has said cuts to be implemented in Northern Ireland are worse than he had anticipated.


Transport


Annual budget: £13.6bn


What’s being cut?: Current spending down 21%; capital spending down 11%


£30bn set aside for capital spending, including £500m for Tyne and Wear Metro and Tees Valley bus network. Crossrail project to go ahead in London. Rise in regulated cap on rail fares to 3% above inflation for three years from 2012.


Treasury


Annual budget: £4.4bn


What’s being cut?: Treasury spending hard to quantify as current year’s spending is expected to be negative as a result of repaid loans to the banks. Current spending to be cut by 33%, capital spending to be cut by 30%.


Bank levy to be made permanent. £900m to target tax evasion. £1.5bn in compensation to Equitable Life policyholders hit by its near collapse. 15% cut in funding for Revenue and Customs.


Watch: The Chancellor on the bank levy


Work and Pensions


Annual budget: £9bn in departmental spending


Separate welfare and pensions budget: £192bn


Outcome: State pension age for men to start rising from 65 in 2018 – six years earlier than planned – and reaching 66 by 2020. Rise in retirement age for women to accelerate, also reaching 66 by 2020. The measures combined will save £5bn a year. Reform of public sector pensions to save £1.8bn by 2015, with employees likely to contribute more. Winter fuel allowance, free bus passes and TV licences for 75-year-olds protected. Cuts to child benefit for higher rate taxpayers to generate £2.5bn. £2bn investment in new universal credit. Weekly child element on child tax credit to rise by £30 in 2012 and £50 by 2012.


What’s being cut?: A further £7bn in welfare savings planned on top of £11bn already announced. A new 12-month time limit on the employment and support allowance could see an estimated 200,000 claimants moved onto jobseekers allowace and see their support reduced. Proposed 10% cut in council tax benefit budget. Under-35s only able to claim housing benefit for a room rather than a whole property. Maximum savings award in pension credit to be frozen for four years. Increased working hours threshold for working tax credits for couples with children. New total benefits cap per family.


Watch: Osborne on welfare changes


Source:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11569160


IFS graph of the distributional impact of the Comprehensive Spending Review. From:
www.ifs.org.uk/projects/346