The drive to deliver much needed affordable homes and safeguard higher housing standards for eight million social housing tenants took a massive step forward today as the new Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and Tenant Services Authority (TSA) were officially launched by Housing Minister Margaret Beckett.

Kent Connects is working with its partners to raise the professional standards of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) staff in Kent and Medway’s public sector organisations.  Sixteen ICT managers have recently qualified following courses in the externally accredited Managing Successful Programmes (MSP), the latest course in Kent Connects’ training and development programme.

 Highway Authorities will share £9m of extra funding to help them better manage their roads, bridges and other assets improving the service they offer to the public, Transport Minister Paul Clark announced today. This funding is in addition to the £23m announced earlier this year.

HARTLEPOOL Council has received top marks for adult social care services following an assessment by Government inspectors.

West Sussex residents have had another ‘raw deal’ from the Government in the 2009/10 grant settlement, says Louise Goldsmith, the County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources.

The Mayor of London has announced an increase of nearly £750,000 to Visit London campaigns, aimed at stimulating visits to the capital in the build up to Christmas and into 2009.

The Government's new consent regime for major schemes like power stations, airports and reservoirs has now been formally established following Royal Assent for its latest planning legislation.

Help will soon be available to families who are facing the real possibility of losing their homes.

Councils should be given greater responsibility for coordinating efforts to tackle rising unemployment in their local areas, an independent review has proposed.

   1. Introduction

    * The current economic slowdown is a complex process which combines the impact of the global financial crisis, cyclical adjustment but also reflects structural weaknesses of European economy. Mobilization of all available means at all levels – European, national, regional and local – in a well orchestrated way can help European economy to come out of the crisis strengthened. Cohesion policy plays an important role in this aspect. I would like to outline how cohesion policy can help Member States and regions in their efforts to overcome the negative effects of the financial crisis. Let me present to you the concrete steps the Commission proposed to accelerate the implementation of the cohesion programmes.