From today, businesses and training providers can bid for a share of £6m from the Higher Apprenticeship Fund, which will support the development of thousands of new Higher Apprenticeships in sectors including aerospace, energy and renewable technologies.

The Prime Minister also opened the bidding for the new Employer Ownership pilot, inviting employers in England to apply to access up to £250m of public investment and secure more control over how skills training is designed and delivered.

He also announced that from this week, small firms will be offered an incentive of £1,500 to hire their first young apprentices. This is expected to support up to 40,000 new apprenticeships over the next year.

Prime Minister David Cameron said:

“I’m delighted to underline our commitment to strengthen our economy by helping employers take on apprentices …

Over the past eighteen months we’re put a massive amount of effort and investment into strengthening Apprenticeships in this country – and it shows. Last year more than 450,000 people started an Apprenticeship, roughly the same number as those who started in higher education. The increase on the previous year is a whopping 63 per cent. These are record numbers to reflect a real commitment.

The reason for that commitment is simple – Apprenticeships are right at the heart of the kind of economy we want to build: one where many more young people have the chance to learn a proper trade; where we have a highly-skilled workforce; where we’re not just borrowing and spending huge amounts but really earning our way, making and selling the goods the world wants to buy. Apprenticeships are a vital thread running through this vision.

So we have massively increased investment, to over £1.5 billion – …

The …

The Prime Minister wrote:

Thank you for your letter informing me of your decision to resign from the Government. I believe you have made the right decision under the circumstances.

You have made a very significant contribution to the Government, of which you can be justly proud.

You were a member of the team which negotiated the formation of the Coalition Government between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats in those crucial days after the General Election, with our shared commitment to come together as two distinct political parties and govern in the national interest.

As Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, you have led the Government’s efforts to live up to its responsibility to tackle climate change with great passion and distinction.  You played a key role in securing the progress made at the Cancun and Durban summits, and I pay tribute to the leadership you …

Dr. Anthony Seldon, who has been leading on the improvements to the site,  introduces the History section and is joined this month by Professor George Jones, Dr. Andrew Blick and Professor Kevin Theakston with in-depth articles on Prime Ministers and Cabinet Secretaries.

New features include the virtual tour of the state rooms which has been enhanced to bring more information about the rooms to life.  This includes a ghost story in the Small Dining Room, an interview with the Number 10 gardeners  and art slide shows for the Cabinet Room, White Room and State Dining Room.

More content will be added throughout 2012, including an enhanced oral history programme and …

Countries right across Europe need bold action to recover their economic dynamism, to get to grips with their debts and to secure growth and jobs for the future. And that was rightly the focus of this Council.

So first, we agreed important measures needed to restore Europe’s competitiveness.

Next we discussed the separate intergovernmental treaty on fiscal discipline in the Eurozone.

And finally we issued a statement on Iran, Syria and Burma. Let me take each in turn.

Competitiveness

Mr Speaker, Britain’s agenda in Europe is to promote growth, competitiveness and jobs.

We have repeatedly said that the best way that the EU can drive growth and create jobs is:

At this Council we made important progress on all these issues.

We agreed to establish a fully functioning …

Welcome everybody.  Today the Council has tackled three issues: how we boost growth across Europe; how the Eurozone countries are going to strengthen their fiscal rules; and how the European Union must increase the pressure on Assad’s murderous regime.  Let me take each in turn.

Let me start with growth.  This was rightly the focus of today’s meeting.  It has to be our number one priority, not just today, but every time we meet.  My message to other leaders was clear: we’ve got to be bold and decisive.  EU action should match the ambition that we are showing back at home.  So it’s a step forward, I believe,   that we’ve agreed today to accelerate the legislation that will do the most to generate growth, to consider a clear plan at our March summit to cut red tape, to remove barriers to trade in services right …

The extra summit was called to discuss growth and competitiveness.

Following the meeting, the Prime Minister spoke at a press conference:

“My message to other leaders was clear. We’ve got to be bold and decisive. EU action should match the ambition that we are showing back at home. So it’s a step forward, I believe, that we agreed today to accelerate the legislation that will do the most to generate growth; to consider a clear plan at our March summit to cut red tape; to remove barriers in trade to services right across the EU; and to make it easier to do business online.”

 …

“Ahead of meeting EU leaders at the Informal European Council in Brussels on Monday, the Prime Minister has phoned Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, and Aung San Suu Kyi, the General Secretary of the Burmese National League for Democracy.

“Speaking to Mr Rajoy, the Prime Minister said he was looking forward to welcoming him to London for a bilateral meeting next month. The Prime Minister emphasised the need to focus Monday’s discussions on concrete action that the EU could take to generate growth across Europe, for example on trade and deregulation. Mr Rajoy agreed that they should focus on restoring competitiveness.

“The Prime Minister also wants European leaders to consider the EU’s response to the incredible progress in Burma, following the decision by foreign ministers to lift certain EU travel bans. He phoned Aung San Su Kyi to seek her advice on this issue, specifically how the EU can incentivise the Burmese …

Thank you.  It’s a pleasure to welcome my friend President Karzai to the United Kingdom again, and also back here to Chequers.  We’ve had very good discussions this morning about progress in Afghanistan, progress towards 2014 and 2015, and all that we are doing to try to help ensure a strong, peaceful, democratic unitary state of Afghanistan.  And the strong relationship between Britain and Afghanistan is evidenced by the long-term partnership that we’ve just signed.  Obviously Britain has paid a very heavy price fighting the insurgency in Afghanistan and tragically we’ve lost another soldier from the Yorkshire regiment recently and my thoughts and the thoughts of everyone in Britain will be with the family of that soldier for the loss that they have suffered.  

But I do believe in Afghanistan that we are making progress, first of all on the ground.  The level of violent incidents is down across the country, it’s down very …

Mr Cameron said:

“Last year I had the privilege of meeting an extraordinary, courageous woman.

Trude Levi was just twenty when she was ripped from her family.

She was forced on a journey that can only be described as hellish, through concentration camps, work camps and death marches.

She saw and suffered some unspeakably evil things, but she survived to tell her story and pass it on to the next generation.

It is so important that stories like Trude’s continue to be heard, and read, and spoken about.

That way the brutal truth of the Holocaust can never be dimmed.

And that is why Holocaust Memorial Day matters so much.

It is about keeping the truth alive, guarding against prejudice in all its forms and above all, showing respect to those who were killed and those who survived.

And as we reflect on this part of our history – and all the millions killed through …

Following the phone calls, a Downing St spokesperson said:

“The Prime Minister has called both the European Council President and the President of the European Commission to discuss next week’s Informal European Council.

“The Prime Minister emphasised the need for bold action to restore Europe’s competitiveness. In this context, the meeting should concentrate on ways that the EU can support economic growth across the continent and set specific targets to liberalise EU trade with other markets and to reduce the burden of EU regulation on business.

“Turning to foreign policy, they discussed Syria and Iran. The Prime Minister welcomed the sanctions packages that had been agreed this week by foreign ministers on Monday. Leaders should send a clear signal from the summit that they will continue to maintain pressure on both regimes until they address the concerns of the international community. The Prime Minister also …

“We meet today at a perilous moment for economies right across Europe.

Growth has stalled. Unemployment is rising. The prospect of Europe getting left behind is all too apparent.

While China grows at 8%, India at 7% and Africa at 5.5%, the European Commission forecasts the EU will grow by just 0.6 per cent in the whole of 2012 – and even that is assuming the problems in the Eurozone get better not worse.

Yesterday in Britain we had the official figures for the final quarter of last year – and they were negative.

Other large economies of Europe are forecast to have a similar outcome. 

In just four years Government debt per EU citizen has risen by 4,500 euros. Foreign direct investment has fallen by around two-thirds.

And in more than half of EU Member States, a fifth of all young people are now out of work. So this …

As global growth forecasts are revised down and world trade continues to contract, the Prime Minister set out his belief that Europe can recover its dynamism only if challenges are confronted with real political will.

In a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, David Cameron said:

“This is a time to show the leadership our people are demanding. Tinkering here and there and hoping we’ll drift to a solution simply won’t cut it any more.  This is a time for boldness not caution. Boldness in what we do nationally – and together as a continent.”

The Prime Minister explained that, in the name of social protection, the EU has promoted unnecessary measures that impose burdens on businesses and governments, and can destroy jobs.

He explained:

“We can’t go on like this. That is why Britain has been arguing for a pro-business agenda in Europe.

“We …

The Quarterly Data Summaries are designed to fit on a single page to provide a quarterly snapshot on how each department is spending its budget, the results it has achieved and how it is deploying its workforce.

The summaries follow commitments made in the 2011 Budget and the Written Ministerial Statement on Business Plans. Their primary purpose is to make more of the management information currently held by government available to members of the public on a regular basis.

This information is not audited and the quality and accuracy of the data needs to dramatically improve. However, over time with improvements in data quality and timeliness the public will be able to judge the performance of each department in a meaningful and understandable manner.

An annual version of this information is formally laid in Parliament in the Annual Report and Accounts.

The information is presented in excel format to allow the information to be presented in a re-usable format.

“Once in a generation, each member has the honour of leading the Council of Europe.

Today, I want to speak about the once-in-a-generation chance we have, together, to improve the way we enhance the cause of human rights, freedom and dignity.

We have an ambitious agenda for the coming months…

…to reinforce local democracy…

…to combat discrimination…

…to strengthen the rule of law across Europe.

But the focus of our Chairmanship, as you know, is our joint effort to reform the European Court of Human Rights.

The role of the Court has never been more challenging.

As the Council has expanded, more and more people have applied to seek justice.

We need to work together to ensure that throughout these changes, the Court remains true to its original intention: to uphold the Convention and prevent the abuse of human rights.

So today, I want to explain why I believe the Court needs …

Delighted to be here and delighted to be launching this initiative. I said earlier this month that 2012 has got to be the year when we go for it. The year that we light new fires of ambition in our economy. The year when we get behind Britain’s grafters, do-ers, hard workers and entrepreneurs.

This isn’t something we’d quite like to do; this is something we’ve absolutely got to do because enterprise is critical to this country’s future.

As so often, Winston Churchill put it best. He said some people regard private enterprise as a predatory tiger that needs …

The statement reads:

“Today, the EU agreed an unprecedented package of sanctions on Iran, including a full ban on Iranian oil exports.

“Our message is clear. We have no quarrel with the Iranian people. But the Iranian leadership has failed to restore international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear programme. We will not accept Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon. Iran has so far had no regard for its international obligations and is already exporting and threatening violence around its region.

“We call on Iran’s leadership immediately to suspend its sensitive nuclear activities and abide fully by its international obligations. The door is open to Iran to engage in serious and meaningful negotiations about its nuclear programme. Until Iran comes to the table, we will be united behind strong measures to undermine the regime’s ability to fund its nuclear programme, and …

Asda plans to open 25 stores, refurbish 43 existing outlets and invest in three new depots in 2012. The chain said it will create up to 5,000 jobs on top of the 30,000 staff it took on last year when it opened about a dozen stores and absorbed 147 Netto sites and their staff following its acquisition.

Asda said nearly half of the jobs it created last year had gone to young people, while 8,500 jobs went to people who had signed up through Job Centre Plus. The chain, which currently employs more than 180,000 people and runs 528 stores across the UK, also pledged that eligible employees would be given the chance to take City & Guilds apprenticeships.

 Mr Cameron said:

“The additional investment and 5,000 new jobs announced by Asda today will be a real boost for the economy and more importantly for people around Britain seeking jobs.

“I also welcome Asda’s commitment …

Mr Cameron said:

“I want to send my very best wishes to everyone celebrating the Chinese New Year – here in Britain, in China and all around the world.‬‪

“This is a very special year for Britain and China. Britain was the first Western country to recognise the People’s Republic of China. And this year we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of full diplomatic ties. Indeed, today Britain’s ties with China are deeper and broader than at any time in our history. Our trade continues to expand rapidly with Britain remaining the most open economy in Europe for Chinese investment. There are more Chinese students studying in the UK and more British students in China than ever before. There are even two giant Chinese Pandas in Edinburgh zoo – a great attraction, with people from all over the world going to see them. And of course there are Chinese communities here in …

Business in You helps make your business idea happen. Whether you’re looking to test your ideas, or develop your financial and planning skills, it gives you the support and inspiration you need, highlighting real-life examples of success.

It also provides links to key business-support advice, pointing you to top tools available from Businesslink, Start Up Britain and a whole range of partners.…

“It is with great sadness that I can confirm that the British Embassy in Baghdad received a body today that has been identified as Alan McMenemy, who was kidnapped in Baghdad in 2007, along with four other men. The bodies of Jason Swindlehurst, Jason Creswell and Alec MacLachlan were returned in 2009. Peter Moore was the only hostage released alive in 2010.

“My thoughts are with Alan’s family and friends at this time. They have waited so long for his return and I hope that this will allow them to find some peace after an ordeal that no family should ever have to suffer. 

“At this time we should also take time to remember the families of Margaret Hassan and Ken Bigley who are still waiting for the return of their loved ones.”…

The Prime Minister said:

“It is with great sadness that I can confirm that the British Embassy in Baghdad received a body today that has been identified as Alan McMenemy, who was kidnapped in Baghdad in 2007, along with four other men. The bodies of Jason Swindlehurst, Jason Creswell and Alec MacLachlan were returned in 2009. Peter Moore was the only hostage released alive in 2010.

 “My thoughts are with Alan’s family & friends at this time. They have waited so long for his return and I hope that this will allow them to find some peace after an ordeal that no family should ever have to suffer.

“At this time we should also take time to remember the families of Margaret Hassan and Ken Bigley who are still waiting for the return of their loved ones.”

…