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| Cabinet in Liverpool for meeting | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his top team are in Liverpool for the third cabinet meeting to be held outside London since September. | |
| Mr Brown is on a tour of the English regions and Wales to explain how the government is handling the downturn. | |
| Urban regeneration and capital spending programmes will be major themes when ministers gather in the North West. | Urban regeneration and capital spending programmes will be major themes when ministers gather in the North West. |
| The idea of holding cabinet meetings outside of London has been criticised by the Conservatives as a "gimmick". | The idea of holding cabinet meetings outside of London has been criticised by the Conservatives as a "gimmick". |
| 'Future investment' | 'Future investment' |
| The government is keen to show it is taking action to fight the downturn and protect jobs. | |
| Business Secretary Lord Mandelson will announce a £35m start-up programme for the North West region to help get new companies off the ground. | Business Secretary Lord Mandelson will announce a £35m start-up programme for the North West region to help get new companies off the ground. |
| He will tell a business meeting in Salford: "We cannot and must not fail now to invest in our future. | He will tell a business meeting in Salford: "We cannot and must not fail now to invest in our future. |
| It appears Alistair Darling is already trying to wriggle out of the economic forecasts he made just weeks ago George OsborneShadow chancellor class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/7815723.stm">Brown tour: View from the regions | |
| "Otherwise we will not take advantage of the upturn or secure Britain's long-term competitiveness." | "Otherwise we will not take advantage of the upturn or secure Britain's long-term competitiveness." |
| And he will add: "We will not repeat the mistakes made in previous recessions of retrenchment - stop-go policies in public investment have reduced Britain's competitiveness over many decades." | And he will add: "We will not repeat the mistakes made in previous recessions of retrenchment - stop-go policies in public investment have reduced Britain's competitiveness over many decades." |
| Chancellor Alistair Darling will hold a business breakfast meeting with regional leaders, while Mr Brown tours the city's docks area. | |
| Ministers will then gather for a "listening" event with about 200 local people, which will be followed by a formal meeting of the cabinet. | |
| Output forecasts | Output forecasts |
| The Conservatives have challenged Mr Darling over his borrowing forecasts in the pre-Budget report. | |
| It follows a Financial Times interview with Mr Darling, who in November predicted that output would fall in the UK for the first two quarters of 2009, then start to recover. | It follows a Financial Times interview with Mr Darling, who in November predicted that output would fall in the UK for the first two quarters of 2009, then start to recover. |
| He told the paper that projection was "based on the evidence we had at the time", adding: "In the current climate, no responsible finance minister could say that's the job done, far from it." | He told the paper that projection was "based on the evidence we had at the time", adding: "In the current climate, no responsible finance minister could say that's the job done, far from it." |
| Shadow chancellor George Osborne said recent forecasts suggested borrowing could be up to £18bn higher next year than Mr Darling had forecast. | Shadow chancellor George Osborne said recent forecasts suggested borrowing could be up to £18bn higher next year than Mr Darling had forecast. |
| He said: "It appears Alistair Darling is already trying to wriggle out of the economic forecasts he made just weeks ago, which - as we pointed out at the time - were more optimistic than most commentators believed." | He said: "It appears Alistair Darling is already trying to wriggle out of the economic forecasts he made just weeks ago, which - as we pointed out at the time - were more optimistic than most commentators believed." |
| Apprenticeship places | Apprenticeship places |
| On Wednesday, Mr Brown visited Rolls-Royce in Derby to unveil an expansion of apprenticeships for British companies, which he said would help prepare the economy for a future recovery. | On Wednesday, Mr Brown visited Rolls-Royce in Derby to unveil an expansion of apprenticeships for British companies, which he said would help prepare the economy for a future recovery. |
| He said the £140m scheme would help create an extra 35,000 apprenticeship places in 2009 and 2010 and said the government was "doing everything to deal with what is a global financial crisis that is hitting Britain". | He said the £140m scheme would help create an extra 35,000 apprenticeship places in 2009 and 2010 and said the government was "doing everything to deal with what is a global financial crisis that is hitting Britain". |
| But the Conservatives said Mr Brown made apprenticeship announcements "every few months" and had failed to show any "fresh thinking". | But the Conservatives said Mr Brown made apprenticeship announcements "every few months" and had failed to show any "fresh thinking". |
| Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said he was concerned firms would be forced to scrap apprenticeship schemes because of the downturn. | Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said he was concerned firms would be forced to scrap apprenticeship schemes because of the downturn. |
| 'Worthwhile investment' | 'Worthwhile investment' |
| The regional tour is one of several trips the prime minister has been on around Britain in the past few months. | The regional tour is one of several trips the prime minister has been on around Britain in the past few months. |
| Last year the cabinet met in Birmingham and Leeds; before that the last time it had met outside London or Chequers was 1921. | Last year the cabinet met in Birmingham and Leeds; before that the last time it had met outside London or Chequers was 1921. |
| West Yorkshire Police has revealed it spent £138,000 on security for the second cabinet meeting in Leeds. | West Yorkshire Police has revealed it spent £138,000 on security for the second cabinet meeting in Leeds. |
| Mr Brown previously said the first cabinet meeting in Birmingham cost £62,000 excluding security expenditure. | Mr Brown previously said the first cabinet meeting in Birmingham cost £62,000 excluding security expenditure. |
| However, Downing Street believes it is a "worthwhile investment" to have the cabinet hearing people's views in different parts of the country. | However, Downing Street believes it is a "worthwhile investment" to have the cabinet hearing people's views in different parts of the country. |