May I, first of all, thank Margaret Carney, Ruth Hunter and Paul Martin, and all the officers involved in producing these budget documents, and their assistance to us in producing our budget. I am sure that both the Labour and Conservative Groups feel that they have also received the same professional, impartial assistance.
A decision by the Speaker of the House of Commons to refuse to have a debate and vote on a Liberal Democrat amendment calling for a referendum on whether to be in or out of Europe has met with an angry response from Liberal Democrats in Epping Forest.
Private firms and voluntary groups are to be offered cash incentives to get unemployed people into work for longer. Work Secretary James Purnell said the plan, which will see more payments if someone is in work for six months, was intended to "personalise" services. It came as MPs said 40% of jobseekers allowance claimants who find a job are out of work again within six months.
An MP has expressed dismay over fears an Aberdeen factory which employs disabled workers could close.
US scientists have managed to rid diabetic mice of the effects of the disease using a cocktail of drugs. The mice, who had type 1 diabetes, started producing their own insulin after taking a mixture of four drugs.
Age-related macular degeneration, a common cause of blindness, has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Researchers found the risk of dying from the cardiovascular conditions was at least doubled in people with AMD. The study raises the possibility - disputed by UK experts - that drugs for the condition may be to blame. The University of Sydney research appears in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
