Hannah miller, has the story. In homes across the country and Public Services on the ground, it can seem like everyone is crying out for cash. We have got roads full of potholes. Are you confident that the chancellor will be persuaded to give you more money to spend on housing in the budget in a few weeks time . Well, im doing everything that i can. I mean, short of laying siege to his own home. Well, i want us to be, you know, l Cutting Taxes in a responsible way. Under pressure from backbenchers and with less money to play with than hed hoped for the chancellors scrabbling around for ways to pay for a tax cut on a scale that voters will notice. Today, mr speaker, im going to cut the main 12 rate of Employee National insurance. Last year, he chose to cut National Insurance contributions and its thought he may do that again. A tax cut for workers that brings no benefit to pensioners. The Number Crunching going on inside number 11 is not just about the state of the nations finances its
Economy and help families with permanent tax breaks. Labour will argue that any reductions will still leave people worse off because of the freezing of Tax Thresholds. Ben king reports. The background to todays budget has been gloomy, with the economy in recession. But it looks like the chancellor will still find room to cut taxes. The conservatives are trailing labour in the polls, and looking Forjeremy Hunt to give them some cheer in places like this, winchester, a seat the Lib Dems Hope to win. So what do people here think about tax cuts . I think it would be a good idea because it gives people more money to spend on what they want to buy. Realistically, people arent going to save that much money from a tax cut, whereas more money in Public Services means Better Health care services. Itsjust much more important. I would prefer not to have a tax cut, but to see more money invested in the community. If the Public Services were properly organised, theres more than enough money to do it
Its thursday, 29th of february. Our main story. A group of mps have urged ministers to consider the implications for the uk, if assisted dying is legalised in the isle of man and jersey. The Health Select committee has published a report, which it hopes will provide evidence for future debates about the law. Opponents say the current legislation prevents people from coming under pressure to end their lives. Heres our medical editor, fergus walsh. The mps dont Make Recommendations for or against assisted dying. Rather, the aim of their report is to serve as a basis for debate on what they call this difficult, sensitive, yet crucial subject. More and more countries in europe have legalised assisted dying in some form, along with new zealand, australia, canada and ten states in the us. The mps say they saw no evidence that palliative and end of life care had deteriorated as a result, and in some instances it had improved. The Committee Calls for more money for hospices in england, which o
yesterday, starting off with some frost and ice, snow showers in parts of scotland and northern ireland, rain clearing the far south and more snow coming into the south pushing north tonight into tomorrow. it s wednesday the 7th of february. proposals to improve access to nhs dentists in england are being announced by the government today. the plans include offering top up payments for dentists to take on new nhs patients as well as bonuses to work in under served areas. but health leaders say the measures don t go far enough. here s our health editor, hugh pym. a long queue outside a new dental practice in bristol. local people simply wanting to register as nhs patients. the opening following a public campaign after the previous site closed. the story was covered on bbc breakfast yesterday. the images illustrate the growing sense of frustration at the lack of nhs treatment in areas of the country which have been branded dental deserts. a new government and nhs plan for engla