Tom Brake

1) Pupil Premium

The pupil premium for disadvantaged children in England's schools will be worth £600 per pupil from next year, the government has announced. This will mean each pupil entitled will see an increase of £112 per year.

The current level of support is £488 per year for each eligible child.

Liberal Democrat Children's Minister Sarah Teather said: "It will help schools tackle the inequalities that have been a part of our state system for far too long."

Over half a million additional children will also qualify for the premium as the Government has extended its reach to cover any child that has been registered for Free School Meals (FSM) in the past six years. For 2012-13, the premium will be worth £1.25 billion in total.

Children who have been eligible for Free School Meals at any point in their school career have consistently lower educational attainment than those who have never been eligible, this funding hopes to end this imbalance.

2) Restored the earnings link for pensions

We have delivered on our manifesto promise to restore therestore the link between the basic state pension and earnings.

The link between pensions and earnings, scrapped by Margaret Thatcher, was restored in the Coalition's first budget. The annual increase in the state pension will be protected by a 'triple lock' - the rise will be in line with earnings, prices or a 2.5% increase, whichever is the greater. Pensioners will receive, on average, £15,000 more over the course of their retirement.

3) Youth Contract

In response to the challenge of youth unemployment the Deputy Prime Minister announced a £1billion Youth Contract to help young unemployed people get a job. This will enhance the get Britain working measures. Nick Clegg said "We aim to build on the fantastic support many employers have already offered by committing opportunities and vacancies for young people without jobs."

Since summer 2011 businesses in the UK have wholeheartedly backed Work Experience and other get Britain working measures and the Youth Contract uses this support and enthusiasm as its foundation.

From April 2012 the Youth Contract will provide at least 410,000 new work places for 18 to 24 year olds over 3 years.

The deputy prime minister has written to numerous employers about the Youth Contract, which will provide a wage subsidy of £2,275 for 18 to 24-year-olds.

The scheme, which gets under way in April, is aimed at curbing high rates of youth unemployment. The three-year Youth Contract scheme is aimed at ensuring that this does not become a long-term problem.

It will give employers subsidies to take on a total of 160,000 18-to 24-year-olds for six months.

4) £10,000 income Tax Threshold , Money back in Your Pocket

Under the previous Government millions of people on low incomes were forced to pay hundreds of pounds in income tax every year, keeping pensioners on the breadline and meaning that for many people in low paid jobs work simply doesnt pay. Even a person working full-time earning minimum wage has nearly £1000 taken in income tax. At the same time we have a tax system that lets big business and the very rich treat tax as if it is optional.

As Liberal Democrats we want to radically rebalance the tax system, cutting taxes for people on low and middle incomes which we will pay for by cutting reli efs and closing tax loopholes that benefit the wealthiest.

On April 6th 2011, 880,000 low earners were lifted out of income tax completely after the first stage of this policy went from the front page of our manifesto into the pockets of taxpayers. 23 million basic-rate taxpayers are now £200 better off. We will raise the threshold to £8,105 from April 2012 and continue with these increases until we reach £10,000.

5) Scrapping ID Cards

We have scrapped the ID card programme. The ID card database was publicly destroyed on 11th February 2011.

Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said:
"The wasteful, bureaucratic and intrusive ID card scheme represents everything that has been wrong with government in recent years.
"By taking swift action to scrap it, we are making it clear that this government won't sacrifice people's liberty for the sake of Ministers' pet projects.
Cancelling the scheme and abolishing the National Identity Register is a major step in dismantling the surveillance state - but ID cards are just the tip of the iceberg. Today marks the start of a series of radical reforms to restore hard-won British freedoms"

6) Introduction of a Bank Levy

We have introduced a levy on banks' balance sheets, raising £2.6 billion every year

Thanks to the Lib Dems in Government, banks will be forced to pay their fair share in these tough economic times.

This levy, which the Lib Dems demanded, raises more money each year from the banks than the last Labour Government ever managed.

During their 13 years in Government, Labour let the banks run wild and left the taxpayer to foot the bill. Now the Lib Dems are taking real action to clean up Labour's economic mess and make sure the banks pay their way.

7) End of Child Detention

In May 2011 the Liberal Democrats acheived the end of child detention for Immigration reasons.

Last year HMP Yarl's Wood immigration centre in Bedfordshire is to closed for good.

Nick Clegg Liberal Democrat Party Leader and Deputy Prime Minister said.

"We are ending the shameful practice that last year alone saw over 1000 children - 1000 innocent children - imprisoned. 7000 children during the last five years of the Labour Government were detained for immigration purposes, children literally taken from their homes, without warning, and placed behind bars. Locked up, sometimes for weeks, sometimes for months, in one case for 190 days; something no innocent child should ever have to endure. That practice, the practice we inherited, ends here. Our have delivered an approach to families that is compassionate and humane, while still maintaining the integrity of our immigration system"

8) Free entry to museums and galleries maintained

Even in these difficult financial times we have have maintained in Government free entry to national museums and galleries, and Government Art Collection works have been shown in a public gallery for the first time.

9) 10) Sharing of Maternity and Paternity pay and the extension of flexible working

We said before the election would introduce plans to allow parents to share the allocation of maternity and paternity leave between them."

In January 2011, Nick Clegg Deputy Prime Minister outlined plans to allow couples to share maternity leave, with the Government consulting on a proper system of shared parental leave to be introduced in 2015.

In 2011, the Coalition Government held a consultation with businesses on shared parental leave and extension of flexible working to all employees. The Government will publish a response outlining its proposals later this year. We aim to deliver on our promise to extend flexible working for all workers.

11) Work choice programme for disabled workers

The work Choice programme, which started on 25 October 2010, is a new specialist disability employment programme designed to simplify the previous overlapping set of schemes. It provides support for 23,000 disabled people facing the most complex barriers to getting and keeping a job.

The Coalition Government have also ensured that disabled jobseekers can find out immediately if they're eligible for the Access to Work support, helping build confidence when applying for jobs.

12) Free early education

The Liberal Democrats in Government have taken the first steps to achieving our long term aim or 20 hours free childcare places for every child from the age of 18 months. We have in Government extended 15 hours free early education to all disadvantaged two year-olds, while keeping the free offer of 15 hours early education for every three and four-year-old. The Coalition Government will be spending £300 million more on this by the end of the Parliament in 2015.

13) Respite Care

Paul Burstow Liberal Democrat Minister of State for Care Services has made over £400 million available in additional funding over the next four years to provide a week's respite care to the almost one million carers who work over 50 hours a week.

Sarah Teather Liberal Democrat Minister for Children also announced an £800 million investment in short break provision for disabled children and their families.

This funding will give carers some valuable time off safe in the knowledge in there loves are being cared for in their absence.

14) Compulsory retirement aged scrapped

In Government the Liberal Democrats have scrapped the compulsory retirement age allowing people to work over the age of 65 have the ability to do so.

15) Gay Marriage

The Liberal Democrats are committed to changing the law to allow same sex couples to enter into civil marraige .

Lynne Featherstone Liberal Democrat Minister for Equalities will shortly be coming forward with the Governments consulation on the issue.

16) Disability Hate Crime

In Government we have delivered on our pledge to allow the better of recording of hate crime against, disabled, homosexual and transgender people.

As of April 2011 the police began to record hate crime as part of the National Crime Statistics.

17) Scrapping of Control Orders

In Government we have scrapped control orders for Terror suspects, we have stood up for Civil Liberties that are the bed rock of UK Democracy.

18) Prisoners pay back

The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders' Bill includes proposals to get prisoners used to working regular hours, and to contribute toward financial reparations for victims.This ensures prisoners pay for the consequences of their actions.

19) Affordable Housing

We have announced plans for 150,000 new affordable homes over the next four years, the first net increase in the social housing stock by any government in 30 years.

The New Homes Bonus began in April last year and match funds the additional council tax raised for new homes and empty properties bought back into use.

In November 2011, the Government published its Housing Strategy, which will make it easier to secure mortgages on new homes, improve fairness in social housing and bring more empty homes back into use.

20) Safer Cycling and Pedisterian crossings

In July 2011, Norman Baker Liberal Democrat Minister of State for Transport announced the first round of decisions for the new Local Sustainable Transport Fund, which supports local transport authorities in developing measures that support economic growth and reduce carbon emissions in their communities, as well as delivering cleaner environments, improved safety for cycles and increased levels of physical activity.