Nearly 10,000 jobs are to be lost and up to 100 courts could close as budget cuts hit the public sector.The Timeshas learnt that more than £900 million must be saved at the Ministry of Justice in the next two years, threatening initiatives that include Gordon Brown's programme to tackle knife crime. The news comes as figures revealed that inflation hit a 16-year high of 5.2 per cent last month, driven by soaring gas and electricity bills. Analysts predict that the spike will also blow a £3 billion hole in Britain's welfare budget because the annual increase in pensions and benefits is pegged to the September figures. With most experts forecasting that unemployment will exceed government estimates, the bill for welfare payments is almost certain to rise further. A confidential presentation made to officials by Suma Chakrabarti, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice, detailed the savings required from the department 18 months after it was set up. They include the loss of 9,891 jobs in the prison, probation and court services - more than a tenth of the workforce - with one in three coming through redundancies. These cuts, along with a freeze on new recruits or the use of agency staff, could lead to the closure of up to 100 courts.
Hard-working families don't seem to matter when Gordon is the one sacking them. keep to the Fen Causeway
To recap - so far the G7 have committed more than a trillion in total, and the only long-term benefit is likely to be an agreement by the banking industry to trim its bonus culture.
We haven't avoided a depression yet, because the systemic problems are still systemic.
And now we're all supposed to trim our belts because there's no cash for important things.
Wankers.
