Building Britain's Future

Since the launch of Building Britain’s Future on 29 June 2009, we’ve been asking for your ideas and suggestions on how to take our plans forward. We’re continuing to deliver on our BBF commitments
You gave us feedback in different ways – through local town hall events around the country, consultation on legislation and papers, and online engagement (including this website and Bebo’s Big Think). 

All public comments on draft legislation were fed into the development of the final programme, which was recently set out in the Queen's Speech.

The Government takes your views seriously, and we’re also currently looking at the comments submitted online and through other forums.

At the end of this story you can read a selection of posts on different BBF topics.
Putting Frontline Services First: Smarter Government

The Prime Minister has announced a programme to halve the public deficit within four years, while protecting frontline services. The main three areas for change are:

• strengthening the role of citizens and civic society
• freeing frontline services to innovate and collaborate
• streamlining and restructuring central government

These changes will increase efficiency as we continue to deliver on our BBF commitments and improve public services.

• Putting Frontline Service First: Smarter Government [External website]

Your BBF contributions

Here are a selection of public comments on different BBF topics.

Cleaning up politics

‘I agree with the removal of hereditary peers. However I have grave reservations about an elected second chamber. The Lords does a good job as a specialist and revising chamber. I fear that making it democratically elected will lead to it rivalling the commons - leading to the kind of 'horse-trading' and stalemate politics which is so typical of the USA and some continental parliaments.’
       Ray Hinchcliffe

Jobs and skills

‘…we do take lots of work experience people actually, and that’s a really interesting point, because, like lots of employers, and like the internships that you’re talking about, they’re obviously not going to be a full time salary.  People like Kate will have spent a lot of money going through a degree for two years, she’s got two degrees – going through a postgraduate for a year – that’s a lot of debt to accumulate.  You want a job, and you want a job that you’ve trained to do, not an internship or work experience.  You want to get your teeth into it, don’t you?  It’s those jobs.  How do you provide those jobs?…’ 
Questioner from Cardiff Red Dragon meeting
A new economy

‘…They debated whether this is the intention and were keen for a clearer message from Government over whether there is an objective for regions within the UK to specialise in specific new industry or sectors.’ 
       Northern Business Forum meet

More power for parents

‘We need to go further and think smarter if we want to enable our children to succeed. What is the point of spending huge sums on broadband, if many of our children do not have computers at home and cannot use it for education? We can reinvigorate our own education system, and give a boost to overseas aid, by putting resources into the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program. For around £100 per laptop, we can ensure all our children have endless access to information outside of school, as well as a computer they can just as easily use in school. Then follow Governor Schwarzenegger's lead in California, by using digital textbooks to keep costs down whilst ensuring kids always have the most recent editions. This way, we can save money and empower our children. Best of all, by making big orders from OLPC, we can further reduce the unit cost of laptops, and help them spread to needy everywhere. This is why I am backing the Pirate Party, the international movement for real change.’ 
       Eric Priezkalns        

Investing in young people

‘Im a young person im 16 i went to a school in yorkshire.I also have run a business.Thats where i come on to my point people complain that we young people leave school with no idea about the big wide world or are not properly set up for it.I agree they waste peoples money giving people lealfets which just get chucked in the bin they have no idea how to get accross to us young ones.Also i think that we should make eneterprise in every school complusyery where everyone has to work in groups in year 11 and build a business run it for ex amount of time and see who makes the most money it gives us young ones a chance to experience the outside world and also please make sure that you make grants avalible to us young ones as young business owners have access to like 1 grants and thats it very poor.Futhermore i think that you should abolish tax for under 16s running business it absolutly discusting taxing chilren who dont even know what tax is and where it gets wasted’
Sam Roper

Early years

‘…Britain needs universal childcare in order to reduce long term unemployment and reduce child poverty...’
       Mike

Affordable housing

‘What happens is that people are a little bit nervous about putting money with banks, and we’ve had the bailout of the banks.  How do you guarantee then, if for instance Emma puts 50% of her hard earned money, and she scrapes for a deposit, and she’s managed to get a mortgage, how do you then guarantee that the company that owns the other half of her house is going to be stable and isn’t going to go bust?’
Questioner from Cardiff meeting

Crime and policing

‘Focus more on the similarities between Police and young people i.e. we both receive bad press generally and use this as a starting point to bring us together.’
Young speaker from Greenwich meeting

Immigration and citizenship

‘Immigration policy was discussed. They were concerned that immigration policy is too heavily focused on addressing concerns around illegal immigrants and not recognising or encouraging legal economic migrants who contribute significantly to the economy. The Vice Chancellors highlighted the adverse affect of stricter regulations through the points-based visa system which is making it more difficult to attract over-seas students. Recently more are choosing to study in Spain or Germany in particular. They were keen for these concerns to be recognised in Government and action taken to encourage more foreign students to UK institutions. ACTION: The Minister to discuss the above concern on attracting foreign students in Government.’
Top 5 North East Universities meeting

A low carbon future

‘Sponsor new ways of energy to transportation and in general for all uses is necessary to avoid contamination, to low the prices in the proceses that requires energy and to be efficient. Making an investment in these new alternatives is neccesary to keep the climate, to care the air in the cities. At the same time to avoid the emissions damage the atmosphere. a regulation is needed.’
       Leonardo Alvarez

‘I feel that promoting walking as well as cycling around London is equally important. I live in Teddington and love walking especially in London .To visit the centre I always get the train to Waterloo and then walk over the bridge to get to Soho or Covent Garden. Many Visters assume you have to get the tube everywhere without realising how small the area actually is and never experiencing the joys of exploring the short cuts.’
       Rosalind Broughton

International leadership

‘I think that britain should not get involved with other peoples affairs but to get involved if its our national intrest or security. Futhermore i think that every time we look on bcc website our goverment is donating billions o developing countrys which is all good i know they need the money but we can not afford to give away such amounts of money to countrys when such money could be spent on reduciing our debt or spent finding a cure for cancer or investing in our people and i dont mind giving and supporting countrys when we have the money but we simply dont now we need to concentrate on reducing our debt!’
Sam Roper