Historic Cabinet "away-day" in Yorkshire
CABINET ministers are to meet in Leeds today followed by individual tours of local businesses.
The ministerial “away-day” is the second time Prime Minister Gordon Brown has held a full cabinet meeting outside of London.
The first, which was held in Birmingham in September, was the first away from the city of Chequers since 1921.
The gathering will be the first since Chancellor Alistair Darling announced the pre-Budget report on Monday and it is thought that ministers will finalise details of their next legislative programme, which will be set out before Parliament by the Queen on Wednesday.
There will also be an update from Foreign Office Minister Lord Malloch-Brown on the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which he has just returned from.
The Cabinet will meet at the Royal Armouries before setting off to different locations around the region.
Mr Darling is due to attend a business breakfast in Bradford, while Foreign Secretary David Miliband will meet the Australian defence minister, who is also in Leeds.
Also breakfasting will be Innovation, Universities and Skills minister John Denham, who will host a business breakfast in Leeds.
Lord Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business will meet business leaders at a lunch in Sheffield.
Alan Johnson, Secretary for Health, will pay a visit to Hillside Healthcare 8 to 8 in Bradford. Meanwhile, Hilary Benn, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs minister will visit Meanwood Valley Urban Farm to meet local farmers and National Farmers Union (NFU) representatives.
Dougals Alexander, International Development minister will meet a community group to dicuss fair trade and international development in west Leeds, Work and Pensions minister James Purnell will visit Action for Employment in Wakefield, Transport minister Geoff Hoon will visit South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive in Sheffield, while Hazel Blears – Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government will visit the Leeds’ Shine project.
Ed Miliband will visit the Green Streets initiative in Leeds, Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport will visit Sculpture Park in Wakefield, Leader of the House of Lords Baroness Royall of Blaisdon will visit the New Bewerly Children’s Centre in Leeds, Paul Murphy, and Secretary of State for Wales will visit a worklesness in young people project in Leeds.
Finally, Housing minister Margaret Beckett will visit a sustainable mixed communities project in Gipton, while Science minister Lord Hunt of Kings Heath will meet the Yorkshire Science Council. Tony McNulty, Employment minister will visit Action for Employment in Leeds.
The cabinet includes three West Yorkshire MPs – Environment Secretary Hilary Benn, Schools Secretary Ed Balls and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Yvette Cooper.
