Green stimulus package would get construction industry moving (Orkney Liberal Democrats)

Green stimulus package would get construction industry moving

April 23, 2010 1:42 PM
Originally published by Scottish Liberal Democrats

Commenting on the unemployment figures released this week, Jo Swinson said: "Unemployment in East Dunbartonshire is at 2.5% thanks to Labour's financial mismanagement.

"This represents a 15% rise on this time last year. Scotland is clearly still suffering from the recession.

"The construction industry in East Dunbartonshire is still in decline and only the Liberal Democrats have the plans to get it moving.

"Our green stimulus package, announced as part of our manifesto this week will create new skills and opportunities in Scotland.

"We'd bring 25,000 empty homes back into use through grants and cheap loans.

"We'd have an eco-cash back scheme with £400 grants to buy double-glazing, replace an old boiler, or install micro-generation.

"All of these measures would create jobs in East Dunbartonshire at a time when they are badly needed."

Notes:

The policy in brief  The Liberal Democrats will begin our term in office with a one-year job creation and green economic stimulus plan. We have identified £3.1bn of public spending that can be stopped and the money used to create jobs and protect the environment. We will invest in wind energy, energy efficiency in public buildings and homes, and bring empty homes back into use through renovation. And we will give extra support to young people, so their future is protected, with 800,000 internships to help build their experience.

Policy detail  Our economic stimulus plan will create more than 30,000 jobs, produce the conditions for thousands more and provide a million opportunities for young people across the UK. For more details refer to individual briefings on each proposal.

Expand offshore wind energy: We will renovate and adapt facilities in seven North and Irish Sea ports so they can be used to build the giant turbines needed for off-shore wind energy as part of our first year economic stimulus plan. This will be a huge boost for Britain's budding wind industry and create 12,000 jobs in many shipyard cities where unemployment is a huge problem.

Eco-cashback scheme: We will launch an 'eco-cashback' scheme to give people £400 towards energy efficient home improvements and small energy generation projects. People will be able to apply for the cash to help pay for double-glazing, boiler upgrades and micro generation such as solar panels, and domestic wind turbines. The scheme will create 8,000 new jobs.

Helping young people now: We will make a promise to young people that they will not spend more than 90 days on Jobseekers Allowance before they get training, education, an internship or a place on a work programme. We will do this by increasing the number of further education places, giving students financial support to return to college and creating a paid internship scheme. The internship scheme for up to 800,000 18-24 years olds will give them the opportunity to gain skills, qualifications and work experience even if they can't find a job. They would be paid £55 a week for up to three months.

School insulation programme: We will protect schools from having to use their teaching and learning budgets to cut their carbon emissions as part of the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) by investing £400 million in interest free loans. Schools will be able to use the loans to make energy saving renovations which will create an estimated 9,600 jobs.

Renovating 250,000 empty homes: Bringing 250,000 empty homes back into use. People who own these homes will get a grant or a cheap loan to renovate them so they can be used: grants if the home is for social housing, loans for private use.

Bus scrappage. We will invest £140m in a bus scrappage scheme that helps bus companies to replace old polluting buses with new low carbon ones and creates jobs.

Costs/Savings:  In our first year in office we will redirect over £3.1bn of spending to our economic stimulus plan which will create jobs and build up Britain's infrastructure. In the following years this money will be redirected to other Lib Dem spending priorities and reducing the structural deficit.

Orkney Liberal Democrats