The extra summit was called to discuss growth and competitiveness.

Following the meeting, the Prime Minister spoke at a press conference:

“My message to other leaders was clear. We’ve got to be bold and decisive. EU action should match the ambition that we are showing back at home. So it’s a step forward, I believe, that we agreed today to accelerate the legislation that will do the most to generate growth; to consider a clear plan at our March summit to cut red tape; to remove barriers in trade to services right across the EU; and to make it easier to do business online.”

Mr Cameron said:

“Last year I had the privilege of meeting an extraordinary, courageous woman.

Trude Levi was just twenty when she was ripped from her family.

She was forced on a journey that can only be described as hellish, through concentration camps, work camps and death marches.

 

 

She saw and suffered some unspeakably evil things, but she survived to tell her story and pass it on to the next generation.

 

It is so important that stories like Trude’s continue to be heard, and read, and spoken about.

That way the brutal truth of the Holocaust can never be dimmed.

 

And that is why Holocaust Memorial Day matters so much.

 

It is about keeping the truth alive, guarding against prejudice in all its forms and above all, showing respect to those who were killed and those who survived.

 

And as we reflect on this part of our history – and all the millions killed through genocide – we must not forget the persecution and hatred that exist today.

 

We’ve got to learn from the past to improve the ways things are now.

 

As Trude said, we must “remember the beauty of this world and ensure we do everything we can to safeguard it.”

 

So I want to thank everyone involved in marking Holocaust Memorial Day, not just for keeping those memories alive, but for building a better future.”

 Watch the video below:

As global growth forecasts are revised down and world trade continues to contract, the Prime Minister set out his belief that Europe can recover its dynamism only if challenges are confronted with real political will.

In a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, David Cameron said:

“This is a time to show the leadership our people are demanding. Tinkering here and there and hoping we’ll drift to a solution simply won’t cut it any more.  This is a time for boldness not caution. Boldness in what we do nationally – and together as a continent.”

The Prime Minister explained that, in the name of social protection, the EU has promoted unnecessary measures that impose burdens on businesses and governments, and can destroy jobs.

He explained:

“We can’t go on like this. That is why Britain has been arguing for a pro-business agenda in Europe.

 

“We need to be bolder still. Here’s the checklist. All proposed EU measures tested for their impact on growth. A target to reduce the overall burden of EU regulation.

 

“A new proportionality test to prevent needless barriers to trade in services and slash the number of regulated professions in Europe. The truth is we can’t afford to wait any longer.”

The World Economic Forum is an annual event which sees business leaders, politicians and CEOs gathering at the Swiss resort of Davos.  Find out more.

Read the full speech here.

The Quarterly Data Summaries are designed to fit on a single page to provide a quarterly snapshot on how each department is spending its budget, the results it has achieved and how it is deploying its workforce.

The summaries follow commitments made in the 2011 Budget and the Written Ministerial Statement on Business Plans. Their primary purpose is to make more of the management information currently held by government available to members of the public on a regular basis.

This information is not audited and the quality and accuracy of the data needs to dramatically improve. However, over time with improvements in data quality and timeliness the public will be able to judge the performance of each department in a meaningful and understandable manner.

An annual version of this information is formally laid in Parliament in the Annual Report and Accounts.

The information is presented in excel format to allow the information to be presented in a re-usable format.

• Cabinet Office
• Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
• Department for Communities and Local Government
• Department for Culture, Media and Sport
• Department for Education
• Department of Energy and Climate Change
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• Department for Health
• Department for International Development
• Department for Transport
• Department for Work and Pensions
• Foreign and Commonwealth Office
• HM Revenue & Customs
• HM Treasury
• Home Office
• Ministry of Defence
• Ministry of Justice

The summary template is the same for all departments, though many of the individual indicators are unique to the department (especially input and impact indicators).

This is the first time Government has published this kind of information, and while this is a good start, there is room for improvement. Before using this data people should ensure they take full note of the caveats noted in each Department’s measurement annex and treat with necessary caution.

At the moment, people should not be using this data to make direct comparisons between departments for several reasons. Firstly, the business of each department is unique and it does not make sense to compare some measures across all departments. Secondly, many of the measures are not directly comparable because they do not have common definitions, time periods, or data collection processes.

Departments update their QDS’s each quarter and you can find links to them here.

Asda plans to open 25 stores, refurbish 43 existing outlets and invest in three new depots in 2012. The chain said it will create up to 5,000 jobs on top of the 30,000 staff it took on last year when it opened about a dozen stores and absorbed 147 Netto sites and their staff following its acquisition.

Asda said nearly half of the jobs it created last year had gone to young people, while 8,500 jobs went to people who had signed up through Job Centre Plus. The chain, which currently employs more than 180,000 people and runs 528 stores across the UK, also pledged that eligible employees would be given the chance to take City & Guilds apprenticeships.

 Mr Cameron said:

“The additional investment and 5,000 new jobs announced by Asda today will be a real boost for the economy and more importantly for people around Britain seeking jobs.

“I also welcome Asda’s commitment to not only create jobs but invest in their staff too – offering employees the chance to join an apprenticeship scheme to gain skills which will benefit them throughout their career.”

 

Mr Cameron said:

“I want to send my very best wishes to everyone celebrating the Chinese New Year – here in Britain, in China and all around the world.‬‪

“This is a very special year for Britain and China. Britain was the first Western country to recognise the People’s Republic of China. And this year we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of full diplomatic ties.

Indeed, today Britain’s ties with China are deeper and broader than at any time in our history. Our trade continues to expand rapidly with Britain remaining the most open economy in Europe for Chinese investment. There are more Chinese students studying in the UK and more British students in China than ever before. There are even two giant Chinese Pandas in Edinburgh zoo – a great attraction, with people from all over the world going to see them. And of course there are Chinese communities here in Britain making an incredible contribution to our country. From business to culture, from science to local government, everyday showcasing the values of hard work, enterprise and community that make this country what it is.

“I hope in this Olympic year for Britain that we can not only build on the success of the Beijing games but also use the opportunity of the games to open up new areas of our relationship. Taking advantage of the ways in which our two economies increasingly complement each other and the growing conversations between our governments and our peoples about the kind of societies we want to be and the kind of world we want to see.

“I wish you good fortune – and hope that this year of the dragon can be a year of success for China, for Britain and for us all.

“Gong xi fa cai.”

Watch the video message below:

Business in You helps make your business idea happen. Whether you’re looking to test your ideas, or develop your financial and planning skills, it gives you the support and inspiration you need, highlighting real-life examples of success.

It also provides links to key business-support advice, pointing you to top tools available from Businesslink, Start Up Britain and a whole range of partners.

“It is with great sadness that I can confirm that the British Embassy in Baghdad received a body today that has been identified as Alan McMenemy, who was kidnapped in Baghdad in 2007, along with four other men. The bodies of Jason Swindlehurst, Jason Creswell and Alec MacLachlan were returned in 2009. Peter Moore was the only hostage released alive in 2010.

“My thoughts are with Alan’s family and friends at this time. They have waited so long for his return and I hope that this will allow them to find some peace after an ordeal that no family should ever have to suffer. 

 

“At this time we should also take time to remember the families of Margaret Hassan and Ken Bigley who are still waiting for the return of their loved ones.”

 The Co-operatives Bill will cut red tape and help to build a fairer economy, ensuring that even more co-operative members can share in the benefits of enterprise. 

Announcing his intention in a speech today, David Cameron said:

“We know that breaking monopolies, encouraging choice, opening up new forms of enterprise is not just right for business but the best way of improving public services too.
 
“But right now there are too many barriers in the way… so today I can announce they will all be brought together and simplified in a new Co-Operatives Bill that will be put before Parliament.”

Welcoming the announcement, Ed Mayo, Secretary General of Co-operatives UK, added:

“The new act is intended to make it as easy and natural to form a co-operative as any other form of business. We are delighted to see the Coalition taking action to put co-operative businesses on an equal footing and create a diverse economy.

 “Co-operatives, as well as being widely recognised for their ethical business practices, are a vital part of the British economy, employing more than 235,000 people, turning over more than £33 billion each year and generating a significant amount of wealth for the country.”

Government is providing new rights for public sector workers to create mutuals and own a stake in their success.
 
You can find out more here by reading the Public Services White Paper here.

The Prime Minister has previously shone a spotlight on this area, describing it as a “hidden crisis” because pupils are failing to reach their full potential in schools that ought to support them to achieve their very best.

Ahead of the event, Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, said he intends to scrap the ‘satisfactory’ judgment for school inspections. The change to inspections aims to address schools that drift without making progress. His proposals, which will be subject to consultation, would mean that any school that does not provide a good standard of education will be given a new “requires improvement’ grade.

The Prime Minister welcomed Ofsted’s announcement in an open newsletter:

“Last year I spoke out about the scandal of coasting schools – the ones that are content to muddle along without trying hard to improve. These might be schools in leafy areas that get above-average results, or schools in inner cities that have seen flat-lining poor results; what links them isn’t the scores they’re getting, but the complacent attitude that says things are OK just as they are.

 

This year we’re doing something about it. Ofsted have announced today that they’re changing the rating system for schools. It used to be that some schools were labelled ‘satisfactory’. Now they’re abolishing that label and replacing it with a new one: ‘requires improvement’.

 

This is not some small bureaucratic change. It marks a massive shift in attitude. I don’t want the word ‘satisfactory’ to exist in our education system. “Just good enough” is frankly not good enough. Every teacher, every head and every school should be aiming for excellence – no lower.

 

These words are being backed by action. Schools that ‘require improvement’ will be re-inspected within 12-18 months – instead of the 3-year break between inspections they’ve had in recent years. And the bar of expectation is getting higher too.  Schools can only be found to ‘require improvement’ twice. At their third inspection they must be rated at least ‘good’ or they will be placed in special measures.

 

To those who say that this will alienate some schools, I say we’ve got to stop making excuses and start doing what is best for our children: demanding excellence and confronting complacency wherever we find it.

 

Making this change of attitude felt on the ground, in classrooms, will be a massive team effort. That’s why this afternoon I’m holding a meeting in Downing Street with some of the country’s most inspiring head-teachers, as well as Sir Michael Wilshaw, the new head of Ofsted. In his previous job as head of Mossbourne Academy in Hackney, Sir Michael said ‘no’ to complacency and failure, and turned that school around. Now he’s going to help us drive the nationwide transformation of our schools.

 

Be in no doubt: this is a government that is incredibly ambitious for all the children in our country – and we will fight for them to get the best start in life.

 Sign up to receive the Prime Minister’s newsletter .