George Osborne has launched a website where UK citizens can submit ideas about spending cuts.
The Treasury said the public will be able to post ideas on the site about "how to get more for less from our public services" during July and August 2010.
In addition to the website, Osborne and other ministers will take part in seminars and visits across the country designed to hear the views of citizens about how public spending should be cut.
Read this
Government scraps Becta, plans £95m in IT cost cuts
The IT in education council and the planned Institute of Web Science have been scrapped amid widespread public sector tech cuts
The website was initially only made available to public sector workers, but after receiving more than 60,000 suggestions in two weeks the department decided to open it up to the wider public on Friday.
Opinions posted on the site on the day of its national launch include:
- "Why do we use have two lamp post next to each other instead of one? Seen quite a few near me."
- "Reduce MP's (including ministers) salaries by 50 percent... Build hostel accommodation for MPs in Westminster (no second homes)."
- "Sack town criers. It is a nice idea, but a complete waste of money."
- "Put sofas in all the city centres in the UK, then get people to sit on them. Every week collect all the money that falls down the back of them to pay off the national debt."
Spending Challenge closely follows Nick Clegg's launch of the Your Freedom website on 1 July, which invites the views of the public on legislation and civil liberties.
Talkback
In a world so over populated it seems absurd to commit scarce resources to fertility. treatment on the National Health.
Cosmetic surgery for persons without injury or deformity is also self indulgent.
Reduce Child Benefit from 19 to 16 and make it applicable to a maximum of two children per mother.
Amalgamate VOSA with VCA reducing duplications.
Suggested cuts:
Pensioners who are still working should continue to pay NI contributions. It is a nonsense that so many seniors are receiving a wage, state pension and in some cases a company pension, yet pay no NI. Continuing NI contributions would have a significant impact on the National budget and these fortunate seniors could not reasonably complain
How about only paying working family tax credits for a maximum of two children? This would make sure that people do not make an occupation our of having babies that they cannot afford. It would also help local authorities with the housing shortage for larger homes, and be a really effective way of saving money for the government.
How about if your working you get sod all, and any more than one kid then you pay for them yourself, also agree with what the first poster said, disagree with gbarrand with regards to pensioners not their fault the government pissed all the pension funds down the drain.
How about we stop giving free money to corp's & banks for screwing us over, how about all politicians pay back what they stole & then knee-cap them, how about we stop giving people who try to blow us up compensation when they fail, how about we stop paying out benefits to oversea's spouses, how about we stop giving tax reliefs to start up business that close down and reopen every two years under a different name, how about we stop giving pocket money to prisoners, by the time this country's leadership is finished EU won't need a human rights legislation because every bugger will be over here on the take! I could go on till the mad cows come home.
This post has been removed by a moderator.
Pensioners over a certain age who live in Sheltered accomodation are receiving cold weather payments over the winter, even when their heating costs are included in their rent and remain the same throughout the year! This payment is in effect a little bonus for them and not a necessity. I presume the same thing is happening in Nursing homes too!