DATE

DAILY REFERENDUM.CO.UK


DATE	QUESTION	YES%	NO%	DO NOT KNOW%
Mon 08/01/2007	The Army Former British Army commander General Sir Michael Rose has said our soldiers are suffering "considerable and quite unnecessary risk" following cuts Tony Blair has forced on defence spending. Sir Michael said: "In the past six years, the prime minister has presided over a near-catastrophic decline in defence spending. For fighting insurgencies such as those in Afghanistan and Iraq we need rather large numbers of soldiers on the ground, proper protection and tactical mobility, including helicopters. In return for being prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice, our servicemen and women should expect to be better supported by the country than they have been." But he praised President Bush saying he "put his money where his mouth was" by giving resources and support to his troops. An MoD spokesman said: "Defence spending has been steadily increasing. Last year alone we spent more than £700m on improvements to service housing, announced the introduction of a new £2,240 operational bonus and invested millions more in new equipment, including body armour and armoured vehicles." The Navy Six destroyers and frigates and two other vessels are expected to be mothballed, to save more than £250m. Defence sources have disclosed that the armed forces have been told to save more than £250m this year, and £1 billion by April 2008. The MoD will also cancel the last two of the eight Type-45 destroyers the navy was supposed to get to replace the 15 major ships cut in 2004. Conservative defence spokesman, Julian Lewis, said the fresh cuts were “absolutely devastating stuff” and that cutting the number of Type-45 destroyers would be “catastrophic”. “You can’t have a navy without ships. This government is absolutely hell-bent on the destruction of the Royal Navy.” In the 19th century, the Royal Navy was as large as the seven next biggest navies combined. At the start of the 20th century the Royal Navy remained twice as large as the US and German navies. But the 2004 cuts reduced it to its smallest since before Trafalgar in 1805, and there are suggestions that Portsmouth Naval base may close as the Navy now requires only two major bases. q. With our armed forces being deployed in greater numbers to ever increasing theatres, should the government increase spending rather than enforce cuts?	97	3	0
Sat 13/01/2007	The Local Government Association wants the government to give councils the power to charge people depending on how much household waste they produce. The UK dumps a staggering 27m tons of household waste into landfill each year. That is 7m tons more than the next EU state italy. In comparrison, Germany with a 25% larger population only sends 10m tons of waste to landfill or rubbish tips each year. The LGA, which represents 400 councils in England and Wales want to see manufacturers of single-use items such as nappies and batteries contribute to the cost of dealing with their disposal. The LGA's environment board chairman, Councillor Paul Bettison, said: "For decades people have been used to being able to throw their rubbish away without worrying about the consequences. Those days are now over. Britain is the dustbin of Europe with more rubbish being thrown into landfill than any other country on the continent. It is time manufacturers were made to take full responsibility for the life cycle of their products. It is totally unacceptable that the council tax-payer is picking up the bill for business." The LGA wants to cut the council tax bills of those households which produce less household waste. q. With land fill space predicted to run out in 2016, should the manufacturers of products that produce high volumes of household waste share the costs of disposal?	70	28	2
Thur 18/01/2007	English Parliament. Devolution has created a United Kingdom in which Scotland and Wales have national executives while England does not. The Scottish Parliament has full executive powers independent of the UK in 75% of governance matters. No English MP has any voice at all in such matters as they affect Scotland. Scottish MPs can both initiate and vote on Acts of Parliament concerning education and the NHS in England. Constitutionally there are three sorts of people in the island of Great Britain. There are those who are Scottish and British, those who are Welsh and British and those who are just British. At the moment there is no voice for England in any of the various institutions that help shape EU policy, the conduct of EU business, or the awarding of EU grants. “There’s a possibility that a Scotsman is going to rule over me. A Scotsman who comes from a constituency where my member of parliament, who I elected, has no say whatsoever.” Sir Michael Caine. Q. Should there be an English parliament?	87	11	2
Tue 23/01/2007	English National Anthem There are those who argue that the English should sing an English, not British, anthem. They believe God Save the Queen should continue to be the British anthem, to be sung as a celebration of Britishness or the Monarch, by the individual nations of Britain, or by the English, Scots, Welsh and Irish when they are gathered together as Brits. Scottish and English teams line up together with the Scots singing a Scottish anthem and the English singing a British anthem. It is felt by some that it may be politically convenient for the UK Government to encourage Scottishness and Welshness whilst keeping Britishness to the fore in England. Scots and Welsh that still consider themselves British may be obliged to boo their own anthem for fear of being regarded as traitors by an increasingly nationalistic tendency. I'm surprised English sports teams don't sing Land Of Hope And Glory instead. Princess Anne q. Does England require a new anthem?	82	18	0
Thur 25/01/2007	Tony Blair has rejected Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell's call for UK troops to start a five-month "staged withdrawal" in May, with all British forces clear of Iraq by the end of October. Mr Blair told the Commons such an "arbitrary timetable" was unworkable. Mr Blair added: "our forces are there under a United Nations resolution, with the full support of the government of Iraq. Pulling out now would send the most disastrous signal to the people of Iraq". Sir Menzies, speaking at prime minister's questions, said: "If he feels so strongly, he should come to debate these issues. There is nothing more important." The Prime Minister's official spokesman said it was "not the practice for Mr Blair to lead foreign affairs debates. He has made a commitment to the Commons to make a statement when Operation Sinbad is finished and assessed. That will be the appropriate point." The total number of UK troops killed in operations in Iraq has risen to 130 after a soldier was killed by a roadside bomb while on patrol in Basra on 21 January. According to UN estimates, 34,000 Iraqis had been killed in 2006 alone. Q. Should UK troops start a five-month staged withdrawal in May?	60	27	13
Sun 28/01/2007	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has suggested drug addicts receiving treatment should be given shopping vouchers to encourage them to kick their habit. Evidence from international trials has shown the use of shopping vouchers can cut drug abuse by hardened addicts. It is proposed to give £10 vouchers out at NHS treatment programmes to addicts who are tested clear of drugs. Clinical psychologist Mr Stephen Pilling from University College London, has estimated 50,000 addicts in England and Wales could recieve the vouchers. Mr Pilling said: "I think the group, having thought it through carefully, have firmly come to the view that it provides a much better and positive way to relate to drug users than sometimes we have done in the past." Following some public unease about how NHS money should be spent in recent years. NICE are to be legally challenged by groups angry about restrictions on drugs for Alzheimer's Disease. Mike Trace, chief executive of the Rehabilitation of Addicted Prisoners Trust said: "If you just rely on rewards for abstinence and you're not treating people's complex problems, you're not going to change the behaviour." The Mother of a long term crack cocaine user said: "I'd rather money was spent on drug treatment centres, where people could be helped immediately. That's where the money should go - not giving them vouchers for food, clothes or shopping." q. Should the NHS start handing out shopping vouchers to drug addicts as an incentive to keep clean?	11	79	10