:01:20. > :01:25.How about a little help with getting a mortgage from your local
:01:25. > :01:35.council? Sounds good, but could schemes to help first-time buyers
:01:35. > :01:35.
:01:35. > :37:42.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2166 seconds
:37:42. > :37:46.end up leaving councils out of On today's programme: Are you have
:37:46. > :37:49.been trouble getting a bit of that? If you are living in the right
:37:49. > :37:55.place in the South, the council could give you a leg up on the
:37:55. > :38:03.property ladder. I wanted to get on the property ladder for a long time,
:38:03. > :38:06.and I could not do that because of the requirement for a deposit.
:38:06. > :38:16.on that later. Let me introduce the two
:38:16. > :38:21.
:38:21. > :38:26.politicians with me. When was the last time you had a pasty?! This
:38:26. > :38:31.week has been remarkable, hasn't it? I am talking about jerry cans
:38:31. > :38:39.in garages and so on. Has it not proved how out-of-touch some
:38:39. > :38:43.politicians are? It is difficult. On the petrol issue, the government
:38:43. > :38:48.thought, do we say something to the public and urge them to take early
:38:48. > :38:56.action, orders that caused panic buying? In hindsight, it is
:38:56. > :39:00.sometimes better do say nothing at all. Out of touch, do you think?
:39:00. > :39:06.The combination of the Budget and the decisions announced a round
:39:06. > :39:12.that, and the fact that such contradictory advice came up on the
:39:12. > :39:16.government... It was not even a consistent message. If it had been
:39:16. > :39:22.consistent, at least they could have held the line. But it fell
:39:22. > :39:29.apart so quickly. One cannot blame people panicking. Certainly, in
:39:29. > :39:35.Reading, we saw panic-buying. did you fill up? No, I hardly use
:39:35. > :39:43.my car - I am a bike and a walker, and use public transport. Do you
:39:43. > :39:49.blame people for filling up? People decided to respond, and that is
:39:49. > :39:54.down to them. But it is on the need to be managed carefully.
:39:54. > :40:00.government panicked because of what happened in 2000 - there was the
:40:00. > :40:06.degree of panic. A strike had not even been announced, though. The
:40:06. > :40:09.talks apparently start tomorrow. There is a way to go.
:40:09. > :40:17.One and five of the adult population in the UK is
:40:17. > :40:23.functionally illiterate, between 5- 8 million people. They have trouble
:40:23. > :40:29.applying for jobs, all home loans. According to a survey, workers
:40:29. > :40:35.would reading problems earned about 11% less than their colleagues, and
:40:35. > :40:40.16% would avoid go for promotion. Not mention the impact on people's
:40:40. > :40:47.social lives. For this mother, it had a personal cost. It all started
:40:47. > :40:55.when I had bullying. I had problems spelling and reading certain things.
:40:55. > :41:05.I would make up stop the did not make sense. It toque 15 years to
:41:05. > :41:05.
:41:05. > :41:10.work out I was dyslexic -- it took. When you have children, it is
:41:10. > :41:19.something that they do - bring because home. If you cannot read
:41:19. > :41:28.books would them, it is a problem. But at Croke bring books home.
:41:28. > :41:32.is a big, big thing for me - just to be able to do it myself. It will
:41:33. > :41:40.open a lot of doors for me, such as job opportunities. I will be able
:41:41. > :41:50.to prove to myself and people that I can do these things.
:41:51. > :41:55.
:41:55. > :42:04.Joining us from our Oxford studio is adoptable stop -- is a doctor.
:42:04. > :42:12.This country does not have a good international record, does it?
:42:12. > :42:18.the at short literacy, and unsure and literacy level, have gone down.
:42:18. > :42:24.Figures show that the country is losing it to 1 billion a year
:42:24. > :42:33.through to people who cannot read and write. But we are proud of the
:42:33. > :42:38.standards in our schools, aren't we? You are right. You would not
:42:38. > :42:43.have had to at work a computer at work 20 years ago, but other
:42:43. > :42:48.countries have been able to make this jump, and we feel that in
:42:48. > :42:53.England, it can be done. It just need to take a different approach,
:42:53. > :42:58.and possibly, we have to raise them at school leaving age, and we have
:42:58. > :43:05.to set standards that students have to achieve before they leave school.
:43:05. > :43:09.Can we get 100% literacy, or is that unachievable? I do not think
:43:09. > :43:15.that has ever been the case in any country anywhere. But in this
:43:15. > :43:19.country, it is attainable. One of the sad things to me is that the
:43:19. > :43:26.millennium goals have not been achieved. If anything, things have
:43:26. > :43:36.got worse. It is not just literacy. It is also things like gender. Boys
:43:36. > :43:43.and girls do not get the same chances. We want to set a new set
:43:43. > :43:48.of goals, at which we hope to call the Oxford declaration. We will
:43:48. > :43:55.have another go at it heaving these goals. This will give us something
:43:55. > :44:02.to aim for. As well as people from 50 countries, we have people from
:44:02. > :44:07.local authorities and schools, all over this country, coming. I bet he
:44:07. > :44:14.was say it will take more money, though. Everything takes money, but
:44:14. > :44:17.I think the cost of not having is going on is far greater. The �81
:44:17. > :44:24.billion it is costing us now, compared to what it would cost to
:44:24. > :44:31.improve literacy, is not the big cost to pay.
:44:31. > :44:36.Good luck with the conference. Tony, it is a bit like a disability,
:44:36. > :44:43.though. We are making the world more difficult for people to deal
:44:43. > :44:52.with. Should we not be using your website or something like that? --
:44:52. > :44:57.fuel websites? The person in the wheelchair is clearly visible. A
:44:57. > :45:03.lot of people we are talking about actually feel hindered in coming
:45:03. > :45:06.forward, they feel embarrassed. We have to get to them. Local
:45:06. > :45:16.authorities are in a good position in helping identifying and
:45:16. > :45:17.
:45:17. > :45:22.assisting those people, along with other agencies. But there are our
:45:22. > :45:27.governments and the education system, which have let down people.
:45:27. > :45:36.It is intolerable in Britain in 20 top that we have millions of people
:45:36. > :45:40.with this level of illiteracy. It is not something we should lightly
:45:40. > :45:44.except. In this country, where we have so much knowledge, we cannot
:45:44. > :45:48.seem to get basic reading and writing taught properly. It is
:45:48. > :45:53.partly to do with standards, but some people, while they may have
:45:53. > :46:00.been taught basic skills that schools, have not kept it in use
:46:00. > :46:05.and practice for later in life. One think we pick up is that when
:46:05. > :46:12.parents were keen to help -- their children, they can struggle to give
:46:12. > :46:15.that support. Some of the lessons take place alongside children. That
:46:15. > :46:25.is something that will make the difference. If children can get
:46:25. > :46:30.support from their parents, that is concerning. If you want to find out
:46:30. > :46:40.more about adult literacy, watch videos on the subject. Check out
:46:40. > :46:41.
:46:41. > :46:45.the website on screen now. We all know that getting that first
:46:45. > :46:50.foothold on the property ladder is very hard, more so now that banks
:46:50. > :46:55.are all less willing to give a mortgage. The government announced
:46:55. > :46:58.his scheme to help first-time buyers, but as Emma reports, some
:46:58. > :47:02.local councils are well ahead of the game.
:47:02. > :47:10.I have come to meet someone who has become a homeowner for the first
:47:10. > :47:19.time, with a little help from the back and local council. This man
:47:19. > :47:25.got a mortgage, using a loan provided by a Home Buy scheme. A
:47:25. > :47:31.loan which he says allowed in to put down the be good to pause --
:47:31. > :47:37.deposit. This has been a big step. It was very good, apart from when
:47:37. > :47:41.the first deal came. I am part of most people who have a home. He is
:47:41. > :47:46.one of many who would have struggled to buy without help, as
:47:46. > :47:50.house prices in Oxford are some of the most expensive in the country.
:47:50. > :48:00.You have got a spare room as well? Yes. I could not good on the
:48:00. > :48:10.property ladder for a long time. I could not get a flat or house to
:48:10. > :48:15.
:48:15. > :48:19.the council, so I was on the list. Years later, they came up with this
:48:19. > :48:25.scheme. Thanks to the Shared Equity Scheme, buyers can afford a
:48:25. > :48:32.property on the open market. So, for a house costing �200,000, the
:48:32. > :48:38.council will cough up a maximum of �50,000. Buyers are put down a
:48:38. > :48:44.relatively small deposit, in this case, and �10,000. They take a
:48:44. > :48:49.mortgage out on the rest - in this case, they would borrowed �140,000
:48:50. > :48:54.on the bank. But what is in it for the council? Return for the loan,
:48:54. > :49:00.the council retained an equity share in the home. When a property
:49:00. > :49:04.is sold, the council get its share of profits. By taking part in the
:49:04. > :49:09.scheme, giving up some of the profit is the trade of buyers have
:49:09. > :49:12.to make. Schemes like this have become popular with councils.
:49:12. > :49:16.of the complaints people have is the young people cannot afford to
:49:16. > :49:23.get on the housing ladder. This is a weight the local council can help
:49:23. > :49:27.families get on the ladder. council gets people of their
:49:27. > :49:31.housing list. If the council can get people off the list by
:49:31. > :49:38.providing them with the loan, which ultimately they may make a profit
:49:38. > :49:44.on, that is a relatively cheap way for them to provide housing. This
:49:44. > :49:48.is a gamble, though. It houses sell at a loss, the council will also
:49:48. > :49:54.lose money. The Vale of White Horse District Council is about to start
:49:54. > :49:59.its own scheme. It says it is a risk it is willing to take.
:50:00. > :50:04.risk is minimal. If you look at the return we will be making, it is a
:50:04. > :50:10.safer investment. People are desperate to try to get their own
:50:10. > :50:13.homes. Any opportunity we have got to help, we should take. But there
:50:13. > :50:21.is no doubting the opportunity the scheme has offered people like this
:50:21. > :50:28.man. People have a look and say, you got a nice house. I am feeling
:50:28. > :50:37.part of his big thing, you know. A community.
:50:37. > :50:41.It is a question of the housing market, what it will do. I can see
:50:41. > :50:47.why the council is doing it. There are many things local authorities
:50:48. > :50:57.have to do the present risks. It is something we may not look to do. We
:50:57. > :51:01.have other schemes by getting people into more affordable housing.
:51:01. > :51:06.But each area has different ways of approaching this. Those schemes
:51:06. > :51:11.have all sorts of rules and regulations - they have to be
:51:11. > :51:16.administered. You hand over the cash, and the person can choose for
:51:17. > :51:22.themselves. In Some Like the Vale of White Horse, it may work very
:51:22. > :51:30.well. What do you think of it? Reading's priority is to provide
:51:30. > :51:36.more social housing. We will not be going down this route. The worrying
:51:36. > :51:41.thing is that the government is looking at selling off more council
:51:41. > :51:47.houses, and we are faced with a depleting council house stock, and
:51:47. > :51:57.therefore, the top priority is to use any resources to generate more
:51:57. > :51:58.
:51:58. > :52:05.social housing. That is what people in Reading want. We will be pressed
:52:05. > :52:12.to deliver this. It was a Labour- run initiative for many years.
:52:12. > :52:16.Still, all those people on the housing waiting list. But Shared
:52:16. > :52:19.Equity does not mean the local authority has to put in equity.
:52:19. > :52:24.Banks and building societies are not playing their part - they
:52:24. > :52:28.should be lending more. The figures illustrate the extent to which
:52:28. > :52:35.banks and building societies are retracting. When I bought my first
:52:35. > :52:41.house, it was a 10% deposit, and 90% commitment on the building
:52:41. > :52:48.society. But is not what we are seeing now. The funds are there,
:52:48. > :52:58.but they're not playing their part. You have got to start kicking,
:52:58. > :52:58.
:52:58. > :53:01.David. Yes, but shared ownership is not up to be through the local
:53:01. > :53:06.authority. I must disagree with Tony on the issue of council houses
:53:06. > :53:12.being sold off. The opportunity for people to buy their how council
:53:12. > :53:18.house, to own their own property, can happen successfully again now.
:53:18. > :53:23.I recognise that it depletes the stock, we need to look at that. But
:53:23. > :53:27.at the same time, give people the opportunity to earn their own home.
:53:27. > :53:33.When Margaret Thatcher came in, we were given a commitment that the
:53:33. > :53:42.proceeds would be completed -- completely reinvested. With so many
:53:42. > :53:50.things, many people were overawed by the Iron Lady. The Chancellor
:53:50. > :53:56.snaffled the proceeds. In Reading, but we went from 15,000 to 8,000
:53:56. > :53:59.houses. The same will happen again. That is why we have the new homes
:53:59. > :54:07.bonus. Local authorities can be an cent devised to help housing
:54:07. > :54:14.building taking place. It is a drop in the ocean, David. It contribute.
:54:14. > :54:18.We can determine locally what our housing needs are. We are over
:54:18. > :54:23.delivering on houses as well, but forcing the sale of council houses
:54:23. > :54:33.is not the solution. Our round-up of the week in South
:54:33. > :54:35.
:54:35. > :54:39.in 60 seconds. With petrol panic and the price of
:54:39. > :54:44.pastis, be talking point of the week, and a government minister
:54:45. > :54:48.could be forgiven for wanting to get away from it all.
:54:48. > :54:54.Love Europe was launched near Winchester.
:54:54. > :54:59.You cannot escape those queues, even in hospital. Queues of over an
:54:59. > :55:09.hour were reported at accident and emergency departments.
:55:09. > :55:10.
:55:10. > :55:14.No point queuing at this police station - closed due to budget cuts.
:55:14. > :55:17.Police stations are closing, police officers are going, and the local
:55:17. > :55:20.police have no choice - this is the scale of what the government is
:55:20. > :55:25.doing. But there were cheers for the end
:55:25. > :55:35.of this building. The IMAX will be demolished to reveal the Seaview
:55:35. > :55:37.
:55:37. > :55:41.again. It should be pulled down. Now!
:55:41. > :55:47.That is the voice of the people! Is there at one building in Reading he
:55:47. > :55:52.would like to see got rid of? Plaza next to the station. The area
:55:52. > :56:01.is being redeveloped, and the Pink Elephant as it is known should go.
:56:01. > :56:04.It is a shocking Eighties colour, that! I hope it will go. We are
:56:04. > :56:11.pulling down the buildings opposite, and I would like the Pink Elephant
:56:11. > :56:16.to go. And that will be popular? think so. What about on the island?
:56:16. > :56:20.If we were starting from scratch, I would scrap the modern part of our
:56:20. > :56:28.county hall. But we are upgrading that to be more modern of the space
:56:28. > :56:35.for the future. So we can't do that. There are a number of things -
:56:35. > :56:42.cinema buildings, the example. It doesn't meet the character of
:56:42. > :56:49.Newport. It is darker side! Yes, but the outside structure is not
:56:49. > :56:53.appealing. It is a modern building that we do not like. The station
:56:53. > :56:59.building is my top priority, but they are due to go. I am giving you
:56:59. > :57:04.a building not due to go. But it is those 1960s and Seventies buildings
:57:04. > :57:10.that often need to go. A were civic offices in Reading will be
:57:10. > :57:17.demolished soon. How many people would vote to get rid of their
:57:17. > :57:24.local council officers?! Thank you so much. That is all for the Sunday