Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg has set out plans to put Britain on a ‘ ...

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg has set out plans to put Britain on a ‘Green Road out of the Recession’, leaving a legacy, he says, that will create jobs, save energy, put money back into people’s pockets and fight climate change.
The plans would cost £12.5bn, which could be paid for by scrapping the VAT cut. The vast majority of that money could be spent immediately, says Clegg, making a real impact on the economy and people’s lives right away.
Green Road out of the Recession proposals include:
a five-year programme to insulate every school and hospital, with 20% completed in the first year;
funding insulation and energy efficiency for a million homes, with a £1,000 subsidy for a million more;
building 40,000 extra zero-carbon social houses;
buying 700 new train carriages; and
installing energy and money saving smart meters in every home within five years.
Clegg said: ‘As the recession deepens, every day we hear news of more workers being laid off, more families struggling with bills and more elderly and vulnerable people plunged into fuel poverty. The Government’s answer is to borrow £12.5bn to tinker with VAT when what is really needed is fresh, bold thinking. For the same money that it costs to make that tiny VAT cut, the Liberal Democrats propose a huge economic programme that will put the unemployed back into work and leave a lasting legacy that will save energy, reduce bills and fight climate change.’