Hello, Peter here and if you are planning a spending spree before Christmas, perhaps you will take advantage of the governments cut in VAT from 17.5% to 15% for 13 months to boost spending. Apparently, a rise in Value Added Tax to 18.5% was in the government's plans until less than a week ago, the BBC understands. A Treasury document published online by mistake showed it considered bringing in the rise from 2011. The Treasury says the plan was later rejected. BBC political editor Nick Robinson said he had been told the VAT rise was in the government's plans until less than a week ago - when Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Chancellor Alistair Darling met to consider their pre-Budget options. The Chancellor unveiled plans to take borrowing to record levels, cut VAT and cut public spending growth to try to boost the economy and stave off a long recession. So, if you are planning a shopping trip, enjoy the extra spending power and do let me know if you pick up any remarkable ! bargains.
Thanks to Angie for her suggestion of Gervaise Phinn for Poet Laureate who got an honourary degree from Hull University. Angie thinks his poems are perfect for every age group to understand and may get children interested in poetry and thinks she would have taken more notice in her English lessons if he had been on the curriculum. With titles like The Day our Teacher Went Batty, Im not surprised! Talking about school days, Northern Ireland primary school children will not be sitting the 11-plus test anymore. They sat the last 11-plus exam this week after 60 years. Some politicians, parents and teachers are concerned that there is still no final plan for what will replace the controversial exam next year. Academic selection is still allowed for the time being and some grammar schools have said they will stage their own entrance exams next year. However, as a compromise measure Northern Ireland Education Minister Caítriona Ruane has suggested a transition phase. The schools would be able to use academic criteria for 50% of pupils in the first year, with this being completely phased out after three years. However, this has not yet been agreed. It all sounds very complicated! Im glad, Im not young anymore .. Thanks also to Mark for the photo of Batman apparently enjoying a pint at the White Horse Inn, Beverley, (known as Nellies to the locals). Perhaps they will have robots behind the bar one day .. Treading the Boards As you all know, I love hearing about the latest technology, but some advances sound very odd to me! I've mentioned about robots being used in restaurants as waiters, robots being used to house-sit whilst you're on holiday and also dancing robots in nightclubs that can get the party started on the dance floor. Now I've read about the latest gadget - a new breed of acting robots and they're making their debut on a Japanese stage. The production at Osaka University is described as the first robot-human experimental theatre production. Experimental sounds about right? These machines were specially programmed to speak their lines and to move around the stage with their human actors. In the play, the main robot character, who works as a housekeeper in a Japanese home, starts complaining and getting depressed about his lot in life! It's called 'I Worker' and although it only runs for 20 minutes at the moment, the playwright hopes it'll become a full time play in a few years time. ! So there you go. Robots are now treading the boards! Hope you have a good day and will join me on Look North this evening at 6.30pm. Take care, Peter And for the latest news and more where you live, go to: http://bbc.co.uk/humber and http://bbc.co.uk/lincolnshire ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the BBC Look North newsletter, go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/looknorthhull/newsletter/newsletter_index.shtml, enter your email address in the unsubscribe box. Your email address will be held by the BBC and kept confidential, and will only be used in relation to this newsletter. You will be given the option to unsubscribe from this newsletter each time you receive it. Please visit the BBC's Privacy & Cookies Policy (www.bbc.co.uk/privacy) for more information.
