Britain sets up council against global economic crisis

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LONDON, Oct 4 (Xinhua): British Prime Minister Gorden Brown launched yesterday a new National Economic Council (NEC) that "will advise on measures to steer the economy through the current global crisis."
Speaking to journalists in Number 10, the prime minister said that the nation was "living through the first truly global financial crisis" and that changes to the cabinet and government, also announced Friday, were designed to "change the way we govern" during this period of economic insecurity.
Brown identified four key challenges facing the nation: financial instability, rising oil prices and the impact of this on energy and the environment, rising food prices, and equipping the country's economy for the future in terms of infrastructure and skills.
Listing a number of people being brought into the government, including new Business Secretary Peter Mandelson, and non-governmental NEC members such as Barclays Chairman Marcus Agius, Brown said he has appointed "serious people doing serious jobs in serious times."
The government's primary concern was "the prosperity of every citizen in our country," he added.
Chancellor Alistair Darling, who also attended the press conference, confirmed that the Bank of England (BoE) is to inject 40 billion pounds (over 70 billion US dollars) into financial markets next Tuesday.