Point of View

"President Dmitry Medvedev spoke in his state of the nation address about the New School programme. The government is giving schools and education in general a lot of attention. We have a priority national project in education. We will continue this project."

"Also, there is another ugly problem, absolutely unacceptable in a civilised society. I would like to draw your attention to it now. Unfortunately, child abuse is still quite frequent in Russia, and orphans sometimes fall victim to it. There have been flagrant and ugly child abuse cases reported in orphanages and sometimes even in adoptive families. I am asking prosecution authorities and social services to keep an eye on the issue, put additional effort into it and submit additional proposals on legal protection against child abuse."

"I also think that adoptive parents should be selected and prepared with more discrimination. It is not a question of arranging just any adoption for a child, but to give the child a real family and a safe and happy life."

"I would like us to discuss support for orphaned children and children with disabilities. This year's federal allocation for this purpose is 70 billion roubles. Orphans have regular compulsory medical check-ups, and the number of medical centres providing high-tech medical services to children with disabilities is growing."

"A programme has started this year to provide long-distance training for children with disabilities, giving them the opportunity of receiving a high-quality modern education. This is essential for their integration in society as adults, for successful careers and reasonable incomes and high living standards. In the first half of 2009, over 2,500 children with disabilities enrolled in long-distance education programmes, including those involved in the pilot projects. This number sounds fine unless you consider that as many as 35,000 children need this special long-distance training. I believe that each of them should be given the opportunity by 2012."

"Now I would like to talk separately and in more detail about the Housing Project. <....> Unfortunately, today the scale of construction has decreased by almost 20%. Mortgage has abruptly fallen by six times. The construction industry is going through hard times. Let me recall that so far in 2009 we spent about 450 billion roubles on the government housing policy. We would have wished to spend more, and it might have been worth it, but it was simply impossible. This audience is competent and everyone understands the value of 450 billion roubles. This is huge money which should be used effectively to maintain demand, and to encourage mortgage and housing construction."

"In effect, the government is acting as the key player in the housing market, and hence, is capable of actively influencing pricing and supply structure, and of encouraging the construction of low-income housing, especially low-rise dwellings."

“I would like to emphasise that the cost of one square metre of low-income housing should not exceed 30,000 roubles. This can and should be achieved, and not at the expense of the quality of the housing or the comfort. Importantly, we should proceed from the premise that no less than 40% of our citizens should be able to purchase such flats.”

"In 2009, two federal centres for advanced medical care and research were opened in Russia, with equipment being set up in four more centres. I would like to once again remind you that we discussed at length the need to create them, debating whether it would be more reasonable to concentrate efforts in the federal centre. Practice has shown that the creation of such facilities in the regions is justified. The level of service improves, more high skills specialists are employed in specific areas, and more complex operations are carried out."

"The Government has prepared a series of resolutions to bolster the healthcare and social assistance system. A total of 12 billion roubles is to be allocated in order to offset a shortfall in revenues of territorial healthcare insurance funds. Another 2.2 billion roubles will be allotted for high-tech healthcare, with 2.3 billion roubles earmarked for rehabilitation equipment for disabled people. I met with the heads of organisations for the disabled, and agreed with them on the said measures. This decision has been made."