SWINDON’S MPS have welcomed the Lib-Con government coalition plan, which has set out commitments such as scrapping house building targets, helping post offices, protecting green spaces and giving Parliament another vote on fox hunting.

The 36-page Programme for Government was described by Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy Nick Clegg as “more radical and comprehensive than our individual manifestos”.

In a joint introduction to the document, they wrote: “We have found in this coalition that our visions are not compromised by working together, they are strengthened and enhanced. That is why this coalition has the potential for era-changing, convention-challenging, radical reform.”

The programme, which set out more policies in more detail than the coalition’s outline agreement, published last week, included £6bn cuts in public spending this year, safeguards against the proliferation of supermarkets, additional Post Office services to attract more customers, the abolition of the South West Regional Development Agency and its replacement with a partnership of local authorities, the scrapping of regional house building targets, new protections for green areas of particular importance to local communities, a pledge to help councils freeze council tax and a halt to plans to force the merger of local fire services.

Paperwork will be cut for police officers and directly elected commissioners will take over from police authorities.

Alcohol tax and pricing will be reviewed to tackle binge drinking and MPs will be given a free vote on the repeal of the Hunting Act.

Justin Tomlinson, Conservative MP for North Swindon, said: “We had to recognise the electorate did not give any single party a mandate to govern on its own so it’s right and proper we have a full and stable coalition government which treated both parties with respect, and I’m exceptionally impressed that the parties have come together so quickly on the details of the coalition agreement.

“It shows there’s genuine goodwill to get on with the job of tackling difficult decisions and I’m proud to be able to play my part in that.”

Robert Buckland, Tory MP for South Swindon, said: “I’m very glad the agreement reached last week is now being fleshed out with more detail.

“The Government is still being formed and we are still at an early stage and I’m encouraged by their desire to get down to work quickly, and particularly pleased by moves to scrap regional fire control in Taunton, which would have been a real problem both for firefighters and residents in Swindon.”