The Chancellor, George Osborne, has reiterated his defence of cuts to police spending despite last week's riots. Interviewed by the Today programme's James Naughtie, he said the problems underlying the trouble were deep-seated. He insisted they were not just an issue of budgets.

"We're committed to the plan we've set out for police reform and it is about reform - it's about improving the presence of the police in our communities, making the police more visible. We've made a commitment that we don't want to see a reduction in visible policing.

"And I have to say this is not just about police budgets, this is about a far bigger challenge for our society, which is dealing with people who've been ignored for too long and helping them feel they've got a stake in society, feel that they know the difference between right and wrong, understand their responsibilities to our communities - not just their rights - and this is the challenge for the government going forward."

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