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The President began the meeting with a question to Emergency Situations Minister Vladimir Puchkov on inspections of the work performed by regional gas services, along with assistance to the victims, following household gas explosions in Ryazan and Tyumen regions in late October. Mr Putin stressed the need for tighter demands on the organisations involved in this sector.

Mr Puchkov said that more than 10,000 inspections have already been carried out in different regions and more than 8,000 violations brought to light. Preventive measures are underway now, as is work to inform the public.

Construction and Housing and Utilities Minister Mikhail Men briefed the meeting on laws being drafted to set requirements for gas distribution organisations and housing inspectors’ rights to monitor gas equipment in residential buildings.

Healthcare Minister Veronika Skvortsova, Education and Science Minister Olga Vasilyeva and Labour and Social Protection Minister Maxim Topilin made reports on the main item on the meeting’s agenda.

Chairperson of the Accounts Chamber Tatyana Golikova, Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino and Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets took part in the discussion of issues raised in the reports.

Closing remarks at a meeting with Government members to review implementation of the 2014 and 2015 Presidential Addresses to the Federal Assembly

Vladimir Putin: We have concentrated only on the social sector today, and this is very valuable, as it enables us to assess the results of the work directed at our citizens.

However, the presidential addresses contained other tasks too, tasks related to the economy, industry sectors, finance, privatisation and more. We will most certainly come back to these matters as well, because, as I have just said, the economy is really the key to resolving social matters.

Nevertheless, the social sector itself requires close attention. It should not simply swallow the resources the economy produces. Resources should be spent rationally and effectively.

Let us agree to proceed as follows then. We will summarise everything that was said at the meeting today and then examine carefully where we still have problems or have overlooked things, or need to take further measures, and we need to concentrate our attention on eliminating these problems rapidly, in order to, as I said, resolve the issues facing our country. Our people are waiting for these solutions.

Let us be more attentive, and show our utmost professionalism and responsibility in this work. I ask the Presidential Executive Office to summarise this information and draft the relevant instructions so that we retain the pace of overall work in this area.

Thank you.