ஓTODAY IN THE NEWS ~ / 23-24 NOVEMBER : MIGRATION : PM to propose benefit ban for EU migrants: The Sunday Times reports that David Cameron is expected to use a speech on immigration to call for a ban on EU migrants claiming in-work benefits such as tax credits when they first move to Britain. The Prime Minster is reportedly working on proposals by the think-tank Open Europe to end access to tax credits, housing benefits and social housing for two or more years. A report to be published by Open Europe tomorrow (Monday) reveals that banning new arrivals from claiming in-work benefits would mean many EU migrants, who find it lucrative to take even minimum wage jobs in the UK, would be worse off if they came to Britain. Meanwhile, government advisers have warned that the speed of Britain’s economic growth will be an attraction for EU migrants. The report from the Social Security Advisory Council also warns that government plans to remove the benefits from European migrants who fail to find work will result in an “almost inevitable” rise in social problems. The SSAC report said: “The fact that the UK’s economy is seen to be in a healthy state of recovery compared to many other EU member states would mean that more [European] nationals will arrive in the months to come, rather than less.” The Sunday Times, Page: 1, 2 The Sunday Telegraph, Page: 1, 4 New rules for registrars to curb bogus marriages: The Home Office has set up three investigation units to deal with cases of suspect proposed marriages after announcing new rules that require registrars to automatically inform officials about any proposed marriage involving a person who has limited or no immigration rights. Anyone suspected of staging a sham marriage will have the ceremony postponed by up to 70 days while investigations take place. Liberty’s Shami Chakrabarti said the move was “an encroachment of a British national’s right to have your relationship solemnised.” However, James Brokenshire, the immigration minister, said: “We will not tolerate those who seek to abuse marriage as a means of cheating their way into staying in the UK.”The Sunday Times, Page: 4 WELFARE: Benefit changes affecting families with disabled children: According to research by Contact A Family, an increasing number of families with disabled children are being forced to go without food or heating because they can no longer afford the basics. Overall, 83% of parents with disabled children say the family is now having to go without. Of these, almost a quarter say their child’s health has worsened as a result, and more than two thirds suffered ill health themselves. One third of families with disabled children are worse off as a result of benefit changes – nearly half by more than £1,500 a year, the report warns. Changes to tax credits, a reduction in help with council tax and the spare room subsidy were the commonest problems reported.The Independent on Sunday, Page: 23 More people turn to food banks: New figures show that the number of people helped by Trussell Trust food banks in the first half of the 2014-15 financial year is 38% higher than in the same period last year. The trust reported that 492,641 people were given three days’ food and support, including 176,565 children, between April and September. That compared with 355,982 during the same period in the previous year. The Observer, Page: 18 The Sun, Page: 8 The Independent on Sunday, Page: 11 FINANCE: Cable: Osborne’s tax cut ‘fantasy’: Vince Cable has warned that Treasury insiders are increasingly concerned that promises made by George Osborne to cut taxes by £7bn appear increasingly unaffordable. “When you look at the numbers, tax cuts on any significant scale are simply not deliverable unless you make horrific cuts to key public services such as the police and defence,” Mr Cable said. “Technically, of course, you can always make tax cuts, but if you are to avoid hitting services you would have to put up other taxes or cut services massively. It is total fantasy to suggest otherwise.” Gavin Kelly, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation think-tank, adds that the low-wage recovery and disappointing tax receipts is a difficult background against which to be talking about tax cuts or spending rises.The Observer, Page: 1 Last call for rates reform from industry heads: Retail and small business groups have been reiterating their calls for business rates reform in the final run-up to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement. The British Retail Consortium has written to industry leaders encouraging them to write to MPs while the CBI and Federation of Small Businesses have made reform the top of their Statement wishlist. The BRC letter, signed by Helen Dickinson, the director-general, says that retailers are working with “many other cross-industry organisations” to try to secure rates reform. The BRC calls for an extension of reliefs put in place last year and a commitment to overhaul the tax after the election.The Sunday Telegraph, Business, Page: 3 EDUCATION: Wilshaw to increase snap inspections: The Sunday Times reports that Sir Michael Wilshaw is expected to say this week that more schools in England will be subject to snap inspections in the wake of the discovery that pupils at six Muslim private schools in east London might have been put at risk of radicalisation and extremism. In an advice note to Nicky Morgan, the education secretary, the chief inspector of schools revealed that at all six schools in Tower Hamlets, pupils’ “physical and educational welfare was at serious risk”. Elsewhere, the Sunday Telegraph claims that most of the London schools condemned by Ofsted last week for their failure to protect children from radicalisation have links to an Islamist extremist group and a mosque accused of “taking over” the local council. According to the paper at least four of the seven schools in Tower Hamlets are linked to the Islamic Forum of Europe, which works to create a sharia state and an “Islamic social, economic and political order in Europe,” or to the mosque it controls, the East London Mosque. The Sunday Times, Page: 17 The Sunday Telegraph, Page: 10 SOCIAL: Councils call for FOBT limit: Proposals to be outlined by local councils this week could see betting shops forced to cut the amount of money gambled on controversial Fixed Odds Betting Machines (FOBTs). Newham Council will lead 80 councils in a campaign to persuade the government to reduce the stakes that can be gambled on the machines. The cross-party coalition of local authorities wants the maximum stake reduced to £2 per spin – in line with other gambling machines. The reduction plan uses provisions of the Sustainable Communities Act. The proposal highlights the links between FOBTs and gambling addiction, violence, abuse of staff, and money laundering. Manchester city councillor Kevin Peel said: “I’m pleased we’re now joining other councils to pressure the government into reducing the stakes. It will reduce the desire of betting shops to open multiple premises in deprived areas in order to maximise their profits.”The Independent on Sunday, Page: 20 TRANSPORT: De-icing budget cut: Official figures for 108 of the 150 councils in England show local authorities’ budgets for gritting roads and pavements have been cut by a quarter since 2010. Hilary Benn, the shadow local government secretary, whose office obtained the figures under an FoI request, said ministers must ensure that gritting services are “fairly funded”. The figures showed shire counties have made average cuts to de-icing services of 25.8% since 2010-11. In London, boroughs have cut funding for road and pavement grit by 36.9% over the same period. The deepest cuts to de-icing services were in the East Midlands, where councils have reduced the budget by 43.5% on average.The Sunday Telegraph, Page: 8 Sunday Express, Page: 12 CARE: Meals on wheels under threat: The National Association of Care Catering (NACC) has warned that millions of elderly people are being denied meals on wheels because the number of deliveries has halved. Figures show that 25% of councils in the Northeast run meals on wheels, compared with 88% in the East Midlands, 94% in Scotland and 100% in Northern Ireland. In total, 74 of the 211 councils across the UK no longer provide the service. The NACC wants the law to force councils to maintain meals on wheels at any price. Chairman Neel Radia said: “The Government should look at making community meals a statutory responsibility for councils to help protect frontline services for vulnerable older people.”Sunday Express, Page: 1, 2 HOUSING: Small build stealth taxes scrapped: Stealth taxes on new homes are to be cut in an effort to encourage small builders to launch more low cost housing developments, Eric Pickles has announced. Additionally, the communities secretary has forged a £25m fund to provide developers with loans that they can repay on completing the sale of a new home.TheSun, Page: 10 Thanks to Bobby Nixon : ~ bobbynixon.mycouncillor.org.uk
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 06:23:42 +0000
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