24 November 2016
Week in Brief:UK
Government
AUTUMN STATEMENT: In his autumn statement, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has abandoned any attempt to seek a surplus by 2019/20. It is forecast that debt will rise to 90.2% of GDP in 2017/18. Proposals include: an increase in the income tax threshold to £11,500 from next year, a higher rate tax threshold at £50,000 by the end of the Parliament, the national living wage to rise to £7.50, insurance premium tax to rise to 12%, universal credit taper relief to be cut to 63%, fuel duty to be frozen, £2.3 billion to be spent on housing infrastructure, and an extra £1.1 billion to be spent on transport,
MAY AT CBI: In a speech to the CBI’s annual conference, Mrs May pledged that investment in research and development would rise to an annual figure of 2 billion by 2020. Although her speech promised a wider strategy for spreading growth across the UK and a review of how innovators should get opportunities and capital, her plan to require the direct appointment of workers to company boards has been diluted. She is still in favour of more worker directors but now says that that can be achieved in a number of ways.
COUNCIL HOMES: Government proposals for council house tenants on high salaries to pay increased rent will no longer apply universally. Instead Councils and Housing Associations will be given a choice as to whether to implement the new rules. The change is being made in the context of concerns as to the huge administrative costs of a differential rent regime.
AMBASSADOR FARAGE: Mr Trump has tweeted the suggestion that Nigel Farage should be the new British ambassador to the US. As UKIP attack the current ambassador, Sir Kim Darroch, the Government has confirmed that there is no plan for him to leave his post.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION: The Society of Editors and the Freedom of Information Campaign is resisting the abolition of the right of appeal to the First Tier Tribunal which the Government says duplicates the function of the Freedom of Information Commissioner. Apparently one in every five appeals from the Commissioner to the Tribunal is successful.
HOUSE OF LORDS REFORM: Proposals from Lord Strathclyde, which would have removed from the House of Lords its power to block statutory instruments, have been dropped. Baroness Evans, leader of the Conservatives in the Lords, has said that she expects all parties to take a constructive approach to Britain’s exit from the EU.
UNEMPLOYMENT DOWN: The Office of National Statistics has published figures showing that 31.9 million adults were employed between July and September 2016. Unemployment is at a record low.
95% of the increase over last year’s employment figure, just over 430,000 workers, represented workers born overseas, of whom 50% came from the EU.
The implications of the figures can be seen in different ways. Jonathan Portes of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research points to the dependence of the economy on foreign labour and how limiting immigration could hit growth. Lord Green of Deddington, chairman of Migration Watch UK, regards the increase in foreign workers as a reminder that immigration should be cut.
WHIPLASH: The Government is to consult on limiting the compensation available for whiplash injuries, either by removing the right to compensation altogether or by limiting it to a fixed amount. Due to predatory claims, encouraged by ambulance chasing lawyers, Britain has become the whiplash capital of the world.
CANNABIS LEGALISATION: A cross-party group of MPs is backing a report by the Adam Smith Institution calling for the legalisation of cannabis. The drug is already legal (in some cases wholly and in some cases for medical purposes) in Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, Portugal and some US States. The report claims that legalisation in the UK would help break the connection between soft and hard drugs, would destabilise the finances of drug pushers and would generate tax for the Treasury.
AID SYSTEM CHALLENGED: the House of Lords has voted to change the rules under which Britain spends 0.7% of its GNP on aid. The idea is that the target should apply over a five-year period rather than every twelve months. The change, which has cross-party support, would enable the money to be better spent because it would be no pressure to get it out of the door before the end of the year. After further consideration by the House, the bill will need to go to the Commons if it is to become law.
Health
MENTAL ILLNESS: A letter to The Times from nine former health secretaries, six former health ministers and others, urges the government to honour promises made by David Cameron and George Osborne to the effect that mental ill-health should be given the same priority as physical ill-health. The letter points to continuing cuts in the mental health budget, high levels of suicide among men under forty-five, failure to provide adequate beds across the country, failure to treat children with eating disorders and a growing mental health crisis among young women. When she became Prime Minister, Teresa May pledged to take action to help those with mental health problems.
INACTIVE CHILDREN: Figures compiled by the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance indicate that only 15% of girls and 22% of boys aged 11 to 15 spend an hour a day in physical activity. That ranks the UK behind Poland and Venezuela – and a long distance behind leaders New Zealand, South Africa and Slovenia. The figures have got worse over the last two years.
CARE HOME CRISIS: Exposures on the BBC programme “Panorama” have led to a care home being closed and another placed under investigation. Two other care homes are being looked at.
A study carried out by the Family and Childcare Trust and Legal & General has identified a severe shortage of care home places for elderly people and in particular for those with dementia.
SALMONELLA: Research by the University of Leicester has drawn attention to the risk of salmonella growing in the water which collects in salad bags. Although they believe that it is important that people should continue to eat salads, researchers suggest using them more quickly, storing them in the fridge and avoiding bags with mashed up leaves or which appear swollen.
PASSPORT PILOT: A pilot scheme run in Peterborough under which patients have to provide proof of entitlement to NHS services has enabled an NHS trust to recover £145,000 out of £250,000 spent treating overseas patients. Introduction of the system generally is opposed by the Patients Association and the BMA. See comment ID, Insurance and the NHS.
Courts and Prisons
BREXIT LITIGATION: The Supreme Court has granted permission to the Lord Advocate, the Council General for Wales, George Birnie on behalf of expats, and the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain to intervene and make submissions in the Brexit appeal. The Attorney General for Northern Ireland has already made reference to the Court and so does not need permission. The Lord Advocate and the Independent Workers Union have been asked to address differences between English and Scottish law in their submissions. The hearing is expected to begin on fifth December.
CRYONICS PRESERVATION: The High Court has allowed the grandparents of a fourteen year old girl to make arrangements at her request for the preservation of her frozen body in the hope that she can later be revived. The Judge, who had met the child, permitted the process to go ahead against the wishes of her father, who had not seen her for eight years and opposed the plan unless he could be assured that he would not have to pay anything. The case dealt entirely with whether the preservation should be allowed to go ahead or should be blocked. The judgement does not rule on whether or not she will be brought back to life successfully.
PRISONS: Concerns at the ready availability of drugs, mobile phones and other items smuggled into prison by drones, continues to build with the posting on Facebook of a photograph of prisoners in HMP Guys Marsh with drugs, syringes, steaks and takeaways. The supply of drugs is said to be fuelling an increase in assaults. Justice Secretary Liz Truss has promised measures to disrupt phone signals together with an extra 2500 prison officers.
DAVID HAMILTON: Allegations of paedophilia have been made against British photographer David Hamilton by the host of a talk show on the French television station C8. Mr Hamilton denies the allegations and described them as an abominable libel. It is understood to be unlikely that there will be a criminal investigation since sexual assaults on minors cannot be prosecuted in France after the victim achieves the age of thirty-eight.
Miscellaneous
PLASTIC BAGS: According to the Marine Conservation Society, the number of plastic bags found on each 100m of coastline has declined from 11 to 7 following the introduction of the plastic bag charge last year.
BBC WORLD SERVICE: The BBC is to launch eleven new foreign language services targeted particularly on Africa and India. That is intended to extend its access to younger audiences. At the moment the median age for World Service listener is thirty-two. The median age for the world’s population is thirty.
BRITISH CHAMPAGNE: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Fares has granted protection for the appellation “Sussex” for sparkling wine made in that county. Recognition by the EU should follow within six months. Local producers, such as Nyetimber, have met with considerable success in making sparkling wine and took nine gold medals at the prestigious International Wine and Spirit Competition.
BUCKINGHAM PALACE REPAIRS: The refurbishment of Buckingham Palace is set to cost £369 million over the next ten years. The money, which will have to be voted by the House of Commons, is needed, inter alia, to replace wiring, water pipes and heating, and also to install a visitor centre. The amount is double the estimate of £150 million made last year. It is envisaged that the Royal Household would remain in residence throughout the work.
TENNIS: Andy Murray cemented his position as the world number one tennis player by beating Novak Djokovic in the Barclays ATP World Tour Final 6-3, 6-4.
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