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Category: UK News

King, Queen take private break in Bengaluru

After a four-day stay, the royals returned to Britain early on Wednesday, sources stated…reports Asian Lite News

King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited a health centre in Bengaluru during their four-day rejuvenation break on a strictly private visit with media coverage avoided for security reasons, official sources said on Wednesday.

King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived at the HAL airport in their special private jet on the night of October 27 and reached the health centre in the Whitefield locality by road.

After a four-day stay, the royals returned to Britain early on Wednesday, sources stated.

Sources said that King Charles appreciates the unique treatment, an integration of various systems of medicine, at the Centre. This is the second visit of the British King to the Centre. He first visited in 2019 as a Prince, sources stated.

As it was a private visit, no formal reception was given by the state government in Bengaluru on their arrival, while care was taken by the security agencies during the on-road movements of British royalty to avoid any attention from the public, the sources said.

King Charles and Queen Camella came to Bengaluru while returning to Britain after participating in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2024 at Samoa.

The royal couple had taken up the trip on October 18 and visited Australia and Samoa.

As per the sources, the British King came down to Bengaluru after his medical team suggested that he take a detox to improve his overall well-being and immune system. At the centre, the royal couple did warm-up exercises, stretches, and breathing exercises. They received ayurvedic medicines, naturopathy, homoeopathy, and did yoga exercises. They were understood to be served south Indian vegetarian food made out of ragi (finger millet), a staple food in the southern Karnataka region and one which grows on dry lands.

The couple were advised to continue the diet and exercises taught here.

ALSO READ: Reeves Tastes Speaker’s Fury

31 October 2024
Regulated rail fares to rise by 4.6%

While Rachel Reeves made no reference to train fares in her budget speech, the government said the rise would be “the lowest absolute increase in three years”…reports Asian Lite News

Rail fares will go up by 4.6% next March, the government disclosed alongside the budget – meaning they will rise above inflation for only the second time in 12 years. Meanwhile, the cost of most railcards will rise by £5, or almost 17%.

The increase has been set at 1% above retail prices index (RPI) inflation in July – which at 3.6% was substantially higher than the 2.2% consumer prices index (CPI) measure usually referred to by government.

While Rachel Reeves made no reference to train fares in her budget speech, the government said the rise would be “the lowest absolute increase in three years”.

However, fare rises in the past two years rose at rates considerably below RPI inflation. Since 2013, regulated fares – those set by government – have only increased above the rate of RPI inflation once, in 2021, when the industry had suffered a huge drop in passenger revenues during the pandemic.

Public subsidy to the railway rose by almost £10bn annually during the pandemic, when the government was forced to scrap franchising. Passenger revenues remain well below pre-pandemic levels, hurt by the trend of working from home. In subsequent train operating contracts the state has taken on liability for all revenue risks and firms receive a management fee.

In documents published alongside the budget, the Treasury said: “These policies will support the secretary of state for transport’s plans for reform, which will increase efficiency and reduce costs, while boosting ridership and revenue and improving performance, laying the groundwork for the transition to Great British Railways.”

The £5 increase in the price of most railcards will exclude the railcard for disabled passengers. The Treasury said railcards, which generally cost £30 a year, save users an average of “up to £158” annually.

The fare increase will apply in England from 2 March 2025. Almost half of rail fares in England are directly set by Westminster, with the devolved Scottish and Welsh governments usually capping fares at a similar level. Regulated fares include season tickets on most commuter journeys, off-peak returns on long-distance routes and flexible tickets for urban rail.

Campaigners and industry figures criticised the rise, which came as the chancellor followed Conservative chancellors in again freezing fuel duty on motorists.

Paul Tuohy from Campaign for Better Transport said: “Raising rail fares above inflation and hiking the cost of railcards is a kick in the teeth for people who rely on public transport, especially those on low income. Doing this at the same time as keeping fuel duty frozen sends entirely the wrong message. To tackle air pollution, congestion and climate change, we need to make public transport the attractive, affordable choice.”

Andy Bagnall, the chief executive of Rail Partners, representing private train operators, said: “Government should set fares at a level that will ultimately encourage more people to travel by train … The focus must be on growing passenger numbers, not making current passengers pay more.”

Rail passengers could be entitled to compensation after Northern was accused of breaking its fare evasion rules to prosecute commuters.

The train operator said on Monday all prosecutions of people accused of using a 16-25 railcard to obtain a discount at the wrong time of day were being withdrawn – with less than 25 previous cases being reviewed.

The company was criticised for prosecuting young people after they used their railcards in a way that would have saved a few pounds on morning journeys.

Under Northern rules, passengers with a railcard travelling on the wrong train must be offered the chance to pay back the deficit on the spot, the Telegraph reported.

A Northern spokesperson said: “We understand that fares and ticketing across the railway can, at times, be difficult to understand, and we are reviewing our processes for ensuring compliance with ticket and railcard terms and conditions. With regard to recent reported cases involving use of the 16-25 railcard with fares under £12 before 10am, we are withdrawing any live cases and will also look to review anyone who has been prosecuted previously on this specific issue.

“We are actively engaged with government and industry to simplify fares to help customers.”

Restrictions on a 16-25 railcard, which can also be bought by full-time students, mean discounts can only be applied to an “anytime” ticket before 10am if the fare is £12 or more, requiring cardholders to pay full fare for cheaper tickets.

However, there are exceptions to this rule: railcards can be used on early morning trains at a weekend, or during the months of July and August. Some rail users said the rules were confusing and they had fallen foul of the regulations after buying discounted tickets, unaware that their railcards were not valid.

Sam Williamson, 22, received a letter from Northern threatening him with prosecution over a £1.90 fare discrepancy after he mistakenly used his railcard on a morning train from Manchester to London on 5 September.

Last week, in a social media post seen by millions, Williamson told how he had received the notice from the government-owned operator. The engineering graduate from Glossop in Derbyshire said he was subsequently contacted by the train operator notifying him that it would “be taking no further steps” against him.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We expect Northern and all operators to ensure their policy on ticketing is clear and fair for passengers at all times. Northern are reviewing the details of these cases and will report back to the department.

“It is clear that ticketing is far too complicated with a labyrinth of different fares and prices, which can be confusing for passengers. That’s why we have committed to the biggest overhaul of our railways in a generation, including simplifying fares to make travelling by train easier.”

ALSO READ: Reeves Tastes Speaker’s Fury

31 October 2024
£22.6bn cash injection for NHS

Rachel Reeves hails biggest increase ‘outside of Covid’ since 2010 but health experts say patients may not feel impact…reports Asian Lite News

The NHS in England is to receive a £22.6bn cash injection over two years, the chancellor has announced, in what she called the biggest spending increase outside Covid since 2010. But health experts said patients may not feel the impact as much of the increase would be absorbed by pay rises and higher care costs.

Announcing the “down payment” on the government’s 10-year plan for the NHS, due in spring 2025, Rachel Reeves said the NHS was the nation’s “most cherished public service” and that the extra funding would help the government cut waiting lists.

“This is the largest real-terms growth in day-to-day NHS spending outside of Covid since 2010,” she said. “Because of this record injection of funding, because of the thousands of additional beds that we have secured, and because of the reforms that we are delivering in our NHS, we can now begin to bring waiting lists down more quickly and move towards our target for waiting times to be no longer than 18 weeks by delivering on our manifesto commitment for 40,000 extra hospital appointments a week.”

Overall, the Treasury said, the average annual increase to the day-to-day NHS in England budget was 4%, while the total increase for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) was 3.4%.

Reeves also announced a “record” £3.1bn two-year increase in the department’s capital budget, a 10.9% average annual rise. This includes £1bn for the repairs backlog and to tackle problems with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), £1.5bn of funding for new surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners and £70m for new radiotherapy machines.

Health experts welcomed the extra funding but cautioned that more investment in the NHS would be needed for patients to notice the difference. Siva Anandaciva, the chief analyst at the King’s Fund thinktank, said: “The health spending announced today is unlikely to be enough for patients to see a real improvement in the care they receive.”

While the budget increase would help sustain services, “it is unlikely to drastically improve care over the rest of this year, and certainly not overnight”, he added, because much of the £22.6bn extra would be absorbed by NHS staff pay increases and the rising cost of delivering care.

While the extra funding for the capital budget was also welcomed, the £3.1bn is considered a drop in the ocean compared with the £13.8bn backlog of NHS maintenance costs for buildings and equipment, and therefore only a modest downpayment on what is needed to tackle unsafe and outdated NHS facilities.

Saffron Cordery, the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, said the budget brought a “welcome boost” for England’s NHS trusts, but years of underinvestment and severe staff shortages meant all areas of the NHS were in a “very tough” position.

She said: “Almost £14bn is needed to plug a rocketing backlog of NHS repairs. Vital bits of the NHS are literally falling apart, putting quality of care and sometimes the safety of patients and staff at risk. The devil is often in the detail and it will be critical to ensure that welcome funding increases fall where they are needed, including to bring down waits for mental health and community services and to improve ambulance performance.”

There was widespread consternation that an extra £600m announced for social care was substantially less than the NHS has received, especially when care providers face extra costs from national insurance changes and minimum wage increases, exacerbating the difficult financial position they are in.

Also announced in the budget was a new duty of £2.20 a millilitre on vape liquid, plus an additional one-off increase in tobacco duty to maintain the price differential and avoid incentivising smoking.

A consultation was announced on potentially expanding the levy on sugary drinks. This could lead to reducing the percentage of sugar allowed in a drink before the charge kicks in, and introducing a third, highest tier for the most sugary products.

The levy could be extended to milkshakes and other dairy drinks. Some of these can have more than 10% sugar content but were exempted from the levy when it was introduced in 2018.

Matthew Bazeley-Bell, the deputy chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health, said a 1p cut in alcohol duty on draught beer in pubs alongside increases for other drinks, was the right approach, reflecting the difference in harm between drinking in a pub and drinking high-strength alcohol bought elsewhere. “This is a welcome step in the right direction,” he said.

Earlier, health secretary, Wes Streeting, has warned, saying measures to be announced on Wednesday would “arrest the decline” amid significant reform of the health service.

Streeting told broadcasters new efficiencies in the health service would be the key quid pro quo for significant investment. The government is expected to announce a spending boost of at least 4% to the health budget.

Reeves said on Monday new cash would continue to drive down waiting lists, delivering more surgical hubs and radiotherapy machines – with the aim of an extra 40,000 appointments a week.

Streeting said on Tuesday he was confident there would be substantial improvements to the NHS over the course of the parliament. “I think people are realistic, you don’t fix the NHS overnight,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

ALSO READ: Reeves Tastes Speaker’s Fury

31 October 2024
Chancellor accused of betraying small family firms

Chancellor also criticised for letting the very rich off the hook with a lower than expected rise in capital gains tax…reports Asian Lite News

Tax rises aimed at inherited wealth are at risk of backfiring, after the chancellor was accused of betraying small family businesses while letting private equity bosses off the hook.

Labour’s first budget in 14 years included measures to close inheritance tax (IHT) loopholes and press ahead with scrapping the controversial non-dom tax status, as well as levying higher taxes on private jet flights.

But Rachel Reeves came under fire from campaigners for pulling her punches on the rich, while she also faces a furious backlash from farmers and small business owners over fears that tax rises could force family firms to sell up.

From April 2026, a 20% tax rate – half the headline inheritance tax rate of 40% – will be applied to the value of farms and businesses worth more than £1m when they are passed on.

Tom Bradshaw, the president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), said two-thirds of farms would now be subject to inheritance tax, labelling the change “disastrous”.

“This budget not only threatens family farms but also makes producing food more expensive,” he said, adding that costs would be passed on to consumers.

Chris Groves, of Withers Worldwide, which advises clients on tax issues, said many would react with horror. “I’ve got a client who built a big international brand and is in his 80s. He wants to pass it on to the next generation. Now he’ll have to sell that business or move abroad,” he said.

Groves said generations-old family firms could end up locked in power struggles reminiscent of the dynastic disputes in the TV series Succession, or selling at knockdown prices. “Impatient heirs and private equity funds looking to pick up businesses” would benefit, he said.

Peter Harker, a partner at the accountancy firm Saffery, said the measures would catch small businesses. “You’re not talking about the super-rich here,” he said. The inheritance tax rises come “quite a long way down society,” he said.

The lobby group Family Business UK accused the chancellor of a betrayal of family business owners.

Under the IHT changes, pensions will be subject to inheritance tax from April 2027, while shares on the Alternative Investment Market (Aim) will be taxed at 50%, having previously been exempt. However, the Aim market rose 4% on Wednesday, as some investors had feared relief on the stocks would be abolished altogether.

In total, Reeves’ changes to inheritance tax are slated to raise more than £2bn, compared with a total take of £7bn now.

While family firms braced for the impact, the private equity industry stands to benefit from a lower-than-expected rise in capital gains tax on “carried interest”, the share of profits that bosses make on successful deals.

Labour was widely expected to target receipts of more than £500m a year by raising the rate from 18%-28% to a level in line with income tax, up to 45%. Instead, the rate will rise to 32%, raising £300m by 2030.

In a restaurant near Bond Street, a group of fund managers celebrated their lobbying “coup” over lunch. One told the Guardian they had “pulled off the negotiation of a lifetime”.

“We got them down to 32% and made them feel like they had to be grateful for it,” one said.

Robert Palmer, the executive director at Tax Justice UK, said the change was a “big climbdown in the face on intensive lobbying from some of the richest people in the UK”. He welcomed measures on IHT and non-doms but said it was “disappointing that the chancellor didn’t look to the super-rich for a greater proportion of the tax rises”.

Wealth advisers said clients were already looking for ways to put their assets out of reach of the chancellor’s plans, including offshore trusts and taking out life insurance to hedge against death duties.

“There are no prizes for being the richest person in the graveyard,” said Robert Record, a partner at Partners Wealth Management.

Obi Nnochiri, a private client consultant at St James’s Place, said most clients were unlikely to leave the UK over the loss of non-domicile tax status, which allows people to live in the UK but pay tax in a different jurisdiction.

He said the “vast majority of these changes are taxes on wealth to a certain extent”, but that clients would find ways to minimise the impact between now and their implementation.

Luke Hildyard, of the High Pay Centre, said taxes on the wealthiest were “less ambitious than many people were expecting”.

Reeves did announce a 50% increase in air passenger duty on private jet passengers, equivalent to £450 per passenger, which she said would raise more than £700m.

One wealth adviser said: “You can’t really complain about that. If you can afford a private jet, you can afford to pay that tax.”

ALSO READ: Reeves Tastes Speaker’s Fury

31 October 2024
Reeves wins over voters

Chancellor hopes extra money for NHS and public services will make it easier to accept higher taxes and slow growth…reports Asian Lite News

Rachel Reeves used her budget debut to announce a massive package of tax, spending and borrowing increases as she gambled on voters rewarding the government for patching up Britain’s crumbling public services.

Insisting that she was delivering on the choices the public made in July’s general election, the chancellor told businesses and the better off that they must bear the brunt of £40bn of tax increases needed for an emergency NHS cash injection and to plug the hole in the public finances inherited from the Conservatives.

The chancellor raised £25bn by increasing employer national insurance contributions and hit those on higher incomes through increases in capital gains and inheritance tax, and changes to the rules covering wealthy foreign individuals living in Britain.

Reeves said she was making good on her pledge not to hit the pockets of working people, refusing to raise fuel duty for motorists and knocking a penny off the price of a pint of beer. Despite speculation, the chancellor also decided against extending the freeze on tax allowances and thresholds.

Addressing a meeting of Labour MPs after her speech, Reeves said: “At this budget, the Labour government made our choices. They’re not easy choices, but they are the responsible choices in the national interest, and we now need to take the fight to the Tories.”

In all, the budget, the first delivered by a female chancellor, raised spending by £70bn a year over the next five years – with about half the increase paid for by tax increases and the remainder from additional borrowing made possible by changing the government’s debt rules.

Reeves said the extra borrowing would allow a major programme of capital investment in schools, hospitals, railways and energy. The NHS will receive a £22.6bn cash injection in 2025-26 as the government seeks to reduce waiting lists.

The Office for Budget Responsibility said the UK would receive a short-term growth boost from the cash for the NHS that would prevent a new wave of spending cuts for many Whitehall departments.

Yet the government’s independent spending watchdog warned that tax increases on business would lead to lower private investment and that the expected boost to growth from higher infrastructure spending would not occur until the next parliament.

It also warned that the budget would lead to slightly higher inflation, which could lead the Bank of England to keep interest rates higher for longer – feeding through to higher mortgage rates.

In a blow to the government’s growth ambitions, the OBR said over the course of the current parliament the economy would grow no faster under Labour than had been projected under the Conservatives.

Although the tax increases were the highest ever announced in a budget, Reeves told Sky News that it would be “irresponsible” to rule out more rises in the years ahead. There were also warnings from a leading thinktank that Reeves might need to raise more money in the future.

Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said Reeves was gambling that a big cash injection for public services over the next two years would be enough to turn performance around, and that many of the temporary spending pressures would not persist.

“If she’s wrong about that, and spending pressures don’t dissipate after two years, then to avoid cutting unprotected areas she may well need to come back with another round of tax rises in a couple of years’ time – unless she gets lucky on growth.”

Reaction to the budget was mixed. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “This budget is the latest blow for hospitality businesses. Rising taxes, increasing costs and fragile consumer confidence risk bringing growth to a grinding halt.

“In the short-term, the tsunami of employment costs coming in April will ultimately do more to hamper growth than incentivise it. Increases to employer NICs and wages will make it harder for businesses to support employment and invest in their businesses.”

The TUC’s general secretary, Paul Nowak, said: “There is no link between rates of employer national insurance and wages. At a time when senior bosses are earning 100 times average pay, and dividends continue to outstrip wages, no union would accept that their members should pick up the bill for a modest rise in employer NI contributions.”

George Dibb, associate director for economic policy at the left of centre IPPR thinktank, said the OBR was underestimating the beneficial impact of higher public investment, which he said would also boost private investment.

In addition, the OBR said it could not yet factor in Labour’s much-vaunted planning changes into its growth forecasts as there was “insufficient certainty” about them to adjust current forecasts.

Farmers across the UK reacted furiously to news that inheritance tax relief for farms would be limited to £1m. The National Farmers’ Union said it had been a “disastrous budget” for family farms, which would “snatch away the next generation’s ability to carry on producing British food” and they could end up being forced to sell land to pay tax.

ALSO READ: Reeves Tastes Speaker’s Fury

31 October 2024
Ex-Tory MP reprimanded for ‘brazen’ sexual misconduct

A former Conservative MP has been reprimanded for “brazen and drunken” sexual misconduct in one of parliament’s bars.

Aaron Bell, who was the Tory MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme until July, was found by a parliamentary watchdog to have “abused his position of power” by touching a woman “on her left thigh, waist and bottom inappropriately and without her consent”.

The incident took place in parliament’s Strangers’ bar in December 2023.

The independent expert panel (IEP), which decides on sanctions for those found guilty of misconduct, said it would have considered suspending Bell from parliament “for a significant period” if he were still an MP.

In a statement responding to the IEP’s report, Bell apologised “for any upset caused to the complainant” and to his former constituents, and said the investigation was one of the reasons he chose not to seek re-election this summer.

The report said Bell had “abused his position of power over the complainant” as he was considerably older than her, an elected MP and government whip. It said the complainant, a young female member of staff, “felt targeted” and feared “considerable adverse impacts on her career if she made a complaint”.

The Mirror reported last month that onlookers had spotted Bell being escorted out of a party at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham.

The IEP’s report follows a complaint made to parliament’s independent complaints and grievance scheme in February 2024, which was upheld after an investigation.

In a statement issued via the Conservative party, he said: “I am disappointed at the outcome of the investigation but have chosen not to appeal the findings of the commissioner. I apologise for any upset caused to the complainant and wish to make it clear that I did not intend to cause any distress. This investigation was one of the reasons I chose not to seek re-election at the general election – I have let down the loyal members of my association and thank them for the support they gave me as a Member of Parliament. I would also like to apologise to the people of Newcastle-under-Lyme, whom it was an honour to serve. This has been a difficult time for my family and I would ask that their privacy is respected at this time.”

30 October 2024
Former British colonies owe debt of gratitude, says Jenrick

Jenrick made the comments in an article in the Daily Mail, pushing back against the growing momentum to provide reparations and justice to countries and people affected by transatlantic slavery.

Britain’s former colonies should be thankful for the legacy of empire, not demanding reparations, according to the Conservative leadership candidate Robert Jenrick.

In comments that were described by a Labour MP as “deeply offensive”, the former minister said countries that were part of the empire “owe us a debt of gratitude for the inheritance we left them” in the form of legal and democratic institutions.

Jenrick made the comments in an article in the Daily Mail, pushing back against the growing momentum to provide reparations and justice to countries and people affected by transatlantic slavery.

Commonwealth leaders agreed at the weekend that the “time has come” for a conversation about reparations for the slave trade.

Keir Starmer was among 56 heads of government who signed a document at the Commonwealth summit that acknowledged calls for “discussions on reparatory justice” for the “abhorrent” transatlantic slave trade.

Starmer was criticised before the conference after he told reporters he wanted to “look forward” rather than have “very long endless discussions about reparations on the past”.

Jenrick accused Starmer of doing a U-turn on the issue and of “capitulating to those determined to tear our country down”.

The MP, who is regarded as trailing his rival, Kemi Badenoch, in a run-off for the votes of Conservative members before the announcement of a final result on Saturday, claimed that the debate about reparations had “seeped into our national debate through universities overrun by leftists peddling pseudo-Marxist gibberish to impressionable undergraduates”.

He said: “The territories colonised by our empire were not advanced democracies. Many had been cruel, slave-trading powers. Some had never been independent. The British empire broke the long chain of violent tyranny as we came to introduce – gradually and imperfectly – Christian values.”

Alongside “honesty about the crimes of colonialism”, Jenrick said, Britain should be proud of its “achievements”, instancing the model of common law and other British institutions in former colonies.

He wrote: “I’m not ashamed of our history. It may not feel like it, but many of our former colonies – amid the complex realities of empire – owe us a debt of gratitude for the inheritance we left them.”

Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the chair of the all-party parliamentary group for Afrikan reparations, which has organised Britain’s second national conference on reparations, taking place on Sunday, described Jenrick’s comments as “deeply offensive and an obnoxious distortion of history”.

She said: “Enslavement and colonialism were not ‘gifts’ but imposed systems that brutally exploited people, extracted wealth, and dismantled societies, all for the benefit of Britain. To suggest that former colonies should be ‘grateful’ for such unimaginable harm disregards the legacy of these injustices and the long-term impact they still have on many nations today.

“Following Brexit we need to establish ourselves as a nation that everyone can do business with. We cannot afford such vile, baseless commentary. Whilst it might send perfectly pitched dog whistles for a Tory leadership contest, these insulting sentiments are catastrophic for international relations.”

Days before the deadline for Conservative members to cast their votes on who should succeed Rishi Sunak as leader, Badenoch has also spoken out against reparations, claiming that British politicians are “too embarrassed” to be visibly against the idea.

“I would not put my name to any document that mentioned reparations,” she told the Telegraph.

ALSO READ: Reeves’ medicine for NHS

30 October 2024
Reevs’ medicine for NHS

The £1.57bn funding is part of the government’s overall pledge to increase the number of NHS hospital appointments and procedures in England by 40,000 per week

The government has announced more details of what is in the Budget for the NHS – including £1.57bn for new surgical hubs, scanners and radiotherapy machines.

The funding is part of the government’s overall pledge to increase the number of NHS hospital appointments and procedures in England by 40,000 per week.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the Budget will help to “start fixing the foundation” of the NHS – but warned it “will take time to turn the situation around”.

Health experts have welcomed the new funding but cautioned there were many unanswered questions about future policy with the government’s 10-year NHS plan not published until next spring.

Streeting has repeatedly said “the NHS is broken” since taking on the role in the summer. The latest waiting time figures for the NHS in England show the backlog for hospital care is 7.64 million. Before the pandemic, it was just over four million.

In August, more than 280,000 people had been waiting for an operation, scan or appointment for more than a year. And last month, a damning report warned that the NHS in England was in a “critical condition”, falling well short of its key targets for cancer, emergency (A&E) and hospital treatment.

Soon after the election, the new government allocated £1.8bn to cover work by hospitals in England to reduce waiting lists for planned treatment and appointments. That was new money from the Treasury.

The chancellor has said more funding will be provided to help the NHS deliver the extra 40,000 appointments and procedures per week – or more than two million a year – promised in the Labour manifesto.

The government now says there will also be an extra £1.57bn of capital investment – that is spending on equipment and buildings – that will come through in the next financial year.

Streeting said this includes funds to double the number of diagnostic scanners with AI enabled technology, which he said would mean less staff would be needed to diagnose illnesses. The Treasury has not yet published the overall spending numbers for the NHS in England and the Department of Health and Social Care for this year and next – that will come in the Budget.

Only then will it be possible to judge how these spending figures compare with the previous trend, which saw average annual real increases of 3% in recent decades. Extra money announced by the Westminster government generates more for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the NHS was “the lifeblood of Britain” and that is why she is “putting an end to the neglect and underinvestment it has seen for over a decade”.

“We will be known as the government that took the NHS from its worst crisis in its history, got it back on its feet again and made it fit for the bright future ahead of it,” she said.

Asked if the Budget would fix the NHS, Reeves said “I don’t think in one Budget you can undo 14 years of damage”. But she said this Budget will “provide the resource necessary” to deliver the extra 40,000 appointments a week, reduce the backlog and increase the spending on equipment and buildings.

Streeting said the move would help to “arrest the decline” in the health service – but warned there could still be patients waiting on trolleys and in corridors this winter. “Our NHS is broken but it’s not beaten and this budget is the moment we start to fix it,” he said.

Alongside the extra funding, he said “crack teams of top surgeons” would be sent to hospitals across the country to help them treat more patients “and make the money go further”. Siva Anandaciva, chief analyst at The King’s Fund, said there was still more work to do.

“The sums announced today must be the first but not final word if the government is going to meet its ambitions to deliver an NHS that is fit for the future.” The existing backlog of NHS maintenance issues with building and equipment already stands at a “staggering” £13.8bn, he said.

Saffron Cordery, NHS Providers deputy chief executive, said the funding was a “welcome addition”, but warned the service needed “significantly more investment”. “This has to be a long term endeavour, not just the investment in capital but in running costs. The two need to go hand in hand,” she said.

In addition to investment, the NHS also needs enough staff to take on extra shifts, which is a challenge when vacancies are high and staff are feeling overworked and under pressure. The government said Wednesday’s budget would set out its plans for fixing the NHS and rebuilding Britain.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: “We delivered record funding, overhauled productivity and delivered the first NHS Long Term Workforce Plan to support the health service recover from the pandemic and respond to a growing and ageing population. “If Labour are serious about ensuring the NHS delivers for patients, they must continue this reform instead of holding yet further consultations. The health secretary promised no more money without reform – but where is it?”

Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokeswoman Helen Morgan said: “Until the government gets a grip of social care, hospitals will remain overwhelmed, and patients will pay the price.”

ALSO READ: Step to Tackle Rough Sleeping

30 October 2024
Step to Tackle Rough Sleeping

Mayor Sadiq Khan convenes emergency rough sleeping summit, as he warns rough sleeping in the capital will get worse before it gets better…reports Asian Lite News

In a decisive move to address the rising crisis of rough sleeping in London, Mayor Sadiq Khan convened an emergency summit to chart a new course for tackling homelessness. Held in collaboration with the newly appointed Minister for Homelessness, Rushanara Ali, alongside NHS leaders, local councils, housing associations, and charitable organizations, this roundtable signals an urgent response to London’s mounting rough sleeping crisis. In his call for evidence-based solutions and increased funding, Khan emphasized the gravity of the situation, cautioning that “it will get worse before it gets better” but underscoring his belief that an end to rough sleeping is achievable by 2030.

London has seen a significant uptick in homelessness in recent years. City Hall’s most recent figures show a 20% increase in new rough sleepers over the past year alone, with escalating numbers reflective of both the capital’s unique challenges and broader national trends. For decades, budget cuts in essential services and a slow-down in housebuilding have left London and other urban areas grappling with the compounding effects of homelessness.

The Mayor’s summit gathered key stakeholders to discuss the factors driving the increase in rough sleeping, including the cost-of-living crisis, a critical shortage of affordable housing, and deep cuts to health and welfare services. Mayor Khan remarked that these issues have resulted in a “growing emergency” on London’s streets, one that demands immediate, coordinated action. “The situation we’re facing now is not just the result of poor choices by individuals,” he stated, “but by policies that have left our safety nets weakened and people falling through the cracks.”

The summit formally launched a call for evidence that will help shape City Hall’s forthcoming rough sleeping strategy, slated for release next year. This plan will outline a roadmap to achieve Khan’s ambitious 2030 goal, identifying areas where resources are most urgently needed and defining the mechanisms to achieve measurable outcomes. City Hall is also exploring the feasibility of setting a fixed budget to support homeless services across boroughs, ensuring funding levels are predictable and can be adjusted to meet increasing needs.

Khan’s comprehensive approach, coined the “Homes off the Streets” initiative, builds on London’s housing-first philosophy, which has seen success in helping thousands find stability. Unlike temporary shelter-based models, a housing-first approach aims to place individuals directly into secure, long-term homes, providing a stable foundation from which they can rebuild their lives. The £4.8 million investment from City Hall under this initiative aims to support over 3,500 former rough sleepers in their recovery, helping them maintain stable housing and access essential services like mental health support, financial advice, and employment resources.

Minister for Homelessness and Rough Sleeping, Rushanara Ali, praised the summit as an opportunity to bring together experts, policymakers, and people with lived experience to inform the government’s longer-term strategy to end rough sleeping. Ali emphasized that collaboration across all levels of government and society will be key to making sustainable progress. “To end homelessness for good, we must tackle its root causes, not just its symptoms,” she said. “This summit is crucial because it brings all stakeholders together, allowing us to hear from those with first-hand experience of homelessness to help us develop more effective strategies.”

Ali’s comments were echoed by others at the summit, including representatives from London Councils and housing associations like L&Q Living, who underscored the importance of combining policy solutions with community partnerships. London Councils’ Executive Member for Housing & Regeneration, Cllr Grace Williams, noted that London boroughs play a pivotal role in tackling homelessness. “Our councils are on the front lines, working daily to keep people off the streets,” she said. “We are proud to be working alongside the Mayor, the voluntary sector, and other partners to address this crisis. Together, we can make faster progress towards ending rough sleeping for good.”

The “Homes off the Streets” scheme is the latest extension of City Hall’s longstanding “Clearing House” initiative, which connects rough sleepers with vacant properties across London. The program, now reinforced with the latest funding boost, provides former rough sleepers with stable accommodation and access to community-based services. City Hall’s collaboration with social landlords and local councils has been instrumental in expanding this program, which has housed thousands of individuals since its inception.

One major focus of the program is helping former rough sleepers navigate the complex system of benefits and public services, often a daunting task for individuals without permanent addresses or support networks. The new £4.8 million funding allocation will be used to provide wraparound services, ensuring people are connected with financial advisors, mental health counselors, and workforce development programs. “The goal,” Khan said, “is to prevent people from falling back into homelessness. We know that housing is only one part of the solution – people need consistent support to sustain a life off the streets.”

A key element of the summit involved hearing from individuals with personal experiences of rough sleeping. Among them was filmmaker Lorna Tucker-McGarvey, who spent 18 months on the streets of London as a teenager. Reflecting on her time without a home, Tucker-McGarvey remarked that having supportive programs and stable housing options could have changed her life sooner. “I strongly believe that we can end rough sleeping with the right support,” she said, expressing hope that her story, along with others like hers, would inspire real change.

The perspectives of those who have experienced homelessness bring an invaluable insight to policymakers, allowing them to design programs that genuinely address the needs of the city’s most vulnerable residents. Tucker-McGarvey and others present at the summit highlighted the importance of giving individuals in need a sense of dignity and agency.

One of the most critical steps toward eradicating rough sleeping in London has been the allocation of City Hall’s record £36.3 million budget toward homeless services for the 2023-24 fiscal year, a significant increase from the £8.45 million per year allocated when Khan first took office. This investment has led to tangible results, with City Hall reporting that more than 17,600 people have been helped off London’s streets since 2016, with approximately 75% staying off the streets permanently.

For Khan, however, achieving his long-term vision will require more than increased funding from City Hall; it will necessitate a whole-of-government response. He is advocating for a combined effort from sectors as diverse as healthcare, housing, social services, and public safety. “Ending rough sleeping in London will require every sector to step up and play their part,” he said. “We need the right strategy, strong leadership, and, most importantly, the necessary resources to make this vision a reality.”

As the capital faces a worsening rough sleeping crisis, Mayor Khan’s summit sends a clear message: that London cannot and will not turn its back on those most in need. He urged Londoners to see the efforts to end rough sleeping as part of a broader vision for a “fairer, more prosperous London for everyone.” By addressing both the immediate needs of rough sleepers and the systemic causes of homelessness, Khan’s administration aims to build a model that could set a precedent for cities across the UK and beyond.

While the challenge remains formidable, the summit marks a critical step in the fight to end rough sleeping in London. As Khan and his administration work to roll out their comprehensive plan in 2024, the collaboration between City Hall, local councils, charities, and housing associations signals hope for a lasting solution that brings the city closer to a future free of rough sleeping

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29 October 2024
Minimum wages to rise by 6%

Rachel Reeves is expected to announce an increase above inflation and even higher than what had been predicted last month…reports Asian Lite News

The national minimum wage is to increase by up to 6% next year, with more than 1 million low-paid workers in line for a pay rise.

Rachel Reeves is expected to announce an increase above inflation and even higher than what had been predicted last month. Ministers, who will herald the rise as good news for working people, said that 18- to 20-year-olds ought to eventually be paid the same as older workers, according to a recommendation first reported in the Times.

About 1.6 million people are in line to receive the “national living wage” of £11.44 an hour, the minimum wage for those 21 and over – rising to more than £12.12 after ministers promised to “raise the floor” on wages.

However, businesses are warning that the expected rise will be announced alongside an increase in the national insurance contributions they must pay on wages.

The national living wage must not drop below two-thirds of median earnings, ministers have told the Low Pay Commission. The target was set by the Tories and achieved this year after almost 10 years of above-inflation increases.

The commission said last month that it expected to recommend an increase of 5.8% but a source confirmed that the final figure could be up to 6%.

Nye Cominetti, the principal economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: “Millions of low earners are set for good news in the budget when the chancellor announces the latest rise in the minimum wage.

“A bigger surprise is the expected increase in employer national insurance contributions. As a result of the two together, some businesses will legitimately say that their wage costs have gone up quite a bit as a result of this budget,” he added.

Tina McKenzie of the Federation of Small Businesses said: “It is businesses that pay people’s wages, plus all the tax government charges on top, which must be factored in when deciding on the living wage rate.”

However, Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, said: “At a time when the cost of living is still very high the lowest paid would really benefit from a decent increase in the minimum wage. We know that low-paid workers spend more of their cash in their local economies. So any increase in their spending power will benefit local firms too.”

He added: “Every time the minimum wage goes up there are some voices who predict this will drive up unemployment. Every time they are wrong.”

A Treasury spokesperson said: “We do not comment on speculation around spending decisions or tax changes outside fiscal events.”

‘Budget will end neglect of broken not beaten NHS’

The budget will revive a “broken but not beaten” NHS, Labour ministers have said, with billions of pounds of funding to be announced in an effort to cut record waiting lists.

The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, said measures to be announced on Wednesday would “end the neglect” of the health service, delivering more surgical hubs and radiotherapy machines in a drive to lay on an extra 40,000 appointments a week.

The government is expected to deliver a boost of at least 4% to NHS annual funding, sources have previously told the Guardian, which could translate to a cash injection of about £7bn for the health budget in England.

In a speech on Monday to underline how steep tax rises would fund public spending, Keir Starmer said this would be the biggest budget of the next five years, with the toughest decisions, to set the course for the whole parliament.

The prime minister said he wanted to “take the difficult decisions here and now upfront” to create the conditions for improving public services, investment and growth.

“We are fixing the foundations in this budget … That’s the approach … you can expect to see pretty well all of that in this budget,” he said, though he added that he could not “ever completely rule out any further changes”.

Treasury sources said Starmer and Reeves would emphasise this week that the budget would be “generational” and would contain the most significant decisions of the parliament, barring unexpected crises.

“We do not want to come back and do another budget of this magnitude,” one said. “This is responding to a once-in-a-generation set of crises and we don’t intend to ask the country to do this again.”

Tax rises are expected to hit employers’ national insurance contributions, a rise that will directly be linked with the investment planned for the NHS. The rises are not likely to be extended to employers’ pensions contributions.

The chancellor is also expected to make changes to capital gains and inheritance tax and to extend the freeze on tax thresholds, meaning more households will be dragged into paying higher rates of tax as wages rise.

It comes as Reeves unveils a £240m package to speed up the rollout of local services to help people back into work. The “Get Britain Working” scheme is expected to feature support in work, skills and health for people who are disable or long-term sick.

Treasury sources said there would be “no rabbits” – big surprise measures – claiming they were instead focused on the serious endeavour of fixing the national finances.

Speaking on a visit to St George’s hospital in south London on Monday, Reeves and Wes Streeting, the health secretary, said hard choices would deliver extra public spending where it was necessary.

Starmer also underlined that point in his speech, drawing a distinction with the elections of 1997 and 2010 when Labour leaders promised to match Conservative spending plans.

The prime minister said he had never made the same commitment because he was not prepared to countenance significant spending cuts – though cabinet ministers have privately raised alarm at the prospect of squeezed budgets.

“The budget the chancellor will deliver on Wednesday will prevent devastating austerity in our public services and prevent a disastrous path for our public finances,” Starmer said. “That is the reality of what would happen if we’d stuck to Tory spending plans.”

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29 October 2024