Tag: government

Homelessness and Rough sleeping. The Government is looking for solutions

London (Giulia Faloia) – Theresa May’s Government is going to use £100m trying to solve the problem of many people living on the streets of London.

In fact wandering on the City you can easily see men and women sleeping on a piece of cardboard asking for money. The majority of people use to call them homeless but they aren’t always right. Let’s try to clarify the concept.

Being homeless means having no place to call home. There could be a lot of different reasons for it. For example they might have had problems with their family which means they had to move out, or they could have mental health issues.

Being homeless doesn’t always mean that someone is living on the streets. It could also involve a person who’s temporary living on a friend’s coach or in a temporary accommodation provided by a local charity or the council.

Rough sleeping is a type of being homeless. This is about people who have absolutely nowhere to stay, so they have to find a place to sleep at night, which is often on the streets. They may have to rely on local groups, like churches, to provide them with hot meals, and could sleep in a different place each night.

globaltimes.cn

James Brokenshire, the communities secretary, said that efforts to tackle homelessness had “not being good enough” with 4,751 people sleeping on the streets each night.

He added that the strategy of the government will offer help to those with mental health problems and addictions, domestic abuse victims, those leaving prison, and will set about researching the scale of LGBT+ homelessness.

Labour disagrees claiming the lack of urgency while charity Shelter said the plans were not a “total fix” for homelessness.

The new strategy will be based on three steps: prevention, intervention and recovery. 

Up to £30m of the fund will be used for mental health treatment and to provide training for frontline staff to help those under the influence of the synthetic cannabinoid spice.

A further £50m will be used to fund homes outside London for people ready to move on from hostels and the ones looking for help after domestic abuse. 

Accommodations will also be provided for people leaving prison trying not to let them on the streets.

The problem is huge and clear to everyone who walks on the roads of London. This is a first effort to deal with one of the most evident issues of the City.

Philip Hammond announces his “first (and last)” Spring Budget

London – by Chiara Fiorillo

After the vote to leave the European Union, the British government is dealing with a lot of important decisions, especially regarding economy. Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer since last July, has just published what he called his “first (and last)” Spring Budget.

The changes to National Insurance the Chancellor did are expected to hit 2.5 million people, especially low paid earners. According to critics, this budget plan will mainly hit cabbies and fast-food delivery drivers.

Presenting the budget for 2017, Mr Hammond said this plan will prepare Britain for a “brighter future”, by extending opportunities to young people and delivering further investments in public services. “We are building the foundations of a stronger, fairer, more global Britain,” he said.

The main expenses include, The Independent reports, a £435m package of help for firms to play business rates, £2bn for social care, £330m for hospitals, a £120m fund to ease pressure in A & E departments, more than £1bn for new free schools and £260m to repair existing schools.

Mr Hammond also announced a reduction in the amount of dividends for business owners (from £5000 to £2000) that they can receive from their firms before tax. There has also been an increase in VAT for people making calls from the EU. Some critics warned of a potential tax rise for diesel car drivers.

According to some forecasts released by the Office for Budget Responsibility, Brexit will contribute to a lower growth in 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21. According to official documents, the current growth forecasts are based on a policy that will not push immigration down as Theresa May has declared she wants to do.

This Spring Budget comes after an announcement, made by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which warned that the amount of tax paid in the UK may soon reach the highest level in 30 years. However, the new rates will take effect in April, so there are still some weeks left to understand and forecast what will happen in a relatively short time.

 

 

 

“We will not pass any law negating the rights of Italian and European citizens”: MP Alberto Costa explains

London – by Chiara Fiorillo

Brexit is still making people discuss and it is creating some confusion. Alberto Costa, Conservative MP, explained what could happen after the exit from the European Union. He spoke to London One Radio, the official Italian radio in London.

The outcome of the EU referendum changed the political scenario. What will happen to Italian people living in the UK?

There should be no panic. Last 23rd June, I and my colleagues gave people the power to decide whether remaining in or leaving an institution called European Union. The community decided to leave it: Great Britain is still part of Europe, but it is leaving the formal institution called EU. We have many Italian residents and students here: things will not change drastically, but we will have a new relationship with the European Union. Great Britain has always been a very open country: before joining the EU in 1972, we accepted many people from all over the world.

When article 50 is triggered, will European citizens have problems in entering and exiting the country?

When article 50 is triggered, there will be many negotiations and the whole process will take up to 24 months. During that period, we will still be part of the EU: people will be able to enter and leave the country normally. After Brexit, European laws will be absorbed into English law and they will be the same until the government decides to change them. There is no reason to panic: nobody will be sent away, because we will not pass any law negating the rights of Italian and European citizens, but only laws changing the future.

MP Alberto Costa

Are you not worried about the negotiations with the EU?

The process will be difficult, but I am sure there will be an agreement in the end, otherwise both our economies would suffer. We want to be clear: even though we are leaving the EU, we still want to see a strong union, because this is very important for the safety of the world.

What about the increase in prices?

The value of sterling decreased by 10% after 23rd June, but this can be a positive sign for tourism. The reality is that Brexit has not begun yet, but we are in a phase of “calm before the storm”. During the storm, we will have to be strong and resist.

 You can listen back to the whole podcast here: 

 

Khan offers motorists £3500 to buy green vehicles

London – by Chiara Fiorillo

Air in London is so polluted that the mayor of the City, Sadiq Khan, has proposed an alternative solution to the problem: offering motorists £3500 to demolish their old cars and buy greener vehicles. If the plan is accepted, the government will give families with low income £2000 to scrap 130,000 cars and £1000 for older taxis.

According to Khan, this solution, which would cost about £500m, could reduce nitrogen monoxide emissions by 40%.

Pollution is so bad that Khan has asked Londoners not to go out if not necessary. He also said that this seems to be the only solution to tackle the problem.

According to the government estimates, about 50,000 people die every year because of pollution and £27.5bn are spent because of this issue.

Sadiq Khan has passed the proposal to ministers, such as the chancellor Philip Hammond. Westminster, however, has said that it would also be good to oppose other sources of pollution, such as wood stoves in UK homes.

Earlies this month, the prime minister Theresa May said that tackling pollution will be one of her government’s main policies. However, she said, more needs to be done in order to bring back the good quality air every person wants.

According to Gerry Keaney, Chief Executive of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association, Khan’s proposal could have many benefits if motorists are willing to collaborate.