News round up: Sniffer dogs search second site in Jersey

Sniffer dogs search second site in Jersey

Hidden beneath brambles 500 yards from Haut de La Garenne, a former children’s home in Jersey, the dark chambers of a Nazi war bunker have become the centre of an ongoing investigation into torture and sex abuse.

The shelter, which lies at the foot of a squat grey lookout tower on a cliff edge above the idyllic St Catherine’s Bay, was used as a hideaway to attack children living at the home, victims have told police.

Read more on this story in The Guardian

Johnson to raise minimum wage at City Hall

Boris Johnson is to increase and extend the minimum wage for tens of thousands of poorly paid Londoners to £7.40 an hour, the Guardian has learned.

The mayor will announce the decision on July 28, committing City Hall to paying the “living wage” to all staff employed by the Greater London Authority and related bodies, including Transport for London.

Read more on this story in The Guardian

OECD says UK youth prospects worsen

The youth unemployment rate in the UK is higher than when Labour came to power in spite of government efforts to reduce it, according to a report by the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development.

Part of the reason for the rise in UK youth unemployment is the increased numbers of youngsters in education and training, says Glenda Quintini, OECD economist and author of the report.

Read more on this story in The Financial Times

Charity chief criticises Whitehall barriers

The charity bosses’ chief has accused Whitehall of falling prey to a “narrow perspective” that is hindering the voluntary sector’s ability to win contracts.

Stephen Bubb, head of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, complained of “institutional barriers” that made it hard for voluntary organisations to clinch contracts when competing against private sector companies.

Read more on this story in The Financial Times

Outsourcing covers a third of public services

A third of all public services – far more than previously thought – are now delivered by the private and voluntary sectors, according to a report commissioned by the government that for the first time reveals the extent to which public service provision has been transformed by the private sector.

The study by DeAnne ­Julius, an economist and former member of the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee, shows the public service industry has doubled in little more than a decade and now embraces everything from health to waste management, IT, welfare-to-work, training, construction and legal services.