News round up: Millions of British children ‘living in poverty’

Millions of British children ‘living in poverty’

Millions of children are being “failed by the system” and living in or on the brink of poverty, it was claimed today.

Research by the Campaign to End Child Poverty found that in 174 of the 646 parliamentary constituencies across the UK, more than half the children live in poverty or are in families struggling on low incomes.

Tories pledge to double number of single rooms in hospitals

Plans to almost double the number of single rooms in hospitals were unveiled by the Conservatives at their conference in Birmingham today.

Read more on this story in The Guardian

Tories’ proposed council tax freeze would bring £210 boost for middle classes

Council tax bills would be frozen for two years under Conservative proposals aimed at helping middle-income families to cope with the economic downturn.

Read more on this story in The Times

Medical prescriptions are to be free for everyone in Northern Ireland within 18 months, the Stormont health minister announced yesterday.

The Northern Ireland executive’s abolition of prescription charges leaves England as the only part of the UK where most patients still have to pay.