News round up: Children slipping back into poverty

Children slipping back into poverty

Children in affluent areas are sinking into poverty after a third of the gains made over the last eleven years in getting families into work were wiped out in just 12 months, a new study warned today.

Read more on this story in The Guardian

One in five families receive housing

One in five families receive housing benefits, new figures show.

The Tories claimed it highlighted a growing “dependency” on state help.

Read more on this story in The Daily Telegraph

Child obesity levelling off

The rapid rise in child obesity may be levelling off, according to figures released.

Experts looked at children’s levels of being overweight or obese that have been forecast to 2020.

Analysis using data from the past few years indicated a 17% drop in the forecast number of overweight girls aged two to 11 and a 4% drop in the anticipated numbers of obese girls of the same age.

Read more on this story in The Daily Telegraph

Science minister calls on Brown to reverse Johnson’s ‘big mistake’

The Government was bitterly divided last night over the sacking of the Home Office’s chief drugs adviser after its Science Minister said that he was appalled by Alan Johnson’s decision.

Read more on this story in The Times

David Cameron: Tories would rename Department of Health

David Cameron said today that he would rename the Department of Health to ensure that it is committed to improving the health of the entire nation.

The Conservative leader said the DoH would become the “Department of Public Health” and that a Conservative government would publish a white paper on public health.

Read more on this story in The Guardian

Smoking while pregnant linked to behavioural problems in children

Smoking during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of having a child with behavioural problems, according to research published today. Disturbances can manifest themselves in children as young as three years old, the study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health claims.

Read more on this story in The Guardian