News round up: Childcare tax relief; Cocaine addiction; Local govt spending cuts

More young cocaine addicts being treated

The numbers of young adults entering NHS-funded treatment for cocaine addiction are growing rapidly.

A total of 1,591 people in England aged 18-24 began receiving treatment for dependence on the class A drug in 2005-06. But that number had soared to 2,998 in 2008-09, a jump of 88%, the NHS’s National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) disclosed today.

Read more on this story in The Guardian

Ministers retreat over tax relief on childcare

The government has confirmed that it is scaling back its plans to cut childcare for the middle classes, after nine former ministers warned the prime minister that he would lose voters in marginal seats if he pushed ahead.

Read more on this story in The Guardian

Councils face £11bn spending cut

Councils will have to cut £11bn from their spending – or almost the cost of the entire police service – over the next four financial years, the Local Government Association has calculated.

Read more on this story in the Financial Times