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According to the Independent, The High Court has ordered the Government to stop deporting homeless EU citizens under a controversial policy that has been ruled unlawful.

Mrs Justice Lang said measures introduced last year were discriminatory and violated European law, following a challenge by two Polish men and a Latvian. The three men were all facing removal because they were found by police and immigration officers sleeping rough.

Image: Mrs Justice Lang. 

 Mrs Justice Lang said homelessness alone did not meet the legal requirements for deportation, even if accompanied by offences including begging, drinking and nuisance.

“There has been a significant increase in rough sleepers of all nationalities,” she said. “The policy discriminated unlawfully against EEA nationals and rough sleepers.”

Mrs Justice Lang urged the Home Secretary to “take stock and re-consider the terms of the proposed revised policy, in the light of advice from her legal advisers”. 

Image: Rt Hon Amber Rudd MP Home Secretary. 

ABC Comment: How much do government ministers earn? Please download the sheet below. 

One thing we promised our ABC audience is balanced, honest and truthful articles. We do try and give people useful information. Information that will help our viewership make informed decisions and improve their circumstances. 

According to Wikipedia, the Daily Mail has been widely criticized for its unreliability, as well as printing of sensationalist and inaccurate scare stories of science and medical research and of copyright violations. In February 2017, the English Wikipedia community decided that the Daily Mail was "generally unreliable" to use as a reference in Wikipedia. Some in the discussion objected on the grounds that the more formal decision had no precedent, that it would be widely misinterpreted, and that the Daily Mail is useful for some topics, such as sports reporting. The Daily Mail issued a statement objecting to the decision, while other parties expressed little surprise.

There was a sharp rise in homelessness in England in the three months to September 2017, figures published today have revealed.

15,290 households were accepted as being statutorily homeless, up 6% from 14,390 in the same period last year

3,300 of those accepted as homeless were 16-24 year olds, up 6.7% from 3,090 the previous quarter

The number of households in temporary accommodation was 79,190, up 6% from 74,750 at the same date last year

Image: Wera Hobhouse MP

Wera Hobhouse MP, Liberal Democrat Local Communities Spokesperson, commented:

"This sharp rise in homelessness as we enter the harsh winter months should shame Theresa May.

"Families are being left out in the cold by this heartless Conservative government.

"Young people are being particularly badly hit by the cruel decision to cut housing benefit for under-25s.

"The government must urgently boost funding for homelessness, reverse cuts to housing benefit for young people and build the social homes the country desperately needs."

ABC Note: We have a good briefing sheet about your rights under the Homlessness Reduction Act 2017, courtesy of the Chartered Institute of Housing. Please download below. 

MEPs, Council representatives and the European Commission informally agreed on a new, updated Europass instrument that can ensure a better understanding and more interoperability of skills and qualifications for job seekers and employers.

The European Parliament managed to ensure that this instrument is more accessible to people with disabilities and protects personal data more effectively.  MEPs also managed to clarify the “skills intelligence” data system (aggregated data on skills and competences), which is essential for guidance and counselling, the recruitment process, the choice of education, training and career paths.

 Rapporteur Svetoslav Hristov Malinov (EPP, BG) from the Culture and Education Committee said:  “The new Europass Framework simplifies and modernises the ways in which citizens across Europe will showcase their skills, qualifications and experience. I believe it answers the requirements of the digital age and will be an efficient and user-friendly tool for better economic growth and competitiveness”.

 Rapporteur Thomas Mann (EPP, DE) from the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, said: "Europass helps people to make their skills and experience transparent throughout Europe. In the framework of these negotiations, we decided to revise Europass substantially. New tools are foreseen: the creation of an e-portfolio and skills assessment, information on learning opportunities, qualifications, recognition of qualifications and data on the labour market.”

"In times of youth unemployment in many of the EU Member States, it is the duty of the EU to support learners, jobseekers, employers and other stakeholders, regardless of where they are from. It is of key importance to raise public awareness, so that Europass becomes a common European trademark for an application portfolio that combines and presents important information".

Next steps

The provisional agreement still needs to be approved by the EP’s Employment and Culture committees and the EU member states’ permanent representatives (COREPER). Before entering into force, the draft law will need to be formally approved by the full Parliament and the EU Council.

 Quick facts

With more than 126 million website visits and 60 million CVs created online since 2005, the Europass is one of the most successful and best-known EU initiatives.

ABC Note: Europass is a European Union initiative to increase transparency of qualification and mobility of citizens in Europe. It aims to make a person's skills and qualifications clearly understood throughout Europe.

 It supports educational and working mobility in Europe, by making skills and qualifications transparent and easy to understand for learners, jobseekers, employers and education and training institutions.

The Europass portfolio consists of five documents: a CV, language passport, certificate section, diploma section and mobility document.

Official figures released yesterday showed that the number of people in work fell by 56,000 in the three months ending in October. While a total of 325,000 net jobs had been created in the year to October, the latest three months saw a drop in employment leading to some commentators remarking that Britain’s long jobs boom appeared to be coming to an end. ONS also showed an increase in earnings growth; however pay is still lagging behind inflation leading to a continued squeeze on household incomes.

Image: Institute of Directors Headquarters.

Responding to the figures, Seamus Nevin, Head of Policy Research at the Institute of Directors highlighted that it was positive that the unemployment rate had remained at 4.3%, its joint lowest rate since 1975, showing the benefits of a flexible job market. However he went on to question if the drop in employment linked to a fall in net migration. Talking on the recent guarantee of rights from the government for EU citizens, Seamus said: “Employers will be grateful that the Government have finally agreed to guarantee the right to remain of EU citizens resident in the U.K. and we hope that, as we approach the Christmas holidays, their announcement will give these valued foreign born workers and their families the reassurance they need that Britain will remain an open and welcoming home for them in the new year and beyond.”

Image: Institute of Directors Headquarters lobby.

Labour Future interviews Debbie Abrahams about Universal Credit. 

In 2010, one in four of the working age population was aged 50 and over and this is projected to increase to one in three by 2022.

By 2035, people aged 50 and over will comprise half of the UK adult population, according to ONS estimates.

But almost one million people aged 50-64 are not in employment but are willing or would like to be.

Purpose of session

In the first evidence session of this inquiry, the Women and Equalities Committee aims to find out the reasons for this, what is known about older people's experiences and issues creating barriers to employment.

MPs will be keen to assess whether Government policy is going in the right direction.
 
Specifically, the session is likely to focus on these areas:

• What do older people want from employment in later life?
• Why older people working matters to business 
• Age diverse workforces: progress and gaps 
• Skills and life-long learning 
• Changing workplace practices and cultures 
• Age discrimination impacting on employment

Over 50s feel 'discriminated against when trying to find work'

Committee Chair Maria Miller MP said:

"Despite the over 50s making up a significant and increasing proportion of the workforce, many people in this age category feel forgotten about or discriminated against when trying to find work. 
 
"This could be down to several factors, from employers' understanding of older people to the support and skills they are being equipped with.

Is what is on offer, such as employer advisors, career services and retraining opportunities consistent and available to all over 50s?

I know from speaking to people in my own constituency that awareness of strategies such as Fuller Working Lives is low.
 
"Government is taking action to tackle these issues but are its policies working?

As our inquiry gets underway, we will carefully consider the current situation, barriers to progress and what more needs to be done."

Witnesses

Wednesday 13 December 2017, Committee Room 16, Palace of Westminster.

10.15am

• Yvonne Sonsino, Co-Chair, Fuller Working Lives Business Strategy Group
• Dr Brian Beach, Senior Research Fellow, International Longevity Centre UK
• Professor Lynda Gratton, Co-author, 'The 100-year life'
• Patrick Thomson, Senior Programme Manager and lead on fulfilling work, Centre for Ageing Better

Work & Pensions Committtee 13/12/2017

Agenda

Subject: Pension freedom and choice

Witnesses: Rich Caddy, Shift Operations Manager, British Steel (Teesside), David Neilly, Plant Process Operator, Tata Steel UK (Port Talbot), Henry Tapper, Director, Pension PlayPen and First Actuarial, and Stefan Zaitschenko, Former steelworker (Teesside)

Witnesses: Clive Howells, Managing Director, Celtic Wealth Management, and Darren Reynolds, Director, Active Wealth (UK) Ltd

Witnesses: Megan Butler, Director of Supervision (Investment, Wholesale and Specialist), Financial Conduct Authority, Alan Johnston, Trustee Chairman, British Steel Pension Scheme, Alasdair McDiarmid, Operations Director, Community trade union, and Derek Mulholland, Director of Pensions, British Steel Pension Scheme

Wholesale gas prices surged Tuesday as cold weather descended across most of the Continent, thanks to the shutdown of the North Sea’s most important oil and gas pipeline system and a fatal explosion at a major gas processing facility in Austria. Italy, where market prices have already more than doubled, has been hardest hit, with Rome declaring a state of emergency. If gas transit does not resume soon through Austria’s Baumgarten hub, Europe might be looking at high gas prices through winter. One person was killed and eighteen injured in the disaster. 

Image: Wholesale gas prices increase