The Justice secretary has activated Operation Safeguard to house prisoners in police cells due to overcrowding in jails, with only 824 places left in the adult male estate. This emergency measure will free up hundreds of cells but could cost the government millions, with previous activation costing £30.2 million between February and July 2023. The Police Federation of England and Wales has expressed concerns about officers being diverted from core duties and facing additional dangers, as the prison estate is deemed to be in crisis by the Public Accounts Committee.
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Scrapping two-child benefit cap could lift 600,000 children out of poverty in five years, analysis finds
A recent analysis by Action for Children has revealed that scrapping the two-child benefit cap could lift 600,000 children out of poverty in the next five years, at a cost of £3.9bn per year. The charity argues that this move is the most cost-effective policy option to improve the lives of children, compared to other measures to increase parents' income. Labour is currently working on a child poverty strategy led by Liz Kendall and Bridget...
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