Smaller housebuilders have a greener focus | Letters

Craig Bennett of the Wildlife Trusts highlighted some issues with the way UK housebuilders are delivering (or not delivering) housing (UK housebuilders ‘very bad’ at building houses, says wildlife charity CEO, 1 April). But should we be lumping every housebuilder together?In December, the Federation of Master Builders reported that small housebuilders deliver only 10% of new homes today, compared with 40% in the 1980s. This diminished contribution has been called out by the housing minister, Matthew Pennycook, as a top priority for Homes England to address. Competition and innovation beget sustainability, affordability and quality in housing delivery. As someone who has made the jump from a larger housebuilder to a smaller one, I have seen this firsthand

Benefits of ADHD medication outweigh health risks, study finds

The benefits of taking drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder outweigh the impact of increases in blood pressure and heart rate, according to a new study.An international team of researchers led by scientists from the University of Southampton found the majority of children taking ADHD medication experienced small increases in blood pressure and pulse rates, but that the drugs had “overall small effects”. They said the study’s findings highlighted the need for “careful monitoring”.Prof Samuele Cortese, the senior lead author of the study, from the University of Southampton, said the risks and benefits of taking any medication had to be assessed together, but for ADHD drugs the risk-benefit ratio was “reassuring”.“We found an overall small increase in blood pressure and pulse for the majority of children taking ADHD medications,” he said

‘Completely disproportionate’: UK tenants feel the bite of ‘pet rent’

Katie Fisher’s bid for her rental flat in south-east London was initially rejected because she had a dog. When she offered to pay an additional £50 a month in rent, taking the cost of the two-bedroom flat to £1,450 a month, the landlord agreed.The practice of paying an extra fee each month in order to live with a furry companion – sometimes referred to as “pet rent” – is a common arrangement in privately rented properties.However, the issue resurfaced when Taiwo Owatemi, the MP for Coventry North West, claimed what is understood to be a £900 pet surcharge on expenses to keep her cockapoo, Bella, with her in her rented property in Plumstead, south-east London.In England additional one-off charges, fees or deposits above the five-week rent threshold for tenants with pets in private rented accommodation are currently illegal under the Tenant Fees Act, but added rent is not

Assisted dying could become ‘tool’ to harm women in England and Wales, say faith leaders

The legalisation of assisted dying in England and Wales could create “a new tool to harm vulnerable women”, particularly those subject to domestic violence and coercive control, say female faith leaders from different traditions.More than 100 women from Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Sikh groups have warned in an open letter that the terminally ill adults bill has “insufficient safeguards to protect some of the most marginalised in society, particularly women subjected to gender-based violence and abuse by a partner”.The proposed legislation could help such women to end their lives, says the letter, which was published on Sunday on the website of Theos, a Christian thinktank.Concerns that the assisted dying bill could put vulnerable women in danger were raised earlier this year by charities involved in domestic violence and coercive control. They said some perpetrators drove their victims to suicide, and there was a “significant risk” that coercion could play a part in some cases of assisted dying

England’s NHS crews ‘watching patients die in back of ambulances’ due to A&E delays

Paramedics across England are watching patients die in the back of ambulances because of delays outside emergency departments, according to a survey by Unison.The gridlock of patients in some of the country’s hospitals has led to queues of up to 20 ambulances outside casualty departments in certain areas. In a number of cases, crews have been forced to wait more than 12 hours before handing over patients.The survey of nearly 600 ambulance workers reveals the toll of the waits on patients and the crews looking after them. Unison warns that “car park care” is increasingly becoming the norm, with hospital medical staff tending to patients in the back of ambulances

Gen Z and young millennials battling ‘negative wealth’ as debt burden grows

Gen Z and young millennials are battling a “negative wealth” problem due to growing debt burdens that limit their life chances, according to a new analysis from the Fairness Foundation.The thinktank says negative wealth, where debts outweigh assets, is linked to lower wages and worse health in later life, and that ministers should reintroduce the Child Trust Fund to give young people a greater stake in society.“Right now, too many people across the UK are living without a financial cushion or are burdened by debt,” said Will Snell, the Fairness Foundation’s chief executive. “This strips them of resilience in the face of economic shocks and shuts them out of the well-documented benefits that even modest asset ownership brings, in terms of future earnings and employment, physical and mental health, and civic engagement.”The foundation’s report, No Money, More Problems, analysed Office for National Statistics data which showed that one-third of 25- to 34-year-olds in Great Britain had negative wealth, reaching 47% in Wales compared with 18% in London