SIMON'S LAW

A campaign for a change in the law to force some violent offenders to make lifelong payments to the NHS has begun. The campaign follows an assault on a football fan who was left with permanent brain damage. In 2015, 47-year-old Simon Dobbin was attacked after a football match by twelve fans who were all jailed for the assault. His wife has called for a 'Simon's Law' to force such offenders to pay a percentage of their income or benefits to the NHS for life to help fund the cost of ongoing care and support for victims. The campaign is also calling for an increase in the court's sentencing powers in these types of case. BLEAK HOUSE There are 120,000 children living in temporary accommodation in England and 585,000 children are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, according to Children's Commissioner Anne Longfield. Her report, 'Bleak houses: Tackling the crisis of family homelessness in England', also revealed a further 465,000 children are either 'sofa-surfing' or in families financially at risk of becoming homeless. The report reveals children are living in converted shipping containers and office blocks, in bed and breakfast accommodation, in cramped conditions and often miles away from their schools. The figures do not include homeless children placed in temporary accommodation by children's services for which no publicly available data is available. The Commissioner made 21 recommendations to government. 21 August 2019

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