House Prices Force Adults To Live With Parents

By Gerard Tubb, North Of England Correspondent

Millions of young workers have been dubbed the "clipped wing generation" because they are forced to live with their parents by rising house prices.

Housing charity Shelter has published census data showing almost two million workers aged 20-34 in England alone - a quarter of the total - are living with parents or grandparents.

A YouGov poll found 48% of them say housing costs are to blame.

At the Coast and Country Housing Association headquarters in Redcar, out of 11 people working in one office, nine were aged 20-34 and four of them were still living at home.

Laura Wood is living at the family home while she saves up for a deposit

Laura Wood, 26, moved back into the family home after graduating and has lived there ever since while she saves up for a deposit on a house.

"It's obviously difficult when you mum's still asking what time are you going to be in, where are you going what are you doing, so I don't feel like I'm 26 half of the time," she said.

Her co-worker Liz Wilson, 65, still has her 30-year-old son living at home and says the problem of unaffordable housing is forcing her to stay at work.

"I can't retire because we have to provide a larger property for him to have his own room, his own space, and as such we can't downsize," she said.

Unaffordable housing is forcing Liz Wilson, 65, to stay at work

Campbell Robb, Shelter's chief executive, accused the Government of not doing enough to help.

He said: "The 'clipped wing generation' are finding themselves with no choice but to remain living with mum and dad well into adulthood, as they struggle to find a home of their own.

"Rather than pumping more money into schemes like Help to Buy, we need bolder action that will meet the demand for affordable homes and not inflate prices further."

In a statement, Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said measures including the Help to Buy scheme were addressing the issue.

"We're determined to ensure anyone who works hard and wants to get on the property ladder has the help they need to do so," he said.

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Kate's Got A Real Fan At Commonwealth Games

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be hoping the home nations' gold rush continues as they return to the Commonwealth Games in Scotland where they spent a fun-packed day.

Kate and William joined Prince Harry and Prince Edward as they saw several English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish competitors take part in a games that is proving highly successful for the four countries.

The pair laughed, joked and grimaced - and at one point William fanned his wife with her identity pass, as she pulled a funny face. 

Both the Duke and Duchess fan themselves while watching swimming

Host nation Scotland won its 13th gold medal, taking it way beyond the 11 golds it won in Melbourne in 2006. England has 27 golds and Wales has three.

Prince Harry met two Australian players whose selfie of them and the Queen went viral last week.

Jayde Taylor was posing for a photo with team-mate Brooke Peris when the Queen moved into the background as she took the snap.

Harry is photographed with the England women's hockey team

Taylor said: "We asked [William] if he would do a selfie with us so we could add it to our collection, but he said 'I hate selfies but I will definitely do a photo with you'."

Kate, William and Harry went on to join the Earl of Wessex to watch Scotland take on Wales in the women's hockey.

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UK Bankers Face Longest Bonus Clawbacks

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Staff at British banks could be made to hand back bonuses more than six years after the money has been paid to them under a regime that will amount to the world's toughest rules on clawing back remuneration.

Sky News has learnt that the Bank of England (BoE)'s Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has decided to enforce, and potentially augment, a draconian proposal outlined in March.

In a policy statement to be published on Wednesday, it will confirm that banks will have to amend the employment contracts of senior staff in order to implement the new rules, which will come into force on January 1 next year.

Coming in the wake of a series of market manipulation and mis-selling scandals which have triggered tens of billions of pounds in fines and compensation to consumers, the tougher pay framework is likely to be welcomed in Westminster but spark opposition from bank executives who argue that the City's international competitiveness will be undermined.

In its consultation paper published earlier this year, the regulator proposed that clawback should operate for a six-year period after vesting.

That period is still expected to apply to awards made prior to the beginning of next year, in line with the statute of limitations for employment contracts, Sky News understands.

The PRA is to enforce the bonus policy on bankers

However, insiders said the PRA had also been examining whether bonus awards made after January 1 next year could be reclaimed for up to seven years.

The Bank of England declined to comment on Tuesday on whether it had opted to pursue clawback for post-2014 bonuses over the longer, seven-year period.

Either way, the final details will represent tougher rules for City bankers than those based in other international financial centres such as Frankfurt, Hong Kong or New York.

The tougher regime follows last year's report by the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, which was chaired by the Conservative MP Andrew Tyrie.

Under the BoE's plans, banks will be obliged to reclaim money already paid to employees even where they have not been directly culpable of misconduct.

Lenders will instead be required to demonstrate that they have done so where "there is reasonable evidence of employee misbehaviour or material error; the firm or the relevant business unit suffers a material downturn in its financial performance; or the firm or the relevant business unit suffers a material failure of risk management".

The new framework will mean that many senior employees of UK-based banks will have to wait for at least 12 years - and possibly longer - between the point at which they are awarded a bonus and that at which it can no longer be either cancelled or reclaimed by their employer.

The rules will also apply to the overseas employees of UK-based banks, which the likes of HSBC and Standard Chartered will argue will put them at a major disadvantage in their key Asian operations.

Major lenders already operate lengthy bonus deferrals meaning that share awards do not vest until the end of a five-year period, during which time part or all of the awards can be cancelled under a mechanism called malus.

The new clawback rules would kick in at the end of the initial five years, making a total of well over a decade before bankers can spend bonus awards safe in the knowledge that they will not have to repay it.

The BoE will set out its policy just days after accusing employees of Lloyds Banking Group of "reprehensible" and "possibly criminal" behaviour for attempting to manipulate an emergency funding scheme set up to help banks like it avoid outright collapse during the 2008 financial crisis.

Andrew Bailey is the chief executive of the PRA

In a report published on Tuesday, the think-tank Respublica suggested that bankers should swear an oath that "would put them on the path to absolution".

Speaking in March, Andrew Bailey, the PRA chief executive said: "We have an objective to ensure the safety and soundness of the firms we regulate and we won't allow remuneration schemes to exist that encourage behaviour likely to jeopardise financial stability.

The policy we are consulting on will ensure bonuses can be clawed back from individuals, where they have already been paid, if it becomes apparent they have put the stability of their firms at risk or engaged in inappropriate actions.

"This will provide a clear message to individuals of what is expected from them and the consequences of not acting properly."

Alongside the clawback policy statement, the BoE will also publish further details of the City watchdog's senior managers' regime and other details of its remuneration policies.

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Immigrant Benefits To Be Cut To Three Months

EU migrants will be able to claim benefits for only three months unless they have serious job prospects, under plans announced by David Cameron.

The Prime Minister insisted the change, which halves the amount of time EU migrants can claim, would make it clear to migrants that they cannot get "something for nothing" and that Britain was "not a soft touch".

In another pledge to safeguard jobs for British people he said he would limit to 500,000 the number of UK jobs being advertised across the EU through a jobseekers' website - down from 1.1 million jobs currently on offer.

There will also be curbs on "bogus colleges" which offer studying visas for cash.

David Cameron says Britain is 'not a soft touch' for EU migrants

Outlining his plans in The Daily Telegraph, David Cameron wrote: "Taken together, this is about building a different kind of Britain - a country that is not a soft touch, but a place to play your part; a nation where those who work hard can get on."

The number of Europeans currently claiming benefits is unclear. However, Government estimates from 2013 suggest only 6.7% of non-UK nationals (397,000) claimed benefits, of which 62,000 were Europeans and 58,000 from EU accession countries.

In contrast 16.4% of UK nationals claim benefits.

And speaking later on Tuesday after a raid on illegal immigrants in Slough, Mr Cameron also warned illegal immigrants: "When we find you - and we will find you - we will make sure you are sent back to the country you came from."

Sky News' Deputy Political Editor Joey Jones said: "Welfare and immigration are two touchstone issues for the General Election. The idea of benefits tourism, whether real or not, is where the two collide. 

All job centre posts are advertised across Europe

"All the evidence is the Tories have been outflanked by UKIP on this territory, but in the General Election the main objective is to steal a march on Labour. That's what these announcements are all about."

The benefits plan builds on changes laid out in January to make EU migrants wait three months after arriving in Britain before claiming out-of-work benefits.

Mr Cameron has previously been warned restricting benefits conflicts with the EU agreement on freedom of movement.

Currently more than a million British posts are advertised on European Commission jobs website called Eures, which is partly funded by the UK taxpayer.

Yvette Cooper says the Government has 'failed' on immigration

Britain's job centres automatically upload available posts to the site. However, Mr Cameron has pledged this will now be limited to 500,000 roles and will only be included if an employer requests it is shared across the EU.

A number of employers, particularly in manufacturing and agriculture, have routinely complained they are unable to find British recruits and have to fill the posts with workers from across Europe.

It is unclear how many EU residents actually find jobs through the website.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the Coalition was failing on immigration despite Mr Cameron's promise to reduce it to the tens of thousands by next year.

She said: "We need less talk from the Prime Minister on immigration and more action.

"It's almost a year-and-a-half since Labour called for benefit restrictions on new migrants. In that time we've had reannouncement after reannouncement from the Tories but little in the way of firm action."

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Clegg: Russia Should Be Stripped Of World Cup

Russia should be stripped of the 2018 World Cup in the wake of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, says Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

He said it was "unthinkable" at present that the tournament could go ahead in the country blamed by the West for supplying arms to pro-Russian separatists suspected of shooting down the jet.

Football's world governing body Fifa this week ruled out calls from some German politicians for Russia to be boycotted, insisting the tournament could be "a force for good".

But Mr Clegg told The Sunday Times that allowing it to go ahead without a change of course by Russian President Vladimir Putin would make the world look "so weak and so insincere" in its condemnation of Moscow's annexation of Crimea and support for the rebels.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg

"If there's one thing that Vladimir Putin cares about, as far as I can see, it's his sense of status," he said.

"Maybe reminding him that you can't retain the same status in the world if you ignore the rest of the world, maybe that will have some effect on his thinking."

Russia has reacted angrily to additional sanctions imposed by the EU, saying they would hamper co-operation on security issues and undermine the fight against terrorism and organised crime.

Russia's foreign ministry also accused the US of contributing to the conflict in Ukraine through its support for the pro-Western government in Kiev.

Part of the fuselage from the plane

It comes as 30 Dutch forensic experts head to the crash site in eastern Ukraine, despite intensifying fighting in the area between Ukrainian government forces and the rebels.

Malaysia says it has secured an agreement with the separatists to allow international police to enter the site.

Officers would be allowed access to the area to provide protection for international crash investigators to recover human remains and establish the cause of the disaster.

Meanwhile, a Malaysia Airlines official has called for the creation of a new body to decide which flight paths are safe following the downing of the Boeing 777-200 in which all 298 people on board died.

Hugh Dunleavy, the company's commercial director, said airlines could no longer rely on decisions made by existing industry bodies on which volatile regions are secure to fly over.

This map shows the flight path of MH17 before it crashed

Despite flying over a conflict zone, MH17's flight path had been approved by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the Ukrainian authorities and the European airspace service provider Eurocontrol, Mr Dunleavy said.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, he called for airlines and existing aviation bodies to "review existing processes and set more stringent standards".

"Ultimately, we need one body to be the arbiter of where we can fly," he said.

"This tragedy has taught us that despite following the guidelines and advice set out by the governing bodies, the skies above certain territories are simply not safe.

"For the sake of passenger and crew safety we need to insist on a higher level of authority."

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Loyal Dog Stands Guard Over Attack Victim

Police have released a photo of a dog found standing guard over his owner who had been violently attacked in the hope it may jog the memories of potential witnesses.

The 49-year-old man was out walking his dog in Bolton, Greater Manchester, when he was knocked unconscious in the early hours of Friday morning.

Passers-by found him lying across a pavement in Chorley Old Road, near the junction with Chorley New Road.

Officers found the faithful pet next to the victim after they were called to the scene.

The man, who suffered a life-threatening head injury, was taken to hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

The dog is now being cared for by his owner's family.

Detective Superintendent Jon Chadwick said: "This man is extremely poorly and, from the extent of his injuries, we believe he was violently assaulted.

"He was out walking his dog when he was attacked and we are urging people to come forward if they were in the area at that time and witnessed the attack or remember seeing the dog in the photo."

:: Anyone who has information is being urged to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Gatwick Passengers Suffer Baggage Delays

Hundreds of people arriving into Gatwick Airport's South Terminal have faced long delays in picking up their luggage, with many being told to go home without it.

An airport spokesman said the overnight disruption was caused by "resourcing issues" involving baggage handlers Swissport.

"Due to resourcing issues with the baggage handlers Swissport there were overnight issues and delays with passengers' luggage," he said.

"Gatwick provided extra staff to help the airlines and their baggage handlers improve their service, as well as providing welfare and water for passengers waiting in the baggage areas, but we are sorry for the delays they faced.

"Baggage operations are now returning to normal."

Passengers of four airlines have been advised to go home without their luggage.

Gatwick said it provided extra staff for airlines to help reduce the delays

Officials at the airport informed passengers of British Airways flights who had waited more than an hour on their bags being returned, and those on Monarch, Thomas Cook or Thompson flights who had been waiting 90 minutes or more, that their luggage would be forwarded to their home address.

It is understood easyJet passengers have also been affected but had not been advised to leave without their baggage.

Some passengers took to social media sites to voice their frustrations over the delays - some up to five hours.

Julian C Adams tweeted: "Such shocking service at Gatwick airport! Waiting for the arrival of baggage for over 2 hours now! #shouldhaveflowntoheathrow."

Sophie Wood ‏tweeted: "3 hrs in #gatwick baggage handling ... Apparent Lack of staff appalling shambles #Gatwick#idiots."

Oliver Webb wrote: "‏@2 hour delays at #gatwick for baggage reclaim. #Swissport to blame apparently. No info from airport staff. Rubbish."

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Controlled Explosions After Homes Evacuated

A number of controlled explosions have been carried out at a flat in Derbyshire where police say "potentially volatile" substances were found.

A 55-year-old man has been arrested after the substances were discovered during a search of the flat in Belvoir Crescent, Newhall, South Derbyshire.

Around 200 residents had to be evacuated after the discovery, and officers warned it could take until this afternoon before they are allowed to return to their homes.

Police had been called to the scene on Saturday afternoon by neighbours worried about loud bangs coming from a block of flats.

Firefighters and bomb disposal experts also attended.

Homes have been evacuated in Newhall, South Derbyshire

Resident Leslie Wood, who is staying with friends after being evacuated, told Sky News: "Fire officers came to me and said there had been an incident and we had to vacate the premises for at least 24 hours."

A local school is being used as a coordination centre and temporary shelter.

Superintendent Paul Callum, who is in charge of the incident, said: "The safety of the public is paramount in these situations.

"We apologise for any inconvenience to the evacuees. We will let them return to their homes as soon as we can be sure the area is safe."

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Housing Shortage Sees More Tenants Evicted

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

Increasing numbers of private tenants are being evicted or exploited by landlords cashing in on the increase in house prices and the shortage of rented accommodation, according to latest figures.

Citizens Advice (CAB) saw a 38% rise in the number of people turning to the charity for help with eviction notices served on them, despite being up to date with their rent.

CAB recorded 5,000 cases across the country in 2013/2014 where tenants complained about being forced from their homes, even though they were not in arrears. That figure is up from 3,750 the previous year.

Problems in London and the South East are particularly acute, the charity said, where many house prices are the highest in the country.

Private tenant Ryan Herran told Sky News he was being forced from his Muswell Hill home of five years, because he complained about damp and mould in the property and demanded his landlord fix the problem.

After months of wrangling with the owner, he was eventually served with a section 21 eviction order.

"I was actually in shock for a couple of days because I've always been a good tenant and always paid my rent and never engaged in anti-social behaviour," he said.

"I did ring up the property management company and they told me they don't have to give a reason under the section 21 eviction notice. They said they felt they were doing me a favour by at least giving me two months notice."

Mr Herran believes his eviction is motivated by spite and certainty on the part of the landlord that he would easily be able to find another tenant.

The number of tenants seeking help over eviction has nearly doubled

Roger Harding from the homelessness charity Shelter said: "Sadly landlords can evict for no reason, even if you've been keeping up with the rent. 

"We've found many worrying examples where landlords have evicted people simply because they don't want to have to deal with repair issues and that's something we want to see outlawed."

During January to March 2014 house prices rose by 18% in London and 10% in the South East, compared to the same period the previous year.

CAB's figures reveal those rises were mirrored by an increase in private tenants reporting they had been served with eviction notices, despite being up to date with their rent.

The charity said the number of tenants in London and the South East seeking help over eviction notices between January and March 2014 was 900, compared with 400 over the first quarter of the year before.

Landlord Richard Blanco rents out properties across six London boroughs and is also a member of National Landlords Association. He said private landlords are often unfairly maligned.

"There's a small minority of rogue landlords who might try and increase rents but really the most sensible business model for landlords is to maintain the property well and to have a good relationship with tenants and to try to ensure tenants stay as long as possible," he said.

Mr Blanco said, contrary to widespread belief, more than three quarters of private tenants have not faced an increase in rents over the past 12 months.

The Government is in the process of introducing new legislation which it hopes will strengthen the rights of private tenants and help protect them from exploitation, or unjustified eviction.

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Govt 'Out Of Touch' On Term-Time Holiday Ban

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs and Education Editor

New rules banning holidays during school term time are penalising families who have no choice but to take their children out of school, some parents have told Sky News.

Maxine Ingrouille-Kidd, whose son Curtis is severely disabled, said she was threatened with a fine when she asked for permission to take her son on a cruise during term time because it was the only time accessible cabins were available.

"A cruise is a good sensory experience for Curtis ... and it is important for us to have family time together," she said.

"We did try to go at half term and they didn't have an accessible cabin.

"We're really limited by what Curtis needs.

"We didn't think (the school) would refuse us because he has a life-limiting condition and we thought they would appreciate that it was important for Curtis to be with us.

"Despite having up to 40 seizures a day, he's actually quite healthy and has had very few absences."

Curtis, who is quadriplegic, epileptic, blind and has cerebral palsy, was refused permission by his school in Somerset under new rules which came into force last September.

Under the rules, headteachers can only grant permission for term time leave in "exceptional circumstances" - a discretion some parents claim is not being used properly.

Stewart Sutherland, who says he has been unable to take a family holiday for five years because of his job, was prosecuted and fined £996 after he pleaded guilty to taking his three children to Greece on a holiday booked prior to the new rules being introduced.

"The Government is out of touch with society when it introduced these rules," said Mr Sutherland.

"The country does not come to a standstill when the kids are on holiday - there's always someone who is still working."

"Family time is sometimes just as important as schooling," he added.

The Government said the new rules are fair and have reduced the number of pupils regularly missing school by 130,000.

"We have been clear that all headteachers are free to grant pupils leave in exceptional circumstances," a spokesman for the Department for Education said.

"It is up to headteachers to decide whether to grant time off and how much time to grant.

"We are also giving schools the flexibility to set their own term times so they can change dates to ones that work for their pupils and families.

"Parents can urge schools to make use of this new freedom."

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