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Glasgow Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Home Office launches probe into use of asylum seeker payment cards for gambling
More than 6,500 transactions were attempted online and at sites such as casinos, slot machine arcades and national lottery retailers in the past year, according to a Freedom of Information request made by PoliticsHome. The payments online were blocked each time, while in some other cases cash withdrawals were made in or near gambling venues, located using the terminal's ID number. When asylum seekers arrive in the UK, they are given a chip and pin debit card called an Aspen card, which is intended to provide weekly support to buy essentials such as food, clothing and toiletries. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said 'this madness has to end' (PA) For people being housed in hotels that provide meals, the allowance is £9.95 a week, and for those in self-catered accommodation the allowance is usually £49.18 a week. The cards are taxpayer-funded and there are around 80,000 users in the UK. The data showed a peak of 227 attempts to use the cards to gamble in a single week last November. At the lowest point, there were 40 attempts to use the cards to gamble in a week last July. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: 'This Labour Government is allowing illegal migrants to gamble using taxpayers' hard-earned cash. This madness has to end.' A Home Office spokesperson said: 'The Home Office have begun an investigation into the use of Aspen cards. 'The Home Office has a legal obligation to support asylum seekers, including any dependants, who would otherwise be destitute.'
Western Telegraph
6 days ago
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
Home Office launches probe into use of asylum seeker payment cards for gambling
More than 6,500 transactions were attempted online and at sites such as casinos, slot machine arcades and national lottery retailers in the past year, according to a Freedom of Information request made by PoliticsHome. The payments online were blocked each time, while in some other cases cash withdrawals were made in or near gambling venues, located using the terminal's ID number. When asylum seekers arrive in the UK, they are given a chip and pin debit card called an Aspen card, which is intended to provide weekly support to buy essentials such as food, clothing and toiletries. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said 'this madness has to end' (PA) For people being housed in hotels that provide meals, the allowance is £9.95 a week, and for those in self-catered accommodation the allowance is usually £49.18 a week. The cards are taxpayer-funded and there are around 80,000 users in the UK. The data showed a peak of 227 attempts to use the cards to gamble in a single week last November. At the lowest point, there were 40 attempts to use the cards to gamble in a week last July. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: 'This Labour Government is allowing illegal migrants to gamble using taxpayers' hard-earned cash. This madness has to end.' A Home Office spokesperson said: 'The Home Office have begun an investigation into the use of Aspen cards. 'The Home Office has a legal obligation to support asylum seekers, including any dependants, who would otherwise be destitute.'
Sky News AU
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Labor's YouTube ban would face backlash from parents as overwhelming majority say it helps kids learn
Parents overwhelmingly consider YouTube to be a valuable learning resource, with new research revealing just how unpopular Labor' social media ban for children would be. It comes after a growing group of lawmakers expressed frustration that the government backflipped on its previous exemption for YouTube in the under-16 social media ban laws. Labor has considered breaking its promise and dragging YouTube into the ban after being lobbied by Chinese-owned platform TikTok. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has also pressured Labor to break its pledge and ban the video sharing platform. YouTube has since released new research by Oxford Economics which found 72 per cent of parents think the video sharing platform 'helps their children learn'. Head of YouTube Australia Ed Miles said families took advantage of sophisticated parental controls and safety features to make the platform appropriate for learning. 'This new research from Oxford Economics demonstrates that Australian parents not only trust YouTube as a valuable learning resource, but also feel confident in guiding their children to use YouTube responsibly,' he said. 'This reflects parents' active involvement and their comfort in navigating YouTube alongside their children, using our safety features and parental controls.' The research also found: 72 per cent of parents who use YouTube agree that YouTube (or YouTube Kids) helps their children learn. 79 per cent of parents who use YouTube agree that YouTube (or YouTube Kids) provides quality content for their children's learning and/or entertainment. 74 per cent of parents who use YouTube feel confident in their ability to guide their child on how to use YouTube (or YouTube Kids) responsibly. The figures come after revealed Ms Inman Grant misled Labor by suggesting YouTube was an algorithmically dangerous platform, falsely suggesting her comments were based on evidence. "I don't make determinations or write recommendations to the minister based on whether I keep the public onside. I follow the evidence," she said, at the National Press Club in June. "My main concern with these platforms is that harms are happening, but I talked about the pervasive design features. "YouTube has mastered those. Opaque algorithms driving users down rabbit holes they're powerless to fight against." Both Labor and eSafety refused to share this research until lodged a Freedom of Information request. Once obtained the research it was clear the findings had been misrepresented. In fact, it found that YouTube was one of the safest platforms for key risk concerns such as grooming, sexual harassment and bullying. Children are more likely to be bullied via text messages than on YouTube. The percentage of teenagers who reported being groomed on YouTube was three per cent, the same percentage as teenagers who reported grooming via text messages. On Snapchat the figure was seven times higher at 23 per cent. On Instagram it was five times higher at 17 per cent. There was no recommendation from Ms Inman Grant to ban text messages for teenagers. Users need to be at least 13-years-old to create a YouTube account, meaning eSafety's proposed ban would only impact teenagers. Sky News Digital Editor Jack Houghton, host of The Media Show, told his audience the survey was a "flawed" way to research the issue as it was based on the perceptions of young children who were being asked to self-identify 'harmful content'.
Irish Independent
18-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Cork bus services will introduce 90-minute flat fare from August
The National Transport Authority (NTA) confirmed that flat fare and tag-on boarding will come to Cork bus services next month through a Freedom of Information request from Green Party spokesperson on transport, Feljin Jose. The change will allow commuters to change freely between buses in a 90-minute window once the initial fare is paid via a Leap card. It will be implemented on Cork city bus services in August, and later, in 2025, the fare will stretch to rail services between Kent, Little Island and Glounthane stations. From 2026, distance-based commuter bus fares will apply in a concentric commuter zone outside Cork extending to 30km from the city centre. Cork city bus services will provide a Leap card validator on each bus. The equipment will be separate from the driver's terminal and will allow commuters to board without the need to go to the driver. The new validators were intended to be available on buses from August. However, this has been delayed due to software and technical reasons. Green Party councillor for Cork City North East, Oliver Moran, said the changes will benefit commuters. "A flat 90-minute fare means people not being punished for changing services, even different kinds of services,' Cllr Moran said. 'Although it's been delayed, moving to a tag-on type system away from the driver means buses boarding faster. 'That's going to help with queuing times at busy stops like Patrick's Street, Kent Station, and Clontarf Street. It means in overall journey times a bus driver can travel faster too along a route.' The Green councillor believes public transport will provide the future of commuting in Cork. "In the next five to ten years, we need to draw more people onto public transport in preparation for high-frequency commuter rail, BusConnects, and eventually the Luas,' Cllr Moran said. 'Public transport has to be the go-to choice for commuting in the city in that time period.'
Daily Mirror
12-07-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Full list as drivers in 10 UK areas told 'take extra steps'
The UK's hotspots have been revealed London has been dubbed the UK's car theft capital, according to a new study that analysed official police data. In 2024, the Metropolitan Police logged 34,000 instances of stolen vehicles across the city, equating to one theft for every 88 vehicles in the Greater London area. The City of London Police also reported a similarly high rate of one theft for every 96 vehicles in the area, making London's police forces the two highest ratios of vehicles per theft in the UK. This suggests that vehicle owners in the capital are most at risk of having their car nicked and should take extra precautions to keep it secure. The figures were compiled by car insurance, which used official Home Office data and a Freedom of Information request to the UK's police forces. These were combined with Department for Transport and DVLA figures on the number of registered vehicles in each area to calculate where thefts occur most frequently. Essex, one of London's neighbouring areas, was also identified as a significant hotspot for this crime. Approximately 5,700 vehicles were nicked in the county last year, equal to one theft for every 177 vehicles - the fifth highest ratio in the UK. Yorkshire vehicle owners appear to be at risk, with two of the region's areas featuring in the top 10. South Yorkshire experienced a total of 4,603 thefts in 2024, equating to one for every 167 vehicles, placing it fifth in the rankings. West Yorkshire Police logged around 1,400 more thefts (6,029 in total), equivalent to one for every 227 vehicles - the UK's sixth highest ratio. The West Midlands recorded the third-highest ratio of thefts, with one for every 110 cars. Bedfordshire, Nottinghamshire, Durham and Leicestershire also ranked highly, each with a theft for every 250 to 260 vehicles in 2024. The UK average was just one theft for every 287 vehicles, and approximately 133,000 vehicle thefts were reported across the country in total. Worst areas for vehicle thefts by number of vehicles per theft London Metropolitan (Greater London) - 88 City of London - 91 West Midlands - 110 South Yorkshire - 167 Essex - 177 West Yorkshire - 227 Bedfordshire - 251 Nottinghamshire - 255 Durham - 259 Leicestershire - 260 In contrast, several southern regions were found to be among the UK's safest for vehicle thefts. Suffolk was named the most secure overall, with just 321 thefts reported in 2024. Equal to only one for every 1,752 vehicles, the county boasts by far the lowest ratio in the country. Nearby Norfolk also had fewer instances of this crime, with just one theft for every 1,072 vehicles - the joint fifth lowest in the country. Other southern areas in the top 10 include Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Devon and Cornwall. Welsh regions also look to be safer for vehicle thefts. Dyfed Powys Police have the second-lowest ratio in the UK, with just one theft for every 1,666 vehicles in the area and 248 thefts overall. There were almost 200 more thefts reported by North Wales in 2024, but this is still only one for every 1,094 vehicles in the area - the UK's fourth lowest ratio. Safest areas for vehicle thefts by number of vehicles per theft Suffolk - 1,752 Dyfed-Powys - 1,666 Cumbria - 1,251 North Wales - 1,094 Northern Ireland - 1,072 Norfolk - 1,072 Wiltshire - 763 Lincolnshire - 722 Gloucestershire - 705 Devon and Cornwall - 661 Steve Ramsey, managing editor for motoring at said: 'Our latest research clearly highlights that some areas are worse than others when it comes to car thefts. While there's no need to panic if you live in one of the hotspots, you should take some extra steps to protect your car. 'Investing in anti-theft measures like a Thatcham-approved alarm, steering lock, or other gadgets can help keep it secure. Always park in well-lit, CCTV-monitored areas or in a garage if you can. Plus, keep your keys away from the front door and out of sight to avoid attracting thieves' attention. It's also important you get the right level of protection for your car, as third-party only policies don't offer cover for theft. 'Unfortunately, crime rates do impact insurance prices, so you might pay a higher premium if you live in an area where car theft is more common. Claiming for a theft could result in increased costs, too, but comparing policies makes sure that the impact on your wallet is kept to a minimum.' About the data The findings were based on official police data, sourced via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to UK police forces. For constabularies that didn't provide data, figures were sourced from Home Office crime figures instead. For each police force, the researchers divided the number of vehicle thefts reported in 2024 by the number of registered vehicles in the area at the end of Q2 2024 - the latest figures available at the time of writing - according to DVLA and DfT data (table VEH0105). This number was multiplied by 1,000 to give the number of thefts per thousand vehicles. The experts then divided 1,000 by this number to give the number of vehicles per theft.
