All of the bad news the federal government attempted to bury before MPs packed their bags to go on holiday
The Commons was hit with a chaotic flurry of reports and information a week ago before MPs packed their bags for their long summer break.
And hidden away within the traditional pre-recess flood of material was, the Mirror reports, some of the bad news the federal government prefer to didn't receive an excessive amount of attention. Here are a few from the highlights.
Home Office slammed over asylum accommodation
A blistering report accused the house Office of "failures of leadership" that resulted in "dangerous shortcomings" at two former Army camps housing asylum seekers.
The final report of the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration on Penally Camp, Pembrokeshire, and Napier Barracks, Kent, was published hours before MPs left for their summer break.
It was just released after senior MP Yvette Cooper, chair of the Home Affairs Committee, accused the house Office of sitting on it "for a lot of months" in a "Kafkaesque" situation.
The report found a major Covid outbreak this past year at Napier Barracks, where 59 asylum seekers continue to be housed in dormitories, was "virtually inevitable" once one person was infected.
And "despite a large fire, inadequate action have been come to address ongoing serious fire safety concerns at Napier," the report said.
The report concluded: "Home Office staff were rarely present at either site. There have been fundamental failures of leadership and planning by the Home Office, which had resulted in dangerous shortcomings within the nature of the accommodation and poor experiences for that residents."
Ms Cooper said: "This can be a damning report that shows a complete failure by the Office at home to follow along with public health advice or meet basic standards of competence and safety.
"Yet rather than recognise the problems, ministers have clearly tried to hide it by releasing it other family members . from the Parliamentary session, the next day the Select Committee, if you find virtually no time for scrutiny, while they received it in May."
A Home Office spokesperson said: “During the peak of the unprecedented health pandemic, to make sure asylum seekers were not left destitute, additional accommodation was required at extremely short notice.
“We have made significant improvements towards the site since this report was come up with and continue to work ensure that residents are secure, secure as well as their essential needs are met.”
The countless pounds Post Office failures will cost taxpayers
Dozens of postmasters who have been wrongly found guilty of taking money in the Mailbox will be able to claim up to lb100,000 each in compensation, paid for through the taxpayers
The price of a bungled computer system to the taxpayer was laid bare inside a statement issued hours before Parliament rose for the summer break.
So far, 57 postmasters have had their convictions for accounting along with other offences overturned by the Court of Appeal, and hundreds more are awaiting similar decisions.
And it doesn't end at lb100,000 each. Ministers will ensure those affected are not left out of pocket because they and also the Mailbox work toward full settlements for the "immense hardship" they've faced.
Plans to increase sick pay to 2 million people are ditched
Ministers have come under fire for scrapping plans to extend Statutory Sick Pay.
Two years back, the Government said there was "a case" for removing the requirement of claimants to earn a minimum of lb120 a week.
But the reforms were ditched in a long-awaited consultation response – prompting fury from unions.
TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "The federal government has abandoned countless low-paid workers at the worst possible time."
'Beautiful streets' promise quietly watered down
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has quietly watered down his promise that new housing developments should have tree-lined streets legally.
Mr Jenrick said inside a radio interview in 2021: “There will a legal requirement to possess tree-lined streets for those new developments, to ensure that people can live in beautiful and engaging neighbourhoods."
But his final planning reforms published now do not go that far.
Instead, inside a written statement, Mr Jenrick said the changes will “ask'' for new streets to be tree-lined, unless there are "clear, justifiable and compelling explanations why this is inappropriate”.
This may obviously be totally sensible – but it suggests he overegged the policy.
A Ministry of Housing, Communities and native Government spokesperson said: “We have set a definite, national expectation that new streets should be tree lined with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). “
Tory donors taken care of Boris Johnson's flat facelift
The refurbishment of Boris Johnson's Downing Street flat was originally paid for with cash from Tory donors.
We long knew this because of leaks in the press, however it was finally confirmed last Thursday.
Where? Within the fourth footnote around the 208th page from the Cabinet Office's annual report and accounts.
The Prime Minister eventually refunded the price of the lavish upgrade to the apartment above 11 Downing Street – but only after press reports from the original supply of funds.
The report states lb28,647 of the PM's lb30k taxpayer budget was spent on refurbishments, including painting and sanding of floorboards.
But “additional invoices” worth lb58,000 for any luxury renovation were received and paid through the Cabinet Office – and billed towards the Conservative Party in July 2021.
Damning ruling around the plight of ladies denied state pension
A long-awaited report said the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) didn't communicate changes to the state pension age to women with enough urgency.
It uses years of battles for approximately 3.8million women born within the 1950s, who had hawaii pension age hiked to 66, the same as for men.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) said the department didn't act quickly enough once it knew a substantial proportion of ladies were unaware of the changes.
Amanda Amroliwala, Ombudsman CEO, said: "We will now consider the impact of those failings, and what action should be come to address them."
A DWP spokesperson said: "Both the High Court and Court of Appeal have supported the actions from the DWP, under successive governments dating back to 1995, and also the Supreme Court refused the claimants permission to appeal."
A pay cut in excess of 500,000 teachers and police
Tory ministers confirmed a real-terms pay cut for thousands and thousands of teachers and cops.
Pay is going to be frozen in 2021/22 for police officers in England and Wales, and teachers in England. That's a pay cut when compared to the 2.4% inflation rate.
A written statement to Parliament confirmed the news – first trailed by Chancellor Rishi Sunak this past year.
There is going to be exemptions to the freeze for individuals who earn less than lb24,000, or less than lb28,681 in inner London for teachers. Those lower-earning workers will get an increase of lb250 over the year.
But this exemption covers just 6,000 unqualified teachers along with a few police officers, because the great majority earn over lb24,000 already.
Women could wait another eight months for abortion rights
Women in Northern Ireland will be able to have abortions in the province by March at the latest after leaders were told to create terminations available.
Changes to abortion laws took effect this past year – but the commissioning of services stalled amid bitter political wrangling. Now the UK government has acted, but it might be another eight-month wait.
Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said: “I am issuing a direction towards the Department of Health, the Minister of Health, the Health and Social Care Board, and also to the foremost and deputy First Minister, to commission and make abortion services obtainable in Northern Ireland as quickly as possible, and no after March 31, 2022.”
For more stories where you reside, visit InYourArea.
