Migrants have returned to the accommodation barge Bibby Stockholm, which can house up to 500 individuals awaiting asylum decisions, after it was evacuated in August due to Legionella bacteria in the water supply. The Home Office has declared it ‘safe and secure’ following remediation efforts. Using it is part of a government policy to reduce the costs of housing migrants in hotels. Critics have raised concerns about the conditions on the barge, with Amnesty International likening it to ‘prison hulks from the Victorian era’. This comes after a legal challenge against housing asylum seekers on the vessel was dismissed in court. A further judicial review challenge regarding planning jurisdiction has been initiated. The Archbishop of Canterbury had previously called for a pause in the scheme for further consultation.

A study suggests that 95,000 to 167,000 people in England may have contracted Covid-19 in hospitals during the second wave of the pandemic, from June 2020 to March 2021. Researchers from Oxford University analysed data from 145 English NHS acute hospital trusts, considering factors like the availability of single rooms and vaccination of healthcare workers. The study found that 1% to 2% of all hospital admissions during this period led to hospital-acquired infections. The highest infection rates were observed in the north-west regions of England. The research underscores the importance of improving hospital design to limit the transmission of future pathogens and the need for measures to reduce hospital transmissions. Vaccination of healthcare workers was associated with lower infection rates. The findings are significant for protecting vulnerable patients, healthcare workers, and communities.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has warned that the various schemes designed to support economically inactive individuals back into work are failing to meet their needs. A study commissioned by the LGA revealed that 51 national job support programmes are not coordinated and only a few specifically address economic inactivity. According to the Office of National Statistics, around 8.7 million people aged 16 to 64 in the UK were economically inactive between May and September. The LGA argues that many individuals who are fit for work and want a job do not receive support from job centres because they do not claim out-of-work benefits, resulting in unfilled vacancies. It called for better collaboration between Whitehall departments and local councils to address the complex reasons why people are economically inactive, such as health conditions or a lack of skills.

78 ordinands and clergy in training within the Church of England sent a letter to the House of Bishops expressing concern over the potential introduction of same-sex blessing prayers and accompanying pastoral guidance, which they believe would depart from historic Christian teaching. This was before the bishops' recent decision to commend 'in principle' same-sex blessing prayers and announce that draft pastoral guidance will be presented to the General Synod next month. The ordinands and clergy fear that these developments will lead to fracturing within the Church of England and leave them feeling ‘vulnerable and concerned’. They requested that the prayers should not be implemented, arguing that previous decisions during the 'Living in Love and Faith' process have already reduced the number of ordinands and created uncertainty for those who adhere to orthodox beliefs within the church.