Research doesn’t show that the NHS became the top healthcare system “in the last 4 years” Speaking on radio 4’s Today programme this morning, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “Last week the independent Commonwealth Fund based in Washington rated the NHS as the top healthcare system… 24 Jun 2014 • 2:56 pm • Share Twitter Facebook Mail
Jobs growth: “ConDem fiction” or fact? In an opinion column for the Mirror this morning, associate editor Kevin Maguire claimed that behind the “jobs miracle” of the current government lay a “giant con”. Behind the two… 23 Jun 2014 • 3:04 pm • Share Twitter Facebook Mail
How to interpret health stories “If the coverage is on the radio, I recommend sticking your fingers in your ears and loudly saying ‘la-la-la’ to yourself”. So has said statistician Professor David Spiegelhalter from the… 23 Jun 2014 • 12:00 pm • Share Twitter Facebook Mail
The ‘new’ definition of ‘British values’ for academies and free schools isn’t new Today’s Guardian claimed that new funding rules brought in by the Department for Education for academies and free schools could stop conservative Muslims from becoming trustees: “The document gives for the… 20 Jun 2014 • 3:17 pm • Share Twitter Facebook Mail
Cap on welfare spending could be breached – BBC The BBC is reporting this morning that the government’s welfare cap - introduced in the 2014 Budget – could be breached as a result of rising Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)… 20 Jun 2014 • 2:03 pm • Share Twitter Facebook Mail
421 officials wrongly given early access to trade figures Some government officials – including Ministers – are routinely given early access to certain official figures. People with ‘pre-release access’ must not – by law – disclose either the numbers or hints as to… 20 Jun 2014 • 11:31 am • Share Twitter Facebook Mail
Bad graphs: The government’s employment record This graph is a favourite of the Department for Work and Pensions, and routinely takes the top spot on the department’s own website when employment figures come out: It’s perfectly… 20 Jun 2014 • 10:53 am • Share Twitter Facebook Mail
It’s too early to say with certainty how free schools are performing The Department of Education yesterday announced the approval of a further 38 free schools. Now totaling 331 open or approved free schools, the Department has said these schools are twice as likely… 20 Jun 2014 • 10:34 am • Share Twitter Facebook Mail
Proportionally, the top 1% are contributing more in income taxes On the weekly Call Clegg session on LBC radio this morning, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was asked for a reaction to reports this morning that numbers in poverty have… 19 Jun 2014 • 1:58 pm • Share Twitter Facebook Mail
£160m cost of missed GP appointments still not verified The Daily Mail reported that missed GP appointments cost the NHS £160m a year. The only source we can find for this figure is a decade old. 19 Jun 2014 • 10:19 am • Share Twitter Facebook Mail
If a house costs ten times your salary it doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t afford it The Telegraph reported this morning that house prices have risen to ten times the average salary, which could make it “almost impossible for first-time buyers without access to the ‘bank… 18 Jun 2014 • 1:40 pm • Share Twitter Facebook Mail
BBC withdraws claim that social media crimes ‘at least half’ of front line policing Crime The BBC has amended an article which earlier quoted the head of the College of Policing as saying that ‘at least half’ of front-line policing was taken up by offences related to social media. 24 Jun 2014 • 1:15 pm • Share Twitter Facebook Mail
How regularly are prisoners going on the run? Crime Is the recent spate of prisoners going on the run unusual? 23 Jun 2014 • 5:14 pm • Share Twitter Facebook Mail
Beyond cherry-picking: the fuller picture on fuel poverty Economy MPs on both sides of the debate yesterday disagreed over the government’s record on fuel poverty. As is so often the case, it depends on which measure you use; we take a look at three key trends. 20 Jun 2014 • 5:55 pm • Share Twitter Facebook Mail
The welfare budget Economy Spotlight on the welfare budget with context, key facts and main sources of information. Including: welfare spending versus social security; how big the budget is; and who pays out the money. 20 Jun 2014 • 1:20 pm • Share Twitter Facebook Mail
How overcrowded are prisons in England and Wales? Crime As the Chief Inspector of prisons criticises the current lack of resources in the Prison Service, we take a look at the numbers behind the story. 18 Jun 2014 • 4:56 pm • Share Twitter Facebook Mail
Do missed GP appointments cost the NHS £160m per year? Health Comments by the Health Secretary have sparked a debate about charging patients for doctors’ appointments. But how common are missed slots, and how much do they cost the health service? 18 Jun 2014 • 3:45 pm • Share Twitter Facebook Mail
Is the Coalition spending more than ever before on flood defences? News After MPs expressed “concern” about the amount of money set aside for protecting the countryside from floods, Environment Minister Dan Rogerson defended the government’s record. 17 Jun 2014 • 2:28 pm • Share Twitter Facebook Mail
Is Chinese investment into the UK at record levels? Economy The BBC claims Chinese investment into the UK is at record levels, but what evidence are they using? 16 Jun 2014 • 5:30 pm • Share Twitter Facebook Mail
Is Wales getting the best deal out of the EU? Europe It was claimed on last week’s Question Time that unlike the UK, Wales is a net beneficiary of the EU. But it’s not as straightforward a calculation. 13 Jun 2014 • 12:10 pm • Share Twitter Facebook Mail
Are there fewer Passport Office employees to deal with a half a million backlog? Immigration Reported delays in the processing of passport applications has hit the headlines recently, but there is little published evidence behind many of the claims being made. 11 Jun 2014 • 3:11 pm • Share Twitter Facebook Mail