Jenny Cuffe investigates how British-based Somalis are being lured into fighting for the al-Qaeda-linked Islamists of al-Shabaab.
There have been consistent rumours that dozens, perhaps scores of British-based Somali men have travelled to Somalia to join the militant Islamist group which was banned by the British Government earlier this year.
In September the rumours were given new urgency when the Director of MI5, Jonathan Evans, warned it was only a matter of time before the UK suffered an act of terrorism committed by al-Shabaab-trained Britons.
File on 4 explores the techniques used by Al-Shabaab to persuade young members of the 250,000-strong British Somali community to sign up for Jihad in Somalia. Members of the close-knit and reticent British Somali community tell Jenny Cuffe of their fears that youngsters are being seduced through the internet and by shadowy recruiting sergeants for the Horn of Africa's most feared military force.
And the programme travels to the state of Minnesota to see how a vigorous FBI investigation and cooperation from the Somali community have laid-bare a pipeline which first lured, then transported young American Somalis to the training camps and battlefields of Somalia.
Producer: Andy Denwood.
To listen to the report, click here
Saturday, 6 November 2010
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
Council tax exemption for families who have children in FE or HE is also set to be a thing of the past
Historically parents of low income families have had the opportunity to offset their council tax against the prospect of their children attending FE/HE instiutions. The CSR has changed all that; the end of Local Education Authorities is near. As a result of this, their powers to issue grants and underwrite the policy of students being exempt from paying council tax is set to disappear. One massive reason for this is the 300% increase in tuition fees for university students that will price out the poor from attending universities and widen the gap between the haves and the have nots. Universal education in the United Kingdom is set to change forever.
University fees may rise to £9,000
Press Association 3/11/2010
Universities Minister David Willetts announced proposals to raise the tuition fee cap to £6,000, with institutions able to charge up to £9,000 in "exceptional circumstances."
He told MPs: "We believe a limit is desirable and are therefore proposing a basic threshold of £6,000 per annum, in exceptional circumstances there would be an absolute limit of £9,000."
Students currently pay £3,290 per year in tuition fees.
No publicly-funded university will be able to charge more than £9,000 for undergraduate courses, Mr Willetts said.
Institutions who impose fees of more than £6,000 will have to take part in a £150 million National Scholarships scheme - a bid to ensure that poorer students are not priced out of higher education.
The National Union of Students has previously called plans to effectively treble tuition fees "dangerous", warning that there is a risk students will be unable to afford to attend England elite universities.
NUS president Aaron Porter said earlier that they would also "saddle a generation with huge debts before they have even got on their bikes to find work".
In an oral statement, Mr Willetts told the Commons that the Government wanted to see universities offering scholarships to targeted students, which would mean their first year at university is free.
Institutions charging over £6,000 will also face new sanctions requiring them to offer outreach activities to attract poorer pupils, as well as financial support.
The end of 'permanent' social housing..
The difference between temporary and permanent social housing has been a hot topic for years. It is now set to end.
Social landlords to set tenancies and rents
20 October 2010 | By Tom Lloyd
Social landlords are to be given the freedom to raise rents towards market levels and introduce time-limited tenancies, the government has announced.
Under plans in today’s comprehensive spending review, landlords will be able to set rents between social and market levels for new tenants. They will also be able to offer fixed-term tenancies rather than agreements for life.
In his speech to Parliament, chancellor George Osborne said new social tenants could be ‘offered intermediate rents at around 80 per cent of market rent’.
The CSR document is less explicit, stating: ‘Social landlords will be able to offer a growing proportion of new social tenants new intermediate rental contracts that are more flexible, at rent levels between current market and social rents.’
It adds: ‘The government wants to make social housing more responsive, flexible and fair so that more people can access social housing in ways that better reflect their needs.’
Mr Osborne said that the new flexibilities would allow 150,000 affordable homes to be built over the next four years, coupled with £4.4 billion of investment. This is a cut of around 50 per cent on current levels of investment.
Richard Parker, head of housing at Pricewaterhousecoopers, said: ‘The introduction of “flexible tenancy”, for people who move into council housing for the first time, represents a paradigm shift in housing policy. But it could backfire if it’s not supported by a new approach to housing allocations.
‘If social housing continues to be allocated to those in greatest need, the government will in the first instance be housing people that will find it hardest to improve their circumstances. Rather than creating flexible tenures, the government could end up reinforcing residualisation
Social landlords to set tenancies and rents
20 October 2010 | By Tom Lloyd
Social landlords are to be given the freedom to raise rents towards market levels and introduce time-limited tenancies, the government has announced.
Under plans in today’s comprehensive spending review, landlords will be able to set rents between social and market levels for new tenants. They will also be able to offer fixed-term tenancies rather than agreements for life.
In his speech to Parliament, chancellor George Osborne said new social tenants could be ‘offered intermediate rents at around 80 per cent of market rent’.
The CSR document is less explicit, stating: ‘Social landlords will be able to offer a growing proportion of new social tenants new intermediate rental contracts that are more flexible, at rent levels between current market and social rents.’
It adds: ‘The government wants to make social housing more responsive, flexible and fair so that more people can access social housing in ways that better reflect their needs.’
Mr Osborne said that the new flexibilities would allow 150,000 affordable homes to be built over the next four years, coupled with £4.4 billion of investment. This is a cut of around 50 per cent on current levels of investment.
Richard Parker, head of housing at Pricewaterhousecoopers, said: ‘The introduction of “flexible tenancy”, for people who move into council housing for the first time, represents a paradigm shift in housing policy. But it could backfire if it’s not supported by a new approach to housing allocations.
‘If social housing continues to be allocated to those in greatest need, the government will in the first instance be housing people that will find it hardest to improve their circumstances. Rather than creating flexible tenures, the government could end up reinforcing residualisation
Crackdown on benefit cheats begins.......
Homelessness warning over new powers to tackle benefit and tax fraud
DWP crackdown to recover £1.1 billion
29/10/2010 | By Martin Hilditch
Homelessness departments face picking up the cost of a new drive by the Department for Work and Pensions to reduce fraud and error.
The DWP and HM Revenue & Customs published a joint plan last week outlining how they would work together to tackle fraud and error in the benefit and tax credit system.
It outlines how the government is planning to increase the amount it recovers by £1.1 billion by introducing new powers that allow the DWP to recover debts incurred through official error.
The DWP loses £1 billion to fraud, £1.1 billion due to official error and £1.1 billion due to customer error every year (see graph), the document reveals. The £3.1 billion lost is equivalent to 2.1 per cent of total expenditure.
The plan states: ‘While the department must take responsibility for payments made mistakenly by our staff, that does not give claimants the right to keep hold of public money not intended for them.’
The new plan states that the government feels its current debt recovery regime is ‘too slow’ and ‘does not provide a significant return for the taxpayer’.
New powers could lead to an increase in homelessness because the DWP will be able to seek a court order requiring debtors to sell their house to pay off debts or seize the assets of people who have consistently refused to pay.
In future the DWP will also seek powers to increase the rate at which it can recoup fraud-related debts from means tested benefits from £13.20 per week to £16.50 - a 25 per cent increase.
It will also introduce a system that allows it to require that money is deducted from an employee’s earnings. It can currently apply to a court for this option but it will seek powers to allow it to introduce a new ‘fast track’ system that bypasses the need.
Council homelessness officials, however, are understood to be alarmed that the tough new regime will see their costs jump dramatically. The increasingly tough approach has already had an impact in some local authority areas.
One source said that he has already seen an increase in contact from people who have been pursued by HMRC and have lost their homes as a result.
‘The end result is those claimants end up here,’ he said. ‘We then pick up the costs via housing benefit.
DWP crackdown to recover £1.1 billion
29/10/2010 | By Martin Hilditch
Homelessness departments face picking up the cost of a new drive by the Department for Work and Pensions to reduce fraud and error.
The DWP and HM Revenue & Customs published a joint plan last week outlining how they would work together to tackle fraud and error in the benefit and tax credit system.
It outlines how the government is planning to increase the amount it recovers by £1.1 billion by introducing new powers that allow the DWP to recover debts incurred through official error.
The DWP loses £1 billion to fraud, £1.1 billion due to official error and £1.1 billion due to customer error every year (see graph), the document reveals. The £3.1 billion lost is equivalent to 2.1 per cent of total expenditure.
The plan states: ‘While the department must take responsibility for payments made mistakenly by our staff, that does not give claimants the right to keep hold of public money not intended for them.’
The new plan states that the government feels its current debt recovery regime is ‘too slow’ and ‘does not provide a significant return for the taxpayer’.
New powers could lead to an increase in homelessness because the DWP will be able to seek a court order requiring debtors to sell their house to pay off debts or seize the assets of people who have consistently refused to pay.
In future the DWP will also seek powers to increase the rate at which it can recoup fraud-related debts from means tested benefits from £13.20 per week to £16.50 - a 25 per cent increase.
It will also introduce a system that allows it to require that money is deducted from an employee’s earnings. It can currently apply to a court for this option but it will seek powers to allow it to introduce a new ‘fast track’ system that bypasses the need.
Council homelessness officials, however, are understood to be alarmed that the tough new regime will see their costs jump dramatically. The increasingly tough approach has already had an impact in some local authority areas.
One source said that he has already seen an increase in contact from people who have been pursued by HMRC and have lost their homes as a result.
‘The end result is those claimants end up here,’ he said. ‘We then pick up the costs via housing benefit.
Inside Housing - Social engineering in Brent?
29 October 2010 | By Carl Brown
Planning consent has been granted for a £4.5 billion scheme in London which will deliver 7,500 homes.
A section 106 deal has been agreed between Barnet Council and Brent Cross Cricklewood Development Partners - a consortium of real estate company Hammerson PLC and asset manager Standard Life Investments.
The deal, which will see BCCDP contribute nearly £1 billion towards transport and community infrastructure, means full planning consent for the scheme has now been granted.
Work on the scheme was halted earlier this year when then communities secretary John Denham issued a ‘stop notice’ to allow further consideration of the plans. After the election his successor, Eric Pickles, ruled there was no need for a public inquiry into the scheme and work could go ahead.
Jonathan Joseph, development director for BCCDP, said: ‘A vital part of our work moving forward will be engagement with local people and the wider community to ensure that everyone is fully involved with and informed of our plans.’
Planning consent has been granted for a £4.5 billion scheme in London which will deliver 7,500 homes.
A section 106 deal has been agreed between Barnet Council and Brent Cross Cricklewood Development Partners - a consortium of real estate company Hammerson PLC and asset manager Standard Life Investments.
The deal, which will see BCCDP contribute nearly £1 billion towards transport and community infrastructure, means full planning consent for the scheme has now been granted.
Work on the scheme was halted earlier this year when then communities secretary John Denham issued a ‘stop notice’ to allow further consideration of the plans. After the election his successor, Eric Pickles, ruled there was no need for a public inquiry into the scheme and work could go ahead.
Jonathan Joseph, development director for BCCDP, said: ‘A vital part of our work moving forward will be engagement with local people and the wider community to ensure that everyone is fully involved with and informed of our plans.’
Inside Housing - £946m fund to drive house building
1 November 2010 | By Rhiannon Bury
The government is putting £946 million into a scheme to incentivise house building over four years.
The Local Growth white paper published last week confirmed details of funding for the New Homes Bonus scheme. £196 million will be available next year, with £250 million in each of the next three years.
Starting in 2011/12 the scheme will match fund the additional council tax for each new home built and property brought back into use for six years after the work is completed.
For affordable homes the government will increase payments to 125 per cent of the council tax income.
The white paper says the government will publish a consultation with its proposed model for the New Homes Bonus ‘shortly’.
It calls the scheme the ‘cornerstone of the new framework for incentivising housing growth’, and indicates that it will be a permanent part of the local government finance system.
The government is putting £946 million into a scheme to incentivise house building over four years.
The Local Growth white paper published last week confirmed details of funding for the New Homes Bonus scheme. £196 million will be available next year, with £250 million in each of the next three years.
Starting in 2011/12 the scheme will match fund the additional council tax for each new home built and property brought back into use for six years after the work is completed.
For affordable homes the government will increase payments to 125 per cent of the council tax income.
The white paper says the government will publish a consultation with its proposed model for the New Homes Bonus ‘shortly’.
It calls the scheme the ‘cornerstone of the new framework for incentivising housing growth’, and indicates that it will be a permanent part of the local government finance system.
Inside Housing - Government shifts responsibility for ASB
2 November 2010 | By Rhiannon Bury
Communities and local agencies should take the lead in tackling anti-social behaviour, the minister responsible for crime prevention has said.
Speaking at the Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group conference in Birmingham today, James Brokenshire said the government wants to shift accountability from national to local level.
‘The problems of anti-social behaviour haven’t gone away, and the system routinely fails the most vulnerable,’ he said.
‘The government wants to see a shift, a new approach that gets rid of diktats and bureaucracy and sees professionals and communities join forces to beat the problem.’
He said communities would be given the tools and powers to tackle anti-social behaviour, but that they also need to recognise their role in tackling the problem.
‘We want tools that are restorative, to nip bad behaviour in the bud. Even in difficult times tackling anti-social behaviour must be core business for all of us,’ he said.
Sarah Webb, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, said the speech was about the political agenda.
She said: ‘I don’t think the biggest problem we are all facing is not knowing what local communities want.’
Communities and local agencies should take the lead in tackling anti-social behaviour, the minister responsible for crime prevention has said.
Speaking at the Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group conference in Birmingham today, James Brokenshire said the government wants to shift accountability from national to local level.
‘The problems of anti-social behaviour haven’t gone away, and the system routinely fails the most vulnerable,’ he said.
‘The government wants to see a shift, a new approach that gets rid of diktats and bureaucracy and sees professionals and communities join forces to beat the problem.’
He said communities would be given the tools and powers to tackle anti-social behaviour, but that they also need to recognise their role in tackling the problem.
‘We want tools that are restorative, to nip bad behaviour in the bud. Even in difficult times tackling anti-social behaviour must be core business for all of us,’ he said.
Sarah Webb, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, said the speech was about the political agenda.
She said: ‘I don’t think the biggest problem we are all facing is not knowing what local communities want.’
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