News round-up 29/8: Free schools in mobile classrooms

Education

Due to planning problems, almost half of the free schools opening next week will be in mobile classrooms or temporary premises. The Times says the situation has delivered “a blow” to the credibility of education secretary Michael Gove’s programme.

Economy

Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg is calling for an emergency tax for Britain’s wealthiest people, the Guardian reports. In an interview with the paper, Mr Clegg says he is attempting to persuade his Conservative coalition partners that the rich should shoulder a greater burden of the economic pain to avoid a breakdown in social cohesion.

NHS

The Guardian reports that the NHS Commissioning Board, which is due to take over £30bn of health spending from next year, is struggling to recruit enough senior staff to make it “operationally viable.”

Welfare reform

The Independent reports that more than 40 doctors and nurses working for Atos have been reported to medical regulators for professional misconduct as the firm faces accusations that its assessors are classifying seriously sick and disabled people suitable for work.

As the Paralympic Games open in London today, organisers have defended the involvement of the Games’ main sponsor Atos, despite threats of a “day of action” from disability rights activists, the Guardian writes. In addition to providing the technology for the Games’ information system, Atos is involved in carrying out the Government’s tests to determine whether claimants on incapacity benefits are “fit to work”.

Employment

London Mayor Boris Johnson and the Department of Work and Pensions have announced that young Londoners claiming benefits will be forced to work unpaid for 13 weeks or lose their benefits, the Guardian reports.

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