THE GUARDIAN: Steep rise in first half of 2022 follows trend from previous year, when Covid pandemic caused financial uncertainty
The number of abortions in England and Wales has risen sharply, with a charity saying that growing financial pressure on families could mean it continues to rise.
The number increased by 17%, from 105,488 between January and June 2021 to 123,219 over the same period in 2022, according to a report by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). » | Alexandra Topping | Thursday, June 22, 2023
Showing posts with label England and Wales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label England and Wales. Show all posts
Thursday, June 22, 2023
Tuesday, November 29, 2022
England and Wales Now Minority Christian Countries, Census Reveals
THE GUARDIAN: Data shows Leicester and Birmingham have become UK’s first ‘minority majority’ cities in new age of ‘super-diversity’
England and Wales are now minority Christian countries, according to the 2021 census, which also shows that Leicester and Birmingham have become the first UK cities to have “minority majorities”.
The census also reveals a 5.5 million drop in the number of Christians and a 44% rise in the number of people following Islam. It is the first time in a census of England and Wales that less than half of the population have described themselves as “Christian”.
Meanwhile, 37.2% of people – 22.2 million – declared they had “no religion”, the second most common response after Christian.It means that over the past 20 years the proportion of people reporting no religion has soared from 14.8%. » | Robert Booth,, Pamela Duncan and Carmen Aguilar García | Tuesday, November 29, 2022
Less than half of England and Wales population Christian, Census 2021 shows: Fewer than half of people in England and Wales describe themselves as Christian for the first time, the 2021 census has revealed. »
England and Wales are now minority Christian countries, according to the 2021 census, which also shows that Leicester and Birmingham have become the first UK cities to have “minority majorities”.
The census also reveals a 5.5 million drop in the number of Christians and a 44% rise in the number of people following Islam. It is the first time in a census of England and Wales that less than half of the population have described themselves as “Christian”.
Meanwhile, 37.2% of people – 22.2 million – declared they had “no religion”, the second most common response after Christian.It means that over the past 20 years the proportion of people reporting no religion has soared from 14.8%. » | Robert Booth,, Pamela Duncan and Carmen Aguilar García | Tuesday, November 29, 2022
Less than half of England and Wales population Christian, Census 2021 shows: Fewer than half of people in England and Wales describe themselves as Christian for the first time, the 2021 census has revealed. »
Friday, September 16, 2022
Companies Declared Insolvent in England and Wales Jump by 43%
THE GUARDIAN: Businesses may struggle as consumers cut back spending amid high inflation and rising fuel costs, economists warn
The number of companies in England and Wales declared insolvent jumped by 43% in August, according to government data, which adds to concerns for the health of the UK economy.
There were 1,933 insolvencies in August, compared with 1,348 in the same month last year, the Insolvency Service said. It was 42% above the level in August 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
Economists are concerned that businesses will increasingly struggle as consumers cut back spending amid high inflation. The government has stepped in with an energy price freeze that will cushion the blow of increased cost of gas and electricity, but the unit price paid by households this winter will still be well over double the levels of recent years. » | Jasper Jolly | Friday, September 16, 2022
Clearly, this must be one of the benefits of Brexit! – © Mark Alexander
The number of companies in England and Wales declared insolvent jumped by 43% in August, according to government data, which adds to concerns for the health of the UK economy.
There were 1,933 insolvencies in August, compared with 1,348 in the same month last year, the Insolvency Service said. It was 42% above the level in August 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
Economists are concerned that businesses will increasingly struggle as consumers cut back spending amid high inflation. The government has stepped in with an energy price freeze that will cushion the blow of increased cost of gas and electricity, but the unit price paid by households this winter will still be well over double the levels of recent years. » | Jasper Jolly | Friday, September 16, 2022
Clearly, this must be one of the benefits of Brexit! – © Mark Alexander
Tuesday, February 04, 2014
Sale of Ultra-cheap Alcohol to Be Banned in England and Wales
The government is to ban the sale of the cheapest alcohol in England and Wales, the Home Office has announced. Ministers hope the move, which will come into force on 6 April, will stop the worst instances of deep discounting, which has resulted in cans of lager being sold more cheaply than water in supermarkets.
An official impact assessment says that the ban on sales of alcohol at below cost, defined as duty plus VAT, will mean an ordinary 440ml can of beer or lager cannot be sold below 50p.
The new "floor price" for a bottle of wine will be £2.24; a bottle of vodka or other spirits will cost a minimum of £10.16.
Low-strength beers that have an alcoholic content of 1.2% or less will be exempt from the policy, as will duty-free sales on ships, aircraft and in airports. Read on and comment » | Alan Travis, home affairs editor | Tuesday, February 04, 2014
Thursday, April 22, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: The leader of Catholics in England and Wales, Archbishop Vincent Nichols, has issued a statement expressing "deep shame" over the child abuse scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church.
The Archbishop of Westminster referred to the "inadequate response by some church leaders" to the "terrible crimes" committed.
He said: "The criminal offences committed by some priests and religious are a profound scandal. They bring deep shame to the whole church."
"We express our heartfelt apology and deep sorrow to those who have suffered abuse, those who have felt ignored, disbelieved or betrayed.
"We ask their pardon, and the pardon of God for these terrible deeds done in our midst. There can be no excuses.
The statement made at the Bishops' Conference in England and Wales said the church would do everything possible to bring the perpetrators to justice.
"We recognise the failings of some Bishops and religious leaders in handling these matters. These, too, are aspects of this tragedy which we deeply regret and for which we apologise. >>> Peter Hutchison | Thursday, April 22, 2010
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
YAHOO! NEWS: Jack and Olivia have been revealed as the most popular names for babies born last year - with Mohammed leaping into second place for boys.
Jack retained its top spot for the 14th year in England and Wales, while Olivia rose two places from 2007, the Office for National Statistics said.
Mohammed comes in at number two when its various spellings, such as Muhammad and Mohammad, are included.
Without the variations Mohammed has shot up 18 places over the last year to 16th.
There were no new entries in the top 10 most popular names for baby boys - and only three in the top 100 - while Evie made its debut in the list of top 10 girls' names.
The top 10 baby names for boys were, in order of popularity: Jack, Oliver, Thomas, Harry, Joshua, Alfie, Charlie, Daniel, James and William.
And the top 10 baby names for girls were: Olivia, Ruby, Emily, Grace, Jessica, Chloe, Sophie, Lily, Amelia and Evie.
Jack, which first claimed number one in 1995, was the most popular boy's name in all-but-one month last year. >>> © Sky News | Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Friday, May 09, 2008
BBC: The Archbishop of Westminster has urged Christians to treat atheists and agnostics with "deep esteem".
Believers may be partly responsible for the decline in faith by losing sense of the mystery and treating God as a "fact in the world", he said in a lecture.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor called for more understanding and appreciation between believers and non-believers.
The leader of Roman Catholics in England and Wales said that a "hidden God" was active in everyone's life.
The Cardinal's lecture at Westminster Cathedral comes after a spate of public clashes over issues such as stem-cell research, gay adoption and faith schools.
Mystery of God
He expressed concern about the increasing unpopularity of the Christian voice in public life, saying: "Our life together in Britain cannot be a God-free zone and we must not allow Britain to become a world devoid of religious faith and its powerful contribution to the common good."
Last year, he complained of a "new secularist intolerance of religion" and the state's "increasing acceptance" of anti-religious views.
To stem this tide, he said Christians must understand they have something in common with those who do not believe.
God is not a "fact in the world" as though God could be treated as "one thing among other things to be empirically investigated" and affirmed or denied on the "basis of observation", said Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor.
"If Christians really believed in the mystery of God, we would realise that proper talk about God is always difficult, always tentative.
"I want to encourage people of faith to regard those without faith with deep esteem because the hidden God is active in their lives as well as in the lives of those who believe." 'Respect Atheists', Says Cardinal >>> | May 9, 2008
THE GUARDIAN:
Cardinal Says Britain Must Not Be a 'God-free Zone' >>> By Riazat Butt | May 9, 2008
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback - UK)
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