[ad_1] Vanessa ClarkeEducation correspondentGetty ImagesVAT is now being added to private school fees after new rules came into force on 1 January.The government plans to spend the money raised on more teachers for state schools in England.Private schools say they have already seen a drop in secondary school pupil numbers because of higher fees.What is VAT and when was it added to private school fees?Value added tax (VAT) is one
[ad_1] BBCOn Christmas Eve, an autonomous spacecraft flew past the Sun, closer than any human-made object before it. Swooping through the atmosphere, Nasa's Parker Solar Probe was on a mission to discover more about the Sun, including how it affects space weather on Earth.This was a landmark moment for humanity – but one without any human directly involved, as the spacecraft carried out its pre-programmed tasks by itself as it
[ad_1] Sir Chris Hoy, six-time Olympic cycling champion, says there needs to be more conversations about health between men.Speaking on BBC Breakfast, following his terminal cancer prognosis, he said when you are young and fit and healthy you don't think about cancer. He's now working to promote awareness of prostate cancer and its symptoms especially amongst younger people. [ad_2] Source link
[ad_1] Michelle RobertsDigital health editor, BBC NewsGetty ImagesMPs have voted in favour of proposals to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. The bill will now face many more months of debate and scrutiny by MPs and peers, who could choose to amend it, with the approval of both Houses of Parliament needed for it to become law.It is also possible the bill could fall and not become law at
[ad_1] The NHS in England came within “six or seven hours” of running out of gowns and other protective equipment during the Covid pandemic, Matt Hancock has said.The former health secretary was giving evidence for the third time at the Covid inquiry, about the impact on healthcare systems.He stated there was never a “national shortage” of PPE for healthcare workers but “in some places, they did run out - and
[ad_1] Covid inquiryBoris Johnson’s government blocked a request to fund another 10,000 hospital beds at the height of the Covid pandemic, the chief executive of NHS England has said.Amanda Pritchard told the UK Covid-19 Inquiry the decision, made by the Treasury in July 2020, had been “very disappointing”.Extra beds and staff would have been used to cut waiting lists for planned care and “build resilience” going into a second winter
[ad_1] SPLArtwork: Uranus and its five largest moons had been thought to be inactive and sterile. The planet Uranus and its five biggest moons may not be the dead sterile worlds that scientists have long thought.Instead, they may have oceans, and the moons may even be capable of supporting life, scientists say.Much of what we know about them was gathered by Nasa’s Voyager 2 spacecraft which visited nearly 40 years
[ad_1] Covid inquiryProf Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director at NHS England, was giving evidence to the Covid inquiry in west London.The most senior doctor in NHS England has said he was "personally terrified" that hospitals could have been overwhelmed in the early stages of the pandemic.Prof Sir Stephen Powis told the Covid inquiry officials had drawn up a draft document advising whose care should be prioritised if the NHS
[ad_1] Vaping products are already subject to 20% VAT but, unlike tobacco, they do not attract a separate additional tax.As part of the Autumn Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that a vaping products duty will start on 1 October 2026.It will be charged at a flat rate of £2.20 per 10ml vaping liquid. At the same time, tobacco duty will be increased to preserve the financial incentive to switch to
[ad_1] Alison HoltSocial affairs editorBecky MortonPolitical reporterGetty ImagesThe Liberal Democrats have called on the government to exempt social care from the rise in National Insurance. The party said the chancellor had provided extra funding for the NHS and other public sector organisations to cover the cost of the tax rise - but because the vast majority of care providers are private they would not benefit from this.Speaking to BBC Radio
