Daily roundup 17 March: Minimum wage, Haringey serious case review, and food banks

The minimum wage for apprentices will rise by 20 per cent to £3.30 an hour, the government has announced. The BBC reports that the statutory minimum wage for 18- to 20-year-olds will also go up by three per cent from October, from £5.13 to £5.30, and by two per cent for 16- and 17-year-olds, up to £3.87.


A young baby suffered broken bones in the care of relatives after failings by agencies – including Haringey Council. The BBC reports that a serious case review into injuries suffered by "Baby D" revealed that the baby's family had "a history of violence" and were known to Haringey children's services, which conceded more could have been done to protect the child.


Labour will aim to reduce the number of food banks operating in the UK if it comes to power, the shadow work and pensions secretary has said. The Guardian reports that Rachel Reeves said the party's record on welfare should be judged on whether it succeeds in drastically reducing the number of people reliant on food handouts.


Bright children from poor backgrounds are less likely to get good grades in respected A-level subjects compared with other young people, according to research by academics at the University of Oxford. The Times reports a study of thousands of children found 60 per cent of young people that did well in primary school managed to achieve three A-levels compared with just 35 per cent of those from poorer families.


Children under the age of five have been stopped and searched by West Mercia Police, according to figures released following a Freedom of Information Act. The Shropshire Star reports that more than 1,300 children have been subject to a stop and search by West Mercia Police over the past two years. Three of them were under the age of five.