Daily roundup 24 February: Teenage pregnancy, pay rates, and child abductions

The teenage pregnancy rate for England and Wales fell between 2012 and 2013, latest data from the Office of National Statistics shows. The under 18 conception rate in 2013 was 24.5 per 1,000, down from 27.9 per 1,000 in 2012; while the under 16 conception rate in 2013 was 4.9 per 1,000, down from 5.6 per 1,000 the year before. Jules Hillier, deputy chief executive of sexual health charity Brook said the falls were "testament to a lot of hard work that must be sustained even in the face of spending cuts".


The Confederation of British Industry has welcomed the Low Pay Commission’s (LPC) recommendations to increase the minimum wage for young people. The LPC has recommended all pay rates for 16- to 17-year-olds rise by 2.2 per cent rise and 3.3 per cent for 18- to 20-year-olds. In addition, pay for apprentices should increase by 2.5 per cent to £2.80.


Child abduction and kidnapping offences have risen across Britain in a year, according to Parents and Abducted Children Together. It claims there has been an increase of 13 per cent between 2012/13 and 2013/14, with nearly 900 offences taking places across England, Northern Ireland and Wales. However, only around half of police forces reported an increase.


A website designed to help children and young people who are confused and intimidated by the criminal justice system has been launched by Victim Support. It aims to rid fears from children who are testifying in court by looking into different types of crime, support available and feelings after testifying. Amanda Naylor, senior manager of Children and Young People services at Victim Support said: “We planned and developed this website in collaboration with a panel of under-18s as we wanted to make sure it would work for them.”


Carers Trust has launched a campaign calling on universities to identify the number of young adult carers attending their university or college and ensure they receive sufficient support to maintain good mental health, complete their course and achieve the best grades possible. The trust says the campaign is needed to get an accurate figure on the number of young adult carers. It has launched a free resource for use by managers and staff working in universities called Supporting Students with Caring Responsibilities: Ideas and Practice for Universities to Help Student Carers Access and Succeed in Higher Education.


There has led to a dramatic fall in the amount of money that families are saving, figures from the Office for Budget Responsibility show. This year, total households will save just 5.4 per cent of their take-home pay – the lowest percentage since records began 18 years ago. The Mail reports that people have been deterred from saving because they believe their job is secure and their home will grow in value.