Daily roundup 16 December: Homelessness, sugar tax and brushing teeth

More than 2,500 children are unlawfully accommodated in unsuitable bed and breakfast facilities in England, official homelessness statistics have suggested. The Guardian reports that data released by the Department for Communities and Local Government shows that 1,300 households with children were residents in B&Bs for longer than six weeks at the end of September - a 24 per cent year-on-year increase.


The government's sugar tax will see cases of obesity among primary school children reduced by a tenth when it is imposed, experts at Oxford University have predicted. The Daily Mail reports that scientists have calculated there will be 144,000 fewer cases of obesity among children and adults if the levy on sugar-laden soft drinks achieves its goals. The levy, which is to be introduced in April 2018, will have the biggest impact among under-11s, with 45,700 fewer cases.


Children should be taught how to brush their teeth by schools, health experts have said. The Telegraph reports that new guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said teachers and school nurses should supervise brushing in a bid to drive down rates of tooth decay.?


Education officials have established an agreement to share personal details of up to 1,500 schoolchildren a month with the Home Office to "create a hostile environment" in schools for illegal migrants, documents have revealed. The Guardian reports that the agreement - which has been in place since June 2015 - is outlined in a memorandum of understanding between the Department for Education and the Home Office. It was released on Thursday after several organisations made a Freedom of Information request.?


A lollipop lady at a school in Wales, has been ordered to stop "high-fiving" school children as they cross the road. The Mirror reports that bosses at the Vale of Glamorgan Council ordered the popular lollipop lady at St Illtyd's Primary School to stop the practice following a complaint.?


Child sex abuse victims who have been angered by the government's crisis-hit official inquiry have published their own report. The Telegraph reports that evidence compiled by the Shirley Oaks Survivor Association identifies 60 individuals it claims were paedophiles and details a cover-up by authorities. The evidence has prompted Lambeth Council in London to offer compensation to thousands of children in its care over 30 years.