Daily roundup 29 February: Cuts, school places, and bedroom tax

Chancellor George Osborne has warned he may have to slash public spending further than planned next month. The Daily Mail reports that Osborne said "storm clouds" across the world have left Britain's economy smaller than expected when he set out spending plans in last November's Budget.


Local authorities have warned that their duty to ensure all children have a school place will soon become undeliverable. The BBC reports that the Local Government Association has called for more power to open new maintained schools and compel academies to expand.


Appeals against the government's "bedroom tax" are to be examined by the highest court in the country this week. The BBC reports that the Supreme Court will examine cases where people claim the removal of the government's spare room subsidy is discriminatory.


A nursery in Oxford has been urged to improve immediately after Ofsted said children's safety was at risk. The Oxford Mail reports that Cygnet Nursery in Kidlington has been told by the watchdog to improve how it recruits assistants, monitors staff and communicates with parents.


The number of children in England having their teeth extracted has increased, according to figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC). Dentistry reports that there has been a three per cent increase in 2014/15 of children under the age of 10 who have had extractions, to 3,781.


The Department for Work and Pensions sanctioned around 40,000 lone parents with pre-school-aged children during the 12 months to September 2015. The Independent reports that sanctions are imposed by the DWP a “last resort” when parents do not give a good reason for attending a so-called “work-focused interview”.