The Know Daily - Wednesday 26 April 2023

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It seems as though there’s a bookworm boom among young people, with a new study finding that children read almost 25% more books last year. The What Kids Are Reading report, which looked at reading habits in the UK and Ireland, also found that online communities - such as TikTok’s BookTok - are helping to encourage an interest in reading.

📝 Fake reviews under fire

The UK government yesterday introduced a new bill that would make fake reviews and subscription traps illegal, as well as increase competition between big tech firms.

What’s the aim of the bill?
The government hopes that the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer (DMCC) Bill will promote UK economic growth by ensuring “free and vigorous” competition amongst businesses.

Its creators say that they want to manage the way in which a handful of tech companies dominate the market. The bill would give the UK’s competition watchdog, the Competition and Market Authority (CMA), greater powers to crack down on unfair practices.

What could these powers look like?
The new laws would allow the CMA to punish firms which do break the law with fines representing up to 10% of their global turnover. This means that companies such as Google, Apple or Amazon could face multibillion-dollar penalties.

What else is included in the bill?
It proposes a ban on people receiving money or free goods for writing positive reviews, making it illegal to buy, sell or host fake reviews.

The bill will also target so-called subscription traps, in which businesses make it difficult for consumers to quit a contract. Firms will also have to remind people when a free subscription trial or low-cost introductory offer is ending.

When will it come into force?
The government has said that the new rules will be enforced as soon as possible following parliamentary approval, with the bill expected to become law next year.

 🦷 Is British dental care in decay?

On Tuesday afternoon, MPs began questioning medical and government experts as part of an inquiry into the NHS dentistry crisis. But why are so many people struggling to access dental care?

What prompted the inquiry?
The Health and Social Care Committee launched the inquiry last year, following a survey which showed that 90% of UK practices were not accepting any new adult NHS patients. The research, carried out by the BBC, also found that no dentists were taking on adult NHS patients in a third of the UK’s more than 200 council areas - so-called “dental deserts”.

Why is this happening?
NHS dentistry is funded by a mix of direct government funding (from taxes) and patient charges. While dentists have traditionally done a mix of NHS and private work, many say that funding cuts mean it’s no longer financially viable to offer NHS treatment. An estimated 3,000 dentists have quit the NHS since the pandemic, Sky News reported last year.

What’s being done about this?
The Department of Health has said that improving NHS access is a priority and that an extra £50 million has been made available to help “bury the Covid backlogs”.

But the British Dental Association (BDA) has argued that the current funding system is unsustainable. “Sadly, widening health inequality is a price this government seems willing to pay to cover for cuts,” said BDA chairman Eddie Crouch.

What else is going on?
Recent research suggests that the cost of NHS treatment is also stopping some people from getting the help they need. While some adult patients are exempt from NHS dental charges, the majority still have to pay - including those on low incomes.

A YouGov poll of 1,723 adults, published on Monday, found that one in four people are delaying dental appointments or going without treatment because of the cost.

Have you struggled to access NHS dental care in your area recently? Hit reply to let us know.

🇸🇩 Sudan update: More than 200 British nationals have been evacuated from Sudan to Cyprus, and are set to fly on to the UK later today. The government has been criticised for failing those stuck in Khartoum.

💰 BoE chief under fire: The top economist at the Bank of England has been criticised for saying that people in the UK need to accept that they are poorer otherwise prices will continue to rise.

☕ Warm rooms: The first audit of community “warm rooms” - introduced over winter to help those struggling with rising energy bills - found that they were used by more than 500,000 people, both for escaping freezing homes and to reduce social isolation.

☎️ Phone hacking latest: Prince William allegedly received a “very large sum of money” from Rupert Murdoch’s UK newspaper business to settle a phone-hacking claim, court documents provided by Prince Harry revealed on Tuesday.

🧑‍🏫 Bottom of the class: Gas workers in Swansea have had to return to a road they were repainting after they wrote the word “shcool” outside a primary school. “We are confident the teachers will give them full marks this time,” said a spokesperson from Wales and West Utilities.

Trivia answer: A) Marvin Gaye - Sheeran’s lawyers have said the undeniable structural symmetry of the two songs points only to the foundations of popular music.

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