The Government is pulling together a think-tank to find a solution to the increasing numbers of people in bed and breakfast accommodation.It comes after a further rise in use of such accommodation, as shown by new homelessness statistics.
Housing Minister Hilary Armstrong said: “The further 4 per cent national rise in the use of bed and breakfast accommodation is cause for concern. Pressure on the supply of temporary accommodation in London is particularly acute. 

Despite improvements, fraud detection in the NHS remains low, according to a new report by the Audit Commission.The amount of fraud detected has almost doubled over the past year from 1.4 million pounds in 1996/97 to 2.6 million in 1997/98.
The report points to this being a low figure, given the overall expenditure of the NHS and that in some areas of the NHS, the risk of fraud is high.
It points, for instance, to the way GPs, dentists, opticians and pharmacists are paid. 

Rowley JTotal Quality Management, (UK), May 98 (9/2&3)Start page: 321. No of pages: 13
Reviews the development in the UK of the User’s Charter, a contract between the public service provider and the customer, and highlights the ensuing need to measure performance; identifies the particular characteristics of services that make measurement difficult, and discusses the nature of quality in respect of services and their classification.