Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

India, UK agree to add momentum to FTA talks

India, UK agree to add momentum to FTA talks

INDIA and the UK have agreed to add momentum to the ongoing free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations.

Indian commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal tweeted on Tuesday (11) after meeting UK business and trade secretary Kemi Badenoch, saying they had agreed to keep up work towards a mutually beneficial deal.

India and the UK started round 11 of their FTA talks last week and it is expected to conclude on Friday (7).

“Held a meeting with the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch in London. Discussed how both sides can add further momentum to the India-UK Free Trade Agreement negotiations for a mutually beneficial deal,” Goyal said his tweet.

It came a day after a UK government source said the senior Indian ministerial visit to the UK in the midst of a negotiation round shows there is political will to make progress towards an ambitious trade deal.

“The potential is clear: a strong trade deal will strengthen the economic links between the UK and India, already worth £36 billion in 2022. But we will only sign when we have a deal that is in the best interests of the UK,” the source noted.

More For You

homelessness

2.7 per cent of private rented properties in England are affordable for people receiving housing benefit.

Getty Images

Nearly 300,000 families face worst forms of homelessness in England, research shows

Highlights

  • 299,100 households experienced acute homelessness in 2024, up 21 per cent since 2022.
  • Rough sleeping and unsuitable temporary accommodation cases increased by 150 per cent since 2020.
  • Councils spent £732 m on unsuitable emergency accommodation in 2023/24.


Almost 300,000 families and individuals across England are now experiencing the worst forms of homelessness, including rough sleeping, unsuitable temporary accommodation and living in tents, according to new research from Crisis.

The landmark study, led by Heriot-Watt University, shows that 299,100 households in England experienced acute homelessness in 2024. This represents a 21 per cent increase since 2022, when there were 246,900 households, and a 45 per cent increase since 2012.

More than 15,000 people slept rough last year, while the number of households in unsuitable temporary accommodation rose from 19,200 in 2020 to 46,700 in 2024. An additional 18,600 households are living in unconventional accommodation such as cars, sheds and tents.

A national survey found 70 per cent of councils have seen increased numbers approaching them for homelessness assistance in the last year. Local authorities in London and Northern England reported the biggest increase.

Keep ReadingShow less