48 LABOUR REBELS DEFY PARTY LEADERSHIP IN WELFARE REFORMS VOTE

Forty-eight Labour rebels have defied the party leadership to vote against the Government's welfare reforms.

Leadership contender Jeremy Corbyn was among the MPs to ignore interim leader Harriet Harman's call for them to abstain in the Commons second reading vote on the Welfare Reform and Work Bill.

The scale of the rebellion could have been even greater if two of the other leadership hopefuls, Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper - who had both criticised Ms Harman over the plan - had not fallen into line.

SOUTH YORKSHIRE POLICE 'MUST DO MORE TO IMPROVE THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN'

The police force at the centre of the Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal still needs to make "major improvements" to some of its child protection procedures, according to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC).

An HMIC report published in September last year raised "serious concerns" about South Yorkshire Police's approach to child protection.

Now the inspectors have returned to the force and found signs of progress but also concluded there is "still important work for South Yorkshire Police to do to improve the protection of children".

LAND AND BUILDINGS WORTH BILLIONS TO BE SOLD TO TACKLE DEFICIT

Whitehall departments are being instructed to draw up plans to sell off billions of pounds worth of land and other public sector assets.

Chancellor George Osborne will confirm the public sector spending review - due on November 25 - will require departments to find a further £20 billion in savings over the next four years.

For the first time they will be specifically asked to identify how they will contribute to the Government's target to dispose of sufficient public sector land to build 150,000 new homes by 2020.

'REVOLVING DOOR' HOSPITAL DISCHARGE CULTURE CRITICISED AFTER PATIENT ACCOUNTS

Patients have provided "thousands of shocking stories" about being discharged from hospital without the right care and support.

Healthwatch England said its report has uncovered a "number of common basic failings" including hospitals not routinely asking patients if they have anywhere to be discharged to, details of new medications not being passed on to GPs and carers, and families not being notified when loved ones leave hospital.

It said the National Audit Office recently reported that the NHS deals with one million emergency re-admissions within 30 days of discharge every year - at a cost of an estimated £2.4 billion.

BUDGET 'MEANS POOR STUDENTS WILL HAVE BIGGER DEBTS'

Students from poor backgrounds will leave university owing "substantially" more debt than their richer classmates because of George Osborne's summer Budget, according to new research.

The poorest 40% of students going to English universities will graduate with debts to the state of up to £53,000 from a three-year course, thanks to the Chancellor's decision to convert maintenance grants into loans, the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies has found.

The loans will give students from low-income households more spending cash at university, but will mean they leave with debts averaging £12,500 more than those from wealthier homes.

SEARCH CONTINUES OF BOSLEY WOOD FLOUR MILL AFTER BLAST LEFT FOUR FEARED DEAD

The search is continuing for three missing workers feared killed when a blast ripped through a wood flour mill.

One body has been recovered from the wreckage in the village of Bosley, Cheshire, where a 1,000C inferno reduced the four-storey building to rubble, but so far it has not been positively identified.

Fire and rescue teams have been working non-stop to find William Barks, 51, Dorothy Bailey, 62, Jason Shingler, 38, and Derek Moore, 62, since Friday's explosions and fire.

SCIENTISTS IDENTIFY POSSIBLE BINGE-EATING GENE IN TEENAGERS

Scientists have discovered a gene they believe may hold the key to why some teenagers binge-eat.

Around 10% of adults and teenagers binge-eat - characterised by excessively over-eating with a feeling of losing control over what they are consuming - and binge-eating is most common in individuals who are overweight or obese.

While it has been established that a combination of genetic and environmental factors lead to eating disorders, until now there has been limited research into how specific genes increase the likelihood of binge-eating behaviours in adolescence that can lead to obesity.

BRIGHTON BEACH SMOKING BAN PLAN CONSIDERED

Brighton beach could become smoke-free under plans to extend the current ban on lighting-up in pubs, cafes and shopping centres to be considered today.

Proposals to widen the smoking ban to outdoor public areas will be discussed by Brighton and Hove City Council as it meets to decide whether public consultation should go ahead. If agreed, the consultation period will run from Wednesday for 12 weeks.

Brighton already has a voluntary ban on smoking in children's play areas, but now the city's parks and beaches could become smoke-free too - a prospect which angers the smokers' group Forest.

DOCTORS DEMAND RETURN OF LUNG CANCER AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

Doctors and nurses have written an open letter to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt asking why the Government has "chosen to ignore" the positive results of a nationwide lung cancer awareness campaign by not announcing a follow-up.

Clinicians are calling on the new Government to re-instigate the Be Clear on Cancer lung cancer awareness campaign immediately so that more lives can be saved.

Lung cancer is the UK's biggest cancer killer, with more than 35,000 people dying from it each year. It accounts for 6% of all deaths (including non-cancer deaths), with more than twice as many people dying from it as the next ranked cancer, bowel cancer.

TORY READING EAST MP ROB WILSON DEFENDS 9P EXPENSE CLAIM

An MP who claimed 9p on expenses for a 352-yard car journey has defended the cost, but admitted such small claims may look "odd".

Rob Wilson, Conservative member for Reading East, has made a number of claims for short journeys, with many coming in under £1, but said over the course of a year the mileage "does add up".

During the financial year 2013-2014 the Minister for Civil Society claimed for a 528-yard journey in his car to attend a business meeting, at a cost of 13p, and a drive to a Google business event in his constituency costing him 68p.