James Brokenshire: A sustainable strategy to end homelessness for good

Sleeping rough is more than the lack of a bed; it’s a personal and social tragedy. How we respond to it is a litmus test for our society.

Tim Loughton: Mindfulness has a crucial role to play in tackling mental illness

Anything that is easy to administer and available to everyone at low cost has to be a useful aid in dealing with this epidemic.

East Sussex and Northamptonshire – very different cases

It is true that financial pressures will increase. But the scope for reform and innovation remains huge. Services do not need to be cut.

A vaping tax would kill people

It wouldn’t be a “sin tax”, it would be a tax penalising people for stopping smoking. The Treasury’s greed would have outweighed its logic.

Tony Devenish: The Local Government Association is wrong to demand tax increases

Demands for billions of pounds for extra adult social care spending lack credibility given the continued profligate spending in our town halls.

Sejal Bhansali: The Sugar Tax is a good start in improving dental health – but we should use education, too

Better information in schools, and perhaps even putting photos of rotten teeth on sugary drinks containers, might help.

Wollaston’s pudding taxes and bans on cartoon characters are the opposite of Davidson’s call for more joyful politics

It isn’t only flinty securocrats who find themselves in conflict with her positive message – moaning nannies should take heed, too.

WATCH: Wollaston on NHS spending – “The Government should find the money through extra taxation”

Former Downing Street adviser Sean Worth notes that “the NHS is currently more productive than it’s ever been”.

Fiona Bruce: England should follow Scotland and introduce minimum alcohol pricing

The social, medical and financial costs of excessive alcohol consumption are there for all to see. The answer is already known.

It isn’t just Labour the ‘gig economy’ needs protecting from

If Truss wants to recast British politics as a fight between Tory liberalism and Labour reaction, she’ll have to make the Tories liberal first.

Andrew Selous: Government needs to go further to curb junk food advertising to children

Enforcing a pre-watershed ban is an important step towards the sort of cultural change we need for a healthier population.

Councils are losing the battle against the sale of illicit cigarettes

Criminal gangs are supplying counterfeit tobacco on a huge scale with a resulting impact on smokers’ health.

2018 should see a reduction in rough sleeping

The Homelessness Reduction Act comes into force in April. But councils should use their public health budgets to provide specialist help to those who need it.

Mark Pawsey: If vaping helps smokers kick the habit, the Government must support it

Despite public health campaigners coming round to the benefits of e-cigarettes, mixed-messaging is still discouraging people from switching.

Councils are still blocking the freedom to vape

Millions are spent on anti-smoking campaigners – while the most effective way to quit is being undermined.