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Introducing assisted dying in England and Wales would divert NHS resources that could be used on other operations or services, the health secretary has warned.

Wes Streeting said on Wednesday he had commissioned a review of the costs of providing assisted dying services on the NHS, as MPs prepare to vote later this month on whether to introduce the controversial practice that would allow terminally ill people to end their lives early.

Streeting, who has said he will vote against the measure, warned on Wednesday that introducing it would involve “choices and trade-offs”.

“Any new service comes at the expense of other competing pressures and priorities,” he said.

The cabinet minister also said he fears the measure would lead to a “chilling slippery slope” that could see patients choose to end their lives in order to save money.

Kim Leadbeater, a Labour backbencher, this week published a private members’ bill that sets out proposals to grant adults who are terminally ill and with six months or less to live the right to die early. MPs will vote on the bill on November 29.

The government has promised a free vote, while Sir Keir Starmer this week said he wanted to study the details of the bill — including its safeguards — before deciding whether to back the measure.

How such a law would be implemented across England and Wales poses substantial questions for the NHS, which already has long waiting lists for procedures.

The British Medical Association, the largest union representing British doctors, has called for assisted dying services to be organised and funded separately from normal NHS care.

On Wednesday, Streeting said: “Now that we’ve seen the bill published, I’ve asked my department to look at the costs that would be associated with providing a new service to enable assisted dying to go forward.” He added that “work is now under way, so I can’t give you a precise figure today”.

Critics and palliative care professionals have warned that any law change on assisted dying could be a “slippery slope” to fewer restrictions and increase pressure on the sick to end their lives, amid fears they had become a financial burden.

Asked about the possibility of assisted dying laws saving the NHS money, if the law permitted patients to end their lives sooner, Streeting said: “You do touch on the slippery slope argument, which is the potential for cost savings if people choose to opt for assisted dying rather than stay in the care of the care providers or the NHS.”

He added: “I think that is a chilling slippery slope argument, and I would hate for people to opt for assisted dying because they think they’re saving someone somewhere money, whether that’s relatives or the NHS.”

ASDA’S website has gone down leaving thousands of Brits unable to access their orders.

Problems first started being reported around 3pm on Tuesday – with the majority of customers struggling to use the app.

There have been over 1,000 complaints noted, according to Downdetector.

Downdetector tracks outages and said that “user reports indicate problems at Asda“.

Online shoppers up and down the country including people in Glasgow, Manchester, Nottingham, Birmingham, London and Plymouth have all experienced the outage.

Some 39 per cent have logged an issue on the app, with 33 per cent even struggling to log in while 28 per cent have complained through the webiste.

Brits have raged they can’t even order their food shop.

One customer said: “I can’t seem to log into my Asda account? It keeps saying something went wrong?

“How are we supposed to do an online shop if we can’t even log into the account?”

Meanwhile, others said it’s “becoming too regular a thing”.

They fumed: “I have been signed out of my Asda app for some reason and now it won’t accept my, very definitely correct, password.

“I asked for a link to reset the password to make things quicker, still haven’t received it! These problems are becoming too regular a thing.”

A second said on X: “Is the Asda App down? I cannot login no matter which device I try.”

Can you claim compensation for outages?

There’s no fixed compensation scheme for supermarket website outages like there is for other industries such as telecoms.

But if being unable to access your account has left you out of pocket for any reason, it’s worth contacting Asda.

You should gather evidence, for example, a delivery receipt, and get in touch with Asda’s customer service team.

For online grocery order issues, you can ring 0800 9520 395 which is free to call from landlines and mobiles.

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UK chancellor Rachel Reeves is to legislate to develop eight pension “megafunds” as part of reforms to Britain’s fragmented local government retirement scheme that she claims could unlock £80bn of investment.

But the chancellor has rejected more radical options including forcing pension funds to invest in British assets, or creating one single Canadian-style fund out of the UK’s sprawling £391bn local government pension scheme.

Reeves told the Financial Times that the development of eight pools worth an average £50bn by 2030 would end the role of local councils in administering the money and boost “fast-growing British businesses and infrastructure”.

“Everything will go through the pools rather than through local authorities,” she said in an interview before Thursday’s Mansion House speech in the City of London. “This will deliver the megafunds that have eluded the UK for too long.”

Local authority pension funds already consolidate some of their assets across eight pools, but less than half of their assets are managed this way, according to a government consultation published last year.

The assets managed by the pools, which manage investments on behalf of the councils, range from around £25bn to £65bn.

Reeves said she was also targeting a minimum size for multiemployer defined contribution pension schemes of £25bn to £50bn, which she called a “massive change”. 

The government will consult on setting a minimum size requirement for these funds and on measures to “facilitate their consolidation into megafunds”.

Around 26mn people in the UK have their workplace pensions invested through “master trusts”, which are used by employers to manage the retirement schemes they offer to their staff.

Currently only three master trusts manage assets of more than £25bn, according to a ranking of multi employer defined contribution schemes by consultancy Go Pensions. There are 34 in total.

Other schemes affected by Reeves’ proposals are called “contract-based” schemes, where workers have a direct contract with the pensions provider.

The Treasury said consolidating defined contribution schemes was to ensure they “deliver on their investment potential” and it would consult on legislation to help people move out of poorly performing funds. 

Reeves will use her Mansion House speech to try to reassure sceptical City grandees that she has a plan for growth after last month’s £40bn tax-raising Budget, new labour laws and the latest increase in the minimum wage.

Apart from pensions reforms, Reeves will on Thursday send “remit” letters to City regulators urging them to focus more on growth, as part of a wider effort by the government to remove obstacles to business. 

She also told the FT that she wanted to reassure business that her recent tax rises were part of a “once in a parliament Budget”. However she did not exclude having to raise taxes if global circumstances changed.

Last week Reeves told MPs she was “not going to be coming back with more tax increases”.

Reeves said she would legislate next year to enact “some of the biggest reforms to pensions in a generation”, but she wants to consolidate the sector into more efficient funds rather than force funds to invest in the UK.

“I think that would be the wrong approach,” she said, during a visit to a rapidly expanding west London biotech company. “I want to work with business. 

“I’m confident that what we are putting forward can unlock £80bn of investment,” she said, while adding it was up to individual investors whether they put this money into UK companies or infrastructure.

Reeves said the figure was based on the best performing funds in Canada and Australia, which are able to use their scale to allocate a higher proportion of assets to infrastructure and private markets

Reeves said an interim government pensions review concluded that funds start to make more productive investments once they manage between £25bn-£50bn. 

“We aren’t going to be mandating where the money is,” she said. “But investors in the US are getting returns from businesses headquartered here in London.” She wants British investors to have the same opportunities.  

The Treasury said the “megafunds” would have to be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, which is currently the case for only five of the eight pools, to ensure they met the highest standards and offered better value. 

Jeremy Hunt, former Conservative chancellor, has privately urged Reeves to build on the pension reforms he set out in his own Mansion House speech last year. The current chancellor says that legislation — in the form of a Pension Schemes Bill — is key.

“In the first year of a Labour government we want to bring forward these reforms through legislation,” Reeves said. The chancellor wants some of the local government pension pots to be spent on local projects, suggesting a potential 5 per cent target.

The theme of Reeves’ Mansion House speech will be stability and she will tell her City audience that she has already taken the tough tax and spending decisions. “We will not be having another Budget like the one I had to deliver two weeks ago,” she said.

WETHERSPOON’S has rolled out its 2024 Christmas menu today with a raft of new items – but one festive classic hasn’t made an appearance.

The pub chain’s festive range is available from today until December 31, with some tasty bites and meal deals on offer.

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The new menu has been rolled out in all of Wetherspoons’ 900 pubs, and there are at least ten Christmas items to try while you enjoy a pint.

Last year’s menu included a bacon and garlic mushroom pizza, a brie and cranberry panini, and a salted caramel sticky toffee pudding.

What’s new on the menu this year?

For this year’s festive period, customers can order a new pizza version of the popular “big cheese burger” released last year, which is covered in gooey mozzarella, brie, cheddar, blue cheese sauce topped with rocket from £9.84.

Senior consumer reporter Adele Cooke tried the big cheese pizza and scored it 3.5 out of 5.

There’s also a smaller, eight inch portion available for £6.51 at the pub we visited – but prices vary depending on location.

It’s not the first time Wetherspoons has launched a festive-themed pizza, as it unveiled a chicken, stuffing, bacon and brie pizza in 2022.

This year, the menu also features a never-before-seen burger, pizza and dessert.

There’s also a new vegan five gold rings burger on offer from £10.43, combining a Beyond Meat plant-based patty, BBQ sauce, iceberg lettuce, tomato and red onion, topped with five onion rings.

For those looking for a lunchtime pick-me-up, there’s a brand new southern-fried chicken and stuffing wrap.

And for those with a sweet tooth, there’s the all-new cookies and cream blondie.

We’ve included the full list of prices below – but be aware that prices are different at every Wetherspoons, so yours might be cheaper or more expensive than the one we visited.

Several fan favourites are also returning this year.

The popular brie and bacon burger, chicken and stuffing burger and big cheese burger are back on the menu.

Also making a comeback is the chicken, stuffing, bacon and brie pizza; the chicken, stuffing, bacon and cranberry panini and the brie and cranberry panini.

But this year, the festive classic mince pie isn’t returning.

You also won’t find the bacon and garlic mushroom pizza on the menu either.

What is on the Wetherspoons Christmas menu?

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Here are the new festive menu items:

• Sliced turkey breast and winter vegetables – £13.99 with a soft drink or £15.61 with an alcoholic drink
• The big cheese burger – £11.89 with a soft drink or £13.51 with an alcoholic drink
• Brie & bacon burger – £11.89 with a soft drink or £13.51 with an alcoholic drink
• Chicken & stuffing burger – £11.89 with a soft drink or £13.51 with an alcoholic drink
• The five gold rings burger – £11.89 with a soft drink or £13.51 with an alcoholic drink
• 11″ chicken, stuffing, bacon & Brie pizza – £12.31 with a soft drink or £13.93 with an alcoholic drink
• 11″ big cheese pizza – £11.23 with a soft drink or £12.85 with an alcoholic drink
• Any 3 small plates – £18.09
• Pigs in Blankets – £6.13
• The big cheese chips – £6.66
• 8″ chicken, stuffing, bacon & Brie pizza – £7.73
• 8″ big cheese pizza – £7.18
• Chicken, stuffing, bacon & cranberry panini – £7.45 with a soft drink or £9.07 with an alcoholic drink
• Brie & cranberry panini – £7.45 with a soft drink or £9.07 with an alcoholic drink
• 12″ southern-fried chicken & stuffing wrap – £7.45 with a soft drink or £9.07 with an alcoholic drink
• 10″ southern-fried chicken & stuffing wrap – £5.86 with a soft drink or £7.48 with an alcoholic drink
• Cookies & cream blondie – £6.26
• Chocolate-Orange Espresso Martini – £6.99 each or two for £13.50

Prices may vary depending on location.

The festive Deli Deals are also back from £4.11 next month.

Customers can get a chicken, stuffing, bacon and cranberry panini or brie and cranberry panini.

There’s also a small southern-fried chicken and stuffing wrap and southern-fried chicken and stuffing wrap back on menus.

The Deli Deals and other festive meal options, including burgers, pizzas and roast, all come with a soft or alcoholic drink.

Wetherspoons isn’t the only chain or retailer gearing up for the festive period.

Côte restaurants has launched an indulgent range of Christmas meals that shoppers can get delivered to their front door.

And the range has been designed by none other than Steve Allen – Gordon’s Ramsay’s former Executive Chef.

Tesco has also unveiled its Christmas range for 2024, including pigs in blankets stuffing balls and a fancy dessert costing £20.

Meanwhile, Aldi is offering customers some quirky items this year including fudge-flavoured cheese.

M&S and Sainsbury’s have both shared their Christmas menus with customers too.

How often does Wetherspoons change its menu?

Wetherspoons makes changes to its menus several times a year in order to refresh its menu and compete with its rivals.

Last month it cut down the price of its ales, spirits and largers, which means customers can pick up  a pint of Ruddles Best for just £1.79.

Meanwhile, in May it axed 18 drinks from its menus in a major shakeup.

A number of spirits were dropped from menus in May, including Lambs Navy Rum, Bombay Bramble and Gordon’s Sicilian Lemon.

Duppy Share White, Chase pink grapefruit pomelo gin and Buffalo Trace were also cut.

In April the popular pub chain added several items to its menu including a ramen noodle bowl, shawarma chicken wrap and three new breakfast items.

EASYJET is launching a new route between Newcastle Airport and Lyon, with services to start operating in January.

Earlier this year, the low-cost airline announced 33 routes launching from 11 UK airports, including a brand-new service from Newcastle.

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Direct services will start operating between the two cities from January 4, 2025.

The weekly service will operate every Saturday.

Flights will leave Lyon at 10.15am before touching down in the UK at 11.25am.

Services from Newcastle Airport will then depart from the UK at 12.05pm, landing in the French city at 3.05pm local time.

Flights between the two cities will take roughly two hours.

Tickets are already on sale, with one-way fares starting from £26.99.

Lyon is the third largest city in France, which means there’s plenty of attractions and activities to keep holidaymakers entertained.

One of those is Parc de la Tête d’Or – the largest urban park in France.

Holidaymakers should also explore Croix-Rousse, a bohemian district that was once home to the city’s silk manufacturers.

The area is packed with indie bars, restaurants, galleries and shops.

Lyon is also known for its ties to the cinema with the Lumière brothers living in the French city.

The Lumière brothers are often credited as being the inventors of cinema, with the Institut Lumière, their former home, now housing a museum that traces the history of cinema.

Earlier this year, Newcastle Airport was named one of the best in the world at an award ceremony in Bahrain.

The regional English airport was crowned the ‘Overall Winner’ at the Routes World Awards 2024.

It also retained its title of ‘Airport of the Year‘ in the under 5 million passengers category for the second year running.

In the last few months, Newcastle Airport has added several new routes, with the 16 airlines flying to 80 destinations.

Sun Express, a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish airlines, will launch a new service from Newcastle to Dalaman, Turkey.

Direct services will start operating on May 4, with additional flights to Antalya also being added to the airport’s roster next year.

Tour operator Jet2 has also added another route from Newcastle International Airport to its summer 2026 programme.

Flights from Newcastle to Preveza, Greece, will begin operating on May 26, 2026.

A Ryanair route to Marrakech will launch in October, just in time for the winter season.

Earlier this year, Jet2 also added five extra routes from Newcastle.

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