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Parliament has officially risen and MPs have headed back to their constituencies for the Christmas break.

They won't return to the House of Commons until Monday 7 January.

But the political year coming to an end doesn't mean the news stops.

And a cynic might even suggest some people might wish to take advantage of the season, when people are more likely to be interested in repeats of Die Hard than the news, to bury things that aren't entirely flattering.

It's called "take out the trash day" for a reason.

So here's a roundup of the things you might have missed as MPs head off on their lengthy Christmas break.

1. Public health budgets have been quietly slashed

(Image: Getty Images)

Public health budgets to tackle causes of early death will be cut by 85 million next year, new figures show.Despite skyrocketing obesity and addiction levels in communities the Tories are forcing through more “devastating” cuts to local council budgets.

The Government quietly announced the 3.3% cut for 2019/20 after years of drastic cuts to money to prevent issues such as mental health problems.

The cut will hit addiction support, sexual health and stop smoking services.

Jon Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Health and Social Care Secretary, said: “It’s outrageous the Government have tried to sneak out further devastating cuts without debate in Parliament.

“Only a few weeks ago the Secretary of State told us prevention was his priority and yet today he is cutting specialist public health services by a further £85 million.

“It’s the clearest evidence that ministerial promise on the NHS are entirely hollow.

“To do so after we learnt that over half of all deaths of homeless people last year were due to substance misuse issues is especially shameful.”

2. No-deal Brexit is no longer 'unlikely'

The Government has quietly deleted the word 'unlikely' from dozens of no-deal Brexit preparation documents.

Ministers published 106 'technical notices' over the last three months, each containing the phrase "In the unlikely event of a no-deal Brexit".

But dozens of the documents, which provide advice to businesses and members of the public on how to cope with the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal, have had their text changed today.

Most have had the word "unlikely" removed.

But a new paragraph added at the top of the introduction insists: "Delivering the deal negotiated with the EU remains the government’s top priority. This has not changed."

3. The Tories admitted more than 4,500 disabled people were wrongly stripped of benefits

(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

4,600 disabled people were wrongly stripped of their benefits, the Tories admitted today in a fresh humiliation for their welfare regime.

The victims were punished for failing to attend meetings about Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - but were later found to have a "good reason" for not turning up.

They will now be paid back from the new year after a tribunal ruled against the Tory government last month.

The confession - buried at the bottom of a written statement hours before MPs leave for Christmas - is yet another legal defeat for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

DWP chiefs are already reviewing all 1.6million PIP cases and paying back 220,000 people following a separate defeat in the High Court.

Minister for Disabled People Sarah Newton said: "The decision states that in these instances claimants’ DLA awards should be reinstated, until a final decision on their PIP claim, and back paid, as necessary.

"We accept that the same approach applies where claimants who failed to provide information or evidence were later found to have ‘good reason’ for the failure to comply.

"The Department has been working at pace and taking the necessary steps required to implement the ruling.

"We expect around 4,600 people to gain as a result of this review exercise, all claimants who benefit from the Upper Tribunal decision will be notified by the Department."

4. The number of homeless deaths has soared

(Image: PA)

Almost 600 homeless people have died in England and Wales in a single year, shocking figures reveal.

An estimated 597 homeless people died in 2017, a rise of 24% over the last five years.

Today's Office for National Statistics figures were released less than 36 hours after a homeless man was found dying outside Parliament.

Days before Christmas the man - named by friends as Gyula Remes - was found in an underpass next to Westminster Tube station and died later in hospital.

He was the second homeless man known to have died near the Palace of Westminster this year

5. Disabled benefit claimants will wait YEARS for payments despite High Court victory

(Image: Getty Images/EyeEm)

Tens of thousands of disability benefit claimants will be forced to wait years for payments they deserve despite a Tory U-turn.

Campaigners voiced fury today as ministers admitted a huge review of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) has barely got off the ground.

Around 220,000 claimants who have certain mental health issues are being given more support following a High Court victory.

The government began a study of all 1.6million PIP claimants in June to identify who is eligible.

Yet five months later, officials are still not even 10% of the way through - processing just 140,000 cases and paying 1,000 people.

And the review will only end in 2020 - around four years after the original tribunal.

A DWP spokesperson said: "We’re committed to ensuring that people get the support they’re entitled to, which is why we’re undertaking these administrative exercises carefully and thoroughly.

"We are making improvements so the PIP process works better for people and to ensure they get the right decision, first time round. Under PIP 31% of people get the highest level of support, compared with 15% under its outdated predecessor DLA."