We need new laws to tackle metal thieves

Now, at last, ministers are taking the issue as seriously as it should be. The transport minister, Norman Baker, tells this paper that he is considering banning cash payments for scrap metal. A bill being piloted by Graham Jones MP proposes a licensing scheme which would oblige dealers to check the identities of sellers and to refuse to make cash payments. If a dealer failed to comply, his licence would be removed.

The huge increase in the incidence of theft is driven by a jump in commodity prices, notably copper. Banning cash transactions could help identify those who drive the trade, mostly professional criminals. At present the main law regulating scrap metal dealers is the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964: it carries fixed fine penalties which, at perhaps £1,000 for an offence, are risibly smaller than the potential profits of the crime. The police are starting to taking the issue more seriously, with a new unit to deal with metal theft; it is time the law was updated too.

This is the time of year when - moved perhaps by ubiquitous images of a family in a stable - we feel most concern about the plight of the homeless. New research showing that people who sleep rough die on average 30 years before the rest of us should concentrate our minds. Today, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit a Centrepoint hostel in Camberwell, where they will kickstart the festivities and highlight the charity's work.

There is a legitimate debate about the extent of homelessness in London - the charity Broadway estimates that there are nearly 4,000 rough sleepers in the capital - and about the best ways to address the issue. Westminster council was right recently to drop its prohibition on soup runs, for that really did smack of Scrooge, but it was also right to focus on ways to provide indoor relief for rough sleepers. On that, both the council and charities should be united. As individuals we ought to be wary of giving cash to people who may be addicted to drugs, as many rough sleepers are, but that is all the more reason to give generously to those groups that provide sustained relief to help people get off the streets and find accommodation and jobs, including Centrepoint, StreetSmart, with which this paper has worked, and The Passage day centre. Indeed, many Londoners will be giving up their own festivities to support the work of Crisis at Christmas, which provides a welcome and a Christmas dinner for all. The homeless need both short-term help and long-term strategic thinking.

Space for bikers

Transport for London's decision to let motorcyclists use bus lanes is a sensible one which should help to diminish biker casualties. Trials of the measure have confirmed that it works well, despite the safety worries of some cyclists. In return, motorbike riders will have to watch out for cyclists, who also use bus lanes where there are no designated cycle lanes. There is enough space in bus lanes to accommodate both.