Wednesday 20 August 2003

By Amy Taylor, Clare Jerrom and Alex Dobson.
Prescott approves asylum centre on MoD site
The deputy prime minister granted planning permission for the first
holding centre to house asylum seekers while their applications are
being processed yesterday.
John Prescott overruled an independent inspector and the local
council by approving the 750-bed centre on a Ministry of Defence
site near Bicester in Oxfordshire.
The centre is one of eight sites earmarked to hold up to 3,000
asylum seekers for a maximum of six months. Six of the sites have
been rejected due to protests by local residents.
Source:- Financial Times Wednesday 20 August page 2
Care home leaves man, 92, with £7.50
A blind man aged 92 has been left with just £7.50 a week after
the care home where he lived ‘topped up’ its fees, breaking
government guidelines.
John Anderson, should have had £17.50 left over from his
£167.50 allowance once his contribution to his fees is paid
but his care home, Greenacres in Wavertree, Merseyside, has begun
to take an extra £10 to pay for his care.
Government guidelines say money can only be taken in this way if
the resident or next of kin agrees. Anderson says he has not agreed
to the practice.
Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 20 August page 37
Charity up but donors on decline
The amount of money being given to charity increased in 2002
compared to the previous year, but the number of people reaching
into their pockets declined, according to a report by the National
Council for Voluntary Organisations and the Charities Aid
Foundation.
New figures show Britons donated £7.3 billion to charity in
2002, an increase of £400 million on 2001. But the proportion
of the population giving to charities dropped from 68.5 per cent to
67.3 per cent.
Source:- The Times Wednesday 20 August page 8
Guardian Society
Broken faith
Terry Philpot visits a therapy centre that treats Roman Catholic
priests and laymen who have sexually abused children
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 20 August page 5
Bargain hunt
Charities can save money by joining an online scheme that maximise
their purchasing power.
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 20 August page 8
Under observation
Scrutiny committee reports on nursing home closure
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 20 August page 55
Silent fight
Deaf people with mental health problems are missing out on
treatment due to inappropriate care
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 20 August page 56
Scottish newspapers
Parents warned they must share responsibility for children’s
education
Parents will face a ministerial warning that they cannot just leave
their children’s education to teachers this week.
Peter Peacock, the education minister, will say in a speech this
week that he wants to see a new era of parents becoming more
involved in their children’s education.
Communication between schools and parents should amount to more
than the occasional parents’ evening, he will say.
Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 20 August page 1
Alarm over the rising tide of debt facing Scots
families
The number of families facing unmanageable debt has risen sharply
with many “just a couple of pay packets away” from
crisis.
Up to 300 delegates at the Citizens Advice Scotland annual
conference will be warned that a significant section of the
population is now struggling with huge debts and a decline in the
economy could cause a sharp rise in the number of people
experiencing problems.
With borrowing at record levels and low interest rates and rising
house prices, there are few signs that the debt burden will
decrease, Martin Barnes, director of the Child Poverty Action Group
will say.
Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 20 August page 5
Struggling Scots pensioners are being forced to go back to
work
One in five Scottish older people is struggling
financially, and some problems are so acute that they are being
forced back to work, according to a study.
Half of Britain’s 10 million older people have been forced to
cut back spending in the last three months, according to research
carried out by insurance firm Prudential.
Some are so financially strapped they are cutting back on medical
treatment and medication in a bid to save money.
Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 20 August page 9
Open all hours
Pubs and shops in Scotland are to sell alcohol 24-hours a day it
was revealed in the biggest licensing law reform for a generation
unveiled yesterday.
The old 11pm closing time will be axed and some off-licences and
supermarkets will sell alcohol around the clock.
Sheriff Principal Gordon Nicholson also wants a crackdown on
under-age drinking, and a ban on happy hours and cheap drinks that
get youngsters drunk too quickly.
Source:- Daily Record  Wednesday 20 August page 1 and 10
Welsh newspapers
Children’s Hospital: Phase Two Revealed
Details of the second phase of the Children’s Hospital for
Wales have been revealed.
The £21.5 million plans include key frontline medical and
surgical facilities and a series of operating theatres together
with a special children’s intensive care unit and an
outpatient’s unit. Work on the second phase is expected to
begin in December next year and take two years to complete.
Source:- South Wales Echo Tuesday 19 August page 7
Suspended
A Monmouthshire councillor has been suspended from his post for one
month over his treatment of a social worker.
The standards committee of Monmouthshire council suspended Graham
Powell following complaints about his behaviour during a meeting
with social services staff that took place last year.
During the meeting Powell allegedly threatened a social worker and
tried to intimidate her, by threatening disciplinary action.
The claims led to a report by the local government ombudsman that
formed the basis of the committee’s investigation.
Following the decision Powell said that he would be taking legal
advice about what to do next.
Source:- South Wales Argus Tuesday 19 August page 1
Judge calls for deportation of security man who blinded
child
A man found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm and
cruelty that resulted in brain damage and blindness to a two-year
old girl has been sentenced to three-and-half years in
prison.
Ajmal Khan, a Pakistani national who works as a security guard in
Cardiff, had denied injuring the child when he was left to look
after her.
During sentencing the recorder at Cardiff crown court recommended
that Khan should be deported in light of his offence.
Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 20 August page 9