Tuesday 6 July 2004

By Amy Taylor, Alex Dobson and Clare
Jerrom

Parents can smack, but not too hard

Peers have voted against an outright ban on smacking in the House
of Lords yesterday instead allowing parents to carry out moderate
punishment.

The government had warned that an outright ban could lead to
parents who smacked their children in the heat of the moment being
criminalised.

The compromise allows parents in England and Wales to administer
“mild” smacks but removed the defence of
“reasonable chastisement”.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, July 6, Tuesday, page
1

“The penny dropped he was the killer”

The former wife of the headmaster jailed for killing his foster
daughter spoke of when it dawned on her that her husband was the
murderer.

Speaking at the Court of Appeal Lois Jenkins, 43, said that when
she was told that spots of blood had been found on her
husband’s clothing she was not sure for definite that he was
guilty but that after “a process…the penny dropped and
everything began to slot in.”

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, July 6,Tuesday, page 1

Free care “should be given to all
toddlers”

Childcare for children under-3 should be free, according to a new
children’s services thinktank launched today.

Capacity argues that the government much provide more support to
families if it is to justify it claims to regard childcare as a
priority in their policy making.

The thinktank’s board is chaired by Norman Glass, a creator
of the government’s Sure Start programme.

Source:- The Guardian, July 6, Tuesday, page 9

Scottish newspapers

Calls to abolish short prison terms

Prison sentences of less than a year could be scrapped under plans
by the Scottish Prison Service to reduce overcrowding and high
re-offending rates.

The SPS believes short-term prison terms are ineffective and
expensive and instead those offenders would receive community
sentences.

In a submission to the Scottish executive consultation on reducing
re-offending, the SPS said the rapid growth of the prisoner
population could also be curbed by capping the total population and
forcing offenders to wait in a queuing system for a place to serve
their sentence, as happens in Iceland.

Source:- The Herald  Tuesday 6 July

Review of care home guidance on fires
urged

An early review on fire safety in care homes was urged last
night.

Scottish Care, the organisation representing care home owners,
called for all-part talks over the issue.

There is mounting concern over new practices which advises all
bedroom doors are kept shut at all times to prevent any fires
spreading. However, the policy is leaving many older residents
feeling isolated and depressed.

Source:- The Herald  Tuesday 6 July

Family’s anger at care homes fire rule

A family have slammed the way older residents are being forced to
live behind closed doors following the fire t an Uddingston care
home which killed 14 older residents.

A safety drive across Scotland means care homes need to routinely
keep doors shut in a bid to prevent any possible fires spreading
throughout the building.

But the family of Margaret O’Riordan, who died last week just
three months after the measures were introduced, have slammed the
practice. They claim the practice had a medical effect on the woman
and the isolation meant she lost the will to live.

Source:- Evening News  Monday 5 July

Social workers pull out of threat to strike

A planned strike by social workers to campaign against moves to
split the Edinburgh social work department in half has been called
off.

A ballot of union members supported the call for a half-day
walk-put over the recent departmental shake up but just 15 per cent
turned out.

Shop stewards have now agreed to accept the recommendations of
union leaders that they should not strike further given the low
vote.

Source:- Evening News  Monday 5 July

OAPs’ day centre is facing axe

A popular day centre for vulnerable older people is under threat as
a result of a funding crisis.

Backers of the Dove Centre have warned that two of the three
remaining staff could face the axe by August, after the
co-ordinator was made redundant.

Organisers fear that unless £40,000 in funding is found by the
end of the summer, the centre will have to scale down its services
dramatically or close altogether.

Source:- Evening News  Monday 5 July

Welsh newspapers

Computer porn charge hell of innocent families

An investigation by a TV documentary claims that innocent
people in Wales are being wrongly accused of having indecent images
of children on their home computers.

The programme to be shown tonight on S4C says that unsolicited
pornographic pictures can arrive on computer hard drives as a
result of computer viruses.

Source Western Mail Tuesday 6 July page 1

Dad goes online for inquiry

The father of a 10-year-old boy, who died after doctors
missed a treatable illness, is launching an internet campaign for
an independent public inquiry into his death.

There have been a series of investigations into Robbie
Powell’s death from Addison’s disease and now his
father, Will, has launched a petition via the internet which he
eventually hopes to hand over to the Welsh Assembly.

Source: Western Mail Tuesday 6 July page 3

Peers’ smacking Bill failure blow

The failure of the peers in the House of Lords to ban
smacking outright, has come as a major blow to politicians and
charities in Wales.

The Welsh assembly was the first body in the UK to call for a total
ban on smacking and minister for children, Jane Hutt, said that
smacking was not an acceptable way to discipline children.

Source Western Mail Tuesday 6 July page 6