Friday 9 July 2004

By Amy Taylor, Shirley Kumar, Clare Jerrom and Alex
Donson

100-year-old who killed wife for love is set free

A court has ruled that a 100-year-old man who killed his sick wife
in an “act of love” after being told that she was so
ill she would have to be moved from her care home has received a
12-month community rehabilitation order.

Bernard Heginbotham was devastated when he learned that Ida, 87,
had to move, and it was likely she would be placed in the dementia
wing of a local nursing establishment.

Rather than have his wife moved from the care home in Preesall,
Lancashire, he killed her and then tried to kill himself.

Source:- The Times Friday 9 July page 7

Maternity pay increase plan angers employers

The idea to increase paid maternity leave from six months to a year
being considered by the government has met strong resistance from
employers.

Ministers said they were looking into the idea as they launched
their five-year-plan for education yesterday.

Source:- The Times Friday 9 July page 13

More sophisticated measure of poverty to be adopted

The government plans to use a more detailed measure of chid
poverty, chancellor Gordon Brown announced yesterday.

The new assessment process, due to be announced in full on Monday,
will include plans to measure the quality of children’s
housing and whether they lack basic necessities.

Source:- The Financial Times Friday 9 July page 3

Companies warned on disabled workers

The Court of Appeal upheld a discrimination claim by a teacher who
was forced to resign after she suffered sight loss four years
ago.

Disability rights campaigners said that the landmark ruling meant
that businesses that refuse to make reasonable adjustments for
disabled people risked face claims for constructive
dismissal.

Gaynor Meikle worked at Gelding school in Nottingham and had asked
her employers for extra time to do her work and for enlarged
written materials, but these improvements were not made.

Source:- The Financial Times Friday 9 July page 4

Population update ends census error

The Office for National Statistics admitted to widespread errors in
the 2001 census after a long battle with some councils.

The changes mean the population in Westminster was increased by 10
per cent yesterday. The population of an area partly dictates how
much money local areas get.

Source:- The Financial Times Friday 9 July page 5

The Government yesterday unveiled a five-year blueprint for
schools. But what is the state of education under Labour?

Every three and four-year-old will have the offer of a free
part-time nursery place.

Re-registrations on the child protection register dropped from 20
per cent in 1997-98 to 13 per cent in 2002-03.

Sure Start places have risen to 400,000 since 1997.

Source:- The Independent Friday 9 July page 1

Schoolboy stabbed by fellow pupil

A 16-year-old boy stabbed a fellow pupil to death outside a
classroom, Nottingham Crown Court heard.

The boy denies murdering Luke Walmsley at Birkbeck Secondary School
in North Somercotes, Lincolnshire.

Source:- The Independent Friday 9 July page 16

Teenage years ‘hardest for parents’

Three quarters of parents of teenagers have the hardest time,
according to the Institute for Public Policy research.

The survey of 1,000 parents found 43 per cent wanted more organised
activities such as youth clubs.

Source:- The Guardian Friday 9 July page 5

Boy burned near school

A pupil has been bailed on suspicion of assault and two others
excluded after a 14-year-old boy suffered serious burns near Bishop
Fox School in Taunton last month.

Source:- The Guardian Friday 9 July page 11

Scottish newspapers

Abuse claim father cannot sue the NHS

A man falsely accused of sexually abusing his daughter after a
psychiatrist used a controversial therapy technique has failed in
his attempt to sue a health authority.

James Fairlie was seeking £250,000 damages from Perth and
Kinross healthcare NHS Trust, but a judge dismissed his action on
legal grounds.

Source:- The Herald  Friday 9 July

MSPs slam delays in crime record checks

The Scottish Parliament’s education committee today
criticised delays in criminal checks on people applying for jobs
working with children.

The committee said it was concerned Disclosure Scotland was taking
up to 12 weeks to produce vetting reports instead of the target 14
days.

Source:- Evening News  Thursday 8 July

Refugees may go to Europe over tagging

Asylum seekers in Scotland will be able to appeal to the European
Court of Justice over the Home Office’s plans to
electronically tag them.

Cameron Fyfe, a compensation lawyer, said only criminals should be
subjected to tagging and human rights legislation protects everyone
else.

The Home Office confirmed that it is confident to press ahead with
its plan to use Scotland as a testing ground for plans to fit tags
to asylum seekers under a contract with Reliance Monitoring
Services.

Source:- The Scotsman  Friday 9 July

Details of Reliance’s prison-service contract may
remain in firm’s custody

The Scottish executive cannot force Reliance Custodial Services to
reveal details of its £126 million contract with the Scottish
Prison Service, an executive spokesperson said ,last night.

The comments came as Information Commissioner Kevin Dunion ordered
an urgent investigation into whether the details of the
firm’s contract were justifiably withheld from the Scottish
parliament.

Source:- The Scotsman  Friday 9 July

Seven raise actions over slopping out

Seven prisoners appeared in court yesterday in a bid to force the
Scottish executive to move them to establishments where they are
not forced to slop-out.

The inmates at Saughton prison in Edinburgh allege their human
rights are being violated and are claiming damages totalling g
£87,000.

Until the cases are heard, the men was a judge to grant an order
which would secure they had a cell with a toilet and wash
basin.

Source:- The Scotsman  Friday 9 July

Boy in court

A 15-year-old boy accused of murdering school-girl Jodi Jones will
appear in court next month, according to the Crown Office
yesterday.

Jodi was discovered dead near her house in Easterhouses, Dalkeith
last June.

Source:- The Scotsman  Friday 9 July

Domestic abuse hotline to open round the clock

Scotland’s hotline for victims of domestic violence will
start operating round the clock in a bid to make it more accessible
to users.

Anyone suffering from domestic abuse will, from today, be able to
phone and speak to a trained adviser at any time.

Source:- Evening News  Thursday 8 July

Welsh newspapers

My little life-saver

A nine-year-old girl, who learnt first aid techniques at a cubs
group, helped save her mother’s life.

Samantha West, from Cwmbran, placed her mother in the recovery
position after she suffered a blackout at their home. She had
learnt to prevent choking by rolling people on their sides during
sessions at cubs.

Source:- South Wales Argus Thursday 8 July page 1

Jail warning to truant’s mother

A woman from Gwent has been given one last chance to make sure her
daughter attends school.

The woman, who breached a parenting order, was told that a
custodial sentence was likely to be imposed by Newport
magistrates.

However, she was given until next January to see if she could
improve her 11-year-old daughter’s attendance at
school.

Source:- South Wales Argus Thursday 8 July page 5

‘Children’s care remains priority’

Welsh assembly health and social services minister, Jane Hutt
yesterday updated fellow assembly members on the progress being
made by Blaenau Gwent social services.

The council was the subject of a highly critical joint review and a
follow-up inspection that found that vulnerable children were being
failed by the authority.

Hutt said that an advisory board put in place to help the
authority, had made children its first priority.

Source:- South Wales Argus Thursday 8 July page 21

Teaching children the ‘can do’ attitude

Children as young as five are to be given lessons in
entrepreneurship as part of a new education policy designed to make
Wales more competitive.

The aim is to breed a new generation of children with a
‘can-do’ attitude to help regenerate Welsh communities.
The scheme is to be launched on Monday by Welsh assembly education
minister, Jane Davidson.

Source:- Western Mail Friday 9 July page 1