Thursday 11 November 2004

By Shirley Kumar, Maria Ahmed and Clare Jerrom

Tory leader Michael Howard will float the idea of extended
maternity benefit, available up to a year, while Tony Blair in a
rival speech today will guarantee 10 hours of care for young
children every working day.

Source:- The Times Thursday 11 November 2004 page 1

Protection for children still missing

Less than a fifth of local authorities have appointed a director of
children’s services to drive through child protection reforms
outlined by the government more than a year ago, government
research shows.

Source:- The Times Thursday November 11 2004 page 2

Battered husbands trapped by shame

An overwhelming number of battered husbands have swamped
Britain’s only refuge for abused men.

Now a former victim is opening the second centre today with more to
follow across the country.

Source:- The Times Thursday 11 November 2004 page 23

Law to give parents equal access to children

Parents will be given equal access to their children after divorce
or separation under new legislation to be introduced by the
government.

The proposals reject calls from fathers groups to introduce 50-50
access but will advocate the use of parenting plans.

Source:- The Independent Thursday 11 November 2004 page
9

Tories offer fathers share of baby leave

Fathers will be able to share up to a year’s paid leave with
their partners under new proposals to be unveiled by the
Conservatives.

The issues surrounding maternity and paternity rights and childcare
are seen as key battlegrounds in the run up to the elections.

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 11 November 2004 page
1

Asylum centre may go ahead

Cherwell district council has abandoned its fight against
government plans to build a centre for 750 asylum seekers near
Bicester, Oxfordshire because of financial reasons.

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 11 November 2004 page
9

Charities to take on health work

Health secretary John Reid is to reveal plans to allow charities to
take over a large slice of healthcare and social services.

The first move to contract out more work to voluntary sectors will
be included in the public health white paper next week.

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 11 November 2004 page
13

£50,000 price tag put on parenting

The cost of raising a child from birth until the age of 17 is close
to £50,000.

The poll of more than 500 parents published by online bank Egg
found parents spend an average of £2,916 a year on their
daughters, although sons were slightly cheaper to support at
£2,790.

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 11 November 2004 page
15

Scottish newspapers

Highlands homeless total doubles in three years

The number of homeless people in the Highlands has almost doubled
in the past three years, according to a report to the
council’s housing and social work committee.

A total of 864 households were officially classed as homeless or in
priority need between April last year and March this year, with the
greatest problem among young, single men.

The number claiming to be homeless last year was 2.050, an increase
of 48 per cent on the previous year.

Source:- The Scotsman  Thursday 11 November

Court protest

Two men campaigning for improved fathers rights were arrested
yesterday following a rooftop demonstration.

The two men scaled Dundee Sheriff Court and police confirmed the
paid had been reported to the procurator fiscal.

They are expected to appear in court today.

Source:- The Scotsman  Thursday 11 November

Welsh newspapers

Binge drinking as bad as ‘hard drugs’

The problem of binge drinking is as serious as hard drug use, a
politician warned this week.

Janet Davis said that Wales topped the table of binge drinking
figures in the UK.

Source:- Western Mail Thursday 11 November
 
The new drunks

A Welsh addiction expert said the style of drinking in Wales has
changed to one of hedonism over the past few years.

Dr Rhoda Luzio, who works at the Way Beyond Blue Project run by
South Glamorgan Council on Alcohol, said nowadays it was all about
drinking as much as you could.

Source:- Western Mail Thursday 11 November
 
Mum jailed for biting her son’s cheek

A mother who bit her seven-year-old son’s cheek was jailed for a
month yesterday.

The 25-year-old woman from Colwyn Bay, who cannot be named for
legal reasons, bit her son after the boy and a friend started three
fires in his bedroom and laughed at her.

Source:- Western Mail Thursday 11 November
 
Rogues not welcome

Police in Swansea are placing images of binge drinkers into a
‘rogues gallery’ and distributing it to pubs and clubs.

The images are all of drinkers who have been convicted of
drink-related disorder offences.

They will be excluded form all licensed premises for different
periods of time depending on the severity of their offence. The
scheme is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK.

Source:- Western Mail Thursday 11 November