Friday 11 February 2005

By Maria Ahmed, Simeon Brody, Clare Jerrom and Amy
Taylor

Migrant women forced into cheap sex trade

Police claim there has been a surge in rough, unprotected sex as
east European prostitutes in London live in fear of violent
pimps.

Source:- The Guardian Friday February 11 2005 page
13

Howard calls for elected officials to run police

American-style elected commissioners would take charge of
Britain’s police forces under proposals to increase the
accountability of chief constables published by Michael Howard
yesterday.

Source:- The Independent Friday 11 February 2005 page
15

Inmate was put at risk “wilfully”

Prison officer Julie Goodman denied deliberately putting an Asian
inmate in a cell with a violent white racist.

The inquiry into Zahid Mubarek’s death at Feltham Young
Offender Institution in January 2000 was told yesterday that
Goodman had been warned Robert Stewart was “violent and
dangerous” and there were spaces for him in other
cells.

She denies this. The hearing continues.

Source:- The Times Friday 11 February 2005 page 24

It’s promises, promises as Blair starts hard sell for
third term

Tackling anti-social behaviour and drugs and making affordable
childcare available to all will be among the policies on a Labour
election pledge card, expected to be launched by Tony Blair
today.

The card will include six pledges, up from the five pledges made in
the last campaign, with the inclusion of a commitment on
immigration and identity cards.

Source:- The Times Friday February 11 2005 page 26

Safe haven plan

Safe havens providing advice and medical care to domestic violence
victims are planned by the police.

Murders involving domestic violence have fallen from 47 to 23 in
the current financial year as officers receive training in an early
warning programme.

Source:- The Times  Friday February 11 2005 page 35

Council opts for bonds to refinance debt

Birmingham Council is planning to enter the long-term bond market
to refinance £215 million of debt.

The UK bond market fell out of favour with local authorities as a
way of raising money during the 1980s but last April the government
gave councils more freedom to manage their finances.

Source:- Financial Times Friday February 11 2005 page
2

Prescott stands firm on pension talks

Plans to raise the retirement age of council workers to 65 will go
ahead despite talks with unions, a spokesperson for John Prescott
said.

A possible strike over the issue by hundreds of thousands of
council workers has been pencilled in for March 23.

Source:- Financial Times Friday February 11 2005 page
2

Ministers aim to expand capacity in NHS

The government is planning to increase capacity in the NHS to make
hospitals less busy and give patients more choice, Health Secretary
John Reid said yesterday.

The extra capacity would come from more investment in NHS hospitals
and more non-emergency operations bought in from the private
sector.

Source:- Financial Times Friday February 11 2005 page
4

Minister owns up on school standards

Schools Standards Minister Stephen Twigg said Labour had been
“too slow” in introducing education reforms and said
London families face a “lack of real choice”.

Source:- Daily Mail Friday February 11 2005 page 39

Scottish newspapers

Slopping-out prisoners ‘to sue for £100m’

Tens of millions of pounds in damages could be paid out to
prisoners and former inmates following a landmark ruling yesterday
on the practice of slopping-out in jails.

Three judges decided to throw out an appeal by the Scottish
executive which ministers had hoped would prevent a mass of legal
challenges against them.

Following the judgement, anybody who has, or previously had, no
access to a proper in-cell toilet facilities while in custody has
the potential to sue the executive under the European Convention on
Human Rights.

Source:- The Scotsman  Friday 11 February

Pub numbers blamed for violent crime rise

The growing number of pubs in the Capital were blamed for a sharp
rise in violent crime.

More than 200 incidents were reported in the last six months of
2004 – a 60 per cent rise from the previous period.

Source:- Evening News  Thursday 10 February

Adverts call on Scots to tackle racism

Scots were today urged to speak out against racist language and
behaviour as a £750,000 advertising campaign was
launched.

The campaign will involve television, cinema and radio
advertisements, as well as posters on buses.

Source:- Evening News  Thursday 10 February

Fiscal given care home death report

A report has been given to the procurator fiscal by police
investigating the death of a 92-year-old woman in a city nursing
home.

The fiscal will now determine whether any charges should be brought
against members of staff or the owners of Ashley Court Nursing Home
in Morningside.

Source:- Evening News  Thursday 10 February

Welsh newspapers

Assembly’s £40m pensions headache

It will cost at least £40 million to plug a gap in the Welsh
Development Agency’s pension fund it has emerged.

The Welsh Assembly Government is set to abolish the WDA in spring
2006 as part of a cull of a number of quangos. New pensions
arrangements will have to be created for the quango’s staff
when they transfer over to the assembly.

Source:- Western Mail Friday 11 February 

Government defeated over public services watchdog

The government was defeated in the Lords when an amendment to
increase the power of the proposed public services ombudsman for
Wales was passed.

Peers voted the Tory amendment through by 91 to 86 votes during the
report stage of the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Bill.

Source:- Western Mail Thursday 10 February