Round up of the week
Week beginning Monday 7th February
Monday 7th February
Charles Clarke |
Charles Clarke published the Home Office five-year strategy on
asylum which included plans to detain more asylum seekers whose
claims had failed. The government plans to step-up the removal of
unsuccessful applicants and there will be tighter controls
throughout the system including the electronic tagging of asylum
seekers.
Tuesday 8th February
It emerged that plans to transfer seven government programmes to
the Social Care Institute of Excellence have been scrapped. The
decision is thought to be as a result of SCIE’s independence
clashing with ministers’ desire to retain control.
The programmes, which include the National Institute for Mental
Health in England and the Valuing People Support Team, will still
be merged, but separately from SCIE.
Wednesday 9th February
Margaret Hodge |
Children’s minister Margaret Hodge told the education and
skills committee inquiry that schools may be offered financial
incentives to get them to take on vulnerable pupils in the
future.
Thursday 10th February
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister published its response
to the Gershon review which includes a plan to make savings of
£20 billion to feed back into improved public services. It
outlines that the money saved on procurement can be used to provide
more social housing and ensure higher standards.
This week from the Mubarek inquiry
Monday 7th February
Zahid Mubarek |
The former director general of the Prison Service Martin Narey
told the inquiry that he had considered resigning from the post at
the time of Mubarek’s murder but was talked out of it by the
then home secretary Jack Straw.
Tuesday 8th February
Giving evidence to the inquiry, Narey continued that prisons
across London were a “nightmare” at the time of
Mubarek’s death and that Feltham YOI where the teenager was
murdered was not the only problem jail.
Wednesday 9th February
Narey told the inquiry how the governor at Feltham YOI at the
time of Mubarek’s murder “broke down” following
the tragedy. He added that he had to remove Niall Clifford from the
post as he felt the governor would have been extremely damaged had
he remained in post.
Thursday 10th February
Prison officer at Feltham YOI Julie Goodman denied having
participated in ‘Gladiator-style’ games by placing
unsuitable inmates together in cells.
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