FRIDAY 27 JANUARY 2006

Ministers plan programme to benefit elderly people
Public spending bids to provide vital services for the elderly will be co-ordinated by ministers in next year’s spending round in recognition of the mounting costs and difficulties likely to be faced by an ageing population. The move is part of a package of measures announced by the social exclusion unit aimed at reducing pensioner poverty.
Source:- Financial Times, Friday 27 January 2006, page 2

Criticism of schools reform has room for deal
A Commons committee demanded a series of changes to the reforms outlined in the schools white paper, including a vigorous new role for local education authorities in policing admissions policies.
Source:- Financial Times, Friday 27 January 2006, page 2

Blair prepares to give ground over education reforms
Downing Street indicated that some of the education select committee’s proposals on the education white paper will be adopted.
Source:- The Guardian, Friday 27 January 2006, page 4

Doctor who misdiagnosed children fit to practise, says General Medical Council
A consultant paediatrician was cleared to continue practising medicine by the General Medical Council despite misdiagnosing more then 600 children with epilepsy over a 10-year period.
Source:- The Guardian, Friday 27 January 2006, page 6

Big increase in offenders recalled to custody
There has been a 250 per cent increase in the number of prisoners recalled to custody for breaching their licence conditions in the last five years, according to the chief inspector of prisons.
Source:- The Guardian, Friday 27 January 2006, page 14

Prescott’s office accused of bullying and discrimination
John Prescott should take urgent action to crack down on bullying and discrimination in his department, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister select committee said yesterday.
According to a survey, one in 10 ODPM staff had been bullied in the past year.
Source:- The Times, Friday 27 January 2006, page 28

Ampleforth monk jailed for abusing young boys
Father Piers Grant-Ferris, 72, was jailed for two years yesterday after admitting 20 offences of indecent assault against 15 young boys at Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire.  Grant-Ferris, a Benedictine monk, was a form master at Gilling Castle, college’s prep school, when the abuse happened between 1966 and 1975.
Source:- The Times, Friday 27 January 2006, page 30

New green paper on age discrimination
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister yesterday announced that it was considering broadening age discrimination legislation to cover all goods and services. Previously the rules were designed solely to prevent ageism at work. The proposals, to be outlined in a green paper in the summer, would make it illegal to refuse health or travel insurance on grounds of age or restrict holidays to certain age groups. They could also end the automatic age bar on magistrates and jury members and make it illegal for doctors to refuse treatment based on a patient’s age.
Source:- Daily Telegraph, Friday 27 January 2006, page 2
 
Clarke to review holding of children’s DNA profiles
Storage of DNA profiles of about 24,000 children is to be reviewed by the government.
Source:- Daily Telegraph, Friday 27 January 2006, page 2
 
Banks warned on debt
Spiralling debt is pushing an ever-growing number of families to breaking point, the Financial Services Authority said yesterday.
Source:- Daily Mail, Friday 27 January 2006, page 19

Child Support Agency takes almost a year to clear each case
The time it takes for the CSA to clear a new case has rocketed by 40 per cent. It now takes 287 days to process an application, the Office Of National Statistics has revealed.
Source:- Daily Mail, Friday 27 January 2006, page 21

Lie detector tests to fight benefit fraud
Ministers revealed that “voice stress analysis” (lie detector tests) will be a weapon to help fight benefit fraud.
Source:- The Sun, Friday 27 January 2006, page 2

£38,000 benefits cheat had speedboat
A businessman with a speedboat and apartment in Marbella falsely claimed more than £38,000 in benefits, a court heard yesterday.
Source:- Daily Telegraph, Friday 27 January 2006, page 2

Scottish news

Increase pay for councillors
The £6,000 basic pay of Scotland’s 1,200 local councillors should more than double, the Scottish executive is expected to be told today.  And long-serving local politicians should be given a “golden handshake” of up to £30,000 to encourage them to retire, an independent committee is set to recommend. The Scottish local authorities remuneration committee is also understood to call for councillors to be entitled to publicly funded pensions for the first time.

Welsh news

Boy rang friends to say he was about to die
A 15-year-old rang his friends to tell them he was about to kill himself by lying down on a railway track.
Jonathan Mark Reynolds was hit by an express train in the village of Pencod, near Bridgend, moments before police arrived.
Source:- Western Mail, Friday 27 January 2006

Welsh councils still struggling over services for vulnerable people
Some Welsh local authorities are still struggling to reach basic standards of services for vulnerable people, the chief inspector of social services in Wales warned yesterday.
Graham Williams, who makes the comments in his annual report, said social services needed to be given political priority by councils.
Source:- Western Mail, Friday 27 January 2006