Sharp rise in family appeals over primary school places

Sharp rise in family appeals over primary school places
More than 20, 500 families won their appeals after initially being turned down for places at popular state schools in 2005-6 new government figures have revealed.
There was also a dramatic increase in appeals against decisions by primary schools although there was a small decrease in the number which were successful compared to the previous year.
Source:- The Guardian, Friday 25 May 2007, page 8

BNP jibe at minister
Alan Johnson, the Education Secretary, accused Margaret Hodge, the Industry Minister, of using the “language of the BNP” when she said that British families should have priority for social housing.
Source:- The Times, Friday May 25 2007, page 2
 
Samaritan who saved caller’s life was sacked
A Citizen’s Advice Bureau adviser who was dismissed after she broke confidentiality rules to help save the life of a suicidal caller has won her claim for unfair dismissal.
Source:- The Times, Friday May 25 2007, page 7

Milburn: Give councils power to decide how NHS money is spent
Former health secretary Alan Milburn has called for power to commission health services to be transferred to local authorities to ensure spending is sensitive to local needs.
Milburn, a leading Blairite, advocated that the best-performing councils should take immediate control of health budgets and be enabled to move money across, health, social care and housing, in accordance with local circumstances.
Source:- The Independent, Friday 25 May 2007, page 22

Tories ‘revert to type’ with tougher immigration plans
The Conservatives have issued plans to prevent people’s spouses being able to come to live in Britain from abroad unless they can speak English, in a move criticised as a return to a hardline stance on immigration.
The Institute for Public Policy Research criticised the proposals as a “sledgehammer to crack a nut” because they would be too expensive and difficult to operate, and may fall foul of racial discrimination laws.
Source:- The Independent, Friday 25 May 2007, page 23

Admission lotteries can play a role, parents say
Parents are more in favour of school admissions being determined by lotteries than previously thought, according to a poll out today.
Research by charity the Sutton Trust showed 36% of parents favoured ballots as a means of selecting pupils as opposed to religious faith, compared to 20% who thought the reverse.
However while 32% backed using ballots over the distance children lived from school, 35% said the reverse.
Source:- The Independent, Friday 25 May 2007, page 28

Pensioners suffer as councils drive up fees for care at home
Older people face an average 29% increase in home care fees this year, a survey of over half of England’s 150 councils has found.
The survey, by Public Finance magazine, found that two councils, Brent and Lewisham, are trebling fees for some service users.
Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Friday 25 May 2007, page 1, 6

Victory for the advice worker sacked after saving a life
A Citizens Advice Bureau worker who was sacked after alerting a suicidal woman’s doctor about an attempted overdose won her claim for unfair dismissal yesterday.
Terri King, who was fired for breaching confidentiality rules, won damages of just over £18,000.
Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Friday 25 May 2007, page 15

Schizophrenia fake medicine alert
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency asked patients and pharmacists to hand back thousands of packets of drugs to treat schizophrenia after counterfeits were discovered in chemists.
The MHRA ordered a recall of all packets of Zyprexa labelled with three batch numbers.
Source:- The Financial Times, Friday 25 May 2007, page 4

£1bn-a-year cost of asylum claims
Unfounded asylum claims cost the taxpayer more than £1bn a year in support costs, a government report yesterday revealed.
Source:- The Daily Mail, Friday 25 May 2007, page 2

Celebrity therapy for child addicts
Children as young as 12 are to be treated for drug and alcohol addiction at the Priory clinic in north London, it has revealed.
Source:- The Daily Mail, Friday 25 May 2007, page 41