By Clare Jerrom and Reg McKay.
French scrap plan for new camp
Plans to open a second Red Cross camp near the channel ports in France have been scrapped as the French have agreed to take action against migrants who break into the Eurotunnel compound near Calais.
In a joint statement from the home secretary David Blunkett and his French counterpart Daniel Vaillant, assurances were announced yesterday following their meeting on Wednesday about French coastal ports being used as a jumping off point for illegal immigration into Britain.
The second centre was planned at Bailleul about 50 miles south east of Calais, to take the overspill from the Sangatte Red Cross camp, which Eurotunnel claimed was being used as a base for repeated attempts by asylum seekers to leap aboard trains bound for Britain.
The French have rejected claims to close the Sangatte camp, but British immigration officials can go to the camp to "provide realistic information to deter would-be migrants".
Source:- The Guardian Friday 14 September page 17
Scottish newspapers
Change of heart on smacking?
Scottish executive ministers are prepared to amend controversial plans to outlaw the smacking of children under three, it emerged last night in a debate in the Scottish parliament.
Deputy justice minister, Iain Gray, told MSPs he would consider changing the age at which smacking would become a criminal offence, but stressed that the executive would not compromise on the principle. The executive’s announcement had raised protests from parents and Gray acknowledged the strength of feelings on both side of the debate. However, he stressed that that the executive would not be deflected from "clarifying" the law on this sensitive issue.
Source:- The Scotsman Friday 14 September page 14
Scots help fight HIV in Siberia
Two Scottish health workers are heading to Siberia to help cut the high suicide rate among men diagnosed as HIV-positive.
The move was initiated after Gay Men’s Health, an Edinburgh based charity, discovered that their web site was receiving a high number of hits from that part of the world.
It is estimated that 300 to 400 new cases of HIV are diagnosed in the Oblast region each month, with a high portion of gay men many of whom commit suicide. The two Scottish health workers will help set up a peer education project to train individuals on safe gay sex.
Source:- The Herald Friday 14 September page 19
