In Today's Papers

By Amy Taylor, Clare Jerrom and Alex Dobson

Divorce plan puts children first

Measures designed to tackle disputes over children between separated or divorced parents before they become unable to be resolved were announced by the government yesterday.

The measures, contained in a consultation paper, will mean parents who apply for court orders will be sent to in-court conciliation to work out their parenting plans.

Source:- The Guardian, Thursday, July 22, page 5

Public money subsidises leaflet giving drug users tips on how to take cocaine

Drugs booklets paid for with £10,000 of public money have been destroyed after it gave cocaine users tips on how not to leave any traces of their drug use.

The booklets, produced by Coventry Community Safety Partnership (CCSP) and funded by the Department of Health, says that users should snort cocaine off ceramic tiles and mirrors to avoid leaving any evidence for the police. It also warns that traces of the drug will be left behind if other surfaces are used.

Source:- The Guardian, Thursday, July 22, page 5

Health secretary pledges to reduce NHS targets

Primary care trusts and hospitals will be given greater freedom to address local priorities under government plans to slash NHS targets.

John Reid, the health secretary, said national targets would be cut from its current number of 62 to 20. There were 108 targets when the NHS plan was introduced in 2000.

There will be a specific commitment to tackle racial discrimination by addressing the problems in accessing health care faced by ethnic minorities.

Source:- The Guardian, Thursday, July 22, page 11

Race relations chief fight for right to have unequal treatment

Chiefs at the Commission for Racial Equality have vowed to fight government plans to merge the body into a single equality body.

A white paper in May proposed the creation of an Equality and Human Rights Commission incorporating race, gender, disability, age and religion. It would be the body anyone facing discrimination should go to.

Source:- The Times, Thursday, July 22, page 1

Social services criticised over Huntley

Warning bells that Soham murder Ian Huntley was having sex with underage girls should have rung for social workers, police and teachers, reveals Sir Christopher Kelly’s investigation into North-east Lincolnshire social services.

Dealings with Huntley detailed 11 cases which he said amounted to a history of serial sexual exploitation.

Source:- The Independent, July 22, page 8

Time to get tough with the violent racist yobs that shame Britain

Youngsters are out of control because of Britain’s soft touch on dealing with crime, said chief constable of Nottinghamshire, Steve Green.

Green said the criminal justice system protects young criminals instead of punishing them and highlighted government figures which show a 12 per cent rise in violent crime.

Source:- The Daily Mail, July 22, page 4

Police question the father who forget he’d left his baby girl in the Jaguar overnight

A father has been arrested on suspicion of child neglect after leaving his daughter in a car overnight.

Robin Spandler, allegedly went drinking and caught a cab home, leaving his six week old baby Lilly in the back of his car in the club’s car park.

Source:- The Daily Mail, July 22, page 5

Squatters demand £1,000 to quit the home that widow of 81 needs desperately to sell

Squatters demanded £1,000 to leave 81 year-old Iris Davies home so she can sell it to pay for her nursing home fees.

Iola McQueen, her six-week-old son and boyfriend Chris Davis took over the empty property a week before it was due to be sold.

Source:- The Daily Mail, July 22, page 17

Teen abortions rise 5 per cent

Around 3,700 girls under 16 had abortions last year in England and Wales.

The government statistics show the number of girls seeking termination in 2003 rose by 5.4 per cent.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, July 22, page 2

Blind are being led by the blind, says crime study

Scientists investigating the health of guide dogs say the blind are leading the blind.

A new study shows one in 10 working guide dogs is seriously short sighted.

Source:- The Telegraph, July 22, page 3

 

Scottish newspapers

Councils’ spending habits reviewed

The Audit Commission yesterday urged Scottish councils to work with the private sector to improve the way taxpayers’ money is being spent.

The call came after Scotland’s spending watchdog warned some local authorities were not doing enough to tackle fraud and ensure value for money.

Source:- The Scotsman  Thursday 22 July

Pre-school education at all-time high

The level of pre-school education in Scotland has hit an all time high, according to Scottish executive figures released yesterday.

All four year olds and 85 per cent of three-year-olds have enrolled in some form of early years care.

Source:- The Scotsman  Thursday 22 July

Chatroom paedophile locked up for attack

A paedophile, who molested a teenage girl after meeting her in an internet chatroom for teenagers, has been jailed for four and a half years.

Guy Evans picked up the 13-year-old girl in his van in a lay-by and abused her. Following his arrest, 171 indecent images were found on his computer.

Source:- Evening News  Wednesday 21 July

New alert over net porn’s perils for children

Campaigners yesterday warned parents to be extra vigilante after a survey showed more than half children surfing the internet at least once a week have come into pornography.

The London School of Economics and Political Science study found 57 per cent of nine to 19-year-olds who go online at least once a week have come into contact with pornography, almost half had given out personal information and a third have received unwanted messages.

Source:- The Herald  Wednesday 22 July

Enterprise post for executive social work chairman

The recently appointed chair of the Scottish executive’s 21st century social work group was yesterday named the new chair of the Highlands and Islands enterprise.

William Rose is to succeed Jim Hunter as the HIE chair from 1st September.

Source:- The Herald  Monday 22 July

Judge will tour segregation units as prisoners mount challenge

A female judge is to tour Scotland’s most notorious jails after five prisoners complained that segregating and isolating prisoners for their behaviour is inhumane.

The five are seeking damages in an action which, if successful, could result in a flood of litigation. They claim detention in segregation was incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights because they were subjected to degrading treatment.

Source:- The Herald Thursday 22 July

Children’s hearing system wins strong support

Scotland should retain its unique children’s hearing system, according to submissions to the Scottish-executive commissioned consultation on the issue.

Eighty per cent of the 1500 respondents supported keeping the system. There was strong backing for the system’s underlying principles, but concerns over its ability to deliver effective support.

Source:- The Herald  Thursday 22 July

Public at odds with ministers on youth crime

The Scottish Council Foundation has warned that public attitudes are at odds with a drive by ministers to tackle youth crime and antisocial behaviour.

Two reports by the independent think-tank indicate that the public wants the system to be fair to the victim and offenders rather than more punitive.

The group recommends court judgements are accompanied by a “statement of fairness”, explaining why the sentence is appropriate to that particular offender, in order to increase public confidence in the criminal justice system.

Source:- The Herald  Thursday 22 July

Welsh newspapers

High cost of sickness

Sickness among staff is costing the NHS in Cardiff £1m a month. Health managers are now targeting the levels of sickness among the 11,000 staff of the Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust. Plans to help tackle sickness levels in Cardiff include working more closely with trade unions and extending staff counselling services to help workers who may be suffering from stress.

Source South Wales Echo Wednesday 21 July page 11

‘Eight time superbug victim’

A welsh grandmother is planning to go abroad for a hip operation after claiming that she contracted MRSA eight times in hospital in Wales.

Marjorie Evans, who is now confined to a wheelchair says that she is terrified of going back to hospital in Wales, after she says first contracting the superbug in 1978.

Source Western Mail Thursday 22 July page 1

‘No Travellers’ sign highlights need for stronger action

More needs to be done to stamp out racist attitudes towards gipsies and travellers in Wales, according to the Commission for Racial Equality.

The comments came after a launderette in the seaside town of Barry in south Wales was condemned for having a ‘No Travellers’ sign in its window. Chris Matte, director of the Welsh branch of the CRE said the agency was aiming to stamp out such forms of discrimination.

Source Western Mail Thursday 22 July page 6