By Shirley Kumar and Derren Hayes
Blunkett to set out security measures
The Home Office is to publish the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill, according to the Queen's speech in the Houses of Parliament yesterday.
The Bill is one of seven pieces of legislation to be overseen by the Home Office. Other bills include a national identity card scheme, drug-related crime, and reducing reoffending.
Source:- The Financial Times, Wednesday 24 November 2004, page 4
Government to rethink role of voluntary sector
The Charities Bill will give the voluntary sector a greater role in delivering public services, according to the Queen's speech yesterday.
The Bill will also be used to challenge the favourable tax treatment enjoyed by private schools.
Source:- The Financial Times, Wednesday 24 November 2004, page 4
Ethnic minority jobless gap condemned
Ethnic minorities of working age are twice as likely to be unemployed as the overall working age population, revealed a government taskforce.
The first report by the Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force found that the employment gap between ethnic minorities and the whole population has narrowed by 1.4 per cent over the past year.
Source:- The Financial Times, Wednesday 24 November 2004, page 6
Doctor blames parents for ‘worst case of malnutrition’
A doctor who rescued twin babies from a house in Sheffield told a court it was the "worst case of malnutrition he had ever seen outside of the developing world".
The boys, one of whom was close to death, were among five children rescued from the house, heard Sheffield Crown Court.
Parents David Askew and Sarah Whittaker were both jailed for seven years.
Source:- The Independent, Wednesday 24 November 2004, page 12
"I shot dead paedophile who molested my daughter"
A British man serving 12 years in a Denmark jail for shooting a convicted paedophile who molested his daughter said he could not guarantee he would not do it again.
Stephen Hoath shot Willie Anderson in the face two years ago out of fear for his daughter’s life.
Denmark has been accused of being too soft on child sex abusers.
Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Wednesday 24 November 2004, page 7
Travellers accused of devastating 'rural idyll'
Residents told a public inquiry their village had been transformed from heaven to hell after hundreds of travellers arrived last year.
Residents of Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, told the inquiry, fear and intimidation had gripped the village.
Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Wednesday 24 November 2004, page 11
Murdered boy's foster parents say they were unsure they wanted him
A married couple accused of murdering their three-year-old adopted son said they called social workers to say they were unsure they wanted him.
Christian Blewitt died in hospital of salt poisoning and brain injuries.
Ian and Angela Gay deny murder, manslaughter and cruelty to a child. The trial continues.
Source:- The Times, Wednesday 24 November 2004, page 2
Man who slept with girl aged 12 escapes jail again
A man who had sex with a girl aged 12 years who he met on the internet has escaped jail again.
Appeal court judges said it was right that 20-year-old Michael Barrett was only given a two year conditional discharge for having sex with the girl.
Source:- The Daily Mail, Wednesday 24 November 2004, page 29
Critics says Ofsted cuts ‘put children in danger’
Ofsted has been accused of endangering children after it announced plans to cut 500 jobs.
The education and childcare watchdog is set to cut staff at its London office by a third as well as the closure of early years and support centres by 2006.
Source:- The Guardian, Wednesday 24 November 2004, page 6
Feltham prison officers give evidence
A letter from Robert Stewart threatening violence against “Pakis” was intercepted weeks before he killed his Asian cellmate, an inquiry heard yesterday.
The inquiry into the murder of Zahid Mubarek, 19, was also told reporting of racial incidents at Feltham young offenders institution was not taken seriously.
Source:- The Guardian, Wednesday 24 November 2004, page 7
False dawn for poor in Northern Ireland
The Good Friday Agreement heralded a period of economics prosperity for Northern Ireland.
But beyond the luxury flats, second homes and flashy cars, the region’s poorest people continue to endure some of the UK’s most desperate poverty.
Source: - Society Guardian, Wednesday 24 November 2004, page 2
Shape shifter
Architect Piers Gough, known for his flamboyant modern buildings, has been commissioned by Kent council to take forward the government’s house building plan.
Gough talks to Matt Weaver about his aversion to local planners – and about his party lifestyle.
Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 24 November 2004, page 6
Grey area
The common perception is that mostly younger people end up living on the street.
Almost a quarter of homeless people in the UK are over 50, according to a new survey.
Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 24 November 2004, page 8
Striking differences
Striking social workers in Liverpool claim that their management’s plans to change professional practices will put childrens' lives at risk.
Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 24 November 2004, page 10
Dreams of gold
When the Spanish paralymic team was caught cheating, all athletes with a learning disability were barred from the Paralympics. Will they now be allowed back in?
Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 24 November 2004, page 12
Reservoir dregs
The Child Support Agency failures show that Whitehall is incapable of building and running big systems.
How can the civil service top up its pool of talent?
Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 24 November 2004, page 16
What else can I do?
Collette is a middle manager in children’s social services, and feels the time is right to expand her horizons.
Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 24 November 2004, page 112
Scottish newspapers
U-turn over private care to slash NHS waiting lists
The Scottish executive is to invest in private health care services to cut waiting lists.
First minister Jack McConnell had until now agreed to only limit private-sector involvement in the health service, contrary to policies in Westminster.
However, with waiting lists at an "unacceptably high" level, McConnell has ordered health minister Andy Kerr to hold talks with private health-care companies about how they can speed up NHS diagnosis and treatment in Scotland.
Source:- The Scotsman, Wednesday 24 November 2004
Chlamydia cases soar by 39 per cent in one year
Chlamydia cases have increased by 39 per cent in a year in Scotland, new NHS figures reveal.
While part of the increase may be explained by greater awareness and testing, the figure also suggests a genuine increase in the level of infection - particularly in the 15-25 year old age group.
The figures also show that more than 39,000 people attended Scotland’s genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics in 2001-2.
Source:- The Scotsman, Wednesday 24 November 2004
Scotland on brink of Chlamydia epidemic
Health experts fear Scotland is on the brink of a chlamydia epidemic because the number of cases have risen by a third in the past year.
Young people aged 15-24 years old were most at risk from the infection, which affects fertility.
The number of young Scots treated has nearly trebled in four years, from 5690 in 1999 to 14,407 in 2003.
Source:- The Daily Record, Wednesday 24 November 2004
