News

Round up of the week

Round up of the news from the week beginning 24 January 2005.

Monday

The joint committee on human rights published a report calling for the government to amend the Mental Capacity Bill to prevent the unlawful detention of people who lack the capacity to resist.

Deputy prime minister John Prescott launched the ODPM’s five-year plan in which the department pledged to halve the number of

Prescott launched 5-year plan

people living in temporary accommodation by 2010 and make effective provision for gypsies and travellers.

Tuesday

A Home Office study revealed that one in four 14-17-year-olds admit to being a serious or prolific offender.

Wednesday

The work and pensions select committee published a report branding the Child Support Agency a failure and calling for it to be scrapped if it could not improve significantly.

Thursday

At Community Care Live Children and Families director of the safe-guarding children group Althea Efunshile insisted that the proposed new scheme for preventing unsuitable people from working with children will be more than just a register of banned individuals. At the same time, the children's commissioner for Scotland Kathleen Marshall pledged to look at the way asylum seeker children whose claims have failed are deported.

Friday

National statistics revealed that there were 3,700 children adopted in the year ending 31 March 2004, which was a 37 per cent rise from 1999-2000.