In Today's Papers

By Simeon Brody, Mithran Samuel and Derren Hayes

Call for junk food advert ban

The British Medical Association will call today for a ban on junk food advertising during children’s programmes, believing it responsible for the rise in obesity among young people.

The call comes on the same day as a private member’s bill is introduced to achieve the same aim.

Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 22 June page 2

£80,000 for a family break-up

A right-wing think-tank has calculated that the average family breakup costs the taxpayer £80,000 in benefits and lost taxes.

The Centre for Policy Studies, which used figures from the Department for Work and Pensions, called for the government to subsidise two-parent families.

Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 22 June page 18

Haunted to my grave

The man convicted of raping and murdering 13-year-old Caroline Dickinson on a school trip is appealing against his conviction, nine years after she was killed.

Francisco Arce Montes has admitted the rape but says Caroline’s death was an accident.

Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 22 June page 25

Lunch parties help anorexics

Lunch parties are significantly cutting treatment times for anorexics, the Royal College of Psychiatrists heard yesterday.

The treatment, pioneered by Maudsley Hospital, London, claims a 70 per cent success rate.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Wednesday 22 June page 2

Tax credit millions should be written off, Brown is told

Gordon Brown has been told to write off millions of pounds mistakenly paid out in tax credits to low paid families.

Two new reports, by the parliamentary ombudsman and Citizens Advice Bureau, call on the chancellor to overhaul the entire tax credit system.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 22 June 2005 page 2

Cot-death expert gave murder trial jury misleading evidence

Professor Sir Roy Meadow misled a murder jury by giving naïve and grossly misleading evidence as an expert witness, the General Medical Council was told yesterday.

The retired paediatrician who has convinced courts that at least 81 infant deaths were murders told jurors that the chances of two cot deaths in a family were as unlikely as an 80-1 horse winning four consecutive Grand Nationals. Professor Meadow contests a charge of gross professional misconduct.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 22 June 2005 page 4

Religious hate bill evades rebellion

The Racial and Religious Hatred Bill was passed by a majority of 55 as a threatened rebellion by Labour MPs failed to materialise.

Charles Clarke said he was willing to consider amendments to the measure at a later stage and said it would not be used against people who questioned or poked fun at religion but against nasty and extreme behaviour.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 22 June 2005 page 10

Subsidies unfair, says watchdog

Council house tenants in some parts of England are subsidising those in other areas by up to £14 a week each, according to the Audit Commission.

About 82 per cent of councils that own housing stock receive no subsidy, the report says, but they contribute £630 million to a central fund to provide subsidies for other councils.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 22 June 2005 page 22

Unison warns of general strike

The leader of Unison warned Tony Blair that he faces strike action across the public sector if key demands over privatisation of public services, pensions and low pay are not met.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 22 June 2005 page 22


Lifeline that failed victim of system

Special investigation into the life and death of a troubled offender which sees how Tony Blair’s pledge to be tough on the causes of crime was sabotaged.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 22 June 2005 page 1

“Pensioner parents” need help says MP

Tens of thousands of grandparents who undergo financial and physical strain to bring up their grandchildren should receive greater recognition and support, according to a study by Labour MP Frank Field.

With many receiving minimal or no financial help from social services, some are forced to postpone retirement while others fall into debt.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 22 June 2005 page 9

Childhood ambition

If the childcare workforce can be modernised, then they will have a case for receiving more money, Estelle Morris, chair of the Children’s Workforce Development Council for England said in an interview.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 22 June 2005 page 8

Scottish news

Health board to overspend by £20m

NHS Grampian is predicted to overspend its annual budget by £20m this year, figures have revealed, but the health board dismissed fears that measures to save the cash would lead to care being affected.

In Aberdeen, health board officials said projected spending for this year would be £770 million, with the allocated budget only £750 million.

Alan Gall, finance director of NHS Grampian, said efficiency measures to be introduced to meet targets would improve care and provide a lead for other health authorities in Scotland.

Source:- The Herald Wednesday 22 June

Children hearings shake-up aims to get tough on crime

Plans to overhaul Scotland's children's hearings system to try to ensure early action to tackle youth crime prompted a mixed reaction from opposition politicians and council leaders.

Under the planned shake-up, persistent and serious youth offenders face more meetings in front of the children's panel and, for the first time, could be made to explain their behaviour to victims of crime.

The proposals announced by the Scottish executive could also see social workers, police and teachers facing the ultimate sanction of jail if they failed to meet new legal requirements.

Source:- The Herald Wednesday 22 June

McConnell's aim to attract 8,000 people a year under fire

A senior civil servant has thrown Scotland’s policy of attracting 8,000 new immigrants to the country every year until 2009 into doubt after stating it was not a definite target.

First minister Jack McConnell told MSPs in February that to avoid Scotland's population falling below five million, "we need an additional 8,000 people living in Scotland each year between now and 2009". But Lorna Clark, the civil servant in charge of the policy, told Holyrood's European and external relations committee that the 8,000 figure was only "indicative" of what was needed.

Source:-The Herald  Wednesday 22 June