By Amy Taylor, Clare Jerrom and Alex Dobson.
Government on track to halve asylum applications
A decrease in the number of asylum seekers arriving in Britain has put the government on track to reach the prime minister's pledge to halve the number of applications by September.
However, accompanying the fall was an increase in the people entering on work permits leading to calls that ministers have massaged figures.
The figures show that 10,585 people applied for asylum between April and June, 34 per cent less than in the previous three months.
The prime minister's target is to reduce applications to 4,385, half the record high of 8,770 recorded in October of last year.
Source:- The Independent Friday 29 August page 9
Rush to beat the 'Britishness test'
The level of people granted British citizenship increased by a third last year spurred on by people applying before the introduction of controversial 'Britishness tests'.
A record number of 120,145 people received British passports compared to 90,000 in 2001.
The new tests being put together by David Blunkett will examine applicants' ability to speak English before they are granted citizenship.
Source:- The Daily Mail Friday 29 August page 19
Council keeps loving old couple five miles apart, then stops the husband's visits to save taxi fare
A couple who were made to live in separate care homes after almost sixty years of marriage have now had their visiting arrangements ruined.
George and Mary Lipsham only agreed to being parted on the grounds that Portsmouth Council would pay for a taxi every day for Mr Lipsham to visit his wife, but have cancelled it due to costs.
Mr Lipsham said that he has lost the will to live.
Source:- The Daily Mail Friday 29 August page 22
Being youngest in class is risk to mental health
Children who are among the youngest in their school year are more likely to suffer from mental health problems than other children, according to a new report.
The study, which was led by Robert Goodman, a professor in the department of child and adolescent psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry King's College, London, found that the pressures of keeping up with the workload can cause psychological problems for some children.
It found that the younger the children were in the school year the more likely they were to experience emotional and behavioural problems.
Source:- The Guardian Friday 29 August page 12
Legal win for blind cricketers
A blind cricket team has won a £7,000 settlement for disability discrimination after a guesthouse refused them entry because they had guide dogs.
The guesthouse accepted that it had no good reason to turn away the Eastern Vipers Cricket Club, from March, Cambridgeshire.
The payment is thought to be the highest of its kind.
The guesthouse was booked in February but the booking was cancelled when the owners learnt that some of the team had guide dogs.
Source:- The Times Friday 29 August page 11
Why no-one can agree if figures for illegal workers are adding up
Calculating the extent of migrant labour is proving difficult
Source:- The Financial Times Friday 29 August page 5
Scottish newspapers
Why did they die?
Ministers have pledged to investigate the escalating toll of drug deaths in Scotland after it emerged that the number of lives lost to drug abuse leapt by 50 last year.
Figures showed a total of 382 Scots died in 2002 and the highest death toll was in Glasgow where 126 people died, an increase of 30.
Justice minister Henry Hughes announced the investigation and said he wanted to shed light on “the lives behind the statistics”.
Source:- Daily Record Friday 29 August page 6
Evil mum shows no remorse
The mother of Danielle Reid showed “no evidence of remorse” over hiding the five year old’s murder, a court heard.
Tracy Reid also showed no sign of any mental health problems that would have “substantially impaired her behaviour” claimed Gary MacPherson, psychologist at Carstairs State Hospital.
In June, Reid admitted throwing Danielle’s body in a canal after the girl was murdered by her boyfriend Lee Gaytor. Gaytor admitted throwing the child down the stairs at their home last November having beaten her.
But Lord Hardie postponed sentencing after hearing conflicting evidence about Reid’s mental state.
Yesterday at the high court in Edinburgh, MacPherson said Reid was not suffering from a mental disorder, but another report claims Reid was psychologically damaged after suffering “a life of abuse and neglect”.
The hearing continues.
Source:- Daily Record Friday 29 August page 29
Nun abuse victims tell their tales
Orphans who suffered years of abuse at the hands of nuns in Scottish homes have told their harrowing stories on film.
Four hundred and fifty victims of abuse were interviewed by Australian film maker Geraldine Gandolfo for her documentary called Unholy Orders.
It also features the trial of Sister Alphonso who was found guilty three years ago of abusing children in her care between 1965 and 1980.
Source:- Daily Record  Friday 29 August page 24
Parking cheat’s punch charge
A parking enforcer who used a disability badge to park for free has been arrested after allegedly punching a motorist.
George Napier was arrested and charged with assault by police after an incident in Edinburgh on Wednesday.
Source:- Daily Record Friday 29 August page 17
Welsh newspapers
One-way train for disabled
Disabled passengers at Chepstow railway station have great difficulty accessing trains on one side of the platform, according to Huw Edwards MP for Monmouthshire.
He is angry that £35,000 is being spent on a new ticket booth that will only be used on a part-time basis, while disabled passengers have to be carried over a steep footbridge to access one side of the platform. Edwards is to write to the Disability Rights Commissioner for Wales and to local disability campaign groups to see what can be done to bring about change at the station.
Source:- South Wales Argus Thursday 28 August page 16