A summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By David Callaghan and Reg McKay.

Spending promises: Labour unveils five
campaign platforms

Labour has unveiled five key pledges for the election campaign,
including a promise to increase the minimum wage and retain the
winter fuel payment for older people.

The minimum wage will rise to £4.20 per hour during the
second term of a Labour government, and the winter fuel allowance
of £200 will be kept.

The other pledges are that inflation and mortgage rates will
kept low and the economy steadied on a sound footing; 10,000 extra
teachers will be recruited as part of a drive to raise standards in
secondary schools; 20,000 new nurses and 10,000 doctors will be
recruited to the NHS; and police numbers will be boosted by an
extra 6,000 officers.

Source: The Independent Thursday 10 May page 6

Doctors ‘withdraw support over NHS’

A survey by magazine Hospital Doctor has shown that
doctors angry with their growing workload have turned away from
Labour. After supporting the party in 1997 they are now switching
to the Conservatives.

The findings taken from a poll of 1,142 doctors shows that 37
per cent will vote for the Tories compared with 30 per cent for
Labour.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Thursday 10 May page 4

Nursery closed in TB alert as children undergo
tests

The parents of 24 pupils at a nursery school in Wandsworth,
London, who have tested positive for tuberculosis, are waiting to
see if their children have the disease.

Wee Ones nursery has closed temporarily after a teacher
collapsed and was found to have been suffering from the disease for
six months.

Source: The Guardian Wednesday 10 May page 8

Legal fight to view adoption files

A grandmother has challenged in the high court the refusal by an
adoption society to grant her access to information about her
adoption more than 50 years ago.

Liberty, the human rights pressure group, has backed the bid by
Linda Gunn-Rosso to find out the identity of her natural parents.
Ms Gunn-Rosso from Liverpool is challenging the refusal of Nugent
Care Society to grant her access to the records on her case. She is
using the Human Rights Act as the basis for her legal action.

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 10 May page 11

Parents spend more time with children

New research in the United States has found that parents spend
more time with their children than they did 20 years ago. The
University of Michigan has found that even dual-income parents are
spending more time with their children.

Researchers discovered in 1997 that children between the ages of
three and 12 spend about 31 hours each week with their mothers
compared with 25 hours in 1981. The figures for fathers are 23
hours in 1997 and 19 hours in 1981.

Source:- The Times Thursday 10 May page 6

Scottish newspapers

Councillors criticised over sacking

West Dunbartonshire Council has been criticised by an employment
tribunal over the sacking of Ian Leitch, former deputy chief
executive. The tribunal described Leitch as being a victim of
“naked aggression” in his sacking last year. Leitch was awarded the
maximum compensation of £54,000 by an employment tribunal.
Explaining its reasons, the employment tribunal criticised Labour
leader Andrew White for wasting public money and acting
improperly.

Source:- The Scotsman Thursday 10 May page 2