A daily summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By Clare Jerrom and Reg McKay.

French scrap plan for new camp

Plans to open a second Red Cross camp near the channel ports in
France have been scrapped as the French have agreed to take action
against migrants who break into the Eurotunnel compound near
Calais.

In a joint statement from the home secretary David Blunkett and
his French counterpart Daniel Vaillant, assurances were announced
yesterday following their meeting on Wednesday about French coastal
ports being used as a jumping off point for illegal immigration
into Britain.

The second centre was planned at Bailleul about 50 miles south
east of Calais, to take the overspill from the Sangatte Red Cross
camp, which Eurotunnel claimed was being used as a base for
repeated attempts by asylum seekers to leap aboard trains bound for
Britain.

The French have rejected claims to close the Sangatte camp, but
British immigration officials can go to the camp to “provide
realistic information to deter would-be migrants”.

Source:- The Guardian Friday 14 September page 17

Scottish newspapers

Change of heart on smacking?

Scottish executive ministers are prepared to amend controversial
plans to outlaw the smacking of children under three, it emerged
last night in a debate in the Scottish parliament.

Deputy justice minister, Iain Gray, told MSPs he would consider
changing the age at which smacking would become a criminal offence,
but stressed that the executive would not compromise on the
principle. The executive’s announcement had raised protests
from parents and Gray acknowledged the strength of feelings on both
side of the debate. However, he stressed that that the executive
would not be deflected from “clarifying” the law on this sensitive
issue.

Source:- The Scotsman Friday 14 September page 14

Scots help fight HIV in Siberia

Two Scottish health workers are heading to Siberia to help cut
the high suicide rate among men diagnosed as HIV-positive.

The move was initiated after Gay Men’s Health, an
Edinburgh based charity, discovered that their web site was
receiving a high number of hits from that part of the world.

It is estimated that 300 to 400 new cases of HIV are diagnosed
in the Oblast region each month, with a high portion of gay men
many of whom commit suicide. The two Scottish health workers will
help set up a peer education project to train individuals on safe
gay sex.

Source:- The Herald Friday 14 September page 19