Tuesday 5 November 2002

By Clare Jerrom, Nicola Barry and Alex
Dobson.

Tories in revolt as Portillo turns the
knife

Iain Duncan Smith’s leadership was under strain last night
after his main rivals in last year’s Tory leadership contest,
Michael Portillo and Kenneth Clarke, led a heavyweight revolt
against him over adoption.

Seven former Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet members were among eight
Tory MPs who voted with Labour to allow unmarried couples to adopt
children, and a further 32 defied their leader’s three line
whip to oppose the move.

In last night’s vote MPs again backed the plans to allow
unmarried couples including same sex couples to adopt children.
They sent the measure back to the Lords by 344 votes to 145, a
majority of 199.

Now the Lords must decide whether to send it back to the
Commons.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 5 November page 1

Police investigate deaths of 30 elderly
patients

The hospital care of up to 30 older patients are to be
investigated by police after relatives complained that they may
have died from overdoses of strong painkillers.

The families have hired the solicitor who represented some of
the relatives in the Shipman case to put the argument for a full
public inquiry into the deaths.

All the patients who died were admitted to Gosport War Memorial
Hospital in Hampshire to recuperate, and their families were told
they should make a full recovery.

The police investigations will centre on the use of pain killers
at the hospital near Portsmouth.

Source:-The Times Tuesday 5 November page 5

Trial told of topless pictures

Danielle Jones’ uncle who is accused of murdering his
niece had taken pictures of two teenagers topless and in their
underwear at his house, Chelmsford crown court was told.

Stuart Campbell was alleged to have told Kelly Fuller, then 16,
and Jennifer Stevens that he was a professional photographer.

He persuaded the girls to go back to his flat where he took “St
Trinian style” pictures of them dressed in skirts, ripped
stockings, shirts and ties in 1987.

Campbell denies abducting and murdering 15-year-old
Danielle.

The trial continues.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 5 November page 7

Limit use of jails, trio of ministers instructs
courts

Three government ministers made a plea to judges and magistrates
yesterday to stop sending vast numbers of people to prisons.

The home secretary, David Blunkett, Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine
and Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith QC urged the courts to use
prison only for persistent criminals and those convicted of
violent, serious and sexual offences.

The jail population has reached 72,630.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 5 November page 13

Blunkett offers new urban asylum centres to save
bill

The home secretary is expected to make a major concession today
over his plans for accommodation centres for asylum seekers in a
bid to ensure the asylum bill survives to reach the statute book
before the end of the parliamentary year.

David Blunkett is to announce that he is willing to open some
smaller asylum accommodation centres. They would probably hold
around 400 to 450 people in “middle England” cities.

The new urban centres will be opened alongside two or three
bigger rural centres holding up to 750 asylum seekers in a trial
before a national network of up to 20 centres are opened across the
country.

The separate education system for the children of asylum seekers
would be for a maximum of six months, he will add.

Source:- The Guardian Tuesday 5 November page 1

Nurse jailed for cruelty

A care assistant was jailed for three years yesterday at
Liverpool crown court for tearing out the nails of an 85-year-old
woman at a nursing home.

Lisa Fitzpatrick attacked Margaret Barr at Alder Grange in
Liverpool because the pensioner’s relatives had complained
about her.

Barr later died of pneumonia.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Tuesday 5 November page 2

Blair: people wants the yobs to be tackled

The prime minister stressed the importance of dealing with
“small” issues such as vandalism yesterday.

Tony Blair made a statement about plans to curb anti-social
behaviour that will be at the heart of the queen’s
speech.

As an MP, he knew that anti-social behaviour affected many
people, he explained.

He said crimes such as low level aggression, fly tipping and
graffiti hit the daily quality of life of many people in
communities, often the older people and the most vulnerable.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Tuesday 5 November page 8

Childhood drinking doubles in a decade

Children drink twice as much alcohol as young people did a
decade ago, according to a study.

One in five 11 to 16-year-olds drinks alcohol at least once a
week, the survey found.

More than half of the 15 and 16-year-olds admitted
‘binge’ drinking at least once a month.

Britain has one of the highest rates of alcohol consumption
among teenagers in Europe, according to a report from Alcohol
Concern.

Source:- Daily Mail Tuesday 5 November page 16

Scottish newspapers

Tagged thug wins £9.7m

A teenager wearing an electronic tag collected a £9.7
million lottery win yesterday.

Jobless Michael Carroll won’t be celebrating his win with
a night out because he can’t leave the house.

Source:- Daily Record Tuesday 5 November page 1 and
7

Plea on mental health muddle

Patients with mental health problems in Scotland are receiving
sub standard care because of confusion over services, according to
new research.

The Scottish Consumer Council says patients become confused
because there are six separate organisations working in the same
field.

Source:- Daily Record Tuesday 5 November page 12

Labour under fresh attack over growth in child
poverty

The Scottish executive has been accused of failing to close the
poverty gap after a report revealed one in three children lives in
a low income household.

The SNP and Tories claim Labour has failed to meet its pledge to
reduce child poverty.

Source:- The Scotsman Tuesday 5 November page 4

Mentor scheme helps to turn young from
crime

A charity for young people praised a mentoring scheme which it
claimed has improved the lives of participants and reduced their
likelihood of re-offending.

More than a third of those who took part in the Talented Futures
mentoring project in Glasgow said they had benefited greatly form
the experience.

Source:- The Herald November 5 page 11

Welsh newspapers

Child abuse victims given bilingual help

Welsh speaking child abuse victims can access a bilingual
helpline to talk through their fears and anxieties in their own
language.

The confidential service run by NSPCC Cymru is staffed by
trained social workers and is meeting the needs of those who feel
more comfortable talking through sensitive issues in their first
language.

The helpline was set up in Bangor in 1999 after it was found
that Welsh people were reluctant to call the helpline in London
because they felt the service was detached, and that counsellors
would not understand their particular circumstances.

Source:- South Wales Echo Monday 4 November page 14

Should gay couples be allowed to adopt

A two-page feature looking at the current debate over whether
someone’s sexuality should affect his or her right to adopt a
child.

The story focuses on the experience of a gay priest and his
partner from south Wales who have fostered a teenage boy with
severe learning difficulties.

Source:- South Wales Argus Monday 4 November pages 14 –
15

Lone parents’ rights project

A new research project to help protect the rights of lone
parents is being launched at Cardiff University.

The National Council for One Parent Families is sponsoring the
project at the universities law school, and researchers will carry
out in-depth interviews with lone parents and people who come into
contact with them like solicitors and advisors.

The project is expected to address issues like child poverty and
social exclusion, and funding for £70,000 investigation has
been provided by the Nuffield Foundation.

Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 5 November page 10