Wednesday 11 December 2002

By Amy Taylor, Shona Main and Alex Dobson.

Britain opens its doors to Eastern Europe.

Britain is to be the only major European country to give full
working rights to people from eight Eastern European states
immediately when they join the EU in 18 months time.

Other countries, including Italy, France and Germany, are
concerned that their workers will be undercut by cheap labour and
are waiting for up to seven years before giving new EU citizens the
right to work.

Source:- The Times, Wednesday 11 December, page 1

Immigrants boost wage levels for all

Immigrants do not take jobs from the resident population and may
even increase general wage levels, according to independent
research published by the Home Office yesterday.

The study, carried out by University College London, is the
first to take an in-depth look at immigrant workers in Britain and
confirms that they are an important and growing minority in the
British labour market, making up about 9 per cent of the working
population.

Source:- The Guardian, Wednesday 11 December, page
9

Battle to free British care worker in
Brazil

An international campaign to free a Briton sentenced to 46 years
in jail in Brazil has been launched after calls that he was framed
for sexually abusing children.

Craig Alden, 33, who ran an orphanage for street children,
claims he has been the victim of a vendetta after refusing to work
with corrupt and unprofessional local authorities.

Source:- The Guardian, Wednesday 11 December, page
10

Jail overcrowding pushes up suicides

Jail overcrowding is driving up the suicide rate and stifling
rehabilitation work, Anne Owers, the chief inspector of prisons
said yesterday.

In her first annual report she said: “There can be no doubt that
most prisons are less safe than they were a year ago and many are
also less decent places.”

Source:- The Guardian, Wednesday 11 December, page
12

Streets behind

Helping the homeless used to be all about beds and blankets. But
while the focus is now on lasting solutions, resources remain poor
for tackling the key issue – drug abuse.

Source:- Guardian Society, Wednesday 11 December, page
2

Morals maze

Oxfam’s loss is Palestinian aid’s gain

Source:- Guardian Society, Wednesday 11 December, page
4

Charities hit by doubts

Survey uncovers concerns over where the money goes

Source:- Guardian Society, Wednesday 11 December, page
4

Housing master class

Birmingham must apply school reforms to homes policy

Source:- Guardian Society, Wednesday 11 December, page
4

Staff of life

Charity Fairbridge helps troubled young people develop personal
social skills and takes pride in turning them into its frontline
workers.

Source:- Guardian Society, Wednesday 11 December, page
5

Past points the way

A new housing scheme outside York is bringing the traditional
‘garden suburb’ concept into the 21st century. But it is facing
stiff opposition.

Source:- Guardian Society, Wednesday 11 December, page
6

Quest for missing links

Ruth Jones, guru of real-world regeneration.

Source:-  Guardian Society, Wednesday 11 December, page
11

Just for the record

What makes a murderer

Source:- Guardian Society, Wednesday 11 December, page
13

Left out in the cold

A campaign to help elderly people who dread winter

Source:- Guardian Society, Wednesday 11 December, page
13

Creche course

How a scheme begun by Aldous Huxley’s widow is transforming  the
lives of teenagers in London

Source:- Guardian Society, Wednesday 11 December, page
80

Scottish papers

Meeting victim helps girl gang avoid jail

The victim of an “extremely horrific and unprovoked attack” has
helped keep his teenage assailants out of jail after meeting
them.

Four teenage girls were convicted of the brutal attacked on Neil
Davidson, 46, last year. However, before sentencing, Davidson met
the girls for what was called “a textbook reparation
operation”.

The court heard that the meeting had made a positive impact on
the girls while Davidson said he was impressed by their response to
events. The girls received probation.

Source:- The Herald, Wednesday 11 December, page 4

Debt agency tells disabled woman to eat
less

A company that collects outstanding council tax has told a
disabled woman that she spends too much on food.

Stirling Park, one of Highland Council’s debt collection
agents, has told Jean Cadden, 53, who needs a special diet, that
the £180 she spends a month on food – £6 a day – was too
much for one person.

They have been ordered to recover £819 in council tax
arrears from Cadden, who currently pays £30 a month to help
clear her debt. She has been told to pay an extra £12 a month
or face court action.

Source:- The Scotsman, Wednesday 11 December, page
11

Welsh papers

Nurse ‘saw smothering’

The evidence of a nurse who saw an alleged attempted
‘smothering’ of a baby had the hallmark of truth,
Cardiff crown court was told.

A 39-year-old man is charged with murdering his six-month-old
son and attempting to murder his seven-week-old son.

The nurse from the Royal Gwent hospital in Newport had given
evidence that she saw the baby’s father trying to smother his
child in a hospital cubicle.

She recorded the incident in her diary and contacted the
hospital authorities. Both children had been the subject of what
have been described as ‘frightening incidents’ where
they stopped breathing in the weeks before they died. The case
continues.

Source:- South Wales Argus, Tuesday 10 December, page
4