Wednesday 5 February 2003

By Amy Taylor, Nicola Barry and Alex
Dobson.

Union anger at 40,000 foreign work permits

Forty thousand work permits are to be offered to people from
Turkey, Iran and eastern Europe in an attempt to reduce the number
of people paying traffickers to enter Britain illegally and
claiming asylum.

The home office scheme will start next year, offering 10,000
permits to Turkey, 10,000 to Iran and 20,000 to eastern Europe.

Critics say that controls are not in place to ensure workers
return home when their permits have expired, and unions fear the
imported cheap labour will help form a two tier workforce.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 5 February page 4

Privately run jail is worst in the country

Ashfield jail, near Bristol, a privately run prison only for
juveniles, has been labelled as the worst run prison in England and
Wales in an inspection report by Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne
Owers.

The report found some young offenders were too frightened to
leave their cells and that staff delegated responsibility to inmate
orderlies to a disturbingly high level taking it as far as “role
reversal”.

It also criticises Premier Prison Services, the company that run
the institution, as being unwilling to do anything beyond their
contract.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 5 February page 8

Children are scarred by battling parents

Witnessing violence between parents has a damaging effect on
large amounts of children, according to a new report by
Barnardo’s.

‘Bitter Legacy’ says that even when children are not
harmed physically they suffer great emotional turmoil from repeated
exposure to domestic violence.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 5 February page 8

Safe havens plan to slash asylum numbers

Asylum seekers could soon be deported to UN “protection areas”
in their region of origin if new government plans go ahead.

The initiative hopes to slash the number of asylum seekers with
official figures being released next month expected to show that
asylum claims topped 100,000 last year for the first time ever.

Under the new plans, the majority of asylum seekers would have
their applications processed once they have be returned to the
“regional protection areas”, losing their right to claim asylum in
Britain.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 5 February page 1

Guardian Society

Inside track

Some argue that imprisonment is often the best way to further a
person’s career – in crime. Now top companies are being drawn to
public-private partnerships that offer inmates real hope of working
things out.

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 5 February page
3

Missing links

The implementation of the Homeless Act is being hampered by a
lack of co-operation between local authority housing and social
services department, according to a new report by homelessness
charity Shelter.

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 5 February page
4

Preventive methods

Platt orders audit of Laming child safety recommendations.

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 5 February page
4

No turning back

Mother pursues posthumous discrimination claim for son

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 5 February page
4

In the pink

Northern Ireland was slow to legally recognise homosexuality,
but its progress on gay rights is setting an agenda for others to
follow

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 5 February page
5

Reality check

As the agency pioneered overseas volunteering celebrates its
50^th anniversary, Sunil Nair looks at how it shapes
futures.

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 5 February page
6

Silent witness

The tragic plight of Victoria Climbie shows that there must be
effective communication with children

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 5 February page
10

Waves of enthusiasm

Special needs charity shows the value of a British seaside
break

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 5 February page
119

Bitter refrain

Even if they are not physically abused children brought up amid
domestic violence need help too

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 5 February page
120

Scottish newspapers

Pensioners’ Party joins fight for Holyrood
seats

Pensioners have formed a single-issue party to fight for seats
in the Scottish parliament.

The Pensioners’ Party says it is disillusioned with the
performance of MSPs over the past four years, and is determined to
champion the rights of Scotland’s older citizens.

Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 5 February page 42

Asylum case blocked

Lawyers have been blocked from suing the home office in a
multi-million pound action over the plight of asylum seekers at
Dungavel Detention Centre.

Solicitors acting for the Scottish Human Rights Commission, due
to be introduced next year, have branded conditions “inhuman” and
“degrading” and want the facility closed.

Source: The Scotsman Wednesday 5 February page 5

Welsh newspapers

Home violence affects 85,000 children

New figures reveal that as many as one in six Welsh children are
the secret victims of domestic violence.

Children’s charities are now calling for better legal
protection for victims of such violence with the publication of a
report from Barnardo’s, ‘Bitter Harvest’, that
calls for changes to the Children Act 1989.

The report says that child victims of domestic abuse should be
given more support, and there should be an extension of current
child protection procedures.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 5 February page 1

Owen took children away on trip after being
suspended

An education chief who conducted an initial investigation into
alleged paedophile, John Owen, has claimed that education authority
officials did not do everything they could to protect children from
the former teacher.

Speaking at the Clywch inquiry, set up by the Children’s
Commissioner for Wales to look into the events that took place at a
school in south Wales where Owen taught, David Matthews said that
there were failures to discharge child protection duties.

The inquiry continues.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 5 February page 2

Social workers face inquiry on child death

An inquiry has begun following the death of a toddler on a west
Wales beach.

Birmingham area child protection committee has launched an
inquiry to investigate whether Jordan Reid’s death could have
been prevented.

The city’s social services department says that it was in
contact with the child and his mother Mirlene Stewart prior to last
summer’s drowning.

Jordan was found dead in a rock pool on the beach in
Saundersfoot, and his mother was found guilty of his
manslaughter.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 5 February page 7