Friday 11 July 2003

By Amy Taylor, David Callaghan and Alex Dobson.
Services for children are brought together
A major overhawl of children’s services was launched yesterday when
Margaret Hodge, the children’s minister, announced the creation of
the 35 children’s trusts.
Hodge said the trusts would join together children’s social
services, education and health services in a single body.
The reforms have come in response to the Victoria Climbie Inquiry
aiming to improve communication between departments. The deaths of
scores of vulnerable children has been blamed on a lack of
co-operation.
Source:- The Times Friday 11 July page 4
Attempt to bypass census figures branded ‘an admission of
failings’
The Office for National Statistics has announced that it will break
the link between the census and the mid-year estimates of
population used to determine local authority funding after
controversy over the recent census figures.
The move follows an attack by Phillip Redfern, an authority in the
field, who described figures in the census as “Alice in
Wonderland”.
Source:-  Financial Times Friday 11 July page 3
Tens of thousands denied correct benefit
Tens of thousands of people are being incorrectly refused sickness
and disability benefits, according to government figures revealed
by a parliamentary question.
Figures from the department for work and pensions show there were
69,595 successful appeals against decisions last year in nine
different benefits. This represents 47 per cent of all appeals
made.
Almost 40,000 appeals regarding disability living allowance, which
pays for the cost incurred by disability for the employed and the
unemployed, were upheld.
Source:- Financial Times Friday 11 July page 6
‘Give sex lessons from age of five’
Ministers will be advised that sex education should be made
compulsory in primary schools in order to cut Britain’s high rate
of teenage pregnancy.
The Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy, which monitors
the progress of government strategy, wants sex education to be
“rooted” by law in lessons on relationships.
The groups call for children as young as five would be taught about
sex is likely to cause uproar with religious groups and family
campaigners.
Source:- Daily Telegraph Friday 11 July page 5
Peers reject plea over sex lessons in schools
An amendment designed to replace section 28 with new
measures that would give parents a greater say in the way sex
education in provided in schools was rejected in the House of Lords
last night.
The amendment, tabled by Lady Blatch, would have given parents the
right to hold ballots and vet the type of sex education material
being used by schools.
Stonewall, the gay rights organisation, said the rejection showed
that the section 28 issue should not have come before parliament
again.
Source:- Daily Telegraph Friday 11 July page 12
New bill will make teenage kisses illegal
The sexual offences bill due to come before parliament next week
will make it illegal for two 15-year-olds to kiss in a public
place, the home office said last night.
However, officials added that those below the age of consent were
unlikely to be prosecuted if they were enjoying the activity.
The warning came from the Family Planning Association which said
that the bill, due for second reading in the Commons on Tuesday,
would criminalise all consenting sexual activity between those
under 16.
The organisation is calling for the bill to be amended to address
the issue.
Source:- The Guardian Friday 11 July page 7
Poverty and crime make it tough up north – but more birds
are singing
While there are more children in poverty, less work and worse crime
up North there is less traffic and more birds, according to the
government’s English quality of life index.
Although the figures show the north/south divide still exists, the
environment minister Elliott Morley said that picture was not as
clear cut as this. “One part of the country is not terribly worse
than another, it’s just different. The index shows us where there
are regional disadvantages, and we can see whether there is
something that we can do about it.”
Source:- The Guardian Friday 11 July page 9
Scottish newspapers
Sex offender ‘dumped’ in Aberdeen moves back to
England
A man who has 116 convictions, some of which were sex offences
including rape of a 70-year-old woman, has left Aberdeen to go back
to England. There was a storm of protest when he was moved from
Peterborough in March last year.
It is estimated that his stay cost Scottish taxpayers £275,000
because he lived in a hostel and was accompanied at all times by
two counsellors.
Source:- The Herald Friday 11 July
Teenager dealt drug to boy, 13
An 18-year-old man escaped a prison sentence after being sentenced
for supplying drugs to children as young as 13.
James Alston, of Brightons, Stirlingshire, admitted possessing
cannabis with intent to supply. Falkirk sheriff Nigel Ross gave
Alston a £1,000 fine and ordered him to complete 240 hours
community service.
Source:- Daily Record Friday 11 July
Tot killer works at kids camp
A man of 23, who was convicted of killing three-year-old Jamie
Campbell when he was only 11 himself, is now working at an outdoor
centre for children.
Richard Keith was found guilty of culpable homicide in 1990 and
served eight years at a secure unit in Ayrshire. He is now working
at the Ardentinny Outdoor Centre near Dunoon.
The manager of the private company running the centre, Actual
Reality Scotland, said he had no knowledge of Keith’s
background.
Source:- Daily Record Friday 11 July
Welsh newspapers
AM defends Euro finance
Welsh assembly economic development minister, Andrew Davies, has
defended the way that millions of pounds of regeneration funds from
Europe are managed.
Following criticism contained in a new report that Objective One
funds were being mishandled, Davies told a committee of assembly
members that resources should focus on areas of greatest
deprivation. But he added that the way statistics about Objective
One were gathered did not show clearly what was happening.
Source:- South Wales Argus Thursday 10 July page 4
Wales’ health care is sick and tired…
A two-page feature looking at the implications of the
review of health and social care by Derek Wanless.
The feature looks at the central messages of the report that says
that Welsh people must take more responsibility for their own
health in the future. The report also warns that the NHS in Wales
is financially inefficient, and that links with social care need to
be strengthened. 
Source:- South Wales Argus Thursday 10 July pages
6-7
Parents may not know their own strength when
smacking
Parents are often unaware of their own strength when they hit their
children, new research concludes.
Studies show that the human brain under estimates the amount of
physical force applied, with the result that boxers punch harder
than they anticipated, and parents who smack children can be more
violent than they realise.
Researchers say that the study has important implications for
parents who smack their children.
Source:- Western Mail Friday 11 July page 3
Hutt rejects MPs’ pleas on foundation
hospitals
Welsh assembly health minister, Jane Hutt, has vowed to remain
opposed to the introduction of foundation hospitals to Wales.
Opposition assembly members (AMs) have argued that the recent
report on health and social care in Wales by Derek Wanless,
advocates greater autonomy for the best performing hospitals, but
Hutt says that the report endorses the approach that the Welsh
assembly is already taking over foundation hospitals.
Source:- Western Mail Friday 11 July page 8
Deaf girl marked down over language
Jodie Price says that the current exam system is failing
her because she is deaf.
Although the 16-year-old is in the top set for all subjects at her
school she says that she, and other deaf youngsters are being
penalised because they use sign language to communicate.
She is calling for the exam system to be modified so that the use
of British sign language (BSL) is recognised.
Source:- Western Mail Friday 11 July page 9