Friday 8 August 2003

By Clare Jerrom and Alex Dobson.
Civil service union takes on Brown in strike threat
Britain’s largest civil service union is threatening strike
action by tens of thousands of public sector workers as it squares
up for battle with Gordon Brown over pay.
Strike action could cause disruption across government from
benefits offices to the rehabilitation of prisoners.
The Public and Commercial Services Union has identified 10
departments and public bodies where there is a strong risk of
deadlock over pay talks.
Source:- Financial Times Friday 8 August page 2
Measles warning after MMR setback
Britain is at a high risk of measles re-establishing itself as an
endemic disease, according to public health researchers in the
journal Science.
Loss of confidence in the triple vaccination for mumps, measles and
rubella is leading to more outbreaks of measles and the outbreaks
are reaching the “critical point” at which they will no
longer fizzle out.
Source:- Financial Times Friday 8 August page 3
Mobile operators draft code on access to
porn
Mobile phone operators are looking at ways to prevent minors
accessing adult content on their mobile telephones in a bid to
avert a backlash from child protection groups and regulators over
the increasing proliferation of pornography on mobile
telephones.
The UK’s leading mobile operators have drafted an industry
code of practice and will require operators to provide access
control tools on mobiles to prevent unauthorised users viewing
adult material.
Source:- Financial Times Friday 8 August page 3
London ‘becoming more foreign’
London has become the immigration capital of the world, according
to a report in the Economist.
Migration to London rose from about 25,000 people a year in the
early 1990s to 125,000 last year.
Meanwhile migration out of London increased from about 50,000 a
year in the 1990s to 100,000.
Source:- The Times Friday 8 August page 2
Courts told to make more use of fines
Low risk offenders should be punished by the use of fines so that
probation officers can work with more serious criminals, according
to findings of a government review of the prison and probation
services.
Minister are already trying to rebuild fines as a credible
punishment after a collapse in their use by courts because of poor
payment, and the perception that often criminals cannot afford to
pay the fines.
Source:- The Times Friday 8 August page 2
Aid worker is jailed for child abuse
A man who ran a charity refuge for children orphaned during the
Ethiopian famine has been jailed for nine years with hard labour in
Ethiopia for sexually abusing children in his care.
David Christie was at the centre of an international paedophile
ring that used charities to gain access to children.
Three judges dismissed an appeal that he should serve part of his
sentence in Britain, where he was convicted of child abuse in
1965.
Source:- The Times Friday 8 August page 2
New EU plans to toughen asylum rules
Failed asylum seekers will be deported by bus, train and unmarked
police cars until they are “finally removed” from the
EU under a plan drawn up by EU officials.
They would be “escorted” out of the EU in a bid to
“terminate the illegal residence of third-country
nationals” according to the proposal.
The plan, proposed by the EU’s Italian presidency and leaked
to The Guardian, shows an increasing determination among EU
governments to step up the pace of deportations.
Source:- The Guardian Friday 8 August page 1
HIV student to be deported ‘to her death’ in
Malawi
David Blunkett was accused of signing the death warrant of
an HIV-positive student from Malawi by ordering her
deportation.
The student’s MP, Liberal Democrat health spokesperson, Evan
Harris asked the home office to give her exceptional leave to
remain in Britain on compassionate grounds to allow her treatment
to continue.
The plea was rejected and she is to be returned to Malawi, but
remains in Britain awaiting an appeal.
Source:- The Guardian Friday 8 August page 9
‘Yellow card’ crackdown on loutish
behaviour
Surrey police have adopted a yellow card scheme for tackling
anti-social behaviour by warning offenders that they will face
arrest if they offend again.
Officers have been ordered to no longer tolerate minor offences
such as drunkenness, swearing and loutish behaviour.
Those given credit card-sized yellow warning notes will be told
that if they receive a second card within 180 days they will be
prosecuted, and anyone refusing to accept a card will be
arrested.
Source:- The Daily Telegraph Friday 8 August page 9
Scottish newspapers
Tears of rage for Kurds
MSP Rosie Kane broke down in tears yesterday after she returned
from a failed mission, trying to help a family of Kurdish asylum
seekers.
The Scottish Socialist had flown to Germany to lobby authorities on
behalf of the Ay family, and accused the Scottish executive of
failing to help the family.
Yurdugal Ay and her four children were deported to Frankfurt
earlier this week after losing a long-running battle to stay in the
UK.
Source:- Daily Record Friday 8 August page 16
100 held in youth crime blitz
More than 100 people have been arrested in West Lothian following a
seven-day crackdown on violent behaviour and drunken youths.
Police seized knives, screwdrivers and deliberately snapped pool
cues during the operation aimed at reducing crime during the summer
months. Officers also recovered drugs and stolen cars.
Inspector Paul Thomson, who was joint commander in the operation,
said the high visibility presence had proved as a deterrent to
youths intent on criminal and anti-social behaviour.
Source:- The Scotsman Friday 8 August (website)
Welsh newspapers
Huge gap in services
Some psychiatric patients in south Wales must travel hundreds of
miles for treatment in often, inappropriate facilities because of a
gap in services locally.
As a result of a lack of low secure unit places, offenders or those
at risk of offending, who also have a mental health problems are
being sent to units in England.
Senior psychiatric nurse with the Gwent Health Care Trust, Nicky
Kift told Blaenau Gwent local health board that there was a huge
gap in services.
Source:- South Wales Argus Thursday 7 August page 9
Elderly missing out on £22 each week
Many older people in Wales are not claiming the benefits
they are entitled to.
Around 44,000 older people in the principality who are entitled to
the minimum income guarantee are leaving their money unclaimed, and
are missing out on up to £22 per week – or more than
£1,100 annually each.
In response to the finding by the department for work and pensions,
the British Gas Help the Aged Partnership is calling on the
government to set new targets aimed at ensuring that at least 90
per cent of older people claim all means tested benefits within the
next three years.
Source:- Western Mail Friday 6 August page 7