Thursday 22 January 2004

By Natasha Salari, Amy Taylor, Lauren Revans, Clare
Jerrom and Alex Dobson.

Asylum centre plans stall in high court
The government’s plans to create a network of asylum
accommodation centres has been put on ice as the high court
considers an application from campaigners to mount a legal
challenge against the plan.
Cherwell district council is awaiting the decision, expected this
month, on whether it can launch a judicial review of the
government’s decision to build a 750 capacity centre near Bicester
in Oxfordshire.
The centres will house asylum seekers while their claims are being
processed.
Source:- The Financial Times Thursday 22 January page 5
Jail ‘covered up assaults by guards’
Prison chiefs at Portland Young Offenders’ Institution were accused
of covering up assaults by officers on inmates yesterday as seven
victims won a £120,000 settlement for the injuries they
received.
Peter Tullet, the former chaplin at the institution, received
complaints from inmates about the violence and saw their
injuries.
He said that he told prison chiefs about the assaults, but they
decided to ignore what was going on.
The seven youths were aged between 16 and 21 when they allege
officers assaulted them.
Source:- The Guardian Thursday 22 January page 5
10-year-olds may face instant fines
Children as young as 10 could face fixed penalty fines for
antisocial behaviour, the prime minister announced yesterday.
Tony Blair said that he wanted the on-the-spot fines that were
brought in for 16 and 17-year-olds on Tuesday, to be extended to
juveniles as soon as possible.
The Home Office added that no date had been set for extending the
fixed penalty fines to 10 to 16-year-olds, but that the government
already has enabling powers in the Antisocial Behaviour Act to
implement the change.
Source:- The Daily Telegraph Thursday 22 January page 10
Sperm donor children will win right to trace
father
Children born from donated sperm and eggs will be given the right
to trace their biological parents.
After a review of fertility legislation, the government has decided
to remove donors’ right to anonymity from next year.
The move has been welcomed by groups working with donor-assisted
families, but doctors have warned that it could lead to a national
shortage of sperm.
Source:- The Independent Thursday 22 January page 4
Shipman coverage blamed for rise in prison suicides
A spate of inmates hanging themselves in apparent copycat
suicides is being blamed on Harold Shipman’s death by the Prison
Service.
In the five days after the serial killer was found dead at
Wakefield Prison, five prisoners, including three people on remand,
have been found hanged in their cells.
Prison sources say that high-profile nature of Dr Shipman’s death
and the graphic and detailed accounts in the media, are encouraging
inmates to contemplate suicide.
Source:- The Independent Thursday 22 January page 11
Asylum UK. Official OECD report: Britain takes 1 in 5 of the
Western world’s asylum seekers – more than any other country,
including the US
Britain accepted 110,700 asylum seekers in 2002, figures from
analysts at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development have revealed.
The figure – almost as many as France and Germany put together, and
more than the US – represents a 20 per cent rise on the previous
year.
However, the Home office disputed the figures and said the number
of asylum seekers had fallen over the past year under new
immigration laws.
Source:- Daily Mail Thursday 22 January page 1
Scottish newspapers
MSPs oppose scheme to end bed blocking
Plans to end bed blocking by placing older people into any
appropriate care home if their chosen homes are full, were
condemned by opposition politicians yesterday.
Ministers were urged to rethink the strategy to free NHS beds under
which older people could be moved miles from their relatives.
MSPs blamed a shortage of care home places on the crisis.
Source:- The Herald Thursday 22 January
Inquiry into patients’ deaths clears
carers
An inquiry into the deaths of five older people treated in hospital
has rejected relatives’ claims that the deaths were as a
result of defects in patient care.
The fatal accident inquiry was called for by relatives of four men
and a woman who died between 1999 and 2001 either in hospital or
shortly after leaving it.
In a written judgement, Sheriff Kenneth Ross said there were no
“system defects” to be amended, but recommended an
urgent review of procedures at Dumfries and Galloway Infirmary
after identifying failures in nursing management because of staff
shortages.
Source:- The Herald Thursday 22 January
Kane’s refugee family sent to Dublin
The political refugee, who was “rescued” by
socialist MSP Rosie Kane, was deported to Dublin yesterday.
Mercy Ikolo and her daughter Percie were taken from Kane’s
home in Glasgow and put on a flight to Dublin, Ikolo’s port
of entry when she fled from Cameroon.
Source:- The Scotsman Thursday 24 January
Blitz will create ghettos for neds
Plans to crack down on antisocial young people would create ghettos
where youngsters would flock for “sport”, police warned
yesterday.
Measures in the Antisocial Behaviour Bill could make matters worse
for people living in the country’s toughest estates, they
told MSPs.
The bill would allow police to move on groups of ‘neds’
hanging around in specially designated areas. But officers believe
the move would attract troublemakers.
Source:- Daily Record Thursday 22 January page 2
Benefit chaos as 100,000 walk out
Job centres and benefit offices face chaos next week as up to
100,000 staff are set to strike over pay.
Around 9,000 civil servants will walk out at the Department for
Work and Pensions in Scotland next week. Immigration staff at
Scotland’s ports and airports will also take part.
Leaders of the Public and Commercial Services union said workers
processing claims by asylum seekers would also join in the
industrial action.
Source:- Daily Record Thursday 22 January page 2
Welsh newspapers
Domestic violence: Fight-back begins
A pioneering project aimed at boosting the number of
domestic violence prosecutions will help victims across the
UK.
The project is led by the crown prosecution service, but takes a
multi agency approach to supporting victims. The pilot project was
launched in Caerphilly earlier this week, and preliminary findings
on how successful the scheme has proved should be available in
September.
Source:- South Wales Argus Wednesday 21 January page 8
Youngsters need play champions, says report
All local authorities should have ‘play champions’ that
are responsible for playgrounds and help children to have more fun
outdoors, says a new government review.
The review looked at facilities available to children aged up to 16
across the UK and concluded that the bulk of the £200 million
of lottery cash for children’s play areas should go to
neighbourhood projects via local authorities.
Source:- Western Mail Thursday 22 January page 3