Wednesday 4 February 2004

By Amy Taylor, Clare Jerrom and Alex Dobson

The Home Office has announced that it will not be seeking
planning permission to turn a former royal navy base in Hampshire
into an accommodation centre for asylum seekers.

The plans for the former HMS Daedalus base at Lee-on-Solent have
been dropped because of problems in converting the buildings.

Residents had objected to the proposal for the centre for 400
single male asylum seekers.

Source:- The Times  Wednesday 4 February page 4

Hawking may be hostile witness

Stephen Hawking may be called as a hostile witness in any
trial alleging brutality against him if he continues to fail to
co-operate with the police.

At least 10 nurses and carers who have worked or are working with
the professor have been questioned by Cambridgeshire police after
they alleged that his wife Elaine was responsible for injuries he
has suffered.

Hawking has recently been treated for a broken wrist and wounds to
his face, but he denies anything is wrong.

Officers, who have a duty of care, are considering questioning
staff at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, where Hawking is being
treated for an unrelated bout of pneumonia. Before breaching
patient confidentiality, doctors must believe there is an
“over-riding public interest”.

Source:- The Times  Wednesday 4 February page 5

Fathers stopped

A campaign of civil disobedience by fathers protesting
about their lack of rights in divorce settlements was disrupted by
police in raids across Britain yesterday.

The Fathers 4 Justice group caused traffic chaos in London, Bristol
and Newcastle-upon-Tyne on Monday.

Source:- The Times  Wednesday 4 February page 12

Ibiza fun-seekers ‘put health at risk with unsafe
sex’

One in 13 young holiday makers in lively resorts in Ibiza
have at least six sexual partners during their vacation, according
to researchers.

Despite the level of sexual activity, four out of 10 holidaymakers
said they did not always use condoms, according to the survey
published in the British Medical Association journal.

Source:- Daily Telegraph  Wednesday 4 February page
5

Blunkett ID card plan ‘catastrophic’

Compulsory ID cards could alter “the very nature of
society”, MPs were warned yesterday.

Richard Thomas, the information watchdog, said the home
secretary’s plans could come with a “catastrophic
social cost”.

There were also “substantial risks” to liberty and
privacy, he told the home affairs select committee.

Source:- Daily Mail  Wednesday 4 February page 8

M&S scheme will target disadvantaged

Marks and Spencer is to offer work experience
opportunities to disadvantaged people in the hope it will boost
sales and give the company an advantage over its rivals.

Homeless people, disabled people, lone parents, school children,
and students who are the first members of the family to enter
higher education, are all included in the ‘Marks and
Start’ scheme. Students are the only group who will be
paid.

M&S chairperson Luc Vandevalde said the scheme will benefit the
company’s financial performance and shareholder value.

Source:- Financial Times Wednesday 4 February page 3

New inquiry into £2.8bn of unspent Lotto money

An inquiry into why almost £3 billion of lottery
money is lying in government coffers despite being earmarked for
good causes has been launched.

The investigation, which is being conducted by the National Audit
Office, will look into why the money has not been distributed,
despite its allocation to different projects.

Culture secretary Tessa Jowell told MPs that the issue “threatened”
public confidence in proper management of the lottery.

Source:- The Independent Wednesday 4 February page 9

Blair wants better-off to pay for more public
services

The prime minister yesterday floated the idea of charging
the better off for some public services.

During a two-and-a-half hour question session with senior MPs, Tony
Blair said that “co-payment” could become reality in the
future.

Blair’s policy advisers are currently looking at measures to
introduce a universal childcare scheme that would be free for the
poorest families, but would have to be paid for by others.

Source:- The Independent Wednesday 4 February page 2

NSPCC boss to review Huntley

Sir Christopher Kelly, chairperson of the NSPCC, will
lead a review into why no action was taken against Ian Huntley,
despite allegations that he was having sex with underage
girls.

Source:- The Guardian  Wednesday 4 February page 8

Carer walks free after abuse claim

A care worker accused of forcing an older woman in her
care to eat talcum powder walked free from court yesterday.

Nordia Noteman was acquitted of three counts of common assault at
Birmingham magistrates’ court.

Lucy Neal’s son installed a secret camera in the older
woman’s bedroom after he became suspicious about the care
being provided to his mother.

District judge Neil Davison said the standard of care provided to
Neal was below what she could have expected, but he was “not
able to infer criminal intention from the evidence”.

Source:- The Guardian  Wednesday 4 February page 10

Milking the empathy

Campaign puts job opportunities on milk cartons to attract
carers

Source:- Guardian Society  Wednesday 4 February page
4

Watchdog raps rights wrongs

Benefit consultant’s advert ‘misled’
disabled people

Source:- Guardian Society  Wednesday 4 February page
4

Under the influence

A project in Leicester that provides street drinkers with
a place to imbibe while accessing services

Source:- Guardian Society  Wednesday 4 February page
7

Experts in the dock

Angela Cannings’ release on appeal last month has
led to a review of cot death cases. It also puts local authority
adoption and care proceedings under scrutiny.

Source:- Guardian Society  Wednesday 4 February page 10
and 11

What else can I do?

Keen on football and working with young people, Craig
wants career guidance now that he has gained a diploma in youth
work.

Source:- Guardian Society  Wednesday 4 February page
112

Scottish newspapers

Children aged eight inhaling solvents

A sharp rise in the number of youngsters sniffing solvents has
resulted in children as young as eight being treated for drug
addiction in Scotland.

There has been a threefold increase in solvent abuse among
under-16s in the past year in the Borders, the worst affected
area.

Borders Drug and Alcohol Action Team is working closely with
schools to tackle the problem among primary school children.

Source:- The Scotsman  Wednesday 4 February

Fire experts begin a fingertip search of care home

Fire investigation officers began a fingertip search of a
care home where a fire killed 14 older people.

Thirteen women and a man died as a result of the fire at Rosepark
Care Home in Uddingston, near Glasgow at the weekend.

Fire investigators were allowed to begin their search of the scene.
Until then, only police forensic teams had been allowed to carry
out the work inside the building.

Source:- The Scotsman  Wednesday 4 February

Bone back behind bars after eviction from bail hostel

A mother who failed to prevent her daughter’s death
is back in prison after she was evicted from a bail hostel.

Andrea Bone failed to spend as much time in the hostel as staff
wanted and there were concerns about her general behaviour, a court
heard.

She had been freed from jail pending an appeal against her
conviction for the culpable homicide of her daughter,
Carla-Nicole.

She will now remain behind bars until the appeal is heard, unless
she makes a fresh application for bail.

Alexander McClure, Bone’s former boyfriend, is serving a life
sentence for murdering Carla-Nicole.

Source:- The Scotsman  Wednesday 4 February

Shock rise in heroin use

A massive rise in the number of drug addicts injecting
heroin has been reported in the capital, sparking fears of a new
wave of HIV and Aids.

The number of addicts injecting hard drugs has more than doubled in
five years, according to a report published by the Capital City
Partnership.

The number of drug users in Edinburgh who admit to sharing needles
has more than trebled.

Source:- Evening News  Tuesday 3 February

Parents hit out at new Lothian nursery strikes

Parents have reacted angrily to the announcement that
nursery nurses are planning another two days of strike action which
will cause chaos in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Nurseries across the region are expected to close tomorrow and next
Tuesday after public sector union, Unison, announced two more
one-day strikes across Scotland over pay.

Parents slammed the latest strikes as “unnecessary” and
questioned why the union had not waited for the results of the
ballot before pressing ahead.

Source:- Evening News  Tuesday 3 February

Psychiatric patient jailed for attack on hospital staff

A psychiatric patient who attacked a doctor and a nurse has been
jailed for four months.

Owen Smith pleaded guilty to assault and breach of the peace at the
Royal Edinburgh Hospital in October last year.

Source:- Evening News  Tuesday 3 February

Welsh news

‘I just want her home’

The mother of a teenage girl who disappeared over a week ago says
she is extremely concerned for her daughter’s safety.

Tammy Lane was using an internet chat-room before her she went
missing from her home in Winchestown, south Wales.

A 30-year-old man has been arrested under the Child Abduction Act
in relation to her disappearance, but police are still searching
for the teenager.

Source:- South Wales Argus Tuesday 3 February page 1

Asylum court verdict due

Welsh assembly members are due to meet to decide whether a
controversial asylum appeals court will be housed in Langstone,
Newport.

The court was due to open in December 2002 but as a result of local
opposition the plans went to a public inquiry.

A decision on the outcome of the inquiry is expected shortly.

Source:- South Wales Argus Tuesday 3 February page 7

‘Hands off playhouse’

Angry parents in Cardiff are campaigning to save a popular
family drop-in centre.

The Playhouse in the St Mellons area of the city was opened over 10
years ago to provide support for parents with young children.

But the project is expected to shut later this month after its main
backer, Cardiff social services, withdrew funding last April.

Source:- South Wales Echo Tuesday 3 February page 15

Asylum seeker stitches his lips

An Afghan asylum seeker has stitched his lips together in
protest at not being allowed to stay in Wales.

Atiquilla Kousha said he was imprisoned and tortured in his
homeland and fears for his safety and that of daughter, if he is
forced to return.

A solicitor acting for the family has lodged an appeal with the
Home Office but Mr Kousha is said to have lost faith in the asylum
process.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 4 February page 1