Wednesday 7 July 2004

By Clare Jerrom, Lauren Revans, Shirley Kumar and Alex
Dobson

NHS admin cost cuts ‘could save £1.7bn’

Preliminary findings of the Conservatives’ review into public
sector efficiency reveal that at least £1.7 billion could be
saved from NHS administration costs by giving patients greater
choice, abolishing centrally issued targets, and cutting back on
inspection, shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin has revealed.

The Tories claim £925 million a year could be saved by
removing the commissioning function of primary care trusts,
£100 million from the abolition of strategic health
authorities, £650 million from halving the 42 arms-length
health bodies, and £50 million from further staff cuts at
Whitehall.

Source:- Financial Times Wednesday 7 July page 4

Blunkett to revive law on inciting religious hatred

Home secretary David Blunkett is set to announce plans to create an
offence of incitement to racial hatred – despite being forced
to withdraw similar plans in December 2001 to save his
anti-terrorism, crime and security bill.

Amid fears of the growing alienation of the moderate Muslim
community, the government is hoping to secure sufficient
parliamentary backing to extend race hate laws to cover religion
too on the grounds that it will improve social cohesion.

Source:- Financial Times Wednesday 7 July page 4

Senior CBI official to chair LDA

Mary Reilly, chair of the CBI’s London region, has been
appointed as chair of the London Development Agency.

Reilly, who is also a partner on Deloitte and Touche, is the third
person to take the helm at the troubled LDA in the last four
years.

Source:- Financial Times Wednesday 7 July page 4

Schools to run themselves on cash from the State

Successful schools will be given complete control of budgets and be
able expand to admit more pupils, under the government’s
five-year plan for education to be announced tomorrow.

Local education authorities would have only a minor advisory role,
acting as “postman” for money from central government.
Council tax will pay no part in funding education.

However, the move has angered local government leaders, who have
warned that it could lead to the “dismemberment of elected
local government”.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 7 July page 1

Medical patrols

Merseyside police are hoping to recruit nurses or other medical
staff as special constables to patrol hospital wards in police
uniform.

The initiative, to combat crime, is believed to be the first of its
kind.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 7 July page 8

HIV women total half of 38 million toll

Women now account for half of the 38 million people infected with
HIV globally, a new United Nations Aids report reveals.

The comprehensive study reveals that almost 5 million people
contracted HIV last year, the largest annual rise.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 7 July page 9

MPs attacks Blair’s plans for health and
schools

The prime minister suffered a backlash from MPs yesterday over his
plans to expand choice in health and education.

The Commons Liaison Committee repeatedly challenged Tony Blair over
proposals to let good schools expand even if other local schools
have empty places.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 7 July page 10

Most voters opposed private provision

Voters are ambivalent about the reform of public services, a new
poll reveals.

Although most of the electorate believes that increased choice in
the provision of public services will improve their quality, an
even bigger majority thinks such services should only be provided
by the public sector.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 7 July page 10

Trafficker may be key to torso in Thames

A man convicted of people trafficking yesterday may be a vital link
to the killing of an African boy whose torso was found in the river
Thames, according to the detective leading the murder hunt
yesterday.

Mousa Kamara, also known as Kingsley Ojo, from Nigeria admitted two
charges of people smuggling and using a false passport and driving
licence at Southwark crown court.

Police suspect he may be the man who bought the boy known as Adam
to Britain. The boy, who was thought to be around five or
six-years-old was found in September 2001. He had had his limbs
removed and had been decapitated.

Source:- The Guardian  Wednesday 7 July page 4

Father’s smacking left baby bruised

A father, who smacked his 13-month-old son because he would not go
to sleep, was given a one-year conditional discharge yesterday at
Exeter magistrates’ court.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, caused three
bruises on the baby’s thigh. He admitted smacking the child
with excessive force and showed remorse for the “one-off
impulsive action”.

Source:- Daily Telegraph  Wednesday 7 July page 5

Confess to killing Billie-Jo, wife begged husband

The wife of the headmaster jailed for murdering his foster daughter
begged him to confess to the killing “for the sake of the
children”, the Court of Appeal heard yesterday.

Lois Jenkins wrote to her husband Sion two months after he had been
charged with battering Billie-Jo to death.

The main part of Jenkins’ appeal against his conviction is
that after his wife became convinced of his guilt, she lied to keep
two of their children from the ordeal of giving evidence on his
behalf at the trial.

The case continues.

Source:- Daily Telegraph  Wednesday 7 July page 9

Paedophile to sue over ‘dull’ prison
routine

A rapist convicted of sex crimes against children has won legal aid
to sue for compensation because he claims prison life is too
boring.

John Callison, who is serving eight years for a 10-year catalogue
of abuse against two girls and a boy, has been given tax
payers’ money to back his claim for £20,000
damages.

His claim under the Human Rights Act says he has lost self-esteem
and suffered stress, depression, humiliation and mental anguish
because of ‘monotonous’ prison work and having no
fitted toilets in his cell.

Source:- Daily Mail  Wednesday 7 July page 37

Letwin attacked by children’s charity over call for
closure

Shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin was criticised by a
children’s charity yesterday after he suggested that it was a
quango that could be abolished as part of his plan to save
£1.7 billion.

Letwin listed the Children’s Play Council as an example of
government bureaucracy that would be cut after a review by the
business trouble shooter David James.

The council hit back by saying it was a charity and established
under the Tories in 1988.

Source:- Independent  Wednesday 7 July page 18

Common ground

As mayor of Milwaukee, John Norquist made his name as
America’s boldest practitioner of urban regeneration. He
dislikes motor cars, shopping malls and suburban sprawl, and deputy
prime minister John Prescott is one of his biggest fans.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 7 July  page 2

Ahead for heights

Geraldine Peacock says she plans to bring creativity to the Charity
Commission and, as its new chair, promises she won’t be
pushed around by ministers.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 7 July page 6

Feeling better inside?

The partnership between the prison authorities and the NHS to
deliver better medical care for inmates. Jon Silverman visits a
secure walk-in centre outside York to see how the system
works.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 7 July  page 8

Village People

A three-year study by researchers at Keele University published
this week finds that the residents of a retirement village in
Stoke-on-Trent feel healthier, happier and younger.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 7 July page 10

Mountain tension

Under new EU law, vehicle manufacturers will be responsible for
disposing of old cars from 2007. Meanwhile, as the government drags
its feet on what happens in the interim, will the poorest people be
forced to pay?

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 7 July  page 12

Watching brief

Two of three government departments have outlined their visions for
the next five years. The Home Office is yet to spill the beans why
the delay.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 7 July page 14

What else can I do?

To reach his goal of becoming a council finance director, Richard
needs an extra qualification. Debbie Andalo outlines jobs that also
provide invaluable experience

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 7 July page 120

Scottish newspapers

Fears over child carers left without support

Many children are missing school because they are caring for
relatives with conditions ranging from physical disabilities to a
mental health problem.

Research carried out for the Princess Royal Trust for Carers found
more than 200 young carers in Perth and Kinross who were previously
unknown to the trust’s young carers’ project. The trust
was already in contact with 68 young carers.

More than a quarter were missing school as a result of caring
responsibilities and in 85 per cent of cases, the young carers and
their families had no contact with outside support services.

Source:- The Herald  Wednesday 7 July

Reliance criticised: this time for failing to free an
innocent man

Reliance escort company was criticised yesterday for detaining an
innocent man.

John Wilson should have been released from the High Court in
Glasgow yesterday after being acquitted on a charge of attempted
murder.

However, his solicitor Gordon Nicol and QC Herbert Kerrigan were
forced to intervene when Reliance officers refused to release
him.

Source:- The Herald  Wednesday 7 July

Executive rejects the nanny state for childcare

The Scottish executive has ruled out a call for grandparents to
receive formal childcare training.

The idea emerged in a survey of parents’ attitudes to
childcare, commissioned by the executive. But ruling out the move,
an executive spokesperson said ministers did not want to
“over-regulate” informal care and risk creating a nanny
state.

Source:- The Scotsman  Wednesday 7 July

School hit by delays in job vetting

Massive delays in conducting safety checks has led to a recruitment
crisis among the capitals vital children’s services.

Social workers, school caretakers and youth group leaders have been
forced to wait up to three months before starting a new job as a
result of a backlog in vetting candidates.

Source:- Evening News  Tuesday 6 July

Man ‘cured’ of autism to give lecture

A man who claims he was “cured” of autism is to give a
lecture to the Capital about the disorder.

Raun Kaufman, a United-States based international lecturer, claims
he was cured of the syndrome and will talk at the national Museum
of Scotland.

Parents and professionals will be taught strategies that Kaufman
claims can help children with special needs maximise speech and
language development, and control tantrums and repetitive
behaviours.

Source:- Evening News  Tuesday 6 July

Sun, sea, sand and fix

Social workers have arranged for a drug addict and convicted dealer
to take his daily dose of drugs during a Caribbean holiday.

Recovering heroin addict John McShane, who is on a supervised
methadone programme, has paid for a fortnight’s holiday in
Barbados.

Social workers have arranged a licence to let him take a two week
supply of the drug to his holiday destination.

Politicians and anti-drug campaigners last night criticised the
move.

Source:- Daily Record  Wednesday 7 July

Welsh newspapers

Waiting to be sent home

A Kosovan teenager, who was fostered in Wales after fleeing his
native country in the back of a lorry, describes his feelings of
despair as he waits to be sent back.

Edward Pone said he has not given up all hope of being able to stay
in the Valleys, but expects to receive a letter from the Home
Office telling him that he has to leave, within the next few
weeks.

Source:- South Wales Argus Tuesday 6 July page 1

Fifty Welsh families sue over drug ‘sight
loss’

Welsh families who claim that a drug caused devastating and
irreversible sight loss are spearheading a claim for damages in the
High Court.

They claim that drug manufacturers Aventis Pharma failed to inform
them of the potential risks of using the drug vigabatrin and if
their claim succeeds damages could amount to more than
£100,000 per person.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 7 July page 1

We’ll do justice to child abuse report

Welsh assembly education minister, Jane Davidson has vowed to
‘do justice’ to the Clywch report on child abuse at a
south Wales school.

The report published last week, from the Children’s
Commissioner for Wales, Peter Clarke detailed sexual abuse by
former drama teacher, John Owen and made a number of
recommendations to help protect children in the future.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 7 July page 3