Wednesday 24 November 2004

By Shirley Kumar and Derren Hayes

Blunkett to set out security measures

The Home Office is to publish the Serious Organised Crime and
Police Bill, according to the Queen’s speech in the Houses of
Parliament yesterday.

The Bill is one of seven pieces of legislation to be overseen by
the Home Office. Other bills include a national identity card
scheme, drug-related crime, and reducing reoffending.

Source:- The Financial Times, Wednesday 24 November
2004, page 4

Government to rethink role of voluntary
sector

The Charities Bill will give the voluntary sector a greater role
in delivering public services, according to the Queen’s speech
yesterday.

The Bill will also be used to challenge the favourable tax
treatment enjoyed by private schools.

Source:- The Financial Times, Wednesday 24 November
2004, page 4

Ethnic minority jobless gap condemned

Ethnic minorities of working age are twice as likely to be
unemployed as the overall working age population, revealed a
government taskforce.

The first report by the Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force
found that the employment gap between ethnic minorities and the
whole population has narrowed by 1.4 per cent over the past
year.

Source:- The Financial Times, Wednesday 24 November
2004, page 6

Doctor blames parents for ‘worst case of
malnutrition’

A doctor who rescued twin babies from a house in Sheffield told
a court it was the “worst case of malnutrition he had ever seen
outside of the developing world”.

The boys, one of whom was close to death, were among five
children rescued from the house, heard Sheffield Crown Court.

Parents David Askew and Sarah Whittaker were both jailed for
seven years.

Source:- The Independent, Wednesday 24 November 2004,
page 12

“I shot dead paedophile who molested my
daughter”

A British man serving 12 years in a Denmark jail for shooting a
convicted paedophile who molested his daughter said he could not
guarantee he would not do it again.

Stephen Hoath shot Willie Anderson in the face two years ago out
of fear for his daughter’s life.

Denmark has been accused of being too soft on child sex
abusers.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Wednesday 24 November
2004, page 7

Travellers accused of devastating ‘rural
idyll’

Residents told a public inquiry their village had been
transformed from heaven to hell after hundreds of travellers
arrived last year.

Residents of Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, told the inquiry, fear
and intimidation had gripped the village.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Wednesday 24 November
2004, page 11

Murdered boy’s foster parents say they were unsure they
wanted him

A married couple accused of murdering their three-year-old
adopted son said they called social workers to say they were unsure
they wanted him.

Christian Blewitt died in hospital of salt poisoning and brain
injuries.

Ian and Angela Gay deny murder, manslaughter and cruelty to a
child. The trial continues.

Source:- The Times, Wednesday 24 November 2004, page
2

Man who slept with girl aged 12 escapes jail
again

A man who had sex with a girl aged 12 years who he met on the
internet has escaped jail again.

Appeal court judges said it was right that 20-year-old Michael
Barrett was only given a two year conditional discharge for having
sex with the girl.

Source:- The Daily Mail, Wednesday 24 November 2004,
page 29

Critics says Ofsted cuts ‘put children in
danger’

Ofsted has been accused of endangering children after it
announced plans to cut 500 jobs.

The education and childcare watchdog is set to cut staff at its
London office by a third as well as the closure of early years and
support centres by 2006.

Source:- The Guardian, Wednesday 24 November 2004, page
6

Feltham prison officers give evidence

A letter from Robert Stewart threatening violence against
“Pakis” was intercepted weeks before he killed his
Asian cellmate, an inquiry heard yesterday.

The inquiry into the murder of Zahid Mubarek, 19, was also told
reporting of racial incidents at Feltham young offenders
institution was not taken seriously.

Source:- The Guardian, Wednesday 24 November 2004, page
7

False dawn for poor in Northern Ireland

The Good Friday Agreement heralded a period of economics
prosperity for Northern Ireland.

But beyond the luxury flats, second homes and flashy cars, the
region’s poorest people continue to endure some of the
UK’s most desperate poverty.

Source: – Society Guardian, Wednesday 24 November 2004,
page 2

Shape shifter

Architect Piers Gough, known for his flamboyant modern
buildings, has been commissioned by Kent council to take forward
the government’s house building plan.

Gough talks to Matt Weaver about his aversion to local planners
– and about his party lifestyle.

Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 24 November 2004,
page 6

Grey area

The common perception is that mostly younger people end up
living on the street.

Almost a quarter of homeless people in the UK are over 50,
according to a new survey.

Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 24 November 2004,
page 8

Striking differences

Striking social workers in Liverpool claim that their
management’s plans to change professional practices will put
childrens’ lives at risk.

Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 24 November 2004,
page 10

Dreams of gold

When the Spanish paralymic team was caught cheating, all
athletes with a learning disability were barred from the
Paralympics. Will they now be allowed back in?

Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 24 November 2004,
page 12

Reservoir dregs

The Child Support Agency failures show that Whitehall is
incapable of building and running big systems.

How can the civil service top up its pool of talent?

Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 24 November 2004,
page 16

What else can I do?

Collette is a middle manager in children’s social
services, and feels the time is right to expand her horizons.

Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 24 November 2004,
page 112

Scottish newspapers

U-turn over private care to slash NHS waiting
lists

The Scottish executive is to invest in private health care
services to cut waiting lists.

First minister Jack McConnell had until now agreed to only limit
private-sector involvement in the health service, contrary to
policies in Westminster.

However, with waiting lists at an “unacceptably high” level,
McConnell has ordered health minister Andy Kerr to hold talks with
private health-care companies about how they can speed up NHS
diagnosis and treatment in Scotland.

Source:- The Scotsman, Wednesday 24 November 2004

Chlamydia cases soar by 39 per cent in one
year

Chlamydia cases have increased by 39 per cent in a year in
Scotland, new NHS figures reveal.

While part of the increase may be explained by greater awareness
and testing, the figure also suggests a genuine increase in the
level of infection – particularly in the 15-25 year old age
group.

The figures also show that more than 39,000 people attended
Scotland’s genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics in
2001-2.

Source:- The Scotsman, Wednesday 24 November 2004

Scotland on brink of Chlamydia epidemic

Health experts fear Scotland is on the brink of a chlamydia
epidemic because the number of cases have risen by a third in the
past year.

Young people aged 15-24 years old were most at risk from the
infection, which affects fertility.

The number of young Scots treated has nearly trebled in four
years, from 5690 in 1999 to 14,407 in 2003.

Source:- The Daily Record, Wednesday 24 November
2004