Wednesday 1 December 2004

By Shirley Kumar, Amy Taylor, and Derren
Hayes

Minister calls on businesses to reform sick
pay 

Businesses should take more responsibility to stop their
employees falling into long-term welfare dependency, said work and
pension’s secretary Alan Johnson.

Johnson is expected to tell a conference on stress in the
workplace today that the government is looking at changes to
statutory sick pay.

Source:- The Financial Times, Wednesday 1 December
2004, page 3

Government proposes changes to parental
leave

The government is set to ease the pressure on businesses in
relation to parental leave by obliging women to give more notice
before they return to work.

The move follows concerns raised by businesses over the possible
disruption if a move to double statutory paid maternity leave is
changed from six to 12 months.

Source:- The Financial Times, Wednesday 1 December
2004, page 3

Milburn backs voluntary service provision

Labour’s election and policy co-ordinator Alan Milburn is
backing the use of the voluntary sector in the provision of public
services.

Milburn told the Association of Chief Executives Voluntary
Organisations that the voluntary sector should become as integral
to the public service delivery as the public or private sectors
over the next 10 years.

Source:- The Financial Times, Wednesday 1 December
2004, page 4

Private hospitals face inspection costs

Private hospitals and treatment centres could be charged the
full cost of their inspection and regulation as part of the
government’s efficiency drive.

The government is also considering recovering full or partial
costs for the inspection of care homes.

Source:- The Financial Times, Wednesday 1 December
2004, page 4

Judge allows dying woman to commit
suicide abroad

A High Court judge said he would not stop a woman with an
incurable brain disease from travelling to Switzerland for an
assisted suicide because she has full mental capacity.

However the judge warned her husband who will accompany her that
he could face criminal charges by assisting in his wife’s suicide
bid.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Wednesday 1 December
2004, page 1

Schoolboy dies after argument in games
lesson

A 15-year-old boy died after being attacked following an
argument over a game of basketball.

David Sandham was allegedly butted by one boy and punched in the
chest by another at Broadoak High School, Partington, Greater
Manchester.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Wednesday 1 December
2004, page 7

Schoolchildren fingerprinted to stop
truancy

Children at a school in Cambridge are to be fingerprinted before
each lesson in an attempt to combat truancy.

If pupils do not check in, a scanner system will send a text
message or email to the child’s parents reporting the suspected
absence.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Wednesday 1 December
2004, page 7

Single adults are ‘the forgotten poor’, says
charity

More than 3.9 million working age adults with no children live
below the poverty line, says the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, which
is 300,000 more than when Labour came to power in 1997.

While poverty among children and pensioners has declined rising
numbers of single adults are blighted by low pay, homelessness and
poor health, found a study by the foundation.

Source:- The Independent, Wednesday 1 December 2004,
page 8

Labour to offer three months paid leave to
fathers

Labour has pledged to give fathers up to three months paternity
leave to be included in the Party’s general election
manifesto.

The promise by Chancellor Gordon Brown will be announced in the
pre-budget report tomorrow.

Source:- The Independent, Wednesday 1 December 2004,
page 19

What do you teach in Liverpool, shoplifting?, asks
celebrity

Anne Robinson has been advised to steer clear of her native city
Liverpool after declaring on her quiz show, The Weakest Link, that
Liverpudlian children were so good at shoplifting they must have
lessons in it.

Source:- The Daily Mail, Wednesday 1 December 2004,
page 9

Curfews banned for mothers who block fathers’
visits

The government is planning to electronically tag or issue
curfews on divorced or separated women who defy court orders and
refuse to let their ex-partners see their children.

Judges will be given the powers to impose a range of sanctions
on such women including forcing them to do community service or
undergo anger management courses in the plans   expected in a draft
bill from the government soon.

Source:- The Guardian, Wednesday 1 December 2004, page
5

Teacher in sex case faces jail

Richard Small, a teacher and former Conservative Party agent has
pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting boys in the 1980s at
Reading Crown Court, Berkshire.

Source:- The Guardian, Wednesday 1 December 2004, page
7

Blair backs plans for private sector probation
officers

Prime Minister Tony Blair has Home Office plans to put parts of
the probation service and a group of prisons out for tender,
according to a leaked document from Downing Street.

Not for profit voluntary organisations and the private sector
will be given the opportunity to run parts of the £4bn a year
prison and probation services.

Source:- The Guardian, Wednesday 1 December 2004, page
8

Killer of Asian inmate had wooden dagger, inquiry
told

Zahid Mubarek’s killer had a 20cm wooden dagger three days
before the attack at Feltham Young offenders’ institute, an
inquiry heard.

Jamie Barnes, a close friend of Murbarek, said Robert Stewart
had calmly pulled out the dagger and showed it to Murbarek.

Source:- The Guardian, Wednesday 1 December 2004, page
9

Police seek mother who left 14-year-old girl home
alone

Police and social workers in Merseyside are investigating claims
by a 14-year-old girl that she spent two weeks living on her own
after being abandoned by her mother.

Chloe Riley, whose father died two years ago, said she came home
from school and found that her mother Stephanie had gone
missing.

Source:- The Guardian, Wednesday 1 December 2004, page
9

Drug charities criticise government plans on tackling
addiction and crime

Drugs charities have said governments plans to break the link
between drug addiction and crime don’t go far enough.

Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 1 December 2004,
page 2

Without fear or prejudice

Although the subject of sex and teenagers is controversy, Jan
Barlow, head of Brook Advisory Service, tells Mary O’Hara
that a ‘hysterical media won’t stop the charity’s
confidential relationship services to young people.

Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 1 December 2004,
page 6

Blogger gives inside story on life in NHS

Dr Dre isn’t his real name, but his blog on being an IT
worker in Anytown NHS trust reads like a warts-and-all account of
health service life.

Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 1  December 2004,
page 8

Exercise in giving

This year’s Guardian Christmas Appeal is raising money for
older people’s charities. Malcolm Dean explains why this good
cause – and the 10 organisations in line to benefit –
have been chosen.

Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 1 December 2004,
page 10

Judge and jury

It seems hardly a week goes by when there isn’t an
official inquiry into public service failings. But how do we know
whether they make a difference.

Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 1 December 2004,
page 14

What else can I do?

Could the expertise that a 52-year-old Susan has built up as a
professional artist be used to benefit others? Debbie Andalo
suggests a range of creative opportunities.

Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 1 December 2004,
page 88

Scottish newspapers

£83,000 pay offer for top nurses

An elite group of nurses will earn up to £83,546 a year to
act as advisors to NHS management and give guidance on clinical
strategy, is among a package of measures announced by health
minister John Hutton yesterday.

Starting salary for nurses would rise by six per cent to
£18,114, while midwives will start on more than £29,000,
a rise of 12 per cent.

Source:- The Daily Record, Wednesday 1 December
2004

Security row over Fathers 4 Justice protest

Fathers 4 Justice protestors who climbed on to the Scottish
parliament roof for three hours have predictably caused questions
to be asked of Holyrood security.

Paul Grice, the head of the Scottish Parliament, last night
ordered a report into the security breach after the campaigners
climbed the front of the building in broad daylight.

Source:- The Herald, Wednesday 1 December 2004

Welsh newspapers

Wife of insane killer to sue social
services

The wife of a mentally ill man who killed his daughter has been
granted permission to make a negligence claim against Monmouthshire
social services.

Karen Hall, from Monmouth, said the local authority did not do
enough to prevent her husband Andrew getting so ill that he killed
their 12-year-old daughter.

She was given permission to pursue the claim by a High Court
judge in Swansea.

Source:- Western Mail, Wednesday 1 December 2004

Mothers fear partners are seeking child
pornography

An increasing number of mothers are calling a child protection
helpline after becoming worried that their father or partners are
downloading child porn.

The number of mothers ringing with such concerns has increased
over the five years since NSPCC Cymru launched its bilingual
helpline in Wales.

Source:- Western Mail, Wednesday 1 December 2004