Wednesday 28 September 2005

By Simeon Brody, Derren Hayes and Amy Taylor

Blair plans to intensify the pace of reform

Plans for pension reform in 2006, an emphasis on devolving new
powers to local government and a commitment to shake up health and
education services were outlined in Tony Blair’s speech to
the Labour party conference.

Blair said the police and local authorities would also get a raft
of summary powers to tackle yobbery and petty crime.

Source:- Financial Times Wednesday 28 September 2005 page
1

PM hints overhaul could lead to more generous basic state
pension

An overhaul of government pensions policy will involve a more
generous basic state pension and a new simple private saving
scheme, Tony Blair signalled yesterday in his party conference
speech.

Source:- Financial Times Wednesday 28 September 2005 page
4

Doctor is struck off for trying to help friend die

A doctor who admitted trying to help a friend commit suicide was
struck off the medical register last night.

Michael Irwin, 74, behaved in an unprofessional way that was likely
to bring the profession into disrepute the General Medical Council
ruled.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 28 September 2005 page
4

Four-year deadline to beat crime

Charles Clarke has given himself four years to
“eliminate” anti-social behaviour and pledged to
overhaul Britain’s asylum system and change the criminal
justice system and prison policy to cut re-offending.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 28 September 2005 page
8

1 million to lose benefits for jobs

One million people will be moved off benefits and into jobs, said
work and pensions minister Margaret Hodge.

A right-to-work scheme designed to reduce the 2.6 million people
out of full-time work on disability benefits will be announced next
month.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 28 September 2005 page
8

Immigration “trick”

Home Office immigration authorities were cleared of acting
unlawfully when they tricked a Jamaican man into attending a
meeting about a work permit so that he could be arrested for
deportation.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 28 September 2005 page
27

Gipsies in “revenge attack” on villagers

Gypsies ordered to leave their illegal camp in Somerset were
suspected yesterday of a late-night revenge attack in which the
care of two prominent campaigners against the site were
wrecked.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Wednesday 28 September 2005
page 3

Drunk teenager who raped woman “was like a wild
animal”

A schoolboy who raped a mother as she slept on her sofa after he
had drunk huge quantities of vodka has been sentenced to seven
years detention.

Sean Thomas Regan, 16, of Crosshills near Skipton, admitted two
counts of rape and charge of making threats to kill at Bradford
Crown Court.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Wednesday 28 September 2005
page 13

Infertile couple in battle for “miracle” baby
taken into care

An infertile couple who claim to have given birth to a
“miracle” baby are to go to court in an attempt to win
back custody of the child from social services.

The couple are going to the high court to oppose the baby being put
up for adoption by Haringey Council.

Last year a court rejected the couple’s claim to have
conceived the child and ruled the baby had been trafficked into the
country.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 28 September 2005 page
8

Fit to drop

Report on the uncertain future faced by healthy living
centres.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 28 September 2005 page
1

Mum smothers a second baby

A woman smothered her baby as they slept in bed together less than
three years after losing another child to a similar tragedy.

She fell asleep while feeding one of her five-week-old twins and
woke in the morning to find her lifeless, an inquest heard.

Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 28 September 2005 page
1

Scottish news

Cheap heroin proves war is failing

The rock-bottom price of Afghan heroin being sold on the streets of
Glasgow and Edinburgh shows the UK and US are losing the war on
terror, a former SAS officer has claimed.

Colonel Tim Collins said the price of the narcotics which feed the
habit of more than 90 per cent of addicts here was a reliable
indicator of success or failure. “The heroin trade helps finance al
Qaeda. When the price of the drug falls in the UK, it’s a
temperature gauge of whether we are winning or losing the battle,”
he said.

Source:- The Herald Wednesday 28 September

Executive failing to close poverty gap

There is still a massive divide between the rich and poor in
Scotland, despite the huge amount of money invested in public
services since devolution according to a major new survey.

The study, commissioned by the Scottish Executive, showed those
living in Scotland’s poorest areas are less likely to do well at
school, more likely to be out of work and have a greater chance of
dying prematurely.

Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 28 September

Child rapist to be detained in hospital

A child rapist whose brief spell of freedom on bail caused a storm
of major protest has been ordered to be detained in hospital.

Edward Waugh, who has severe learning difficulties, was freed on
bail earlier this year despite admitting having sex with an
11-year-old girl.  The decision was greeted with alarm by
politicians and others campaigning for greater safety for
children.

Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 28 September

Row over jail kids

Scotland’s prisons have come under fire for locking up
children beside hardened criminals in adult institutions.

The annual report by the chief inspector of prisons, Dr Andrew
McLellan, found 18 children aged under 16 were kept in adult jails
between April 2004 and March 2005.

Source:- The Record Wednesday 28 September

Council chief is on £29 a week

Scottish Borders Council leader David Parker is to live the life of
a care leaver to find out how hard it is for them to cope on meagre
council benefits.

Councils pay 16 and 17-year-olds leaving care £44.10 a week –
£29 after necessities like electricity. Councillor Parker said
society needed a proper understanding of what they
experience.

Source:- The Record Wednesday 28 September

£1m travellers’ home

A council want to spend £1.1million on building homes for 16
families at a site for travelling people.

Perth and Kinross councillors are expected to approve the plans for
Double Dykes in Perth. The Scottish executive is expected to pay
for three quarters of the cost of the 16 chalets to be built.

Source:- The Record Wednesday 28 September

Welsh news

Bed-blocking on the rise again

Delayed discharges figures rose last month in Wales.

There are currently 685 Welsh hospital beds unavailable on each
given day due to patients who are ready to go home being unable to
do so.

At least a quarter of these are delayed from leaving due to social
care services not being available.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 28 September

Fingertip recognition to stamping out truancy

Pupils at a school in Wales will soon have to register with their
fingertips under a new system aiming to cut out truancy.

The technology, called VeriCool for Schools, is being brought into
Bryntirion Comprehensive School in Bridgend.

The company behind the system predict that many other schools will
soon take on the system.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 28 September