THURSDAY 19 JANUARY 2006

Home Office drops probation privatisation
The government dropped its plans to privatise the probation service after criticism from judges, magistrates and MPs. Plans to introduce a mixed market in the community supervision of offenders will not be included in a police and justice bill to be published next week.
Source:- The Guardian, Thursday 19 January 2006, page 13

Private bailiffs to chase absent parents for maintenance
Absent parents who refuse to pay maintenance for their children will pursued by private debt collectors under radical plans to reform the Child Support Agency.
Source:- Daily Telegraph, Thursday 19 January 2006, page 12

Kelly to announce reform of vetting for people working with children
The education secretary will announce a “root and branch” reform of vetting for people working with children and a body will be set up to co-ordinate the seven different lists containing names of people regarded as unsuitable to work with children.
Source:- Daily Telegraph, Thursday 19 January 2006, page 1

Fathers give up campaign
Fathers 4 Justice, the radical campaign group for men involved in child custody battles, was disbanded last night after allegations that extremists were plotting to kidnap Tony Blair’s five year old son Leo.
Source:- Daily Telegraph, Thursday 19 January 2006, page 1

Clarke likely to rule out shift in legal status of cannabis
Charles Clarke is expected to rule out a change in the legal status of cannabis today but the decision will be accompanied by an announcement of a drive against British cannabis farms and a public education campaign.
Source:- The Guardian, Thursday 19 January 2006, page 4

MPs say £885m wasted on bid to cut truancy
The government has squandered almost £885 million over seven years trying to reduce the number of truants, the public accounts committee says today.
Despite initiatives to improve attendance the number of children missing lessons each day has jumped by almost 5,000 in the past year in England.
Source:- The Guardian, Thursday 19 January 2006, page 7

Patients suffer in crisis for 75% of hospitals
Patients are getting a reduced standard of care in three-quarters of NHS hospitals and clinics in England as a result of a financial crisis, according to a poll of trust chief executives.
Source:- The Guardian, Thursday 19 January 2006, page 11

Blunkett urges compromise over school bill
David Blunkett condemned Lord Kinnock for criticising Labour’s education reforms urging the party’s MPs to “step back from the brink” of a major party split.
Source:- The Guardian, Thursday 19 January 2006, page 13

Cameron launches poverty-fighting agenda with attack on Brown
David Cameron attacked Gordon Brown’s strategy to deliver social justice saying voluntary sector or “social enterprise” organisations could often get people out of poverty more efficiently than government agencies.
Source:- Financial Times, Thursday 19 January 2006, page 2

Scottish news

Sharp rise in complaints, says Care Commission
The Care Commission said it investigated 23% more complaints last year than in the previous 12 months. It dealt with 1371 complaints in the 12 months to March 2005, up 317 on the same period the year before.
For the third year running, most complaints were made against care homes. However, 320 complaints were made against providers of day care for children, with 99 against childminders.
Source:- The Herald, Thursday 19 January 2006

McCabe throws down legal gauntlet to councils on pensions
Finance minister Tom McCabe has insisted the Scottish executive had no choice in ending the right of nearly 250,000 workers to retire at 60 on full pensions.
The move will raise their retirement age to 65, although many other public-sector workers, such as teachers, will still be able to retire at 60 because they are on a different scheme.
Source: The Herald, Thursday 19 January 2006

Welsh news

Welsh Fathers4Justice vow to fight on
The fathers’ rights group Fathers4Justice has announced that it is going to disband after being linked to an alleged plan to kidnap Tony Blair’s youngest son but its Welsh counterpart is set to remain.
F4J co-ordinator in Wales Phil Davies said that as far as he was concerned the Welsh branch of the organisation would continue. He added that the organisation had made great progress.
.Source:- Western Mail, Thursday 19 January 2006