Tories aim to woo voters with public sector growth commitment

Tories aim to woo voters with public sector growth commitment
The Conservative Party yesterday said it would fight the next election on a platform of increasing public spending.
Head of policy Oliver Letwin made the announcement following a report of a review group into public services.
Source:- Financial Times, Tuesday 5 September 2006, page 4

Shelters struggling to cope with immigrants
Hostels for the homeless are finding it difficult to manage the numbers of immigrants coming from eastern Europe needing their help, according to new research.
The study, carried out by charity Homeless Link, found that 15 per cent of homeless people arriving at night shelters in London looking for help are immigrants from the EU accession states.
Source:- The Times, Tuesday 5 September 2006, page 8

More risk of autism with older fathers
Children born to fathers aged 40 and over are six times more likely to suffer from autism to those born to fathers under 30, researchers said yesterday.
Source:- Daily Telegraph, Tuesday 5 September 2006, page 12

Jailed for child rape
Russell Tovey, from Cinderford, Gloucestershire, was jailed indefinitely yesterday for the rape of an 11-year-old girl who became pregnant as a result.
Source:- Daily Mirror, Tuesday 5 September 2006, page 22

EU backs patients who want to go abroad to avoid delays
The European Union’s top health official has vowed to give people the right to travel across the EU for health treatment if they face delays in their home countries.
Health commissioner Markos Kyprianou’s comments follows a European Court of Justice ruling in May which said patients could travel abroad if they faced an “undue delay” getting treatment in their home country.
Source:- Financial Times, Tuesday 5 September 2006, page 1

Football club’s goal to help fund Blair’s city academies
Labour is turning to football to boost the flagship programme for academy schools. The chairman of Reading football club is sponsoring one of 19 new academies to open this week.
Source:- The Independent, Tuesday 5 September 2006, page 8

Scottish news

Overcrowding behind steep rise in violence at Polmont
Scotland’s only  young offender institution is overcrowded, increasingly violent and home to hundreds of underfed prisoners, according to a new report.
Lady Cullen, chairman of the Polmont visiting committee, and wife of one of the country’s top judges, blamed the poor conditions on an increase in offending and under 21s being given custodial sentences.
Lady Cullen described the regime as “impoverished” due to budget cuts and complained there was a lack of purposeful work for the inmates.
Source:- The Herald, Tuesday 5 September 2006

Children’s homes cost £4,100 a week
The average cost of keeping a child in secure accommodation is £4,100 a week.
Scottish executive figures found the cost last year ranged from £3,900 per bed per week to £4,600. The total estimated cost was £15.7 million, a 3.5 per cent fall from 2005.
The number in secure accommodation ranged from a minimum of 73 to a maximum of 90 during the year – the lowest minimum and lowest maximum figure since 2000.
Source:- The Scotsman, Tuesday 5 September  2006

Welsh news

No social care news today.