Million youngsters ‘are a crime risk’

By Simeon Brody, Maria Ahmed, Amy Taylor and Derren Hayes

Million youngsters ‘are a crime risk’

Up to a million teenagers could be hanging around on the streets in the summer holidays and at risk of committing crime due to having nothing to do, according to new research.

The study, carried out by the former Labour MP Oona King, says that parents should be allowed to work flexi-time or from home to help to prevent the teenagers getting into trouble.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Wednesday, July 11 2007 page 4

Balls announces Brownite reforms of Labour’s flagship academy programme

A shake up of Tony Blair’s academies programme has been unveiled – allowing universities and colleges to run them without having to fork out the £2 million sponsorship fee.

Source:- The Independent, Wednesday 11 July 2007, page 17

Third body is exhumed in care home probe

Police investigating the suspicious deaths of seven older care home residents were last night exhuming a third body. The body will the final corpse to be exhumed in the investigation into the Parkfields Residential Care Home, at Butleigh, near Glastonbury.

Source:- Daily Mail, Wednesday 11 July 2007, page 30

‘High-risk’ prisons

Sex offenders and other high-risk criminals are being put in open jails because of unclear guidance on where they should be held as they near the end of their sentences, Anne Owers, the chief inspector of prisons, has said in a report on Leyhill prison in Gloucestershire.

Source:- The Times, Wednesday 11 July 2007, page 21
 
Brown set to reveal most of his plans for the next Parliament

Affordable housing for first-time buyers, education and improving the health service will be put at the heart of the government’s legislative programme today by Gordon Brown.

Source:- The Times, Wednesday 11 July 2007, page 27
 
£20 a week Tory tax break plan aims to encourage marriage

David Cameron yesterday put clear water between the Conservatives and Labour on family policy by endorsing a report that calls for tax breaks for married people.

Source:- The Guardian, Wednesday 11 July 2007, page 10
 
 
Minister moves to discipline, results and leaving age

Ed Balls, the new children’s secretary, yesterday unveiled his new priorities up until the next election, promising to raise the bar on school discipline and remove barriers to an expansion of the city academies programme.

Source:- The Guardian, Wednesday 11 July 2007, page 11
 
 
Met’s unique £20,000 reward to stop mutilation of women

An estimated 66,000 women and girls in England and Wales have had their genitals forcibly mutilated, according to department of health figures due out this autumn.

Source:- The Guardian, Wednesday 11 July 2007, page 12
 
 
Interview with new health minister Ara Darzi
Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 11 July 2007, page 1,2,3
 
A local-level playing field

Will devolving power, renewing local democracy and engaging communities bring benefits – as well as combat voter apathy?

Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 11 July 2007, page 4,5
 
 
Interview with Julia Neuberger
Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 11 July 2007, page 7

Scottish news

Treatment orders to cover ‘low tariff’ drugs

The Scottish executive has announced plans to extend the use of Drug Treatment and Testing Orders (DTTOs) in an effort to prevent re-offending.

DTTOs are currently given to more serious offenders in the sheriff and high courts as an alternative to a prison sentence. Those who are given them must prove they are taking steps to tackle their addiction.

However, the Cabinet has now approved plans to adapt the DTTO system so those convicted of so-called “lower-tariff” drugs crimes, normally heard in the district court, can also be placed on it.

Source:- The Herald, Wednesday 12 July

Social care workers set to strike

600 social care workers at Glasgow Council are to stage an indefinite walkout in a dispute over pay and regrading.

The staff carried the strike vote overwhelmingly at a meeting of more than 700 care staff, social workers and team leaders – 97% of those balloted supported an indefinite work-to-rule from Monday and 88% backed strike action.

A further strike ballot is to be conducted among more than 1000 social workers, practice team leaders and other ancillary care staff over supporting the care workers.

Source:- The Herald, Wednesday 12 July

Welsh news

Children tracker ‘plays on fears’

The head of Welsh children’s charity has criticised a child tracking GPS system arguing that it plays on parents fears.

The chief executive of Children in Wales, Catriona Williams, said that Kiditel, a device which can locate children wherever they go, was exploiting parent’s fears of losing their children.

Source:- Western Mail, Wednesday, 11 July 2007

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