Six million living in households where no one goes to work

By Mithran Samuel, Maria Ahmed and Amy Taylor

Singled out

Single parents will be forced to work when their youngest child turns seven, ministers announced today.

The move, announced as part of a government welfare reform policy paper, was criticised by children’s charities, who said it would have a negative effect on the vulnerable and would not help the government’s child poverty targets.

Source:- Daily Mirror Thursday 19 July 2007 page 6

Spliff sentence

The government will examine whether it should reclassify cannabis as a Class B drug, three years after it was downgraded to Class C, amid concerns about the effects of stronger forms of the drug.

Studies have shown that teenagers who smoke cannabis are nearly five times more likely to develop psychosis or schizophrenia.

Source:- The Sun Thursday 19 July 2007 page 11

Domestic violence

The conviction rate in domestic violence cases has risen dramatically from 46% to 66% from 2003-6, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.

Source:- The Times Thursday 19 July 2007 page 11

Six million living in households where no one goes to work

Six million Britons, including 1.7 million children, live in households where no one works, a report by the National Audit Office reveals today.

The NAO said that in 80% of cases no one was actively seeking work with half of adults registered as long-term disabled.

Source:- The Daily Mail Thursday 19 July 2007 page 2

More cash for children who care

The government has announced almost £400 million to continue the Children’s Fund for the next three years.

Children’s secretary Ed Balls made the announcement in a speech yesterday.

Source:- The Daily Mail Thursday 19 July 2007 page 2

Overnight visits to hospital emergency departments for alcohol-related problems have trebled since the introduction of a new licensing laws, according to a scientific journal.

Source:- The Financial Times, Thursday 19 2007, page 4
 
Coroner tells Straw to act now on restraint in child prisons

The coroner who presided over the inquest into the death of a 15-year-old who died after being restrained in a child jail has warned the justice secretary, Jack Straw, that it would be “wholly unforgivable” if the lessons were delayed by a general review of the use of restraint announced yesterday.

Source:- The Guardian, Thursday 19 2007, page 10
 
Children outclass parents in general knowledge

Parents’ grasp of general knowledge is scarcely better than that of their children, research shows today.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Thursday 19 2007, page 10

Welsh news

The Church of England is set to be required to make a large pay out to a gay youth worker who it has been found to have discriminated against.

A Cardiff employment tribunal found that the church had treated John Reaney, 42, unfairly. It heard that the Bishop of Hereford, the Rt Rev Anthony Priddis had questioned Reaney for two hours about his sexual orientation and then denied him the job.

Source:- Western Mail, Thursday, 19 June, 2007