Doctors can keep sex advice to 13-year-olds from parents

Offender scheme axed early as Justice Ministry tries to save reputation

The Ministry of Justice is proposing to axe the National Offender Management Service, a £2.6bn organisation set up three years ago to prevent criminals re-offending.   

Source: – The Times, Friday September 28 2007, page 10

Immigration estimates out by 45,000 a year and 5m more are on the way

Immigration will add almost five million people to the population over the next 25 years, according to official estimates published yesterday.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Friday 28 September 2007, page 4

Children to overrule parents on medical treatment

Children should be allowed to overrule their parents’ wishes and refuse medical treatment they do not want, under guidelines for doctors published yesterday.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Friday 28 September 2007, page 17

The chief inspector of prisons yesterday slammed the forced strip-searching of two inmates at Werrington young offender institution.

Source:- Daily Mirror, Friday 28 September 2007, page 11

Children aged 13 who consult a doctor for advice about contraception, abortion or sexually transmitted diseases are entitled to be treated without the knowledge of their parents, the General Medical Council will say today.

The guidelines say that while children under 13 are presumed not to be able to consent to sex – and thus their parents should normally be told – those 13 or over should be persuaded to inform their parents; but information should remain confidential unless there are reasons to believe the sexual relationship is “abusive or seriously harmful”.

Source:- The Independent, Friday 28 September 2007, page 23