News round up: Survey says axe child benefit for well-off

Survey of 3,000 voters says axe child benefit for well-off

There is most public appetite for spending cuts in the areas of universal child benefit, the BBC, regional quangos and international aid, a poll has revealed.

The survey of 3,000 voters, the largest yet of its kind, suggests the electorate is prepared to make tough choices to plug Britain’s £90billion deficit.

Read more on this story in The Daily Mail

Also, read Outside Left: “Welfare creeping on to the spending cuts agenda”

Elderly not fed properly at care homes

Almost half of all care homes in Scotland do not meet national standards on eating, drinking and nutrition, leaving vulnerable, elderly residents at risk of weight loss and dehydration, according to a new report.

The report, published today by the Care Commission, also found that more than a quarter of care homes did not screen residents for malnutrition, and a third failed to screen their residents for dehydration.

Read more on this story in The Times

Local councils must be prepared to slaughter sacred cows

There is an impending crisis in public sector finances. The Treasury estimates that the UK budget deficit is heading for 12.4 per cent of GDP in 2009-10, with total debt reaching 80 per cent of GDP by 2015. The cumulative impact of this pressure will be significant and cannot be addressed through traditional belt tightening.

For local government, the situation will be even more severe. Our analysis shows funding constraints, service demand increases and one-off issues such as new obligations around pension deficits, creating a perfect storm for local government finances, peaking in 2013-14. Local authorities could be required to bring overall costs down by 25 to 30 per cent.

Read more on this story in The Times

Parkinson’s sufferer banned from playing table tennis

Lynne Tombs, 56, accused Tewkesbury University of the Third Age (U3A) of discrimination after the decision, which does not bar her from quieter nights.

Some elderly members at the Gloucestershire club worry she will accidentally hit them during a match, because her condition can cause her arms to shake.

Read more on this story in the Telegraph

London Fashion Week ‘acts as a showcase for underweight women’

Both the fashion shows and the websites promote eating disorders, the college warns.

They called for ministers to do more to tackle the thousands of sites, which have spiralled in popularity thanks to social networking.

Read more on this story in the Telegraph

The Baroness Scotland scandal exposes an immigration system wide open to abuse

Jafar is a handsome and well-dressed Sudanese with a smattering of English, which improves every day he stays in this country.

During the day he works as a labourer on a giant construction site overlooking the quayside of the old ship canal in Salford, soon to become the multi-million-pound northern headquarters of the BBC.

Read more on this story in the Daily Mail

Attorney General faces raid on her home and £10,000 fine over her illegal immigrant housekeeper

Attorney General Baroness Scotland faced humiliation last night over employing an illegal immigrant.

The Border Agency launched an inquiry and the government’s senior lawyer faced the prospect of a fine of up to £10,000 and even a ‘raid’ on her home.