Key Quotes for 2012

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Last update: Wednesday 25th March




The UK tax system gives rise to anomalies and unfairness because it is based on the individual rather than the family, said a Christian charity ahead of this week’s Budget. In its fifth annual review of the taxation of families, Care said that “while the UK tax system is, by international standards, generous towards those on low incomes, it is one of the least generous towards middle-income families with one earner.” The report argued “that there is no recognition of the fact that in many one-income families, the partner not in paid work has caring responsibility for a young child or elderly or dependant person, or him/herself physically or mentally disabled.” Care said that a transferable allowance for married couples would be a good way of reducing the tax burdens of families whose budgets are under the greatest pressure. It estimated that 70 per cent of the benefit would go to families in the poorer half of the population.
Money	The War Cry – March 2012



Schools which fail to teach pupils to read and write should be fined, an independent panel investigating the causes of last year’s riots said today. About a fifth of school leavers have the literacy skills of an 11-year-old or younger, leaving many with no stake in society, and no reason to stay out of trouble, the Riots, Communities and Victims Panel said. The report added “Every child should be able to read and write, if they cannot, the school should face a financial penalty equivalent to the cost of funding remedial support to take the child to the appropriate standard.
Education	The Sentinel – 28th March 2012



A minimum price per unit of alcohol will be introduced in England alongside plans to ban the sale of multi-buy discount deals, the Prime Minister said today. David Cameron said he was making “no excuses” for clamping down on the country’s drink problem but admitted minimum prices would not be “universally popular.” The move was met with opposition from the drinks industry, with some accusing Mr Cameron of being seriously misguided.
Food and Drink	The Sentinel – 23rd March 2012



The Queen has vowed to serve as head of state, now and into the future, in a speech to mark her Diamond Jubilee. She re-affirmed a past commitment to remain the UK’s sovereign, saying she’s re-dedicated herself “to the service of our great country”. Both Houses of Parliament gave her a standing ovation after her address to MP’s and peers in the Ancient Westminster Hall.
Politics	The Sentinel – 21st March 2012



Deaths from liver disease in England have jumped 25 per cent with alcohol the major cause, men the biggest victims and fatalities more prevalent in the North, new statistics have revealed. The figures are certain to fuel further debate on how to tackle the problem of binge drinking. The National End of Life Care Intelligence Network report said the vast majority of the deaths were people under 70, with more victims in their 40’s. But obesity, hepatitis C and hepatitis B have also increased the total liver disease deaths between 2001 and 2009.
Health	The Sentinel – 22nd March 2012



Sending young children to nursery schools can harm their development, new research from Canada has suggested. The "lion's share" of children attending state nurseries at a young age had lower test scores in later life compared with those who stayed home with a parent. Boys at nursery were the worst affected, displaying higher levels of aggression and hyperactivity. A study by Michael Kottelenberg and Steven Lehrer, economists from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, examined the introduction of universal subsidised child care in Quebec. Their findings were attributed to a sharp reduction in the amount of time children spent with their parents, being read to or playing.
Family	The Daily Telegraph - March 28 2012



Research at Cambridge University suggests that immigration can push down house prices because it causes richer people to move away from affected areas. Even a small influx of people from overseas into an area can have a noticeable effect on property values, the study concludes. The research, the first of its kind, contradicts the assumption that immigrants are pushing up house prices.
Money	The Daily Telegraph - March 28 2012



Eight out of 10 EU doctors working as GPs in the NHS have never had their language skills tested despite being ordered to by ministers. NHS managers were told to tighten up the assessment of foreign doctors following the Daniel Ubani case. The German doctor killed a pensioner with an accidental overdose of morphine on his first shift in Cambridgeshire. Pulse magazine has found that 83 per cent of EU doctors on the so-called performers lists held by trusts, which allow them to work as GPs, had not been assessed.
Health	The Daily Telegraph - March 28 2012



Poor parenting was one of the underlying reasons for last summer's riots, an official report into the causes of the disorder has found. The Riots, Communities and Victims Panel report, published yesterday, concluded that materialism and a lack of confidence in police were also among the causes. It said: "We heard from many communities who felt that rioter behaviour could ultimately be ascribed to poor parenting." Among its recommendations were that schools should be penalised if pupils leave without being able to read or write and that prison leavers should be given more support. The panel also said that 500,000 "forgotten families" should be helped to prevent youngsters becoming involved in further disorder.
Young People	The Daily Telegraph - March 28 2012



More than a third of the Government's academies are overhauling the school year and reducing the long summer holiday, according to research. In an attempt to raise standards, 36 per cent of schools have altered, or are planning to alter, the academic year, a study by the think tank Reform found. One academy has cut the summer break from six to three weeks. Others are to impose four-week breaks. The changes enable schools to introduce more regular term dates and give pupils longer half-term holidays. Around 17 per cent of the schools have also lengthened, or plan to lengthen, the school day, the study found.
Education	The Daily Telegraph - March 28 2012



Trainee teachers face having to sit higher tests in literacy and in numeracy before being allowed to enter the classroom following concern about poor standards in the three Rs. Students will be required to pass rigorous exams to qualify for training places as part of reforms designed to attract the brightest graduates into the profession. An expert panel, led by top head teachers, will draw up new assessments of basic skills in an effort to root out poorly qualified candidates. Ministers have also proposed raising the pass mark for existing tests and cutting the number of times students can re-sit exams.
Education	The Daily Telegraph - March 28 2012



Visiting Olympic athletes, coaches and officials will be banned from marrying while they are in Britain because of Home Office concerns that they will exploit the Games to try to claim residency. Nearly 20,000 people from outside the EU will be issued with six-month visas that bar them from forming any civil partnerships or marriages. They will also be barred from applying for visas to study in Britain. The restrictions were imposed amid concerns that the Olympics will be a target for illegal immigrants and terrorists trying to get into Britain. Last year, two 16-year-old athletes from Cameroon absconded from Manchester airport after competing in the Commonwealth Youth Games, while at the 2002 Commonwealth Games — also in Manchester - almost all of the 30-strong Sierra Leone team disappeared.
Social Issues	The Daily Telegraph - March 28 2012



MPs have overwhelmingly backed legal guidelines limiting the chances of friends and family being prosecuted for assisting someone set on taking their own life. They have also backed an amendment calling for greater support for palliative care for the terminally ill. The Registered Nursing Home Association accused David Cameron of ignoring thousands of dementia patients because "not a penny" of the extra money he pledged to tackle the condition would help those in care homes. About 250,000 people with dementia in Britain - about a third of the total — are in care homes.
Social Issues	The Daily Telegraph - March 28 2012



Oxford University is admitting more teenagers from poor performing state schools and deprived backgrounds amid government pressure to create a more diverse student body, it has emerged. New figures show a 75 per cent increase in offers made to disadvantaged students who were fast-tracked for interview this year. It follows a series of high-profile attacks by the Coalition on the most selective universities. Last year, Nick Clegg accused Oxford and Cambridge of being effectively biased against poor pupils, saying they had to ensure "British society is better reflected" in their admissions to justify state funding.
Education	The Daily Telegraph - March 28 2012



A fixation with homosexual rights, feminism and separate racial identities is threatening to "fragment" society, the Archbishop of Canterbury has claimed. Dr Rowan Williams warned that identity had become a "slippery" word and, after years of good work in helping minority groups, it was time to focus on the common good. Discussing the issue of identity with a group of teenagers in Cardiff, the Welsh archbishop also appeared to accept the possibility that Britain could break apart as a result of growing nationalism. In a separate address to the Welsh Assembly, he attacked a culture of dependence on welfare payments, which he said was harmful to society; Dr Williams, who is stepping down as leader of the Anglican Communion later this year, signalled last week that he planned to use his final months in office to speak out forcefully on issues about which he feels deeply.
Social Issues	The Daily Telegraph - March 28 2012

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