1 Obese women should not receive NHS fertility treatment without losing weight to increase the chances of success, according to the professional body of IVF specialists, the British Fertility Society. The society found that couples face a postcode lottery to obtain free fertility treatment despite clinical guidelines.
2 Bulgarian and Romanian workers will face a tough skills test for UK jobs under proposals supported by the Home Office and the Department for Work and Pensions. Both countries are due to become members of the EU on January 1 and under EU rules, member states can impose immigration curbs on accession countries for up to seven years.
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3 There has been a large rise in the number of deaths from drug abuse since 2003, according to official UK figures. The Government missed its target to cut such deaths; figures showed cocaine-related deaths rose by 67 per cent (from 88 to 147) and ecstasy-related deaths by 85 per cent (from 26 to 88), mainly among young people.
4 Prison overcrowding is putting prisons at risk of violence, Brian Caton, the head of the Prison Officers’ Association, has said. “I think we are in danger of all sorts of disruption,” he said. “You can feel it in the air.”
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5 Parents in the Armed Forces may lose their boarding school fees perk under a review of the allowance by the Ministry of Defence. The cost of the boarding school allowance has risen to more than £100 million a year, according to The Times.
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6 Fly-tippers and firms that regularly burn loads of noxious waste can now be served with an ASBO, because new powers extend the reach of banning orders to cover illegal waste disposal. Graffiti artists and others committing crimes against the environment may also be subject to the new application of banning orders.
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7 Nurses are too busy to feed patients, according to a report from Age Concern. Despite evidence that malnutrition is common among older patients, 90 per cent of nurses did not have the time to assist them with eating.
8 Buying school uniforms is forcing parents into debt as they struggle to meet the cost of clothing from approved suppliers. A coalition of charities said that children who don’t have the right uniform can feel isolated and are at risk of being bullied.
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9 Motorists could be allowed to drive on the hard shoulder to ease road congestion. But road safety organisations say the plans would make motorways more dangerous by blocking access for emergency vehicles.
10 Social workers should act earlier when dealing with dysfunctional families. Tony Blair said that single mothers might be forced to accept state help and that families who refused to co-operate would lose state benefits or have their children taken into care.
11 Organ transplants may increase under the Human Tissue Act, which gives more weight to organ donors wishes than next of kin. Family members will still be consulted, but under the Act it will be presumed that if potential donors are on the Organ Donor Register they want their organs to be used.
12 Plans to cut legal aid for lawyers defending vulnerable children will be reviewed. Solicitors and barristers heckled a Government minister at consultation meetings around the country. The proposals had already been strongly criticised by the Association of Lawyers for Children.
13 Local councils have backed a “bed tax” on tourist accommodation. Under the proposals being considered by the Lyons inquiry into local government finance, councils would opt in to the tourist tax. Opposition groups said that any such levy would damage the tourism economy.