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In the News

  • Telegraph: Archbishop of Canterbury apologises after links to 'child abuser' emerge
    February 1st, 2017

    The Archbishop of Canterbury issued an "unreserved and unequivocal" apology on Wednesday on behalf of the Church of England after admitting he had worked at holiday camps at which teenage boys were groomed for abuse.

    The Most Rev Justin Welby said the Church had "failed terribly" by not reporting John Smyth QC, the head of the Christian charity that ran the summer camps, to police after he was accused of carrying out a string of "horrific" sado-masochistic attacks in the late Seventies.

    Channel 4 News will on Thursday broadcast allegations that Mr Smyth used the camps, which were attended by boys from some of Britain's leading public schools, to gain access to teenagers, whom he forced to strip naked before subjecting them to savage beatings.

    Read more. 

  • BBC: Foster carers face 'incredibly complex task', MPs told
    February 1st, 2017

    The status of fostering must be raised to give foster carers the recognition they deserve, MPs have heard.

    The increasingly complex needs of children in care mean fosterers face a tough task, carers and groups told the Commons education select committee.

    Foster care families often felt unsupported and under-rated in the service they offered to some of society's most vulnerable children.

    The committee was taking evidence at its first hearing on fostering.

    Read more. 

  • Guardian: Finsbury Park mosque wins apology and damages from Thomson Reuters
    February 1st, 2017

    A north London mosque has won an apology and damages from Thomson Reuters after it was erroneously included on a global database linking it to terrorism activities.

    Finsbury Park mosque said Thomson Reuters had agreed to pay £10,000 in damages plus legal costs as well as making a statement of regret.

    World-Check, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters, compiled the database for leading banks, financial institutions and other financial services organisations.

    Read more. 

  • Telegraph: Children who go to badger protests could be reported to anti-terror programme, MP warns
    February 1st, 2017

    Children who go on anti-badger-cull marche​s​ could be reported to the Government’s anti-terror programme Prevent because teachers fear being marked down by inspectors, an MP has claimed.

    Conservative Lucy Allan, who is also a school governor at Telford Primary School, said teachers are sitting around thinking up scenarios which might justify referring a pupil.

    Read more. 

  • GOV UK: Producing estimates of the size of the LGB population of England
    February 1st, 2017

    This work provides a population denominator for use in estimating health outcomes by sexual orientation. Being able to compare health outcomes between different population groups is important in assessing health inequality and inequity.

    The report has three key objectives:

    1. To critically review existing research, surveys and measurement tools to identify the strengths and weaknesses in using them to estimate the size of the LGB population.
    2. To set out and justify the proposed methodology for accurately and robustly estimating the size of the LGB population.
    3. To produce robust and reliable estimates for the LGB population that can be broken down by socio-demographic and geographic variables. 

    Read more.

  • Independent: Donald Trump appoints creationist college president to lead higher education reform taskforce
    February 1st, 2017

    Jerry Falwell Jr, the head of the world's largest Christian college where biblical creationism is taught alongside the theory of evolution, is to lead Donald Trump's taskforce on higher education reform.

    Mr Falwell, who was an early endorser of Mr Trump and whose backing helped secure the vital support of evangelical Christians, had been mentioned as a possible candidate as Education Secretary.

    But while Mr Falwell did not feel able to take on that role, he has agreed to head Mr Trump's taskforce. He said that he had spoken with Steve Bannon, Mr Trump's controversial and powerful advisor, about the role. 

    Read more. 

  • BBC: Parents want more voice in school policy
    February 1st, 2017

    Parents' views are not considered enough over their children's education, according to a survey of parents.

    More than eight out of 10 parents want to be consulted more, according to an annual survey from PTA UK, representing parents groups in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

    The biggest concern for parents was about bullying in school.

    Read more. 

  • Premier: Justin Welby reassures primates: 'Key outcome' that marriage teaching isn't changing
    February 1st, 2017

    The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has written to every primate in the Anglican Communion just days after the Church of England confirmed it would not change its teaching on marriage.

    He described this as the "key outcome" from last week's report by the House of Bishops on human sexuality.

    It said that whilst the Church needs to clarify the pastoral support for LGBT people it would not recognise same sex marriages. 

    Read more. 

  • UK Parliament: The Family Test
    February 1st, 2017

    The Family Test was introduced in 2014 in England. All new domestic laws and government policies must face the Family Test to make sure they support strong and stable families. The DWP has published departmental advice on carrying out the Family Test. The Family Test is not a statutory requirement and publishing the results is encouraged but not required. Relatively few Family Test results have been published leading to criticism that the policy is not yet successfully embedded in all Government Departments.

    Read more. 

  • Catholic Herald: Catholic peer urges Government to pressure Pakistan to stop persecution of Christians
    February 1st, 2017

    A Catholic peer has called upon the Government to exert greater pressure on Pakistan to stop the persecution of Christians after it admitted that a controversial scheme to “export the dole” involves larger sums of money than previously revealed.

    MPs reacted in anger when the press revealed that “up to £300 million” of British taxes was to be given away at Pakistani cashpoints over eight years.

    But now Lord Bates, the Minister for International Development, has revealed the figure is in fact far greater.

    Read more.