A watered-down version of Megan’s Law which will give parents the right to know whether there are paedophiles living in their area is to be piloted.

{mosimage}Under the Home Office scheme, which is expected to be rolled out in three areas over the next few months, parents will be told how many paedophiles are living in high-risk areas, such as close to schools or parks, and lone parents will be able to check whether potential partners are sex offenders.

The move follows years of campaigning by British parents for a version of Megan’s Law – legislation introduced in the US which allows parents information about paedophiles in their area.

Yesterday Labour MP Dan Norris, whose Wansdyke constituency in north-east Somerset will be one of the pilot areas, said John Reid had given the go-ahead.

“The details are not finalised but parents are likely be given access to the number of paedophiles in the area – but will not be given individual names,” he said.

The NSPCC is launching a campaign asking retailers to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to parents smacking their children. The children’s charity is calling on shops to do more to prevent parents from losing control of their children and then hitting them.

Prison governors have delivered an urgent warning to ministers that building new jails will not solve the criminal justice crisis and that too many minor offenders with mental health and alcohol problems are being locked up.

A “lost generation” of unemployed young people is costing the economy billions of pounds a year in benefits, youth crime and educational under-achievement, a major report discloses today.

Patricia Hewitt is embroiled in a row over political interference after it emerged her local hospital had escaped huge cuts to Labour’s flagship NHS building programme.

A report launched by the AIDS Funders’ Forum reveals that neglect and complacency in the commissioning of HIV social care and support services has created a chaotic and fragmented system, which is failing people living with HIV in the UK.

{mosimage}The report, The growing challenge: A strategic review of HIV social care, support and information services across the UK, is based on the results of a survey of HIV services commissioners and service providers from across the UK. The report reveals frustrations amongst both commissioners and service providers at an inadequate system that fails to assess what is needed by people living with HIV in the UK both now and in the future.

Glenys Kinnock MEP comments: “This report highlights that HIV is one of the lowest priorities in the already neglected area of sexual health, with grave consequences for those living with HIV in the UK today. HIV is being overlooked, whereas it should be a priority both nationally and within local health services.”

One service provider commented in answering the survey: “…the support infrastructure for HIV services is crumbling very fast. There is unsaid complacency which you can almost feel, that people think that HIV is not a problem anymore. We know this is not the case, because people are still dying.”