Scotland’s prisons are increasingly being filled with people suffering from schizophrenia, manic depression and other serious mental-health problems, according to a report published today.

One of Scotland’s biggest unions has called on local authorities to pay charities full costs for their services to the public sector. The Edinburgh branch of the TGWU, which has almost 1000 members in the voluntary sector, met councillors to relay growing concerns about financial problems.

A high_profile blitz on knife crime has failed to cut the number of people carrying lethal weapons on Scotland’s streets. The Safer Scotland anti-violence campaign was launched in March. At its centre was the country’s first ever national knife amnesty, which saw almost 13,000 weapons handed in over five weeks last summer.

Children’s care homes are in crisis as thousands of staff working with young people do not have the qualifications for the job, a Scotsman investigation has revealed. Figures show that only 18 per cent of staff are fully qualified to work in residential care, more than a decade after inspectors called for urgent improvements.

More than £83 million is to be spent building almost 1,500 rental or low-cost houses in Glasgow. A total of 1,057 socially rented houses, 200 low-cost homes and 206 houses suitable for people with special needs will be created in the latest phase of the regeneration of Oatlands.

Charities are subsidising the public sector by up to £130m a year, according to an official report. Leading charities such as Barnardo’s, Capability Scotland and Quarriers are being forced to use their own funds to pay for services they provide for the state. As a result, a number of voluntary organisations say they are being forced to cut services.

Scotland needs a sharp increase in immigration to adjust to the needs of an ageing population, according to one of the country’s leading think tanks. Net migration needs to increase the population by 13,000, according to the Scottish Council Foundation (SCF).

Desperate mum Linda McIntyre told yesterday how she feels she has been abandoned with her acutely autistic son. Single mum Linda, 42, is near breaking point trying to cope with six-year-old Ian, who suffers almost constant violent mood swings because of his condition.

Welcoming the announcement of the Scottish Executive’s plans to introduce NHS pay awards in full in April this year – a different approach to that taken in the rest of the UK – Dr Peter Terry, chairman of the BMA in Scotland, said:

NHS staff are to receive pay increases in full from April 1, as recommded by the independent pay review bodies, following further consideration by the Scottish Executive. Health Minister Andy Kerr said: