Shelter’s free service Advice Online has won the housing and homelessness charity an e-government National Award. Shelter beat finalists including the Commission for Social Care Inspection, The British Library, The Police National Legal Database, The Equal Opportunities Commission and the Disability Rights Commission to take the award.

Parents are being asked if they would accept a journey of more than 200 miles for their children to receive specialist hospital treatment.

The Scottish Executive has confirmed it will toughen up legislation against kerb crawlers following criticism from a Holyrood committee.

Asthma campaigners have condemned a decision not to approve a new drug for use by the NHS in Scotland as “unjust and inhumane”. The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) said the economic case for prescribing Xolair had not been made.

“The conditions in the Beatson are appalling. The reception area is like Piccadilly Circus, and you walk down a long narrow corridor with dark alcoves where patients are lying on trolleys. It really is like something from the third world.” These were the words of Nicola Sturgeon back in December 2001 when she was Shadow Health Minister and Scotland’s biggest cancer centre was at the height of a staffing crisis.

The leader of one of Scotland’s largest councils was last night forced to apologise after being caught smoking in his office. Jim McCabe, the Labour boss of North Lanarkshire, repeatedly lit up in an interview with a reporter despite having local responsibility for enforcing the smoking ban.

Social work, social care and early education and child care organisations are being invited to enter their teams for the Care Accolades 2007. Billed as “the Oscars” for the sector, the Care Accolades is now in its fourth year as Scotland’s only established awards ceremony for the social service sector.

The cost of providing foster care in Edinburgh has grown by just under £3 million in the last five years. Figures released under Freedom of Information laws show the council’s expenses for fostering jumped from £5.6m in 2001/02 to £8.4m in 2005/06.

Hundreds of care homes are to get detailed advice on how to improve the way they look after people with terminal illness – direct from the care watchdog. The Care Commission has invited providers to attend groundbreaking seminars designed to help them meet national standards.

Grampian Police chiefs are to be investigated for refusing to reveal how many officers are currently monitoring sex offenders in Buchan, it emerged last night.