Children with alcohol-abusing parents need the same level of services directed at families of drug-users, according to a new report. It said a “cultural acceptance” of heavy drinking may be leading to delays in identifying the impact on children.

A powerful UN watchdog is preparing a report that will criticise the Scottish Executive for its failure to outlaw the smacking of children.

The mother of schoolgirl Misbah Rana has dropped her claim for custody of her daughter, the Supreme Court in Pakistan has heard. The 12-year-old, also known as Molly Campbell, left Scotland without her mother’s consent last August to be with her father, Sajad Rana.

Children with alcohol-abusing parents need the same level of services directed at families of drug-users, according to a new report.

A former teacher at one of Scotland’s top private schools has admitted sexually abusing pupils. Jonathan Quick, retired Latin and sports teacher at Dollar Academy, admitted five charges following an investigation by police which began in 2002. The inquiry followed the suicide of a 23-year-old student who was allegedly abused by the same teacher.

{mosimage}The Herald revealed that at least three former pupils at the Clackmannanshire school came forward after learning of the circumstances of the man’s death.

The alumni, who were aged between 11 and 13 at the time of the abuse in the 1980s, claimed the teacher had touched them inappropriately.

Quick, who retired from the school in 1995, is living in a nursing home. His lawyer originally claimed he was too unwell to stand trial, but independent medical examinations said Quick was fit for the case to go ahead.

At Alloa Sheriff Court, the former teacher admitted a charge of assault with a sexual element and four charges of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices.

He will be sentenced on January 22. Potential sentences range from a fine to imprisonment.

The man who said we should provide free care for our elderly has now described the idea that an ageing population creates a crisis as as a “myth”.

A scheme which aims to support vulnerable adults in Tayside is to start paying participants. The appropriate adults project can no longer run using volunteers, because of an increase in demand for the service, according to Tayside Police.

Rhona Brankin, the Deputy Environment and Rural Development Minister, has been appointed as Scotland’s new Communities Minister to replace Malcolm Chisholm who resigned last month.

A highly effective campaign to encourage the public to help get more drug dealers off the streets is to be extended across Scotland. The recent localised Drug Dealers Don’t Care (DDDC) campaign in six local authority areas is to be extended to include Dundee, Aberdeen and South Lanarkshire.

Drug abusers are 10 times more likely than the overall population to suffer from dyslexia, a study by Stirling University shows. Of the addicts studied, 40% were dyslexic, compared with about 4% of the total population of Scotland.