Many of the most high-profile voluntary groups in Scotland stand to lose up to £20m following a shake-up in vital European funding. The organisations, which include the Prince’s Trust, lone-parent charity One Plus, and the Wise Group, are warning the change will lead to 1200 redundancies and the closure of projects serving 17,500 people.

Hundreds of autistic children are being denied a proper education in Scotland’s schools, according to a damning report by education watchdogs. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIe) found that most teachers in mainstream schools lacked a proper working knowledge of autism.

A campaign is being launched with the aim of improving the education offered to children with autism. It is claimed many youngsters fail to receive what they need and are misunderstood and confused. The National Autistic Society launch came on the same day inspectors release a report on the standard of education for autistic children.

Senior police officers have warned that Scottish legislation to tackle kerb crawling will be virtually ineffective. They have written to MSPs saying that, without significant re-drafting, many men trying to buy sex on the street will continue to escape prosecution. The new Prostitution Bill is intended to prosecute people who buy sexual services in the same way as it does prostitutes.

{mosimage} Experts yesterday criticised a report that questions the use of methadone in drug abuse treatment and claims it helps fewer than 4% of heroin users kick their habit.

Professor Neil McKeganey, professor of drugs misuse research at Glasgow University, said that only 3.4% of drug users on methadone remained drug-free after three years. Residential rehabilitation has a higher success rate, he said.

He said: “If all you are doing is getting 3% of people off drugs after three years, you may say that it is a cheaper programme than residential rehabilitation, but is it justified when it gets so few people off?”

Dundee is beating national targets for reducing youth crime. A report to the city council’s social work committee on Monday highlights youth justice work for 2005-06 and the efforts that are being made to reduce youth crime in the city.

Six offers have been tabled for an axed north-east care home. The for sale signs went up at the Rose Innes property in Aberchirder in the summer after it became the first casualty of an Aberdeenshire Council review of its residential services for the elderly.

The British Medical Association (BMA) will today (Tuesday 31 October 2006) tell the Scottish Parliament’s Health Committee that plans to introduce direct elections to health boards will do nothing to improve consultation among the public. Speaking in advance of his appearance before the Committee, as part of its consideration of the Direct Elections to Health Board Bill, Dr Dean Marshall, Chairman the BMA’s Scottish GP committee, outlined the reasons why the BMA opposes the Bill.

More than 1000 asylum seeker families in Scotland are facing forced deportation, potentially involving dawn raids, the Home Office said yesterday. The figure emerged during a visit to Scotland by Liam Byrne, the UK Immigration Minister, who was announcing the creation of two teams in Glasgow to speed up asylum applications.

A pilot domestic abuse court in Glasgow has dealt with 691 cases in its second year, according to new figures. The pilot, based in Glasgow Sheriff Court, deals with domestic abuse cases from the city’s south side.