Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor accused Labour of “legislating for intolerance” in his most outspoken attack yet on the imposition of gay rights laws on church bodies. The leader of England and Wales’s four million Roman Catholics also questioned “whether the threads holding together democracy have begun to unravel”.

{mosimage}The lecture delivered in Westminster made him the first Catholic leader in nearly 180 years to place a question mark over the allegiance of his church to the British state. He has already threatened to close nine Catholic adoption agencies if they are forced by the Sexual Orientation Regulations to place children with homosexual couples.

He declared: “For my own part, I have no difficulty in being a proud British Catholic citizen. But now it seems to me we are being asked to accept a different version of our democracy, one in which diversity and equality are held to be at odds with religion. We Catholics – and here I am sure I speak too for other Christians and all people of faith – do not demand special privileges, but we do demand our rights.”

The Sexual Orientation Regulations come into force next month after minimal debate in the House of Commons. They are aimed at stopping businesses discriminating against gays, but Christian leaders say they will force those of faith to act against their conscience.

Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor said last night: “My fear is that, under the guise of legislating for what is said to be tolerance, we are legislating for intolerance. Once this begins, it is hard to see where it ends. “My fear is that in an attempt to clear the public square of what are seen as unacceptable intrusions, we weaken the pillars on which that public square is erected, and we will discover that the pillars of pluralism may not survive.

The Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) today announced that it has taken on the responsibility of supporting The Championing Children Framework. The organisation is providing support materials for the workforce, and today launched a comprehensive resource book.

Poor and late hospital discharge information is putting patients at risk, GPs say. Hospitals are supposed to send doctors information on medicine and treatment as soon as a patient is released, in order to help in their follow-up care.

Cutting hospital beds and services will dump the responsibility of caring for vulnerable people on social services. That is the fear of cabinet member for adult social care, Cllr Sue Nolan, who supports the findings of a new survey which paints a pessimistic picture, should health bosses decide to axe departments at Ilford’s King George Hospital.

Twenty children trafficked into the West Midlands for sexual and labour exploitation have disappeared while in social services’ care, a charity report has claimed.

All children could face compulsory checks to discover if they are at risk of turning into criminals, the Prime Minister announced today. The controversial proposal came as part of a wide-ranging review of crime and security policy published by 10 Downing Street.

{mosimage}It said the checks could take place at existing important stages in a child’s life, such as the move from primary to secondary school.

The Government’s plan to prevent crime said: “Establish universal checks throughout a child’s development to help service providers to identify those most at risk of offending.

“These checks should piggyback on existing contact points such as the transition to secondary schools.”

The number of children in the UK living in relative poverty increased by 100,000 last year – a “moral disgrace” that leaves the Government’s policy objectives “in tatters”, campaigners said.

Computer-based therapy should be available to all patients in England from April, says the government. Patients with mild depression or anxiety should receive therapy instead of drugs, but there are long waiting lists around the country.

More than 12 of the most financially troubled NHS hospital trusts in England will today share in a £178m rescue package being put together by Patricia Hewitt, the health secretary, to avoid bankruptcies across the health service.

Former migrant labourer Alona Tirzite recalls the pain and degradation of her time in England’s strawberry fields and sighs. The 26-year-old from Latvia has been inspired to help migrant workers facing similar problems as part of a project run by a Lincolnshire council.