A project that has helped a small group of autistic children understand more about human emotions is being launched nationwide. The project uses cartoons narrated by the actor Stephen Fry to help teach the youngsters about facial expressions.

The mother of stabbing victim Abigail Witchalls has spoken out against plans to lock up mentally ill patients who pose a danger to the public.

Under-fire cabinet minister Ruth Kelly will get a public show of support from the Prime Minister when they join forces for a social housing summit. Tony Blair will appear side-by-side at Downing Street with the Communities Secretary a day after she came under fire from some Labour MPs for sending her son to a private school.

The head of the NHS drug watchdog said it would not be forced into approving medicines it had doubts over yesterday as the body came under fresh pressure over the use of a controversial Alzheimer’s treatment.

Council estate resident groups in England will be able to apply for anti-social behaviour orders, under measures announced by the government. The resident groups will be assessed before being allowed such powers, with “clear safeguards” to make sure they are not abused.

The chief executive of St Gemma’s Hospice in Leeds has quit five months after being suspended from his role. It was confirmed that David Parr left by mutual agreement. In August the YEP revealed how Mr Parr had been suspended from the hospice in Moortown to carry out a review into his performance.

Councillors and pensioners’ rights campaigners have blasted social services for failing an 85-year-old who collapsed and died from hypothermia. Despite being called by a concerned shop owner, who had witnessed how ill Claude Reginald Jones was, they refused to intervene without the man’s consent.

A House of Lords committee is to begin considering proposals to introduce tougher mental health laws. The new bill would allow the enforced detention of people who are mentally ill, even if they have not committed any crime.

Almost 1,300 of the country’s most dangerous criminals are living at the heart of the community in bail hostels, it has emerged. They include 98 in the ‘very high risk category’ – which includes killers, sex offenders and violent thugs the authorities consider extremely likely to strike again.

Robert Baden-Powell would have been proud. Almost 100 years to the day that he founded the Scouts, a survey to mark that centenary has found that most teenagers are confident, know right from wrong and above all else, love their mums.