Key Quotes for 2013

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Last update: Wednesday 25th March




GM giant Monsanto is effectively pulling out of Europe after years of delays in trying to secure approval for 'Frankenstein food' crops. The US-based company is dropping all of its requests to launch insect and pesticide-resistant forms of corn, sugar beet and soya beans. Campaigners said Monsanto had simply realised that the vast majority of people in Europe would not eat the foods. The decision will be a blow to Britain's fledgling GM industry which has been championed by ministers in recent weeks. So far, biotech firms have been deterred from growing GM crops in Europe by the tightest controls in the world. But the Environment Secretary, Science Minister and chief scientist have all publicly given the crops their blessing.
Food and Drink	Daily Mail 19.07.13



House prices will rise by nearly 20 per cent over the next five years with the cost of the average home heading for £200,000, research claimed yesterday. Saviils, the estate agency, upgraded its housing market forecast from a rise of 11.5 per cent by the start of 2018 to 18.1 per cent. It predicted that the average home, worth around £162,000 at the beginning of the year, will then be worth £191,631. The research said 'government intervention' partly triggered the upgrade while critics warned that the initiatives, such as Help to Buy schemes, are fuelling a house price boom but doing noth¬ing to help lending to businesses.
Housing	Daily Mail 19.07.13



Breaking into a sweat may be an unpleasant side effect of the current heat wave but doing so during exercise can reduce the likelihood of a stroke, according to researchers. Scientists found that inactive people are 20 per cent more likely to experience a stroke or mini-stroke than those who exercise at a moderate or vigorous intensity - enough to work up a sweat - four times a week. Among the men in the study, only those who exercised at the same intensity four or more times a week had a lowered stroke risk. But when it came to women, the relationship between stroke and frequency of physical activity was less clear. The study, published in the journal Stroke, looked at more than 27,000 Americans aged 45 and older who were followed for an average of 5.7 years.
Health	Daily Mail 19.07.13



The amount set aside by the NHS to compensate patients for medical blunders has soared by nearly a quarter in a year. A total of £22.7billion has been reserved to deal with thousands of clinical negligence claims. The number of claims rose by 11 per cent last year to 10,129, with some payouts of around £5million. Ministers have blamed the spi¬ralling costs on no-win no-fee lawyers. Others blame so-called 'claims farmers' who prowl hospitals, urging patients to sue. About a third of the compensation money paid by the NHS in compensation goes straight to lawyers, diverting cash from patient care.
Money	Daily Mail 19.07.13



Burglary and robbery are going out of fashion as criminals turn to online fraud and other cyber crimes. Crime fell by 9 per cent last year, reaching the lowest level since records began in 1981 official figures released yesterday show. Police welcomed sharp declines in burglary, robbery, violent attacks and car crime - but the Office for National Statistics data exposed soaring online crime, such as credit card fraud, bogus online auctions and online dating fraud. It raises fears official data may not show the true scale of offences because people who are caught by an online swindle often do not bother to make a report. There was a 27 per cent rise in fraud offences last year, which may be partly thanks to a new centralised reporting service, Action Fraud.
Crime	Daily Mail 19.07.13



Britain is among the least active nations in Europe despite being one of the most diet-obsessed, according to a survey. Asked whether they regularly practised a sport, only a fifth of respondents in the UK said yes, compared to well over half in Den¬mark and Holland. Only Poland is less active. However, few watch their waist¬line more closely than a Briton, with 17 per cent of UK respondents claiming to have followed a slim¬ming diet in the previous six months. This was higher than all other countries except Denmark (23 percent) and more than double the number in Germany, where the response was just 8 per cent.
Health	Daily Mail 19.07.13



The great apes can remember events that happened years ago just like men and women do, researchers have found. As with humans, a reminder of something in the distant past can jog the memories of chimps and orangutans. Scientists took a group of apes and reconstructed a series of experiments conducted three years previously in which they had had to find hidden tools that could be used to reach food. Faced with the same set up of rooms and boxes in which the tools were concealed, the apes immediately knew what to do. It took them only five seconds to find the tools. Another group of apes, which had not had the previous experience, were left confused.
Odd Facts	Daily Mail 19.07.13



Parking fines could almost double after a minister said charges were now so low they no longer act as a deterrent. Transport minister Norman Baker is considering raising the amount councils can charge for parking illegally - currently capped at £70 outside London. The Liberal Democrat is con¬cerned that the penalty is failing to keep pace with fines in the capital, where the maximum is £130…Councils make £400 million a year in profit on parking fines, which they are legally bound to spend on trans¬port projects. But they are campaigning to have this restriction lifted - which is why they are asking for the right to increase charges.
Travel/Tourism	Daily Mail 19.07.13



Many young unemployed people feel marginalised, pessimistic and lacking in control over their lives, claims a survey by the UCU lecturers' union. The survey of youngsters not in education, employment or training - so-called Neets - found a third had experienced depression and more than a third "rarely left the house". The poll examined views of some 1,000 youngsters aged 16-24 across the UK. It reveals that many feel isolated and are lacking in confidence - 40% feel they are not part of society, 36% believe they will never have a chance of getting a job. One third have suffered depression, 37% rarely go outside the house and 39% suffer from stress.
Young People	BBC website



Some payday loans are no more than legalised robbery, with rates of interest at an unbelievable 5800% and more.
Money	The Sentinel, July 2nd 2013



Electronic cigarettes are to be classed as ‘medicines’ under new proposals to tighten up the regulation of nicotine-containing products. Manufacturers are to face tough new tests before they can sell their e-cigarettes as ‘licenced products’, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said. The move will also mean that licenced e-cigarettes can be prescribed by medics to help smokers cut down or quit. It is estimated that 1.3 million people across the UK use battery powered e-cigarettes.
Health	The Sentinel, June 13th 2013



The number of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) has fallen over the last month, new figures have revealed. Data released by the Office of National Statistics show there were 8,068 picking up the unemployment benefit in Stoke-on-Tent in May compared to 8,209 in April. In Newcastle the claimant count fell to 2,225 from 2,267 in April while in the Staffordshire Moorlands, 1,094 residents claimed JSA in May. This represents a fall of 60 claimants since April. A total of 5,332 jobseekers in Cheshire East claimed JSA, down from 5,612. The statistics showed the claimant count rate was higher in the North-East, at 7.2 per cent, last month and lowest in the South East at 2.7 per cent. Nationally Jobseekers Allowance claimants fell 8,600 in May to 1.51 million. The number of benefits claimants is at its lowest level in two years. Employment Minister Mark Hoban said businesses were doing their best against a “difficult economic backdrop.”
Work/Employment	The Sentinel, June 13th 2013



Buckets and spades will soon be a thing of the past at children’s holiday clubs, according to ‘futurologist’ Ian Peason. Instead, the prediction maker says, robots, avatars and 3D glasses will replace traditional playthings. But a study by travel agency Thomson has shown that many parents would prefer their children to have more traditional experiences, like ‘playing bat and ball games’ on holiday and leave technology at home. The survey of 1,000 children and parents discovered that adults value relationship over entertainment, with one in four parents saying the best thing about children’s holiday clubs was seeing their children make friends. However, nearly 70% of the children who took part in the survey would like to use technology on holiday. All is not lost for traditionalist parents though – 28% of the children surveyed said that the best thing about children’s holiday clubs was learning new things and playing new games.
Entertainment	Families First, July/August 2013



Official statistics show that one in five of us will become a carer for a parent at some point in our lives, adding another obstacle for young people who are already struggling to move out and set up home on their own due to high costs.
Health	Families First, July/August 2013



Young people who are avid social media users place a higher value on fame, according to an American study. Research carried out for the Society for Research in Child Development in Seattle has found a link between 9-15 year-olds who use social media sites regularly, and the desire to be famous.
Young People	Youthwork, July 2013

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