Key Quotes for 2014

A world perspective in bite-size chunks
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Last update: Wednesday 25th March
 
Concerns were raised in September by scientists at the University of Sheffield that ‘three person IVF’ therapy, created to replace faulty mitochondria, could have damaging side-effects. Boys conceived using this technique may be at risk from lowered fertility and health problems. Studies on fruit flies have suggested that a poor match of generic information between the nucleus and mitochondria could affect fertility, learning and behaviour.
HealthEvangelicals Now, November 2013
 
The architect of the 1967 Abortion Act in October called abortion on the grounds of gender ‘wholly repugnant’. This was after a Daily Telegraph investigation found that some doctors were agreeing to perform abortions based on the sex of the unborn baby. Lord Steel of Aikwood, the Liberal Democrat who introduced the original legislation, called for urgent guidance from medical regulators on the issue after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped a recent case against two doctors after a 19-month police inquiry. They decided it would not be in the ‘public interest’ to prosecute them.
Social IssuesEvangelicals Now, November 2013
 
By 2010, money invested in green and ethical retail-funds in the UK reached £9.5 billion, the investment-research organisation EIRIS says. This represents about 750,000 ethical investors. Ten years ago, there were only about 200,000.
EnvironmentThird Way, October 2013
 
One-third of all British state schools is religious, but only 12 of these 6,750 state-maintained institutions are Muslim. More than 99 per cent are Christian, a statistic noted by Theos which has exonerated faith schools of the charge of being ‘socially divisive’ – to its own satisfaction at least. Meanwhile, all schools are obliged to have a daily act of worship that must be ‘wholly, or mainly of a broadly Christian nature’, even those without a religious character.
Religion/SpiritualityThird Way, November 2013
 
Parents want driving skills to be taught as part of the National Curriculum, according to a new survey by Goodyear. While the Government is preparing to publish a Green Paper this autumn on issues surrounding young drivers, many parents now believe that children as young as 11 should be taught driving theory in a bid to save lives when they eventually pass their test.
EducationFamilies First, November/December 2013
 
The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill currently before Parliament contains proposals that could threaten to punish normal behaviour of children, even in their own homes and garden. Part 1 of the Bill specifies that injunctions can be sought in the courts by councils, social landlords and others for alleged anti-social behaviour by persons as young as 10 years. The grounds are that the alleged behaviour could annoy or cause nuisance to anyone.
Young PeopleFamilies First, November/December 2013
 
Churches are being urged to take part in a nationwide initiative to recruit a million ‘dementia friends’ to help strengthen community support for those living with the disease and their carers.
HealthThe Wey, November 2013
 
The UK’s performance in major international education rankings has stagnated, leaving the nation’s teenagers lagging far behind their peers in East Asian countries such as Singapore and Japan. Despite the UK spending more than average on education, there has been no change in the country’s abilities in reading, maths and science in the past six years, according to the latest results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study 2012. The UK failed to make the top 20 for any of the subjects, coming 26th place for maths, 23rd for reading and 21st for science, it found…More than half a million 15-year-olds from 65 countries took part in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) study last year.
EducationThe Sentinel, December 4, 2013
 
Millions of pensioners are more worried about how they will heat their homes than falling ill this winter, new research reveals. The over-65s list heating as one of their biggest outgoings, with many expecting to receive a bill they can’t afford even after “rationing” the rooms they keep warm. The study, conducted by Home-Serve, found that one in five are worrying about heating costs as temperatures start to plunge. Official figures show there were 31,100 excess deaths, mainly among the elderly, last winter. But pensioners’ fears about soaring bills for keeping warm even outweigh the risk of falling ill due to cold or being isolated by bad weather. A half said their heating costs were now rising faster than their pensions.
The ElderlyDaily Express, December 4 2013
 
If someone says “I’m fine” when you ask how they are, the chances are they could be lying. But the British stiff upper lip attitude to our worries can have serious consequences for health, experts have warned. A poll of 2,000 people suggests we each use the phrase “I’m fine” an average eight times a month – when we could be anything but.
HealthDaily Express, December 4 2013
 
There are more working families living in poverty in the UK than non-working ones, a charity reported – the first time such a balance has been recorded. Some 6.7 million working families live below the poverty line compared with a combined 6.3 million of retired families and the out-of-work, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said. There has been a sustained and “unprecedented” fall in the living standards, a report for the organisation found. Half of working families in poverty have an adult paid below the living wage.
MoneyThe Sentinel, December 9, 2013
 
Households are to be spared the full force of recent bill hikes after power firms pledged to pass on savings from a Government shake-up of energy levies. British Gas will cut duel-fuel bills by an average of £53 from January 1, but this is still less than half the increase imposed on customers. Other energy firms made similar announcements, with SSE expecting dual-fuel saving of around 4% before the end of March, equivalent to around £50. Npower does not plan to increase energy prices before spring 2015, unless there are increases in wholesale costs or network charges. The moves come after Chancellor George Osborne confirmed that the cost of some energy-efficiency and social schemes will be rolled back. Electricity companies will take voluntary action to reduce network costs in 2014/15 funding a one-off reduction of around £5 on electricity bills.
MoneyThe Sentinel, December 3, 2013
 
About 150,000 children will have started smoking as the Government runs around in circles on whether to ban branded cigarette packaging, Labour has claimed. Health Minister Jane Ellison said a new independent review will assess the potential impact of standardised packaging on public health and will focus on young people. More than 300,000 under-16s in England are trying smoking for the first time every year, Ms Ellison said.
Drugs/Alcohol/AddictionsThe Sentinel, November 29, 2013
 
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