New Anti-Trafficking Bill introduced in Parliament today

 In the wake of the recent Rochdale trafficking ring convictions, new legislation to protect child victims of trafficking

Campaigning Tory Peer, Lord McColl of Dulwich will today introduce an important Anti-Trafficking Bill in the House of Lords. Amidst growing concerns about the trafficking of girls in the UK after last week’s convictions of nine men in Rochdale, it comes not a moment too soon.

Lord McColl has been tenaciously making the case for enhancing British trafficking laws for some time now. Throughout the last year he has repeatedly drawn attention to the fact that between 2007 and 2010, of the 942 child victims of trafficking in the UK, a staggering 301 were lost.[1] We are currently failing child victims of trafficking in the UK, both in identifying them as trafficked – as evidenced  by the recent case in Rochdale – and in protecting those who have been identified.

In February, Lord McColl secured a commitment from Home Office minister, Lord Henley, that the Children’s Commissioner would conduct a review of the care currently afforded rescued child victims of trafficking in order to make recommendations about how it could be enhanced.[2] This is a step in the right direction. The new McColl Bill makes provision for Britain to emulate international best practice and appoint each rescued child victim of trafficking with a legal advocate from the moment a child is identified as a victim.

Other elements in the Bill include: a much more robust definition of trafficking offences; the non-prosecution of victims of trafficking for crimes committed when under duress; and the proper provision of assistance and support for trafficking victims, including appropriate and safe accommodation and translation services and the right to apply for compensation. The Bill also proposes that Britain falls into line with best practice with respect to the provision of a ‘Human Trafficking National Rapporteur’, the internationally recognised means of assessing the trafficking situation within the UK. Current mechanisms fail the crucial test of independence from government.

Commenting on his Bill, Lord McColl said, ‘It is a matter of great national pride that in 1807 and 1833 Britain took the lead in combating slavery. We do so no longer. That Britain is the number one destination for sex trafficking in Europe and that we should have lost 301 rescued child victims of trafficking between 2007-10 beggars belief. It is time to take action. My Bill proposes the way ahead.’

For more information, and the opportunity to interview Lord McColl, please contact Dan Boucher on 07768 165543 or Genevieve Galvin on 07795 332620.

Notes:

1. A Scoping Project on Child Trafficking in the UK, 2007, p. 5 and p. 8., Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP);  Strategic Threat Assessment Child Trafficking in the UK, 2009, p. 9 and p. 12, CEOP; and Strategic Threat Assessment Child Trafficking in the UK, 20010,  p. 5 and p. 21, CEOP.
2. Lord Henley, Minister of State for Crime Prevention and Anti-Social Behaviour Reduction, in the debate on The Protection of Freedoms Bill, Amendment 57A, 15 February 2012, Hansard 861. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201212/ldhansrd/text/120215-0002.htm#12021585000186
3. The full title of the McColl Bill is Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Further Provisions and Support for Victims) Bill. It contains 15 Clauses and will be published on the Parliament web site tomorrow. http://services.parliament.uk/bills/
4. Lord McColl CBE is a British surgeon, professor, and Conservative member of the House of Lords. Made a Life Peer for his work for disabled people in 1989, he was Parliamentary Private Secretary to John Major from 1994-97 and Shadow Minister for Health 1997-2000. He is also a trustee and surgeon to the international charity, Mercy Ships. Through his work as a surgeon, Lord McColl came across cases of abuse which lead him to become a passionate advocate against human trafficking and modern day slavery.

CARE for Scotland is now on Facebook

Keep up to date, tell us what you think, have conversations with other CARE for Scotland supporters.
Help build our on-line community by signing-on to ‘like’ our page at http://www.facebook.com/careforscotland.

Open Letter to President Obama

Free Church of Scotland minister David Robertson has written an intriguing and persuasive open letter to President Obama following the President’s recent affirmation of same-sex marriage. Read the letter here.

Resources on Marriage

As the arguments continue about the redefinition of marriage, don’t forget the articles, information and statistics that can be found at www.care.org.uk/marriagescotland.

Scottish Order of Christian Unity

CARE for Scotland is now stocking and selling the books previously published by the Scottish Order of Christian Unity.
Click here for information on all the titles available.

[Liberalism is the] concept that the preservation of individual liberty and maximization of freedom of choice should be the primary aim of a representative government. It stresses that all individuals stand equal before law (without class privileges) and have only a voluntary contractual relationship with the government. It defends freedom of speech and press, freedom of artistic and intellectual expression, freedom of worship, private property, and use of state resources for the welfare of the individual.
(www.businessdictionary.com)

That the freedom of the individual is paramount is based on the premise of natural goodness. Whilst we all have capacity for great goodness, this is far from the full story. Interaction with porn will show anyone with eyes open the twisted nature of much human thinking and many human relationships. The boundary of individual freedoms is the welfare of others. This is where liberalism asks itself the most challenging question- Is it better to restrict the right of the individual for the benefit of others? In the case of porn this question has been lamentably ignored. As the evidence of the harm of porn has gathered the governing elite have been silent. Shame on them.

I am aware of porn designed for females and gay porn but what follows is solely focused on (the vast majority of) porn designed to appeal to heterosexual men.

Consider this:

‘As men fall deeper into the mental habit of fixating on these images, the exposure to them creates neural pathways. Like a path is created in the woods with each successive hiker, so do the neural paths set a course for the next time an erotic image is viewed. Over time these neural paths become wider as they are repeatedly travelled with each exposure to pornography. They become the automatic pathway through which interactions with women are routed…With each lingering stare, pornography deepens a Grand Canyon-like gorge in the brain through which images of women are destined to flow…All women become potential porn stars in the minds of these men.’

Dr William Struthers, Wired For Intimacy, p8

It is utterly outrageous that liberalism – which has done so much to champion the equality and dignity of women – should be in bed with the porn industry. That Larry Flynt is considered a hero for challenging the restrictions of the state in order to peddle pornography is a vile contradiction. You may think I’ve gone a little too far. I always like to ask myself the following question when opposing a particular viewpoint – What are its redeeming features? Well, in this case, there are none. What do they care about – the end user, the porn actors or the children who might discover their material? This is a multi-billion pound industry that is so financially valuable that the authorities dare not intervene. It requires a grassroots movement who will protect children, reject violence against women, will help men trapped on the internet for hours on end and are prepared to be castigated as haters of sex to make our voice heard.

It’s because we have such a high regard for sex that we reject pornography – the shortcut to misery. We will campaign to protect our human dignity by refusing the worst excesses of a greedy and amoral business that seeks to destroy sexual pleasure and replace it with sexual degradation and slavery. Supporting the rights of pornographers to make money isn’t ‘progressive’; it is complicity in condemning a generation to misery.

For a more detailed blog on the lies of pornography read @jjmarlow here.

For CARE’s resources on this issue, click here.

MARRIAGE

Coalition for Marriage | Get involved – submit your response to the Government’s consultation

Over 500,000 (half a million!) people have now signed the C4M petition.  Under pressure following last week’s poor showing for the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, there have been rumblings of dissent from some MPs and statements from others explicitly stating their opposition to the Government’s proposals.

An article in The Telegraph today notes that the Home Office is struggling to cope with the number of responses being submitted to the consultation.  In particular, submissions coming from a response form on the C4M website have overwhelmed Home Office IT systems.  Responses are still getting through so, if you would like to submit your response in this way, please do so, remembering to frame responses in your own words where possible.  To find out more about the other ways you can respond to the consultation, please click here where you will find all the information you need to get involved and have your say. (PDF)

Please make the most of this opportunity to let the Government know you don’t want to see marriage redefined!

Scotland for Marriage | SNP reconsidering proposals? | Contact your MSP

Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, has been warned by some of his own ministers within the Scottish National Party (SNP) that legalising same-sex marriage in Scotland is so divisive it may be a significant blow to their chances of securing a ‘Yes’ vote in the 2014 referendum on Scottish Independence (see this article in the Sunday Times [£] for more information).

With this in mind, please contact your MSP if you have not already done so and let them know of your support for marriage as it is currently defined and your opposition to attempts to redefine marriage.  Graciously, but directly, ask them what their view is too.  MSPs need to understand that there is no desire from their constituents to change the current definition of marriage.  Some useful information to help you when contacting your MSP can be found here.  Please also visit the Scotland for Marriage website where you can also sign the petition.

North Carolina bans same-sex marriage

This week, North Carolina became latest state to say no to same-sex marriage.  Referenda on changing the definition of marriage have been held in 32 US states, with all 32 states choosing to support traditional marriage.

Prayer

Please continue to pray that David Cameron and Alex Salmond would change their minds and that they would reconsider their proposals to redefine marriage.

TRAFFICKING & SEXUAL EXPLOITATION

Human Trafficking convictions secured but much more still to be done

In a widely-reported case this week, a gang of men systematically groomed and raped young girls in the north of England – the youngest children involved were only 13 years old.  These girls were offered small amounts of alcohol, or drugs, or sometimes presents or food and in exchange were violently abused.  These convictions represent a significant victory and the perpetrators have been brought to account.  You can read more about the case here.

However, all the girls involved were in contact with social services, and one even told the police what was happening to her.  It is tragic that this kind of treatment happens at all, but even more so that those who should have been there to protect the vulnerable took so long to recognise that there was a problem.

CARE has campaigned over a number of years to see the law regarding human trafficking and sexual exploitation used effectively and we are delighted to see that convictions are taking place although there is still so much more to do.  We look forward to informing you of progress as we continue to work with MPs, Peers and organisations to improve the law and its enforcement, educate people regarding the dangers of exploitation and trafficking, and seek to secure better protection for victims of trafficking.

Also in the news…

Woman ‘kidnapped and trafficked through 10 countries’ – BBC

Prayer

Please praise God for these convictions.  Please pray for the children and families involved in these cases and others across the country.  Pray for complete healing and restoration.

PROTECTING CHILDREN ONLINE

Prime Minister: Let Children Behave Like Children

The Prime Minister has announced the latest raft of measures to be introduced to bolster efforts to protect children from commercialisation and sexualisation in society.  These measures follow on from recommendations made in last year’s Bailey Review into the Commercialisation and Sexualisation of Childhood and are reflective of an increasing awareness of the urgency with which we must act in order to protect children which CARE warmly welcomes.  We look forward to further implementation of Bailey Review recommendations over the new parliamentary session (some of our observations following the Report’s publication can be read here) and will kept supporters updated with developments in this vital area of work.

Prayer

Please thank God for the progress seen in recent weeks with regard to protecting children online.  Pray that words would turn into action and that we would see changes made which help parents to protect their children.

ALSO IN THE NEWS…

Queen’s Speech 2012 at-a-glance: Bill-by-bill – BBC

Scotland: New children’s bill announced – The Scottish Government

Coalition for Marriage | Please respond to the Government’s consultation

As the Coalition for Marriage (C4M) petition nudges ever closer to the 500,000 signatures mark, poll results published this week indicate that the Government’s support for same-sex marriage could cost them as many as 30 seats and 1.1 million votes at the next election.  Today, Ministry of Defence Minister, Gerald Howarth, highlighted issues such as the Government’s “proposals for gay marriage” as contributing to the Conservative Party’s poor showing in yesterday’s local election defeats.  There have also been indications that MPs are being impacted by messages from constituents indicating their opposition to the Government’s plans.

Please keep up the good work and continue to encourage friends and family to sign the petition, as well as contacting your MP if you have not already done so.

Additionally, please take a few minutes to respond to the Government’s consultation, which closes on 14 June.  It is very simple to do and can be done in only five minutes if you do not have much time.  If everyone who has signed the petition also responds to the consultation it will send a clear statement to the Government that their proposals are not supported and that there is a significant body of support for marriage.  We can make a difference, so please click here where you will find all the information you need in order to respond to the consultation. (PDF)

Government to launch consultation on protecting children online

It has been reported today that the Prime Minister, David Cameron, will launch a consultation on whether pornography should be filtered at source, while allowing those who do want to access pornography the option to opt-in.  This measure, which would help families bring up their children in a safer online environment, is something CARE has been campaigning on for some time.

We have been working with Baroness Howe who introduced a Private Members Bill in the House of Lords earlier this year which would introduce a number of the measures recommended by a recent Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Child Protection.  Two thirds of respondents to a recent poll support the proposition that Internet Service Providers should have to offer a service that filters internet sites and automatically blocks pornographic sites from people’s home internet service.
To read more about this story, check out the articles on the BBC and Guardian websites.  Also, do take a moment to look at the SafetyNet campaign and sign the petition calling for better protection for children online.

Prayer: Please pray that the Government would back robust technical measures which would help parents keep their children safe online.

Marriage Foundation launched

As a direct response to the problem of family breakdown, this week, High Court Judge Sir Paul Coleridge launched the Marriage Foundation.  The purpose of the Marriage Foundation is to be a national champion (advocate) for marriage, strengthening the institution for the benefit of children, adults and society as a whole.

To find out more about the Marriage Foundation, please click here.

Elections across Europe

As well as the French Presidential election, there will be elections this weekend in both Greece and Serbia.  For a round up of the latest news, please click here.

Also in the news:

Judge tells doctor it is ‘inappropriate’ to say he is a Christian at work – The Telegraph

The figures above are compelling in that they show the UK to be comparatively generous with regard to the treatment of low earner households by the tax system.[3] These family types have a negative tax burden which means, in effect, that they receive more in benefits and tax credits than they pay in income tax and national insurance. This is primarily due to how the tax credit system (soon to be overhauled by the new Universal Credit) operates. It is interesting to note that households on the same proportionate income (50% of the average wage)[4] in some other developed countries do not enjoy such generous tax rates, although in many nations they are still below zero.

Herein lies the rub: despite the generosity of the UK tax credit system, child poverty has continued to rear its ugly head, both domestically over the past 10 years, and internationally (see graph below).[5] In other words, some other OECD nations, despite having tax and benefits systems which are relatively less generous, achieve significantly lower poverty rates. As the table below shows,[6] of the 20 countries with lower child poverty rates[7]than the UK, only three have more generous tax arrangements for one earner and lone parent two child households at this wage level. By way of explanation, the table below gives one rank for child poverty and one for tax burden. The higher the tax burden rank, the more negative the tax burden is for families on 50% average wage. With regard to child poverty, the higher the rank, the lower the poverty rate.

Why might this be the case? There are many reasons why poverty remains a significant issue for the UK, many of which need to be addressed: housing, education, tax and welfare to name but a few.

Let’s take a brief look at tax and welfare. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), in their excellent and comprehensive publication, Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion 2011, note that being in poverty is not just about income and that household size matters too.[8] Thus, whilst the UK might be relatively generous with regard to tax and welfare, it is by no means the end of the story. The report confirms that increases in tax credits – particularly in 2008 and 2009 – have resulted in many families needing tax credits in order to avoid poverty.[9] Here we have a key problem: what happens when tax credits are withdrawn? The evidence available shows us that the high withdrawal rates of both tax credits and the Universal Credit will adversely affect work incentives for many people, not to mention the actual take home income for many households.

Don’t take it from me though, below is an excerpt from the aforementioned JRF report:

‘One factor influencing in-work poverty that is the direct responsibility of the DWP is the ‘taper’ on benefits. The combination of income tax, National Insurance and the benefit taper means that someone in work and getting tax credits faces an effective tax rate on any extra earnings of 73 per cent, way above the so-called ‘top’ rate of 50 per cent. With such a rate, extra work brings scant reward: someone in this situation on the minimum wage has to put in six hours overtime in order to make themselves £10 better off overall. Universal Credit is going to make this worse, putting the rate up to 76 per cent. Until 2010, the rate was ‘only’ 69 per cent.’[10]

So, how do we deal with this issue? I believe the solution lies in reducing the taper on the soon to be introduced Universal Credit. The Coalition will say that this is too expensive but I question this. If the Government can spare billions for other tax and welfare measures, such as increasing the personal income tax threshold (which is not a progressive measure that will help the poorest in society)[11]then why shouldn’t it commit to reducing the Universal Credit taper? By doing this, the Coalition would make significant inroads toward tackling the high withdrawal rates that are present with the current Universal Credit plans, meaning that those entering the workplace or increasing their hours are not threatened with losing their benefit. As a result, work can actually begin to be rewarding, lifting many households out of poverty.

Coalition for Marriage | Have your say and respond to the Government’s Consultation

The Coalition for Marriage (C4M) campaign has now amassed over 470,000 signatures – thank you for your support and please do keep spreading the word!

The Government has launched a public consultation on their proposals to redefine marriage, which is open for submissions from individuals and organisations until 14 June.  Extraordinarily, the Government has said it will press ahead and redefine marriage whatever the outcome of the consultation.  Apart from being decidedly undemocratic, we simply do not think the Government can ignore thousands of voices united in opposition to their plans.

This is where you come in, as we know our voices can make a difference; therefore, please do respond to the Government’s Consultation.  It is very simple to do and can be done in only five minutes if you do not have much time.

You will find all the information you need to help you respond here.  Please do take the time to respond and show the Government the strength of support there is for marriage. (PDF)

Momentum building on Protecting Children Online

Following the publication of an Independent Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Child Protection (as mentioned in last week’s Impact Direct) there has been a flurry of supportive coverage in the media and cross-party backing from MPs.  The Daily Mail has adopted ‘Block Online Porn’ as its latest campaign and there have been numerous articles on their website including this piece by Claire Perry MP, who Chaired the Inquiry.

It is encouraging to see increased engagement with this issue, which CARE has been campaigning on for a number of years, most recently in collaboration with Baroness Howe of Idlicote whose Online Safety Bill will be debated in the coming months.  You can find out more about Baroness Howe’s Bill here.

Please do check out the SafetyNet campaign and sign the petition calling for better protection for children online.

Scotland for Marriage update

As the Scottish Government continues to mull over responses received to the consultation on same-sex marriage which closed in December, if you have not yet done so, please contact your MSP making clear your opposition to proposals to redefine marriage (some useful information to help you to do so can be found here). There is more information from Care for Scotland about the redefinition of marriage here.

For an update on some recent stories related to the Scotland for Marriage campaign, including the presentation of a petition to Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and support for marriage from Muslim leaders, please visit the Scotland for Marriage website where you can also sign the petition.

Scotland | Please respond to Margo MacDonald’s Assisted Suicide Consultation

For supporters in Scotland, there is still time to respond to the latest consultation by Margo MacDonald MSP attempting to legalise assisted suicide in Scotland, which closes on Monday 30 April.

The current consultation comes just over a year after Ms MacDonald’s last Bill for state-sponsored assisted suicide and euthanasia was comprehensively defeated in a free vote in the Scottish Parliament in December 2010, by a margin of 85 votes to 16.

It is vitally important that we act now strongly and decisively to reject these latest proposals and once again stand against the legalisation of assisted suicide in Scotland.

How to respond

We suggest that you only answer the first question which asks if you support the general aim of the proposals.

You can find the consultation document on the Scottish Parliament website here.

Responses to the consultation should be sent by email to margo.macdonald.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

To read a full briefing from CARE which will help you to form your response, please click here.

Also in the news:

Eugenics close to becoming a ‘human right’ in Europe – Christian Medical Fellowship

Facebook: Parents ‘help children break age limits’ – BBC

Girls aged 13 ‘should be given the contraceptive Pill from pharmacies without a prescription’ claims NHS report – Daily Mail

BBC to air live from an abortion clinic – Christian Institute

Independent Parliamentary Inquiry calls for better protection for children online

Pornography is far too easily accessed by children online, according to the Report published this week by the Independent Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Child Protection.  The Report highlights the devastating impact pornography has on young people, as well as the shocking prevalence of viewing pornography among young people, and calls on Internet Service Providers to take on more of the responsibility in helping parents protect their children online.

CARE welcomes the report which we hope will strengthen support for Baroness Howe’s Bill on Online Safety in the House of Lords which seeks to introduce an opt-out system for accessing adult content online.

To read more, check out CARE’s press release welcoming the Report.  The Prime Minister’s response to a question about the Report can be watched here.  Additionally, a mother’s harrowing account of the impact of pornography on her 11-year-old son can be read here.

Coalition for Marriage (C4M) petition up to 450,000 signatures!

The Coalition for Marriage (C4M) campaign continues to go from strength to strength, with over 450,000 signatures on the petition.  As well as continuing to spread the word it is important that members of the public engage with the Government’s consultation, which closes on 14 June.  With this in mind, do keep your eyes on your inbox for an important email from CARE next week!

Please continue to pray and spread the word about the campaign amongst your friends, family and congregations and check the C4M website and the CARE website for more information.

Scotland for Marriage | Update

As the Scottish Government continues to mull over responses received to the consultation on same-sex marriage which closed in December, if you have not yet done so, please contact your MSP making clear your opposition to proposals to redefine marriage (some useful information to help you to do so can be found here).  There is more information from Care for Scotland about the redefinition of marriage here.

For an update on some of this week’s main stories related to the Scotland for Marriage campaign, including the presentation of a petition to Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and support for marriage from Muslim leaders, please visit the Scotland for Marriage website where you can also sign the petition.

Former Archbishop of Canterbury warns Christian values are being undermined

In a submission to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Lord Carey of Clifton – a former Archbishop of Canterbury – has warned that Christians are being vilified and excluded “simply because of their beliefs”.  Lord Carey’s comments come ahead of four key religious liberty cases which are due before the court in September.

To read more, check out these articles from The Telegraph and the BBC.

Keep Sunday Special during the Olympics

The Government has introduced a Bill which will repeal Sunday Trading regulations for large shops for eight weeks, starting a week before the Olympics begin and ending after the Paralympics conclude.  The Chancellor wants to show the world that the UK is “open for business”, but the proposal is unpopular, unnecessary and detrimental to family life.

The measure is being brought forward despite the Government having explored and subsequently rejected proposals to get rid of the current regulations twice in the past year.  The move is being seen by some as a way to test the ground for more permanent change to the law, which would see many parents having to work over the weekends, restricting time spent with partners and children.

These proposals will be debated in the House of Commons on 24 April.  Please consider emailing your MP and ask them to speak against the proposals, and seek assurances that this is only a one off short-term change to the law.  To write to your MP go here.  Information about the campaign, which will help you when contacting your MP, can be found on the Keep Sunday Special website here.

There is also a Facebook group you can join here.

Human trafficking on the agenda in the European Parliament

European Commission and Council representatives responded positively this week to calls from MEPs to ensure better implementation of anti-trafficking legislation, during the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg.  The debate, which precedes the announcement of the European Commission’s forthcoming strategy on tackling human trafficking, highlighted various issues including the need i) for better training for law-enforcement officers and judiciary within Member States, ii) for improved prevention and awareness-raising activities, iii) to ensure that each country has a national rapporteur, and iv) for better provision of protection and assistance to victims.

You can watch the debate online here.

French Presidential Election begins on 22 April

The first round of voting in France’s Presidential Election takes place on Sunday.  For a brief overview of the current state of affairs in France ahead of the Election, please click here.

Also in the news:

Cinderella in 2012 Britain: Romanian couple trafficked girl, seven, made her work as a slave and ‘beat her like a carpet’ – The Daily Mail

Conducted by Claire Perry and a cross-party group of MPs, the Inquiry’s Report tackles the issue of protecting children online – a cause CARE has worked on for a number of years, most recently with Baroness Howe of Idlicote whose Online Safety Private Members’ Bill was recently introduced in the House of Lords.

The Howe Bill, which builds upon work begun by Mrs Perry, represents the first serious legislative attempt to introduce an opt-in system for accessing pornography.  In an internet-enabled age where children are increasingly technology-savvy, the Bill seeks to help parents bring up their children without them being able to access, whether purposefully or by accident, inappropriate content.

As the Inquiry’s Report makes clear, children accessing pornography online is not a baseless concern.  Indeed, according to the Report, six out of ten children download adult material due to insufficient filters on their computers.  Of equal concern is the finding that the use of filtering software in homes has fallen from 49% to 39% in the last three years.

The fact that children are able to access inappropriate content online is not a new revelation, but the findings of the Inquiry serve as a sobering and timely reminder of the need to equip parents to ensure children are protected as they access the internet.

CARE’s Chief Executive, Nola Leach, welcomed the Inquiry’s Report, saying: “I think we can all agree that the internet and mobile technology are wonderful tools but, as with all tools, they must be used with proper safety measures in place.  Both the Inquiry and Lady Howe’s Bill are encouraging developments which provide a wonderful opportunity for the Government and particularly Internet Service Providers to step up and help parents meet the ever-present challenge of protecting their children online.”

Notes:

1. The full Report from the Independent Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Child Protection can be found here: http://www.claireperry.org.uk/downloads/independent-parliamentary-inquiry-into-online-child-protection.pdf

2. Information on Baroness Howe’s Online Safety Bill can be found here: http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-12/onlinesafety.html

Questions to ask your council candidates

Elections to your local council are being held on 3rd May. Councils  spend over £11 billion each year and employ around 230,000 people.They are responsible for delivering vital services such as education and social work.

If you meet any of your candidates over the next few weeks, here are a few questions you may like to ask them:

• At a time of financial stringency, how can churches help local authorities deliver vital services? What would be expected of churches in such a partnership?
• If marriage is re-defined to include same-sex couples, children would be taught at school that marriage is not only between a man and a woman. Would the candidate be concerned that this would have the effect of undermining the values that many parents want to impart to their children?
• Would the candidate agree that the introduction of same-sex marriage would mean that Christians who are registrars may be forced to conduct same-sex marriages against their will and Christians who are teachers required to teach values they don’t believe in? Is this not an unacceptable imposition on an individual’s freedom of belief?
• If elected, would the candidate be willing to support publicly-funded local schools setting themselves up as trusts to enable them to develop their own particular ethos under local control?

CareConfidential Scottish Conference

CareConfidential runs a network of 150 crisis pregnancy advice centres around the UK.

If you would like to know more about this ministry, perhaps with a view to becoming involved, you can attend the Scottish conference being held in Kilmarnock on Saturday, 12th May.

For full details of the conference, click here and to find out more about CareConfidential, click here.

Don’t forget to:

- Sign the Scotland for Marriage petition online and encourage friends and family to do so too. Over 17,000 people have already signed, but we need many more

- Respond to the consultation by Margo MacDonald MSP on a new bill on assisted suicide. You can advice on how to respond here.

Find out what’s happening

See the Events page on the CARE for Scotland web site to keep up to date with what’s happening around Scotland.