Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Number of children requiring state protection falls by a quarter and is less than half that in England

johnrobertson834

From Children’s Social Work Statistics: Child Protection – 2024-25 published today: On 31 July 2025, 2,087 children were on the child protection register, representing a 1% decrease on 2024 (2,111) and a 24% decrease on 2015 (2,741). https://www.gov.scot/publications/childrens-social-work-statistics-child-protection-2024-25/ The equivalent figure for England was 49 420, per head of population more than twice as high. https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-in-need/2025 What might explain this shocking contrast? Blog posts with the official sources included: Continue reading Number of children requiring state protection falls by a quarter and is less than half that in England

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Nuclear submarine crews in the Clyde face higher rates of testicular cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma

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From the US-based Air & Space Forces Magazine yesterday: Air Force Global Strike Command has found increased rates of testicular cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma in the nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile community compared to other service career specialties, service officials said March 27. The findings, the latest to come from a sweeping epidemiological study conducted by the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, were announced during a town hall meeting. They mark a change from nearly a year and a half ago, when officials said preliminary data from the first phase of the study showed no significant difference in cancer rates between … Continue reading Nuclear submarine crews in the Clyde face higher rates of testicular cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma

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Wes Streeting risks lives telling GPs in England to ration hospital referrals because they have 220 000 fewer staff than they’d need to match NHS Scotland

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Thanks to reader rtpscott for alerting us to the above. From the Telegraph two days ago: This is not happening in Scotland. Why might that be? Here’s one good reason. NHS Scotland has 160 375 FTE staff. https://audit.scot/uploads/2025-11/nr_251204_NHS_in_Scotland_2025.pdf All things being equal, per capita, with 10 times the population, you’d expect NHS England to have 1.6 million FTE but they only have 1.38 million FTE, 220 staff fewer! https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics/november-2025 Continue reading Wes Streeting risks lives telling GPs in England to ration hospital referrals because they have 220 000 fewer staff than they’d need to match NHS Scotland

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BBC Scotland admit County Lines drug gangs are another plague from England but try to contain it in the Highlands

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Charity workers have raised concern about the number of vulnerable youngsters in the Highlands being targeted big city drug dealers from England. Barnardo’s staff say they’re being exploited and threatened by County Lines drug gangs in Inverness. The charity runs the Anchor project in the City, which is trying to help tackle the problem. Police reckon 12 organised crime groups are operating in the Highland capital. BBC Scotland, in their BBC breakfast insert this morning, with a second only explicit mention of where the County Lines drug gangs are from. I must say, I’m puzzled by this openness after 7 … Continue reading BBC Scotland admit County Lines drug gangs are another plague from England but try to contain it in the Highlands