Some voters in the cities of Liverpool and Sheffield, as well as in St Albans, Crew and Nantwich will be able to start voting today for the council elections on 2nd May. Everyone listed on the electoral roll in the trial wards has been sent a sealed ballot card containing detailed instructions on how to vote along with an 8 digit PIN number and 10 digit password. At any time up to 9.0 pm on 2nd May they can cast their vote by using mobile phone text messaging, the internet or landline phones. They can also choose to use a stubby pencil, in which case they will have to visit the polling booth on election day.The polls for Pop Idol and Big Brother have raised expectations that the public will vote in large numbers if they can use the telephone and online facilities. Turnout in the 2000 elections in the two pilot wards in Liverpool were 15.89% and 24.52% .

Read more on END IN SIGHT FOR POLLING BOOTHS AND STUBBY PENCILS?…

Tougher checks on the eligibility of patents to get free dental care and free drugs on prescription have reduced fraud by 37% and saved the health service 58 million pounds. Patients must provide evidence that they are exempt from charges and if no evidence is produced checks are made to confirm claims. The target set in 1999, is to reduce prescription charge evasion by 50% by the end of the current financial year.Patient fraud is only one of the areas being tackled by the 400 specialists in Counter Fraud Service set up in 1999. There is substantial fraud by NHS staff and in some cases this has been cut by 30% in the last two years.

Read more on NHS CUTS FRAUD BILL…