By Stephanie Stace and Debi Roker, Antisocial behaviour has moved to the top of the political agenda and the focus is now on early action to stop it developing. The behaviour of the great majority of teenagers is not antisocial, so how do ‘ordinary’ families guide their children through the difficult years? The authors have looked at ‘ordinary’ families to see how parents successfully monitor and guide their children and found common approaches. They suggest that these conclusions have clear implications for various government initiatives, such as Parenting Orders.

Work is set to begin on a new website to help small businesses find out about the smaller public sector contracts that are available for them to bid for. It is hoped the site will be launched before the end of the year.The site, to be called the new National Opportunities Portal, is part of the Supplier Route to Government project which is being run by the Small Business Service and the Office of Government Commerce.

Read more on PORTAL WILL BE ROUTE TO SMALL PUBLIC SECTOR CONTACTS…

Environmental campaigners are painting a stark picture of an England a generation from now with no real countryside. A report today from the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England says that the picture could become reality unless current development trends are reversed and it sets out broad policy hopes for change.The report “Your countryside, your choice” looks at the major influences on the landscape and their likely long-term effects on the character and extent of the country. It opens with a portrait of England in 2035 when the countryside as we understand it today has all but disappeared.

Read more on COUNTRYSIDE CAMPAIGNERS SET POLICY OBJECTIVES…