New research shows that the scheme under which school children are given free fruit may not bring long-term health benefits. A study published today in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health questions the effectiveness of the scheme, which was launched in 2004.The idea of free fruit for pupils was first put forward in the government’s blueprint for the NHS in 2000 as a way of improving the diet of younger children in an attempt to reduce the risks of cancer and cardiovascular disease in later life. The scheme cost 42 million pounds to set up and has been given a further 77 million pounds to keep it operating.

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There is a warning today that Government bureaucracy may undermine the aims of its Sustainable Communities Bill to engage with disengaged parts of the community. With the Bill set for a second reading in the Lords today, the Local Government Information Unit says local authorities may face a tough time in making the measures work.

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This pamphlet from the think tank, New Local Government Network, argues that local authorities should be given a greater role in tackling domestic violence. Councils are best placed to bring together cross-cutting agencies in areas of criminal justice, health and social exclusion and to deliver strategies to reduce levels of domestic violence.According to Home Office figures, one incident of domestic violence is reported to police every minute. If time and resource were dedicated to improving responses to domestic violence, local authorities could save millions of pounds and improve the lives of everyone in their constituencies, not just victims. There would also be wider benefits that extend beyond the domestic violence agenda.

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