People with bipolar disorder suffer from an accelerated shrinking of their brain, UK researchers have found. Imaging studies carried out four years apart showed loss of brain tissue in the areas controlling memory, face recognition and co-ordination.
A new grants scheme is being started which aims to help people with learning disabilities in Northants become more involved with their local communities. The Small Sparks scheme offers grants of up to £250 to groups helping people with learning difficulties to set up small-scale community schemes.
The majority of NHS trusts in England are not giving people with diabetes enough help in managing the condition at home, a watchdog has warned. The Healthcare Commission said most primary care trusts were offering basic diabetes care such as yearly check-ups. But it warned that almost 130 out of more than 150 failed on home support.
"Essex Police tell us that crime detection rates are going up but local people say they fear crime because they do not see police on our streets," reports councillor Pat Brooks.
Conservatives at Essex County Council have rejected a call to increase recycling targets across Essex. At a meeting of the council yesterday (17 July), the Liberal Democrats group proposed that the council sets ambitious and firm recycling targets, which the Conservatives voted against.
At today's Prime Minister's Questions Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ming Campbell tackled Gordon Brown over yesterday's Rowntree report on inequality. He highlighted that the report had said that the gap between rich and poor is as wide as it has been for 40 years. "How does the Prime Minister propose to deal with this unfairness?" he asked. Pointing out that people earning less than £18,500 a year pay more tax as a result of Mr Brown's last budget, he asked the Prime Minister why he didn't close the loophole on tax for the very rich and use that to support those on low and middle incomes: "Why not legislate for the many and not the few?"
