The BBC reports that officials are to take action against "rogueemployers".
Oddly, employment minister Jim Fitzpatrick seems to be playing down theidea of a hard-hitting action. He issued a softly-softly statementsaying the campaign is "as much about helping people as crackingdown".
He thinks employers may be confused.
Picture the response. "Goodness gracious. We're not paying the legalminimum? How did that happen? What a terrible mistake. Thank you forhelping us see it clearly."
Always look on the bright side of human nature.
- The Daily Telegraph reports that a school bus driver is facing a jailsentence. He had sent a 12-year-old girl a mobile phone video messageshowing a soldier being beheaded.
Magistrates in Yeovil, Somerset, heard that the girl had not asked forthe message to be sent, was "horrified" when she opened it and was left"considerably distressed".
The odd thing is how it came to light. A few days after the girl losther phone, a teacher found it. He looked at the video, and called thepolice. Two questions. Is it normal for teachers to view pictures andvideo on mobiles they come across? Secondly, why wasn't the teacherdistressed?
- A study in the BMJ reports that getting on for 40 per cent of childrenattending GPs with a persistent cough actually had whooping cough. GPshave not been diagnosing them as such. They've tended to diagnose asthmainstead.
So the dramatic fall in cases of whooping cough, and the extraordinaryrise in the cases of asthma, might have a simple explanation. It mightbe about to go into reverse. Tip of the week: sell shares inmanufacturers of asthma inhalers.
SOUNDBITE
"We - the people in suits - often see hoodies as aggressive. But hoodiesare often more defensive than offensive" - David Cameron, ConservativeParty leader.
