Daily roundup 19 October: Refugees, historic abuse inquiry and radicalisation

The Home Office has ruled out calls for dental X-ray checks to verify the age of Calais refugees arriving in Britain, criticising them as "inaccurate, inappropriate and unethical". The Guardian reports that the official rejection of the demand from Conservative backbenchers was welcomed by the British Dental Association, which had earlier condemned the proposal as inappropriate and inaccurate.


Concerns about the former chair of the child sexual abuse inquiry, Dame Lowell Goddard, were raised with the Home Office three months before her departure, it has been claimed. The Telegraph reports that the Home Office previously said it was only informed of concerns about Goddard in July, six days before her resignation, however a panel member of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has said she reported concerns about the inquiry's leadership in April.


The government's counter-radicalisation programme for schoolchildren has multiple flaws and risks human rights violations, it has been claimed. The Guardian reports that a report by the Justice Initiative concludes that the Prevent programme violates pupils' rights against discrimination and freedom of expression, and allows the government to interfere in everyday lawful discourse.


Children's mental health services are in a state of emergency, according to the deputy chair of the British Medical Association. The BBC reports that Dr Richard Vautrey has warned that the government has not done enough to resolve the situation, and without action it will worsen.


A total of 5,000 fines were handed to parents in Hampshire last year due to their children missing school. The Southern Daily Echo reports that the number of unauthorised absences in Southampton alone has risen from 200 in 2014/15 to 783 in 2015/16.