Daily roundup 6 March: Vacancy numbers, sleep and school behaviour

Ministers could be forced legally to ask every council how many more refugee children they can take after as many as 20 Tory MPs backed a proposed law change. The Telegraph reports that a total of 10 Tory MPs are backing an amendment to the Children and Social Work Bill to require ministers to publish vacancy numbers among local authorities.


Hospital attendances in England for children under 14 with sleep disorders have tripled in the last decade. The BBC reports that 10 times more prescriptions of common sleep medication melatonin have also been written for children and adults under 55 over the same period. Poor sleep in children has been linked to a greater risk of obesity, lower immunity, and mental health issues.


A school has come up with a new strict code of conduct that could see children end up in trouble for hiccuping. The Metro reports that children at Oasis Academy on the Isle of Sheppey could also get in trouble for wearing a coat inside.


Parents who emotionally abuse or neglect children are to face criminal charges, the Scottish Government has announced. The Daily Record reports that the proposals, which will also cover teachers, carers and other people in a position of trust, were published as part of an update to 80-year-old legislation. The existing Children and Young Persons Act focuses on physical injuries to health.


More than 300 taxi drivers in north east Wales have completed training to help spot the signs of child sexual exploitation. The BBC reports that Denbighshire Council brought in the mandatory training last year after the Rotherham child sex abuse scandal inquiry found taxi drivers had played a "prominent role" in the abuse.