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In Today's Other Newspapers

Sunday 19 December 1993 00:02 GMT
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HOMELESS people, including single mothers, are to be pushed into short-term private accommodation in a shake-up of housing law to be unveiled next month, says the Sunday Telegraph. Ministers will release proposals that will end the automatic right of the homeless to council housing. The plans are likely to be followed by a white paper soon after Easter, reports the newspaper.

City businesses are exploiting a tax loophole by giving away very large quantitites of Chateau Lafite-Rothschild to reward highly paid executives, reports the Sunday Times. Cases of the finest claret and burgundy have replaced gold bullion and cocoa beans as a tax-free perk.

The newspaper also says that Betty Boothroyd, the first woman Speaker of the House of Commons, is the alleged victim of a dirty tricks campaign, emanating from the Tory whips office.

The Pope has made a personal appeal to the IRA to end its campaign of violence, says the Sunday Mirror. It will be relayed to the gunmen and bombers through secret channels established during the past two years, according to the paper.

A boy of 12 is to sue the Official Solicitor, who was appointed to represent him under the Children Act, says the Mail on Sunday. He is to claim damages from Peter Harris and his predecessor, whom he accuses of failing to follow his wishes to let him live with his father after his parents split up.

Government ministers are spending pounds 7m of taxpayers' money on tax-free, chauffeur-driven cars, says the People. John Major has used pounds 107,395 on his two cars this year, while Downing Street officials are costing the nation nearly pounds 1,000 a day.

The Sunday Express reports that, for each person with the Aids virus, the Government is spending an average of pounds 130,000. The newspaper claims that 10 times less is spent on treating people with cancer.

Most voters have lost faith in the Government and politicians, particularly Conservatives, according to a poll in the Observer which puts Labour 22 points ahead of the Tories. The Prime Minister's rating is 14 per cent, compared with John Smith (28) and Paddy Ashdown (18).

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