News In Brief

The Devolution minister, Henry McLeish, has launched a web site on the Internet which gives the public up-to-date information on the Government's plans for a Scottish Parliament. He said that the government wanted "an informed electorate for the referendum - and we want to dispel any misconceptions they may have". He said the website was a "further sign of the revolution in access to information which technology is bringing." The web site is available at http://www.scottish-devolution.org.uk -- The BBC does not endorse external links.

The Government has rejected Tory demands to be included on the Scottish Grand Committee - a committee of MPs that considers Scottish affairs. Devolution Minister Henry McLeish told the Commons: "The official Opposition have no MPs from Scottish constituencies. They therefore have no place on the Scottish Grand Committee." But Michael Ancram, for the Opposition, said the tactic was "profoundly disturbing" for those who cherished democratic principles.

The leader of the Conservative Party, William Hague, is to marry his fiancee, Ffion Jenkins, in a ceremony at the House of Commons. The traditional wedding service, conducted jointly by the Speaker's chaplain and a Welsh Methodist minister, will be held on December 19 in the chapel at the Commons crypt. It's being stressed that because of the couple's desire for privacy, no further details of arrangements will be released by Conservative Central Office or the leader's press office.

Victim support is to get an extra £1 million a year. Home Office Minister Alun Michael announced the increase which will take the victim support annual grant to £12.7 million, Mr Michael said in a Commons written reply. He added: "The extra money will enable Victim Support to set up a national helpline for victims of crime and to develop further the work of their court-based and local support schemes."

The Ministry of Agriculture is facing a change of location as well as a change of name, Minister Jack Cunningham has announced. Opening the Royal Show at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, Dr Cunningham said the whole ministry faced an overhaul under the new administration. Currently called the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food he said the new food standards agency being established by the Government would take out a large chunk of its work Dr Cunningham said a review of its premises was a logical next step. But he stressed ministers would still be located at Westminster. MAFF is currently situated in offices around Whitehall Place.

Commuters face more travel misery after industrial action by train drivers on a busy suburban route was re-imposed. A ban on overtime and rest day working by Connex South Central drivers was suspended last week to allow fresh negotiations. But today the drivers' union, Aslef said the ban would be re-imposed from July 8. Aslef said revised proposals emerging from the talks were "not acceptable and do not meet the aspirations of our membership". Union general secretary Lew Adams said, "A window of opportunity was presented to Connex to reach a settlement acceptable to our members." He went on, "They have failed to grasp the opportunity. We remain available for negotiations but the industrial action will now recommence once the notice period has expired."

Fresh claims of bullying and brutality at an elite training base are being investigated, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. The probe follows allegations by former Coldstream guardsman, Christopher Walmsley, who has accused staff at the Pirbright Army Training Regiment base in Surrey of systematic emotional and physical abuse. A spokeswoman for the MoD confirmed that officers from the Special Investigations Branch were examining the claims made by the 18-year-old from Leeds. However, she dismissed as "speculation" reports that the SIB was expected to make a series of arrests this week after an on-going inquiry into the conduct of NCOs at the base. Last week the MoD said it had "very grave concerns" over a rash of sexual harassment complaints from female recruits at Pirbright in which 14 women alleged mistreatment, including rape, abuse and sexual harassment.

Harriet Harman the Social Security Secretary has held out the prospect of further changes to the benefits system. The Government was committed to a system which was "speedy, fair and efficient", she told the Commons at question time. Further statements would be made on issues surrounding the workings of the system, including appeals against benefits decisions which now took an "unacceptable" amount of time. She said the whole system needed to be "modernised and brought up to date in line with people's expectations about what a modern service delivers". Queuing, which had even been removed from life in the Eastern Bloc, was still a fact of life in Britain's benefits offices, Ms Harman protested.

Police will this week begin collecting thousands of handguns outlawed after the Dunblane massacre. An estimated 160,000 larger calibre pistols were made illegal as a result of the Firearms (Amendment) Act passed under the previous government. And a further 40,000 smaller .22 calibre handguns are soon to be banned under a Bill put forward by the new Labour administration. The official surrender of the larger weapons begins on Tuesday, with shooters having until the end of September to give up their arms. A separate programme for .22 pistols will be set up once the legislation is in place, although they can be handed in under the current scheme.