· News: Give heroin to addicts, says police chief
· Comment: Erwin James on returning to the jail where he spent seven years
Welcome to the morning news round-up from SocietyGuardian.co.uk
^^^^^^^^^^^
Today's top story - HIV infection in UK increases to 63,500
The relentless rise of HIV and other sexual infections in the UK is continuing, with evidence that some groups in the population are ignoring warnings and still engaging in risky sexual behaviour, according to new figures.
^^^^^^^^^^^
MORE NEWS
· Drug use: Give heroin to addicts, says police chief
Prescribing drug on NHS 'would reduce crime'.
· Drug classification: Downgrade ecstasy, drug expert tells MPs
Ecstasy and LSD, which are believed to be used by half a million youngsters every week, should be downgraded from class A drugs, the government's drug adviser recommends.
· Housing: Cooper warns against opposition to house building
Parents will have to help their children pay for their first homes if opposition to house building continues, the housing minister warns.
· Mental health: Press told to mind its language
Publications that call people 'nutter' or 'schizo' could be breaching the PCC code.
· NHS finance: Health education 'under threat' from NHS cash raids
Universities have warned that health education is under threat if training budgets continue to be redirected to prop up the cash-strapped NHS.
· Regeneration: Kelly admits Thames Gateway mistakes
Ruth Kelly admits that the government has been forced to revise plans for the flagship Thames Gateway regeneration project as she promises to 'root out' poorly designed housing schemes and allow an extra 40,000 quality homes to be built.
· Disaster response: Emergency staff denounce 7/7 criticisms
Emergency crews who dealt with the July 7 terrorist atrocities in London have strongly condemned claims that the rescue operation was blighted by confusion and failures of communication.
^^^^^^^^^^^
FEATURES AND COMMENT
· Tory policy: If Cameron can climb on my caravan, anything is possible
For the Tories to admit that ignoring relative poverty was a terrible mistake represents a real breakthrough, writes Polly Toynbee.
· Prisons: Happy returns
I never expected to feel so welcome on a trip back to the prison where I spent seven years, writes Erwin James.
· Homelessness: 'We are ending the disgrace of homelessness'
The US has raided the best British ideas on tackling homelessness, says Philip Mangano.
