News Bulletin 20 December 2013

Lord Dear’s amendment to the Anti-social Behaviour Bill, which aims to give greater protection to freedom of expression, will be voted on in the House of Lords in January — The Government’s controversial Lobbying Bill, which seeks to control how charities speak out on issues during the run-up to a general election, has come in for renewed criticism from Peers this week — A Girl Guide group who wants to continue to use the longstanding promise to ‘love my God’ are facing expulsion from the national association — Lady Butler-Sloss has said the current law which protects against assisted suicide should ‘not’ be tampered with — Pop star Beyoncé Knowles has come in for heavy criticism this week, after campaigners and parents hit out at the singer’s latest ‘explicit’ music videos — Fresh calls have been made for the Government to clamp down on high-stake gaming machines by three separate local authorities — And 19th-century song, O Holy Night, which has become a modern popular classic has been named Britain’s favourite Christmas carol.