Former MP Sir Irvine Patnick dies

30 December 2012 Last updated at 18:55 ET

Former Conservative MP Sir Irvine Patnick has died at the age of 83.

He was MP for Sheffield Hallam for 10 years, from 1987 to 1997, in Margaret Thatcher and John Major's governments.

Sir Irvine recently apologised for repeating "inaccurate" information about the Hillsborough tragedy which he said he was given by police officers.

A statement issued by his family said Sir Irvine "died peacefully", and had been a "much loved" husband and father who would be "sadly missed".

Sir Irvine was criticised in the Hillsborough Independent Panel's report on the Hillsborough disaster.

Ninety-six Liverpool fans died after a crush at Sheffield Wednesday's stadium during the FA Cup semi-final with Nottingham Forest in 1989.

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He was a much loved husband of Lynda and father of Suzanne and Matthew"

End Quote Patnick family statement

September's report confirmed him as one of the sources for a notorious Sun newspaper story that smeared Liverpool fans after the disaster.

It found that the story, under the headline "The Truth", had come from a news agency based on conversations with South Yorkshire Police and Sir Irvine.

Sir Irvine subsequently apologised, saying that he had passed on information from police that was "inaccurate, misleading and plain wrong", for which he was "deeply and sincerely sorry".

In October, Labour MP Steve Rotherham called for Sir Irvine to be stripped of his knighthood.

The Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson echoed the call, arguing that Sir Irvine had "brought the Honours system into disrepute" and helped to bring "overwhelming misery" to the people of Liverpool.

Synagogue vice-president

In a statement issued following his death, his family said: "Sir Irvine Patnick OBE, died peacefully on 30 December 2012, aged 83, in Sheffield.

"He was a much loved husband of Lynda and father of Suzanne and Matthew.

"He'll be sadly missed by his brothers and by all all his family and friends."

Sir Irvine was born in Sheffield, educated at its Central Technical School and later went to Sheffield Polytechnic.

He entered Parliament in 1987, having unsuccessfully contested the seat in Hillsborough in 1970 and 1979.

As the only Conservative MP in the county, he was credited with coining the phrase, "the Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire", which he intended as criticism but was adopted with pride by many in the area.

He was made a Conservative government whip in 1989, but admitted that he missed the broadcasting appearances no longer open to someone in that role.

"It's like seeing a very juicy meal that you want to get to and finding there is an invisible barrier stopping you getting towards it," he said.

Sir Irvine was vice-president of Sheffield's Kingfield Synagogue, life president of Sheffield Jewish Representative Council, and a former national vice-chairman of the Maccabi sports and youth organisation.

His former constituency of Sheffield Hallam is now held by the Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg.

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Duncan Smith condemns tax credits

30 December 2012 Last updated at 20:37 ET

The work and pensions secretary has attacked the tax credit system put in place by Labour, saying it had resulted in "a sorry story of dependency, wasted taxpayers' money and fraud".

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Iain Duncan Smith said the credits - to top up the incomes of the lower-paid - were "haemorrhaging money".

He said fraud and error in the system under Labour had cost £10bn.

Even for true claimants, "tax credits were not fit for purpose", he said.

Tax credits are paid based on estimates given by claimants for their income for the year ahead, with HM Revenue & Customs responsible for reclaiming any overpayments at the end of the year.

"In the years between 2003 and 2010, Labour spent a staggering £171bn on tax credits, contributing to a 60% rise in the welfare bill," Mr Duncan Smith said.

The system, he said, "was wide open to abuse".

The so-called "income disregard" - the amount a person's income can rise before their claim must be reassessed - was raised from £2,500 to £25,000 in 2008.

"It will come as no surprise therefore that fraudsters from around the world targeted this benefit for personal gain," Mr Duncan Smith said.

The government is planning to slash the disregard to £5,000.

Mr Duncan Smith also said that officials carried out far fewer checks on tax credit claims than benefit claims, despite estimates that one in 12 tax credit claims were incorrect or fraudulent, compared with fewer than one in 25 benefit claims.

The government believes there is more than £300m to be saved over the next three years by reducing fraud and error, and also wants to reclaim £400m in unpaid debts.

"Even for those in genuine need of support, tax credits were not fit for purpose," Mr Duncan Smith said.

"They were haemorrhaging money while at the same time trapping people in a system where those trying hard to increase the amount of hours they worked weren't necessarily better off."

Mr Duncan Smith is leading an overhaul of the welfare system that will see a number of benefits replaced by a new universal credit that is designed, he says, "to make work pay at each and every hour".

He also accused previous Labour governments of boosting tax credit payments ahead of the last two general elections in "an attempt to gain short-term popularity".

"It knew what it was doing - this was a calculated attempt to win votes," he said.

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Call for new drug policy research body

30 December 2012 Last updated at 23:15 ET

A new body is needed to assess existing and alternative drugs policies, and could be partly funded by assets seized from dealers, campaigners have said.

The UK Drug Policy Commission said billions of pounds a year were spent tackling drug problems, "without always knowing what difference it makes".

The new body would collect and share evidence so policy-makers were not "driving blind", the UKDPC said.

It called for politicians to establish a cross-party forum on the issue.

In October, the UKDPC published the results of a six-year study of drug policy suggesting that of £3bn a year spent tackling drug problems in the UK, at least £2bn was not supported by clear evidence.

In its latest study, titled How to Make Drug Policy Better, the body said there was a lack of serious discussion about policy, as well as a lack of research and testing of different strategies.

"We have not been taking evidence seriously," said chief executive Roger Howard.

"We need a body that takes responsibility for collecting and sharing evidence. Until we get serious about this, we will continue to be driving blind with many of our drug policies.

"At the moment, no-one can say that much of what we are doing in enforcement and prevention offers value for money."

Decriminalisation

The report is based on interviews with former home secretaries, drugs ministers, senior civil servants and policy experts.

It complained about a lack of leadership on the issue, adding that a high turnover of ministers and civil servants was also hindering progress.

Since the 2010 election, it said, there had been four drugs ministers and three Home Office civil servants with lead responsibility for drugs.

The report suggested a new independent body could provide leadership, assess drug and alcohol strategies and commission new research.

As well as receiving funding from various research councils, there could be a strong case for channelling assets seized from drug-related crime, the UKDPC suggested.

Earlier this month, the cross-party Commons Home Affairs Committee urged the government to establish a royal commission to consider alternative policies - including possible decriminalisation.

But Prime Minister David Cameron quickly ruled out the suggestion, saying: "I don't support decriminalisation. We have a policy which actually is working in Britain."

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Tube cleaners in strike over pay

31 December 2012 Last updated at 01:54 ET

London Underground (LU) station cleaners have begun a 48-hour strike in a dispute over pay.

The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said members working for Initial and ISS contractors would not turn up for work for two days from 5:30 GMT.

A spokesman from ISS said the company was disappointed the RMT had called the strikes as it planned to introduce new pay rates in March.

LU said it did not expect Tube services to be affected.

The RMT's general secretary Bob Crow said the cleaners were doing "some of the dirtiest jobs" on minimum pay.

'Social justice'

Mr Crow said: "It is these same staff who have played a key role in keeping services clean and safe who are now forced again by their employers to take action for a living wage and recognition of their efforts.

"2013 has to be about equality, inclusiveness and social justice and that's what our cleaners are standing up for as the spotlight shines on London."

The RMT said workers also planned to stage a mass picket at King's Cross station for two hours from 07:00.

A statement from LU said: "This is a dispute between ISS, Initial and the RMT which we urge all parties to resolve without any unnecessary strike action."

It said Transport for London fully supported the mayor's London Living Wage, which was increased to £8.55 per hour in November.

An ISS spokesman said: "We have already informed the union that we will be introducing the London Living Wage for all of our staff supporting Transport for London at the end of March.

"It is a real shame that the RMT has asked its members to give up pay when it knows that we have already agreed to introduce the new pay rates with our customers."

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Cosmetic ops 'hard sell' opposed

31 December 2012 Last updated at 02:02 ET

People responding to a public consultation on cosmetic surgery have called for a ban on cut-price deals and aggressive sales techniques.

Responses from patients, the public and industry, are being published as part of the review set up after the PIP breast implant scandal last year.

A final report, by Sir Bruce Keogh, the NHS medical director, is due in March.

A spokesman for cosmetic surgeons said procedures should not be sold as "a commodity".

The health secretary asked Sir Bruce to look at the regulation and safety of products used in cosmetic surgery and the care given to patients both during and after their treatment.

'Time to think'

Among the suggestions included in the interim report were calls for less aggressive selling of cosmetic procedures and tighter restrictions on advertising, for example a ban on two-for-one and time-limited deals - and on offering cosmetic surgery as competition prizes.

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Review panel member Vivienne Parry says "people are not made aware of the risks"

Providing patients with photos of expected bruising and scarring, as well as more detail on the risks associated with surgery should be standard procedure too, a respondent said.

GP Dr Rosemary Leonard, the BBC Breakfast doctor and review committee member, said patients should always talk to a doctor first.

"It is wrong that the first consultation is with a sales person rather than a medical professional.

"Surgery - indeed any cosmetic intervention - is a serious step, and a patient must be told about the immediate side effects after surgery as well as any potential long term effects on their health."

Rajiv Grover, president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) welcomed the call to end the practice of sales people holding consultations.

He said: "We're pleased that the report - and public opinion - so strongly reflects our own views.

"We have made the comparison between cosmetic surgery being sold as a commodity, much as a washing machine or off-the-shelf beauty products, many times before.

"Medical procedures simply cannot continue to be promoted in this manner and although it is tragic that it has taken a crisis of the magnitude of PIP to make the world sit up and take notice, it seems we're finally making headway towards a safer environment for patients.

"It's time to scrub up and take action to restore confidence in our sector."

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UK is making 'real progress' - PM

29 December 2012 Last updated at 19:01 ET

David Cameron has used his New Year's message to say the UK is "heading in the right direction".

The prime minister said 2012 was "tough" but people can look forward to 2013 with "realism and optimism".

In the video address released on Sunday, he admitted he had "no quick fixes" to the UK's economic problems.

But he said there has been "real progress" on cutting Britain's financial deficit, welfare reform and improving school standards.

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"Start Quote

On all the big issues that matter to Britain, we are heading in the right direction and I have the evidence to prove it"

End Quote David Cameron British Prime Minister

Meanwhile, a leaked internal memo suggests senior Lib Dems have been urged to spread the message that the Conservatives cannot be trusted to help build a fairer society.

And Labour has responded to David Cameron's New Year message by saying the prime minister had "promised change" but "nothing is changing for the better".

In his message, Mr Cameron said "this is, quite simply, a government in a hurry", adding: "There's a reason for that."

He added: "Britain is in a global race to succeed today. It is a race with countries like China, India and Indonesia; a race for the jobs and opportunities of the future.

"So when people say we can slow down on cutting our debts, we are saying no. We can't win in this world with a great millstone of debt round our necks.

"When people say we've got to stop our welfare reforms because somehow it is cruel to expect people to work, we are saying 'no'. Getting people into good jobs is absolutely vital, not just for them, but for all of us.

'Right direction'

"And when there is a fight on our hands to change our schools, we are ready and willing to have it, because having a world-class education is the only way our children are going to get on in this world."

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"Start Quote

This prime minister is out of touch, he stands up for the wrong people and he's failing to deliver for working people"

End Quote Michael Dugher Labour party vice chairman

Mr Cameron said: "On all the big issues that matter to Britain, we are heading in the right direction and I have the evidence to prove it."

He said that the deficit was forecast to be a quarter smaller at the New Year than it was when the coalition government came to office; that there are almost half a million more people in work; and more than 1,000 new academy schools have opened.

He also hailed moves to take millions of low-paid workers out of income tax, freeze council tax bills and deliver the largest-ever increase in the state pension.

Mr Cameron avoided the issues of Britain's future in the European Union - which he is due to give a speech about in the coming weeks - and gay marriage, both of which have caused divisions within the Conservative Party.

Lib Dem memo

Instead, the prime minister said he looked back on 2012 as "an extraordinary year for our country", characterised by the Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the successful Olympics and Paralympics.

Meanwhile a leaked internal memo suggested Lib Dems are being encouraged to criticise their Tory coalition partners as well as the Labour opposition.

The memo from the party's head office to its MPs, peers and staff says they should criticise not just the Labour opposition but their Conservative coalition partners in the year ahead.

The memo suggests voters should be reminded that the Tories wanted to "look after the super rich".

And Michael Dugher, Labour's vice chairman, said the prime minister's message was "a case of more of the same".

He said: "Cameron promised change but nothing is changing for the better. Britain's economy is failing under his policies over the last year, with nearly one million young people out of work.

"Prices are still going up faster than wages and borrowing is going up not down, over 7% higher this year than last year.

"This prime minister is out of touch, he stands up for the wrong people and he's failing to deliver for working people."

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Police controversies hit trust - Vaz

29 December 2012 Last updated at 22:56 ET

Public confidence in the police has been hurt by a "dangerous cocktail" of controversies including the critical Hillsborough report and Andrew Mitchell "plebgate" row, a senior MP has warned.

Labour's Keith Vaz, chair of the Commons Home Affairs Committee, also said government restructuring of the service had undermined police morale.

He urged talks between government and police at this "defining moment".

The committee begins an inquiry into police practices next month.

This will look into issues of training, accountability and integrity, and the effectiveness of processes for dealing with internal corruption and malpractice.

Writing in the Sunday Express, Mr Vaz said: "Crime may be low but confidence in the police service appears just as low and their morale is even lower."

About the "plebgate" row, Mr Vaz wrote: "What appears to have happened to Andrew Mitchell could well have been a Christmas special script. The chief whip had to resign following a 60-second 'incident' in, of all places, Downing Street."

Mr Mitchell's resignation followed an accusation that, during an argument while leaving Downing Street on his bicycle in September, he had called police officers "plebs" - a claim he has always denied.

CCTV footage has since emerged appearing to cast doubt on officers' version of events, and a serving Met police constable has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office and suspended from duty.

Mr Vaz went on: "Take a police officer apparently masquerading as a member of the public, a confidential log book finding its way into the public domain, add the results of the Hillsborough Inquiry, which have resulted in thousands of serving and former police officers being investigated, and the fact that 26 out of the 43 police forces do not have a permanent chief constable, and you have a dangerous cocktail.

"This is a defining moment for policing. Cool heads, clear thoughts and strong leadership are required."

'Radical change'

However, while he acknowledged that some restructuring of policing was needed, he said the government's changes had been "too rapid and too far-reaching".

Currently almost half of officers questioned said they would prefer a different job, Mr Vaz suggested, and more than 90% felt the force lacked government support.

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The big questions now are what do we want from our police service and how much are we prepared to pay for it?"

End Quote Keith Vaz Chairman, Commons Home Affairs Committee

"Some of the causes of disquiet are not the result of change but of the way change has been handled.

"One of the first rules of management is to ensure that during a period of radical change you carry your workforce with you. Unfortunately this has not happened," he said.

"With these profound changes taking place the last thing you should do is start to alter the pay and conditions of those who will implement the reforms without entering into a proper dialogue with them.

"The Government was wrong to change police pension arrangements retrospectively. It was unfair and forced out a number of experienced officers."

Mr Vaz argued that the prime minister had to open "a constructive dialogue with the police service" that would continue at annual summits involving senior officers.

"The big questions now are what do we want from our police service and how much are we prepared to pay for it?" he said.

"We need a Royal Commission that sets out a new Magna Carta for policing in this century."

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Warning of 'nation divided' by cuts

30 December 2012 Last updated at 00:09 ET

The government's cuts programme could lead to "problems on our streets" and "the break-up of civil society", three Labour council leaders have warned.

The leaders of Newcastle, Liverpool and Sheffield councils believe the cuts unfairly penalise northern England relative to the South.

They were "in danger of creating a deeply divided nation", the three said in a letter to the Observer newspaper.

A government spokesman said funding for councils was "fair".

The letter was a response to the latest cuts to council budgets announced earlier this month - of 2%, in addition to the reductions of about 28% already forced on authorities.

It was written by Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes, Sheffield leader Julie Dore, and Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson.

They believe northern English cities have been hit harder by the coalition government's austerity programme, partly because of the withdrawal of support to deprived areas in place under the previous government.

"Rising crime, increasing community tension and more problems on our streets will contribute to the break-up of civil society if we do not turn back," the council leaders warned.

"The unfairness of the Government's cuts is in danger of creating a deeply divided nation. We urge them to stop what they are doing now and listen to our warnings before the forces of social unrest start to smoulder."

A government spokesman said funding for councils was "fair", and that local authorities could protect front-line services by dipping into their reserves and eliminating waste.

The Observer quoted a Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman as saying: "Every bit of the public sector needs to do its bit to help pay off the inherited budget deficit.

"This is a fair settlement - fair to north and south, fair to rural and urban areas and fair to shires and metropolitan areas."

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Most 'spent less on Christmas'

30 December 2012 Last updated at 02:16 ET

A majority of consumers spent less on their Christmas shopping this year than they did in 2011, according to a survey by the consumers' association Which?

Nearly half used credit cards, overdrafts and other borrowing to help fund their purchases, the survey of 2,100 people across the UK suggests.

Nine out of 10 agreed that they felt under pressure to spend too much during the festive season.

Just under half - 46% - used some form of debt to help them meet their bills.

Nearly a quarter claimed they would not otherwise have been able to afford their Christmas shopping.

Credit cards were the most popular form of borrowing, although a substantial proportion also relied on authorised overdrafts from their banks.

A majority reported they had found the Christmas period financially tougher than last year, and more than half of those questioned also said that they had cut back on their seasonal spending.

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Most of us like to splash out on family and friends at this time of year, so the news that millions of people have drastically cut back on Christmas spending or taken out loans to cover Christmas costs shows just how squeezed household budgets are right now"

End Quote Richard Lloyd Which?

However, the message from the retail industry so far is that Christmas sales were acceptable, and may have been a little higher than last year.

The survey suggested 54% of consumers expected their Christmas budgets to be even tighter next year.

The average amount put on credit was £301, while for those who went into their savings, the average was £380.

Around 12% of consumers used authorised overdrafts, 8% spent on store cards and 5% simply borrowed money from friends or family.

Nearly half (48%) of those asked said they did not buy as much food and 45% bought less high quality food than last year because of increasing food prices.

Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: "Most of us like to splash out on family and friends at this time of year, so the news that millions of people have drastically cut back on Christmas spending or taken out loans to cover Christmas costs shows just how squeezed household budgets are right now.

"It also shows how far we are from a consumer spending-led economic recovery."

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UK braced for more rain to end year

30 December 2012 Last updated at 03:12 ET

Widespread flood warnings are still in force across the UK, with more downpours expected on Sunday.

Rain is expected in Northern Ireland, parts of Wales, north-west England and south-west Scotland later.

There are currently more than 88 warnings and about 225 alerts in force in England and Wales, with 11 alerts and 10 warnings in Scotland.

Forecasters say there is a "good chance" that 2012 will be the wettest year in the UK since records began.

And for much of the UK, the final weekend of the year will close in the same manner that characterised the previous 12 months.

"There are a few showers at the moment in the west and then as we head into the latter part of the afternoon, we will see rain spreading into parts of Northern Ireland, parts of Wales, north-west England and south-west Scotland," said BBC weather forecaster Steve Cleaton.

Winds will also be strong, especially in the north-west of the UK, turning very windy overnight, he said.

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Travel and weather information

From the BBC:

Elsewhere:

Rain and winds will be widespread on Monday, but things should improve by the evening, when many people should be able to venture out to celebrate the New Year in dry conditions.

After days of flooding that brought parts of the UK to a standstill, river and groundwater levels are still high in many areas.

England's south-west, south-east and Midlands regions will continue to be affected, as well as large chunks of Wales, the Environment Agency said.

Its flood risk manager, Katharine Evans, said: "With more heavy rain forecast, it is still as important as ever to be prepared for flooding, keep up to date with the latest warnings and if you are at risk, to move valuable items to safety.

"Our teams will continue to work around the clock to protect communities from flooding, and we would urge people to stay safe by not walking or driving through flood water."

Met Office figures show that 2012 will go down as one of the wettest years since records began in 1910 and it could yet be the wettest.

On Friday, the Met Office said just 46mm (2in) of rain was needed to fall before 31 December to break the record for the UK, with 1,291.2mm (50in) having been recorded between 1 January and 26 December.

A new record has already been set for England, with 1,095.8mm falling in 2012 up to Boxing Day.

Buses continue to replace trains between Liskeard and Looe in Cornwall, and the line is not expected to reopen until New Year's Day at the earliest, National Rail said.

Services also continue to be disrupted between Exeter St Davids and Exmouth, and Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple.

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Olympic heroes head New Year Honours

28 December 2012 Last updated at 20:29 ET

Bradley Wiggins, who won the Tour de France and an Olympic gold, has been knighted in a New Year Honours list dominated by London 2012 medallists.

The cyclist appears on a special list drawn up to recognise 78 Games heroes.

Paralympic cyclist Sarah Storey becomes a dame after taking four golds while the most decorated sailor in Olympic history, Ben Ainslie, is knighted.

Katherine Grainger, Victoria Pendleton, Jessica Ennis, Mo Farah and David Weir become CBEs, and Andy Murray is an OBE.

And the men behind cycling and rowing success, performance directors Dave Brailsford and David Tanner, also become sirs.

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Olympics and Paralympics

Knight/Dame:

• Ben Ainslie (sailing)
• Sarah Storey (cycling)
• Bradley Wiggins (cycling)
• Dave Brailsford (cycling)
• David Tanner (rowing)

CBE:

• Jessica Ennis (athletics)
• Mo Farah (athletics)
• Katherine Grainger (rowing)
• Victoria Pendleton (cycling)
• David Weir (athletics)

OBE:

• Jason Kenny (cycling)
• Andy Murray (tennis)
• Ellie Simmonds (swimming)
• Laura Trott (cycling)

MBE:

• Nicola Adams (boxing)
• Alistair Brownlee (triathlon)
• Jonny Peacock (athletics)
• Greg Rutherford (athletics)
• Louis Smith (gymnastics)

Away from the Games, there are OBEs for actor Ewan McGregor and fashion designer Stella McCartney, while illustrator Quentin Blake was knighted on the main list for those not involved in London 2012.

There is also a knighthood for the industrial designer, Kenneth Grange, the man behind the UK's first parking meter, the InterCity 125 train and the Kodak Instamatic camera.

Singer Kate Bush and artist Tracey Emin are made CBEs, an honour also bestowed on former Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips, for her services to dance and to charity. Comedy writer Jeremy Lloyd, 82, who co-wrote TV shows including the BBC's 'Allo 'Allo and Are You Being Served is among the OBEs.

There is also a CBE for Cherie Blair, the wife of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, in recognition of her service to women's issues and to charity in the UK and overseas. The first female foreign secretary Margaret Beckett becomes a dame.

For the first time, the Cabinet Office has published citations giving details of why the highest honours have been made following a complaint from MPs on the Public Administration Select Committee that the process should be more transparent.

But much of the attention will centre on the people rewarded for making the two London Games such a success.

Affectionately known as Wiggo, the first British winner of the Tour said: "I never ever imagined that I would ever become a knight so it's an incredible honour.

"But there's a slight element of disbelief and it will take a while to sink in."

Known for his sideburns and his retro Mod fashion sense, Sir Bradley already had a CBE.

Storey, who is expecting her first child, is honoured for services to para-cycling after her London medal haul took her gold medal total to 11, which equals Tanni Grey-Thompson and Dave Roberts as one of the country's most successful Paralympians.

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Other notable recipients

Companion of Honour:

• Lord Coe (London 2012)
• Professor Peter Higgs (physics, pictured)

Knight/Dame:

• Quentin Blake (illustration)
• Kenneth Grange (design)
• Bernard Hogan-Howe (policing)
• Hector Sants (financial services)
• Margaret Beckett (political service)

CBE:

• Cherie Blair (women's issues)
• Kate Bush (music)
• Tracey Emin (arts)
• Martha Lane Fox (digital economy)
• Arlene Phillips (dance)

OBE:

• Stella McCartney (fashion)
• Ewan McGregor (acting)

MBE:

• Nicola Benedetti (music)
• Mark Ramprakash (cricket)
• Pat Rice (football)

The 35-year-old from Disley in Cheshire said: "Wow, I am speechless but incredibly honoured and extremely proud."

Some of the biggest names of London 2012 received CBEs - the UK's most successful female rower, Katherine Grainger, the poster girl of the Games, Jessica Ennis, and wheelchair athlete David "The Weirwolf" Weir. Weir won four gold medals in the 5,000m, 1500m, 800m and marathon at the 2012 Paralympics.

Joining their ranks with his first honour is athlete Mo Farah, who lifted the nation with his double gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m.

His first came during a pulsating 46 minutes in the Olympic Stadium on Super Saturday, 4 August, when Team GB picked up three gold medals - Farah in the 10,000m, Ennis in the heptathlete and Greg Rutherford in the long jump, an achievement that earned him an MBE.

Andy Murray was made an OBE in a year which saw him win Olympic gold and become the first British man to win a grand slam singles title for 76 years when he triumphed in the US Open.

Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds, 18, now has an OBE to add to the MBE she won in 2009, the youngest person to do so aged 14.

Some of the people who helped to make the games such a success were recognised, including Lord Coe, who becomes a Companion of Honour, a special honour given for service of conspicuous national importance and limited to 65 people at any one time.

It is an exclusive club and now also includes Professor Higgs, who predicted a new particle, the Higgs Boson, in the 1960s, and this year the particle was proved to exist.

But one name missing from the list is film and theatre director Danny Boyle, whose artistic vision was so spectacularly realised in the Olympic opening ceremony but who is believed to have turned one down.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said an unprecedented number of sportspeople had received honours, with 123 awards compared to 44 in the last list. Of these, 78 were related to the Olympics or Paralympics.

He said there were four criteria in deciding which athletes should be awarded including longevity in the sport, general performance and how much they give back to the sporting community.

The sporting honours committee also assesses what stage the individual is in their career in terms of whether they are likely to be competing for a further number of years.

He added that 72% of the recipients are people who have undertaken outstanding work in their communities either in a voluntary or paid capacity.

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Sir Quentin Blake: "To me it's amazing"

They include Penelope Clough, 53, who becomes an MBE after campaigning for a change in the law related to bail, following the murder of her daughter Jane by her ex-partner.

The man committed the offence after being released on bail but following the work of Ms Clough, prosecutors are now able to challenge judges' bail decisions in the High Court.

Recipients of the British Empire Medal (BEM), reintroduced in the 2012 Queen's Birthday Honours, include Robert Clinton for his work with the Veterans Aid charity, which looks after homeless ex-service personnel.

The Foreign Office's diplomatic and overseas list honouring those living or working abroad includes recognition for codebreaker Raymond Roberts, who is made an MBE for services to Bletchley Park. Alison Shalaby, who is the chief executive officer of Reunite, becomes a CBE for services to the prevention and resolution of international parental child abduction.

Some 31 head teachers have been recognised, including Joan McVittie, who transformed two schools in deprived areas of London and Sally Coates, who has overseen huge improvements at Burlington Danes Academy in west London. Both become Dames.

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The Honours System

Commonly awarded ranks:

• Knight or Dame
• CBE - Commander of the Order of the British Empire
• OBE - Officer of the Order of the British Empire
• MBE - Member of the Order of the British Empire
• BEM - British Empire Medal

In the world of business, former head of the Financial Services Authority Hector Sants who was in charge of regulation at the start of the credit crisis, has been knighted, while Alan Budd, who was on the first Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee in 1997, becomes a Knight of the Grand Cross.

Prof Simon Wessely, a leading researcher into the mental health of military personnel who heads the department of psychological medicine at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, has been knighted.

The head of MI5, Jonathan Evans was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath and Metropolitan Police chief Bernard Hogan-Howe is knighted.

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First-time house purchases 'up 12%'

28 December 2012 Last updated at 20:49 ET

The number of house purchases by first-time buyers rose 12% this year, with about 216,000 people stepping on to the property ladder, the Halifax reports.

Its study says the figure is the highest since 2007, the year before the global economic crisis struck.

The Halifax said the rise was due to more mortgages coming on the market and interest rates being lowered.

The average age of first-time buyers is now 30, up from 29 a year ago, and a 20% deposit is typically required.

A 10% deposit was typical in 2007. The average deposit needed by first-time buyers in the UK in 2012 was £27,984, with the house price averaging £139,921 - up 3% on a year before.

The number of mortgages on the market has increased by about a fifth since August, when the government launched a multibillion-pound scheme to kick-start lending to businesses and households.

It has also recently launched NewBuy, a scheme to help people purchase new-build homes with a fraction of the usual deposit.

But Martin Ellis, housing economist at Halifax, said the number of first-time buyers was still low "by recent historical standards".

In 2006, there were 402,800 first-time buyers.

Mr Ellis said: "The number of first-time buyers has risen to a five-year high, boosted by the improvement in affordability resulting from the reductions in both house prices and mortgage rates in recent years.

"Conditions for potential first-time buyers, however, remain very difficult with problems raising the necessary deposit and concerns over the economic climate continuing to prevent many from entering the market."

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Mum 'overwhelmed' as girl returns

29 December 2012 Last updated at 00:55 ET

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Atiya's mother Gemma Wilkinson: "I just want to cuddle Atiya"

A mother reunited with her six-year-old daughter three years after the girl was abducted by her father and taken to Pakistan has said she feels "absolutely overwhelmed" at seeing her again.

Atiya Anjum-Wilkinson disappeared in November 2009 after going to stay with her father, Razwan Ali Anjum.

After being found in Pakistan, Atiya was returned to her mother Gemma Wilkinson in Manchester on Friday.

Ms Wilkinson, 32, said she just wanted to cuddle her daughter.

'Absolutely fine'

Atiya had last been seen when she was taken from her home in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, on her third birthday.

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"Start Quote

Atiya was told that I was mummy and she said 'mummy' and smiled"

End Quote Gemma Wilkinson

She was reunited with her mother at a Manchester hotel after being found in a five-week investigation which followed the intervention of North West MEP Sajjad Karim who formally raised her abduction with the foreign minister of Pakistan in the European Parliament.

Ms Wilkinson said: "I'm just absolutely overwhelmed in seeing Atiya now and giving her a cuddle and a massive kiss.

"I did have a few fears that Atiya would be unsettled with the change and the flight but she's absolutely fine. She's trying to communicate and she's playing with the things we've bought for her, she's had a big smile on her face.

"Atiya was told that I was mummy and she said 'mummy' and smiled.

"It's more than I could ever imagine or hope for.

"I can't explain that in words, to see her little face and know what she's actually like now, it's very emotional.

"I was very worried that she would either be upset or scared but she hasn't been."

Ms Wilkinson said her daughter looked "exactly the same as she did three years ago; she is just taller and a bit older".

She said: "I believe she is happy to be back, she has a big smile, she's playing nicely, she's talking.

"She will find things strange but she's home and she's loved and we'll take it day by day."

But Det Supt Phil Owen, from Greater Manchester Police's Child Protection Unit, warned that reintegrating Atiya into life with her mother would not be a quick process as she had been away for a long time and did not speak any English.

Extended family

Speaking after Atiya arrived on a flight into Manchester Airport on Friday evening, her mother said the events leading up to the reunion had been a "whirlwind".

She said: "We have gone from not knowing where Atiya is to finding out that we do know where Atiya is, to receiving pictures of Atiya and how she looks now, to Atiya coming here and Atiya actually being here."

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

I think my belief was never to give in, it's just been a very long time"

End Quote Gemma Wilkinson

Mr Karim said the authorities in Pakistan had been "absolutely crucial" in finding Atiya and making sure she was returned home.

"The authorities located Atiya, they monitored the address where she was and eventually moved in and informed the people she was living with - who are the extended family of the father - that she would have to return to the UK," the MEP said.

"Atiya was found to be in a fit and healthy state and was well at the time. She was certainly being kept well."

The BBC's Aleem Maqbool said Atiya was found in the village of Daska, near Sialkot in eastern Pakistan.

Atiya's mother was informed she had been found on Christmas Day and photographs were sent to her of Atiya by the Pakistani authorities.

Ms Wilkinson, who split with Anjum in 2008, had made several appeals for information to find her daughter.

In her latest appeal last month, she described not knowing if Atiya was even alive as an "absolute nightmare".

Father in jail

Atiya's father Razwan Ali Anjum is serving a prison sentence for refusing to reveal his daughter's whereabouts.

Ms Wilkinson took legal action against her former partner in an attempt to force him to reveal where Atiya was.

In 2009, Anjum had said he was taking Atiya to Southport, but instead he took her to Lahore, Pakistan, and told Ms Wilkinson she would never see her again.

In April, he was handed a 12-month jail term by a High Court judge who found him in contempt of a High Court order instructing him to disclose Atiya's whereabouts.

The sentence was the fourth consecutive jail term to be imposed on Anjum. Judges have previously imposed jail terms of two years, 12 months and 12 months in the hope that he would provide the information which would allow Atiya to be reunited with her mother.

Ms Wilkinson said: "It's just been an absolute nightmare. I think my belief was never to give in, it's just been a very long time."

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Former England captain Greig dies

Former England captain Tony Greig has died aged 66 after suffering a heart attack in Sydney.

The South Africa-born 66-year-old was diagnosed with lung cancer two months ago.

The all-rounder played 58 Tests for England from 1972-77, including 14 as skipper, before giving up the captaincy to join Australian media magnate Kerry Packer's breakaway World Series.

He later became a popular television commentator in Australia.

• Major teams: England, Border, Eastern Province, Sussex
• Tests: 58
• ODIs: 22
• Test runs: 3,599 (average 40.43
• Test wickets: 141 (average 32.20)
• Scored 16,600 runs (average 31.19) and took 856 wickets (average 28.85) in 350 first-class matches

Australian broadcaster Channel Nine, for whom Greig worked, said he died at about 13:45 local time on Saturday, after being rushed from his home to Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital earlier in the day.

He is quoted as having told Channel Nine colleagues last month: "It's not good. The truth is I've got lung cancer. Now it's a case of what they can do."

He had surgery later in November, and in October he tweeted: "Thanks to all of you who have sent me good wishes for a recovery.  With your prayers and the help of my family I will give it my best shot."

On Christmas Day he posted the message: "Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to you all. Would love to be at Test but son Tom and I will be tuned in?"

Greig scored 3,599 runs at an average of 40.43 and took 141 wickets at 32.20 in Tests, and was named one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year in 1975. He also played 22 one-day internationals.

Current England Test and Sussex wicketkeeper Matt Prior tweeted: "Can't believe one of my heroes Tony Greig has passed away.  One of the greatest voices in cricket and will be sorely missed. #RIPGreigy."

Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore tweeted: "Great man, great career. He will be missed."

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1975 Ashes archive - Lillee and Thomson star for Australia as Greig becomes captain

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Funeral for brothers killed on M6

29 December 2012 Last updated at 03:32 ET

A funeral for two brothers who died when their car crashed on the M6 on Christmas Day will take place later.

Adnan Habib, 10, and Mohammed Arsalaan Habib, four, were killed along with their aunt Bushra Tazarib, 32, close to junction 15, near Stoke-on-Trent.

The three bodies will lie in rest at the Castlefield Centre near their home in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

A private funeral for the boys will then be held while their aunt's body will be taken to Pakistan.

The boys' mother, Parveen, 38, who was driving, and their sister Misbah, 17, were also both injured in the crash on Tuesday but have since been discharged from hospital.

All five from High Wycombe were travelling to a family wedding in Greater Manchester.

Family and friends will be able to pay their respects at the Castlefield Centre before the three bodies are taken to a mosque for prayers.

A private family funeral will then take place for Adnan and Mohammed Arsalaan at a cemetery in the afternoon.

In a statement released on Thursday, the boys' family described the children as "precious jewels, spreading joy wherever they went" and described their aunt as "beloved".

The boys' grandfather was among those who attended the opening of an inquest into their deaths at North Staffordshire Coroner's Court in Stoke-on-Trent on Friday.

In his report, Stoke and North Staffordshire coroner Ian Smith revealed the three family members died from extensive head injuries.

He adjourned all three inquests until a later date.

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Falklands attack surprised Thatcher

27 December 2012 Last updated at 19:08 ET By Peter Biles BBC World Affairs Correspondent

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The 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentina took Margaret Thatcher by surprise, newly released government papers have shown.

The then-prime minister only saw it was likely after getting "raw intelligence" two days before the Argentines landed.

Papers released under the 30-year rule show Mrs Thatcher was acutely worried about retaking the islands.

One historian said the documents were among the "most powerful material" declassified in the last three decades.

In October 1982, a few months after the war ended, Mrs Thatcher gave evidence behind closed doors to the Falkland Islands Review Committee, chaired by Lord Franks.

The transcript of that dramatic testimony has now been published for the first time.

"I never, never expected the Argentines to invade the Falklands head-on. It was such a stupid thing to do, as events happened, such a stupid thing even to contemplate doing", Mrs Thatcher told the Franks Committee.

There had been some British contingency planning in the month before the Argentine invasion of the Falklands.

On 26 March 1982, Ministry of Defence officials came back to Mrs Thatcher with a plan to deter a full-scale invasion.

One sentence shocked her, and she wrote it in her diary:

However, in her oral evidence, she stressed that she had still considered an invasion unlikely:

The picture changed on 31 March 1982 when Mrs Thatcher was shown intelligence suggesting that an invasion was on the cards:

She also told the committee: "That night no-one could tell me whether we could retake the Falklands - no-one. We did not know - we did not know."

The British foreign secretary at the time, Lord Carrington, also gave evidence to the Franks Committee, where he too held the view that Argentina was not going to invade the Falklands.

"I have been accused, and was accused violently after 2 April in the House of Commons, and in the press and elsewhere - of wilfully ignoring signs and statements and evidence, and just ignoring it. I can truthfully say I did not do any of these things… they (the signs of an invasion) were not there," Lord Carrington said.

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• 2 April 1982: Argentine forces invade Falkland Islands. Other British South Atlantic territories including South Georgia are seized shortly afterwards
• 5 April: A British task force of more than 100 ships sets sail for the South Atlantic
• 25 April: South Georgia is recaptured by British forces.
• 2 May: Argentine cruiser General Belgrano sunk by HMS Conqueror, killing more than 320
• 21 May: Three thousand British troops begin landing at San Carlos on East Falkland
• 28-29 May: British forces recapture Goose Green.
• 8 June: British landing craft are bombed at Fitzroy, killing more than 50 men
• 13 June: Argentine positions on mountains overlooking the capital Port Stanley are taken
• 14 June: Argentine forces surrender. British troops march into Stanley

255 British servicemen and three Falklands civilians died during the conflict. The number of Argentine dead is estimated at about 650

On 5 April, Lord Carrington resigned as foreign secretary, which prompted this reaction from Mrs Thatcher: "I had tremendous confidence in Peter Carrington, and his loss seemed to me a devastating blow for Britain and I would back him up all the way."

The political historian Lord Hennessy said Mrs Thatcher's evidence about the Falklands War was some of the most powerful material to be declassified by the National Archives in the last three decades.

"It's only three months after the end of the war, so it's immensely vivid. It's still coursing through her veins.

"She also has this great power of expression - she's a primary colours politician."

Argentina's invasion of the Falklands may have come as a surprise to Mrs Thatcher and her ministers, but the government papers do reveal some interesting pointers.

As early as 1977 there was a British intelligence assessment that Argentine military action was possible if talks over the Islands went badly.

At the end of that year, the British government decided to send a submarine and two frigates to the South Atlantic.

However, the ships' movements were kept secret.

Indeed, there was no conspicuous British naval presence in the South Atlantic in the five years that preceded the war. This may be why Argentina thought Britain would not launch an attack to retake the Falklands in April 1982.

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Also, Britain's ambassador in Buenos Aires in 1982, Anthony Williams, felt some of his warnings sent to London were simply ignored.

"Argentina is not just another 'banana republic' - a tin pot country led by a tinpot dictator," he wrote in his valedictory despatch in June 1982.

"Argentina has its share of vandals, hooligans and roughs. But this is not the whole story, nor was the seizure of the islands a simple act of brigandage."

Argentine forces landed on the islands in April 2 1982 and the recapture by a British task force was completed on June 14.

Argentina says it inherited ownership of the islands - which it calls Las Malvinas - from Spain, arguing that British colonists occupied the islands by force in 1833 and expelled settlers - thus violating Argentina's territorial integrity. It also bases its claim on the islands' proximity to the South American mainland.

Some 255 British servicemen and three Falklands civilians died during the conflict. The number of Argentine dead is estimated at about 650

All document images courtesy of the National Archives

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Graphic anti-smoking ad launched

27 December 2012 Last updated at 19:39 ET

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The new Department of Health anti-smoking television advert

A series of hard-hitting government adverts featuring people smoking cigarettes with a tumour bulging from them is being launched in England.

The ads will tell smokers that just 15 cigarettes can cause a mutation that leads to cancerous tumours in what marks a return to shock campaigning.

It is eight years since government's "fatty cigarette" anti-smoking adverts appeared.

This £2.7m ad campaign will appear on TV, online and posters until February.

Smokers will also be told about NHS quit kits that are available free from pharmacies.

'Risk'

Chief medical officer Prof Dame Sally Davies said smokers were still underestimating the serious health risks from smoking.

"We want smokers to understand that each packet of cigarettes increases their risk of cancer."

The adverts follow the Stoptober campaign, which saw more than 270,000 sign up in a mass attempt to quit two months ago.

The ad campaign has received the backing of Cancer Research UK.

Its chief executive Dr Harpal Kumar said: "Hard-hitting campaigns such as this illustrate the damage caused by smoking and this can encourage people to quit or may even stop them from starting in the first place."

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DVLA strike over office closure plan

27 December 2012 Last updated at 22:27 ET

A one-day strike is being staged by Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency staff over planned office closures that could see more than 1,000 jobs lost.

The strike is set to close all 39 regional offices in England, Scotland and Wales.

The government wants to centralise the DVLA in Swansea and move more services online by the end of 2013.

The Public and Commercial Services (PSC) union says the changes would lead to more vehicle tax evasion and fraud.

It has also delivered a 72,000-signature petition opposing the proposal to the Department for Transport.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "As well as losing a high quality public service and more than 1,000 jobs at a time of high unemployment, we believe these closures will lead to increased vehicle tax evasion and fraud.

"We want the minister to listen to the overwhelming views of the public, motor traders and his staff, and to see sense and reverse these ill-thought-through and damaging closures."

The DVLA has advised motorists who need to conduct transactions during the course of the day to use its website or, where appropriate, via the Post Office.

The DVLA employs 6,116 staff - 1,213 of whom are potentially affected by the proposed office closures.

The government announced the plans late last year, saying they would deliver modern, effective services and save about £28m a year.

The regional offices carry out administrative functions such as arranging trade plates for garages, vehicle inspections and personalised registration mark transfers.

Ten of the offices are also home to regional enforcement centres.

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UK-wide scheme to protect witnesses

28 December 2012 Last updated at 02:51 ET

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Supergrass Paul: ''You feel like you have no-one, you have to start again under false pretences''

The UK's first national witness protection scheme has been launched to overhaul the currently "inconsistent" approach to keeping vulnerable people safe, the Ministry of Justice has said.

It said more than one in four collapsed prosecutions last year were because witnesses refused to give evidence.

Current services were "variable" and lacked "uniform standards", it added.

Victims' minister Helen Grant said witnesses whose lives were in danger needed "the best possible protection".

Witnesses to the 2007 murder of Liverpool schoolboy Rhys Jones as well as those who gave evidence about the 2004 Morecambe Bay cockle pickers tragedy, in Lancashire, are among those who have been given protected persons status.

In 2009 and 2010, 18% of witnesses who went to court to give evidence said they or their families had felt intimidated at some point while 40% said they were worried about coming into contact with the defendant or their supporters.

The UK Protected Persons Service has been introduced thanks to a one-off £211,000 investment from the MoJ and Home Office.

Continue reading the main story

People think you get a new house, car and money but it isn't like that at all"

End Quote 'Supergrass' on being part of a witness protection programme

The MoJ, which said £19m a year was currently spent on protecting witnesses, said the new system would introduce national quality standards and ensure better co-ordination across "existing fragmented services".

It would also promote better intelligence-sharing between police forces, the MoJ added.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), which has long supported a move to a national system, has previously said the change would make the system more attractive and would lead to more people coming forward to give evidence.

Responding to the announcement, Assistant Chief Constable Andy Cooke said it would "strengthen the fight against organised crime".

Tory MP Mrs Grant said witnesses were "the unsung heroes of society - especially those who could be jeopardising their own safety".

"I cannot thank them enough for the vital role they play in bringing criminals to justice," she said. "We are clear any witness whose life could be in danger must be given the best possible protection."

And she later told BBC Radio 5 live: "We want to do everything we possibly can so that they know if they do take that decision and come forward they will be protected, supported and cared for wherever they are in this country.

"At the moment we have a system which is good but it's patchy and it's inconsistent and often witnesses don't know, if they do come forward, exactly what protection they will get."

Mrs Grant said people wanted to be witnesses because "it's a matter of doing the right thing - people call it a civic duty, some others just feel it's telling the truth".

In February, it was revealed the Met Police and the Crown Prosecution Service paid a family more than £600,000 in damages and costs after a child witness was identified to a gang.

The boy, 16, had been promised anonymity to give evidence about a violent attack, but details were inadvertently passed to gang members.

In August 2010, meanwhile, a coroner called for a review of systems to protect vulnerable witnesses following the 2004 murder of Joan and John Stirland at their home in Trusthorpe, Lincolnshire.

They were shot in retaliation after their son, Michael O'Brien, killed a friend of the notorious Gunn family, headed by crime boss Colin Gunn.

The couple fled to Lincolnshire eight months before their deaths after shots were fired at their former home in Carlton, Nottingham.

A jury at their inquest found Nottinghamshire Police failed to share with officers in Lincolnshire - or properly act on - intelligence about the threat posed by Colin Gunn's gang.

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Missing six-year-old on way home

28 December 2012 Last updated at 03:22 ET

A six-year-old girl who was taken to Pakistan by her father three years ago is on her way back to the UK.

Atiya Anjum-Wilkinson was last seen when she was taken from her home in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, on her third birthday in 2009.

Her father Razwan Ali Anjum is serving a prison sentence for refusing to reveal his daughter's whereabouts despite a court order.

Police said Atiya would return to the UK from Pakistan this afternoon.

It is not yet clear exactly when or where she was found.

'Absolute nightmare'

Her mother, Gemma Wilkinson, 32, of Ashton-under-Lyne, has made several appeals for information about her daughter's whereabouts.

The latest was last month, when she said not knowing Atiya was even alive was an "absolute nightmare".

Courts have been told Anjum said he was taking Atiya to Southport, but instead took her to Lahore, Pakistan, and told Ms Wilkinson that she would never see her again.

The former insurance salesman was handed a fourth consecutive jail term by a High Court judge in April after he refused to reveal where his daughter was.

Mr Justice Moor imposed a 12-month prison sentence after he found him in contempt of a High Court order instructing him to disclose Atiya's whereabouts.

He said: "I am certain that he is in contempt. It is absolutely absurd for him to suggest that he does not know the whereabouts of his daughter and he cannot contact her.

"I am certain he is lying."

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Faulty good refunds 'too slow'

26 December 2012 Last updated at 20:39 ET

A consumer charity is calling for a change in the law so that people sold faulty goods can get a refund quickly.

Citizens Advice wants businesses to guarantee refunds are paid within 30 days of them promising money back. No set deadline exists currently - redress must be made "in reasonable time".

Citizens Advice oversaw 400,000 complaints in England and Wales between April and November this year.

The charity wants it to be easier for groups of consumers to go to court.

Class action

Citizens Advice said the complaints it had received from April to November were about products with a total value of £3bn.

The most complained about faulty products were second-hand cars bought from independent traders, furniture and television sets.

Continue reading the main story

• Retailers must refund, replace or repair faulty goods
• There is no right to return unwanted gifts, unless they were bought online and returned quickly
• Consumer rights cover discounted items too
• The buyer, not the recipient, of a gift should return it if faulty
• The seller, not the manufacturer, is responsible for providing the refund
• Anyone who buys a gift for more than £100 with a credit card has extra rights

In the days immediately following Christmas, there is typically a rush of people returning smaller items, ranging from toys to mobile phones, that were given as Christmas gifts.

Under current law, retailers are obliged to offer a refund, repair or replacement of a product that was faulty when it was sold.

Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: "By law retailers must offer refunds, repairs or replacements for faulty products but all too often this is not happening. Household budgets are tight, meaning many people do not have the money to buy a new item if its broken and the seller has refused to sort it out.

"This is not good for consumer confidence. In these tough economic times people need to know that when they buy something they are not going to be short-changed if things go wrong.

"Stronger, clearer consumer rights will help protect squeezed spenders from expensive purchases that go wrong, and will give businesses a boost as shoppers feel more confident parting with their hard-earned cash."

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Hospital plan to spot abuse victims

26 December 2012 Last updated at 21:28 ET

An online system to identify children who may be in danger of abuse or neglect is being developed for use in hospitals across England.

The £9m Child Protection Information System will alert doctors and nurses in accident and emergency departments if children are known to be at risk or had urgent treatment at other hospitals.

It will be rolled out from 2015.

Ministers say abuse will be identified earlier. Labour criticised the delay in replacing a database shelved in 2010.

The government has said tragedies that followed missed warnings, such as the cases of Peter Connelly or Victoria Climbie, may be avoided using the resource.

Under the new system, children arriving at a hospital accident and emergency or urgent care centre will be checked on the NHS computer system.

That will clarify whether the youngster is on the register for children considered to be at risk, or in council care.

The system is also intended to make it easier for doctors and nurses to see if patients had other emergency admissions elsewhere in the country.

Labour criticism

Ministers say by giving professionals the wider picture, abuse can be identified earlier.

But Labour claims the coalition undermined child protection when in 2010 it scrapped a much larger child database, introduced by the previous government.

Some charities have also raised concerns.

They say simply sharing information alone will not be enough without better training for medical professionals to spot abuse.

A national flagging system was a key recommendation of the Laming report which came out in 2003, which followed Victoria Climbie's death in 2000.

It was being introduced as part of the Integrated Children's System - a national computer system that would have all children's names on with flags if there were child protection issues.

It would provide information across different disciplines, with different levels of access.

However, it was scrapped in 2009 following claims, following the Peter Connelly case, that the system in its early form was too cumbersome and bureaucratic.

Eight-year-old Victoria died from abuse and neglect in 2000 while living with her aunt, Marie-Therese Kouao, and her boyfriend, Carl Manning.

The child was seen by dozens of social workers, nurses, doctors and police officers before she died but all failed to spot and stop the abuse as she was tortured to death.

Peter Connelly, known as Baby P or Baby Peter, died in August 2007 at home in Haringey, north London, after months of abuse which left him with more than 50 injuries.

Details of his case revealed incompetence by social workers, doctors, lawyers and police.

The mother of the 17-month-old boy, her boyfriend and a lodger were later jailed for causing or allowing Peter's death.

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Money woes 'causing family strain'

26 December 2012 Last updated at 22:17 ET

The UK's ongoing financial problems are putting an increasing strain on family relationships, a survey has suggested.

Of 2,742 people polled by the Relate charity, 59% were worried about their economic prospects for the new year.

Covering their own household bills remains the top concern for most, while 38% admitted financial worries had led to more family arguments and stress.

Relate said politicians should take into account the cost to the economy of families breaking up.

Living costs

The study was designed to assess the impact of current economic difficulties on relationships.

More than half of those asked were worried about prospects for themselves or their families, and most were more stressed about meeting day-to-day living costs than about illness or keeping their jobs.

Some 93% said that, in tough times, their family relationships were important to them.

The survey found that almost six out of 10 people shared their fears and concerns about financial or other worries with their partner, and four in 10 turned to other family members.

Women worried more about covering everyday costs - with 55% expressing this fear compared to 49% of men.

'Nearest and dearest'

Relate estimated that the cost of family breakdowns to the economy was £44bn a year, and said politicians should take families into account when formulating policy.

Relate chief executive Ruth Sutherland said: "The most striking thing about this survey is what it tells us about the value of our personal relationships.

"When times are tough and when all else fails, we turn to our nearest and dearest to get us through, and it's in our best interests to support people to make the best of their relationships at home."

The charity's chairman Andrew Ketteringham said the findings "send a strong message to politicians and public figures".

"Our personal relationships are even more important to us in the age of austerity as we turn to them for support," he said.

"Government should give equal weight to measuring the impact of policy on families and relationships as with economic considerations. Economic impact cannot continue to trump social wellbeing."

"Government must recognise the importance of relationships and families as the basis of a thriving society."

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Tributes to film composer Bennett

27 December 2012 Last updated at 01:00 ET

Tributes from the music and film worlds have been paid to composer Sir Richard Rodney Bennett who died aged 76 on Christmas Eve.

He produced more than 200 concert pieces, ballets and operas but was best known for film and TV scores, including Four Weddings and a Funeral, Murder on the Orient Express and Doctor Who.

Sir Richard won a Bafta and was three times nominated for an Oscar.

David Arnold, the Bond films composer, hailed him as "one of our greats".

"Sad news about Richard Rodney Bennett," he said on Twitter.

Sir Nicholas Kenyon, managing director of London's Barbican arts centre, said Sir Richard was "one of the most rounded musicians of our time".

BBC Radio 3 breakfast show presenter Petroc Trelawny said Sir Richard was a man who shone in the concert hall and cabaret stage.

He tweeted: "So sad to hear of Sir Richard Rodney Bennett's death."

Jazz singer Ann Hampton Callaway wrote on Facebook: "Saddened by the loss of brilliant composer, arranger, pianist and friend, Richard Rodney Bennett.

"He was one of the first friends of the music world to welcome me to New York, teach me great songs, accompany and arrange for me and record with me. He had superb taste, great talent and a wicked sense of humour."

Sir Richard, who was born in Broadstairs, Kent, began composing at the age of six and co-wrote his first work for the Sadlers Wells Opera Company in 1961. He was also a jazz singer and pianist.

Sir Richard's Oscar nominations were for Far From The Madding Crowd in 1968, Nicholas and Alexanda in 1972 and Murder on the Orient Express in 1975.

He often said that he believed the best film music he composed was for the latter movie, specifically the scene in which the train is first seen, leaving the station at Istanbul. He was awarded a Bafta for his work on the movie.

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Aged 17, he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music and had several of his compositions performed professionally while he was still a student.

He also supported his studies as a jazz musician and later began to work regularly with Cleo Laine.

But it was his work as a film score composer that brought him international recognition.

His other film credits included Billy Liar, The Nanny, Equus, Yanks and Enchanted April

In 2004, Sir Richard composed Reflections on a Scottish Folk Song, commissioned by the Prince of Wales to honour the memory of the Queen Mother.

He was knighted in 1998 for services to music.

Chris Butler, head of publishing for Sir Richard's publisher, Music Sales Group, said: "Richard was the most complete musician of his generation - lavishly gifted as a composer, performer and entertainer in a multiplicity of styles and genres.

"He was a loyal friend to music, musicians and music publishing and we will remember him with great respect and affection."

Sir Richard died peacefully on Christmas Eve in New York, where he had lived for more than 20 years.

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Graphene research gets £21.5m fund

27 December 2012 Last updated at 03:22 ET

The Chancellor, George Osborne, has announced extra funding to boost the UK's development of the so-called "super-material" graphene.

It is one of the lightest yet strongest and most conductive materials known to man - and was originally discovered by scientists at Manchester University.

Now other universities will be asked to research potential commercial uses.

Mr Osborne said the £21.5m investment fund would aim to take the technology from the lab to the factory floor.

He has previously pledged money for such research, including £50m in 2011.

Graphene is made of sheets of carbon just one atom thick, and has outstanding mechanical strength and electronic properties.

Manchester University academics Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics for demonstrating its properties.

It is hoped that the material will be used in a wide array of industrial and everyday applications.

Government funding

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council has identified the most promising graphene-related research projects in British universities to benefit from state funding.

The University of Cambridge has been awarded more than £12m for research into graphene flexible electronics and opto-electronics, which could include things like touch-screens and other display devices.

London's Imperial College will receive over £4.5m to investigate aerospace applications of graphene.

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We need to support our universities, they're one of the jewels in the crown of the British economy"

End Quote George Osborne Chancellor

The other successful projects are based at Durham University, the University of Manchester, the University of Exeter and Royal Holloway.

The universities will work with industrial partners including Nokia, BAE Systems, Procter & Gamble, Qinetiq, Rolls-Royce, Dyson, Sharp and Philips Research, which will together bring in a further £12m in investment.

Mr Osborne told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there had been "enormous competition" for the graphene research to be done elsewhere in the world, rather than the UK.

He said: "We had to act very quickly... to step in and say we're going to provide funding here in Britain for that activity. That's an example of actually actively backing a winner to keep it in the UK."

Mr Osborne said there were several ways in which the UK could become an attractive location for scientific research, including more financial backing from the government, protecting spending on science, and more investment in big capital science projects.

He added that Britain's universities - the "jewels in the crown" of the UK economy - needed to be protected.

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Minister plays down hunt ban vote

25 December 2012 Last updated at 20:52 ET

Moves to repeal the ban on hunting with dogs in England and Wales may not happen in 2013, a minister has said.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson appeared to rule out a vote next year.

But he insisted it was still the government's intention to give MPs a free vote on lifting the ban.

More than 300 hunts are to hold Boxing Day meets, a week after the RSPCA's first successful prosecution of a hunt for operating illegally.

It has been illegal to use dogs to hunt animals in England and Wales since 2005, and in Scotland since 2002.

Mr Paterson told the Telegraph: "At the moment, it would not be my proposal to bring forward a vote we were going to lose."

But Mr Paterson insisted it was still the government's intention to have a free vote "but we need to choose an appropriate moment".

Ban scrapped

The RSPCA prosecution of two members of the Heythrop Hunt has led to claims illegal hunting is still going on.

The hunt's Richard Sumner and Julian Barnfield admitted unlawfully hunting with dogs on four separate occasions.

Heythrop Hunt Ltd also pleaded guilty at Oxford Magistrates Court on 17 December to four counts of the same charge.

Sumner was ordered to pay a £1,800 fine and £2,500 in court costs, Barnfield was ordered to pay a £1,000 fine £2,000 in costs and Heythrop Hunt Ltd was fined £4,000 and £15,000 in costs.

Hunts are no longer allowed to use dogs to chase down foxes, but are instead supposed to use techniques such as drag hunting, where dogs set off on the trail of a scent laid about 20 minutes in advance by a runner or rider dragging a lure.

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BBC News spends a day with a hunt in the Foret d'Eu in France

Animal welfare charities, including the RSPCA and the League Against Cruel Sports, have commissioned research which suggests that only 15% of people want to scrap the ban.

The Countryside Alliance says it has seen no slackening of support for hunting in recent years, but on the busiest day of the hunting season, members of hunts across the country will be out in force in a continued show of support for their sport.

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Judge attacks gay marriage plan

25 December 2012 Last updated at 22:38 ET

Ministers are pursuing the "wrong policy" on gay marriage, and should be focusing on family breakdown, a High Court judge has said.

Sir Paul Coleridge told the Times same-sex unions are a "minority issue".

His comments come after the Roman Catholic Church's leader in England and Wales denounced the plans.

Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols told the BBC the government had no mandate to push through same-sex marriage laws in England and Wales.

And in his Christmas Eve sermon he said that marriage between men and women shares in "the creative love of God".

Sir Paul told the Times newspaper: "So much energy and time has been put into this debate for 0.1% of the population, when we have a crisis of family breakdown.

"While it is gratifying that marriage in any context is centre stage... but it [gay marriage] is a minority issue.

"We need... a more focused position by the government on the importance of marriage."

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From a democratic point-of-view, it's a shambles"

End Quote Most Rev Vincent Nichols Archbishop of Westminster

Sir Paul last year launched independent charity Marriage Foundation to support married couples but said the charity did not take a stance on gay marriage.

He added the breakdown of marriages and its impact on society affects 99.9% of the population, which is where more investment and time should spent.

'Strongest attack'

During his BBC interview, Archbishop Nichols said of the gay marriage plans: "There was no announcement in any party manifesto, no Green Paper, no statement in the Queen's Speech. And yet here we are on the verge of primary legislation.

"From a democratic point-of-view, it's a shambles. George Orwell would be proud of that manoeuvre, I think the process is shambolic."

He claims during a "period of listening", those who responded were "7-1 against same-sex marriage".

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Archbishop of Westminster: "I think there is something of a sham going on"

BBC religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott said this was Archbishop Nichols's strongest attack yet on the government's plans for gay marriage.

In the past, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales has likened committed gay relationships to "profound friendships".

Pope Benedict XVI reiterated his opposition to gay marriage last week in a pre-Christmas address, saying it was destroying the very "essence of the human creature".

"People dispute the idea that they have a nature, given to them by their bodily identity, that serves as a defining element of the human being. They deny their nature and decide that it is not something previously given to them, but that they make it for themselves."

The UK government has previously announced that the Church of England and Church in Wales will be banned in law from offering same-sex marriages, with other religious organisations able to "opt in" to holding ceremonies.

The government plans to allow gay marriage but says it will not force religious bodies to perform services.

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Tube drivers in Boxing Day strike

25 December 2012 Last updated at 22:43 ET

Hundreds of London Underground workers have gone on strike, in a long-running row over bank holiday pay.

Transport for London (TfL) says there is likely to be "significant disruption" to Tube services, and more buses will be laid on.

Members of the Aslef union have walked out for 24 hours after voting 9-1 in favour of strike action.

TfL said there would be extra buses for shoppers heading for the West End or Westfield shopping centres.

It will be the third successive walkout by Tube drivers on the first day of the post-Christmas sale.

Strike 'scandalous'

TfL said almost all the lines were expected to have a reduced and partial service and urged passengers to check before travelling. There will be no services on London Overground.

But 700 bus routes in the capital will operate a Sunday service, and extra buses will be on the routes bound for the West End or Westfield shopping centres in Stratford and White City.

The congestion charge for vehicles entering central London will not apply during the festive period and there will also be no parking charges on roads in Westminster.

Howard Collins, London Underground's chief operating officer, criticised the union for demanding to be paid "twice for the same work".

"The scandalous actions of the Aslef leadership are an attempt to hold Londoners to ransom, and demonstrate a wholesale disregard for our customers," he said.

"We will be running as many services as possible, supported by London's 700 bus routes, but there will be disruption."

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Landslide warning for South West

25 December 2012 Last updated at 23:16 ET

A rare landslide and rockfall warning has been issued for south-west England by the British Geological Survey (BGS).

The BGS has concerns about the stability of cliff edges and cliff sides because of the quantity and intensity of the recent heavy rain.

It is worried about people going for Boxing Day walks, and is advising extra caution near cliff edges.

Meanwhile, there are weather warnings for rain and flooding in England and icy roads in northern Scotland.

The British Geological Survey (BGS), along with other agencies, feeds information into the Hazard Warning Centre at the Met Office in Exeter.

The South West Coastal Path, which covers most of the Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and Somerset coasts, runs through areas which are potentially at risk.

The Met Office said an area of heavy rain would move across the country during Wednesday. It said that given the continuing saturated state of the ground this may lead to further localised flooding.

There is also a warning of icy roads for the Shetland Isles, the Orkney Isles and north-eastern parts of Scotland.

Icy stretches are expected to form overnight, especially on surfaces where showers have washed off salt treatments. The Met Office said this could lead to difficult driving conditions.

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Travel and weather information

From the BBC:

Elsewhere:

The Environment Agency has 151 flood warnings and 252 flood alerts in place in England and Wales. There are no flood warnings in Scotland.

Weather forecasters have predicted that wet weather is set to continue until at least Friday, potentially bringing further flooding to parts of the UK.

The Environment Agency has said many places will stay on flood alert despite a slight easing of weather conditions.

Met Office figures suggest 2012 is set to be one of the wettest years since records began in 1910.

Before December, the average rainfall for the year so far was 1,202mm - placing it 13th in the list of wettest years.

Due to the deluge of rain in the run up to Christmas, forecasters say 2012 is now likely to finish with one of the highest rainfall totals on record.

The year 2000 remains the UK's wettest year, with an average rainfall of 1,337mm.

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Sale shoppers 'set to spend £3bn'

26 December 2012 Last updated at 00:11 ET

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The BBC's Sophie van Brugen reports from Westfield, London, where shoppers queued throughout the night

British shoppers are expected to spend almost £3bn in the Boxing Day sales, experts have predicted.

Millions of bargain-hunters are set to descend on High Streets and shopping centres across the UK.

Shops began cutting prices and opening as early as 06:00 GMT in a bid to tempt customers in.

Market analyst Experian says online spending is expected to be the "biggest and busiest ever", accounting for almost £500m on Boxing Day.

Tube strike

Amazon UK said it had seen sales on Christmas Day increase by 263% over the last five years.

This was partly due to the growth in home broadband and the popularity of tablets and smartphones.

MoneySupermarket.com said shoppers were set to spend £2.9bn in the Boxing Day sales.

A survey for the website found that four million people plan to head to the stores, as well as five million who will shop online.

However, there could be problems for shoppers in London because of a strike by Tube drivers - although extra buses will be provided to the West End and the Westfield shopping centres in Stratford and White City.

Experian said visits to retail websites were expected to reach 126 million on Boxing Day, an increase of 31% on last year.

James Murray, from Experian, said: "Christmas 2012 is on track to be another record-breaker for online retail, outstripping 2011 on all fronts.

"The current market trends suggest that in the UK, Boxing Day will be the biggest day for online retail, with an estimated 126 million visits to online retail outlets and a massive 17 million hours spent online shopping on this day alone."

But comparison website Pricerunner said figures suggested that almost half people asked were not planning on buying anything in the sales.

Business failures

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said Christmas spending in shops this year was "acceptable but not exceptional".

BRC spokesman Richard Dodd said poor accessibility on high streets, lack of parking and weak consumer demand were more of a threat than an increase in online shopping.

He said some High Street retailers would "undoubtedly" fail after Christmas.

"Retail sales over the weekend have been up to expectations but expectations were relatively modest. Christmas will turn out to be acceptable but not exceptional," he said.

"There are a lot of myths around online retail. Ten per cent of overall retailing over the year comes from online shopping and actually it presents lots of opportunities for the retail sector."

But business recovery group Begbies Traynor warned that High Street retailers faced the threat of closure as more people shopped online.

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