Record New Year's Honours for women

30 December 2013 Last updated at 20:02 ET

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Lizo Mzimba reports on those that have been recognised for honours in 2014

Actresses Angela Lansbury and Penelope Keith become dames in the New Year's Honours list, which features more women than men for the first time.

Women - 611 of them - make up the majority (51%) of the list - the previous highest proportion was 47%.

Football boss Karren Brady and ex-Wimbledon champion Ann Jones become CBEs, while Gavin and Stacey co-creator Ruth Jones becomes an MBE.

Angel of the North sculptor Antony Gormley receives a knighthood.

Gormley, 63, said he was "very humbled, but also delighted," and accepted his honour as "a recognition" for the art form.

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Notable recipients

Companion of Honour:

• Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (music)

Knight/Dame:

• Antony Gormley (arts)
• Keir Starmer (law)
• Michael Codron (theatre)
• Angela Lansbury (acting)
• Penelope Keith (acting)

CBE:

• Michael Crawford (charity)
• Julie Bailey (Campaigner)
• David Bernstein (football)
• Nicholas Parsons (charity)
• Karren Brady (entrepreneur)

OBE:

• Lynda Bellingham (charity)
• Sandie Toksvig (broadcasting)
• Katherine Jenkins (music)
• Rachel Yankey (football)

MBE:

• Kevin McCloud (design)
• Barry and Margaret Mizen (young people)
• Pete Tong (music)
• Ruth Jones (arts, pictured)

Composer and conductor Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, who is Master of the Queen's Music, becomes a Companion of Honour, while DJ Pete Tong receives an MBE.

Penelope Keith, 73, who became a household name as Margot Leadbetter in 1970s sitcom The Good Life, said of her honour: "It's a recognition for not only my 54 years being an actress but also for all the charities with which I'm associated and I think they'll be thrilled."

Murder, She Wrote actress Angela Lansbury, 88, receives hers for services to drama and to charitable work and philanthropy. She told the BBC: "I'm joining a marvellous group of women I greatly admire like Judi Dench and Maggie Smith.

"It's a lovely thing to be given that nod of approval by your own country and I really cherish it."

Apprentice star Karren Brady, 43, vice-chairman of West Ham Football Club and former Birmingham City managing director, gets a CBE for services to entrepreneurship and women in business. She said she felt "very privileged and very proud, particularly to be recognised for the work I do for other women in business".

Other prominent women include actress Lynda Bellingham, singer Katherine Jenkins and writer and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig, plus the founders of parenting website Netmums.com, Siobhan Freegard, Cathy Court and Sarah Russell, who all receive OBEs.

In science, Met Office chief scientist Prof Julia Slingo becomes a dame for her services to weather and climate science.

Knighthoods

Former director of public prosecutions Keir Starmer QC receives a knighthood for services to law and criminal justice, with film and theatre producer Michael Codron and former Bank of England deputy governor Paul Tucker also receiving the honour.

CBEs go to ballet dancer Carlos Acosta, former FA chairman David Bernstein, actor Michael Crawford, who played Frank Spencer in 1970s sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, and presenter Nicholas Parsons, host of the comedy radio game show Just A Minute.

Artist Derek Clarke, a member of the Royal Scottish Academy of Arts, whose career has spanned more than 70 years and who turns 101 on Tuesday, also receives an MBE.

Some 1,195 people have received an award and in total, 74% of awards in the New Year's Honours List are for people who are actively engaged in charitable or voluntary work within their local community.

Barry and Margaret Mizen, whose 16-year-old son Jimmy was murdered in London in May 2008, are created MBEs for services to young people. They set up the Jimmy Mizen Foundation to help young people play a positive role in their communities.

Mr Mizen said: "To us, it's about the hundreds and hundreds of people that support us, it's about all the work the rest of our family do, and it's in memory of a fine and decent young lad whose legacy will be one of peace and community cohesion."

Some other examples are:

• Trevor Jarvis, Ambassador for Dementia with the Alzheimer's Society, who has used his own experiences to improve the lives of people affected by dementia.
• Christina Selby, who founded Hats4Heroes in 2010 and has since sent nearly 10,000 knitted hats, each containing a chocolate bar, to the British forces in Afghanistan as a way of boosting morale.
• Julie Bailey, who set up the campaign group Cure the NHS after being appalled by the care she witnessed her mother and others receive at Staffordshire General Hospital, and Helene Donnelly, a nurse at the hospital who became a whistleblower.

Ms Donnelly said: "I hope this [honour] is recognition for lots of other people trying to raise concerns and this is also for the positive change we're trying to encourage now."

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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

The Order of Merit, which is awarded to individuals of great achievement in the fields of the arts, learning, literature and science goes to orchestra conductor Sir Simon Rattle and world-renowned heart surgeon Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub.

There can be only 24 OMs at any one time, making it highly-exclusive. Previous recipients include Florence Nightingale and Sir Winston Churchill, plus honorary members Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela.

Doctor Marcus Setchell, who delayed his retirement after being asked by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to oversee the birth of Prince George is made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) - an honour in the personal gift of the Queen.

Awards for sport make up 4% of the total, with an OBE going to England and Arsenal Ladies footballer Rachel Yankey and former long-distance runner David Bedford, who was race director of the London Marathon for more than 20 years, while England women's rugby team captain Katy McLean gets an MBE.

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Mid Staffs campaigners honoured

30 December 2013 Last updated at 17:59 ET By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News

Two women who led the fight against one of the most shocking failings in NHS history have been recognised in the New Year honours list.

The care at Stafford Hospital left some patients drinking water from vases, it is claimed, and receptionists assessing emergency cases.

Julie Bailey, who set up the campaign group Cure the NHS after witnessing her mother's treatment, was made a CBE.

Helene Donnelly, a nurse who became a whistleblower, was made an OBE.

Figures suggested there were more deaths than would have been expected at Stafford Hospital between 2005 and 2008.

Patients needing pain relief either got it late or not at all, leaving them crying out for help, and there were cases where food and drinks were left out of reach.

Helene Donnelly worked in the A&E department at the hospital.

She raised nearly 100 complaints about the treatment of patients, turned whistleblower and was a key witness at the Stafford Hospital public inquiry.

She told the BBC she was "tremendously proud and honoured" to receive the CBE for services to the NHS, after what had been a "very difficult time personally and professionally".

Ms Donnelly said she was surprised when she found out: "It was rather surreal really, I was completely shocked, I thought is this some sort of mistake?"

She is now an ambassador for cultural change at the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Partnership NHS Trust and takes staff concerns directly to the chief executive.

"I hope this [honour] is recognition for lots of other people trying to raise concerns and this is also for the positive change we're trying to encourage now."

Campaign to cure

Julie Bailey, who led the campaign for a public inquiry into failings at the hospital, was given a CBE for "services to the care of older people".

Her 86-year-old mother Bella collapsed in the hospital in 2007 after being left without her oxygen supply.

Ms Bailey spent the next eight weeks sleeping on the ward after resolving that her mother should not be left alone in the hospital.

She said she witnessed "utter chaos" on the ward with patients drinking out of flower vases.

Her mother later died at the hospital and Ms Bailey set up the Cure the NHS campaign group with other relatives of patients who had died at the hospital.

Previous inquiries into care had been held in private. The group successfully campaigned for a full public inquiry which concluded in 2013.

Since then new rules, to make hospitals in England publish monthly details of whether they have enough nurses on their wards and making a criminal offence of wilful neglect to hold staff to account, have been announced.

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Moshi Monsters boss honoured

30 December 2013 Last updated at 17:59 ET By Leo Kelion Technology reporter

The founder of Mind Candy, the creators of Moshi Monsters, has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list.

Michael Acton Smith created the firm nearly a decade ago, but it was not until 2008 that he released the adopt-a-pet-monster online game.

The title - which targets six-to-12-year-olds - now has more than 80 million registered users worldwide.

ARM Holdings' Warren East was among the other tech leaders honoured.

The 52-year-old retired as the Cambridge-based computer chip designer's chief executive in July. He received a CBE.

Slow start

Mr Acton Smith was born in Marlow in Buckinghamshire. His first business was Firebox - an online retailer whose first product was a chess set that used shot glasses for pieces.

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• 1974: Born in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
• 1993: Studies geography at Birmingham University
• 1998: Starts first business, the online gadget retailer Firebox.com
• 2004: Forms entertainment company Mind Candy. Its first major project was Perplex City, an alternate reality treasure hunt game that launched the following year
• 2007: Second season of Perplex City is indefinitely put on put on hold after firm's finances come under strain
• 2008: Moshi Monsters is released to the public
• 2011: Voted 12th in Wired Magazine's Top 100 of Britain's Digital Power List
• 2011: Moshi Monsters announces it has 50 million users worldwide
• 2013: Moshi Monsters wins Interactive Prize at the Children's Baftas

Its success helped convince investor Spark Ventures to back a second start-up, Mind Candy.

But the entertainment firm's first project, Perplex City, proved a harder sell. The alternate reality game used the internet, puzzle cards sold in shops, text messages and live events to lead players on a 15-month long global treasure hunt whose winner eventually netted a £100,000 prize.

The contest won awards of its own, but nearly bankrupted the firm, leading Mr Acton Smith to cancel a planned "second season".

Mind Candy then switched focus to create a simpler game for a younger audience.

Moshi Monsters launched in April 2008 allowing children to adopt, name and look after a virtual monster in Monstro City, an online world where kids can play games and communicate with other members. The basic version is free, but for a monthly fee members get access to extra features.

Disney's rival product - Club Penguin - had already proved popular, but initially it looked like the British game might become Mind Candy's second flop.

"We were getting hardly any sign-ups," Mr Acton Smith later recalled in a BBC interview.

"So, we created new characters, we created new features, new ways for kids to communicate.

"And it took about a year-and-a-half until the summer of 2009 when we hit our tipping point and things just exploded. It went viral and we started adding one new sign-up every second."

The brand now has its own magazine, spin-off smartphone app, music albums and toys. Earlier this month released its first animated movie.

Moshi Monsters also recently won the Interactive Prize in the Children's Bafta (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Awards, which were announced in November.

Mr Acton Smith recently revealed Mind Candy was working on three non-Moshi projects, all of which were designed to be used on smartphones and tablets.

'Gadget luddite'

ARM's Warren East helped build the British chip designer into one of the world's most successful tech companies.

The firm's chip architectures power the vast majority of smartphones and tablets on the market, with clients including Samsung, Apple, Sony and LG.

Mr Smith also helped expand the firm into the computer server market, with Dell, AMD and HP among companies to begin using ARM-based processors to run data centre products.

Despite repeated rumours of the firm becoming a takeover target, Mr East has long defended its business model of staying independent and licensing its intellectual property to a broad range of customers.

"A partnership business model enables us to always work with the winners," he told the BBC last year.

"Somebody who might be the leading mobile phone supplier of the day is using our technology, but we're also working with other players who perhaps are more aspirant leaders."

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Warren East said 12 years was long enough to be in charge of ARM when he spoke to the BBC's Ben Thompson in March

Despite this, he once described himself to the Daily Telegraph as a "Luddite when it comes to gadgets".

Since stepping down from ARM, Mr East has joined the board of other tech firms including Dyson, Rolls-Royce and BT.

Netmums

Other tech-related names included in the honours list include:

• Cathy Court, Siobhan Freegard and Sally Russell, co-founders of the parental support website Netmums (OBEs)
• Joanna Shields, chief executive of Tech City UK, a government investment group for London-based start-ups (OBE)
• Michael Bracken, executive director of the Government Digital Service, which brought public services together at the gov.uk website (OBE)
• Dr Hamid Mughal, director of global manufacturing at engine maker Rolls-Royce (OBE)
• Penny Power, founder of Ecademy, a business-focussed social network (OBE)
• Dr Jenifer Tennison, technical director at the Open Data Institute, which advises the government and other organisations on how best to make data available to the public (OBE)
• Margaret McKenna, co-founder of the online training provider Learning Pool (OBE)
• Colette Bowe, chair of telecoms and media regulator Ofcom (CBE)
• Richard Eyre, chairman of the Internet Advertising Bureau trade association (CBE)

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One Direction album tops 2013 sales

30 December 2013 Last updated at 22:26 ET

Midnight Memories, the latest album from One Direction, has overtaken Emeli Sande's Our Version of Events to become 2013's top-selling album.

According to the Official Charts Company, the album has sold more than 685,000 copies in the five weeks since its release.

It is the boy band's third album.

Scots singer Sande's album has sold 683,000. Her debut album was the biggest seller of 2012 and has sold more than two million copies to date.

Official Charts Company chief executive Martin Talbot called One Direction's speedy ascent "a very impressive achievement".

Midnight Memories, the band's third album debuted at number one in the chart, selling more than 237,000 copies during its first week, making it the fastest selling album of 2013.

The record also made chart history in the US, entering the Billboard 200 at number one, making them the only group to have their first three albums top the chart in their opening week.

The One Direction documentary movie This Is Us, directed by Morgan Spurlock, recently became the fastest selling music DVD/Blu-ray in UK history, selling 270,000 copies in its first three days on release.

A full list of the year's top selling singles and albums is due in the new year.

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NI Haass talks end without agreement

31 December 2013 Last updated at 02:43 ET

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Dr Richard Haass says "significant progress" has been made

Talks to resolve some of the most divisive issues that have hampered the Northern Ireland peace process have broken up without agreement.

Northern Ireland's five main parties met through the night in a final effort to settle differences over parades, flags and the legacy of the Troubles.

Former US diplomat Dr Richard Haass, who chaired the talks, said a final agreement was "not there" but there had been "significant progress".

He called it a "basis" for change.

'Strong endorsement'

The deal won broad support from Sinn Féin, the largest nationalist party, but others including the unionist DUP, said unresolved issues over parades and flags meant more work was needed before consensus could be reached.

"All the parties support significant parts of the agreement. At the same time, all have some concerns," Dr Haass said.

"We very much hope that the parties reflect on this, discuss it with their leadership and then come back with a strong endorsement. Over the next week we will know a lot more."

He said progress had been made in all three of the negotiating areas, especially the past, while flags and symbols had proven to be the "toughest area of negotiations".

Dr Haass said all five parties had "given it their best" and were "prepared to continue" with the process.

"It would have been nice to have come out here tonight and say we have got all five parties completely signed on to the text," he said.

"We are not there but I believe there is a real prospect that we will get several of the parties to sign on the text in full.

"Several of the other parties will endorse significant parts of it, and together this will provide a basis for a serious ongoing political process."

The overnight negotiations were on a seventh set of draft proposals put forward during the talks.

'Good progress'

After the talks, Sinn Féin's Gerry Adams said his negotiating team believed there was a "basis for a deal in the proposals put forward".

He said the team would recommend it to the party's executive, though he said the proposed deal was "not perfect".

"I'm sure there will be a lot of disappointment out there as people come to terms with the fact that there doesn't appear at this point to be an agreement," he said.

The DUP's Jeffrey Donaldson said that while the "broad architecture" of the agreement was acceptable, "some of the language and detail is not what we would have chosen and in some cases we strongly disapprove of the language".

"We entered into this process to get the right deal for the people of Northern Ireland, but not any deal," he added.

"We do not have an agreement this evening but we are committed to continuing this work beyond now in dialogue with others to try and resolve the outstanding issues that need to be addressed," he said.

"We owe that to the people of Northern Ireland, especially to the innocent victims of terrorism who have suffered so much over the decades."

'Sea change'

Alliance Party deputy leader Naomi Long said the talks had moved negotiations forward but there were still major challenges over the issues of parades and flags.

"I believe we have made good progress but we still have work to be done," she said.

"We have seen a huge sea change in the level of political agreement which has exceeded public expectation, particularly in delivering for the victims and the reconciliation process," Mrs Long added.

SDLP leader Alasdair McDonnell said despite some concerns he anticipated his party would accept the agreement.

He said: "We would anticipate a general endorsement from the SDLP in due course, that's not to say we're entirely happy... but we do welcome it as far as it goes."

Mike Nesbitt, leader of the UUP, said he had an opinion on the document but was unwilling to disclose it until his party had examined the proposals.

"We will have an honest debate and hopefully form a final opinion at the end of that debate," he said.

During the talks, many had expressed optimism that a deal would be reached. A deadline for agreement had been set for Monday evening, but the talks continued into the early hours of Tuesday.

The three key issues have been:

• The past - more than 3,500 people died in the Troubles, and in almost 3,300 cases no-one was prosecuted. Reaching agreement on how to investigate these killings and what to do about other people affected by the Troubles has so far proved impossible
• Flags - this issue was highlighted last year when Belfast City Council's decision to fly the union flag from city hall and other council buildings only on 18 designated days sparked street protests
• Parades - though many are not contentious, some unionist parades that pass through or close to nationalist areas have been controversial. A small number of nationalist parades have also proved contentious in the past

Dr Haass and his co-chair Prof Meghan O'Sullivan were brought to Northern Ireland in July by the first and deputy first ministers.

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Migrants to face NHS care charges

29 December 2013 Last updated at 19:56 ET

Migrants are to face new charges for some NHS services in England, ministers say.

They include extended prescription fees, the introduction of charges for some emergency care and higher rates for optical and dental services.

However, GP and nurse consultations will remain free, and nobody will be turned away in an emergency.

Ministers say they are keen to clamp down on any abuse of the system, but doctors' leaders have voiced concerns.

Other types of primary care services that are being considered for charging include minor surgery that is carried out by a GP and physiotherapy that has been referred through a GP.

There are also plans to introduce a new system for identifying and recording patients who should be charged for NHS services.

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• Free NHS care is offered to anyone living in the UK who has temporary or permanent permission to do so
• Asylum seekers, non-European Economic Area nationals who do not have permission to live in the UK, British expats, and visitors usually have to pay for treatment
• The UK has reciprocal agreements with most European nations and 28 other countries, and under these visitors are given free NHS care
• The NHS should claim these costs back from the relevant governments - but research suggests just £73m a year is recouped out of more than £460m at present.

The government said the changes would allow the NHS to recoup money, and encourage only those who need urgent and emergency care to attend.

Health Minister Lord Howe said: "Having a universal health service free at the point of use rightly makes us the envy of the world, but we must make sure the system is fair to the hardworking British taxpayers who fund it.

"We know that we need to make changes across the NHS to better identify and charge visitors and migrants. Introducing charging at primary care is the first step to achieving this.

"We are already looking at taking action and next year we will set out our detailed plans to clamp down on the abuse of our NHS."

'Unintended drawbacks'

The British Medical Association said it was concerned the proposals would require doctors and GPs to spend more time on paperwork and that it could cost more in administration charges than what it would recuperate.

Dr Mark Porter, chairman of the BMA Council, said: "The government's current proposals could create unintended drawbacks for the NHS and patients.

"They are likely to create a complex patchwork of charging and access entitlements where some services remain free, such as GP appointments, while others will be chargeable, including A&E visits and other services provided via many GP practices, such as physiotherapy."

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, who leads the BMA's GP committee, added: "We cannot have a situation where any patient with a serious health need is deterred from visiting a GP, especially if their condition raises a potential public health risk."

Labour shadow health minister Lord Hunt accused ministers of "putting spin before substance".

"Labour is in favour of improving the recovery of costs from people with no entitlement to NHS treatment," he said.

"Rather than more grand-standing, the government needs to deliver practical, thought-through changes to make that happen.

"Instead this out-of-touch government is left asking doctors and nurses to act as surrogate immigration officials."

The announcement follows a Department of Health study which estimated that up to £500m could be recovered from overseas visitors' and migrants' use of the NHS every year through better charging.

However, academics have argued that the extent of deliberate health tourism - where people travel to the UK specifically to use the NHS - has been hugely overstated and is responsible for only a small part of NHS expenditure.

Many changes will start to be introduced over the coming year.

The government has already announced a £200-a-year levy on migrants from outside the European Economic Area staying for between six months and five years.

A cost-recovery unit will help hospitals claw back money they are owed by other governments for treating foreign nationals visiting the UK.

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Plea to Scotland's referendum voters

29 December 2013 Last updated at 20:00 ET

Campaigners from both sides of the debate on Scottish independence have issued new year messages urging the public to vote in the referendum.

Yes Scotland chief executive Blair Jenkins said the issue was "too big to be left to politicians alone".

Alistair Darling, leader of Better Together, called on everyone to vote so "the decision we make is decisive".

On the 18 September 2014, voters will be asked the yes/no question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"

Children's future

Mr Darling reiterated his belief that "we are all stronger when we come together" and that "the people of this island belong together in the United Kingdom".

"First and foremost we should not divide Scotland," he said.

"One thing we all have in common, yes, no or undecided, is that we love Scotland and want the best for our children's future. We are all looking forward to an exciting year where we will cheer on our sports stars here in Scotland.

"There are patriots on both sides of this debate and we should respect each other for that.

"Whatever decision we make this referendum year it needs be decisive.

"It is important that we are certain of where we will stand in the future. No one wants this debate on independence to drag on into another year.

"That means all of us in Scotland should resolve to vote in September and to make sure that the decision we make is decisive."

Diverse views

Yes Scotland said the year ahead offered the chance to create a better future.

Mr Jenkins also made a reference to 2014 being an important sporting year for Scotland, with the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.

As well as these events, he said the eyes of the world would be on Scotland as it made "the single most important decision in more than 300 years".

Mr Jenkins went on to highlight the "diversity of views, visions, background and cultures" of the Yes campaign.

"Among the many sectoral groups adding their weight to the Yes campaign are Polish for Yes, French for Yes, Third Sector Yes and Yes LGBT," he said.

He added: "Yes Scotland will ensure there is a sectoral group within the campaign for everyone. The debate on Scotland's future is too big to be left to politicians alone and we want everyone in the country to play their part in 2014."

Cost of living

Meanwhile, Ed Miliband used his new year message to criticise the SNP over the "cost of living crisis", which he said could be solved with Scotland as part of the United Kingdom.

The Labour leader said the SNP was not making a difference and had "sided with the Tories when it comes to Labour's energy price freeze".

He said: "But they are totally wrong, because the problem of higher energy bills is a problem in Southampton as well as in Stirling, the problem of payday lenders is a problem in Gloucester as well as in Glasgow, the problems of low pay is a problem in Essex as well as in Edinburgh.

"It goes across the United Kingdom, these are common problems. I think we can solve these problems with a common vision and a common future."

Social justice

However, SNP leader at Westminster Angus Robertson said the UK had become "more unequal" under Westminster governments.

"A Yes vote is the route to social justice, and Mr Miliband may not know it, but Labour have no credibility on cost of living issues in Scotland," he said.

"A quarter of their own Scottish MPs didn't even bother to turn up at Westminster to vote to scrap the bedroom tax, which we will in an independent Scotland."

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Police to give unsolved crime detail

29 December 2013 Last updated at 21:46 ET

Police forces in England and Wales are to change the way they record offences from April to give the public a clearer idea about why crimes are not solved.

The "undetected" category will be replaced by a series of new ones such as "prosecution prevented", for example if a suspect is too ill to stand trial.

Ministers say it will discourage forces from claiming offences have been cleared up when they have not.

Labour said changes could not hide a recent decline in detection rates.

Home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds said the aim was to give a clearer picture of how police had dealt with a crime report by concentrating on outcomes rather than detections.

'Community resolution'

Currently police can record cases as resulting in a charge, a caution or as undetected. About 70% are recorded as undetected.

Other new categories replacing undetected will include: "community resolution" for when a suspect is dealt with without prosecution, such as when stolen items are given back; "evidential difficulties" for when witnesses are unwilling or unable to give evidence, and "prosecution not in the public interest".

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No amount of changing the statistics can get away from the fact that fewer prosecutions are taking place for domestic violence, child sex abuse and rape on this government's watch"

End Quote Labour's Diana Johnson

Police will also be able to mark an investigation as complete - unless further evidence emerges.

The government says the new framework could be especially useful in claims of historical sexual abuse where the alleged offender has died, is too ill to stand trial or a key witness does not want to give evidence.

Policing Minister Damian Green told BBC News: "Crime is definitely falling on all measures we have but clearly there've been some problems with measurement so we need to restore public confidence.

"But also, even more importantly, the police need to have information from the crime figures that actually enable them to cut crime."

The new system will come into force in Humberside on 1 January before being used in the rest of England and Wales from 1 April.

'Hollowing out'

Labour's shadow crime and security minister Diana Johnson said: "No amount of changing the statistics can get away from the fact that fewer prosecutions are taking place for domestic violence, child sex abuse and rape on this government's watch."

She said this was "despite more crime being recorded for these most serious crimes".

"And 30,000 fewer crimes of all types are being solved since 2010 given the decline in detection rates in the last three years," she added.

"There may be good reason for some of these changes but, given the government's track record in trying to hide the reality of the impact of their decisions on victims and the police, suspicions will remain that these changes are more about covering up the hollowing out of the police service the public now receive."

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Deadline day for NI's Haass talks

29 December 2013 Last updated at 22:23 ET

Talks between Northern Ireland's five main parties and former US diplomat Dr Richard Haass in a bid to resolve three contentious issues are to resume later.

A deadline for agreement on the talks about the past, parades and flags has been set for Monday.

On Sunday, Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said the talks were "80 to 90% over the line".

Delegations from the parties - except the DUP - met Dr Haass separately on Sunday.

The DUP did not take part as it does not negotiate on Sundays.

Talks between all five parties and Dr Haass had ended on Saturday without agreement.

The parties will meet again from 10:00 GMT on Monday after they were given a final draft of proposals on Sunday night.

"I would say 80, maybe even 90% of it, is ready to go over the line," the UUP's Mr Nesbitt said.

"So there's not a lot left, but what is left is serious from our point of view."

'Humiliation risk'

Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness said that Dr Haass and his co-chair, Prof Meghan O'Sullivan, must not be allowed to return to the United States without securing a deal.

"It would be a humiliation if Richard Haass and Meghan O'Sullivan left here against the backdrop of no agreement," he said.

The Alliance Party and the SDLP also urged the other parties to make a deal in time for Monday's deadline.

The DUP met with Dr Haass on Saturday night. The party's Jeffrey Donaldson said he hoped a deal could be reached.

A spokeswoman for the US National Security Council said the talks were at a critical juncture and the goal remained to achieve agreement before the end of the year.

"We call upon the leadership of the five parties to make the compromises necessary to conclude an agreement now, one that would help heal the divisions that continue to stand between the people of Northern Ireland and the future they deserve," she said.

Dr Haass and Prof O'Sullivan were brought to Northern Ireland in July by the first and deputy first ministers.

They returned to the US for Christmas after talks broke up without agreement in the early hours of Christmas Eve.

The parties were given a fifth draft of proposals from Dr Haass and Prof O'Sullivan on Friday night.

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Power 'restored to all houses'

30 December 2013 Last updated at 02:56 ET

All of the houses that lost power during the Christmas storms have been reconnected, the Energy Networks Association (ENA) says.

At the height of the storms more than 150,000 properties were cut off, with south-east England particularly badly affected.

About 600 homes still had no electricity at the start of Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Met Office has warned some parts of the UK to "be aware" of more gales and heavy rain on Monday.

As well as the South East, tens of thousands of homes in north Wales and Cumbria were without power because of the storms, that also caused huge travel disruption and flooding in the run-up to Christmas.

The ENA tweeted on Sunday night: "Engineers have this evening reconnected those who lost power due to the severe weather damage."

'Typical' winter storm

Forecasters say the latest storm pushing in from the Atlantic will cross the UK from west to east on Monday.

The Met Office has issued an amber warning for rain in Strathclyde and south-west Scotland and Lothian Borders, telling the public to be prepared for the risk of flooding.

There is also a yellow warning - the lowest of the three - for wind in Wales, north-west and north-east England, Yorkshire and Humber, the East Midlands, south-west England and London and the South East.

There are yellow warnings for rain in Wales, Northern Ireland, south-west England and much of Scotland.

BBC Weather forecaster Laura Gilchrist said although the Met Office had issued warnings, Monday's storm was "typical" for this time of year.

She said the rain was "not expected to cause further flooding in areas affected last week".

The Environment Agency has seven flood warnings in place in England where flooding is expected and 106 flood alerts, where people should be prepared for possible flooding.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has 20 flood warnings in place and nine flood alerts.

The unsettled weather looks set to continue into the new year after the Met Office issued a yellow warning for rain on New Year's Day, affecting southern England and western Scotland.

At the weekend, one of Britain's biggest power distributors, UK Power Networks, promised to increase compensation payments to customers who had lost power in the Christmas Eve storm.

The firm said it would will increase payments for 48-60 hour outages from £27 to £75 for those affected on Christmas Day.

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Breast implants to be registered

28 December 2013 Last updated at 21:07 ET By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News

Every breast implant operation in England is to be recorded on a new register, ministers have announced.

A lack of records meant some surgeons were unable to tell their patients if they were affected by the recent scare over sub-standard PIP implants.

Ministers said they were cleaning up a "cowboy industry" steeped in "murky practices".

Health ministers in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will decide if they are to join the register.

Continue reading the main story

James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News

---

This could just be a tease of what is to come.

There has been widespread admission that regulations have not kept up with the increasing array and popularity of cosmetic procedures.

For example dermal fillers, to plump up the skin, and buttock implants are deemed to have no medical purpose so are regulated in the same way as toothbrushes and ball-point pens.

And procedures such as Botox injections, which have the potential to go horribly wrong, have become commonplace at "beauty parties".

A review made a series of recommendations including the breast implant register.

This should help women if there is a repeat of the PIP scandal.

The government still has to tackle the other recommendations such as calls for legislation to make fillers prescription only and formal qualifications for anyone injecting Botox.

The full response is expected early in the New Year.

Fresh efforts will also be made to regulate adverts to end the era of "win a boob-job" competitions.

The cosmetic procedures industry has been quietly booming. It was worth £750m in the UK in 2005, £2.3bn in 2010 and is forecast to reach £3.6bn by 2015.

However, the PIP implant scandal led doctors to describe the field as a poorly regulated "crisis waiting to happen".

The French company Poly Implant Prothese sold faulty implants containing sub-standard silicone gel with double the rupture rate of other implants.

It caused a global scare affecting 300,000 women.

'Data-free zone'

A review described the UK as a "data-free zone" with a serious lack of records about which women had been given PIP implants or what had happened to them.

The NHS and some private companies will trial a new system for registering implants, similar to the National Joint Registry for hip operations, before making it compulsory across England.

Dr Dan Poulter, health minister for England, told the BBC: "The PIP implant scandal has shone a light on what is sometimes a cowboy industry where there are some murky practices.

"What we need to do is more effectively track the quality of implants women receive and to make sure that when things go wrong with those implants, that can be acted on as quickly as possible - setting up a register will help us to do that."

The Department of Health also said it was working with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to tackle "irresponsible marketing" such as buy-one-get-one-free deals and competitions for men to "win a boob-job" for their girlfriends.

The ASA has already taken on banned adverts from companies advertising "Boob jobs - more affordable than you may think" for "trivialising breast enhancement surgery".

Dr Poulter said: "That sort of marketing is irresponsible because it can change the way a woman looks for the rest of their life and we need to see greater responsibility from the cosmetic industry in how they advertise themselves and we're going to clamp down."

'Early warning system'

The Royal College of Surgeons will also create new qualifications and professional standards for cosmetic surgery.

Rajiv Grover, consultant plastic surgeon and president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), said: "Whilst we're pleased there is to be a clampdown on time-linked incentives that place undue pressure on the public, we continue to call for an outright ban on all advertising of medical procedures.

"People considering cosmetic surgery have a lot to think about: possible risks, their own expectations, the qualifications of the provider, recovery - whether there's a Christmas sale, a two-for-one if they book by Friday... should never play a part in a sensible decision-making process."

Mr Simon Withey, a consultant plastic surgeon and part of the panel which reviewed the industry, told the BBC: "The rhetoric is it's a cowboy industry. It's not. Most surgeons are excellent, but it doesn't take many poor ones to wreak havoc."

He said a breast implant register was "exactly the right thing to do".

"It acts as an early warning system of product failure which would have been helpful in PIP and it is now critical that if there are any product failures in the future that we can track patients as quickly as possible."

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Australia take 4-0 lead over England

Fourth Test, Melbourne (day four)

England 255 & 179 lost to Australia 204 & 233-2 by eight wickets

Match scorecard

Australia made it four wins out of four and moved closer to an Ashes whitewash with a dominant eight-wicket victory over England with a day to spare in Melbourne.

Led by an unruffled 116 from opener Chris Rogers and aided by three missed catches, they knocked off the remaining 201 runs they needed by mid-afternoon on a day that became a stroll in the Melbourne sunshine.

England had begun with hope of summoning up the spirit of 1998, when they bowled out Australia for just 162 on this ground to win by 12 runs.

Instead they created very little and blew what chances they did have as Australia, led home by the unbeaten Shane Watson (83) and Michel Clarke (six), cruised to the biggest fourth-innings target at this ground in 51 years.

"This will be the most satisfying victory for the Australian team because of the fact they have had to fight. They turned around a 51-run deficit and won so convincingly.

"It looks like the tall lads, Rankin, Finn and Tremlett, are not in any fit state to play but you might as well play one of them. Ian Bell has to bat at three, they have to admit they got that wrong. The tough call is to get rid of Carberry and say they made a mistake and put Root back to open.

"I don't know if it will make any difference. You could make changes but whatever team England put out in Sydney I just can't see how it's not going to 5-0 in this series."

With the final Test in Sydney starting in four days' time and England having been dismantled in every match so far, the odds on a 5-0 scoreline to match that of seven years ago must now be short.

What could have been a thrilling final battle was instead by the end an annihilation, another black day in a series of almost unremitting gloom for the shambolic tourists.

Midway through the third day here at the MCG, England had led by 116 runs with all 10 second innings wickets in hand.

But they ended this game once again hammered by a huge margin, unable to even get close to a side they beat 3-0 just four months ago.

Rogers played with calm authority on his adopted home ground as he steered his team to their target, his second Test century making him the sixth Australian in this series to make a hundred.

The 36-year-old was dropped twice en route, once on 19 by Alastair Cook at first slip from a catch that wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow should have claimed, and again on 81 when Bairstow failed to get a glove on a low chance to his left.

But he played beautifully, picking up eight boundaries behind square on the off side as he used the pace of the ball to glide run after run away to third man.

England had begun hoping for an early wicket to give them a chance of salvaging a win from the wreckage of the series so far.

But after Rogers' escape Cook then dropped the most straightforward chance a first slip could want off David Warner with the score on 53, and although Ben Stokes had the opener caught behind when he had made 25, there was never any prospect of more following soon after.

Cook made some curious captaincy decisions - taking off his best bowler, Stuart Broad, after only two overs, giving occasional off-spinner Joe Root a spell before turning to his specialist option Monty Panesar - and had to watch several poor mis-fields as Watson went on the attack.

Rogers was caught behind off Panesar with 31 needed but Watson thumped away in muscular fashion, crashing 12 boundaries, while Clarke went past 8,000 Test runs with the target only a few big blows away.

The end came at just before 2.30pm on the fourth day when Watson hoisted Panesar over midwicket for four in front of a celebrating Bay 13.

In an Ashes that has brought daily disappointment for England, this was perhaps the most painful defeat of all.

The losses in the first three Tests were one-sided affairs, but here at the MCG they had been in apparent control and favourites for victory. Yet they found a way to lose, and it will take a performance far superior to anything they have found on tour to escape the whitewash in the New Year.

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Let Syrian refugees into UK - Farage

28 December 2013 Last updated at 23:11 ET

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Nigel Farage says the UK should honour its obligations under international law

The UK should take in some refugees from Syria's civil war, UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage has said.

He told BBC News that Western countries should agree to take an allocation, but he did not specify numbers.

Mr Farage, who has led opposition to allowing open immigration from Romania and Bulgaria in the new year, said refugees were "a very different thing".

The UK government is refusing to accept Syrian refugees, saying it is better to offer financial help.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

There is a responsibility on all of us in the free West to try and help some of those people fleeing Syria, literally in fear of their lives"

End Quote Nigel Farage

BBC political correspondent Arif Ansari said Mr Farage's call was likely to surprise many.

Mr Farage said: "I think refugees are a very different thing to economic migration and I think this country should honour the 1951 declaration on refugee status that was agreed.

"It was agreed with the UN and even through the European Court, which sadly has changed its role.

"But the original ideas of defining what a refugee is were good ones and I think, actually, there is a responsibility on all of us in the free West to try and help some of those people fleeing Syria, literally in fear of their lives."

'Miserably failing'

He said it was time for "a proper debate" about "the difference between a refugee - who fears for his or her life - or somebody moving simply for economic benefit".

While Mr Farage did not put a figure on the estimated nine million Syrians displaced by war who should be allowed into the UK, Labour wants to accept 400 to 500.

On Saturday, the leaders of Britain's three main political parties issued a joint statement backing a UN appeal to raise £4bn to help Syrian refugees.

David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg said the fate of a Syrian generation "hangs in the balance" with four million children caught up in the civil conflict.

The leaders said the UK would add to the £523m it had already committed and urged other nations to do the same.

Continue reading the main story

Where Syrian refugees are

• 838,000 in Lebanon
• 567,000 in Jordan
• 540,000 in Turkey
• 207,000 in Iraq
• 129,000 in Egypt
• 6.5 million others displaced inside Syria

(Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees)

The UK says its aid is providing support including food, medical care and relief items for people in Syria and to refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.

In a report released earlier this month, Amnesty International accused European Union leaders of "miserably failing" to provide a safe haven to Syrians.

Only 10 member states had offered to take in refugees and even then only 12,000, it complained.

Italy - like the UK - had offered no places at all, the organisation said.

More than 100,000 people are estimated to have been killed since the unrest began in Syria more than two years ago.

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North Sea rescue after fire on ferry

29 December 2013 Last updated at 02:51 ET

A number of crew members and passengers have been flown to hospital following a fire on board a ferry in the North Sea.

A passenger suspected of starting Saturday night's fire off the Yorkshire coast has been detained by ferry staff.

Operator DFDS said two passengers and four crew had been winched off the MS King Seaways - 30 miles off Flamborough Head - with "smoke-related injuries".

The ferry, which had 946 passengers and 127 crew, returned to North Shields, Tyneside, in the early hours.

Continue reading the main story

There was a lot of smoke - you could smell it"

End Quote Serge Chamuleau Passenger

Insp Andrew Dixon of Humberside Police said the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) had called them at about 23:00 GMT and had said a passenger was "believed to have set fire to a cabin".

"As a result of this incident, the person suspected of causing the fire, or the person from the cabin where the fire occurred - be it deliberate or accidental - has been detained by ship staff," he added.

Some 15 passengers and eight staff were checked onboard by a doctor, DFDS added in a statement.

It said the fire had started at about 22:45 GMT on Saturday but was extinguished within 15 minutes.

Serge Chamuleau and his family, from Arnhem in the Netherlands, were on board the ferry.

He told BBC News: "We first discovered about the fire when we heard a loud noise that kept going for 10 minutes or so.

"We got out of the cabin to check what was going on and we were told about the fire by another passenger. We got dressed and the alarm signal was given and we had to go outside.

"There was a lot of smoke - you could smell it."

Meanwhile, Gert Jakobsen - DFDS vice president - said the ferry had been boarded by police and fire investigators, who were speaking to crew members and passengers.

He said the investigation process meant passengers would not be able to disembark until about 08:00 GMT.

'Fairly calm'

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Katie Gellatly, from Humber Coastguard, explains how the rescue unfolded

The MCA said it would survey the vessel for any lasting damage.

The MCA's Jo Rawlings told BBC News that conditions for the rescue had been "fairly calm".

Those winched off the ferry had been airlifted to Scarborough and no-one was seriously injured, she said.

Helicopters from RAF Leconfield and RAF Boulmer were sent to the scene.

Sqn Ldr Dave Webster said that when the RAF had been called for assistance, it was initially thought 23 people would need to be winched to safety but that figure was later downgraded.

RAF crew had lifted those affected off the ferry within an hour.

Ferry operator DFDS Seaways runs a daily 17:00 GMT service from North Shields, arriving in Ijmuiden, the Netherlands, at 08:30 GMT (09:30 local time).

According to its website, the 26-year-old MS King Seaways has room for more than 1,500 passengers and 600 cars. It was renovated in 2006.

It offers entertainment including restaurants, bars, a nightclub and a casino.

Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.

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Smoking adverts highlight brain risk

29 December 2013 Last updated at 03:02 ET

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A new advert highlights the dangers of toxins in smoke

A new public health campaign in England is highlighting the toxic damage tobacco smoke does to vital organs such as the brain, as well as the lungs.

The TV adverts warn how smoke makes blood "dirty and thick with toxins" which then circulate in the body, increasing the risks of a stroke.

"If you could see the damage, you'd stop", say the adverts, aimed at encouraging smokers to quit.

Smokers are twice as likely to die of stroke as non-smokers.

Continue reading the main story

Health benefits of quitting

• After one year, your risk of a heart attack is half that of a smoker
• After five years, your risk of stroke is significantly reduced to the same as a lifetime non-smoker
• After 10 years, your risk of developing lung cancer falls to half that of a smoker

They are also at greater risk of developing memory problems and dementia.

The new campaign goes live on 30 December and offers support, advice and a range of tools for anyone looking to stop smoking.

'Not all doom'

Chief Medical Officer Prof Dame Sally Davies said: "We know about the serious affect smoking has on the heart and lungs but smokers need to be aware of how much potential damage is being done to the brain and other vital organs through toxins in cigarettes entering the blood.

"Smoking is the major cause of premature death, with one in two smokers dying prematurely from smoking-related diseases, and it is extremely worrying that people still underestimate the health harms associated with it.

Continue reading the main story

'Never start smoking'

Former smoker John Lee, who had a stroke at the age of 42 which paralysed his left side, told BBC News it had come "completely out of the blue".

"I had been playing golf in Portugal. I flew home, got in the shower, felt a bit light-headed and that was it.

"My twins were seven years old at the time... The children were devastated. It's really hard to explain the effect a stroke has.

It doesn't just affect you, it affects everyone around you.

"I was married at the time - since then my marriage has broken down, basically due to the stroke.

"The children have gone from having a dad that can run around and play football and do everything with them, to basically being able to do nothing.

"I would encourage anyone never to start smoking."

"However, it is not all doom and gloom for smokers looking to quit this New Year. Within five years of stopping smoking, your risk of stroke can be reduced to the same as a lifetime non-smoker."

Professor Kevin Fenton, national director for health and wellbeing for Public Health England, told BBC News: "Tar, arsenic, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide - these all have either effects that they can cause cancers or they can cause significant amounts of damage to the lining of blood vessels.

"We really want to draw attention to that toxic nature of cigarette smoke and the ways it can be dealt with - which are either to stop smoking or to switch to healthier nicotine delivery systems - for example nicotine patches etc."

Prof Fenton added more needed to be done to encourage people to quit smoking.

"That's why this campaign is so important - and doing it at the time of the New Year when people are making resolutions really will help to support many smokers to make that decision to quit."

Former smoker John Lee, who had a stroke at the age of 42 which paralysed his left side, told BBC News it had come "completely out of the blue" after he returned from playing golf in Portugal.

"The children have gone from having a Dad that can run around and play football and do everything with them, to basically being able to do nothing."

Around a quarter of adults in the UK smoke.

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Haass talks to resume in Belfast

28 December 2013 Last updated at 00:07 ET

Former US diplomat Richard Haass is due to host resumed talks in Belfast aimed at solving some of Northern Ireland's most contentious issues.

Talks by the main parties on parades, the flying of the union flag and the legacy of past violence broke up without agreement on Christmas Eve.

But Dr Haass's quick return has brought guarded optimism of potential progress.

He and Harvard professor Meghan O'Sullivan hope to help leaders reach agreement by New Year's Eve.

Continue reading the main story

• Master and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Oxford University
• Special assistant to US President George HW Bush from 1989 to 1993
• Principal adviser to US Secretary of State Colin Powell from 2001 to 2003
• Also President George W Bush's special envoy to Northern Ireland from 2001 to 2003
• Well acquainted with the political geography of Northern Ireland
• President of independent think-tank Council on Foreign Relations since 2003.

The pair, who were brought to Northern Ireland in July by the first and deputy first ministers, returned to the US for Christmas after talks broke up without agreement in the early hours on Christmas Eve.

Speaking at that time, Dr Haass said work done "politically and intellectually on contending the past is truly significant".

"I think also there has been important work done on the question of parading," he said.

"Yes, it's true that the work done on flags is quite disappointing by any measure but the other two areas, are I believe, quite impressive. I believe it would be a real shame not to turn that work into a reality.

"Let me be clear about this, we don't have an agreement. (But) in no way have we given up on the possibility of still reaching agreement before the end of the year."

Difficult issue

Tensions over flags were heightened in December 2012 when Belfast City Council voted to only fly the union flag from city hall and other council buildings on 18 designated days - previously it had flown continuously.

The decision was condemned by unionist politicians, and it sparked street protests, some of which were violent and led to the injury of more than 100 police officers.

BBC Ireland correspondent Chris Buckler said the parties seemed deadlocked over displaying flags and the issue was likely to be moved into a completely separate process.

Even with an extra few days of negotiation, achieving a deal on that particular issue would be a challenge, he added.

Dealing with the legacy and aftermath of Northern Ireland's Troubles is another difficult issue to resolve.

Unsolved murders

More than 3,500 people died during the Troubles, and in almost 3,300 cases there were no prosecutions.

A Historical Enquiries Team (HET) was set up to investigate unsolved Troubles murders, but has itself proved controversial.

All political parties agree that the rights and feelings of victims should be at the centre of any process.

What the process should be, and exactly how a victim is defined, however, have proved almost impossible to agree.

Parades meanwhile, are usually connected to the unionist, or Protestant, community.

Most are organised by the Orange Order or other religious/cultural organisations, and the majority are not contentious.

But those that pass by, or through, nationalist areas, can be controversial.

Many nationalists feel that parading is an expression of historic unionist domination over nationalists in Northern Ireland.

Sinn Fein, the largest nationalist party, says that it does not seek to stop loyalists parading through nationalist areas, but that it should only happen after dialogue between marchers and residents.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams has said of the Christmas talks that "progress was made and agreement is possible".

Ulster Unionist Party leader Mike Nesbitt has said his party "accepts the ongoing challenge of seeking a fair and agreed outcome to the Haas talks".

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Ban smacking, children's tsar urges

28 December 2013 Last updated at 00:22 ET

Parents should be banned from smacking children, the Children's Commissioner for England, Maggie Atkinson, has said.

She told the Independent the law gave pets and adults more rights to protection from violence than children.

There was a legal "loophole around the fact that you can physically chastise your child", she added.

She called for a total ban under which parents could face criminal action. But she said that actively campaigning for a ban would not be a priority.

Under current laws, mild smacking is allowed but any which causes visible bruising, grazes, scratches, swellings or cuts is not.

Continue reading the main story

Child smacking and the law

• UK parents have not been explicitly prohibited from smacking their children.
• The 2004 Children's Act removed the defence of "reasonable chastisement" in England and Wales for any punishment towards a child that leads to bruising, swelling, cuts, grazes or scratches.
• Any adult found guilty of breaking the law may face up to five years in jail.
• Similar laws exist in Scotland and Northern Ireland
• Physical punishment is prohibited in all maintained and full-time independent schools, in children's homes, in local authority foster homes and Early Years provision.

Ms Atkinson told the paper: "Personally, having been a teacher, and never having had an issue where I'd need to use physical punishment, I believe we should move to ban it.

"Because in law you are forbidden from striking another adult, and from physically chastising your pets, but somehow there is a loophole around the fact that you can physically chastise your child. It's counter-evidential."

She said it was "a moral issue" and "taken to its extreme, physical chastisement is actually physical abuse".

She had never understood "where you can draw the line between one and the other" and it was "better that it were not permitted", she added.

But she said her office would not be campaigning for a ban next year "because there's a lot of other things in the queue".

A government spokeswoman told the paper that, while ministers did not "condone violence towards children", they did not "wish to criminalise parents for issuing a mild smack".

The NSPCC has said evidence is building that smacking is "ineffective and harmful to children".

"There are more positive ways to discipline children and a clear message that hitting anyone is not right would benefit all of society," a spokesman said.

'Middle-class legislators'

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

I don't hanker for the days when children were severely beaten at school"

End Quote Justice Secretary Chris Grayling

Earlier this year, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling told the Mail on Sunday he smacked his own children when they were young and defended the right of parents to smack their children.

The Conservative minister, who has two grown-up children, told the paper: "You chastise children when they are bad, as my parents did me.

"I'm not opposed to smacking. It is to be used occasionally.

"Sometimes it sends a message - but I don't hanker for the days when children were severely beaten at school."

And last year, Labour MP David Lammy said parents should be allowed to smack their children without the fear of facing jail.

The MP for Tottenham told a Mumsnet webchat that politicians should spend less time telling parents what to do.

He said it was "too easy for middle-class legislators to be far removed from the realities of the typical single mum".

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England face defeat after collapse

Fourth Test, Melbourne (day three, close)

England 255 & 179 v Australia 204 & 30-0 - (Aus need 231 to win)

Match scorecard

Australia need 201 more runs with all 10 wickets still in hand to win the fourth Test and move within a match of a series whitewash after another horrible day for England.

Looking to build on a first-innings lead of 51, England twice lost three wickets for one run and tossed away their last five for just six runs in a lame batting display.

Only Alastair Cook (51) and Kevin Pietersen (49) made significant contributions as four batsmen fell for ducks in a total of just 179, leaving Australia to make 231 for their fourth win of this one-sided Ashes series.

Analysis

"This day promised a great deal for English cricket but finished really disappointingly. I feel very dejected after feeling this was England's best chance to win for a long time.

"I'd like to be in the dressing room telling them what I think. They think they're better than they are, they've won three series against ordinary Australian sides and they think they're world beaters."

By the close David Warner and Chris Rogers had added an unbeaten 30 with minimal discomfort to further dampen English expectations that had been so high after Friday's second day.

No team has ever successfully chased more than 183 in the fourth innings to win a Test here since drop-in pitches were introduced 17 years ago.

But the pitch remains good and England will have to bowl better than they have all winter if they are to snatch their first victory since last August.

Given the match situation this may have been the most wasteful day of the sorry series as Nathan Lyon took 5-50 with minimal turn and Mitchell Johnson made it 31 wickets in the series.

Australia had added a brisk 40 runs for the last wicket to take their first innings to 204, Brad Haddin the last man out for another invaluable rearguard, this time of 65, to give him a series average of exactly the same.

No wicketkeeper has ever scored more runs in an Ashes series, and with Lyon's unbeaten 18 it threatened to do more than merely irritate England.

Stats of the day

• If Australia win it would be the ninth highest Test run chase at the MCG and the highest since 1963
• Alastair Cook became the sixth England batsman to reach 8,000 Test runs
• At 29 years and 3 days, he beat Sachin Tendulkar by 21 days to become the youngest player to 8,000
• Mitchell Johnson became the first player to take 30 or more wickets in any Test series since Shane Warne in 2005 and the first to do it in Australia since Craig McDermott in 1994/95
• After his fourth half-century of the series, Brad Haddin beat Alec Stewart's record of 378 for the most runs by a wicketkeeper in an Ashes series
• Nathan Lyon reached 100 Test wickets in his 29th match and took his first five-wicket haul against England
• Lyon's average of 23 when batting at number 11 is the highest in Tests for those who have played at least 20 innings

Cook set off at a clip, driving and cutting nicely to race along at almost a run a ball as he became the youngest man in Test history to pass 8,000 Test runs.

Michael Carberry, by contrast, was rendered almost strokeless, stuck for 36 balls on just one, but it was his captain who was first to go when he had made 51 of the pair's 65.

Johnson found some late in-swing from over the wicket and Cook, back in his crease, was stuck halfway up his static front leg to be lbw.

Joe Root almost followed two balls later only to be reprieved when his review ruled that he had not edged behind

England, however, failed to press home that kind advantage. First Carberry's troubled innings ended on 12 when he was trapped lbw by Peter Siddle, and then Root gambled on a quick single only for Johnson at mid off to throw down the stumps in brilliant fashion.

It was to get worse. To the very first ball he faced Ian Bell simply pushed a straight ball from Lyon up in the air and into Johnson's hands at mid off, meaning England had lost three wickets for just one run.

With the lead just 138 Pietersen and Ben Stokes then batted with commendable calm as the afternoon sun kicked in to weary the Australian attack.

Stokes had looked comfortable but then decided to take Lyon on and instead holed out to Steve Smith at a deepish mid off for 19 with the score on 131.

Analysis

"Brilliant day from Australia. I can't imagine what's going to be said among the England team tonight. There's still a possibility England could cause a shock, they certainly could get the 10 wickets, but whatever happens this batting needs to be looked at, you can't keep throwing wickets away."

Fortunately for England at least Pietersen was playing with both control and class, neither slogging nor getting strangled.

In partnership with Jonny Bairstow - who got off the mark with a straight six off Lyon - he took the score to 173 and a lead of 224 before recent history repeated itself to miserable effect.

Bairstow chased a full, wide one from Johnson to be caught behind for 21, and as another huge crowd at the MCG roared their team on, the remaining four wickets followed in rapid and often bewildering fashion.

Tim Bresnan tried to pull Lyon and was bowled for a nine-ball 0, Stuart Broad aimed a big drive at his third ball to be caught at slip in the same over and then Pietersen, running out of options, attacked the off-spinner and perished to a fine steepling catch from Ryan Harris running back at mid off.

Monty Panesar could do nothing to keep Johnson's fast straight delivery at bay, and from a position of strength England had once again handed the advantage to their opponents.

Neither Rogers nor Warner looked in any difficultly in the half-hour they faced before the close, and Australia will be confident that they can close the match out on Sunday to go to Sydney with a second 5-0 whitewash in three Ashes series down under within their grasp.

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Party leaders unite for Syria appeal

28 December 2013 Last updated at 03:11 ET

The leaders of Britain's three main political parties have issued a joint statement urging more support for refugees fleeing Syria's civil war.

David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg said four million children were caught up in the civil conflict.

The three leaders threw their support behind a United Nations appeal to raise £4 billion to help Syrian refugees.

They said the fate of a Syrian generation "hangs in the balance" with more than nine million affected.

The leaders said Britain will add to £523m it has already committed and urged other nations to follow suit.

"More than nine million people in Syria are suffering this Christmas, in desperate need of our help," the statement by the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat leaders said.

"Four million of them are children - the equivalent of every primary school pupil in England. This is an urgent humanitarian issue that transcends the differences of party politics," it added.

'New Year's resolution'

"Our country has a long history of helping those in dire need. As a nation, we have already given £523m - including many generous donations from members of the public. But even more is needed to cope with the scale of the suffering.

"The UN has recently launched a new call for £4 billion - the largest appeal in its history. Britain will give more - and we urge other nations to do the same."

The political leaders also called on all sides in the conflict, which broke out in March 2011, to guarantee humanitarian access to ensure aid reached those who needed it.

"The fate of an entire generation of children hangs in the balance. We must all do everything we can to help them. There is no better New Year's resolution."

David Bull, the UK executive director of the UN children's charity Unicef, welcomed the statement.

"Without the right supplies - clean water and warm blankets and clothes, vaccines and medicines - cold conditions could be fatal, especially for babies and young children," he said.

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Power company to boost storm payouts

28 December 2013 Last updated at 03:27 ET

One of Britain's biggest power distributors says it will increase compensation payments to customers who lost power in the Christmas Eve storm.

UK Power Networks - which says around 2,000 homes in Kent, Surrey and Sussex are still cut off - will increase payments from £27 to £75.

More than 30 flood warnings remain in place for England and Wales, as well as 17 in Scotland.

Landslips in Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire are hitting rail services.

UK Power Networks (UKPN), which owns electricity lines and cables in London, the South East and East of England, said it will almost triple its compensation for those affected by long-term power cuts.

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It said power was initially interrupted to more than 300,000 customers when high winds struck on Tuesday night.

On Friday night 1,132 properties in Kent, more than 225 in Surrey and nearly 400 in Sussex were still without power, it said.

The company said that as a "gesture of goodwill" it would raise the industry-standard payment from £27 to £75 for people without power for 48-60 hours including Christmas Day.

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The Christmas barbecue

Barbara Brown, from Haywards Heath in West Sussex, said her electricity went off on Monday night.

Looking on the bright side, she said her family was "lucky" because they had "time to plan" for cooking Christmas dinner without an oven.

Putting up a tarpaulin to keep their makeshift outdoor kitchen dry, they used two camping gas stoves, a charcoal barbecue and a gas barbecue to make the meal.

"We put the turkey on a barbecue with a lid and tried to pretend to roast it with charcoal," Mrs Brown said.

"We boiled our potatoes and parsnips then tried to brown them by frying them. We couldn't boil the Christmas pudding though because we didn't want to use the gas."

Her verdict on the meal? It was "fine" - in fact it was "very nice".

But the power is still off and - despite her ingenuity - Mrs Brown admitted life by candlelight was "wearing thin".

It said additional payments will be made to customers who have been without electricity for longer than that time - up to a maximum of £432.

Director of customer services Matt Rudling said: "This is such a difficult time of year for people to be without power and so many families have also been flooded out of their homes.

"Our hearts go out to our customers and we have been trying different ways to help them, from arranging Christmas dinners to providing more help and tools on our website."

Northern Ireland Electricity warned around 1,300 homes in isolated areas may remain without electricity overnight after winds gusted up to 75mph.

Caroline St Clare Grondona, from Chiddingfold in Surrey, said power firm SSE had been "useless" since her power was cut off on Monday.

"They are providing no information and we are not even appearing on their list of homes without power," she said.

"The fridge and freezer have defrosted so there is a lot of thawed out food. Christmas Day was spent with my sister but since then we've been stuck at home."

An SSE spokesman said 800 homes in its area of southern England were still cut off - mostly in "rural pockets" - and staff would keep working until all were reconnected.

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A resident of Yalding complains to David Cameron about the fact she still does not have electricity

Prime Minister David Cameron was confronted by a flood victim as he visited Yalding, in Kent on Friday, where homes have been damaged.

Resident Ericka Olivares criticised the response of the power firms and local authority: "We still have no electric. We need electric. As I say the council, from Monday we have been trying to contact them, but they have all decided to go on their holidays. Nothing."

Mr Cameron said the severity of flooding in the area made it difficult to ensure homes were protected, but "we have got to do more and we have got to do better".

The leader of Kent County Council, Paul Carter, defended the way the crisis had been handled.

"Today there'll be further skips coming in, I'm surrounded by UK Power Network vans at this moment in time, desperate to get the last remaining part of the village back on electricity.

"But generally the whole of the emergency planning operation has worked exceptionally well, in my view, over the last three or four days."

He added: "It would be nice to have extra money from central government to build some proper flood defences for this part of the country and the county of Kent."

Rail problems

Robin Gisby, managing director of network operations at Network Rail, said this week "has been one of the most challenging periods we have faced in recent times".

The line between Petersfield and Haslemere will be closed until at least 6 January after being blocked by four landslips near Liphook, South West Trains said. Buses will replace trains.

The track at Ockley between Horsham and Dorking is also closed following a serious landslip.

BBC weather forecaster Matt Taylor said the weather is due to be much calmer over the weekend with lighter winds and more sunshine.

But there will be showers in northern Scotland and in the south of Wales.

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