Poverty blights elite education path

30 June 2014 Last updated at 01:13 By Pippa Stephens Reporter, BBC News

A child's background can be a bigger deciding factor than their academic ability in how likely they are to get into top universities, says research.

Around 2,000 of the "brightest poorest" children miss out on places at "top universities", a study suggests.

Research into 520,984 children found even the highest performers lose out to less able, better-off pupils if they come from a more deprived background.

The study showed "how unfair" the former system was, the government said.

Academics at the Institute for Fiscal Studies looked at 8,000 children who had been high-achieving at 11 in primary school.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

The research is a wake-up call for secondary schools to do more to realise the potential of each of these students"

End Quote Alan Milburn Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission

Britain 'wasting talent'

By the age of 16, these children were behind average achievers from wealthy families, said the research, published by the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission.

Nine hundred of the 8,000 high-achieving children went on to an elite university, according to the work, which looked at a cohort of children born between 1991 and 1992.

A child's background was measured by the school type, free school meal status during secondary school and an index of socioeconomic status measuring the deprivation of their neighbourhood.

Three times the number of children who are least deprived reach level 3 in reading and maths at Key Stage 1 than the most deprived children.

The commission, chaired by former Labour MP Alan Milburn, said the research showed how important secondary school was if the government wants to boost the number of children from poorer backgrounds at elite universities.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Improving the life chances of children from disadvantaged backgrounds... is our overriding ambition"

End Quote Spokesperson Department for Education

It called for universities and policymakers to give students from poorer backgrounds advice to help them get into the top institutions.

Mr Milburn said Britain was "wasting young talent on an industrial scale".

He said the young high-achievers were getting lost in a "secondary school maze" that must be improved before social mobility could improve.

"For secondary schools the research is a wake-up call for them to do more to realise the potential of each of these students," he added.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "This report, analysing the progress of pupils who largely left school before 2010, underlines just how unfair the education system was before this government's programme of reforms.

"Improving the life chances of children from disadvantaged backgrounds and closing the gap between the rich and the poor is our overriding ambition."

She said there were now 250,000 fewer pupils in failing secondary schools than there were in 2010 and that more young people from disadvantaged areas in England were applying to university "than ever before".

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Flexible working rights extended

30 June 2014 Last updated at 07:12

Every employee now has the right to request flexible working hours after the government extended the right previously reserved for carers and those looking after children.

As part of the right, employees can expect their request to be considered "in a reasonable manner" by employers.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said 20 million people now had the right to ask to work flexibly.

Unions and employment groups welcomed the move.

The change in the law, which affects everyone with more than six months' service, comes less than a week after the government said it would ban employers from stopping staff with zero-hours contracts - under which employees' hours are not guaranteed - seeking extra work elsewhere.

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"All the evidence shows that it is good for the individuals... but also that it boosts the productivity"

'Morale boost'

The government expects the extension of flexible working rights to be of particular interest to older workers approaching retirement and to young workers looking for additional training while they work.

"Modern businesses know that flexible working boosts productivity and staff morale, and helps them keep their top talent so that they can grow," said Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

"It's about time we brought working practices bang up-to-date with the needs, and choices, of our modern families."

The Chartered Institute of Personnel Development said the change in the law was recognition of the growing importance of flexible working for both employees and employers.

"Employers increasingly recognise the strong business case for flexible working, including enhanced employee engagement and the attraction and retention of a more diverse workforce," said the institute's chief executive Susannah Clements.

The TUC welcomed the move, but said more needed to be done to ensure that employees' requests were given fair consideration.

"When you make a flexible working request you also need a fair hearing, so we should improve things further by giving people a right to challenge an employer's reason for rejecting a request," said the TUC's general secretary Frances O'Grady.

'Negative dynamic'

Many businesses already offer flexible working to their staff.

"We know from our own membership that more than three quarters of our members offer flexible working but there will be a small number of small businesses who just will not be able to do that, whether it's through cost or just from balancing their teams," Liesl Smith from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) told the BBC.

The FSB has expressed concerns about the additional administrative burden the right to request flexible working might place on small businesses.

It has said the right could introduce a "negative dynamic" into the workplace, particularly in the case of unsuccessful requests.

Will you be requesting to work flexible hours? If you are an employer, how would flexible working affect your business? You can send your comments to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the title 'flexible hours' in the subject heading.

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Unite funding pledge for Labour

30 June 2014 Last updated at 08:18

The general secretary of Unite - the UK's biggest trade union - is to offer financial support to Labour in the run-up to next year's general election.

Len McCluskey will tell the union's national conference that Labour offers the chance to improve jobs and reverse privatisation of health services.

The union has had a series of rows with Labour, but says the party needs enough money to end "mindless austerity".

The Conservatives called it the "same old Labour", dominated by unions.

Unite was one of a number of trade unions that were unhappy with reforms to the historic link with the Labour Party.

In April this year, Mr McCluskey warned Labour leader Ed Miliband - who introduced trade union reforms - that Unite could break its links with Labour if the party lost the next election.

He told reporters he could see the union voting to disaffiliate from a defeated Labour if it ceased to be the voice of working people.

However, in his speech to union members in Liverpool he is expected to say that he believes Labour needs to have enough funding to mount a strong campaign against the Conservative in May 2015's general election.

Writing in the Morning Star, Mr McCluskey said: "For our UK members, there can be no doubt that if a Tory government is returned to power in 2015, the mindless austerity that the coalition has inflicted upon our people will be but child's play; they have worse in store."

'Brave politics'

Mr McCluskey said the 2015 election "will shape our destiny more than any other in recent times", adding that Labour "now has to decide which side of the divide it chooses to stand on".

"Ed Miliband has started on this, taking on the fuel price racket, promising a new era of housebuilding, a living wage to lift people out of poverty and social care fit for our elderly," he wrote.

However, he said nothing less than "bold, brave policies that will restore trust and fairness to our battered nation will be acceptable".

Unite is Labour's biggest donor but announced plans to cut the amount it pays the party in affiliation fees by half - to £1.5m - following reforms to the Labour-union funding link.

Mr Miliband's proposals for a "one member, one vote" system for leadership elections and an end to the automatic affiliation of union members were approved at a conference of party members this year.

The union has also been involved in rows with the party over allegations of the rigging of a Labour candidate selection by Unite in Falkirk, central Scotland, as well as Labour's support for public sector pay restraint.

Unite is also set to reveal whether its 70,000 members in local government in Wales, England and Northern Ireland have voted to take industrial action over pay.

The Unison and GMB unions have already held strike ballots, with members voting in favour of a one-day strike on 10 July in protest at a pay offer worth 1% for most workers.

Members of several major unions - including council workers, school support staff and teachers - have already voted to strike on 10 July.

More than a million public sector workers could walk out as part of a protest over government policy on cutting public sector costs and jobs.

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Job fears worry some black children

30 June 2014 Last updated at 09:22

About one in five black children believe their skin colour could damage their job prospects, research for BBC's Newsround programme suggests.

This figure compares with 2% of white children and 13% of Asian origin who are concerned over their skin colour.

The survey of 1,600 eight to 14-year-olds involved 276 black children, 640 white children and 711 from other ethnic minorities.

David Lammy MP said more intellectual black role models were needed.

And the survey said less than three quarters of white children aspired to attend university, in comparison with nine out of 10 black children.

Other results from the survey included:

• 21% of black children felt their skin colour would make it harder to succeed in the future
• 40% of black children thought their teachers would describe them as clever, compared with 46% of white children, 39% of Asian and 47% of mixed or other origins
• 25% of white children, 30% of black children and 24% of Asian children said they wanted to be a footballer when they were older
• 27% of black youngsters and 21% who were white said they wanted to be a musician or rapper

One child from a London school told Newsround's reporter Ayshah Tull that "this generation is still being judged and stereotyped, so it's going to be difficult for us to do what we want to do when we're older".

Another said: "I've got black, white, mixed race friends. We live in a world where some people [care about skin colour] but the people I hang out with, they wouldn't care what colour your skin is".

Mr Lammy, Labour MP for Tottenham and a former higher education minister, also said universities should be looking at the backgrounds of applicants as part of their selection process.

"It is patently obvious that if you're on the 15th floor of tower block in London and you manage to get an A and 2 Bs, despite sharing two bedrooms with seven brothers and sisters and having just a single mum, that you are as bright as that child from Chelsea who's had the benefit of tutoring since they were four, who's been to a prep school and then a wonderful public school and got 3 A*s," he added.

British film director Steve McQueen, who directed the Oscar-winning film 12 Years A Slave, said the situation surrounding black children was "upsetting".

"When I was at school myself there was this situation where black children were not deemed as intelligent or deemed to be able to go on to do anything of any real purpose. The circle has to be broken, it's upsetting to think that it hasn't.

"It's about belief, filling people's lungs with ambition and possibilities.

"When you narrow people's possibilities then they become narrow, when you widen their possibilities they become open and giving them the idea that things are possible, because it's the truth."

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UK leaving EU 'would be bad news'

30 June 2014 Last updated at 09:32

The vice president of the European Commission has said "it would be very bad news" if the UK left the EU.

Joaquin Almunia also predicted that David Cameron would be able to work with the in-coming European Commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker.

He told the BBC Mr Juncker was "a committed pro-European" but also "a pragmatic politician" and the UK "was an important member of the EU".

The PM faces MPs later, after failing to stop Mr Juncker's appointment.

The prime minister forced a vote of EU states on Friday on the selection of Mr Juncker - but lost it 26-2.

In Monday's Daily Telegraph, the PM said he would "work with" Mr Juncker, adding: "There is business we can do."

He said he was still determined to renegotiate the UK-EU relationship and then put the changes to a referendum on whether the UK should stay in, or leave, the EU - but accepted that was now "harder".

And defending his decision to demand Friday's vote, he said he was right to stand up for the principle that the president of the European Council should be chosen by "consensus".

"Sometimes it is possible to be isolated and to be right," he added.

Only Britain and Hungary voted to block the appointment of Mr Juncker, a former prime minister of Luxembourg, who is seen as a backer of closer political union in the EU.

'Benefit of the doubt'

Although Germany was on the opposite side over Mr Juncker, its finance minister told the Financial Times a British exit from the EU was "unimaginable" and "absolutely not acceptable".

Wolfgang Schauble said his country would do everything in its power to keep Britain in the union

"Clearly, we have in many economic questions and regulatory questions a broad consensus," he said.

"Historically, politically, democratically, culturally, Great Britain is entirely indispensable for Europe."

Mr Cameron is likely to face criticism from Labour in the Commons later.

Labour leader Ed Miliband has said the PM's strategy "totally failed", and shadow chancellor Ed Balls said the bid to block Mr Juncker's appointment was a "catastrophe for Britain and the British national interest".

'Fair deal'

But the Labour ex-European Commissioner Lord Mandelson, who met Mr Juncker in Berlin last week, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We should give him the benefit of the doubt.

"He explicitly said he does not advocate a united states of Europe - he's not a green-eyed federalist minister as some in Britain have portrayed him.

"Mr Juncker has the experience and the knowledge to be an effective president of the European Commission."

But prominent Conservative Eurosceptic MP David Davis said while Mr Juncker was a "bad candidate", Mr Cameron had to turn his opposition to the EC president into a "tactical advantage" to secure constitutional changes that allow Britain to protect "our national interests".

Mr Cameron phoned Mr Juncker on Sunday, "congratulated" him on his new job and they spoke about a "fair deal for Britain", a Downing Street spokesman said.

In his article on the situation, the PM said: "If by a fair deal, we can agree that we are not heading, at different speeds, to the same place - as some have assumed up to now - then there is business we can do."

He said further integration in Europe was "inevitable" - and he did not oppose it - but the UK wanted "no part of it".

Britain still had allies in the EU and Friday's vote was not a "fatal blow to our renegotiation strategy in Europe", he said.

"I do not deny that it has made the task harder and the stakes higher," Mr Cameron added

"But it is not in our nature as a country to give up."

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Labour in £30bn local funding plan

29 June 2014 Last updated at 05:31

Ed Miliband has said Labour would transfer £30bn of funding from central to local government to "begin reversing a century of centralisation".

The party is set to unveil a range of new policies, and writing in the Sunday Times Mr Miliband also said he wanted a quarter of government contracts to go to small and medium-sized firms.

Meanwhile Labour's Jon Cruddas has been recorded calling party plans "cynical".

Labour said Mr Miliband and Mr Cruddas shared a commitment to "radical" ideas.

Writing about the party's plans, Mr Miliband said he would unveil a report about growth by Labour peer Lord Adonis next week.

He said the report "recommends transferring £30bn of funding to city and county regions over the course of the next Parliament".

"This is just one of many ideas he has to nurture skills, help small businesses thrive and ensure innovation flourishes," he added.

He concluded that Labour's plans were not about "big spending" but rather "big reform".

'Cynical nuggets'

Criticism of Labour's policies have come from Mr Cruddas - a Labour MP and also co-ordinator of the party's policy review.

In a recording of a talk he gave to the think tank Compass last weekend, he expressed frustration at what he saw as the crushing of complicated ideas about policy into pithy, media-friendly soundbites.

He said "cynical nuggets of policy" which "chime with focus groups" were being prioritised by the party over "innovation or creativity".

BBC political correspondent Chris Mason said it was not the first time Mr Cruddas had "wondered aloud" about party policy.

"He doesn't mention Ed Miliband by name - and has praised his leadership in recent days," our correspondent said.

"But he contrasted what he saw as the vitality of ideas he heard from activists around the country with what he called the 'profound dead hand at the centre [of the party]'."

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Interest rates 'could return to 5%'

29 June 2014 Last updated at 03:01

Interest rates could rise to 5% in "the very long term", a senior Bank of England figure has said.

Sir Charlie Bean, deputy governor for monetary policy, called it "reasonable" to think rates would return to pre-recession levels in 10 years or more.

The rate was cut when the financial crisis hit the UK from 2007, and it has remained at 0.5% since March 2009.

Bank of England governor Mark Carney has said it could now rise, possibly to a "new normal" of 2.5% by 2017.

'Gradual and limited'

In an interview with Sky News, Sir Charlie, who will step down from his Bank of England role on Monday, was asked if the interest rate could return to 5% within 10 years.

"That may well be so. I wouldn't want to say it will be back there in 10 years," he said.

"It might be reasonable to think that in that very long term you would go back to 5% but it's probably quite a long way down the road."

He also said that in the run-up to the financial crisis, economists were "not sufficiently cognisant of the risks building up".

But he said the economy was now far more resilient than when he arrived at the central bank in 2000.

On Friday Mr Carney said that any interest rate rises in the coming years would be done in a "gradual and limited fashion".

He said UK household debt levels had altered the financial system, and increasing interest rates would have more impact on household spending than in the past.

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England fan's ear 'bitten off'

28 June 2014 Last updated at 22:26

An England football supporter had a piece of his ear bitten off by another England fan at the World Cup in Brazil.

The assault happened during England's match against Uruguay in Sao Paulo on 19 June, British police deployed to the tournament have said.

Local officers started an investigation after the fan made a complaint but the assailant has not been identified.

Confirmation of the incident came after radio pundit Stan Collymore tweeted he had seen footage of a "fan attacked".

Six police British police officers have travelled to Brazil for the tournament. Their role is to to offer support and advice to Brazilian police and local authorities as well as overseeing the thousands of England fans who travelled to the country.

The Association of Chief Police Officers issued a statement following former Liverpool and Nottingham Forest striker Collymore's tweet.

Chief Supt Rachel Barber said her officers were made aware during the match "that an incident had taken place which resulted in an England fan having a portion of his ear bitten off by another England fan".

She added: "In the immediate aftermath, we managed to make contact with the victim and offered advice and support. The day after the attack, the victim chose to make a formal complaint to the local police, and they opened an investigation.

"During the course of our pursuit of the assailant, we located and interviewed several witnesses. They were very helpful in giving their version of events, but, unfortunately they were unable to give us a name for the alleged attacker."

She said officers observed supporters at England's final match against Costa Rica on 24 June in Belo Horizonte "but it appears he did not travel to that game".

"Efforts are ongoing to identify the suspect and bring him to justice either in the UK or, if possible, back in Brazil where the offence occurred," she added.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware of an incident in Sao Paulo on June 19 involving a British national and we provided consular assistance."

England lost the Uruguay match 2-1 after two goals from Luis Suarez, who found himself in trouble with football's world governing body Fifa for biting an Italian player in a later match.

The result effectively ended England's chances of qualifying from the group stage of the World Cup and their early departure from Brazil was confirmed when Costa Rica beat Italy the following day.

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Britain should stay in EU, CBI says

29 June 2014 Last updated at 01:59

The success of the UK economy depends on staying in the EU, the head of the country's biggest business group says.

Confederation of British Industry (CBI) director general John Cridland told the Observer EU membership supported jobs, growth and the UK's "competitiveness".

His comments come after Prime Minister David Cameron lost a vote on the next president of the European Commission.

He tried to block the appointment of Jean-Claude Juncker, who is seen as a backer of closer political union.

EU states voted 26-2 to appoint Mr Juncker on Friday, and Mr Cameron called it a "bad day for Europe".

Mr Cameron wants to renegotiate Britain's position in the EU before holding a referendum on membership after the next general election.

'Fundamental'

Some Conservative MPs believe Britain should leave the EU, and on Friday Tory MEP Daniel Hannan proposed a "Swiss-type deal where we are only in the free market and we are outside everything else".

But Mr Cridland opposed this, saying: "Alternatives to full membership of the EU simply wouldn't work, leaving us beholden to its rules without being able to influence them."

He said the CBI, which lobbies the government on behalf of businesses, would "continue to press the case for the UK remaining in a reformed European Union".

"The EU is our biggest export market and remains fundamental to our economic future," he said.

"Our membership supports jobs, drives growth and boosts our international competitiveness."

After Friday's European vote Labour leader Ed Miliband said the UK was now "closer to the exit door" in Europe, posing a threat to the economy, and UKIP leader Nigel Farage said Mr Cameron had been "utterly humiliated".

But Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Mr Cameron had been "brave" to take on Europe and said the debate had now changed.

The leaders of Sweden and Germany offered the PM some encouragement after the vote.

Swedish PM Fredrik Reinfeldt said he knew closer union was not "for everyone", and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "ready to address British concerns".

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Prince 'wanted more grammar schools'

29 June 2014 Last updated at 07:21

The Prince of Wales tried to persuade Tony Blair's government to expand grammar schools, former education secretary David Blunkett has said.

In a BBC Radio 4 documentary examining the constitutional role of the prince, Mr Blunkett said Prince Charles "didn't like" it when his request was refused.

He discussed complementary medicine and climate with other Labour ministers.

Meanwhile, former prime minister Sir John Major revealed he changed policies after discussing them with the Queen.

Mr Blunkett is one of three former cabinet ministers interviewed for the documentary, The Royal Activist.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

If you are waiting to be the king of the United Kingdom... you genuinely have to engage with something or you'd go spare"

End Quote David Blunkett

'Constantly frustrated'

Recalling his conversations, Mr Blunkett, who was education secretary for four years between 1997 and 2001, said: "I would explain that our policy was not to expand grammar schools, and he didn't like that.

"He was very keen that we should go back to a different era where youngsters had what he would have seen as the opportunity to escape from their background, whereas I wanted to change their background."

"I can see constitutionally that there's an argument that the heir to the throne should not get involved in controversy; the honest truth is I didn't mind," added Mr Blunkett.

"If you are waiting to be the king of the United Kingdom, and you've waited a very long time, you genuinely have to engage with something or you'd go spare."

But Graham Smith, chief executive of the group Republic which campaigns for the abolition of the monarchy, said it was wrong for any member of the Royal Family to try to shape the decisions of the elected.

"The deal with the monarchy is that the royals stay out of politics completely and these revelations just kind of prove what we've been saying all along which is that they are involving themselves, influencing public policy and that is completely unacceptable in a democratic society," Mr Smith said.

Former environment minister Michael Meacher recalled that he and the Prince "would consort together quietly" to affect policy on climate change and genetically modified crops.

He said they worked together "to try and ensure that we increased our influence within government".

"I knew that he largely agreed with me and he knew that I largely agreed with him," said Mr Meacher. "We were together in trying to persuade Tony Blair to change course."

Asked if there might be a constitutional problem in the Prince taking a political opinion, Mr Meacher replied: "Well, over GM I suppose you could well say that. Maybe he was pushing it a bit. I was delighted, of course."

Prince Charles has been a well-known supporter of complementary medicine. According to another former Labour cabinet minister, Peter Hain, it was a topic they shared an interest in.

"He had been constantly frustrated at his inability to persuade any health ministers anywhere that that was a good idea, and so he, as he once described it to me, found me unique from this point of view, in being somebody that actually agreed with him on this, and might want to deliver it."

Mr Hain added: "When I was Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in 2005-7, he was delighted when I told him that since I was running the place I could more or less do what I wanted to do.

"I was able to introduce a trial for complementary medicine on the NHS, and it had spectacularly good results, that people's well-being and health was vastly improved.

"And when he learnt about this he was really enthusiastic and tried to persuade the Welsh government to do the same thing and the government in Whitehall to do the same thing for England, but not successfully," added Mr Hain.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

I can recall occasions where the Queen in discussion put a gloss upon something that made one think and reflect upon whether it was being done in the right fashion"

End Quote Sir John Major

The Prince's policy interventions are also supported by Sir John Major.

The former prime minister said: "I think it is encouraging that the Prince of Wales is entirely free from his unique perspective to write to ministers or the prime minister in a way that is invariably intended to be helpful, and I think to cut that off, or to make sure those letters are much more bland than they otherwise might be, would be a loss."

Sir John also revealed that he occasionally changed policy as a result of discussions with the Queen - although he would not be drawn on the specific times this took place.

Asked if he remembered being influenced by the Queen, Sir John said : "I think every prime minister can think that, and can think of occasions where that happened...

"But the answer is yes of course. It would be very foolish indeed not to be influenced."

"I can recall occasions where the Queen in discussion put a gloss upon something that made one think and reflect upon whether it was being done in the right fashion at the right time, or perhaps reflect upon what the impact of it would be," Sir John said.

The Royal Activist is broadcast on BBC Radio 4 at 13:30 BST on Sunday, 29 June.

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Bedtimes set for young offenders

28 June 2014 Last updated at 08:24

All young offenders will face strict bedtimes for the first time, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has announced.

From August, 15-17 year-olds in young offenders institutions in England will have to be in their cells with the lights out by 22:30.

Mr Grayling said enforcing the blanket policy across all five YOIs would give teenagers more structure.

Critics say the government should be focusing on more important prison reform issues.

Continue reading the main story

A new lights out policy will only exacerbate the problem of overuse of physical restraint in the youth secure estate "

End Quote Juliet Lyon Prison Reform Trust

Mr Grayling said it was "crucial that young people, most of whom have had chaotic and troubled lives, finally get the discipline so badly needed to help turn their lives around".

"In some prisons young people are allowed to go to bed when they please," he claimed.

"I don't think that is right. Stopping this inconsistency and introducing a strict lights-out policy is all part of our approach to addressing youth offending. Those who fail to comply will face tough sanctions."

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said the plans would stop the teenagers from "staying up all night watching TV".

Offenders who did not observe the new bedtimes would be penalised and lose privileges like access to a television, it said.

'Terribly wrong'

Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, criticised the move, claiming it would exacerbate physical restraint problems.

She said the prison system was already struggling with a host of more pressing problems - among them overcrowding, budget cuts and "dangerously low staffing".

"As most parents of teenagers know, common-sense discussion, constructive activity, setting reasonable boundaries and encouraging personal responsibility all work better than new hard and fast rules backed by petty restrictions and harsh punishments."

Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, warned the move could be a "death sentence" for offenders.

She told BBC Breakfast that self-injury rates in young offenders institutions were an "epidemic" that needed to be dealt with and called for a greater emphasis to be placed on improving physical activities and education for offenders.

"I think politicians seem to live in a fantasy world where they think prisons seem to be something like a public schools - well they are not, they are the opposite," she said.

The new bedtime rule is part of an overall reform of young offenders institutions in England, which will see the number of hours offenders spend in education doubled to 24 every week.

'Difficulties'

BBC News home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the move was part of Mr Grayling's plan to "bring more order" to the centres.

"There is an issue about whether it can be enforced because there is, I'm told, no central switch in these young offenders institutions that can actually turn out the lights at 22:30 and it will depend on the young person in the cell to do it themselves. Obviously that could create difficulties for prison officers," he said.

Earlier this month Mr Grayling unveiled detailed plans for the first "secure college", to open in Leicestershire in 2017.

The £85m facility will house up to 320 offenders aged 12 to 17.

It is meant to be a move away from the "traditional environment of bars on windows" and focus instead on education.

As of April this year, there were 827 young people serving custodial sentences in England's five young offenders institutions, according to the MoJ.

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Increased protection for war wrecks

Tens of thousands of sailors and merchant navy personnel lost their lives in World War One but now the huge number of ships sunk in the conflict are to be offered increased protection under a UN agreement.

Many of these wrecks are now threatened by salvage operations, deliberate destruction and looting.

But experts from 36 states meeting in Belgium have been hearing how the Unesco Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage will increase safeguards.

Introduced in 2001, the convention only applies to ships sunk at least 100 years ago.

With the centenary of World War One imminent, the agreement is soon to be extended to thousands of sites.

"It makes a real legal difference," Ulrike Guerin, of Unesco, told BBC News.

Continue reading the main story

• It is estimated that Britain mobilised 11,000 war vessels, of which some 1,100 were sunk
• More than 74,000 sailors and 15,300 men of the merchant navy lost their lives
• Germany lost hundreds of warships and submarines and almost 35,000 men
• Civilians also suffered, with 1,198 people dead when the liner Lusitania was sunk by a German submarine off the coast of Ireland in 1915

"It prevents the pillaging, which is happening on a very large scale, it prevents the commercial exploitation, the scrap metal recovery, and it will have regulations on the incidental impacts, such as the problem of trawlers going over World War One sites."

Metal attraction

The naval losses suffered by the belligerents during the Great War pale in comparison with the suffering in the trenches.

However, there were a number of large-scale engagements, including the Battle of Jutland and at Gallipoli.

The locations of many of the wrecks of these ships are known and have proved popular with recreational divers but also with commercial salvage companies.

The issue of dismemberment for salvage has become a major problem, especially as the price of metals has increased in recent years.

In 2011 Dutch ships dismantled the remains of three British cruisers sunk in 1914.

HMS Aboukir, HMS Hogue and HMS Cressy went down with the loss of 1,500 lives but the remains of the ships were destroyed for the copper and bronze they contained.

The Netherlands is said to be close to signing the convention and that would help prevent this type of action in the future.

Countdown to WW1

The World War One Centenary

However, the increase in the number of sites that signatories of the convention will soon become responsible for raises concerns about resources.

"The heritage managers of countries like France and Belgium and the rest are now staring down the barrel of a major headache," said Dr Innes McCartney, who has led six research expeditions to the wrecks from the Battle of Jutland.

"There are war graves in the English Channel that in the past few weeks have been subject to salvage, within sight of land. This issue is ongoing. If you want to stop it, it's a matter of resource. Mouth is one thing but money is what makes the difference."

While Britain has not signed the convention, the government has taken the view that it will observe the spirit of the agreement.

The researchers also want to compile a global inventory of ships lost in the war and carry out investigations on erosion. Apart from these steps, the scientists say the biggest issue is education.

"The very fact that there were twice as many merchant ships sunk in World War One than World War Two is a statistical fact that the vast majority of the public have no cognisance of," said Dr McCartney.

"One of the challenges is to show people what is there and that it is very much part of their cultural history and legacy."

As part of their efforts to increase recognition of the undersea heritage of World War One, Unesco is asking all ships in port and at sea to use commemorative signalling on Saturday evening.

Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc.

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UK facing 'major' sperm shortage

28 June 2014 Last updated at 00:07 By James Gallagher Health editor, BBC News online

The UK is facing a major sperm shortage that may be tempting fertility clinics to accept poorer quality sperm, the British Fertility Society (BFS) warns.

Some clinics rely on imported sperm to keep up with demand.

However, the BFS chairman, Dr Allan Pacey, said he was "worried" that some clinics may be setting a lower bar to "get donors through the door".

He said woman may be subjected to more invasive and expensive techniques if poor-quality sperm were used.

There are thought to have been fewer sperm donors after the right to anonymity was removed in 2005.

The demand for donors has been falling as advances in fertility treatment let more men father their own children.

However, a shortage of donors has still emerged.

Figures from the fertility regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), show nearly one in four donated sperm samples are from abroad.

The figure was one in 10 in 2005.

Sperm banks in Denmark and the US are the major suppliers.

Dr Pacey warned this was limiting patient choice and increasing waiting times, which led to potential risky practices, including DIY insemination with a friend's sperm or seeking treatment in a country with less fertility regulation.

He told the BBC: "We do still have a major sperm shortage in the UK.

"The worry is clinics might decide to change the quality of sperm they are willing to accept in order to get donors through the door and I think that's a very dangerous road to go down."

He said one possible example was sperm being accepted that would be suitable only for injecting into an egg - intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection - rather than for artificial insemination.

"That is putting the woman through more procedures, in terms of eggs being collected, than would be done if sperm of higher quality was collected and she could be treated with a simple insemination.

"My worry is clinics may be tempted to bend the rules, I have no evidence that they are, but I think when we have a national sperm shortage they're the kind of things we need to be looking for and warding against."

'Fully inform patients'

Professor Yakoub Khalaf, of the assisted conception unit at Guy's Hospital in London, commented: "We are now more reliant on external sperm banks than ever before.

"I don't think it is an issue as such, but what I have observed is that when people get sperm from abroad they can be given an option of 'suitable for insemination', or 'suitable for IVF or ICSI' [sperm injected to the egg].

"But how can donor sperm be less than adequate for all treatments?"

He said that based on his experience of the quality of imported sperm "the same could be happening here".

A HFEA spokesperson said: "We expect our clinics to use only donor sperm of a quality that will ensure the best outcome for the patient, and under our code of practice clinics are required to fully inform patients of the different treatment options available to them."

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'Neglectful' UK faces care problem

28 June 2014 Last updated at 02:17

Britain's "neglectful society" will need help from volunteers to cope with the rising number of elderly people, a government minister has said.

Care minister Norman Lamb told the Financial Times modern families and the state were unable to meet demand.

He said the "the dispersal of the extended family" had left many older Britons lonely and said the state could not address the problem "on its own".

He said there was an "overwhelming case" for volunteers to fill the gap.

The Liberal Democrat said the issue of isolation was more urgent than crime in some areas and suggested "a 21st century version of Neighbourhood Watch" to tackle it.

"On our very streets we have people who live on their own, who don't see anyone and whose relatives might visit once a month or whatever, but what's life like in between?" he said.

'Existential challenge'

Mr Lamb compared Britain to Spain, where he said elderly people were looked after by their families, and said Britain had "inadvertently become quite a neglectful society".

He said many families live long distances apart, often because people move to study or for jobs.

Mr Lamb said his call for a greater role for volunteers was not a "cost-cutting option" - but he said the ageing population was "an existential challenge to the system".

He said people who "care about sustaining the NHS" should realise it was necessary to "think more creatively than we've done in the past".

The NHS's budget has been protected from cuts under the coalition government, but it is only rising at the rate of inflation - and population growth and the rising number of older people is increasing pressure on its services.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures suggest the proportion of UK people aged 65 and over increased from 15% in 1985 to 17% in 2012 - an increase of 1.7 million people - and is projected to reach 23% by 2035.

Median is age at which half the population is younger and half is older. Figures based on 2012 ONS estimates and projections
1985	35.4
1995	36.5
2005	38.8
2015	39.9
2025	40.5
2035	42.2

According to the Financial Times, a report to be published next week by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services will say local authorities have made significant cuts in their adult social care budgets since 2010.

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EU leaders offer Cameron hope

28 June 2014 Last updated at 08:59

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Jean-Claude Juncker: Career insider or committed European?

The leaders of Sweden and Germany have offered encouragement to David Cameron after his defeat in a vote on the new European Commission president.

Britain forced a vote to block the selection of Jean-Claude Juncker, seen as a backer of closer political union, but EU states voted 26-2 in his favour.

Sweden backed Mr Juncker but after the vote PM Fredrik Reinfeldt said he knew closer union was not "for everyone".

Germany's Angela Merkel said she was "ready to address British concerns".

Labour said the result of Friday's vote was "humiliating" for the UK prime minister, but Mr Cameron said it was not his "last stand".

He said he would not "back down" in his fight to reform the EU and take powers back from Brussels, something he plans to do before holding a referendum on Britain's EU membership after the next general election.

But speaking about the vote, he said: "This is a bad day for Europe.

"It risks undermining the position of national governments, it risks undermining the power of national parliaments and it hands new power to the European Parliament."

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David Cameron: "This is a bad day for Europe"

Mr Reinfeldt pointed to a document issued by EU leaders after the vote which accepted that the idea of an ever-closer union should not apply to all member states.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Among the leaders there is anxiety that this defeat will hasten the exit of Britain from the EU"

End Quote

"Just look into what we have written in our conclusions," he said.

"You will find references with text, which I think is very important for David Cameron, saying this ever-closer union perception is maybe not the best for everyone."

He highlighted that this had "never been stated" by the EU before.

Germany also supported Mr Juncker's appointment, but after the vote Chancellor Merkel said there would be a review of how the president was nominated and said she shared Britain's ideas about what the EU should be like.

Mr Juncker was the preferred candidate of the European People's Party (EPP), the largest group in the European Parliament, and his appointment must now be endorsed by the parliament.

The appointment of European Commission president has previously been done by consensus but Mr Cameron opposed the choice and his demand for a vote was granted.

He tried to convince other countries to oppose Mr Juncker, a former leader of Luxembourg, but in the end only the UK and Hungary did so.

UK Labour Party leader Ed Miliband said Mr Cameron's advocacy had become "toxic" and Friday's events showed the prime minister could not "represent our interests in Europe".

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Angela Merkel wasn't for a moment suggesting that Britain can opt out of the principle of an ever closer union"

End Quote Nigel Farage UKIP leader

'Damned nuisance'

UKIP leader Nigel Farage said there was a mood within the EU that it would rather get rid of the "friendless" UK than allow it to start "picking apart treaties".

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that leaders viewed Britain as "a damned nuisance" that was "always complaining".

Mr Farage added that while Chancellor Merkel said she would address British concerns, ultimately, when she "puts her foot down" everybody fell into line.

"She said countries can move at different paces, while some can get there more quickly than others, but she wasn't for a moment suggesting that Britain can opt out of the principle of an ever closer union."

But Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt rejected this. He told the same programme that Ms Merkel knew she had to deliver "real change" because of Mr Cameron's pledge to hold a referendum on Britain's membership after the next UK general election.

He said there had been a "sea change" in the European debate and that negotiations were open.

European leaders "desperately" wanted Britain to remain within the EU, he said, but they would have to "work much harder" to persuade it to stay.

Eurosceptic Conservative MP Peter Bone said David Cameron had "no chance" of a successful renegotiation and predicted the prime minister would lead the campaign for Britain to leave the EU.

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Better schools 'give London success'

27 June 2014 Last updated at 02:03 By Sean Coughlan BBC News education correspondent

The "dramatic improvement" of exam results in London has been driven by improvements in schools and not changes in the pupil intake, say researchers.

A study has been examining how state school pupils in London, including the disadvantaged, get much better results than anywhere else in England.

Researchers say that the transformation of London's results is now providing an international role model.

Tony McAleavy, research director, says it could be "replicated elsewhere".

The study, Lessons from London's Schools, examines how the capital's education system has gone from being considered a failure to a beacon of high achievement in little more than a decade.

Exam results and Ofsted inspections now show state schools in London as higher performers than anywhere else in England.

Performance data

The research, from the CfBT Education Trust, says there is no single "magic bullet", but improvements are the result of four overlapping initiatives.

These are identified as:

• London Challenge, which provided targeted support and advice for schools
• the growth of academies
• the improved support of local authorities
• the impact of Teach First, which recruited young graduates to teach in disadvantaged schools

Mr McAleavy says these initiatives helped schools to become more focused, better organised and to make better use of data to track the progress of pupils.

The report says that the difference has been better schools and not the changing population of London.

The increasing concentration of wealth and better educated parents was not the driving factor for the improvements in results.

Mr McAleavy says that the changing fortunes of London schools has not been about improvements in any particular ethnic group - as all ethnic groups have been on an upward trend.

The research argues that the improvements have been about changes to the school system - rather than the intake.

And the report says this provides some lessons for others wanting to apply the same model.

These include:

• the systematic use of performance data
• intervention when schools are underachieving
• introducing new types of education provider
• making teaching attractive to talented and ambitious young graduates

'Professional ethos'

Ben Rogers, director of the Centre for London think tank, which also supported the research, said: "As our analysis shows, the improvement did not come about by accident.

"Schools got better because policymakers, school leaders and ordinary teachers developed a sense of shared mission, and a stronger professional ethos."

Continue reading the main story

A decade ago London was one of the worst places to be born into a low-income family in terms of educational outcomes"

End Quote Brett Wigdortz Teach First

Brett Wigdortz, chief executive of Teach First, said: "This excellent report confirms that one of the most fundamental factors for ensuring fair educational outcomes for children from disadvantaged backgrounds is the quality of teachers and leaders in schools.

"A decade ago London was one of the worst places to be born into a low-income family in terms of educational outcomes.

"This has been transformed in only a few years.

"Unlocking why London schools have improved against the odds should be a priority for the education community because it proves there does not need to be a gap between young people from low-income communities and their wealthier peers."

This is the latest attempt to explain the rapid improvement in London's schools.

Earlier this week the Institute for Fiscal Studies published a report arguing that improving results in secondary school were a long-term consequence of earlier improvements in primary schools.

It identified the introduction of specific programmes to improve literacy and numeracy in the late-1990s.

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PSNI call for murder probes limit

27 June 2014 Last updated at 05:01

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Matt Baggott on the need to "separate the past from the present"

The outgoing chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland has said his force should not investigate Troubles-related murders from before the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

Matt Baggott told the BBC that a new way must be found to deal with such cases.

He made the comments in an interview marking his final day in office.

He told the BBC that there was a "need to separate the past from the present".

"I think how ever that is done, the PSNI should no longer be accountable for dealing with issues that pre-date the Good Friday Agreement," he said.

'Different authority'

"We have to create a situation where police resources are focused on the here and now, without taking away from the needs of justice or victims.

"But that can be done in a different place, under a different authority."

Northern Ireland attorney general John Larkin QC said last December that there should be no further police investigations, inquests or inquiries into any killings pre-dating the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

Continue reading the main story

The conflict in Northern Ireland during the late 20th century is known as the Troubles.

More than 3,600 people were killed and thousands more injured.

During a period of 30 years, many acts of violence were carried out by paramilitaries and the security forces.

Mr Larkin's proposal prompted First Minister Peter Robinson to say it was "effectively an amnesty" and that those who were victims of the Troubles had a right to expect prosecutions.

More than 3,500 people were killed during three decades of conflict in Northern Ireland.

Mr Baggott, who has been a police officer for 37 years, first took up the job as head of the PSNI in August 2009.

His tenure in Northern Ireland included overseeing what was described as the safest G8 summit ever held, a policing operation praised by protesters and US President Barack Obama.

However, he also found himself heavily criticised by unionists and nationalists over how police dealt with flag protests and parades.

'Massive privilege'

Protests over the flying of the union flag started in December 2012 after many people within loyalist communities were angered by the decision of Belfast City Council to restrict the number of days the flag is flown at the city hall.

Mr Baggott said being the chief constable in Northern Ireland had been a "massive, massive privilege".

"It is absolutely the friendliest place that I've ever had the privilege to work and throughout the last five years, which hasn't been without its challenges, we have been buoyed and encouraged all the way along that by some fantastic people.

"It is with a heavy heart that we're going."

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Police deny 'failure' over jihadists

27 June 2014 Last updated at 06:00

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ACC Nikki Holland says police need community help to prevent radicalisation

The head of Wales' counter-terrorism unit has denied that police are failing in their efforts to combat the radicalisation of young Muslims.

It comes after a video showed two young Cardiff men urging others to join a jihadist fight in Syria and Iraq.

The father of one of them - Nasser Muthana - claimed police had failed to win the trust of Welsh Muslims.

South Wales Assistant Chief Constable Nikki Holland said police could not "keep a hold of everybody".

The men are believed to be among 500 Britons fighting in Syria for the militant group Isis (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant).

Brothers

The video, thought to have been filmed in Syria, features Nasser Muthana and Reyaad Khan, both 20 and from Cardiff, along with Abdul Rakib Amin, aged about 25 and from Aberdeen.

Nasser's younger brother Aseel Muthana, 17, has also joined them.

Ms Holland told the BBC: "We're talking about a couple of men; people realise the police can't keep a hold of everybody, but the police are doing the best job they can."

She said she accepted there were difficulties in reaching those most vulnerable to radicalisation, but they were not "untouchable".

"We have a substantial amount of people involved in counter-terrorism for all the Welsh forces - it isn't just for south Wales.

"It's more important in terms of working with the partners ... being able to speak to people and prevent radicalisation.

"It's not something the police can do on their own. We can only work with our partners and the community to prevent radicalisation."

Bomb plot

Ms Holland added: "I don't think Cardiff has any greater problem than anywhere else in the UK.

"What we can say nationally is that people are radicalised through various institutions, education establishments on some occasions, through the internet a lot.

"I don't think you can necessarily pin down how this happened in Cardiff."

The jailing of nine men - three of them from Cardiff - who plotted to bomb the London Stock Exchange was proof that the Prevent anti-radicalisation scheme had been successful in Cardiff, Ms Holland said.

Ahmed Muthana, father of Nasser and Aseel Muthana, has claimed police have failed to win the trust of Muslim communities in Cardiff because the Prevent team was mainly made up of white officers.

Ms Holland, who has been in post for less than a fortnight, said she had yet to meet all of her staff to assess the Prevent team's make-up but said the wider community had an important role to play in the strategy.

"The police can't capture everybody who potentially could be radicalised," she said.

"For me that's about the community being vigilant and parents being vigilant of their own children and what they are becoming involved in.

"Somewhere within our partnership network somebody will be speaking to those people, somebody will be giving us intelligence about those people and I don't think they are untouchable for us."

She said the Prevent team could also be working with primary school children in the future, to gain their trust earlier before they become disenchanted young men.

Earlier this week, Mr Muthana told the BBC he was "heartbroken" by the video featuring his son, while the family of Mr Khan said he had been "brainwashed" into supporting violent extremism.

Zane Abdo, imam of the South Wales Islamic Centre, said he believed the men had been "groomed" by people they had met outside of their mosque.

"These are young men who are very sincere, they want to do something good," he said.

"But you can be sincere and you can be sincerely deluded in what you want to do, and they have been groomed to think a particular way."

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School closed over 'armed man' fears

27 June 2014 Last updated at 08:53

A Cornish school has been closed as armed police search for a 60-year-old man who is believed to have access to guns.

It follows a "domestic" incident at an address in Widegates, near Looe, at about 21:30 BST on Thursday.

The nearby Trenode Church of England Primary School has been closed as a precaution, police said.

A police spokesman said the move was "for safety reasons and because of the ongoing police activity in that area".

Continue reading the main story

Johnny O'Shea BBC Radio Cornwall

---

This is a very rural primary school. The police have closed off the lane leading to the school.

There are no other properties in the direct vicinity of the school. It is very isolated.

There are armed police in the area looking for the man.

I have seen a few people going about their daily business in the surrounding area.

People have been warned to avoid the area and to report any suspicious activity.

A Devon and Cornwall police spokesman confirmed that there were concerns that the man they were seeking could have a weapon.

A police spokeswoman said a "number of roads" had been closed and blocked off by police vehicles.

The police helicopter is on standby, and firearms officers and dog units are at the scene, she added.

The head teacher of Trenode Primary School made the decision to close it after speaking to the police.

The school, which is near the villages of Widegates and Morval, has 75 pupils.

Are you in the area? Do your children attend Trenode Church of England Primary School? Please share your comments with us. You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line 'Trenode School'.

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Summit set to snub UK over Juncker

27 June 2014 Last updated at 09:31

EU leaders meeting in Brussels are expected to confirm former Luxembourg PM Jean-Claude Juncker as the next president of the European Commission.

The move comes despite strong opposition from Britain.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron said "the odds are stacked against me" over Mr Juncker, but stressed that he would stick to his principles.

He believes Mr Juncker is too much in favour of closer political union and might block EU reform.

Mr Cameron is seeking an unprecedented vote on the appointment, which is usually made by consensus.

However, correspondents say other leaders are likely to ignore his concerns.

Mr Cameron's bid to block Mr Juncker suffered a major setback this week when his allies changed tack.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel had given Mr Cameron hope after agreeing to a vote on the issue if there was no consensus.

But both the Netherlands and Sweden - normally close to UK positions in Europe - have since said they will back Mr Juncker.

Jean-Claude Juncker: A man for Europe?

Arguments for and against Juncker

In the past such sensitive appointments have been decided through informal negotiations in the European Council.

With Hungary now Mr Cameron's only supporter, analysts say Mr Juncker is likely to be overwhelmingly backed, even if it does go to a vote.

The BBC's Chris Morris in Brussels says many European diplomats feel that Mr Cameron's approach in the EU is too confrontational, going against the grain of consensus decision-making in the union.

There is speculation that the UK may get a powerful seat on the Commission as a "consolation prize", he says - for example, commissioner for the internal market. But UK officials say they are not negotiating for something else as a trade-off.

Mr Juncker is the choice of the centre-right European People's Party, which won the most seats in the European Parliament in May.

Mr Cameron vowed to "insist" on a vote on Mr Juncker, so that EU leaders would have to justify their support for the veteran politician in public.

Mr Cameron says he is determined to press ahead with renegotiation of Britain's EU membership, followed by an in/out referendum in the UK in 2017, if his Conservative Party wins next year's general election.

"It is the opening step in a longer campaign to secure change in Europe, a better position for Britain in Europe, and a referendum that will be held before the end of 2017," he said.

The row comes a month after anti-EU parties made sweeping gains in European elections. They won nearly a third of the parliamentary seats.

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In 60 seconds: What does UK have against Jean-Claude Juncker?

In a landmark move on Friday the summit leaders signed far-reaching trade partnership deals with three former Soviet republics - Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.

The "association agreements" commit the countries to EU standards, including new customs regulations, quality controls and free market competition.

Russia is suspicious of these agreements and is trying to draw ex-Soviet republics into its own customs union. A senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin told the BBC the deal was in breach of the Ukrainian constitution.

"What [Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko is doing is illegitimate thing," Sergei Glazyev said.

On the first day of the summit on Thursday, prime ministers and presidents of the 28 EU states set aside their differences to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War One in a ceremony at Ypres, Belgium.

Next steps

27 June - European Council expected to nominate Mr Juncker

1-3 July - First post-election session of new European Parliament

14-17 July - European Parliament votes on nominee for Commission president - expected to back Mr Juncker

September - Parliament grills each nominee for 28-member Commission (one from each member state)

October - Parliament votes on new Commission team

November - New Commission should take office, as should new EU foreign policy chief and new European Council president.

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UK teenager was 'radicalised by imam'

24 June 2014 Last updated at 07:57

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Ali's father believes he has joined Isis to fight in Syria, as the BBC Shaimaa Khalil reports

The father of a British teenager who travelled to Syria to join jihadists believes his son was radicalised by an imam at a UK mosque.

Rahim Kalantar told the BBC his son Ali, 18, travelled to Syria with two friends from Coventry in March and believed he was now fighting with Isis.

He said he was sent "down this road" by an imam - who denied the allegations.

Up to 500 Britons are thought to have travelled to the Middle East to fight in the conflict, officials say.

Mr Kalantar - speaking exclusively to the BBC's Afghan Service and Newsday - said he worries about his son Ali "every minute" and that his grief is "limitless".

He said he believed Ali - who was planning to study computer science at university - was radicalised during classes at a mosque after evening prayer.

"He [the imam] encouraged them and sent them down this road," he said.

The BBC contacted the mosque to speak to the imam, who refused to give an interview but said he completely denied the allegations.

Ali is believed to have travelled to Syria with Rashed Amani, also 18, who had been studying business at Coventry University.

Rashed's father, Khabir, said family members had travelled to the Turkish-Syrian border in the hope of finding the boys, but came back "empty-handed" after searching for more than two weeks.

He said he did not know what had happened to his son, who he fears has joined Isis - the militant-led group that has made rapid advances through Iraq in recent weeks.

"Maybe somebody worked with him, I don't know. Maybe somebody brainwashed him because he was not like that," he said.

The third teenager, Moh Ismael, is also believed to be in Syria with his friends. He is understood to have posted a message on Twitter saying he was with Isis.

It comes after Britons - including Reyaad Khan and Nasser Muthana from Cardiff - featured in an apparent recruitment video for jihadists in Iraq and Syria.

The video was posted online on Friday by accounts with links to Isis.

Social media

The BBC has learned a third Briton in the video is from Aberdeen. The man, named locally as Raqib, grew up in Scotland but was originally from Bangladesh.

Lord Carlile, a former independent reviewer of terrorism laws, told the BBC that the Muslim community was best placed to stop jihadists recruiting in the UK.

The Liberal Democrat peer also said the UK needed to reintroduce tougher measures to stop terrorism.

It comes after former MI6 director, Richard Barrett, said security services would not be able to track all Britons who return to the UK after fighting in Syria.

He said the number of those posing a threat would be small but unpredictable.

The Metropolitan Police has insisted it has the tools to monitor British jihadists returning from that country.

Shiraz Maher, a radicalisation expert, told BBC's Newsnight programme that social media was now acting as a recruitment ground for potential jihadists in the UK.

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This footage purports to show Reyaad Khan (C) and Nasser Muthana (R) from Wales

"You have hundreds of foreign fighters on the ground who in real time are giving you a live feed of what is happening and they are engaged in a conversation.

"It is these individual people who have been empowered to become recruiters in their own right," he said.

Lord Carlile also told BBC's Newsnight that the "most important partners" in preventing young Muslims from being radicalised are the "Muslim communities themselves".

"Mothers, wives, sisters do not want their husbands, brothers, sons to become valid jihadists and run the risk of being killed in a civil war," he told the programme.

He also told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme that the government should look at reintroducing "something like control orders", which were scrapped in 2011 and replaced with the less restrictive Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (TPims).

He said: "We need to look at preventing violent extremism before people leave the country and also we need to look for further measures."

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Queen to visit jail and Thrones set

24 June 2014 Last updated at 08:52

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Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness meets The Queen

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will visit a notorious former jail and the Game of Thrones set on the second day of their Northern Ireland visit.

On Monday, the Queen held separate meetings with Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness.

The Royal couple's first engagement of the day is a tour of Crumlin Road Gaol in north Belfast.

They will then be shown the Paint Hall Studios in the city's Titanic Quarter.

The popular US television series Game of Thrones is partly filmed there, and it is a focal point for the burgeoning film industry in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers will accompany the Queen on a tour of the former prison, where both politicians were held during the Troubles.

Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness, a former former IRA commander, was held in the prison for more than a month in 1976 on a charge of IRA membership - a charge that was later dropped in court.

The deputy first minister described the Queen's planned visit to the Crumlin Road prison as another "bold step".

"The vast bulk of our people appreciate the effort Queen Elizabeth is making to peace and the reconciliation process and I think many people will look at the visit to the Crumlin Road prison, for example, with a degree of astonishment," he said.

Democratic Unionist Party leader and First Minister Peter Robinson was detained on a number of occasions in the prison during the 1980s for his involvement in protests against the controversial Anglo Irish Agreement.

The jail is now a popular visitor attraction in Northern Ireland.

The next stop on the Royal couple's 21st visit to Northern Ireland is St George's Market, where they will experience a one-off event billed as celebrating the "best of Belfast".

The market is usually open only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday but the special opening is being held to celebrate it recently winning the title of best large indoor market in the United Kingdom.

The market will be open to the public.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will then travel to the nearby Belfast City Hall for a lunch hosted by the city's Lord Mayor Nichola Mallon.

Representatives of communities and groups across the city will be among those attending.

'Hand of friendship'

The first engagement of the Royal couple's three-day visit was at Hillsborough Castle, the Queen's official residence in Northern Ireland.

The Queen held separate private meetings with Northern Ireland's Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness.

It was the third meeting between the Queen and Mr McGuinness but their first one-to-one encounter.

After meeting on Monday evening, Mr McGuinness said it was "about reaching out the hand of friendship to the unionist community".

"I met Queen Elizabeth tonight in my role as Deputy First Minister, representing the entire community," said the Sinn Féin assembly member.

"Reconciliation requires bold gestures and this is the third time I have met with Queen Elizabeth as part of that continuing process."

Meanwhile, Prince Philip met about 75 recipients of the Duke of Edinburgh gold awards.

It is the Queen's first visit to Northern Ireland since 2012, when she came as part of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

In the past, details of Royal visits to Northern Ireland have not been announced beforehand for security reasons, but this time around, much of their itinerary has been made public.

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Fears hospital mistakes covered up

24 June 2014 Last updated at 08:58 By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News

A fifth of hospital trusts in England may be covering up mistakes, a government review suggests.

The analysis of reporting incidents shows 29 out of 141 trusts were not registering the expected number of safety incidents.

The review said this may be a sign of a "poor" safety culture.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said it was important hospitals were "open and honest", and that patients had a right to know about problems with reporting.

The data has been released as part of the Department of Health and NHS England's drive to improve safety in the NHS.

In March, Mr Hunt set the target of saving 6,000 lives over the next three years by reducing the number of serious mistakes.

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Healthcare carries inherent risk and while healthcare professionals work hard every day to reduce this risk every day, harm still happens"

End Quote Sir David Dalton Chief executive, Salford Royal Hospital

He asked trusts to join the Sign up to Safety campaign and draw up plans to halve "avoidable harm" such as medication errors, blood clots and bedsores by 2016-17.

He said this could stop a third of preventable deaths in the coming years - equivalent to 6,000 lives saved.

Safe staffing

On Tuesday the government will launch the next stage of this campaign, a website which will allow patients to view the performance of individual hospitals on measures such as safe staffing levels and infection rates.

It will also reveal which trusts have been given a poor rating for open and honest reporting. This has been decided after reviewing the way trusts report safety incidents into the National Report and Learning System as well as looking at the results of the staff survey question relating to safety reporting.

Those with lower-than-expected incident reporting, which is widely acknowledged to be a sign of problems, will be followed up by NHS England officials.

Mr Hunt told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that this was not about "humiliating" anyone.

"The NHS is there for patients and if a hospital has a problem with its reporting culture, I think patients have a right to know that," he said.

The health secretary said if patients were aware of these problems, hospitals would be encouraged to take more speedy action.

The founder of the Clinical Human Factors Group, which campaigns for a safer NHS, warned that "simply naming and shaming" would not bring the best results.

Martin Bromiley, whose wife died in 2005 following a minor operation in hospital, said understanding why organisations were not reporting incidents was key.

"We need to try and understand the organisations that aren't reporting," he told the Today programme.

"We need to understand the cultures and what things they are doing that are not encouraging openness."

Mr Bromiley said the best organisations were the ones that encouraged learning.

He said there might have been an "unconscious incompetence" when it came to those failing to be open because they did not understand the process of developing a "safety culture".

The website is being hosted on the NHS Choices site and will be launched on Tuesday afternoon.

The Department of Health stressed that there could be justifiable reasons for low reporting, such as the trust being safe or innocently not using the recording system properly, but that it was only right the concerns be investigated further.

'Avoidable harm'

Mr Hunt said: "The NHS is leading the world in achieving new safety standards but the battle to reduce avoidable harm is constant.

"Unsafe care causes immeasurable harm to patients and their families, and also costs the NHS millions in litigation claims."

Sir David Dalton, the chief executive of Salford Royal Hospital and leader of the safety campaign, urged hospitals to be open.

"Healthcare carries inherent risk and while healthcare professionals work hard every day to reduce this risk every day, harm still happens.

"Some is unavoidable but most isn't. Sign up to Safety seeks to reduce this harm and is a unique opportunity for us all to work together to listen, learn and act to make a difference."

Are you, or is someone you know, affected by the issues in this story? You can email your experiences to Haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject Hospital safety.

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