Extension for parts of poppy display

8 November 2014 Last updated at 03:45

Key parts of the World War One poppy display at the Tower of London are to be extended until the end of November, Prime Minister David Cameron has said.

The installation of ceramic poppies is to be dismantled on 12 November.

But the Weeping Willow and the Wave segments will now stay in place until the end of the month before being sent on a tour across the UK until 2018.

Huge demand from the public sparked a campaign to keep the installation in place longer.

Floodlights are already being used to ensure more people get to see the piece created to mark the centenary of the the start of the First World War.

The prime minister said the display had "in a very short space of time become a much loved and respected monument".

The touring segments will eventually go on permanent display at the Imperial War Museums in London and Manchester.

Up to 4m people are expected to have visited before 12 November, when there will be 888,246 ceramic poppies - one for each British and Commonwealth death during WW1.

Entitled Blood Swept Lands And Seas Of Red, the installation is the work of ceramic artist Paul Cummins, from Derbyshire.

Mr Cameron also said the government wanted to ensure that as many people as possible had the opportunity to view the poppies.

"By displaying parts of the installation around the country and then permanently in the Imperial War Museum, we have ensured that this poignant memorial will be saved for the nation," he added.

The Royal British Legion has said it hopes the sale of the poppies, after the installation has been dismantled, will raise in excess of £15m.

All net proceeds plus 10% of every £25 poppy sold will be shared between six service charities, including Help for Heroes and the Royal British Legion.

'Stunning memorial'

Chancellor George Osborne has previously agreed to waive the £1.1m VAT from the poppy sales, also using money from Libor fines.

"It's only right that fines from those who have demonstrated the very worst of values should go to support those who have shown the best of British values," he said.

Culture Secretary Sajid Javid, who leads the government's programme to mark the centenary of WW1 said: "The poppies at the Tower are a stunning memorial to those who died in the First World War.

"For me this is public art at its most powerful and moving."

The tour of the poppies is being supported by donations from two charities, the Backstage Trust and the Clore Duffield Foundation, together with government funding.

More than £500,000 is being paid by the government to cover the cost of storing, transporting and installing the poppy sculptures in towns and cities across the UK. The funding will come from fines accrued from the Libor banking scandal.

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Alleged terror plot four questioned

8 November 2014 Last updated at 04:29

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The BBC's Daniel Sandford: The arrests were due to "suspicions about a possible attack... with Remembrance Sunday the most immediate worry"

Police investigating an alleged Islamist terrorism plot targeting the UK are continuing to question four men arrested on Thursday and Friday.

The men were detained in west London and High Wycombe by counter-terrorism police.

The four, aged between 19 and 27, were all taken to police stations in central London after their arrests.

The BBC's Daniel Sandford said one official pointed out the arrests came two days before Remembrance Sunday.

Police said one of the men was arrested in a car in a street in Southall, with armed officers assisting, but no shots were fired.

The arrest of a 27-year-old man in a car in Southall happened at 20:30 on Thursday.

A 22-year-old man was arrested in Hounslow at 20:45, the same time that a 19-year-old was arrested in High Wycombe. Firearms officers assisted with both arrests.

A 25-year-old was arrested in Uxbridge at 02:55 on Friday.

They were all held on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

Analysis By Danny Shaw, BBC home affairs correspondent

Last month, Scotland Yard warned that police were dealing with an "exceptionally high" number of investigations into Islamist-related terrorism - and so it's proving.

It's understood this investigation centres on an alleged plot to attack the UK. The arrests came just a few days before Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day, heightening fears that people attending services may be at risk.

The fact that the arrests came at night, with one suspect detained in a car in the street, suggests there was some last-minute information or a trigger event that sparked police into action. Usually suspects are detained at dawn.

Did that information relate to events this weekend? At the moment that's speculation - police are giving little away.

The Metropolitan Police said a number of homes in Hounslow, High Wycombe, Uxbridge, Southall, Greenford and Hayes were being searched by specialist officers as part of the investigation.

In a statement, the force said the arrests and searches were "part of an ongoing investigation into Islamist related terrorism".

Officers from the Met's SO15 counter terrorism command are working with the south-east counter-terrorism unit and MI5.

The arrests come after the UK national terror threat level was raised from "substantial" to "severe" in August.

This means a terrorist attack is considered "highly likely".

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Cutting benefits wait 'to take months'

8 November 2014 Last updated at 05:28

A firm that will carry out capability assessments on benefit claimants for the government says it could take 18 months to reduce the existing backlog.

US-based Maximus Health Services will replace the current firm Atos in March 2015 on a three-year £500m contract.

There are currently more than 600,000 claimants waiting to be assessed; some have been on the list for months.

The president of Maximus, Leslie Wolfe, told the BBC: "Improvements won't happen overnight."

She said: "It'll take some time to hire the health care professionals. The expectation is that in between 12 and 18 months, we should be able to catch up on the waiting times."

Atos, which has been doing capability assessments for people claiming Employment and Support Allowance since 2008, is quitting its contract early after reaching an agreement with the Department for Work and Pensions.

Employment and support allowance is the biggest sickness benefit and is given to about two million people.

Claimants must undergo an assessment to decide whether they are eligible for the benefit and if so, how much they should get. Recipients receive at least £101.15 per week.

Ms Wolfe said the key to reducing waiting lists was hiring "hundreds" of health care professionals to carry out the assessments and to explain to claimants what the tests are for.

She said: "There is a need to better explain to people that they're not coming to an exam, they're coming to an interview."

Initially, Maximus will use existing Atos staff, buildings and IT equipment.

'Some mistakes'

Protests against Atos are reported to be part of the reason the company ended its contract, but Ms Wolfe said Maximus would not suffer the same fate.

She said: "We're hopeful that if we [conduct] the assessments in a timely manner, some of that anger and resentment will go away."

However, in the past, Maximus has incurred fines for errors in the US and some doubts have been expressed over whether the company will be able to handle the new responsibility.

Ms Wolfe said: "A number of years ago we made some mistakes. Since 2006 we've had a new administration team, a new CEO. We haven't had any serious issues since that time."

A spokesperson for Atos Healthcare said: "We are currently exceeding our contractual agreement with the DWP on the number of people we see and reducing the backlog month on month.

"The department are aware of the number of healthcare professionals we have delivering this service and how many people we can reasonably see each month."

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Military widows win pension change

8 November 2014 Last updated at 07:57

Rules which denied about 4,000 war widows and widowers a military pension are to be changed next year.

From April 2015, those who "remarry, cohabit or form a civil partnership" would be entitled to the pension for life, the Ministry of Defence said.

Under current rules some have to surrender their survivor's pension.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said he was putting right an issue that had caused "upset and disappointment for many years".

The War Widows' Association had been due to hand a petition to Downing Street calling on the government to address what it said was an injustice.

Analysis

By Jonathan Beale, BBC defence correspondent

The government's U-turn is timely. The War Widows' Association had been due to hand in a petition to Downing Street against what it calls an injustice this morning, before they hold their annual Remembrance Service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall.

Now they say they'll be sending the prime minister a thank you letter instead. Around 4,000 people - mostly widows - will benefit from the changes. They are those who lost loved ones serving between 1973 and 2005 - women whose partners died or were killed during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, or the wars in the Falklands and Iraq.

The cost of service pensions to those who remarry or find new partners will be about £120m over the next 40 years - a small price to pay for putting right an anomaly ministers now recognise has caused "upset and disappointment for years".

'Logical arguments'

The charity said that under the current system, some of those whose spouses died or left military service between April 1973 and April 2005 stopped receiving their survivor's pension once they remarried, cohabited with a new partner or formed a civil partnership.

But those whose spouse died or left military service before 1973, and those who were widowed after 2005, already kept their survivor's pension through other schemes.

The association said this meant some widows and widowers were effectively left "disadvantaged" because of the date their spouse died, calling it the "wrong time to die".

As of 1 April next year, those who already receive a survivor's pension will be allowed to keep their pension for life if they do remarry, cohabit or form a civil partnership.

War Widows' Association chairman Irene Willis said: "After campaigning for this amendment, which will benefit a small number of war widows whose partners died in service to their country, we are delighted that the government has decided to provide pensions for life."

'Fair and just'

Maj Gen John Moore-Bick, general secretary of the Forces Pensions Society, told BBC Breakfast: "One of the aspects of armed forces service in the past, in the present and in the future is a degree of turbulence.

"If you move house 10, 15, 20 times as a military spouse, you haven't any chance of building up any sort of pension entitlement."

He added: "To make this ruling is only fair and just and I'm very pleased the prime minister has done it."

Veterans' minister Anna Soubry told BBC Breakfast it was "the right time to do it".

She said: "The money is not actually very much in the overall scheme of things, it's the principle that's important and it's important that we've done it under the covenant.

"I think that's the first time anything like this has been done under the covenant and it shows the power of it."

The Armed Forces Covenant states that personnel and veterans as well as their families should be "sustained and rewarded" for their service.

Labour said it had pressed the government to "address this anomaly". Shadow defence secretary Vernon Coaker said he was "glad it has now been resolved".

The change will coincide with the launch of the new armed forces pension scheme, the MoD added.

Are you a war widow or widower that did not receive a military pension? What do you think about the proposed changes to the rules on receiving a military pension for life? You can share your experiences my emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk Please leave your contact details if you are happy to talk to a BBC journalist.

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Osborne accused of EU budget 'spin'

8 November 2014 Last updated at 08:22

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"This is smokes and mirrors", says shadow chancellor Ed Balls

Chancellor George Osborne's claim to have halved the UK's £1.7bn EU budget surcharge is "smoke and mirrors" and "spin", Labour and UKIP have said.

The UK will pay two interest-free sums next year totalling £850m, instead of a larger lump sum by 1 December, after a rebate from Brussels due in 2016 appeared to have been brought forward.

Labour's Ed Balls said the deal had not saved UK taxpayers "a single penny".

Other European finance ministers said Britain had not received a discount.

The chancellor said the deal he had secured went "far beyond what anyone expected us to achieve".

'Straw man'

But Mr Balls, the shadow chancellor, said: "By counting the rebate Britain was due anyway, they are desperately trying to claim that the backdated bill for £1.7bn has somehow been halved.

"But nobody will fall for this smoke and mirrors. The rebate was never in doubt and in fact was confirmed by the EU Budget Commissioner last month."

The BBC's Europe correspondent Chris Morris said rebates were normally paid a year in arrears, but that Britain had won a concession meaning the money will now be paid in the same year it is due.

Writing on Twitter, UKIP leader Nigel Farage said Mr Osborne was "trying to spin his way out of disaster", saying the UK was still going to pay the full £1.7bn.

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"Instead of footing the bill we have halved the bill", George Osborne said

Eurosceptic Tory MEP Daniel Hannan suggested the deal achieved by the chancellor may not represent any reduction in the total amount.

"The EU sticks us with a bill. Ministers double it, apply the rebate, return to the original figure and claim victory. We're meant to cheer," he said.

"Britain is worse off in absolute terms, but a straw man has been knocked down."

Continue reading the main story

The surcharge follows an annual review of the economic performance of EU member states since 1995, which showed Britain had done better than previously thought.

The demand sparked anger across the political spectrum, with Prime Minister David Cameron insisting the UK would pay nothing by the original 1 December deadline and calling for the overall sum to be renegotiated.

After a four-hour meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels, Mr Osborne hailed an agreement which he said meant the UK would pay a lower sum in two interest-free instalments in July and September 2015.

Analysis

By Gavin Hewitt, BBC Europe editor

How has the UK reached this figure of £850m?

It has included the figure of the UK rebate which is calculated on the gross national income figures.

The Treasury argues that it was not at all clear that the rebate would have been applied in full and they gained that assurance after intensive discussions with the Commission.

Others argue that the UK rebate for next year was never in doubt and that a rebate which the UK would have got anyway is, in effect, being used to reduce this surcharge payment.

It is the case that these figures were never discussed at the finance ministers' meeting on Friday so the announcement that the UK bill has been halved has been met with some surprise.

EU budget: Devil's in the detail

Dutch finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem said the Britain's rebate would apply to the new contribution being asked for.

"So it's not as if the British have been given a discount," he added.

Mateusz Szczurek, the Polish finance minister, told Radio 4's Today programme that he understood the amount Britain would pay could be counterbalanced by its rebate.

He said the talks on Friday did not concern the "actual amounts" each country would have to pay.

'Result for Britain'

Following the Brussels meeting, Mr Osborne said: "Instead of footing the bill, we have halved the bill, we have delayed the bill, we will pay no interest on the bill, and if there are mistakes in the bill we will get our money back.

"We have also changed permanently the rules of the European Union so this never happens again.

"This is far beyond what anyone expected us to achieve and it's a result for Britain."

Asked how this had been achieved, Mr Osborne said the UK's annual rebate from Brussels would be applied in full next year to partially offset the surcharge.

'Good progress'

The UK rebate is a system dating back to 1984, negotiated by Margaret Thatcher, that provides the UK with a refund on a part of its contribution to the EU budget. It is calculated on the basis of changes in national income.

Under the initial plan, the UK was due to get a 1bn euros rebate in 2015-6 but it will be allowed to bring that forward to the second half of 2015 to reduce the surcharge.

But its 2016 rebate will be 1bn euros smaller as a result.

Mr Cameron said reducing the amount paid to Brussels was "good progress, and the chancellor has done well".

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Nordic PMs warn Cameron over EU

7 November 2014 Last updated at 03:50 By Nick Robinson Political editor

David Cameron has faced warnings from three leaders of Nordic countries over his plans to limit immigration from the European Union.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said a change of rules on free movement could "ruin" the 28-member group.

And Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said freedom of movement was "very important" to her people.

Mr Cameron has promised to set out his next steps on curbing immigration before Christmas.

It has been reported that the UK could seek to apply an "emergency brake" to reduce net migration - the difference between those entering and leaving - after it reached a certain level, or to limit the number of National Insurance numbers issued to new arrivals.

And Chancellor George Osborne has insisted this week that the country will pursue its "national interest".

'Rather holy'

But Mr Lofven told the BBC: "The fact that one country believes that one thing is wrong does not mean that we can change because every country might have its own priorities and that may just ruin the European Union.

"I think it's wrong because that means that every country can find their own solutions on different issues. If you first create a common market with common rules and then if the individual countries are supposed to change that on their own, then, I mean, soon, we do not have a European common market."

Mr Cameron is attending a summit of northern European leaders in Finland, whose Prime Minister Alexander Stubb said the principle of freedom movement was "rather holy", adding that the UK "should be rewarded with an EU medal for bringing forward the holy grail" by opening the borders to eastern Europe.

Asked for his message to Mr Cameron, he replied: "Thank you for having opened your borders and let's see what we can do about the whole situation to try to alleviate it and facilitate it."

Analysis BBC political correspondent Robin Brant

David Cameron would consider himself to be among friends at this, the most informal of formal prime ministerial gatherings.

But even when you've shared roast fillet of reindeer - as they did at a private dinner last night - it doesn't mean you agree on everything.

This time round the other eight leaders are less sympathetic to his cause, and it was the host who said so.

Finland's Prime Minister Alexander Stubb toned down his language a little. He didn't repeat last week's jibe that Mr Cameron's rage over the £1.7bn payment was 'mountains out of molehills'.

Instead he told the BBC he could understand why it had become a problem.

Mr Stubb has long been seen as a friend of the UK and a political ally of the Conservatives, having studied at the London School of Economics and married a British woman.

He said: "I have three Brits at home - a wife and two children and, of course, my in-laws. My mother-in-law and father-in-law are retired teachers and my sister-in-law is a teacher in a school which has a lot of central and east European students, so I have seen it close-up."

Norway's Ms Solberg said the free movement of people was "extremely important to Norway" and the principle was "ideologically important as a conservative".

Norway is not a member of the EU, but the country is a participant in the single market and, therefore, allows the free movement of EU citizens.

Are you an EU migrant? Send your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk

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Abuse inquiry 'fails to find dossier'

7 November 2014 Last updated at 04:53

An inquiry into the Home Office's handling of child sex abuse claims in the 1980s has failed to uncover any of the missing documents that prompted the probe, BBC Newsnight has been told.

The inquiry centres on concerns the Home Office did not act on information passed on by Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens.

The inquiry's report is expected to criticise the department's archiving in the 80s and 90s, and dash hopes the so-called "Dickens' dossier" still exists.

The Home Office has refused to comment.

'Lost or destroyed'

The review, led by NSPCC chief executive Peter Wanless, was commissioned by the home secretary in July following criticism of an internal Home Office report into how the claims were dealt with.

That review revealed the Home Office had "lost or destroyed" 114 files and could find no evidence of the information compiled by Mr Dickens - and passed to the then Home Secretary Leon Brittan in 1983.

That information was said to contain the names of MPs and police officers who were suspected of being child abusers.

Now, a source familiar with the Wanless report has told BBC Newsnight: "They have looked inside and behind every single cupboard in the department, and they have been round them twice, and they have not been able to find any of them [the documents]."

MP Simon Danczuk, who, in July, called on Lord Brittan to say what he knew about paedophile allegations passed to him in the 1980s, told the programme: "I am worried Peter Wanless has been set up to fail in many respects.

"I don't think he was given enough time to carry out this investigation. I don't think he was provided with enough support within the Home Office and I am worried he didn't get the technological support.

"I think there are some fairly sophisticated forensic techniques that could have been used to establish what documents were available over a 20-year period and I don't think he has been given the opportunity to get to the documents."

'Red herring'

Peter McKelvie, a former child protection manager, whose allegations about child abuse led to a 2012 police investigation, said it should not be an excuse to say the files are lost.

He told Newsnight: "If the file can't be found, I actually personally think that's a little bit of a red herring because there are enough politicians and officials within the Home Office and even within the hierarchies of the three main parties that would be aware of what its content were.

"The information is out there and anyone who tries to deny that is misleading people."

The review is being published as a wider inquiry into historical child sex abuse gets under way despite its chairwoman, Fiona Woolf, resigning following disclosures about her links to Lord Brittan.

The City lawyer's predecessor, Baroness Butler-Sloss, also resigned, similarly over her links with establishment figures.

On Friday, members of the panel will meet victims' representatives for a second time.

Some abuse survivors have called for the panel to step down, arguing that the process of appointing its members has not been transparent.

But panel members have indicated that they want to get on with planning the shape and scope of the inquiry.

The BBC's home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds said: "This morning's meeting could result in a confrontation."

May apology

On Monday, Mrs May apologised in the Commons after Mrs Woolf stood down.

Making a statement on the wider child abuse inquiry, Mrs May told MPs: "I know that some members of the House have suggested that the government should publish today the Wanless report about the Home Office permanent secretary's investigation into the so-called Dickens' dossier.

"I can tell the House that the Wanless report will be published next week.

"This is because it is about a separate but related matter to the work of the panel inquiry and I want members of the public and the media to have time to scrutinise both this statement and the Wanless review properly."

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Inquiry into alleged rape victim case

7 November 2014 Last updated at 06:00

An investigation has been launched into why a woman was prosecuted over an alleged false rape claim - and then killed herself.

Eleanor de Freitas, 23, had bipolar disorder, and left notes saying she was frightened of going to court.

She said she had been raped but faced trial for allegedly perverting the course of justice.

Director of public prosecutions Alison Saunders said she was asking officials for answers.

An inquest into Ms De Freitas' death had been due to open on Friday, but her family want it to be treated as a special type of legal case where a jury can consider whether public bodies could have done more to prevent a fatality.

Ms De Freitas suffered a mental breakdown during her first year at Durham University. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had received medical treatment.

'Full explanation'

In early 2013 she made a rape complaint to the Metropolitan Police.

The force told her there would not be a prosecution because of some inconsistencies in her evidence.

The man she had accused of rape then launched his own private prosecution, accusing her of perverting the course of justice.

Ms De Freitas' solicitors asked the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to halt the private action but it decided to take it over and continue it.

Three days before Ms De Freitas was due to stand trial in April, she took her own life.

In a statement, Ms Saunders said she wanted to meet the De Freitas family after she had completed her investigation.

"I am very saddened by the tragic death of Eleanor de Freitas," she said.

"I have asked the team which dealt with this case for a full explanation which addresses all of the De Freitas family's concerns.

"I appreciate the family's unease which is why I am looking at this personally in order to satisfy myself of the detail surrounding all the stages of the case.

"Prosecuting cases of perverting the course of justice in connection with an alleged false rape allegation is rare, extremely difficult and always complex and sensitive.

'Serious concerns'

"This case was one of the most difficult I have seen. To say any more at this stage would be inappropriate until I can answer the De Freitas family's concerns fully and directly."

Under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, public bodies must account for their actions if they were either involved in a death or there is a question over whether they could have done something to prevent it from happening.

In practice, this usually means holding an inquest before a jury so that it can decide whether or not the state had any role in what happened.

Deborah Coles of campaign group Inquest said: "This case raises serious issues of concern regarding the prosecution of rape complainants."

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Cannibal murder probe continues

7 November 2014 Last updated at 07:54

Investigations are continuing after a woman was murdered in an act of cannibalism and her suspect died after Gwent Police fired a Taser at him.

Matthew Williams, 34, was found attacking the 22-year-old victim in the former Sirhowy Arms Hotel in Argoed, Blackwood, at 01:23 GMT on Thursday.

Officers fired the Taser at Williams and he was arrested but later died.

His death is being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

Gwent Police said Williams was local to the area and the woman was from Blackwood.

The pair are believed to have been in a relationship and the force said it is not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

Vulnerable

The property where the murder took place is used as temporary accommodation for homeless people.

IPCC Commissioner for Wales, Jan Williams, said: "I would like to express my sincere condolences to the families of the deceased at this sad and difficult time.

"Our investigators are gathering all relevant evidence to understand the full circumstances of what happened."

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Forensic teams have been searching for clues at Sirhowy Arms Hotel in Argoed

Argoed Baptist Chapel secretary June Trace told BBC Wales that the Sirhowy Arms was converted into accommodation for vulnerable people several years ago.

She said it had a "fluctuating population" of people, often aged in their 30s or 40s, who would stay there for a time before moving on.

Despite concerns of some villagers when the plans were first put forward to convert the building, she said there had never been any trouble there.

However, other people living in Argoed said there had been issues at the hostel and police had been called to resolve problems there frequently.

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Labour 'must pull together' to win

7 November 2014 Last updated at 08:02

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Douglas Alexander warned Labour MPs that "divided parties lose elections"

The Labour Party's general election co-ordinator has urged his party to "pull together", warning that "divided parties lose elections".

Douglas Alexander's remarks came after party leader Ed Miliband was forced to dismiss as "nonsense" claims that some Labour MPs wanted him to resign.

It is understood Mr Miliband's leadership was questioned at a meeting of Labour MPs from north-west England.

But Labour MP Diane Abbott said Mr Miliband was "not going anywhere".

Recent polls have suggested Labour is on course to lose seats to the Scottish National Party, and that Mr Miliband is now less popular than his Liberal Democrat counterpart Nick Clegg.

Sources say MPs from north-west England discussed moving to a defensive strategy in a bid to hold on to their seats, rather than an offensive one aimed at winning the election.

The BBC has learned that the leadership was discussed on Wednesday, at a regular social gathering of Labour MPs from the 2010 intake.

'Cutting edge'

The BBC's assistant political editor Norman Smith said there was a "wide degree of disillusionment" about Mr Miliband's leadership.

"But there is no way anyone can see of doing anything about it," he added.

"If they could have a magic wand and just wave Ed Miliband away I'm sure they would love it. But they don't."

Labour backbencher John Mann, a critic of the leadership in the past, said Mr Miliband needed a "cutting edge" if the party was to win back power.

Asked if Mr Miliband could turn things around, he said yes but added: "He needs to do the right thing. What he does not need is more policies... He needs to go out literally on the doorstep, listen to people and reflect on what they are saying."

Analysis BBC political correspondent Chris Mason

While accurately measuring gloom is impossible, there is rather a lot of it about among Labour MPs - and more than there was.

It is six months to the day until the general election, and, as opinion polls suggest Labour's lead is narrowing and Ed Miliband is less popular than his party, some fret this could not just stunt Labour's progress at the election, but cost them their seats.

But Labour does take comfort from not being the sole home of political gloom. The atmosphere's sufficiently febrile, the polls sufficiently in flux, to mean the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats are not immune from nervy bouts of worry either.

But former Cabinet minister Ben Bradshaw, who backed Mr Miliband's brother David in the 2010 leadership contest, said he was "optimistic" that the Labour leader would be in Downing Street in six months time.

"I didn't support Ed Miliband but I have been massively impressed by what he's achieved," he told BBC Breakfast.

"He's held the Labour party together, he's correctly identified the challenges facing this country, in that we have an economy that doesn't work for most people.

"He's developed a very good policy programme on energy, on housing, on jobs and growth and I think he will win the election."

'Whingeing'

And Ms Abbott, who has been a MP for 20 years, dismissed the doubt cast on Mr Miliband's leadership as Labour MPs "whingeing".

"You don't take on your brother for the leadership of the party and step down when you're poised to win," she said.

And Labour Party donor John Mills called for MPs to rally round Mr Miliband in the midst of what he said was a "fragmenting" of the political landscape.

"It's now much more difficult to get a clear narrative that a large proportion of the population will support - you've got UKIP fracturing the right, you've got the SNP fracturing the left," he told BBC's Newsnight.

He also said he thought that Mr Miliband had been picking the right issues to focus on, citing examples such as fuel prices, bankers' bonuses and the standard of living.

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'Ethical duty' to cut NHS waste

6 November 2014 Last updated at 06:59 By Adam Brimelow Health Correspondent, BBC News

Doctors have an ethical duty to prevent waste in the NHS, argues a report by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges.

Its authors point to potential savings of nearly £2bn. Examples include better use of medication, tests, hospital beds and operating theatres.

The British Medical Association said doctors were ideally placed to identify savings, but patients must come first.

The health secretary said he was "determined to tackle unavoidable harm in healthcare".

Unnecessary scans

The report is based on the premise that one doctor's waste is another patient's delay, and may even mean treatment is withheld.

The authors argue it is better to develop a culture of finding the best way to do something, and then do it right across the health service.

Continue reading the main story

We need to be innovative to tackle the huge financial challenges we are facing"

End Quote Sir Bruce Keogh NHS England Medical Director

There are 16 examples of changes to clinical practice which have saved money and benefited patients.

They include medication reviews to prevent adverse drug reactions, which account for 6% of all hospital admissions. The report says eradicating this problem would save £466m.

It also suggests more than £200m could be saved by stopping unnecessary scans.

Other ideas include more frequent consultant ward visits to ensure patients can be discharged promptly, and more efficient use of operating theatres.

The report does not provide a definitive total of potential savings, but indicates what a change in culture - where doctors resolve to eradicate waste - could potentially deliver.

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Consultant Jeremy Lavy explains how his team reduced the number of tools they needed in surgery

Surgeons at the Royal Throat Nose and Ear Hospital in London have reduced the number of instruments required for cochlear implant operations, from 96 to 28.

This has saved money on cleaning and wear and tear. And it has reduced the risk of cancellations or costly delays caused by incomplete equipment.

A surgeon at the hospital, Jeremy Lavey, said doctors were well placed to identify savings.

"We have a responsibility because we're in the best position to say I can use this one, I don't need to use that. A manager can't make that decision whereas we are ideally positioned and we have a responsibility to make sure we do that properly," he said.

Professor Terence Stephenson, chairman of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, said: "Maintaining NHS services in the future depends on doctors ensuring the best use of resources today. Quality of care is a doctor's prime concern. But delivering quality care and promoting value are really two sides of the same coin," he said.

'Improve efficiency'

Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, the NHS England Medical Director, welcomed the report.

"We need to be innovative to tackle the huge financial challenges we are facing, but there are also some more everyday changes that we can make to improve efficiency. This report neatly embodies some practical ideas for more efficient practice," he said.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "We have launched a safety campaign aiming to halve avoidable harm and recently published a report showing the costs of unsafe care may be as high as £2.5 billion a year.

"Today's report builds on this and underlines the potential for savings."

Dr Ian Wilson from the British Medical Association said doctors had already played a leading role in helping to find more efficient ways of delivering patient care.

He added a note of caution: "While staff and management should work closely to maximize the use of the NHS's very limited resources, a doctor's primary duty is to their patient, and it is vitally important that decisions around patient care are around clinical value."

Are you a doctor or NHS worker? Are you a patient? Is enough being done to prevent waste in the NHS? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk

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'Gay cake' legal challenge to begin

5 November 2014 Last updated at 23:37

A watchdog has confirmed it is taking legal action against a Christian-run bakery firm over its refusal to bake a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan.

The Equality Commission wrote to Ashers Baking Company earlier this year, after it declined a customer's order.

The commission supported the customer's claim for compensation, but lawyers for the County Antrim firm do not accept the bakery owners acted unlawfully.

In a statement, the Equality Commission said it is to begin civil proceedings.

The row hit the headlines in July, when the baking company revealed it was facing possible legal action over its decision to decline the customer's request.

The cake had been ordered in Belfast by a gay activist two months earlier, for a civic event in Bangor, County Down, marking International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

Ashers Baking Company said it had declined the request because it was "at odds" with its Christian beliefs.

At the time, the firm's 24-year-old general manager, Daniel McArthur, said marriage in Northern Ireland "still is defined as being a union between one man and one woman" and said his company was taking "a stand".

In a video posted on social media Mr McArthur, said: "We feel that the Equality Commission are pursuing us because of our belief that marriage is between a man and a woman."

The commission said it would have preferred not to start legal action.

In recent correspondence with the firm, the Equality Commission warned Ashers Baking Company that it could face a sexual orientation discrimination court case.

In a new letter sent to the bakery last week, the watchdog said that unless the firm acknowledged there had been a breach in the equality laws and offered recompense, it would start legal proceedings.

The commission said its correspondence with the company "made clear that the claimant will be seeking only modest damages for the upset and inconvenience caused".

However, the letter warned the firm that "failing this, a civil bill will be issued".

In a statement on Wednesday, the commission said it had now received a reply from the bakery's firms solicitors "stating that their view remains unchanged, that their clients have not acted unlawfully".

The watchdog said it "would prefer not to have to litigate" but added the case "raises issues of public importance regarding the extent to which suppliers of goods and services can refuse service on grounds of sexual orientation, religious belief and political opinion".

The commission added that any decision as to whether or not discrimination has occurred would be "a matter for the court".

In a statement posted on the Christian Institute's website, the bakery firm's general manager said they were surprised the case was still being pursued.

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Minister to call for fuel price cut

6 November 2014 Last updated at 00:01

The chief secretary to the Treasury is to urge petrol and diesel distributors to cut prices further after recent declines in the cost of oil.

Oil has fallen from about $115 (£72) per barrel in June to about $84 per barrel, a decline of about a quarter.

In comparison, petrol prices in the UK have fallen from a high of about 131.7 pence per litre in the summer to 124.22 pence - a decline of about 6%.

Danny Alexander is to demand assurances price cuts will be passed on.

Mr Alexander will use a speech in Aberdeen to warn people would "rightly be angry" if they felt prices were not coming down as much as they should.

For diesel the drop is from 136.37 pence per litre to 128.58 pence.

Continue reading the main story

"I believe it's called the rocket and feather effect," he will say, in prepared remarks seen by the BBC for a speech to the Highlands & Islands Branch of The Energy Institute in Aberdeen.

"The public have a suspicion that when the price of oil rises, pump prices go up like a rocket. But when the price of oil falls, pump prices drift down like a feather."

While no research supports this, the thought of this effect creates ill feeling, he will say.

During the period, the pound has weakened against the dollar. Whereas a pound bought $1.7165 at its height in the summer, it now buys $1.598 - a drop of 6.9%

Continue reading the main story

Because oil is traded in dollars, the weaker pound has reduced the effect of the drop in oil for UK consumers.

Out of the 124.22 pence average paid for a litre of petrol, about 65% of the price is accounted for by tax, according to analysis by the AA.

As well as being charged Value Added Tax (VAT) at 20%, 57.95 pence per litre is charged in fuel duty.

In September, three major UK supermarkets said they would cut the prices of petrol and diesel.

Sainsbury's and Tesco both announced a drop of up to five pence per litre, while Asda said it would reduce petrol by up to one penny and diesel by two.

The motoring organisations AA and the RAC welcomed the move.

However the group representing independent fuel retailers said the announcements would further endanger local petrol stations.

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Complete the fields and select Calculate to see how much more - or less - you are paying for fuel

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Bolts fall off Cheesegrater building

6 November 2014 Last updated at 08:18

Two large steel bolts have broken off the Cheesegrater building in London.

No-one was injured but an area around the base of the 47 storey Leadenhall Building in the City has been cordoned off.

The building is one of the tallest in London, standing at 734ft (224m).

Owners British Land said a full investigation was being conducted and the remaining bolts were being fully examined.

The investigation will look at why one part of one of the bolts became dislodged and fell to the ground at the side of the building within the hoarding line.

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UK banks to face competition inquiry

6 November 2014 Last updated at 08:26

A full competition inquiry into the market for current accounts and small business banking has been launched by the Competition and Markets Authority.

The probe, first proposed in July, will investigate the difficulties customers face in switching banks, and the lack of smaller competitors to the "big four" High Street names.

It will also look at lending to small and medium-sized businesses.

Some large banks said the probe was unnecessary.

In a submission to the CMA, Barclays said it felt the review was "not appropriate at this time".

"Various developments, innovations and stimuli are changing the competitive landscape in in relation to both [personal current accounts] and [small and medium enterprises] banking, and these must be given time to mature," it added.

Lloyds Bank, which is still partly owned by the taxpayer, said that although it would work with the CMA, it did "not consider that such a reference is necessary", while HSBC said it was concerned that the CMA has previously "taken a backward looking view" of both current accounts and small business lending.

But the BBA, which represents the banking sector, said the industry would "co-operate fully with any investigation".

"Banks are pro-competition - they compete for business every day," said BBA boss Anthony Browne.

Business group the British Chambers of Commerce said it welcomed the review.

"For many years Britain's dysfunctional banking sector has struggled to meet the needs of [small and medium enterprises], impeding the growth prospects of some of our most promising young companies."

After carrying out a consultation with members of the public, banks and other industry bodies, the CMA outlined four main concerns about banking services in the UK:

• Few customers switching banks or shopping around for the best rate
• Lack of transparency and difficulties in comparing services from different banks
• The barriers faced by smaller banks trying to enter the market
• The continued dominance of the "big four" banks

The inquiry will take 18 months to complete.

The regulator also said it would review the 2002 report by its predecessor, the Competition Commission, to see if its findings were still relevant.

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Warning of 'insufficient' flood cash

5 November 2014 Last updated at 02:44

Spending on flood protection in England is "insufficient" to maintain defences, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned.

It said half of the country's defences were being maintained to a "minimal level", and were likely to "deteriorate faster".

The NAO also said spending on them had been cut in real terms between 2010/11 and 2014/15.

The government said it was spending "more than ever before" on resources.

The Environment Agency said it was making "record levels of investment" in flood schemes.

The report said five million properties were at risk of flooding in December 2013.

The NAO said the agency had improved the cost effectiveness of its flood risk spending, but faced "difficult decisions around whether to continue maintaining some flood defences" or whether to let them "lapse".

As of August 2014, 1,356 flood defence systems, half of England's total, were being maintained to a minimal level, it said.

In areas deemed lower priority - typically because they contained fewer homes - the danger of flooding was increased, but the agency had not set out how prioritising flood defences in certain areas would affect the risk elsewhere, the report said.

Labour MP Margaret Hodge, who chairs the Commons public accounts committee, said: "I am deeply concerned that current levels of spending are not enough to maintain flood protection, with five million homes at risk of flooding and people's livelihoods in jeopardy."

The government made an extra £270m available after storms last winter led to widespread flooding, with 7,700 homes and 3,200 commercial properties in England affected.

But the NAO said in real terms there was a 6% drop since 2010/11.

NAO head Amyas Morse said the Environment Agency had improved how it prioritised spending and achieved value for money.

He added: "However, if we set aside the emergency spending in response to last year's floods, and give due credit for efficiency improvements, the underlying spending on flood defences has gone down."

This was challenged by Flooding Minister Dan Rogerson, who said: "The NAO has drawn conclusions on funding based on inappropriate comparisons.

'On track'

"We have invested £3.2bn in flood management and defences over the course of this parliament which is a real term increase and half a billion [pounds] more than in the previous parliament. This has allowed us to protect 165,000 families and households in vulnerable areas."

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: "We are on track to reduce flood risk to 165,000 properties between 2011 and 2015 and we will continue to invest in those activities that contribute most to reduce the risk of flooding per pound of funding we receive.

"Following the 2013 spending review we have a long-term, six-year capital settlement to continue to improve flood risk management infrastructure. This will allow us to make record levels of investment in capital projects and with this investment we aim to reduce flood risk to a further 300,000 properties."

Shadow environment secretary Maria Eagle said the government had "no plan for dealing with flooding caused by climate change".

She added: "Ignoring the evidence on climate change has led to the government making the wrong choices.

"It has taken a short-term approach when a long-term one is needed."

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Government crackdown on 'notspots'

5 November 2014 Last updated at 08:36 By Jane Wakefield Technology reporter

The government plans to oblige mobile operators to improve their coverage, possibly by sharing rivals' networks.

Partial 'notspots', where there is coverage from some but not all of the mobile networks, affected a fifth of the UK, leaving people unable to make calls or send texts, it said.

One possible solution would see people transferred to rival networks when they lose signal.

But experts are not convinced this would work.

Culture Secretary Sajid Javid said he was determined to sort out the issue of mobile notspots.

A series of talks held with mobile operators has so far failed to find a solution.

"It can't be right that in a fifth of the UK, people cannot use their phones to make a call. The government isn't prepared to let that situation continue," he said.

The proposals to end the frustration - currently only aimed at improving 2G services - are as follows:

• National roaming - phones would use another network when theirs was unavailable, similar to how roaming works when abroad

• Infrastructure sharing - mobile networks would be able to put transmitters on each other's masts

• Reforming virtual networks - agreements that companies such as Tesco and Virgin currently have with single operators would be extended to all four networks

• Coverage obligation - obliging the networks to cover a certain percentage of the UK - and leaving them to decide how to do it

The government has given the industry, businesses and the public until 26 November to respond to the proposals.

Leaked letter

Mr Javid may face opposition to the move from within his own party.

The Times newspaper has reported that a leaked Whitehall letter contains a warning from the Home Secretary Theresa May that allowing people to roam between networks could compromise efforts to track criminals and terrorists.

"[It] could have a detrimental impact on law enforcement, security and intelligence agency access to communications data and lawful intercept," states the letter.

It adds that further research is needed to ensure the change would not make it more difficult for police to access information about calls and emails that is "crucial to keeping us safe".

The Labour Party has seized on the apparent clash.

"The detail of this policy needs careful consideration," said Harriet Harman, shadow culture secretary.

"Rather than briefing against each other as part of the ongoing Tory leadership squabble to replace David Cameron, cabinet ministers should be making clear what the impact will be on 4G services for consumers and the emergency services, as well as any possible implications for national security and the fight against serious crime."

Phone masts

BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones said mobile phone operators had indicated that national roaming would be bad for the consumer.

"Operators argue that roaming would shorten battery life as phones searched for the strongest signal, and pose a risk to the security of their networks," he said.

He said the operators wanted changes to planning laws and the ability to build and share more phone masts.

Matthew Howett, an analyst with research firm Ovum, also thinks that the government's preferred plan of national roaming is "a messy solution that ought to be abandoned".

"The cost, complexity and side-effects of national roaming make it such an unworkable fix that the industry thought had been dropped," he told the BBC.

"What needs to happen over the next month is collectively for the the mobile operators to work with government to come up with an agreeable fix that addresses not only poor voice coverage, but also data too," he added.

Making it easier for operators to put up masts quickly in a cost-effective way would also help current coverage issues, he added.

Mobile spectrum auctioned last year was well-suited to covering rural areas and operators were starting to make use of it and that too should help improve the situation, he said.

While the government's consultation is looking specifically at 2G services, a study commissioned by consumer watchdog Which indicates 3G and 4G coverage is also patchy around the UK.

The report into the state of the mobile phone network found big differences between the four operators in different parts of the country.

• Both 3G and 4G are best in London and worst in Wales
• Three had the best 3G coverage and Vodafone the worst, but Vodafone offered the fastest 4G speeds
• Three was the slowest 4G network and had the worst coverage, while EE had the best 4G coverage

The report, compiled by OpenSignal, a company that crowd sources phone signal strength, looked at the 3G and 4G mobile signals of nearly 40,000 phone users of EE, 02, Three and Vodafone's networks.

It found that 4G speeds have almost halved in the past year as more people sign up to such services.

The difference between operators in different parts of the country highlighted the need for detailed information for consumers before they signed up to a particular service, said Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which.

"We're calling on providers to publish the reliability and speeds their networks actually achieve, so people can make an informed choice before signing on the dotted line," he said.

Vodafone agreed that an industry-wide standard for measuring network performance was needed.

"We've now had numerous different reports with different conclusions," said a spokesman.

All the operators are currently investing in their networks and offering more rural coverage.

Do you live in a 'notspot' area? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

If you are willing to talk to a BBC journalist, please leave a contact number.

Have your say

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New EU members 'add £5bn to UK'

5 November 2014 Last updated at 07:45

Immigrants from the 10 countries which joined the EU in 2004 contributed more to the UK than they took out in benefits, according to a new study.

They added £4.96bn more in taxes in the years to 2011 than they took out in public services.

That is according to the calculations of the report by University College London's Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration.

But the report was criticised for not painting a true picture.

Sir Andrew Green, chairman of pressure group Migration Watch, criticised the selective use of dates, telling the BBC: "If you take all EU migration including those who arrived before 2001 what you find is this: you find by the end of the period they are making a negative contribution and increasingly so.

"And the reason is that if you take a group of people while they're young fit and healthy they're not going to be very expensive but if you take them over a longer period they will be."

Continue reading the main story

The big point is that without the immigrants, our taxes or public sector borrowing would be measurably higher. Which, at a time when the government is failing to reduce the UK's large public sector deficit at the speed it would like, seems of some relevance."

End Quote

The analysis includes migrants' share of all public services costs.

It includes costs that increase when the population increases, such as health and education, and those that stay fixed, such as the armed forces and defence.

If the fixed costs are excluded, the net benefit of immigration from countries such as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic would more than double to £10.5bn.

Professor Christian Dustmann, co-author of the study, said: "A key concern in the public debate on migration is whether immigrants contribute their fair share to the tax and welfare systems.

"Our new analysis draws a positive picture of the overall fiscal contribution made by recent immigrant cohorts, particularly of immigrants arriving from the EU."

He added: "European immigrants, particularly, both from the new accession countries and the rest of the European Union, make the most substantial contributions.

Pressure on services

"This is mainly down to their higher average labour market participation compared with natives and their lower receipt of welfare benefits."

But Sir Andrew said: "This report confirms that immigration as a whole has cost up to £150bn in the last 17 years.

"As for recent European migrants, even on their own figures - which we dispute - their contribution to the exchequer amounts to less than £1 a week per head of our population."

He said that people in the UK had to decide whether the extra pressure on schools, maternity units, and other services were worth an extra £1 a week.

The report will fuel the current political debate over immigration.

Prime minister David Cameron has vowed to renegotiate the terms of the UKs membership of the EU, before holding a referendum in 2017 on whether to leave, if he is re-elected in six month's time.

But the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, has reportedly warned Mr Cameron that he was approaching the "point of no return" with proposals to restrict immigration.

A spokesman for Mrs Merkel said this week that free movement of people in the EU was "not negotiable" for Germany.

Are you an immigrant from one of the 10 countries which joined the EU in 2004? What is your reaction to the findings? You can share your experience and views by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk

If you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist, please leave a contact number.

Have your say

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Sierra Leone gets UK Ebola centre

5 November 2014 Last updated at 07:47

A British-run facility to treat people with Ebola is opening in Sierra Leone.

The 92-bed site in Kerry Town will be run jointly by the Department for International Development and charity Save the Children.

The centre is the first of six which are being constructed by the British government as part of the effort to stop the spread of the disease.

Save the Children chief executive Justin Forsyth said there was a "race against time" to stop that happening.

The facility at Kerry Town south of the capital Freetown includes a new blood testing laboratory. Six hundred more beds are planned at UK centres around the country in the coming months.

Mr Forsyth said: "The Ebola crisis that's affecting Sierra Leone, but also Liberia and Guinea, is so enormous.

"We're in a race against time to make sure we can prevent it spreading but also to treat people who have got Ebola and to build on for the future.

"But we've never done something like this treatment centre. It's enormous for us and it was a risky decision, but it's something I feel very proud about."

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UK police 'should be sent to Calais'

5 November 2014 Last updated at 08:03

British police should be sent to Calais to help solve the port's "tremendous problem" with illegal immigration, the French interior minister has said.

Bernard Cazeneuve told the BBC officers might help persuade immigrants it was "impossible to cross the Channel".

Increasing numbers of migrants have been trying to enter the UK through the major ferry port in recent months.

The Home Office has not yet commented but the UK has previously pledged £12m to help bolster security there.

That pledge was part of a plan, announced in September by Home Secretary Theresa May, for the two countries to work more closely to tackle the problem.

Local officials say there are now 2,500 illegal immigrants in Calais, with the majority from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan and Syria.

Numbers have increased by 50% in the past year as people flee from humanitarian crises in northern and eastern Africa and the Middle East.

Many are camping or living in squats around the port and there have been clashes on the streets of the town.

"We had a hard negotiation between the two governments and I have had a lot of rendezvous with my friend Theresa May in order to find a solution concerning this tremendous problem," Mr Cazeneuve told BBC Radio 5live's Breakfast show.

"We are both involved in this problem and we have to find common solutions in order to be efficient."

He said he and Mrs May had agreed that, in order to tackle the problem in both countries, more co-operation was needed in "services and policemen".

Last month, France sent 100 extra police officers to the northern French town to join the 350 already there. There are currently no British police there.

Mr Cazeneuve said that he and Mrs May had agreed to the installation of new security equipment at the port, and to "try to work together concerning the security aspects and the humanitarian aspects by financing a number of projects".

"We are going to finance the humanitarian aspect and the British government is going to help with financing the security aspect of the problem," he added.

When asked if he believed British police should be sent to Calais, Mr Cazeneuve responded: "It would be very useful to have more policemen here, and we try to find a way of being in a common system here concerning police, in order to explain to all the immigrants in Calais that it's impossible to cross the Channel.

"And we'd be very happy if it would be possible to have more co-operation concerning this point."

'As bad as Darfur'

Rachel Burden, 5live Breakfast presenter, in Calais

"There is no religion, no colour, we live like brothers here... because we are one category, we are refugees."

This is what Adnan from Pakistan (pictured) told me as he showed me around one of the camps in the "Jungle" - the makeshift homes of up to 2,500 migrants who have travelled to Calais to try to cross the Channel to the UK.

They sleep under tarpaulins in muddy fields, strewn with rubbish.

By day they sleep, or crowd around small fires making tea or porridge. By night, they line the roads leading to the ferry, desperately trying to scramble on to any vehicles they can. In the last week, we were told, three men have been killed on the roads here.

Charities here have told us the conditions at the camps do not meet basic humanitarian needs. Medecins du Monde, which provides some food and hygiene facilities here, says it is as bad as Darfur.

Despite the hopelessness of their situation, the young men and women I met told me they had left everything behind to travel here, and have no money to go anywhere else.

The UK has said it will contribute £4m (5m euros) a year for three years to a joint intervention fund.

The increased security measures are said to include more robust fences and new technology to detect migrants hiding in lorries.

Immigration Minister James Brokenshire has previously said British and French law enforcement agencies would also target organised crime gangs behind people trafficking and smuggling.

As part of the agreement between the UK and France, the layout of the port at Calais will be changed to make it easier to carry out controls and improve traffic flow.

The money will also fund information campaigns to explain the consequences of illegal immigration to the UK and provide details on asylum in France or assisted voluntary return.

The National Crime Agency is to second a full-time officer to Ocriest, the French agency responsible for tackling illegal immigration, and the French border police will send two officers each month to work with the joint border intelligence unit in Folkestone.

'It's not El Dorado'

When the agreement was made, the BBC's Hugh Schofield said that France saw it as a "landmark deal" because, in its view, Britain had recognised that it had a responsibility for helping secure the port.

Last month, Calais Mayor Natacha Bouchart said illegal migrants saw the UK as a "soft touch" and that the country's benefits system was acting as a "magnet" to them.

"There hasn't been a message from the British government or anywhere else that it's not El Dorado," she told UK MPs on the Home Affairs Committee.

She previously threatened to shut down the port unless the British government did more to stop illegal immigration.

Shadow Immigration Minister David Hanson said on Monday French authorities should be doing more to stop migrants heading for the UK from reaching Calais in the first place.

Illegal camps have existed in the port since France closed the Sangatte immigration centre in 2002.

What security is in place?

• 5m fence encircles the port
• Security guards patrol with dogs at night
• Calais Chambers of Commerce has responsibility for port security
• UK Border Force present inside port and carry out passport checks on passengers

Calais migrant crisis explained

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Holiday pay case may affect millions

4 November 2014 Last updated at 00:06

A closely-watched ruling will later determine whether millions of workers are entitled to claim for overtime to be included in holiday pay.

Across the UK, employers could be liable for billions of pounds in backdated pay, some estimates suggest.

Currently, only basic pay counts when calculating holiday pay.

Any ruling is likely to be appealed against, whatever the outcome, meaning a final decision could be years away.

Ramifications

The Employment Appeal Tribunal will rule on the Bear Scotland versus Fulton case, where three employees of the road maintenance company claim that voluntary overtime pay should have been factored into their holiday pay.

Two other cases - Amec vs Law and Hertel vs Wood - are also included in the ruling.

Continue reading the main story

The holiday pay time bomb could have a hugely detrimental impact on businesses up and down the country"

End Quote Simon Walker Director General, IoD

The cases have widespread implications for all companies paying overtime to their staff.

The government estimates that one-sixth of the 30.8 million people in work get paid overtime. This means around five million workers could be entitled to more holiday pay.

But the coalition argues that overtime should not be used in holiday pay calculations.

"The government wants to get the right balance between the needs of employers and employees," said a spokesperson for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.

"We do not believe voluntary overtime should be included in holiday pay and are concerned about the potential impact on employers.

"We have spoken with business groups and listened to their concerns, as well as intervening in the case to make clear our view."

Tuesday morning's judgement, expected at 10:30 GMT, can be appealed to the Court of Appeal, or it could be referred to EU courts in Luxembourg for clarification on how European law should be interpreted.

On previous referrals, the EU courts have said commission and bonus payments should be included in holiday pay.

The Bear vs Fulton case centres on the interpretation of the EU-wide Working Time Directive, and in particular the Working Time Regulations implemented in the UK in 1998.

'Wipe out'

The case has pitted the government and business against employees and unions.

"The holiday-pay time bomb could have a hugely detrimental impact on businesses up and down the country," said Simon Walker, director general of the Institute of Directors.

"It is not an exaggeration to say that some small businesses could end up being wiped out if employers who have acted compliantly and in good faith face underpayment claims backdated as far as 1998."

He added that employees would be encouraged to apply for holidays after working a lot of overtime, leading to "an administrative nightmare" for companies.

The Federation of Small Businesses, which estimates the ruling could impact about 400,000 firms in the UK, said the biggest threat was from backdated claims.

"It seems extremely unfair that businesses who have tried to do the right thing - getting the best legal advice at the time - could be hit with a bill which no one knew was coming," said the group's national chairman John Allan.

However, unions argue strongly that low-paid workers in particular rely on overtime to top up their salary, so it should be included in holiday pay.

Do you work overtime? Would the holiday pay ruling have an impact on you? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk

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Tech firms 'in denial' over extremists

4 November 2014 Last updated at 04:17

US technology companies have become "the command and control networks of choice" for extremists, the new head of GCHQ has claimed.

Writing in the Financial Times, Robert Hannigan says some US tech companies are "in denial" about how their services are being misused.

He also said UK security agencies needed support from "the largest US tech companies which dominate the web".

Extremist groups in Syria and Iraq had "embraced the web", he added.

Mr Hannigan argues that the big internet firms must work more closely with the intelligence services, warning that "privacy has never been an absolute right".

"However much they may dislike it, [US technology companies] have become the command and control networks of choice for terrorists and criminals, who find their services as transformational as the rest of us," he writes.

"The challenge to governments and their intelligence agencies is huge - and it can only be met with greater co-operation from technology companies.

"GCHQ and its sister agencies, MI5 and the Secret Intelligence Service, cannot tackle these challenges at scale without greater support from the private sector, including the largest US technology companies which dominate the web."

The debate about whether security agencies should be allowed to access personal data through social-networking sites like Google and Facebook was brought to the fore in 2013 after Edward Snowden leaked details of alleged internet and phone surveillance by US intelligence.

Mr Snowden, who has been granted temporary asylum in Russia, faces espionage charges over his actions.

Analysis

Gordon Corera, BBC security correspondent

This is a hard-hitting article from the new GCHQ director in his first move on taking up the role. His aim is clear - to pressure tech companies to work more with government.

Following the Edward Snowden disclosures last year, some of those companies have been less willing to share data with intelligence and law enforcement and more inclined to encrypt it - making it harder for authorities to gain access.

Tech companies may be surprised by the ferocity of the attack. And they - and privacy activists - may also argue that the spies started this fight with the scale of their intelligence collection and by hacking into some of those companies.

But Robert Hannigan has wasted no time in wading into the debate over security and privacy and making clear he will not shy away from a fight.

Mr Hannigan goes on to say that Islamic State (IS), also known as Isil, has a different approach to using the internet than other extremist groups have had.

"Where al-Qaeda and its affiliates saw the internet as a place to disseminate material anonymously or meet in 'dark spaces', Isis has embraced the web as a noisy channel in which to promote itself, intimidate people, and radicalise new recruits."

He also says most internet users "would be comfortable with a better and more sustainable relationship between the [intelligence] agencies and the tech companies".

Brent Hoberman, founder of lastminute.com, said he thought there should be a compromise.

He said: "We need more trust in the security services, I agree, and there were too many people that had access to Snowden files - 800,000 people or something - that's too many for high level security.

"But if we had enough confidence that they were only under due process with a warrant that was specific in limited cases - I want the security services to be able to get into my phone."

Rachel O'Connell, a former chief security officer at social networking site Bebo, said the security services were taking a "polarised position".

She said this was the case "particularly post-Snowden, where we were realising that there was a suspicion, in some cases substantiated, that the security services have total access to whatever is happening online.

"And that's a situation that's untenable if you are thinking about a democracy."

Hashtags strategy

Earlier in the year an investigation by the Guardian revealed how IS was using popular hashtags - including ones used during the Scottish Referendum - to boost the popularity of its material on Twitter.

Security minister James Brokenshire met recently with representatives from technology companies - including Google, Microsoft and Facebook - in Luxembourg to discuss ways to tackle online extremism.

The government's Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU), set up in 2010, has removed more than 49,000 pieces of content that "encourages or glorifies acts of terrorism" - 30,000 of which have been removed since December 2013.

Scotland Yard's head of counter-terrorism, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, has previously said that officers are removing more than 1,000 online postings a week, including graphic and violent videos and images.

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MPs demand separate EU justice votes

4 November 2014 Last updated at 01:23

MPs should be given a vote on each of the 35 EU justice measures the government wants to rejoin, a Commons committee has said.

The European Scrutiny Committee also said the government had not explained the "detriment" caused to Britons by the European Arrest Warrant.

The UK has opted out of all 133 EU justice laws and ministers want to rejoin 35, including the EU warrant.

The Home Office said it would "carefully consider" the report.

The UK has to decide by 1 December whether to continue to adhere to the EU criminal justice and law enforcement measures under the terms of the 2009 Lisbon Treaty.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who has promised a vote before the Rochester and Strood by-election on 20 November, is facing a rebellion by Conservative MPs unhappy with the arrest warrant, although Labour and Lib Dem support means the measure is likely to be passed by the Commons.

'Far-reaching'

The Home Office, the police and the security services say the warrant is a vital tool to protect the UK, but some Conservative MPs argue it has been abused and has become a threat to the liberties of Britons and the sovereignty of the UK.

Recently police were criticised after a European Arrest Warrant was issued for the parents of five-year-old brain tumour patient Ashya King, who was taken from hospital against medical advice.

His parents had taken him abroad to undergo proton beam therapy, which had not been recommended by doctors treating him at Southampton General Hospital.

In its report, the scrutiny committee criticised the information provided about the arrest warrant's impact.

The government had set out how the measure had brought serious criminals to justice, the MPs said, but had not covered "the detriment caused to British citizens who have been surrendered to another member state under the [arrest warrant] and, in some cases, detained for lengthy periods of time in poor prison conditions, without being tried or convicted".

Conservative MP Sir Bill Cash, who chairs the committee, said there should be a separate motion for each of the 35 measures, rather than a single vote on the whole package.

He said: "Members have the right to a separate vote on each one because of the individual significance of some of the measures and the need for full and rigorous parliamentary scrutiny."

European Arrest Warrants

• The European Arrest Warrant operates EU-wide and replaced separate extradition arrangements between the EU member states
• It was introduced in January 2004, and was prompted by the international anti-terror drive after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States
• A national judicial authority, such as a court, can issue an EU warrant to get a suspect extradited
• For a warrant to be valid, the suspect must be accused of an offence incurring a maximum penalty of at least a year in prison, or must have been already sentenced to at least four months in prison

Q&A: European Arrest Warrant

The decision on whether to rejoin the justice measures had "potentially far-reaching implications", the committee said.

But at times, scrutinising the government's plans had been an "uphill battle", it added.

A Home Office spokesman said: "We have opted out of more than 100 police and criminal justice measures but want our police and law enforcement agencies to continue to be able to make use of a much smaller number of measures in the national interest. The prime minister has committed to a vote on this matter before 20 November.

"We will carefully consider the recommendations of the committee and respond in due course."

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Sea giants need urgent protection

4 November 2014 Last updated at 01:48 By Roger Harrabin BBC environment analyst

The great predators of Britain's seas need protection from over-fishing, pollution, boat traffic and marine development, a report says.

The Wildlife Trusts are calling on the government to create 17 protected zones for whales, dolphins, porpoises and sharks round the coasts of England and Wales.

Their report says current policy fails to safeguard cetaceans.

The government says it is working to support the creatures.

But it adds that it is not convinced protected zones offer the best way forward.

The Trusts argue that survival rates will improve if ministers designate areas where nutrient-rich water wells up from the deep ocean, feeding plankton which in turn attract species of fish.

'Glaring omission'

These areas should be free from intensive boat-use, scallop-dredging, bottom trawling and noisy development of offshore structures like wind farms, they say.

The UK Government is working towards what it calls an ecologically coherent network of Marine Protected Areas. But the Trusts' report said: "There's a glaring omission: the absence of protection for the nutrient-rich places on which marine megafauna most depend."

It says in England and Wales only one Special Area of Conservation - in Cardigan Bay - has been designated specifically to protect for bottlenose dolphins. The Scottish government has earmarked three potential zones for protecting whales, dolphins and basking sharks.

Joan Edwards, of the Wildlife Trusts, told BBC News: "These charismatic creatures are under threat. There's a significant gap in marine protection policy - we have to do more."

The report says the seas round the UK have 29 different species of whale, dolphin and porpoise and the second largest shark in the world - the basking shark. It says the reported numbers of many of the creatures have been falling.

Continue reading the main story

The Wildlife Trusts want to see the following "hotspots" protected :

• 1. Farnes East, Coquet to St Marys - notable for white-beaked dolphin, harbour porpoise and minke whale
• 2. Mid St George's Channel - notable for common dolphin
• 3. Bideford North to Foreland Point - notable for harbour porpoise
• 4. East of Celtic Deep - common dolphin and fin whale
• 5. Celtic Deep - common dolphin and fin whale
• 6. South of Celtic Deep - common dolphin and fin whale
• 7. Western Channel - common dolphin, humpback whale and fin whale
• 8. Manacles - basking shark, harbour porpoise and (seasonally) minke whale
• 9. Lizard, Western channel - common dolphin, harbour porpoise, bottlenose dolphin and basking shark
• 10. Lyme Bay - harbour porpoise
• 11. North and west coasts of Anglesey - harbour porpoise
• 12. Lleyn Peninsula and the Sarnau - harbour porpoise and Risso's dolphin
• 13. Cardigan Bay - harbour porpoise
• 14. Pembrokeshire Marine - harbour porpoise
• 15. North of Celtic Deep - common dolphin.
• 16. Eastern coastline including Silver Pit - harbour porpoise
• 17. Dogger bank - notable for harbour porpoise and white-beaked dolphin

A Defra spokesperson told BBC News: "We recognise the importance of whales and dolphins - these are much loved, iconic animals which form a vital part of the marine ecosystem.

"But they can move across large areas of sea, so for this reason Marine Protected Areas may not be the most effective way to protect them. That's why we continue to focus our efforts on more effective measures, such as reducing by-catch in fisheries."

Joan Edwards replied: "We know dolphins, whales and sharks frequent areas of high productivity and use these areas not just for feeding but for important life stages such as mating and giving birth.

"Over 900 areas of high productivity have been designated as MPAs for cetaceans around the world - England and Wales are lagging behind.

"We accept that MPAs alone are unlikely to be the answer - yet they are a vital first step."

The UK government is facing the risk of infraction by the European commission because it has not identified more MPAs for porpoises.

Follow Roger on Twitter.

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