UK braced for worst storm in years

27 October 2013 Last updated at 01:46 ET

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Autumn storm approaches UK

Millions of people in England and Wales have been warned to prepare for heavy rain and hurricane-force winds on Sunday night and Monday.

Gusts of up to 80 mph (120 kph) are predicted in the South West , moving north and eastwards overnight.

There are fears about falling trees, buildings being damaged, flooding, travel disruption and power supplies.

The Met Office said 20-40mm (0.80-1.6 ins) of rain might fall within six to nine hours in the wettest areas.

It said the predicted storm - named St Jude after the patron saint of depression and lost causes, whose feast day is Monday - was not one "you would see every year".

A Met Office amber alert for high winds in southern Wales, southern England, much of the Midlands, the East, and London and the South East is in place.

A yellow alert warning of heavy rain that could lead to surface water flooding and disruption is in place for all areas, apart from London and the South East and eastern England.

This is the lowest level of the three warnings issued by the Met Office and advises people to "be aware".

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Michael Fish told the BBC technology had made earlier forecasting much easier

An amber alert, advising people to "be prepared" for potentially hazardous conditions, is one level up from this.

The Environment Agency has warned of the possibility of surface water flooding on Monday but currently assesses it as a "low risk".

A spokesman said teams were working to minimise river flood risk, clearing debris from streams and unblocking culverts.

BBC Weather presenter Nick Miller said the storm is in a "developing and deepening" area of low pressure in the Atlantic which developed off the east coast of the US.

He said "there are still some uncertainties" about just how strong the winds will be, but a heavy band of rain across England and Wales would result in standing water and spray during rush hour on Monday.

The worst of the storm will have moved into the North Sea by Monday lunchtime, he added.

Northern Ireland and Scotland will be spared the worst of the weather.

In other developments:

The Met Office is predicting gusts in some areas could be similar in strength to storms in March 2008, January 2007, October 2000 and January 1990.

Wind speeds of 115 mph were recorded during the so-called Great Storm of October 1987.

Forecaster Michael Fish, who famously reassured viewers that there was not "a hurricane" on the way in 1987, predicted that the weather over the coming days would not rival the Great Storm.

He told the BBC News Channel: "Present thoughts are there are three storms it's comparable to - March 2008, January 2007 and October 2000."

There is more information about the forecasts for Sunday and Monday on the BBC Weather, Met Office and Environment Agency websites. See BBC Travel News for up to date travel information and the Highways Agency and Traffic Wales websites for details about road conditions. BBC Local has information from your area.

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Ex-police chiefs clash over security

26 October 2013 Last updated at 19:04 ET

Two former senior police officers have clashed over the national security implications of Scotland becoming independent.

Labour MSP Graeme Pearson, a former director of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, said "effective working" was easier as part of the UK.

But Allan Burnett, a former director of intelligence at Strathclyde Police, dismissed his concerns.

The row follows a report from the Economic and Social Research Council.

National security, which is reserved to Westminster, was the subject of a seminar organised by ESCR to discuss how current security governance arrangements worked in Scotland and the UK.

Sponsored by Mr Pearson, the report is based on contributions from academics, civil servants, police officers and former intelligence officers.

The report, authored by Dr Andrew Neal of Edinburgh University, admitted although counter-terrorism was a reserved matter, Scotland had always had its own expertise, in Strathclyde, formerly its largest police force.

Bigger partners

He wrote: "In practice, the Scottish government and Police Scotland have developed a distinctive approach that integrates counter­‐terrorism with the policing of serious crime.

"All this means that security governance feels different and is different in Scotland, but it is not independent of the UK."

Continue reading the main story

In practice, the Scottish government and Police Scotland have developed a distinctive approach that integrates counter­‐terrorism with the policing of serious crime."

End Quote Dr Andrew Neal ESCR report

The report agreed it would be possible for Scotland to have its own intelligence services, like other smaller nations such as Denmark and New Zealand.

But it warned it would be costly to maintain a level of intelligence-gathering which would meet the encryption and computer security standards of its bigger partners.

And it pointed out a senior, more powerful partner, such as the rest of the UK, would dictate the policy and costs, raising questions about how much independence a Scottish security service would really have.

Mr Pearson said it was clear experts had real concerns about the security implications of breaking up the UK.

He said: "As part of the UK we currently enjoy a high level of security.

"Why would we want to put this at risk because of Alex Salmond's obsession with independence?"

He said: "The SNP can't answer basic questions about what kind of intelligence and security service a separate Scotland would have, how much this would cost and whether we would enjoy the same level of security.

"From my experience as a police officer for over 35 years, developing effective working relationships with colleagues across the UK is far easier because we are part of the UK."

'Better deal'

Mr Burnett, previously counter-terrorism co-ordinator with the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (Acpos), said: "Based upon my experience, I simply do not accept these criticisms of Scotland's abilities to have effective security arrangements - and it is worth recalling that Graeme Pearson fought very hard to keep the SCDEA as a Scottish institution, and not part of a UK-wide unit.

"This helped ensure that Scotland got a better deal in fighting drugs and serious organised crime.

"An excellent Scottish intelligence organisation could be developed in an independent country."

He added: "I have witnessed great Scottish talent in military, secret and police intelligence services, and can readily envisage the huge ability, energy, integrity and innovation they would pour into this exciting mission."

The Scottish government also rejected the claims.

A spokesperson said: "An independent Scotland will have first-rate security arrangements to counter any threats we may face.

"And we will continue to work in very close collaboration with the rest of the UK and international partners on security and intelligence matters, which is in everyone's interests."

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TV licence fee may be cut - Shapps

26 October 2013 Last updated at 19:47 ET

The BBC could face a cut in the TV licence fee or have to share it with other broadcasters unless it rebuilds public trust, a Tory minister has said.

Conservative party chairman Grant Shapps told the Sunday Telegraph the broadcaster must be "more transparent" and change its "culture of secrecy".

The current £145.50 annual fee would be "too much" without reform, he said.

A BBC spokesman said transparency and freedom from political pressure were key to the BBC's future.

Mr Shapps' comments come after negative publicity over pay-outs to top executives and the handling of the Jimmy Savile scandal.

The Tory chairman told the newspaper the corporation was in danger of "frittering away" public trust.

"They have ended up working in this culture which is buried in the last century, which is 'we are the BBC, we do what we like, we don't have to be too accountable'.

'Question of credibility'

"But they are raising £3.6bn through the licence fee, which is a tax, and, quite rightly, the public wants to have sight of how the money is spent. Things like the pay-offs have really caused concern, as have, obviously, things like Savile and Hall and the culture that goes around that. I think it is one of too much secrecy," he said.

BBC director general Lord Hall should consider opening the corporation's books to full inspection by the National Audit Office (NAO), publishing all expenditure over £500 - including stars' salaries - and opening up to freedom of information requests, he said.

With the current royal charter allowing the BBC's licence fee coming up for renewal at the end of 2016, Mr Shapps also indicated he would consider changing the system which sees the broadcaster receive all of the money raised through the licence fee.

There were "lots of different ways" the money could be used to fund public service broadcasting, he said.

There was also a "question of credibility" for the BBC over whether it applied "fairness" to its reporting of politics, Mr Shapps added.

A BBC spokesman said: "Mr Shapps is right that transparency is key to the future of the BBC. So is its freedom from political pressure.

"The BBC and the BBC Trust actively encourages the public to tell us what it thinks of our services and help us police our own guidelines. On TV and radio they personally hold its executives to account."

'Commitment'

He said in 2012, the corporation dealt with more than 1,600 freedom of information requests and volunteered information on hundreds more.

It has appeared in front of 16 parliamentary committees in 2013, and the NAO already has full access to the BBC's operations except its editorial decisions, he added.

In July, the BBC was criticised by the National Audit Office for paying out £25m in severance to 150 senior BBC managers, and risking "public trust".

Earlier this month the BBC's director general Tony Hall promised the corporation would have a closer relationship with its audience in future, treating them as "owners" rather than licence fee payers.

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Ex-forces chief in Army cuts warning

26 October 2013 Last updated at 22:38 ET

Cuts in front-line troops should be put on hold until more reservists are recruited, a former head of Britain's armed forces has said.

Field Marshal Lord Bramall told the Sunday Telegraph there was a "terrible question mark" over whether enough reservists would be found.

The government wants to expand the Reserve Force, formerly the TA, to 30,000 by 2018 to help cover Army cuts.

On Friday the MoD said it was committed to delivering "challenging" targets.

Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, Lord Bramall - who led the Army as Chief of General Staff during the Falklands War and was later promoted to Chief of Defence Staff - said the armed forces were having to "make the best of" defence cuts that were "predominantly driven by finance".

"The logical thing is you do not run [frontline troops] down until you achieve the build-up of reserves but finance is still driving the agenda," he said.

Lord Bramall also told the paper the Royal Navy did not have enough ships to carry out "everyday duties of projecting influence, tackling piracy and all the other things they have to do all over the world".

Under government plans the regular Army is being cut from 102,000 to 82,000 by 2020, while the Reserve Force is being expanded from 19,000 to 30,000.

On Friday, former defence secretary Liam Fox said plans to recruit more Army reservists might have to be reversed if work commitments meant they were not as easy to deploy at speed as regular soldiers.

In August confidential memos seen by the Sunday Times suggested the Army Reserve looked set to fall well short of its target for recruiting new members this year.

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Greenpeace man fears 'losing years'

27 October 2013 Last updated at 03:50 ET

A British journalist detained in Russia after a Greenpeace protest has said he fears "losing years of his life" being kept away from his family and friends.

Video journalist Kieron Bryan, 29, from London, was one of 30 people arrested on boat Arctic Sunrise at an offshore oil drilling rig on 18 September.

He is one of six Britons charged with hooliganism.

In a letter to the Sunday Times, Mr Bryan, originally from Devon, described his treatment as "ludicrous".

The group of 30 - 28 activists, a photographer and video journalist Mr Bryan - had originally been charged with piracy, but Russian authorities dropped the charges last week, replacing them with hooliganism charges.

That new charge has a maximum penalty of seven years rather than 15.

Greenpeace denies any wrongdoing and is calling for the release of the detainees - who come from 18 countries - and the Arctic Sunrise.

So far all bail applications in the case have been refused.

'Terrifying'

Continue reading the main story

I spend 23 hours a day in here with nothing but the occasional book and my thoughts"

End Quote Kieron Bryan

In his letter, Mr Bryan said: "My greatest fear is being kept from my family, my friends and my girlfriend for any great length of time.

"In many ways I'm lucky I don't have children who depend on me, but the fear of losing years of my life and the opportunity to perhaps start a family is terrifying."

He said the hardest moment he had faced was his first night in prison when the group was split up and placed in different cells.

"Now the difficulty is the silence and ignorance imposed by our detention," he said.

He described his cell as 26ft long, 13ft wide and 20ft high.

"I spend 23 hours a day in here with nothing but the occasional book and my thoughts," he wrote. "We are granted an hour a day for exercise which is held in a shed about 30 metres from my cell. If I'm lucky I might get to shout a quick hello to an English speaker."

He also described some of the food provided. Lunch - soup and a fish stew - "tastes like an ashtray full of seawater," he said. Another dish "is clearly boiled from breakfast onwards".

The other Britons being held are activist Philip Ball, of Oxfordshire, logistics co-ordinator Frank Hewetson from London, activist Anthony Perrett from Newport in south Wales, communications officer Alexandra Harris, originally from Devon and 2nd engineer Iain Rogers, from Exeter.

All 30 people who were on board the ship are in pre-trial detention in the northern port city of Murmansk until 24 November. They have complained of being held in harsh conditions.

They were detained when Russian security sources stormed the ship five weeks ago following a protest against drilling for oil in the Arctic.

Eleven Nobel prize-winners have written to Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him to drop the charges of piracy.

The Netherlands took the case of the Dutch-flagged ship and its crew to the UN tribunal in Hamburg on Monday.

The Russian foreign ministry released a statement pointing out that Moscow had opted out of UN Law of the Sea dispute procedures, which infringe upon sovereignty, in 1997.

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Sex charges for ex-Savile driver

25 October 2013 Last updated at 17:48 ET

Jimmy Savile's former chauffeur Ray Teret has been charged with historic sex offences involving 15 teenage girls, police have said.

He was arrested by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) earlier this week when he answered bail in relation to a separate set of allegations.

Police had said the accusations were not linked to the national inquiry into abuse by disgraced broadcaster Savile.

The 72-year-old worked as a pirate radio DJ in the 1960s.

'Complex investigation'

He is charged with various offences including the rape and attempted rape of girls under 16 and of possessing an indecent image of a child.

They allegedly took place between 1962 and 1996, primarily in the Greater Manchester area, GMP said.

"This has been a complex investigation that was originally launched in October 2012 when an initial complaint was made to Greater Manchester Police," DCI Graham Brock said.

He added: "It is now very important that we make no further comment and allow the correct legal process to take its course unimpeded and without prejudice.

"We will continue to support all those women who have come forward and offer them whatever welfare they need through the use of specially-trained officers."

Mr Teret is due to appear at Manchester City Magistrates' Court on Saturday.

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Fat pledge 'a drop in the ocean'

25 October 2013 Last updated at 19:04 ET

A pledge by food manufacturers to cut saturated fat levels is a "drop in the ocean" in the fight against obesity, a top public health expert says.

The commitment is part of the voluntary "responsibility deal" between industry and government.

But Prof John Ashton, president of the Faculty of Public Health, said the approach "lacked credibility".

Among those who will change recipes are Morrisons, Subway and Nestle - who are to alter the make-up of KitKats.

The average man should eat no more than 30g of saturated fat a day, while the average woman should eat no more than 20g.

Most people eat about 20% more than the recommended levels - and a survey of 2,000 people for Sainsbury's found 84% of those questioned did not know how much saturated fat was a healthy amount.

'Healthy options'

The Department of Health said cutting the amount of saturated fat in people's diets by 15% could prevent around 2,600 premature deaths every year from conditions such as heart disease and stroke.

Continue reading the main story

HOW BAD IS IT?

Despite one expert saying earlier this week that saturated fat had been "demonised" and singled out as a cause of heart disease, the official advice remains that we should eat less of it.

Saturated fat is found in butter and lard, pies, cakes and biscuits, fatty cuts of meat, sausages and bacon, and cheese and cream.

Eating a diet high in saturated fat can raise the level of cholesterol in the blood, which increases the risk of heart disease.

Cardiologist Aseem Malhotra had said too much focus was placed on cutting saturated fat - when doing that simply meant sugar, which also contributes to heart disease, was added.

But the British Heart Foundation is clear that eating too much saturated fat is bad for cardiovascular health.

It said almost half of the food manufacturing and retail industry had signed up to this latest pledge to reduce the amount of saturated fat in products.

Among the other companies which will cut saturated fat levels, Morrisons has said it will reformulate its range of spreads and Subway will reduce the amount of saturated fat in its Kids' Pak by replacing biscuits and crisps with healthier options.

Public health minister Jane Ellison said it was "hugely encouraging" that so many companies had committed to this new pledge.

And Prof Susan Jebb, chairwoman of the Responsibility Deal Food Network, said: "These commitments to help reduce saturated fat are an important step forward."

Deal 'will never succeed'

But there was criticism that the pledge did not go far enough.

Prof Ashton said: "It is a good thing that some companies are making food that has less saturated fat than before.

"They need to ensure that at the same time they lower the sugar and salt that they have used to make foods more tasty as a result of lowering the fat content."

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

By reducing the amount of saturated fat in everyday foods, these manufacturers and retailers are helping us to lower our intake"

End Quote Victoria Taylor British Heart Foundation

But he added: "This announcement is a drop in the ocean in comparison with the scale of the obesity crisis.

"We cannot rely on the voluntary approach of the responsibility deal to solve this problem.

"It now lacks credibility and can be seen as a feeble attempt by the industry to save face."

And Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum, said ministers must consider proper regulation.

"The much vaunted voluntary responsibility deal will never succeed until the government takes a grip and makes everybody sign up to it."

The announcement of the pledge comes days after one health expert said the risk from the fat was "overstated and demonised".

Writing in the British Medical Journal, Dr Aseem Malhotra said there was too much focus on the fat with other factors such as sugar often overlooked.

However Victoria Taylor, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said: "Cutting back on saturated fat is one way to keep your cholesterol on track.

"It's really important to keep an eye on our cholesterol levels, as we know that high cholesterol raises the risk of coronary heart disease.

"By reducing the amount of saturated fat in everyday foods, these manufacturers and retailers are helping us to lower our intake. "

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Women bishops 'ombudsman' considered

25 October 2013 Last updated at 20:06 ET

A powerful ombudsman-style arbitrator is being considered by the Church of England to rule on rows about the issue of women bishops.

The Church's ruling general synod will decide next month whether to introduce an "independent reviewer" to resolve disputes between Anglicans.

Most synod members want women bishops but failure to agree how to create them has increased divisions in the Church.

A minority of synod lay members have managed to block their appointment.

They insisted legislation to introduce women bishops gave traditionalists insufficient exemptions from serving under them.

Progressives in the synod have also refused to back legislation they claim would undermine future women bishops by giving too many concessions to traditionalists.

Under the latest proposals to break the deadlock an arbitrator, similar to a health service ombudsman, would rule on disputes about the guarantees offered to traditionalists.

'Publish findings'

Clergy who fail to co-operate with investigations by the reviewer would be subject to disciplinary procedures.

BBC religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott said pressure was increasing on the Church of England to resolve deadlock over the creation of women bishops.

William Fittall, secretary general of the synod, said: "This is an ombudsman-type process, the real power comes through being able to investigate and publish findings. It is not in itself a disciplinary process.

"Although, the fact that the regulations are made under canon law will mean that if a priest or bishop simply fails to engage with the independent reviewer then that in itself could be a disciplinary offence."

He described the collapse of legislation for women bishops last year as a "train crash" and said any repeat would be "very serious" for the Church.

The latest measures were drawn up by a steering committee that included some prominent opponents of women bishops.

The proposals will be debated by the synod in London next month when it could approve legislation to introduce women bishops by 2014.

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PM's phone 'not monitored' by US

26 October 2013 Last updated at 02:23 ET

David Cameron's communications "have not, are not and will not" be monitored by the US, the White House has said.

Officials were asked about checks on the PM's phone amid claims US intelligence agencies monitored the calls of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European politicians.

Earlier Mr Cameron had emphasised the UK-US "unique" security alliance.

He signed up to a statement from all 28 EU leaders calling for the rebuilding of trust with the United States.

Allegations that US agencies engaged in widespread tapping of phone calls by prominent European politicians dominated the two-day European Council summit in Brussels.

But asked by the BBC specifically about Mr Cameron's communications, White House National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said: "I can confirm that his communications have not, are not and will not be monitored by the US."

Earlier White House spokesman Jay Carney said Mr Obama had assured Mrs Merkel that her phone was not being listened to now and would not be in the future.

However, his statement left open the question of whether calls had been listened to in the past.

Germany has said it is unacceptable that an ally eavesdropped on conversations made by its chancellor and has made clear that co-operation between the two countries in this area must change in the future.

'No breach'

French president Francois Hollande has said trust needed to be "restored and reinforced" following the revelations by whistle-blower Edward Snowden about the activities of the National Security Agency (NSA).

Both leaders want talks with US officials later this year to agree an "understanding on mutual relations".

Continue reading the main story

I am satisfied our intelligence agencies are properly governed - the work they do is very important"

End Quote David Cameron

Speaking at a press conference at the end of the summit, Mr Cameron said the EU wanted a "good partnership" with the US in all matters, including intelligence.

"I think what Angela and Francois want to do is entirely sensible and other European countries are free to join in with that," he said. "I was very struck by my colleagues how they don't want some breach between the EU and the US."

Defending the work of the UK security services, he said every country had to be satisfied that their operations were subject to proper oversight and the UK had "strengthened" its controls.

"I am satisfied our intelligence agencies are properly governed. The work they do is very important. Every year they helped obstruct, put off, major terrorist attacks, in our country and other European countries too."

He added: "Britain has a unique partnership with the USA (on security). For us we are in the right situation, but I understand what others want to do and support that, as I think does President Obama."

'Unprompted'

The joint EU statement was agreed at a dinner meeting on Thursday, at which Mr Cameron had reportedly been "uncomfortable" and said little, according to BBC political correspondent Iain Watson.

But the prime minister - unprompted - indicated his support for the statement during a news conference.

Asked about separate claims that the UK had eavesdropped on the conversations of Italian politicians, Mr Cameron said he could not comment on specific national security matters.

But he insisted that the UK's security services operated within the legal framework and pointed out that Britain shared its intelligence extensively with EU partners.

The prime minister also insisted the Snowden revelations would make the world more dangerous as they signalled "to people who mean to do us harm how to evade and avoid intelligence and surveillance and other techniques".

A Downing Street spokesman said: "We do not comment on matters of security or intelligence."

Labour MEP Claude Moraes will fly to Washington on Sunday to lead a delegation from the European Union.

He said: "This whole delegation has taken on even more importance now to investigate this idea of mass surveillance.

"Whatever anyone thinks of it, whether they think that spying has to happen and it's obvious that even friends spy on friends, there is a real paradigm shift here."

Commons defence committee adviser Professor Michael Clarke, who is director general of the Royal United Services Institute think tank, suggested the US may have breached agreements over spying.

He said: "What these revelations seem to have gone to the heart of is that the American National Security Agency has exceeded its brief.

"Its surveillance capacities are so great that they couldn't resist the temptation of clocking people's mobiles where they could."

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Welfare changes for disabled delayed

26 October 2013 Last updated at 03:31 ET

The government's welfare changes for disabled people in England, Scotland and Wales have been delayed.

People will move from Disability Living Allowance to the Personal Independence Payment next week in only certain areas instead of the whole of Great Britain.

Work and pensions minister Mike Penning said the process of reassessing people was "taking longer than expected".

Shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves said it was the "latest example of chaos" in the department.

'Controlled approach'

Claimants will remain on Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for the time being except those in Wales, the East and West Midlands and East Anglia who will transfer to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) from Monday if their condition changes.

The government said the need for the alteration "only came to light at the beginning of October as a result of our ongoing analysis of the introduction of PIP" and this would ensure it could be handled "in a more gradual, controlled and manageable way".

In a written ministerial statement, Mr Penning said: "Introducing natural reassessment gradually enables us to test the claimant reassessment journey.

"This is in line with the way we have been introducing all our other programmes of change and we have made it clear that we would take a controlled approach to introducing PIP, learning lessons from live running."

'No joke'

The government has said reform of disability benefits is essential because of the massive rise in its cost.

Ministers point out that the number of people claiming DLA has increased from about one million to 3.3 million since it was introduced in 1992, and it costs the taxpayer £13bn a year.

Continue reading the main story

Few would dispute that the government's plans for reforming the welfare state are ambitious - ministers have described them as the biggest shake-up of the system ever attempted.

But the programme is politically dangerous if Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, is unable to deliver the changes.

Problems with the introduction of the Universal Credit have been highlighted by the National Audit Office.

But those around Mr Duncan Smith insist that change - and the replacement of the Disability Living Allowance with the new Personal Independence Payment - will still be completed on time.

Ms Reeves said PIP followed the government's Work Programme and Universal Credit schemes in being beset by difficulties.

She said: "The delivery problems we are seeing at the Department for Work and Pensions now risk descending into farce. But for thousands of disabled people who are already extremely anxious about the changes, this is no joke.

"Not only is David Cameron's government out of touch but it's increasingly incompetent."

Work and Pensions Select Committee chair Dame Anne Begg, meanwhile, said delay "in itself is not a bad thing".

"I'd rather that we get it right because very often the people we're dealing with in the reform of the welfare system are people who are very vulnerable, who find it quite difficult to navigate their way through the system," the Labour MP for Aberdeen South told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"But, at the same time, the constant delays are also causing anxiety.

"People know that it's coming but they never know quite when they're going to be called in for a reassessment and exactly what the outcomes are going to be."

Disability charity Scope said the move was just a "tweak" and still believed the whole reassessment process was "too blunt an instrument".

The adjustment to the timetable will not affect people in Northern Ireland.

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