PM to push for free trade with China

1 December 2013 Last updated at 19:01 ET

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"Britain was in the diplomatic doghouse... after the British prime minister met the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader", reports Martin Patience from Bejing

David Cameron has promised to create a "partnership for growth and reform" as he visits China on a trade mission with more than 100 UK business leaders.

The prime minister also pledged to put his "full political weight" behind a proposed agreement to free up trading between China and the European Union.

He is due to hold talks with premier Li Keqiang on a separate China-UK deal said to be worth £1.8bn a year.

Some EU states fear a flood of cheap imports if a wider pact is approved.

However, the European Commission is due to begin investment treaty negotiations in the New Year.

Meanwhile, Labour leader Ed Miliband is to warn the government not to compete with China in a "race to the bottom" on pay, but to focus on creating a "high-skill, high-tech, high-wage" economy.

'Uniquely placed'

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Mr Cameron's promise now to 'respect' and 'understand' China is the price he has had to pay to thaw what was a diplomatic deep freeze "

End Quote

Writing in Chinese magazine Caixin, Mr Cameron declared his ambition to use this week's visit to help forge "a partnership for growth and reform that can help to deliver the Chinese dream and long-term prosperity for Britain too".

He welcomed signals from last month's third plenum of the ruling Communist Party that China wanted to open up more under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, who took up office a year ago.

Mr Cameron said he wanted to show that "an open Britain is the ideal partner for an opening China".

He added: "Britain is uniquely placed to make the case for deepening the European Union's trade and investment relationship with China.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

My visit to China can plant the seeds of a long-term relationship which will benefit China, Britain and the world for generations to come"

End Quote David Cameron

"Building on the recent launch of EU-China negotiations on investment, and on China's continued commitment to economic reform, I now want to set a new long-term goal of an ambitious and comprehensive EU-China free trade agreement.

"And as I have on the EU-US deal, so I will put my full political weight behind such a deal which could be worth tens of billions of dollars every year."

Mr Cameron believes that eliminating tariffs in the 20 sectors where they are highest, such as vehicles, pharmaceuticals and electrical goods, could save UK exporters £600m a year.

During the first day of his second trip to China as prime minister, he is scheduled to attend the official opening of a new academy in Beijing for training technicians, salesmen and service staff for Jaguar Land Rover, which is signing a £4.5bn agreement to provide 100,000 cars to the National Sales Company over the next year.

'Honest dialogue'

JLR chief executive Ralf Speth is among the 120-strong business delegation accompanying Mr Cameron, along with executives from major exporters like Rolls-Royce, BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Barclays, HSBC, GlaxoSmithKline, Arup and Virgin.

But figures from smaller businesses, such as Westaway Sausages of Devon, Moulton bicycles and the Cambridge Satchel Company, make up the bulk of the party.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

The only way we can compete with China - and the only way Britain can win - is by winning a race to the top"

End Quote Labour leader Ed Miliband

Mr Cameron said: "I hope that by advancing and extending our bilateral trade, by working together on the global issues that affect us all and by maintaining an honest and open dialogue, my visit to China can plant the seeds of a long-term relationship which will benefit China, Britain and the world for generations to come."

The visit represents a warming of relations after a dispute over the prime minister's decision to meet the Dalai Lama in May.

And it comes six weeks after Chancellor George Osborne led a business delegation to China.

In a speech on Monday, Labour leader Ed Miliband will tell staff at the VW National Training Centre in Milton Keynes: "The only way we can compete with China - and the only way Britain can win - is by winning a race to the top.

"A race to the top where we compete on the basis of high-skill, high-tech, high-wage economy - encouraging small businesses who want to grow, helping young people like you who want to get on and businesses like these which want to train, backing the real wealth creators in our country.

"But this government seems to believe that the way we compete is exactly that race to the bottom. They think that for the majority, insecurity, low pay and squeezed wages are simply an immutable fact of life, the only way we can compete."

Mr Osborne's Autumn Statement, which sets out the UK government's tax and spending proposals, has been put back 24 hours to accommodate Mr Cameron's trip, and will take place this Thursday, instead of Wednesday.

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'Prepare pupils for global tests'

1 December 2013 Last updated at 20:02 ET By Judith Burns BBC News education reporter

Pupils in England should be prepared for international education tests, the chairman of a group of hundreds of secondary schools has argued.

The latest rankings in the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) will be published on Tuesday.

Sir John Rowling, of the Performance in Excellence (PiXL) Club, says Pisa tests are so politically important that pupils should prepare for them.

Results for England may cue "another blast of negativity", said Sir John.

The PiXL club is a group of some 800 schools dedicated to boosting pupils' exam performance at A-level and GCSE.

Some of its methods are controversial, for example entering the same student twice for the same GCSE subject, which the government has said can amount to "gaming the system".

'Damaging judgements'

In an interview with the Times Educational Supplement website, Sir John criticises the government's current attitude towards the Pisa tests which are sat in reading, maths and science, every three years, by a random sample of 500,000 15-year-olds from more than 60 countries.

The last set of rankings, published in 2010, were dominated by Asian school systems. Scandinavian countries had the best results in Europe, while scores from UK countries dropped to the middle of the table.

At the time, Education Secretary Michael Gove said the results showed an "urgent need to reform our school system".

Sir John says this sort of judgement is "damaging".

"There is huge suspicion that it is convenient politically at the moment to take tests that say we are flopping down the tables because it proves the point that is being made stridently that education is broken.

"Make no mistake, on December 3, the morale of the profession will take another whack around the ears. It is almost certain.

"Schools will be told, 'Again you're hopeless', 'Again you've messed up', 'Again you're no good', 'Sort yourselves out'. All that sort of stuff doesn't do any good and it doesn't solve the problem either."

Sir John suggests that England may be losing out because other countries take the tests more seriously and do more to ensure that pupils perform well.

The former headteacher says one solution would be to familiarise pupils with the style of the tests.

He told BBC News that because the tests are taken by a minority of pupils they are not taken seriously and "nobody bothers".

"It all seems so far away it doesn't seem to matter - but when politicians get hold of the results it matters a great deal."

'Misunderstand'

He added that no-one would think of entering any other exam "from driving tests to Oxbridge exams" without preparing - but says schools are "dissuaded" from preparing pupils for Pisa.

"Maybe that's what the government wants. Maybe it's what Pisa wants too, and if everybody else is doing that, fair enough," he said.

But unless other countries did the same "you are not comparing like with like".

A spokesperson at the Department for Education told the BBC while it wanted children to do well "international comparisons - whether Pisa in 2009 or the more recent OECD adult skills survey - show our education system is not keeping up with the rest of the world".

"This puts our young people at a major disadvantage when competing with their peers from abroad for jobs.

"We are reforming our education system to reverse this situation and give our young people a fighting chance in the global race."

Malcolm Trobe, deputy general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "Most important to young people are the qualifications they gain in this country.

"So we should focus on qualifications that prepare them for adult life, for further and higher education and employment.

"Pisa tests are experimental, comparative tests and we need to make inferences from the results extremely carefully."

The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), which administers Pisa in the UK, said it did not recommend teaching to the test.

Rebecca Wheater, of the NFER, said: "The Pisa survey is a research project and to treat it as a high-stakes test would misunderstand the purpose of the survey."

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Government pledges £50 fuel bill cut

2 December 2013 Last updated at 03:23 ET

The government has unveiled a package of measures which it says will cut energy bills by a total of £50 a year for the average household.

Some subsidies for those in fuel poverty will be moved into general taxation and some green policy targets will be slowed down.

Homebuyers could instead be granted £1,000 to spend on energy-saving measures.

A number of major suppliers have promised to pass on the savings.

Npower says it will not raise prices any more until spring 2015 unless wholesale costs go up.

The company introduced a planned price rise of 10.4% over the weekend, but it says that will be reduced, once it has worked out how much changes to government policy will save it.

Rival power suppliers SSE and Centrica have said they will also pass on cost reductions, with SSE saying this would mean a saving of £50 for customers and Centrica's British Gas saying it will hold back £53 of its planned £123 increase.

EDF has indicated it will not raise prices again before 2015.

The Energy Minister, Ed Davey, told the BBC the planned moves would save households an average of £50 on fuel bills.

Currently the average dual fuel bill for households is £1,340.

Some of the saving will come in the form of a reduction in the Energy Companies Obligation (ECO), which requires energy companies to provide insulation or other energy-saving measures to 400,000 homes a year.

In future, these measures will be paid for by a tax-funded programme of £500m, and will be granted via an average £1,000 stamp duty rebate for home buyers who need to improve energy efficiency at their new property.

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Do more to cut rape, police urged

2 December 2013 Last updated at 03:25 ET

Police in England and Wales are being urged to be more proactive in their efforts to prevent rapes.

Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt said forces have been too "reactive" up until now.

He wants police to focus on people who are vulnerable to abuse and institutions where intelligence suggests abuse is taking place.

His comments come at the start of a week-long campaign to encourage rape victims to come forward.

Mr Hewitt, the Association of Chief Police Officers' (Acpo) lead for adult sexual offences, said debate on the issue "is far too often restricted to investigation and prosecution" and called for a "challenging debate about prevention as well".

"Most rape involves the coming together of some form of power and some type of vulnerability; either permanent or temporary," he said.

"We need to be utilising all our powers and tactics to understand how this happens, to mitigate the vulnerability and reduce the opportunities for that power to be abused."

'Putting people off'

Mr Hewitt said the rape conviction rate was at an "all-time high" and victims must have the "confidence" to come forward.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Reporting to the police gave me peace of mind, knowing I hadn't been beaten by him"

End Quote Jordan Hart Rape victim

But he said victims should be made aware that more than a third of rape prosecutions did not end in a conviction.

"We need to be honest about the challenges that are faced in investigating and prosecuting rape," he said.

In 2012-13, 3,692 rape prosecutions were brought in England and Wales and 63.2% of these resulted in convictions, Acpo said.

Mr Hewitt said the conviction rate could "put people off reporting" but he encouraged victims to come forward.

"It triggers a full investigation into the offence, but also means that victims are able to access medical treatment and support services to help them cope with the experience," he said.

Police do "everything they can" to support victims and ensure "justice is done", he added.

Five-year low

In the six months from October last year, reports of sex offences were up 9% on the same period a year before.

This rise came after the broadcast of an ITV documentary revealing the sex offences committed by the late TV presenter Jimmy Savile, who has since been described by police as a "prolific, predatory sex offender".

But last month it emerged that the number of rape allegations handed to prosecutors in England and Wales had hit a five-year low - despite a 30% increase in the number of rapes reported to police.

Police sent 5,404 rape cases to the Crown Prosecution Service in 2012/13 out of more than 17,000 reports, figures suggested.

Jordan Hart, 18, a rape victim whose attacker was jailed for 11 years, has waived her legal right to anonymity to support the campaign and encourage more victims to come forward.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Too many of the cases are closed, people are being given cautions or they're just saying no further action"

End Quote Lisa Longstaff Women Against Rape

"Reporting to the police gave me peace of mind, knowing I hadn't been beaten by him," she said.

She said a specialist officer gave her advice and guidance, adding: "I didn't do anything alone."

Javed Khan, chief executive of Victim Support, said victims needed to know they would be taken seriously and treated sensitively.

"It takes a great deal of courage for victims to come forward but their confidence to do so is vital in bringing perpetrators to justice," he said.

Lisa Longstaff, from the campaign group Women Against Rape, said the more important issue was the number of convictions for rape.

"The real problem that women have, that they bring to us every day, is that they go to the police and report and the person is investigated and yet nothing's done.

"And even worse than that, too many of the cases are closed, people are being given cautions or they're just saying no further action. We just don't feel that this is a proper opening of such a debate."

Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders said it was vital that victims felt confident that if they reported rape or sexual offending their case would be dealt with "thoroughly and sensitively".

She said that was why the Crown Prosecution Service had rolled out specialist units dedicated to handling these cases across the country.

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Ninth body recovered in crash pub

2 December 2013 Last updated at 03:31 ET

A ninth body has been recovered in the wreckage of Glasgow's Clutha pub that was destroyed by a police helicopter.

Samuel McGhee, 56, of Glasgow, is the second of six people who died in the bar to be named. The three helicopter crew members were named on Sunday.

Rescuers are now aiming to lift the helicopter wreckage from the roof and have said they cannot rule out the possibility of more bodies being found.

The helicopter crashed into the pub at about 22:25 GMT on Friday.

'Dreadful' conditions

Deputy Chief Constable Rose Fitzpatrick, speaking at the crash scene early on Monday morning, said: "I can confirm that sadly a further body has tonight been located and removed from the scene."

She added: "Efforts are ongoing as we speak to establish the identity of the latest fatality."

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Police Scotland: "Efforts are ongoing to establish the identity of the latest fatality"

And, naming Mr McGhee, she said: "Our thoughts are with his family and friends tonight as they are with all those affected by this tragedy."

Police Scotland's "absolute priority has been to locate the bodies of people who were within the pub at the time of the incident and recover them safely", she added.

"This process takes time as formal identification procedures have to take place before we can notify relatives and publicly confirm identities."

She said work would go on "throughout the night to stabilise the scene in order to continue to progress the search and recovery".

On Sunday, police named three dead helicopter crew as pilot David Traill, 51, and Police Constables Kirsty Nelis, 36, and Tony Collins, 43. The first victim to be named was pub-goer Gary Arthur, 48, of Paisley.

Continue reading the main story

The Clutha Bar

• Situated near the banks of Glasgow's River Clyde, The Clutha is one of Glasgow's oldest public houses
• According to oldglasgowpubs.co.uk, the bar traded in the late 19th Century and over the years has been known as The Merchant, The Weemann's and The Pipinjay
• A popular live music venue, The Clutha hosts various bands and artists as well as open mic events
• The bar's Facebook page says it was voted as one of the top three pubs in Glasgow for live music with "something on every night"
• Scottish comedian Billy Connolly has been known to frequent the pub
• An application had been submitted to Glasgow City Council to create a roof terrace above the bar

Of the 32 people who were injured in the crash, 12 remain in hospital. Three of these casualties were being treated in intensive care, where their conditions were described as serious but stable.

The family of Mark O'Prey fear he may be one of the victims still buried under the rubble.

His father Ian and sister Louise spent much of Sunday at the crash site waiting for news.

Ms O'Prey told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme of the family's frustration at the time it has taken to remove the wreckage.

"There is terrible things going through my head about what kind of state he's in and we want to get him back intact," she said.

"We are pretty sure that he's gone but until I get that information we just don't know when that's going to be.

"I can't accept it until then. But there's still that glimmer of hope that they might bring people out alive, even though they are telling us that there is nobody in there alive."

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said heavy equipment was brought in on Sunday, and the three-tonne helicopter had been secured to prevent it sinking further into the building.

The aim is now to prepare the rest of the aircraft for lifting during daylight hours on Monday.

Assistant chief officer David Goodhew told BBC Scotland: "That has allowed our urban search and rescue teams to actually tunnel under the helicopter without fear of it falling any further onto them.

"The helicopter is extensively damaged, but certainly the Air Accident Investigation Branch, who are in charge of lifting the helicopter, want to preserve the evidence.

"They want to make sure that they have absolutely all of the information, and they would like to get the largest part of the helicopter out in one piece."

Confined spaces

The officer described conditions inside the pub as "dreadful", with crews working in extremely confined spaces.

He added: "As they tunnel into the building they have to make sure that it is safe, and that there is not going to be any further collapse onto these people.

"So as they go into the building they have to shore it up to make sure that the helicopter doesn't sink and further parts of the building don't fall on rescue crews."

Glasgow Fire and Rescue Service chaplain, The Reverend Gordon Armstrong, said: "It's just a very difficult situation. We can imagine what's happening there.

"I haven't seen inside but just listening to the messages, it's just one of those situations we just can't speed up.

"It can only go at the pace of the experts and we need the experts in this situation."

Sections of the rotor blades were hoisted away from the roof on Sunday.

Once the helicopter has been lifted it will be moved to a secure site for detailed investigation.

Aviation expert Chris Yates told the BBC it was not yet clear if the helicopter had a black box flight recorder but said investigators may be able to establish the cause of the crash without one.

"This is a police helicopter," he said. "There is all sorts of surveillance on board the helicopter."

"There is all sorts of data collection equipment as well so there is an awful lot that the investigators can probably go on to understand what went wrong on Friday night."

The Clutha, in Stockwell Street on the banks of the River Clyde, was packed with about 120 people listening to live music when the helicopter crashed into it.

Charity concert

Eyewitnesses outside described how the aircraft "fell like a stone" from the sky.

Others described how passers-by formed a human chain to help get people out of the pub.

Officers from Police Scotland's major investigations team have asked for any footage of the incident to be emailed to: glasgowhelicopterincident@scotland.pnn.police.uk

In a separate inquiry, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is trying to establish what caused the crash.

Continue reading the main story

The Eurocopter EC135 T2

• Began service in 1996 and there are now around 1,000 in operation
• Used around the world by the police and emergency services
• Has capacity for one pilot and six or seven passengers
• Weighs 6,504 lbs (2,950kg)
• Maximum speed of 137kts (254 km/h)
• Twin-engined and has a maximum range of 334nm (620km)

What do we know about crash helicopter?

Its team is being assisted by experts from Eurocopter, which manufactured the EC135 T2 aircraft.

Within the city, efforts continue to help survivors and the bereaved.

Glasgow City Council said it had put measures in place to provide financial assistance to victims of the incident.

Charitable funds administered by the council will be made available to support anyone facing hardship as a result of the tragedy - including casualties and the families of those who lost their lives.

The council said it was already in contact with some of those affected by the incident - and will announce further details of how help will be made available.

The actor Colin McCredie, best known for his role in TV drama Taggart, has also said he plans to organise a concert to raise money for victims and their families.

A BBC Scotland documentary, The Crash That Shook Scotland, will be broadcast on BBC One Scotland at 22:35 GMT on Monday.

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HIV care 'at risk from NHS changes'

30 November 2013 Last updated at 19:02 ET

HIV care is at risk from the changes to the health service in England, specialists are warning.

As part of NHS reorganisation, sexual healthcare became the responsibility of local authorities, while HIV care remains within the NHS.

The British HIV Association says many specialists feel the split has worsened patient care, and worry the situation will deteriorate even further.

The government said the NHS and local authorities should work together.

A survey by BHIVA, released to mark World Aids Day, found a third of the 100 HIV specialists questioned thought care for people with HIV was poorer since the reorganisation in April this year.

And two-thirds thought care was set to deteriorate further.

In the past, HIV and genitourinary medicine (GUM) services were integrated, sharing staff and resources.

But the reorganisation transferred responsibilities for tackling public health issues such as obesity, smoking prevention and sexual health - but not HIV care - to local councils.

Around 100,000 people in the UK live with HIV.

'Threatened with closure'

Dr David Asboe, chair of BHIVA and a consultant in HIV medicine at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, said: "Key to the concerns uncovered in this survey are fears about the separation of HIV care from broader genitourinary medicine."

Continue reading the main story

The way the system has been created has made an artificial divide"

End Quote Dr Steve Taylor HIV specialist, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital

He added: "There are HIV services being threatened with closure without adequate care arrangements made for the people living with HIV attending these services."

Dr Janet Wilson, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), said: "Sexual health clinicians have been sounding the warnings around restructuring since the introduction of the government's health reforms.

"We are already hearing about tendered GUM services being prevented from undertaking partner notification on people newly diagnosed as HIV-positive even though this is the most effective public health intervention for identifying undiagnosed HIV infection."

She added: "We need government, national and local agencies to urgently work together to prevent HIV and GUM care going backwards."

Dr Steve Taylor, lead consultant in HIV Services at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, said there was an issue with staff who had worked for joint HIV and GUM services in the past moving to a new sexually transmitted infection centre and being lost to the HIV services: "The way the system has been created has made an artificial divide between classic GUM services and HIV.

Contact tracing

"There's not been recognition of the fact that these specialties are delivered by the same people."

And he suggested anything not in the GUM service contracts risked being lost or downgraded, such as contact tracing to find current and former partners, data collection and training.

Dr Taylor added: "It's about who is going to pick up the responsibility for all of those things that appear to be falling in the middle of what's being covered by NHS England and by local authorities."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "Public Health England's report on HIV care last year reported an increase in people being diagnosed and prompt integration into care.

"However, the NHS and local authorities should work together to make sure that sexual health services are convenient and work for patients."

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Married couple found dead at home

30 November 2013 Last updated at 19:26 ET

A married couple have been found dead at their home in west London.

The 35-year-old woman, known as Poonam, was found dead on Friday at the home in Priory Way, Western Road, Southall.

She had been killed by "compression of the neck", the Metropolitan Police said. Her 36-year-old husband, Sanjeev Kumar, was found hanged nearby.

His death is not being treated as suspicious and police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.

A spokesman said officers were called to the address at about 15:10 GMT on Friday after residents became concerned for the couple's welfare.

The couple's next of kin have been informed.

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Balding reveals grandma's gay insult

30 November 2013 Last updated at 19:50 ET

Clare Balding's grandmother told her it was "disgusting" she was gay, the sports presenter has revealed.

She said the comments came after her sexuality was made public.

Balding, whose partner is the former BBC newsreader Alice Arnold, was appearing on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs programme.

She also said she would not boycott the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia over its gay rights record, insisting her going was "the right thing to do".

'Lifestyle choice'

The broadcaster, who fronted much of the BBC's 2012 Olympic Games coverage, said her parents knew she was a lesbian.

But when a national newspaper made it public she says she had to tell her grandma.

"I said 'Grandma, I need to talk to you' and she said 'Yes I should think you do'," she told presenter Kirsty Young.

Continue reading the main story

It would make absolutely no difference at all to anyone in Russia would it?"

End Quote Clare Balding Broadcaster

"I said 'Have you seen the paper?' and she said 'Yes and I think it's disgusting'.

"I said 'What do you mean? The invasion of my privacy or my lifestyle choice' and she said 'Both' and I didn't talk to her for about six months after that which was pretty difficult."

She was asked whether she could work at the 2014 games in Sochi with a "clear conscience".

"Absolutely," Balding replied. "Because I think it's hugely important that I do go".

Russian welcome

The former jockey explained "morally" she "couldn't go to an all-male club" when she boycotted the Open golf tournament at Muirfield last summer.

But she ruled out taking another stand next February.

"It would make absolutely no difference at all to anyone in Russia would it?"

Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said recently the best thing she could do to "show solidarity with gay Russians" was to present the BBC's coverage "as an openly lesbian woman".

The Russian administration has been criticised over a new law banning "homosexual propaganda" towards under-18s.

However President Vladimir Putin said in October gay "athletes, fans and guests" would be made to feel welcome during the games.

You can listen to Clare Balding on Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4 at 11:15 GMT

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PM outlines '£50 energy bill cut'

1 December 2013 Last updated at 03:22 ET

The coalition government has outlined its proposals to reduce energy bills amid rising costs.

Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy, Nick Clegg, wrote in the Sun on Sunday that their plans would cut bills by an average of £50.

They said the government would pay for some measures currently included in bills, and the cost of insulating homes would be spread over a longer period.

Labour said the plans remedied less than half of this year's £120 increase.

It says it will freeze gas and electricity bills for 20 months if it wins the next election.

Discounts for poorest

Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg wrote in the newspaper that the "two million poorest families who currently receive a discount on gas and electricity (under the warm homes discount) will continue to do so", but this would be funded by government instead of being included on energy bills.

It would be funded by extra tax money from cracking down on tax avoidance, they wrote.

That would reduce annual bills by approximately £12, the BBC understands.

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

The news from the prime minister that the government's energy efficiency programme will now concentrate on schemes that offer best value for money will be broadly welcomed.

But there is anger among green groups that the overall budget for saving energy and bills is being cut, whilst other capital schemes which increase CO2 emissions - like new roads - will still go ahead.

Energy experts have been aghast at the recent turmoil over policy.

A government green business adviser, Peter Young from the Aldersgate Group, has written to the PM warning that in their attempt to drive bills down, politicians may be forcing bills up.

This is because volatile policy may drive up interest rates for firms needing to spend £100bn to renew the UK's power system.

Follow Roger on Twitter @rharrabin

And they confirmed that the cost to energy firms of insulating homes, "apart from in the worst-off homes," will be spread over four years instead of two.

They said these proposed changes to the "energy company obligation", reported by the BBC earlier this week, would reduce bills, but did not specify by how much.

The government would also pay for new incentives for people to insulate their homes, they said.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Energy companies would hike up prices both before and after the freeze - so families would end up paying more"

End Quote David Cameron and Nick Clegg

They wrote: "Alongside the Green Deal, when you buy a new home, you could get up to £1,000 from government to spend on important energy-saving measures - equivalent to half the stamp duty on the average house - or even more for particularly expensive measures.

"It's an all-round win: better insulation means cheaper bills; it's how we cut carbon emissions; and it will boost British businesses who provide these services."

In addition, landlords will be offered cash incentives to insulate their least energy-efficient properties between old tenants leaving and new ones moving in.

Specific details of the plans will be announced by Chancellor George Osborne in his Autumn Statement in Parliament on Thursday.

Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg also strongly criticised Labour in the article, saying the opposition's plan to freeze energy bills was "taking people for fools".

"Energy companies would hike up prices both before and after the freeze - so families would end up paying more.

"Not only that - by cutting investment in green energy, their freeze would threaten thousands of jobs," they wrote.

'Hoodwinked'

But shadow energy and climate change secretary Caroline Flint said energy bills were going up by £120 this winter alone, "never mind the £300 that bills have gone up by" since the government got into power.

It was "no surprise" that the government was not asking the energy companies to pay for the cut, she said.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

The government has been hoodwinked by the Big Six energy firms, who don't want to insulate people's homes"

End Quote Andrew Warren The Association for the Conservation of Energy

"This shows why only a price freeze will do. Labour's price freeze would save money for 27 million households and 2.4 million businesses and our plans to reset the energy market would stop these companies from overcharging people in the future," she said.

The Association for the Conservation of Energy, which represents companies in the insulation industry, said it anticipated about 10,000 jobs would be lost because the plans to spread the energy company obligation over a longer time period represented, in fact, a halving of the budget for its work.

Andrew Warren from association told the BBC: "It beggars belief that the government is trying to cut energy bills by delaying a scheme that itself cuts energy bills.

"The government has been hoodwinked by the Big Six energy firms, who don't want to insulate people's homes because it means less profits for them."

E.On - the only one of the big six energy companies in the UK that has not yet announced an increase in its tariffs this autumn - said it would wait for a formal statement from the government before commenting, "but we are pleased that steps seem to be being taken that will ultimately benefit our customers".

EDF welcomed the plans and indicated it was not now likely to hike prices again before 2015.

It said its "decision to hold back the full impact of rising costs" earlier this month by implementing a lower rise than competitors had been "validated by the confirmation that the government will take action on energy charges".

"Customers should expect other energy suppliers to follow EDF Energy's lead by significantly lowering their prices," a spokesman said.

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Glasgow helicopter victim named

1 December 2013 Last updated at 03:25 ET

Police have named one of the eight people who died after a helicopter crashed into a busy Glasgow pub.

Gary Arthur, 48, was from the Paisley area, Police Scotland said.

Three occupants of the Police Scotland aircraft died when it hit The Clutha at about 22:25 GMT on Friday. A further five people inside the pub also died.

Emergency services are continuing the operation to recover any remaining bodies. Prayers will be offered at Glasgow Cathedral later.

A further 14 people are being treated for serious injuries.

Helicopter embedded

Police Scotland said in a statement that "the body of a male has been recovered from the scene".

"The male has now been identified as Gary Arthur, aged 48, from the Paisley area. His family have been informed.

"Extensive efforts continue to recover the remaining bodies from the scene but, due to ongoing safety constraints, this is likely to take some time."

Mr Arthur's daughter Chloe, 18, who has played for the Scotland women's football team and for Celtic women, took to Twitter to thank everyone for their kind thoughts and to pledge that she would make her much-loved father proud.

The under-19 forward for Celtic and Scotland tweeted: "RIP dad. you'll always mean the world to me, I promise to do you proud, I love you with all my heart.

"Thanks to everyone who has tweeted me, text me etc, means so much, I have the most amazing friends ever."

Mr Arthur was a regular on the sidelines watching his daughter play at matches, according to Celtic women's manager David Haley.

He said: "It is a tragedy that Chloe's father was one of eight innocent victims in this terrible accident - he was regularly seen at Celtic matches, watching his daughter.

"Chloe and her family have the full support of everyone at Celtic and across the women's game at this very sad time."

A minute's silence will be held before Celtic's Scottish Cup tie against Hearts at Tynecastle on Sunday.

Celtic FC and the Scottish Football Association also sent their condolences.

The BBC's Scotland correspondent Colin Blane said emergency teams working through the wreckage had two main purposes.

They wanted to be sure they had located everyone who might have been trapped inside and they wanted to recover as much of the police helicopter as they could to help find out what went wrong.

It was a highly unusual crash site because of the way the helicopter was embedded almost entirely within the building, he added.

The BBC's James Shaw said straps had been attached to the wreck of the helicopter and an attempt to lift it may be made later.

Officers from Police Scotland's major investigations team have asked for any footage of the incident to be emailed to: glasgowhelicopterincident@scotland.pnn.police.uk

In a separate inquiry, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) will try to establish what caused the crash.

Its team will be assisted by experts from Eurocopter, which manufactured the EC135 T2 aircraft.

Prof Graham Braithwaite, an air accident expert at Cranfield University, said the crash investigation could take more than a year.

He said: "If it's the Air Accidents Investigation Branch investigation then they're doing it, not to allocate blame or liability, but to try and find out how to make these aircraft safer in the future, so that can take many months."

The three occupants of the helicopter who died were two police officers and a civilian pilot.

Helicopter operator Bond Air Services will assist Police Scotland and the AAIB with their investigations.

'Whoosh sound'

Prayers will be said for those affected by the helicopter crash at Glasgow's Church of Scotland Cathedral at 11:00 GMT in a service attended by Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.

Continue reading the main story

The Clutha Bar

• Situated near the banks of Glasgow's River Clyde, The Clutha is one of Glasgow's oldest public houses
• According to oldglasgowpubs.co.uk, the bar traded in the late 19th Century and over the years has been known as The Merchant, The Weemann's and The Pipinjay
• A popular live music venue, The Clutha hosts various bands and artists as well as open mic events
• The bar's Facebook page says it was voted as one of the top three pubs in Glasgow for live music with "something on every night"
• Scottish comedian Billy Connolly has been known to frequent the pub
• An application had been submitted to Glasgow City Council to create a roof terrace above the bar

The Clutha, in Stockwell Street by the River Clyde, was packed with about 120 people listening to live music when the helicopter crashed on to the roof at about 22:30 on Friday.

Eyewitnesses outside described how the aircraft "fell like a stone".

Others described people working together to get out of the pub aided by others who were in the area.

Alleena Coupe, who was in the pub, told BBC Radio 5 live's Stephen Nolan: "I heard this 'whoosh' sound like when you take the seal off something, then this cloud of dust came down and, within five seconds, nobody could see anything."

She said she had a torch with her which she used to guide people out of the pub.

"The dust was choking, it burned our throats," she added. "People were running about and panicking while everyone was trying to help get anyone out."

Stand-up comedian Gary Faulds, meanwhile, told BBC News he had dropped his mother off at the pub shortly before the accident.

"My mum had just got inside and was hanging her coat up in a little alcove by the left door as you go into the bar when the crash happened.

"She said she thought it was a bomb going off because you never imagine it is a helicopter."

Both his mother and his aunt, who had 20 stitches to the back of her head, had been treated - and released - from hospital, he said.

"I've heard about the deaths so I guess they were one of the lucky ones," he added.

'Black day'

A total of 32 people were taken to hospital, 18 of whom were later discharged.

Continue reading the main story

The Eurocopter EC135 T2

• Began service in 1996 and there are now around 1,000 in operation
• Used around the world by the police and emergency services
• Has capacity for one pilot and six or seven passengers
• Weighs 6,504 lbs (2,950kg)
• Maximum speed of 137kts (254 km/h)
• Twin-engined and has a maximum range of 334nm (620km)

What do we know about crash helicopter?

Health officials said 14 were still being treated for serious injuries, which ranged from "chest injuries, head injuries, long-bone fractures and lacerations".

Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond described it as a "black day for Glasgow and for Scotland" but highlighted "the instinctive courage of ordinary Glaswegians going to assist their fellow citizens in extremity".

Prime Minister David Cameron also paid tribute to the bravery of the "ordinary Glaswegians" who rushed to help.

Within the city, efforts continue to help survivors and the bereaved.

Glasgow City Council is operating a family reception centre, at 40 John Street, to help those affected.

The Police Scotland Casualty Bureau number is 0800 092 0410 - for those concerned about relatives.

Elsewhere, flags are flying at half-mast on Scottish government buildings.

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