House price rises show 'moderation'

2 April 2014 Last updated at 07:03

House price growth is showing "tentative signs of moderation", according to Britain's second biggest building society.

Nationwide said prices in March rose by 0.4%, compared with a 0.7% rise the previous month.

However, on an annual basis, house price inflation continued to rise, to 9.5%, up from 9.4% in February.

Meanwhile, the gap between house prices in London and the rest of the UK has reached a record.

Average values in the capital are now more than double those in the rest of the UK, at £362,699.

Slowdown

The overall average value in the UK now stands at £180,264, but that is still 3% below the 2007 house price peak.

And although March saw the 15th successive monthly increase in prices, the rate of increase is slowing.

"There are some tentative signs of moderation," said Nationwide's chief economist, Robert Gardner.

However, he added that annual price growth was "continuing to run at a robust pace" and that low mortgage rates and an improved economic outlook meant the housing market recovery was now "firmly established".

London gap

London house prices rose by 18% in the first quarter of this year, compared with the same period in 2013, and prices in the capital are now 20% above their 2007 peak, Nationwide said.

Continue reading the main story

There are some tentative signs of moderation"

End Quote Robert Gardner Nationwide chief eeconomist

"The gap between house prices in London and the rest of the UK is the widest it's ever been," Mr Gardner added.

Despite this, Nationwide said all UK regions saw house prices grow for the third financial quarter in a row.

The lender also reiterated its concern that not enough new properties were available to satisfy the growing demand, with new builds 40% below pre-crisis levels.

The Nationwide's figures are based on a sample of its own lending, and differ from other data.

Help to Buy

Last week the Office for National Statistics said UK house prices in January were up 6.8% compared with a year earlier, driven by a 13.2% increase in London.

And separate figures from the UK's major banks showed mortgage borrowing was at its highest since August 2008.

The recent surge in prices has largely been put down to the impact of the Help to Buy scheme, which offers government loans of up to 20% on new homes, and mortgage guarantees against lenders' losses if they offer loans to those with only a small deposit.

In the Budget, Chancellor George Osborne confirmed plans to extend the first phase of Help to Buy - the equity loan offer - until the end of the decade.

But the Bank of England, among others, has warned the scheme could create a housing market bubble.

15.36 | 0 komentar | Read More

Farage and Clegg set for TV rematch

2 April 2014 Last updated at 07:58

Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage are preparing to take part in a TV debate on the UK's membership of the European Union.

The BBC event, which follows another debate hosted by LBC Radio last week, comes ahead of May's European Parliament elections.

Lib Dem leader Mr Clegg wants the UK to remain in the EU, while Mr Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, is campaigning for a withdrawal.

The debate is on BBC Two at 19:00 BST.

A row between Mr Clegg and Mr Farage over the UKIP leader's comments on Vladimir Putin has escalated ahead of the debate.

In recent days, Mr Clegg has called Mr Farage's description of the Russian president as the foreign leader he most admires "utterly grotesque".

But Mr Farage has said he was referring to Mr Putin as a political "operator".

Immigration

The BBC debate, hosted by David Dimbleby in central London, will last for an hour. The audience has been selected to be representative of the population as a whole.

Last week's debate saw Mr Farage and Mr Clegg clash over the issue of immigration and the possible impact on the UK economy of leaving the EU.

Mr Clegg said: "We are better off in Europe - richer, stronger, safer - and that's why I will fight to keep us in, for the sake of jobs, for the sake of our clout in the world, for the sake of Britain."

Continue reading the main story

The BBC News Channel will have full coverage of the debate throughout Wednesday, including a behind-the-scenes look at the venue and spin room, talks with the audience, and instant polling results.

A special preview programme will be aired at 18:30 BST ahead of the debate at 19:00. And from 20:00, a special programme with Jane Hill and Norman Smith will take in reaction and analysis.

But Mr Farage replied: "This debate is between a tired status quo defending a crumbling EU that frankly isn't working any more, and a fresh approach that says let's be friendly with Europe, let's trade with Europe, but let's not be governed by their institutions."

He also suggested the EU had "blood on its hands" for encouraging Ukrainians to rise up against their former pro-Russian government.

Tensions between the Russia and the West have risen following the overthrow of pro-Kremlin Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in February, after months of street protests.

Russia's subsequent move to annex Crimea has triggered a crisis in relations.

* You can watch the whole debate live on the BBC News website, with rolling video and text coverage of the key points, reaction and analysis. There is a BBC News Channel special programme from 18:30 BST to 21:00 BST.

15.36 | 0 komentar | Read More

High air pollution 'set to spread'

2 April 2014 Last updated at 09:33

Health warnings have been issued by the government as high levels of air pollution spread across England.

Environment department Defra has issued the warnings as high pollution levels recorded on Tuesday continue to spread.

The pollution - a mix of local and European emissions and dust from the Sahara - is affecting parts of southern England, the Midlands and East Anglia.

The elderly and those with lung or heart disease are urged to avoid strenuous exercise outside.

Sore eyes and cough

Continue reading the main story

Air pollution is the world's single biggest environmental health risk, according to the World Health Organization.

It is linked to about seven million deaths a year, mostly from heart and lung diseases.

The causes are outdoor pollution from traffic and industry, and indoor pollution from dirty stoves. But dirty air is an invisible threat, and it's taken a wind from the Sahara to blow it into UK headlines.

The wind lifts desert dust high into the clouds several times a year. The dust provides vital fertiliser for the ocean and even the Amazon forest.

But in the UK it is combining with high levels of local air pollution to irritate people's lungs.

People with heart disease or lung disease or the elderly should take the health warnings seriously.

The episode may draw attention to the government's long-term failure to reduce air pollution.

The EU has launched legal proceedings against the UK for failing to reduce "excessive" levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) air pollution - mostly from traffic - after 15 years of warnings.

Follow Roger Harrabin on twitter

Defra has a 10-point scale for measuring air quality - with 1 meaning there is a "low" risk of air pollution and 10 warning of "very high" levels.

Levels hit the maximum of 10 in north-west Norfolk on Tuesday and are expected to reach 8 or 9 in parts of England on Wednesday.

The BBC weather centre said that very high levels of pollution are expected in East Anglia and the East Midlands.

Moderate to high air pollution levels are also forecast for large parts of southern and central England.

Large parts of Wales, areas around Wirral and Merseyside, as well as Devon will be hit by moderate pollution levels.

Advice on the Defra website states that for high levels of pollution: "Adults and children with lung problems, and adults with heart problems, should reduce strenuous physical exertion, particularly outdoors, and particularly if they experience symptoms.

"People with asthma may find they need to use their reliever inhaler more often. Older people should also reduce physical exertion."

It adds that "anyone experiencing discomfort such as sore eyes, cough or sore throat should consider reducing activity, particularly outdoors".

Dr Paul Cosford is from Public Health England told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that pollution levels were "clearly a serious issue".

However, he said it was "important we don't get it out of proportion".

He said the "vast majority" of people would suffer no harm from the pollution levels, but said people with health issues should take extra care.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

BBC Weather's Carol Kirkwood explains the reasons behind the increase in pollution levels

Andrew Sibley, specialist forecaster for the Met Office, said: "Conditions are going to get worse again as we go through Wednesday and the rest of the week."

He said that a south-easterly wind would bring with it yet more pollution from Europe, and further compound the situation in the UK.

'Caught by rain'

Mr Sibley said that dust and sand particles from the Saharan desert could easily get swept up by high winds and carried thousands of miles across the globe.

"The dust gets caught by rain particles and that's how it ends up being visible on the ground," he said.

A Defra spokeswoman said: "The high level of air pollution this week is due to a combination of local emissions, light winds, pollution from the continent and dust blown over from the Sahara.

"We want to keep improving air quality and have introduced a new five-day forecast service in addition to investing heavily in local and transport initiatives to tackle this issue head-on."

Northern Ireland and Scotland will see low air pollution on Wednesday, with isolated moderate levels possible in urban and other areas.

High levels of pollution are expected to continue across East Anglia and the Midlands on Thursday. But they are expected to drop by Friday.

The BBC's environment correspondent Roger Harrabin said the episode could bring further attention to the government's long-term struggle to reduce air pollution.

The EU has launched legal proceedings against the UK for failing to reduce "excessive" levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) air pollution - mostly from traffic - after 15 years of warnings, he added.

Professor Rob MacKenzie, an atmospheric scientist from the University of Birmingham, said that "if you're a healthy adult, then I think there's nothing to be worried about".

Maria Arnold, from the environmental law group Client Earth, called for changes to the way pollution warnings are given, saying the public is "generally very poorly warned about these type of events".

"We think the [warning] format needs to become very similar to the warnings for floods and heat waves. It is really important people understand the risks."

Have you experienced the effects of air pollution? Have you seen evidence of Saharan dust and sand particles where you live? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with 'pollution' in the subject.

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

Read the terms and conditions

15.36 | 0 komentar | Read More

E-cigs face curb in public places

2 April 2014 Last updated at 08:14

Wales could be the first part of the UK to ban the use of electronic cigarettes in enclosed public places.

Ministers say they are responding to concern that the devices - which can contain nicotine - normalise smoking and undermine the smoking ban.

A minimum alcohol price of 50p per unit is also proposed in a white paper of ideas for public health legislation.

Health Minister Mark Drakeford said the aim was to address some of the nation's major public health challenges.

Continue reading the main story

It's now generally accepted that the smoking ban has had a positive health impact overall.

But as part of what it calls a radical new law to improve public health, the Welsh government is now turning its attention from tobacco to electronic cigarettes.

Sales of e-cigarettes have boomed in recent years - supporters claim they're much safer than ordinary cigarettes and can help some people quit.

Certain pubs, cafes and the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff have already banned e-cigs.

The Welsh government wants to restrict their use only to places where you can legally smoke tobacco - for example outside or in smoking shelters.

Ministers claims e-cigarettes give the impression that smoking in public is normal and acceptable. It also argues that children could be tempted to try them, which could lead to nicotine addiction and be a gateway to smoking.

However opponents of the move claim that link isn't proven and the proposed law could stigmatise people who are trying to give up.

"Taking concerted, collective action to address public health concerns remains one of the most powerful contributions any government can make to the welfare and wellbeing of its population," he said.

"Alcohol and tobacco contribute to many life-threatening illnesses and are major causes of persistent inequalities in health.

"I have concerns about the impact of e-cigarettes on the enforcement of Wales' smoking ban. That's why we are proposing restricting their use in enclosed public places.

"I am also concerned that their use in enclosed public places could normalise smoking behaviour.

"E-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive, and I want to minimise the risk of a new generation becoming addicted to this drug."

However Richard Filbrandt, e-cigarette user and co-owner of the Vibrant Vapour cafe in Carmarthen, said they had studies showing there was no risk to passive smokers.

"There are studies done by Air for Change in America that say it doesn't warrant withdrawing them from public places, and they are the same people that said take cigarettes away from public places," he told BBC News.

"Why should we be treated like smokers? Why should we be put out at risk of passive smoking ourselves in a smoking area when we do not smoke?"

On the subject of alcohol, Mr Drakeford said: "There is indisputable evidence that the price of alcohol matters.

"It's no coincidence that as the affordability of alcohol has increased substantially, so has alcohol-related death and disease.

"A minimum unit price will make a strong contribution to preventing alcohol overuse and misuse and reducing alcohol-associated illnesses."

Other proposals in the white paper, which will be subject to consultation, include;

• a tobacco retailers' register with stiffer penalties for those selling to under 18s
• whether to make it an offence to deliver tobacco ordered online to someone under 18, even if the item was ordered by an adult
• a national register of tattooists and providers of cosmetic piercing in order to improve regulation and set cleanliness and hygiene standards
• requiring local authorities to develop a strategy to ensure toilets are publically available in local communities

Chief Medical Officer Dr Ruth Hussey said: "On the seventh anniversary of the smoking ban, it is symbolic that Wales is once again at the forefront of a new set of radical proposals to improve public health."

The white paper - Listening to you: Your health matters - is open to consultation until 24 June.

15.36 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pupil's wall death prompts checks

2 April 2014 Last updated at 09:00

Structural checks are to be carried out on schools across Edinburgh, after a 12-year-old girl died when a "free-standing wall" collapsed on her.

The girl, named locally as Keane Wallis-Bennett, was fatally injured at Liberton High School on Tuesday.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond promised a rigorous investigation into the accident.

The city council said it would survey all similar walls in its schools as a "precaution".

The free-standing modesty wall, which was not structural, served as a partition designed to give pupils privacy when showering in gym changing rooms.

Pupils were sent home after the incident on Tuesday, which happened just before 10:00 BST, and the school is to remain closed for the rest of the week.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Head of Schools Andy Gray and Supt Matt Richards spoke at a news briefing

Building surveyors will carry out a full check at the school before pupils return after the Easter break in three weeks.

'Rest in peace'

Police, who described the case as a "tragic incident", will meet officials from the Health and Safety Executive later to discuss who will investigate it.

Floral tributes have been left outside the school, with one bunch including a card that read: "Rest in peace Keane. God has gained another angel."

One pupil at the school, 13-year-old Devon Blyth, told the BBC she had warned a teacher some months ago that there was an unstable wall in the girl's changing room near the old gym - where the incident took place.

She said: "There was a wall that's been wobbly for months."

She said she had told a teacher who had said that "it should be fine - and then this has happened".

In February, Edinburgh City Council was fined £8,000 after a pupil received serious injuries when she fell down a lift shaft at Liberton High School, in December 2011.

'Rigorous investigation'

The school, which has about 650 pupils, was built in 1959, and the PE accommodation was refurbished in the mid-1980s.

A report prepared for the council in December 2013 recommended a programme of repairs to the school buildings, although there was no indication of structural work being required.

A council statement on Tuesday evening said: "A full survey of all our schools, including Liberton High School, was carried out in 2012/13 and no concerns with this wall were identified.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

First Minister Alex Salmond says the death of a pupil at Liberton High School is "desperately sad" and will be rigorously investigated

"However, as a precaution, specialist council building services staff will be surveying all similar walls in schools where we know that they exist."

A council spokesman added: "As a further precaution, a full survey will be carried out on Liberton High School in the coming days before the main school building re-opens to pupils."

First Minister Alex Salmond, who visited the school in December, promised there would be a "rigorous investigation".

"It's really tragic circumstances and my heart goes out to the family and friends," he said.

"A proper investigation will takes its course."

He said that, at first sight, the circumstances did not seem to be related to an earlier lift-shaft accident.

The associate minister at Liberton Kirk, Reverend Dave Rankin, is one of the chaplains at Liberton High School.

He said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the girl who has died.

"The chaplaincy team will offer ongoing support and comfort to the school and the local community as the full impact of this tragedy is felt in the coming days and weeks."

15.36 | 0 komentar | Read More

BT criticised over rural broadband

1 April 2014 Last updated at 00:05 By Leo Kelion Technology reporter

The government and BT are under fresh attack for the way the rollout of the UK's rural broadband is being handled.

A committee of MPs said that many of the maps released lacked sufficient detail about coverage and the speeds that would be provided. It also questioned the costs involved.

It added that it had heard allegations that BT had been able to "kill the competition" by altering its own plans.

Both the company and the government have defended their record.

"It is... frustrating that the committee continues to try and pick holes in the programme," said a spokesman for the firm.

"BT is delivering value for money and the National Audit Office acknowledged there are 'robust' processes in place to ensure that. As for maps, most councils have published coverage maps with our support. More detailed data will be released by them in due course once surveys have been completed and we know for sure that we are going to an area."

Communications minister Ed Vaizey highlighted that the regulator Ofcom had recently ranked the UK's provision of broadband ahead of other countries.

"Britain has the best superfast broadband of all five leading European economies," he said.

"The government's nationwide broadband rollout is ahead of schedule; multiple robust safeguards are already in place to ensure value for money, and thousands of homes and businesses up and down the country are already getting the benefits."

'Monopoly position'

By 2015, the government will have given a total of £490m in grants to English local authorities and administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to subsidise the infrastructure needed to improve rural broadband.

Its goal is that by 2015 all UK premises can experience at least two megabit per second downloads and that 90% of premises can access "superfast" downloads of at least 20Mbps.

The councils and administrations have to match the cash with their own funds and pick a contractor. The firm then adds cash of its own, which it can later recoup through customer fees.

Nine firms initially showed interest, but the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (Pac) warned last year that taxpayers faced being "ripped off" after BT won the first 26 bids put out to tender.

Since then BT has secured all of the 18 further contracts offered. The committee said that placed the company in a "monopoly position" meaning officials could never be sure if they had got value for money.

Pac also raised concern that the maps published by local bodies showing where broadband would be offered often lacked detail.

It said this made it hard for other organisations to work out where they could pursue their own independent schemes to fill gaps in BT's coverage or offer faster speeds.

Pac said the government should therefore work "urgently" alongside local bodies to make it possible for homes and businesses to carry out searches based on their full postcodes that revealed whether they were covered and the intended speed of service.

The committee noted it had heard allegations that BT had taken advantage of the "inadequate" information it had originally provided; both to expand into areas that rivals had subsequently shown interest in, and to refuse to boost speeds to at least one village that it declared too expensive to cover after winning a contract.

The Independent Networks Co-operative Association (Inca) - which represents smaller internet providers - has highlighted cases in Wiltshire and Lancashire where it said community schemes had been cancelled or put at risk by BT "overbuilding" its projects.

"Government and local authorities must make sure that alternative schemes, pulling in additional private sector and community funding, are supported not stymied," Inca's chief executive Malcolm Corbett told the BBC.

"Allowing BT to use state funding to undermine competitors is not in the interests of rural communities, nor the UK as a whole."

Subject to change

But a spokesman for BT explained any changes in its plans as being the result of the surveys it carried out after being awarded the contracts.

"The fibre broadband programme is constantly evolving, and there is no definitive rollout plan until we complete detailed survey work in each locality," said a spokesman.

"This means that plans will undoubtedly change. For example in Cornwall, we originally said we'd be able to connect 85% of the county, but we now expect to get to around 95-97%.

"That could happen in other areas too, but we can also encounter obstacles in certain locations, like blocked ducts or lack of available power, which makes the cost of deploying fibre prohibitive."

A further £500m of taxpayers' funds has been earmarked to enhance coverage after 2015.

Before that happens Pac has urged the government to analyse and publish details of this round's deployment costs to help local authorities be better informed .

The committee also suggested work be done to address a "lack of competitive tension" in the tendering process.

15.37 | 0 komentar | Read More

NHS facing 'biggest ever challenge'

1 April 2014 Last updated at 00:06 By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News

The NHS is facing the biggest challenge in its history because of the squeeze on its budget, says its new boss.

In a speech on his first day as NHS England's chief executive, Simon Stevens, will say the health service is enduring the most sustained "budget crunch in its 66-year history".

He will warn navigating the next few years will require a huge effort.

And he will say only by "radically transforming services" will the NHS continue to thrive.

Mr Stevens joins NHS England after a decade working for the US firm United Healthcare.

Before that he worked as a health adviser in Tony Blair's government and held various management posts in the NHS.

The speech will be made on Tuesday evening after he spends the day visiting services in the North East, which is where he started his NHS career in the late 1980s.

'Biggest effort'

He is expected to say: "The global recession has meant the NHS facing its most sustained budget crunch in its 66-year history.

Continue reading the main story

Despite having worked in the US in recent years, the Oxford University graduate has plenty of NHS experience.

During the late 1980s and for much of the 1990s he worked in a number of management positions, including a stint at Guy's and St Thomas's Hospital Trust in London and for a mental health service in Northumberland.

In 1997, he became an adviser to Alan Milburn and co-authored the 2000 NHS Plan, which led to record increases in investment for the health service.

From 2001 to 2004 he worked directly with Tony Blair and was a strong advocate for increasing the use of the private sector.

After that he joined United Healthcare, first to lead their European arm and then as a senior executive in the US in charge of global operations.

"But care for our patients has continued to be of an extremely high standard. That is a remarkable tribute to the personal dedication - and shared sacrifice - of health service staff.

"As someone who has spent the last decade working in healthcare around the world, I know of no other country's health system which has managed this economically turbulent period better."

But he will add: "I know that for the NHS the stakes have never been higher. Service pressures are intensifying, and longstanding problems are not going to disappear overnight.

"Successfully navigating the next few years is going to take a team effort - involving the biggest team in the biggest effort the NHS has ever seen."

He will say a key challenge relates to the ageing population and how people are supported to live as "independently as possible".

"Our traditional partitioning of health services - GPs, hospital outpatients, A&E departments, community nurses, emergency mental healthcare, out-of-hours units, ambulance services and so on - no longer makes much sense."

Mr Stevens has replaced Sir David Nicholson, who announced last year he was stepping down after seven years leading the health service.

He had faced repeated calls to resign over his role in the Stafford Hospital scandal.

Sir David spent 10 months in charge of the local health authority in 2005 and 2006 at the height of the problems.

15.37 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Eat seven a day' fruit and veg call

1 April 2014 Last updated at 07:58 By Pippa Stephens Health reporter, BBC News

Eating seven or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day is healthier than the five currently recommended and would prolong lives, researchers say.

A study of 65,226 men and women indicated the more fruit and vegetables people ate, the less likely they were to die - at any given age.

Seven a day cut the risk of dying from cancer and heart disease.

But the government says its "five-a-day" advice is sufficient and that many of us struggle to achieve even this.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

The clear message here is that the more fruit and vegetables you eat, the less likely you are to die at any age"

End Quote Dr Oyinola Oyebode Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, UCL

Experts said other lifestyle factors, such as not smoking or drinking excessively, may have accounted for the drop in mortality, not just fruit and veg consumption, although the study authors said they had tried to account for this.

The University College London researchers used the National Health Survey, which collects data from people in England each year through questionnaires and nurse visits, to look at diet and lifestyle.

They analysed data between 2001 and 2008, which provided a snapshot rather than people's continuing dietary habits.

Continue reading the main story

Five a day

• The five-a-day message is based on advice from the World Health Organization
• It highlights the health benefits of getting five 80g (3oz) portions of fruit and vegetables every day
• Your five portions should include a variety of fruit and vegetables
• Most fruits and veg count towards five a day
• The government says it can include fresh, frozen, canned, dried or pure juices
• Potatoes and cassava don't count because they mainly contribute starch to the diet

The study looked at general mortality as well as death from cancer, heart disease and stroke, and found risk of premature death from any cause decreased as fruit and veg consumption increased.

Risk of death by any cause over the course of the study was reduced by:

• 14% by eating one to three portions of fruit or veg per day
• 29% for three to five
• 36% for five to seven
• 42% for seven or more (up to around 10 portions a day)

Fresh vegetables had the strongest protective effect, followed by salad and then fruit.

Fruit juice conferred no benefit, while canned fruit appeared to increase the risk of death - possibly because it is stored in sugary syrup, say the researchers.

Lead investigator Dr Oyinlola Oyebode said: "The clear message here is that the more fruit and vegetables you eat, the less likely you are to die - at any age."

She said the size of the effect was "staggering", but added that eating a few portions a day was still better than nothing.

Fruit and vegetables could have a protective effect against disease as they contained antioxidants, which repair damage to cells, she said.

Dr Oyebode added that both fruit and vegetables contained micronutrients and fibre, both of which are good for health.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

She said a "portion" meant about 80g (3oz), meaning "one large fruit or a handful of smaller fruit or veg".

But some experts said the work was not conclusive and that other lifestyle factors may have influenced the results.

Prof Tom Sanders, at the School of Medicine, King's College London, said it was "already known" that people who said they ate lots of fruit and vegetables were health conscious, educated and better-off, which could account for the drop in risk.

"You cannot extrapolate from this kind of information to make sensible pronouncements about what people should eat."

Prof Naveed Sattar, of the University of Glasgow, said promoting a seven-a-day message would be "really challenging".

"It would require governmental support such as subsidising the cost of fruit and vegetables, perhaps by taxing sugar-rich foods, and making available high quality products to all in society," he said.

Dr Alison Tedstone, of Public Health England, said the study was "interesting" but it seemed "premature" to raise the recommended fruit and veg intake because two thirds of people were not eating five or more portions a day.

She said people "tend to understand this five-a-day message", adding: "I think we should keep it simple and stay as we are."

"We are working very hard to improve the availability of fruit and vegetables, as we see it as absolutely integral to somebody's health to choose those five a day," she said.

Victoria Taylor, senior dietician at the British Heart Foundation, said people were still struggling to meet the existing target of at least five a day.

"While you may not be getting your five a day, there's no reason to give up and stop trying as this study showed there were health benefits for every extra portion of fruit and veg people ate," she said.

In Australia, the government's advice is "two plus five" a day - encouraging people to eat two helpings of fruit and five portions of vegetables.

15.37 | 0 komentar | Read More

Royal Mail sale price 'too cautious'

1 April 2014 Last updated at 08:21

The privatisation of Royal Mail did not achieve the best value for taxpayers because of the government's "deep caution", the spending watchdog says.

The National Audit Office said too much emphasis was put on completing the sale within this Parliament, at the expense of achieving better value for money.

Royal Mail shares are now more than 70% higher than the original sale price of 330p in October 2013.

But business minster Michael Fallon said it was "right to be cautious".

Speaking on the BBC's Today programme, he said: "We could have got a higher price but we would have taken a bigger risk of people not subscribing to the shares and the Royal Mail share sale collapsing."

Cancelled strike

The privatisation of Royal Mail took place amid huge public interest and the shares rose by 38% to 455p on their first day of trading, representing an increase in value of £750m for the new shareholders.

The NAO report concluded that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills was too cautious when setting the sale price of 330p per share.

"The department was very keen to achieve its objective of selling Royal Mail, and was successful in getting the company listed on the FTSE 100," said Amyas Morse, head of the NAO.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Achieving the highest price possible at any cost and whatever the risk was never the aim of the sale"

End Quote Vince Cable Business Secretary

"Its approach, however, was marked by deep caution, the price of which was borne by the taxpayer."

A planned postal workers' strike, which was eventually cancelled after the privatisation, also affected the government's sale price.

Demand for Royal Mail shares was 24 times the maximum number available to investors, the NAO said, but the banks overseeing the sale advised there was not sufficient demand to justify a significantly higher figure.

George Godber, a fund manager at Milton Group, told Radio 4 that he was "astounded" by the low price.

"I thought it was significantly underpriced. In stock market terms, this was the London 2012 Olympic ticket moment, lots of people applied but very few got to go to the opening ceremony."

Managers from two of these advising banks - Goldman Sachs and UBS - said market uncertainty and the complexity of the deal led them to a conservative price when they were questioned by MPs in November last year.

Continue reading the main story

They said there was a significant risk that raising the price past the £3.30 they had advised would diminish investor interest.

The NAO report notes the government has benefited from the increase in Royal Mail's share price via the 30% stake it still holds.

But it argues the benefits could have been even greater had the government kept a larger stake, while still fulfilling its policy objective of reducing public ownership to below 50%.

Overhaul

The spending watchdog also noted that a small number of priority investors, who were allocated a larger proportion of their orders than others, have made significant profits from the increase in the sale price following the privatisation.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

[Vince Cable] and David Cameron have serious questions to answer on the hundreds of millions of pounds they have lost British taxpayers"

End Quote Chuka Umunna Shadow business secretary

Responding to the report, Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "Achieving the highest price possible at any cost and whatever the risk was never the aim of the sale."

"The report concludes there was a real risk of a failed sale attached to pushing the price too high. And a failed sale would have been the worst outcome for taxpayers and jeopardised the operation of Royal Mail going forward."

And a spokesman for Mr Cable's department said the sale had raised some £2bn for the taxpayer.

They added: "By retaining a 30% stake in the business we have made sure taxpayers have benefited from dividend payments and will continue to benefit from share price rises after the sale."

However Margaret Hodge, chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), said the sharp rise in Royal Mail's share price since the sale showed "the department had no clue what it was doing."

And shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna said Mr Cable could no longer dismiss the share price rise.

"He and David Cameron have serious questions to answer on the hundreds of millions of pounds they have lost British taxpayers and cannot duck responsibility for what has happened," he added.

15.37 | 0 komentar | Read More

Warning for rogue payday loan firms

1 April 2014 Last updated at 08:23

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) watchdog has warned it will "take out" payday lenders who do not follow stricter new rules.

The FCA is taking over regulation of credit providers and debt management firms from the Office of Fair Trading.

It wants to deal with extortionate charges, and the danger of borrowers being pushed into a cycle of debt.

It is also taking over regulation of credit cards, hire purchase, debt management firms and debt advisers.

'Rolled over'

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

"Our processes will probably force about a quarter of the firms out of the industry, and that's a good thing, as those are the ones that have poor practices," Martin Wheatley, chief executive of the FCA, told BBC Radio 5 live.

But driving out payday lenders will not stop demand, Russell Hamblin-Boone from the Consumer Finance Association, the trade body for payday loan firms, told the BBC.

"The demand is there," he said. Without such lenders, people would be forced to take loans from "less reputable" sources, he added.

"With all the scrutiny the industry has been under for 18 months people are continuing to take out these loans and pay them back and not have a problem.

"If we continue to drive up standards this can only be good for business," Mr Hamblin-Boone said.

There have been concerns that payday lenders have been making too much of their profits from people who were struggling to pay the money back.

Typically the lenders offer loans of hundreds of pounds for a few weeks, but at very high annual rates of interest and with high penalties for failing to repay.

The new regime is designed to force them to lend only to those who can afford it.

The FCA faced criticism last week after it released details of an investigation into the insurance industry early, sending shares in insurance firms down. The details were revealed in the Daily Telegraph.

Commons Treasury committee chairman Andrew Tyrie said the leak may have "damaged consumer confidence".

The inquiry will look at pensions, endowments, investment bonds and life assurance policies sold in the UK between the 1970s and 2000.

Mr Wheatley said the "market responded in a way nobody expected".

'Get them to change'

The FCA now has tougher powers than the Office of Fair Trading, including unlimited fines, ordering refunds and banning misleading advertisements.

The FCA has made clear that payday lenders will be closed down if they do not comply with its new rules.

These regulations include limiting the number of times a customer can rollover a loan, improving affordability checks, and controlling attempts to extract repayments from borrowers' bank accounts.

"If we don't like the practices in a firm, the first instance is to get them to change it," said Mr Wheatley.

"If they won't change it, then we take away their permission to operate."

"What we are concerned about are the people who frankly shouldn't be lent to, who can't afford the loans and who then get rolled over and get pushed ever further into a debt cycle," said Mr Wheatley.

The FCA and the Prudential Regulation Authority replaced the Financial Services Authority in regulating the City last year.

15.37 | 0 komentar | Read More