'Living wage' raised by 20p an hour

3 November 2014 Last updated at 00:00

The UK "living wage" - an hourly rate based on the amount needed to cover the basic costs of living - has been raised by 20p to £7.85.

The voluntary rate has been adopted by more than 1,000 employers across the country, benefiting 35,000 workers.

It is now 21% higher than the compulsory UK minimum wage, set at £6.50 by the government.

A new rate for London, currently £8.80 an hour, will be announced later on Monday.

Firms who have signed up to the voluntary scheme include Barclays, Standard Life, the National Portrait Gallery, as well as many local councils and charities.

On Sunday, Citizens UK, the community organisation behind the Living Wage project, said the number of companies paying the rate had more than doubled in the past year.

Lack of 'opportunity'

Despite this rise, research published on Monday by accounting firm KPMG - a supporter of the wage - found 22% of the working population earn less than the 2013 Living Wage - which was set at £7.65 an hour.

It said more than five million people were paid below that rate, and that women were more likely to earn less than men.

"This research is further proof that more workers are getting stuck in low paid work with little opportunity for progression," said former Labour MP Alan Milburn, the chairman of the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission.

He added that "far more needs to be done" and that both employers and government should take responsibility.

What is the difference between the living wage and the national minimum wage?

The living wage is an informal benchmark, not a legally enforceable minimum level of pay, like the national minimum wage.

The national minimum wage is set by the chancellor each year on the advice of the Low Pay Commission. It is enforced by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

The living wage is currently calculated by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University, while the London living wage has been calculated by the Greater London Authority since 2005.

The basic idea is that these are the minimum pay rates needed to let workers lead a decent life.

Read more on the Living Wage.

Rhys Moore, director of the Living Wage Foundation, said low pay was a strain on the public purse, as "firms that pay the minimum wage are seeing their workers' pay topped up through the benefits system".

He added that "rewarding a hard day's work with a fair day's pay" was the driving principle behind the Living Wage.

More than survival

Over the wider economy as a whole, wages are not rising as fast as prices, meaning real pay for many people is falling.

The latest figures show that average weekly earnings are rising by 0.9% excluding bonuses, below the rate of inflation (as measured by the Consumer Prices Index) which is 1.2%.

"Many people are working two and three jobs just to make ends meet," said Rev Lucy Winkett, rector of St James's Piccadilly and a supporter of the Living Wage.

"They are missing out on valuable time with their family; losing the chance to read a bedtime story with a child; choosing between lunch and dinner; and having no chance to socialise."

She added: "Hard working people should have enough to live, not simply survive."

Are you earning the living wage? Will you be affected by the increase? Send us your experiences by emailing . If you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist, please include a contact number.

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Briton in court over Hong Kong deaths

3 November 2014 Last updated at 05:28

A 29-year-old British man accused of murdering two women in Hong Kong has been remanded in custody.

Rurik Jutting was arrested after police found the victims in his apartment in the Wan Chai area early on Saturday. One of the bodies was in a suitcase on his balcony.

The women, who have not been officially named by police, are believed to be sex workers of Indonesian origin.

Mr Jutting appeared before the Eastern Magistrates' Court on Monday morning.

He had resigned from a job at Bank of America Merrill Lynch a week ago. A LinkedIn profile under his name suggested he was a Cambridge University graduate.

Mr Jutting was unshaven and wearing a black T-shirt during the brief court hearing.

Asked if he understood the charges against him, he replied: "I do."

He was remanded in custody and is due to appear in court again on 10 November.

Officers were called to the luxury residential building where Mr Jutting lived at 03:42 on Saturday (19:42 Friday GMT).

One of the victims, who was aged between 25 and 30, had wounds to her neck and buttock. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The body of the other woman, who had sustained neck injuries, was found in the suitcase.

Hong Kong Police said they had retrieved a knife from the apartment in the J Residence block, which is situated in an affluent area and popular with professional people working in the financial sector.

Assistant district commander Wan Siu-hung told reporters that the woman whose body was in the suitcase had been dead "for quite some time".

Speaking about the other dead woman, he said: "We believe the death was caused by a sharp object which cut the throat of the deceased.

"When police found her she was lying in the living room - the room was messy."

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Hong Kong police load evidence bags into vans as the investigation continues

The BBC's Hong Kong correspondent Juliana Liu reported that the two victims were known as Jesse and Alice.

Both were well known in the Wan Chai entertainment district, our correspondent said.

Indonesia's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Michael Tene said one of the victims was an Indonesian citizen who entered Hong Kong on a tourist visa, but that it was not yet clear if the second woman was also Indonesian.

He told the BBC: "We are now in the process of trying to reach the families in Indonesia to inform them of this very sad situation."

Bar manager Robert van den Bosch had known both women for more than four years. He said about two dozen police had visited bars and nightclubs in the area on Saturday in an effort to identify the women.

Of "Jesse", Mr van den Bosch told the BBC: "That's the thing that we ask ourselves, why and why her?

"If she was just a crazy woman and fighting you could understand, but I have no idea why, because she was always happy."

The South China Morning Post reported that police had found a small amount of cocaine in the apartment and that they were examining Mr Jutting's mobile phone.

A resident of the 40-storey block, who said his fellow occupants were mainly expats, told the newspaper: "It was a shock because you would never expect something like this to happen in Hong Kong."

At the scene: Juliana Liu, BBC Hong Kong correspondent

The city has not seen a murder mystery like this since 2003, when American housewife Nancy Kissel killed her husband, an investment banker, with a lead ornament.

Coincidentally, Robert Kissel was also working for Merrill Lynch, the forerunner of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, which employed Rurik Jutting until about a week ago.

According to colleagues, the British banker regularly partied well into the morning hours.

But they have expressed shock that he has been charged with the murder of two sex workers from Indonesia, saying that he had seemed so 'normal'.

The bar girls of Wan Chai, where Mr Jutting lives, are equally shocked.

While sex work, by definition, comes with risks, it is perceived to be less risky in a relatively safe city like Hong Kong.

A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said: "We can confirm that a British national has been arrested in Hong Kong.

"We are in touch with the local police and stand ready to provide consular assistance."

Post-mortem examinations are being conducted to determine the causes of the women's deaths.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch has yet to respond to BBC requests for information about Mr Jutting.

Historically Hong Kong has enjoyed a relatively low crime rate. According to the Hong Kong Police website, there have been 14 homicides between January and July, down from 56 over the same time period in 2013.

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Millions to receive tax spend summary

2 November 2014 Last updated at 22:04

Millions of taxpayers will this week start to receive a breakdown of exactly how their tax has been spent by the government.

Twenty-four million people will receive their Annual Tax Summary in what the government is calling "a revolution in transparency".

The Chancellor George Osborne first announced the plans in his 2012 Budget.

But the TUC dismissed the summaries as "party political propaganda masquerading as neutral information".

'Promise'

The summaries will set out how much tax and National Insurance each person has paid, together with a breakdown of where it was spent - for example welfare, transport, health and education.

"It's about people getting information," Mr Osborne told the BBC.

"This is about people knowing where their money is going and how much tax they're paying.

"I think it is going to help as a country the debate we have about living within our means."

Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury Shabana Mahmood criticised the government's tax policy and said: "Families and pensioners are paying more in higher VAT, but that tax isn't part of these statements."

Analysis

By Joe Lynam, BBC News Business Correspondent

No other European country gives its taxpayers such a breakdown of how their taxes are being spent.

Australia is the only developed economy that already does so. This chancellor, with his highly-tuned political antennae, will be fully aware of the impact of such statements. He knows that some income taxpayers will resent that a quarter of their taxes go on welfare payments.

He acknowledges it will provoke a debate and one that might benefit his party, which aims to cut welfare spending even further if re-elected in May. Of course the tax summaries do not break down the welfare payments into their constituent parts such as unemployment, child benefit, winter fuel allowance, in-work tax credit etc.

Critics will say that is a deliberate omission.

One further notable element is the single smallest element of your tax bill is Britain's contribution to the EU budget at 0.7%.

There are almost 30 million taxpayers in the UK, and those who do not receive a summary can use HM Revenue & Custom's tax calculator to get similar information, the Treasury said.

However, the TUC questioned the government's motives in sending out the summaries.

"The chancellor is relying on the fact that many people think spending called welfare all goes to the unemployed," said the union's general secretary Frances O'Grady.

This included tax credits to help low paid workers, child benefit, and help for pensioners, she said.

"This is softening us up to a major cut to the welfare state safety net to which we all should contribute so that it is there if we need it."

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Sailor search 'unlikely to resume'

3 November 2014 Last updated at 05:18

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Three men were airlifted to hospital, the BBC's Anne Marie Tasker reports

The search for two fishermen missing since their trawler got into difficulty in the North Sea is "unlikely" to resume, the Maritime and Coastguard (MCA) agency has said.

One person winched from the water on Sunday was later pronounced dead, while two others were taken to hospital.

The Ocean Way, registered in Fraserburgh, was last heard from about 100 miles east of the Farne Islands.

The MCA said rescuers could not find "any sign of the two missing people".

In a statement, the coastguard said: "Unless further information is forthcoming it is unlikely that the search will resume.

"The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has been informed."

Helicopters from the UK and Norway were involved in the hunt for the British skipper and his four Filipino crew.

It is not known whether the person who died, or those who are missing, are the skipper or the crew.

The rescued men were taken to Wansbeck Hospital in Ashington in Northumberland.

The MCA said an RAF helicopter initially pulled two people to safety who were found in the water. Later, another member of the crew was recovered.

The boat is believed to have sailed from North Shields in Tyne and Wear on Saturday.

On Sunday it transmitted an emergency beacon, sparking the rescue mission.

An RAF rescue helicopter started the search and was joined by the Norwegian helicopter Rescue 1.

Scotland's Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead said: "This is a terrible tragedy and my thoughts are with the loved ones and friends of the crew.

"This tragedy will be felt by all fishing communities and is a horrible reminder of the dangers our fishermen face, day in day out, to bring fish to our tables with many paying the ultimate sacrifice.

"I would like to pay tribute to all the personnel involved in the rescue operation."

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May to outline abuse inquiry details

3 November 2014 Last updated at 08:20

Home Secretary Theresa May is expected to tell MPs later that she will consult victims before appointing a new chair for the historical child abuse inquiry.

Fiona Woolf resigned on Friday, saying victims did not have confidence in her.

She had faced pressure to quit over her social links to ex-Home Secretary Lord Brittan, whose handling of abuse claims in the 1980s has been questioned.

Her predecessor resigned four months ago, also after a row over her links with members of the establishment.

Commons Leader William Hague has said the inquiry will continue its work while a new chairman is sought.

Labour has said the candidate must have the confidence of victims' groups, while Lib Dem peer Lord Carlile said they should have experience of dealing with child abuse and child protection.

The inquiry, announced in July, was set up to look at how public bodies and other institutions handled claims of child sex abuse from the 1970s to the present day.

It comes after claims over many years about paedophiles in powerful places and alleged establishment attempts to cover up their actions.

The first chair, Baroness Butler-Sloss, stepped down a week after being appointed when concerns were raised about her late brother being attorney general during the 1980s.

Mrs May will make a statement to Parliament later about how the inquiry will proceed following Mrs Woolf's resignation.

The home secretary is also expected to say she will seek the approval of MPs before the person takes up the role.

Mrs Woolf's appointment was criticised by victims after it emerged she had social links to former Home Secretary Lord Brittan, who may be called to give evidence during the inquiry.

He denies any wrongdoing in the way a "dossier" on alleged high-profile paedophiles was handled.

Mrs Woolf, the Lord Mayor of London, disclosed she had lived in the same street as Lord Brittan and had dinner with him five times between 2008 and 2012 - but said he was not a "close associate".

She drew further criticism when Home Affairs Select Committee chairman Keith Vaz revealed a letter she sent to the committee about her relationship with the Conservative peer was re-written seven times until the final version gave a "sense of greater detachment".

Abuse inquiry: How we got here

1 July - MP Simon Danczuk calls on former Home Secretary Leon Brittan to say what he knew about paedophile allegations passed to him in the 1980s

7 July - Government announces independent inquiry into the way public bodies investigated and handled child sex abuse claims. Baroness Butler-Sloss chosen as head

9 July - Baroness Butler-Sloss (pictured) faces calls to quit because her late brother, Sir Michael Havers, was attorney general in the 1980s

14 July - She stands down, saying she is "not the right person" for the job

5 September - Lord Mayor of London Fiona Woolf named the new head of the inquiry

11 October - Mrs Woolf discloses she had five dinners with Lord Brittan from 2008-12

22 October - Abuse victim launches legal challenge against Mrs Woolf leading the inquiry, amid growing calls for her resignation

31 October - Victims' groups tell government officials they are "unanimous" Mrs Woolf should quit. She steps down later that day

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Briton held over Hong Kong murders

1 November 2014 Last updated at 22:15

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Hong Kong police took photos on the balcony of the unit where the women's bodies were found

A 29-year-old British man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the deaths of two women in Hong Kong.

Police found the victims in an apartment block in the Wan Chai district after a call from the man at 03:42am on Saturday (19:42 GMT).

One woman, aged 25 to 30, had stab wounds to her neck and buttock and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The body of a second woman, who had neck injuries, was found inside a suitcase on the balcony.

'Top-tier bank'

Hong Kong Police said they had detained the man and retrieved a knife from the apartment, in the J Residence block.

Assistant district commander Wan Siu-hung told reporters the woman whose body was in the suitcase had been dead "for quite some time".

The South China Morning Post reported that the man worked for a "top-tier global bank" and that the two women, of Asian or South East Asian origin, were believed to be "sex workers".

A resident of the 40-storey block, who said his fellow occupants were mainly expats, told the newspaper: "It was a shock because you would never expect something like this to happen in Hong Kong."

A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said: "We can confirm that a British national has been arrested in Hong Kong.

"We are in touch with the local police and stand ready to provide consular assistance."

Post-mortem examinations are being conducted to determine the causes of the women's deaths.

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GP funding 'puts patients at risk'

2 November 2014 Last updated at 00:02

The Scottish government's failure to adequately fund GPs is putting patients at risk, according to the organisation that represents general practitioners.

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) warned of "dangerous consequences for patients in the light of continued underfunding".

A study by the body suggested one in four Scots cannot get an appointment with their GP within a week.

The Scottish government said GP funding in Scotland was at record levels.

But the RCGP said the Draft Budget for next year showed a real-terms funding drop of 2.2% for GPs.

It also claimed long waiting times for appointments, short consultations and weakening relationships between doctors and patients were contributing to a "crisis in general practice".

Later appointment

The RCGP said it had based its conclusions on an analysis of figures from the Scottish government's Health and Experience Survey 2013/14 and a ComRes poll carried out earlier this year.

The poll suggested that a majority of people believe there are too few GPs and would like to see funds moved from other parts of the health service to GPs.

One in four of those surveyed said they were unable to obtain an appointment with their GP within a week and, when this happened, 11% of people said they would neither take the later appointment nor seek help elsewhere.

RCGP said this raised concerns about untreated conditions.

The professional body also highlighted figures in the government's Health and Experience Survey which showed that on more than 3.3 million occasions, patients were unable to get to see either a doctor or a nurse until the third working day.

The figure represented almost one in every seven times a request was made.

And the survey found that on 1.6 million occasions, patients did not feel they had enough time with their GP - an increase of 8.25% since 2011/12.

Dr John Gillies, chairman of RCGP Scotland, said it was "incumbent on the government to act" in order to safeguard patient safety.

'Substantially higher'

He added: "Further cuts to the resources GPs have with which to care for patients can only exacerbate the problem.

"A real-terms drop in funding share of 2.2%, as outlined in the Draft Budget 2015/16, can only deepen the current, very real crisis.

"This drop stands directly against the 71% of Scots who would like to see funding move from other parts of the health service to general practice.

"General practice requires 11% of the NHS spend to adequately look after our patients. If the situation is not rectified, the consequences for the NHS in Scotland and for patients could be even more severe."

The RCGP said a petition with thousands of signatures calling for the situation to be a addressed situation would be handed to the first minister next week.

Health secretary Alex Neil said GP funding was at a record level in Scotland "despite cuts in our overall budget from Westminster".

He said: "The number of GPs in Scotland has increased by 5.7% under this government and the number of GPs per head of population is substantially higher in Scotland than England.

"This year our £8.2m increase in funding for the GP contract was double that recommended by the GPs' pay body, and was warmly welcomed by the BMA."

Mr Neil added: "Last year, 87% of patients rated their overall experience of care by the GP surgery as excellent or good.

"While this is a strong record, we are continuing to improve access and the latest GP contract substantially cuts bureaucracy to allow GPs more time with patients.

"It also requires every single GP surgery in Scotland to review their access arrangements to ensure patients could get prompt access to appointments."

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Shop owner killed protecting business

1 November 2014 Last updated at 22:20

A food store owner was shot dead at his Manchester business while "grappling" with a pair of robbers, police believe.

Pragaret Singh, 35, was found with wounds to his abdomen and chest at Manchester Food Traders in Wood Street, Openshaw, on Friday evening.

Mr Singh, who was locking up the family business when he was attacked, died in hospital.

His uncle Billy Singh said the family was "devastated" and that his death had "left a hole in their world".

Police said Mr Singh was carrying "thousands of pounds" of takings from the business when he was attacked.

It is thought the two robbers ran off with a large amount of money and fled in a silver car.

One of the men is described as black with spiked knotted hair and of a tall slim build.

'Unimaginable loss'

Det Supt Jon Chadwick said Mr Singh, from Swinton, Salford, was a father of three and known as Charlie to his friends.

He said: "We believe Charlie has grappled with at least one of the offenders to protect his business and during that struggle he suffered fatal gunshot wounds.

"At this stage of our inquiry we believe this is the tragic death of an innocent businessman who was simply trying to protect his livelihood from criminals.

"As a result, Charlie's entire family have suffered an unimaginable loss."

Billy Singh described his nephew as "a lovely lad and a dedicated father, who loved his kids".

No arrests have been made and police are appealing for witnesses.

Greater Manchester Police said there would be an increased police presence in the area over the coming "hours, days and weeks".

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Masked Halloween gang attack woman

1 November 2014 Last updated at 22:02

A woman has been sexually assaulted by a group of teenagers wearing Halloween masks, police have confirmed.

Four youths wearing Scream-type masks attacked the 22-year-old as she walked along Sunningdale Road in Denton, Greater Manchester on Friday night.

After being dragged to the ground and sexually assaulted, the woman fought off the gang and raised the alarm.

Police said one youth was chubby and in his early teens while another was tall and wore white trainers.

The attackers were wearing dark clothing.

Total shock

Supt Neil Evans of Greater Manchester Police said the victim had suffered a "traumatic ordeal".

"Anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault will know just how frightening it must have been for this victim," he said.

"Given the offenders were wearing masks designed to be scary means it must have been a truly harrowing and scary few minutes for this woman.

"She was pushed to the floor and sexually assaulted, leaving her in a state of total shock, and clearly she is extremely distressed."

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'Sweatshop' claims over T-shirt

2 November 2014 Last updated at 01:35

The charity behind a pro-feminism T-shirt worn by leading politicians has vowed to investigate claims that the item was made in sweatshop conditions.

Equality campaigning group the Fawcett Society said it was "disappointed" to learn of the allegations.

The Mail on Sunday reported the £45 "This is what a feminist looks like" shirt is made by women paid 62p an hour on the island of Mauritius.

The Fawcett Society said it was told the garment would be made ethically.

The T-shirt has been worn by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Labour leader Ed Miliband in promotional pictures - but Prime Minister David Cameron reportedly declined to be photographed in it.

Deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman then wore it in the House of Commons during Prime Minister's Questions.

Continue reading the main story

We remain confident that we took every practicable and reasonable step to ensure that the range would be ethically produced"

End Quote Eva Neitzert The Fawcett Society

'Ethical credentials queried'

The design of the Fawcett Society T-shirt was a collaboration with Elle magazine, which has described the garment as being part of an "ethically-produced" range.

High street chain Whistles was approached to design and produce the item, with all profits going to the charity.

Eva Neitzert, deputy CEO of the Fawcett Society, said they had been "assured that the garments would be produced ethically here in the UK".

She said in a statement: "Upon receiving samples of the range at our offices in early October we noted that the T-shirts had in fact been produced in Mauritius, upon which we queried (over email) the ethical credentials of the Mauritian factory, and the fabric used."

A reply from Whistles gave assurances about the T-shirts and sweatshirts - which had already been manufactured by then.

The Mail on Sunday toured one of six factories on Mauritius owned by Compagnie Mauricienne de Textile (CMT), which makes the garments, and claimed machinists slept 16 to a room.

The newspaper also alleged that women working at the factory make 6,000 rupees, or £120, a month - which the paper said was a quarter of the country's average wage.

A spokesman for Whistles told the paper: "We place a high priority on environmental, social and ethical issues.

"The allegations regarding the production of T-shirts in the CMT factory in Mauritius are extremely serious and we are investigating them as a matter of urgency."

The Fawcett Society statement continued: "We have been very disappointed to hear the allegations that conditions in the Mauritius factory may not adhere to the ethical standards that we, as the Fawcett Society, would require of any product that bears our name.

"At this stage, we require evidence to back up the claims being made by a journalist at the Mail on Sunday.

"However, as a charity that campaigns on issues of women's economic equality, we take these allegations extremely seriously and will do our utmost to investigate them."

'Unaware of origins'

If there is evidence that factory makers have been mistreated, the charity will ask Whistles to withdraw the range "and donate part of the profits to an ethical trading campaigning body".

Dr Neitzert added: "Whilst we wish to apologise to all those concerned who may have experienced adverse conditions, we remain confident that we took every practicable and reasonable step to ensure that the range would be ethically produced and await a fuller understanding of the circumstances under which the garments were produced."

Elle said the range, also including a phone case and clutch bag, had been created as part of its first feminism issue.

Celebrities including actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Joseph Gordon Levitt and Tom Hiddleston have been photographed wearing the T-shirt for the magazine.

A spokesman for the deputy prime minister said: "Nick Clegg had no idea where these T-shirts were being made and can only assume that the Fawcett Society were unaware of the origins, or they would not have asked him to wear it.

"He remains entirely supportive of efforts to ensure all women are treated as equals in this country and the world over."

A Labour party spokesman told the BBC: "It was a campaign run by Elle and the Fawcett Society to promote feminism and we were happy to support it."

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