Prince christening pictures released

24 October 2013 Last updated at 17:40 ET

The Queen has been pictured with three future kings - the first such image of royal succession for nearly 120 years.

The monarch is shown with her son, the Prince of Wales, grandson, the Duke of Cambridge, and great-grandson, Prince George, to mark the royal christening.

It echoes a 1894 image from the future Edward VIII's christening, showing him with his father, grandfather and great-grandmother - George V, Edward VII and Queen Victoria.

The pictures were taken by Jason Bell.

'Windsor dynasty'

The four official portraits were taken in the Morning Room at Clarence House following Wednesday's ceremony at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace.

BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said the images showed the Windsor dynasty on a scale not previously seen.

The reigning monarch and three future kings will, in all probability, occupy the British throne for considerably more than 100 years.

It is the "four monarchs" photograph that can genuinely be said to have historic significance, said our correspondent.

The images were captured by Bell, who is renowned for his images of high-profile figures like Sir Paul McCartney, actress Scarlett Johansson and former England footballer David Beckham.

Prince George wears a replica of the intricate lace and satin christening gown made for Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Victoria, the Princess Royal, in 1841.

The sofa which the royals sat on for the pictures was designed by Thomas Chippendale and is part of a range dating from about 1773.

It is thought to have been commissioned by the Duke of Gloucester, George III's brother.

'A good boy'

Continue reading the main story

Nicholas Witchell Royal correspondent

---

It is the Windsor dynasty on a scale we haven't seen before.

The reigning monarch, with three future kings - a quartet who, between them, in all probability, will occupy the British throne for considerably more than 100 years.

For all the eye-catching charm of the photograph of George with his arms in the air, beneath the beaming smiles of his mother and father, it is the "four monarchs" photograph that can genuinely be said to have an historic significance.

One imagines it must be pleasing for the Queen to have a sense of who will follow her so far into the future.

It is also the most visual of evidence of what the continuity of hereditary monarchy actually means.

A century on from now, history will be able to judge the achievements of all of those in today's pictures, from the oldest to the youngest.

The prince, who was born on 22 July, was baptised by the Archbishop of Canterbury during a private christening attended by just 22 members of the royal family.

The Cambridges broke with tradition to have their son christened at the Chapel Royal, where the coffin of the duke's mother, Princess Diana, lay before her funeral.

The Queen, Charles and William were all christened at Buckingham Palace.

Following the ceremony, the Queen told guests at Buckingham Palace how much she had enjoyed the ceremony. While the duchess said he had been a "good boy", as she attended a reception and dinner at the Kensington Palace State Apartments.

The godparents, announced ahead of the christening, are Oliver Baker, Emilia Jardine-Paterson, Earl Grosvenor, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Julia Samuel, William van Cutsem and Zara Tindall.

Mrs Tindall is Prince William's cousin, while the other six godparents are all friends of the royal couple.

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UK GDP up 0.8% in third quarter

If you're just joining us, the top story today is the upcoming UK growth figures, which most analysts expect to show 0.7% to 0.8% growth for the third quarter of the year. Meanwhile, Grangemouth workers are waiting for operator Ineos to make a statement on the petrochemicals plant's future, and EU ministers are considering corporate tax reforms to target digital firms such as Google.

 

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Salmond 'certain' on Ineos deal

25 October 2013 Last updated at 03:32 ET

First Minister Alex Salmond has said he is "absolutely certain" that the petrochemical plant at Grangemouth can be saved.

Staff are waiting to hear if owner Ineos will grant a reprieve to the closure-threatened operation.

About 800 jobs are under threat - and the company has already laid off about 2,000 contractors since it shut down the complex.

Ineos is due to make an official statement on the plant's future later.

Speaking on the BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme, Mr Salmond said: "I would now be very hopeful indeed that there will be a change in position from Ineos and I'm absolutely certain there's a future for chemicals in Grangemouth.

"I believe there will be a change in position today and that will be a favourable change in position.

"My reason for saying that is that everybody has been going that extra mile I called for."

Political leaders had already expressed optimism after the union accepted a survival plan put forward by Ineos.

The BBC understands that an agreement was being drawn up for workers to sign, which would need approval from major Ineos shareholder Jim Ratcliffe.

Continue reading the main story

• The dispute first flared up in the summer over the company's treatment of Unite official Stephen Deans, who has worked at Grangemouth for more than 20 years
• He was accused of trying to rig the selection of a Labour candidate for the Falkirk seat at Westminster but was later cleared
• But Ineos has been carrying out its own investigation into claims Mr Deans improperly used the refinery for union business. Its findings are due to be published on Friday
• Unite members at Grangemouth had been due to strike last Sunday over Mr Dean's treatment
• Ineos had closed the plant ahead of the industrial action and said it would not be restarting the facility even after the strike was called off
• It said Grangemouth was losing huge amounts of money and faced going bust unless staff agreed to a survival plan
• The proposals included changes to pay and conditions. They were rejected by about half of the site's workers
• The decision that the petrochemical plant should close was taken at a meeting of Ineos shareholders, including chairman and founder Jim Ratcliffe, on Tuesday

On Thursday, Scotland's finance secretary John Swinney and the Scottish Secretary Alastair Carmichael held talks with unions and management at the site. Afterwards they said they were hopeful.

However, Ineos is yet to confirm whether it will reverse its decision to close the petrochemical plant at the complex.

An internal investigation by Ineos into the union convenor, Stephen Deans, is also due to be published later.

It was the firm's treatment of Mr Deans that first ignited the breakdown in industrial relations - before it became a battle for the survival of Scotland's largest industrial site.

The dispute at the site escalated to the threat of strike action.

This was dropped but Ineos shut down the plant and issued an offer of revised terms and conditions in a survival plan, which was initially rejected by union members.

The proposals included ending their final salary pension scheme and cut shift allowances.

Previously, Ineos said it was ready to invest £300m in Grangemouth if workers agreed to the new terms and conditions.

The company said it had decided to close the plant because half the workforce had refused to accept the cost-cutting plan essential for the facility's survival.

Ineos chairman and founder Jim Ratcliffe had said at the weekend that if the petrochemical plant closed it was likely the neighbouring refinery would go as well.

The refinery provides most of the fuel to Scotland, the north of England and Northern Ireland.

Ineos had said liquidators for the petrochemical plant would be appointed within a week.

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3D printer 'gun parts' found in raid

25 October 2013 Last updated at 04:15 ET

A 3D printer and suspected "homemade" gun components have been seized during police raids in Manchester.

A plastic magazine and trigger, which detectives suspect could be fitted together to make a firearm, were found in Wythenshawe on Thursday.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said forensic experts were assessing whether the parts could make a viable gun.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of making gunpowder and remains in custody.

A force spokesman said if the tests showed the parts could make a functioning weapon it would be the "first ever seizure of this kind in the UK".

'Important milestone'

Det Insp Chris Mossop, of GMP, said: "If what we have seized is proven to be viable components capable of constructing a genuine firearm, then it demonstrates that organised crime groups are acquiring technology that can be bought on the high street to produce the next generation of weapons.

"In theory, the technology essentially allows offenders to produce their own guns in the privacy of their own home, which they can then supply to the criminal gangs who are causing such misery in our communities.

"Because they are also plastic and can avoid X-ray detection, it makes them easy to conceal and smuggle."

He added: "If what we have seized today can, as we suspect, be used to make a genuine firearm then today will be an important milestone in the fight against this next generation of homemade weapons."

3D printing technology works by building up layer upon layer of material - typically plastic - to create complex solid objects.

Printers can be bought on the high street for less than £1,000.

The world's first gun made with 3D printer technology was successfully fired in the US in May.

The group that created the firearm, Defense Distributed, said it planned to make the blueprints available online.

At the time, Europe's law enforcement agency Europol said it it feared criminals would follow suit as the technology became cheaper and more user friendly.

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Prince 'prison' comments denied

25 October 2013 Last updated at 04:34 ET

Clarence House has denied reports that the Prince of Wales believes becoming king will be a form of prison.

A report in Time magazine quoted an unnamed official saying how Prince Charles is worried he will not achieve ambitions linked to his interests before "the prison shades" close.

Time spoke to 50 of the prince's friends and associates.

It is not known whether the comment was made by a current or former member of royal staff.

A Clarence House spokesman said: "This is not the Prince of Wales's view and should not be attributed to him as he did not say these words.

"The prince has dutifully supported the Queen all his life and his official duties and charitable work have always run in parallel."

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Police watchdog expansion 'on track'

23 October 2013 Last updated at 21:16 ET

A newly-empowered police watchdog will begin investigating complaints against the police next year, Home Secretary Theresa May will say later.

The expansion of the Independent Police Complaints Commission is "on track", she will tell the College of Policing.

Mrs May pledged in February that the IPCC would be given more powers.

It came after a report by MPs said the body was "overwhelmed, woefully under-equipped and failing to get to the truth of allegations".

The plans also followed concern over force standards in wake of the phone-hacking scandal, the handling of the Hillsborough disaster, and the sacking of several senior officers.

The IPCC's expansion will allow it to take on all serious and sensitive allegations made against officers.

In February, Mrs May said it would create a stronger and more consistent system of vetting. She also outlined a new code of ethics for the police force in England and Wales.

'Beefed up'

In a speech to the College of Policing later, Mrs May is expected to say some forces, as well as police and crime commissioners, had attempted to resist the transfer of resources required for the IPCC to take on a bigger role.

"I want to say to them very clearly that the events of last year prove overwhelmingly the case for a beefed-up IPCC and that is what I'm determined to deliver.

"The expansion of the IPCC is on track and the IPCC will begin to take on additional cases from next year," she is expected to say.

She is also expected to hail the College's new Code of Ethics as equivalent to the Hippocratic Oath of policing - setting down standards which all officers will be expected to follow.

New powers were given to the IPCC before it investigated allegations that police officers were involved in a cover-up of failings following the 96 deaths at the 1989 Hillsborough tragedy.

The home secretary is expected to say further powers could be given to the commission if required in the future.

One in four officers faced complaints between 2011 and 2012.

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Union set for Grangemouth concession

23 October 2013 Last updated at 23:05 ET

Union leaders will make concessions to try to save Grangemouth petrochemical plant during a meeting with management.

All 800 employees were told they would lose their jobs when owner Ineos announced the closure of the facility.

Employees had rejected proposals by the firm to end their final salary pension scheme and cut shift allowances.

Ineos director, Tom Crotty, said the management team at Grangemouth would listen to what the union Unite would be saying.

He told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "If they believe there is substantial differences in where are are now then clearly they have a duty to take that back to the shareholders."

Unite remained hopeful, along with the Scottish and UK governments, that Ineos would reverse its decision.

However, the company had said while further meetings would be held in the coming days to discuss redundancies there were "no prospects" of returning to conciliation service Acas to revisit the decision to close the petrochemical plant.

Continue reading the main story

• The dispute first flared up in the summer over the company's treatment of Unite official Stephen Deans, who has worked at Grangemouth for more than 20 years
• He was accused of trying to rig the selection of a Labour candidate for the Falkirk seat at Westminster but was later cleared
• But Ineos has been carrying out its own investigation into claims Mr Deans improperly used the refinery for union business. Its findings are due to be published on Friday
• Unite members at Grangemouth had been due to strike last Sunday over Mr Dean's treatment
• Ineos had closed the plant ahead of the industrial action and said it would not be restarting the facility even after the strike was called off
• It said Grangemouth was losing huge amounts of money and faced going bust unless staff agreed to a survival plan
• The proposals included changes to pay and conditions. They were rejected by about half of the site's workers
• The decision that the petrochemical plant should close was taken at a meeting of Ineos shareholders, including chairman and founder Jim Ratcliffe, on Tuesday

Previously, Ineos said it was ready to invest £300m in Grangemouth if workers agreed to the new terms and conditions.

The company said it had decided to close the plant because half the workforce had refused to accept the cost-cutting plan essential for the facility's survival.

Mr Crotty said: "The shareholders, after the vote on Monday, and quite understandably, took a view that if the workforce had rejected that £300m investment then how were they going to go ahead and make it if the workforce were not behind that?"

About 800 of the 1,370 people directly employed at the Grangemouth complex work at the petrochemical plant, with many more working there as contractors.

The dispute at the site, near Falkirk, began over the treatment of a Unite union official and escalated to the threat of strike action.

This was dropped but the operator shut down the plant and issued an offer of revised terms and conditions in a "survival plan", which was rejected by union members.

Ineos chairman and founder Jim Ratcliffe had said at the weekend that if the petrochemical plant closed it was likely the neighbouring refinery would go as well.

The refinery provides most of the fuel to Scotland, the north of England and Northern Ireland.

Ineos had said liquidators for the petrochemical plant would be appointed within a week.

Unite's Scottish secretary Pat Rafferty said the union had made further proposals in an effort to "stave off catastrophic job losses".

Political moves

Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond spoke again to management and unions to try and seek further resolution. He also convened an emergency cabinet meeting with relevant ministers to discuss the on-going situation.

Afterwards he said there was still room for negotiation between both parties, particularly since Unite had put forward fresh proposals to the company.

Mr Salmond said: "We should give time for the proper consideration of this offer, especially given that we know an agreement between both sides was very close last week, and the prize is a viable future for Grangemouth.

"However, given that the current position is the one we always feared possible given the stalemate between the sides, if an agreement between Ineos and Unite is not possible then we will continue to pursue our contingency options of finding a buyer for the site."

Ministers - including the Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael and Energy Secretary Ed Davey - met in London to discuss this issue.

Mr Carmichael told the BBC's Newsnight Scotland programme that Mr Davey had a 40-minute "positive" talk with Mr Ratcliffe.

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Worker charged over killer's escape

24 October 2013 Last updated at 02:46 ET

A staff member at a mental health centre has been charged with helping a convicted murderer escape from custody.

Lerone Boye, 27, was jailed for life in December for stabbing a 17-year-old boy to death at a birthday party in 2011.

He was being held at the John Howard Centre in Homerton, east London, when he absconded on 16 October.

Dean Ablakwa, 29, from north London, will appear at Thames Magistrates' Court later charged with conspiracy to assist an offender to escape.

Officers in Hackney are continuing to appeal for help in tracing Boye, who is described as black, about 5ft 10in and slim, with short black hair.

Broken bottles

He has a scar on his right cheek, a goatee beard and a gold tooth in his upper row of teeth.

Police have released an image of Boye moments before he escaped.

People are advised not to approach him but dial 999.

Boye was ordered to serve a minimum of 28 years for stabbing Kelvin Chibueze at the Arteflex Club in Ilford, east London.

He was chased out of a birthday party and attacked with glass and broken bottles.

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Call for free vitamins for children

24 October 2013 Last updated at 04:03 ET

England's chief medical officer has said all children should be offered vitamin supplements to safeguard their health.

Currently the NHS offers free vitamins A, C and D to all children under five from low-income families.

It has been claimed up to 25% of children are vitamin D deficient, leading to a rise in rickets cases.

In her annual report, Prof Dame Sally Davies says extending the scheme would protect more children and save money.

But she warned people should feel "profoundly ashamed" of what she says is a "very worrying picture" of children's health.

And she said the UK lags behind many other European countries.

'Not just about poverty'

Under the current scheme, children aged six months to four years are eligible for free vitamins if their parents are on benefits.

But Dame Sally said more needed to be done to give children a good start with their health, and acting early would save taxpayers' money.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

This would cost pennies a day "

End Quote Dame Sally Davies England's chief medical officer

She has asked the medicines watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), to examine the cost-effectiveness of offering vitamins A, C and D to all children under five.

Dame Sally told BBC Radio 4's Today programme "Vitamin D deficiency is not just about poverty".

She said children with developmental issues due to being born prematurely, those from ethnic minorities as well as children being "covered up" to protect them from the sun thereby missing out on the benefits too,

She added: "Children get very locked on to screens and it can be difficult to turf them out into the sunlight. But the sun in the winter doesn't give you as much vitamin D so this is necessary."

"This would cost pennies a day and would undoubtedly save money in the long run."

She said the giving parents vitamins for their children would "empower" them, giving them an extra boost during the winter months when there is less sunlight.

'Absolutely shocking'

In her report, Dame Sally also called for more research into mental health problems in adolescents.

She is calling for a survey of young people's mental health, amid concerns about funding and services.

Only 25% of children with clinical mental health disorders receive specialist help within three years.

Dame Sally said her annual report - which this year is on child health - questioned whether our society had got the balance right and should act as a wake-up call.

She said obesity stood out as one of the big issues, but the report also demonstrated the interplay between health, social environment, emotional environment and education.

Some of the statistics, such as five more children aged up to 14 years dying each day of avoidable causes than in Sweden, were "absolutely shocking", she said.

Dame Sally told BBC Radio 5 live: "The majority of deaths are in the first year of life, and these relate to prematurity."

She said premature births could be reduced by stopping smoking during pregnancy and by improving the health and diet of pregnant women.

Continue reading the main story

The report

• Nearly 27% of UK children are either in or at serious risk of being in poverty, compared with just 16% in the Netherlands
• 12.5% of toddlers are obese, as are 17% of boys and 16% of girls up to the age of 15
• The long-term societal cost of childhood obesity is estimated to be as high as £700m a year
• 75% of lifetime mental health disorders start before 18 years of age, with the peak onset of most conditions being from eight to 15 years
• About 10% of adolescents are suffering from a mental health problem at any one time

The chief medical officer's annual report also calls for:

• a named GP for every child with long-term conditions
• a new national children's week to celebrate children and young people
• a regular survey on mental health among children and young people, including comparisons with other developed countries, to improve the evidence base for meeting young people's mental health needs.

National Children's Bureau chief executive Dr Hilary Emery said: "The UK must have greater expectations for children's health if we are to be the best place in the world for children to grow up.

"As a nation we must be much more ambitious about giving every child the best start in life, and this should be a priority for all decision makers in central and local government."

The report is entitled - Our Children Deserve Better, Prevention Pays.

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Clegg and PM at odds on green levies

24 October 2013 Last updated at 04:17 ET

The prime minister's announcement that he wanted to "roll back" green levies pushing up energy bills was unexpected, Nick Clegg has said.

"It's not something that I fully agree with," the deputy prime minister told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

The Lib Dem leader confirmed that the government was to look into whether its environmental policies could be delivered more cost-effectively.

They may be funded in future from taxes rather than green levies, he suggested.

But he insisted that the coalition's environmental objectives "remain clear and stable".

"Of course the prime minister and I will do this in the weeks ahead, we will stress-test all these different levies," he said.

"If we can deliver those objectives of keeping the lights on, insulating people's homes helping the fuel-poor, supporting the green economy for less, of course I don't want to see an extra penny go on people's bills that is absolutely necessary."

But he added he did not agree with the idea of ending funding for measures looking "after the environment, securing thousands of jobs in the renewable green sector, and... giving deductions on people's fuel bills for two million of the poorest households in our country".

There was, he said, a "big argument" on energy policy, especially since Labour's announcement that it plans to cap energy bills if it wins the next general election.

"You've got an argument from Ed Miliband, and it is a con, by the way: his freeze would see prices go up, jobs go down, investment go down.

"And then you appear to have a new kind of theory emerging from the right of British politics, which says it is all the fault of us caring about the environment.

"I don't accept either of those propositions."

Mr Clegg also stressed that he was confident he and the prime minister could "resolve" their differences on the policy.

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