Cameron pledges action on red tape

26 January 2014 Last updated at 19:49 ET

Thousands of rules affecting business are to be scrapped or amended, David Cameron is to tell a conference of small companies.

More than 3,000 rules will be dropped or changed, saving more than £850m a year, he will tell the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

The FSB has said that supporting the small business sector should not be a "nice-to-have" afterthought.

It said that big business could help more by paying suppliers on time.

80,000 pages cut back

The prime minister is set to tell the FSB's policy conference that his will be the first government in modern history to leave office with fewer domestic regulations than when it entered.

He will tell small business leaders that 800 rules and regulations affecting them have been abolished or amended, and that ultimately this will be extended to more than 3,000 regulations.

Mr Cameron is expected to say: "By March 2015 Defra will have slashed 80,000 pages of environmental guidance saving businesses around £100m per year."

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The UK's large businesses need to play their part too in supporting ambitious small businesses, for example through paying their smaller suppliers promptly"

End Quote Mike Cherrry FSB policy chairman

He is also set to announce a series of measures designed to help small companies, including vouchers and extra tax reliefs.

Mike Cherry, the FSB's policy chairman, said he wanted the conference to help set the agenda for a sector that is frequently portrayed as an engine for growth, skills, and economic recovery.

"The government must focus on how they can support these businesses in job creation and growth while the UK's large businesses need to play their part, too, in supporting ambitious small businesses, for example, through paying their smaller suppliers promptly," he said.

Despite multiple support schemes for small firms, research suggested only limited take-up or support. The FSB has called the current system "congested and confusing", pointing to the US as a better model.

The US Small Business Administration (SBA), part of government, has a large budget, long-term strategy, and influence at the centre of power, Mr Cherry said.

"The UK government should look at whether an institution built along the principles of the US SBA is needed - bringing together business support, export guidance, public procurement, and other small business functions into one place, providing a powerful small business voice within government."

Growth focus

Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna will say that Labour would create an SBA to support small firms in their dealings with government departments.

Karen Mills, former head of the SBA and a former member of President Barack Obama's cabinet, will address the conference.

She said: "As governments look to the future, their plans have to be centred on growth, and the primary currency should be well-paying jobs.

"With that, any conversation focused on jobs must include small business and entrepreneurship."

She added: "When small business has a seat at the table, we can more effectively focus on entrepreneurship and innovation, which are critical components to a strong economic game plan in today's world."

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UK warns Olympics attacks 'likely'

26 January 2014 Last updated at 21:00 ET By Frank Gardner BBC security correspondent

Whitehall officials are warning that more terrorist attacks in Russia are "very likely to occur" before or during the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Eighty-eight countries will compete in the Games which begin next week.

A threat assessment seen by the BBC names a Caucasus group, Imarat Kavkaz (IK), as posing the main danger - saying it has repeatedly expressed a desire to target them.

A twin bomb attack on the city of Volgograd in December killed 34 people.

It was claimed by a militant Islamist group, based in Dagestan.

The assessment points out that in July 2013 the IK's fugitive leader, Emir Doku Umarov, called on his followers to do what they can to disrupt the Games.

'Ring of steel'

But the document questions whether the group has the capability to target such a specific event within a narrow timeframe. The Winter Olympics are scheduled to run from 7-23 February.

The British assessment is that Sochi would be far harder for terrorists to attack than Volgograd due to Russian military operations, with Russia pouring in over 37,000 extra troops and police and imposing a "ring of steel" around the Olympic venue, largely closing it off from public access.

Dressed all in black, the security guards are already a familiar sight around the Olympic park.

The authorities have also been hunting a suspected would-be suicide bomber named as Ruzanna Ibragimova, the 22-year old widow of a militant, whom it is feared could already be in Sochi.

There are concerns too there could be up to three other female suicide bombers at large, known as "black widows" since they were reportedly married to slain insurgents.

The British document points out that IK has no track record of attacking non-Russian interests, its fight is with Russia rather than with the West. It said there was a possible threat, though less likely, from Russian jihadists returning from Syria.

Earlier this month five countries' National Olympic Committees received letters threatening terrorist attacks but officials have dismissed these as a hoax.

However the US is taking security seriously, posting two of its warships offshore in the Black Sea, offering "unspecified air assets", deploying FBI agents and sharing Counter Terrorism intelligence with Russia.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office says large-scale public events present an attractive target for terrorists and travellers at the Sochi games should expect increased police presence and enhanced security measures in and around both the Olympic venues and the wider Sochi area.

Visitors should maintain a high level of personal security awareness at all times and in all places, it says.

The FCO advises against all travel to Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan and the districts of Budyonnovsky, Levokumsky, Neftekumsky, Stepnovsky and Kursky in Stavropol Krai.

It also advises against all but essential travel to North Ossetia, Karachai-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria.

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Detention centre had 'brutal regime'

27 January 2014 Last updated at 01:00 ET

Boys at a detention centre asked other inmates to break their legs in order to be moved elsewhere and escape being abused by staff, a former detainee has claimed.

Police reopened a 10-year-old investigation into abuse at a former County Durham detention centre last year when a former inmate said he was also abused. Since then the force said it has been contacted by more than 100 alleged victims.

Men who alleged that as boys they were the victims of sexual and physical abuse at the County Durham detention centre in the 1970s and 1980s have spoken of their memories.

"Some of the boys would lay at the bottom of the stairs and ask another boy to jump off the stairs onto their legs so they could break a leg and be removed from Medomsley Detention Centre in order to not be subjected to any more beatings," an alleged victim, who did not wish to be named, said.

Following the original investigation, Neville Husband, who worked at the detention centre as a prison officer, was jailed for 12 years in 2003, and Leslie Johnson, a store man, was sentenced to six years in 2005.

Both men have since died.

Since the investigation was reopened in August Durham Police has received statements from 143 alleged victims of abuse.

Many of those sent to Medomsley were first-time offenders often detained for relatively minor offences.

Ray Poar was 17 when he was sent there for stealing biscuits from a factory and has waived his right to anonymity.

He said: "It's always in my head, the shame, it's ruined my life, it's completely ruined it."

'Kicking us about'

On one occasion Mr Poar remembered being woken up after wetting his bed and being forced to bunny hop naked to the showers.

He said: "When I couldn't make it to the showers I was kicked.

"We knew we couldn't turn around to them and complain to them about what had happened with Husband because they were part of it, they were the ones that were kicking us about every day.

"The odd punch in the arm, the ribs, the back of the knees, every day they were doing it. You had nobody to talk to."

In 2003 Newcastle Crown Court heard Husband used his position of authority at the centre to systematically abuse his victims from 1974 to 1984. He was jailed after being found guilty of 10 counts of indecent assault and one of a serious sexual offence after police said almost two dozen victims came forward.

One man who wished to remain anonymous said some of the worst violence he suffered was from fellow inmates but he alleges it was orchestrated by the prison staff.

He said: "They were telling you that you were worthless, that's why you were in there, you were no good, nobody wanted you.

"I was in the dorm, I felt being kicked and punched and slapped. When I've tried to look up, because I was in bed, I saw a prison officer at the door smiling.

"Then I realised he's put them up to this and I just curled up into a ball and took what they threw at us. I thought tonight it's my turn, it will be somebody else's tomorrow."

About 70 Durham Police detectives are working on the inquiry.

Det Supt Paul Goundry described the reports as "horrific" with those who were sent there faced with "what was effectively a brutal regime".

"If you ended up in the kitchens you would almost certainly be raped and sexually assaulted," he said.

Mr Goundry said the three key strands of the inquiry were finding out what happened at Medomsley over 20 years, to hold people to account if they were still alive and support any victims.

'I apologise'

Tim Newell, who was the governor at Medomsley between 1978-1981, wrote reports about Husband including that he provided "an outstanding contribution to the running of the establishment".

However, in January, Mr Newell said in a statement he wrote the report about Husband because "he was an outstanding catering officer" and did not have a strong relationship with Husband.

Mr Newell said: "If I had any suspicions about sexual abuse or abuse of any kind I would have taken action. If staff knew about the abuse taking place I am very concerned they let the abuse continue."

Sir Martin Narey was director general of the prison service when Husband's crimes came to light.

He said: "Without reservation I apologise to people at Medomsley who were harmed by Neville Husband. We should have stopped him much earlier."

Durham Police asked anybody with information to come forward.

See the full story on BBC One's Inside Out on Monday 27 January at 19:30 GMT.

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UK braced for ice and more flooding

27 January 2014 Last updated at 03:16 ET

Temperatures are expected to plummet later with the Met Office warning the UK to prepare for icy, frozen surfaces.

Meanwhile, some communities in England and Scotland are being warned to expect further flooding.

The Environment Agency still has 14 flood warnings in place, meaning immediate action is required, with the majority in south-west England.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is expected to visit Somerset where a "major incident" has been declared.

He is expected to meet farmers and council leaders in the county - where large areas remain under water.

A severe weather warning issued by the Met Office covers much of the country and is due to last until 10:00 GMT on Monday morning.

Forecasters said people should be aware of the potential for travel disruption as untreated surfaces freeze.

Only some western and southern coastal areas are excluded from the warning.

BBC weather forecaster Nina Ridge said: "Our main concern as temperatures dip down fairly close to freezing will be the risk of ice. As the morning goes on there will mainly be sleet across any higher ground, rain at lower levels."

Dredging call

Flood warnings are in place for the Midlands, North East, South East and South West. There were also 149 flood alerts - indicating flooding is possible - across every region of England.

On Sunday, farmers in Somerset held a demonstration against the Environment Agency accusing them of failing to dredge the rivers, which they say has exacerbated the flooding.

Bridgwater and West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger told BBC Radio 4's Today programme about the River Parrett: "Once it's dredged we can then maintain it but the Environment Agency has to stop this mucking around and get on with it."

He dismissed as "pathetic" the Environment Agency's claims that the rain would have overwhelmed the river system even if it had dredged the waterways.

"It is an absolutely ridiculous excuse," he said. "This never flooded to this level ever in living memory, and we've got people who have been here for a long time. If you look back into the mists of time you don't have this."

In Scotland, river levels on the Nith in Dumfries continued to rise. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency warned Whitesands residents to remain vigilant.

Motorists on the higher routes across parts of central Scotland were warned to prepare for snow and gale-force winds.

"The public should be aware of the potential for disruption to travel as well as difficult driving conditions with a risk of blizzards at times," Traffic Scotland said.

The weekend weather caused power outages in south-east England where more than 1,000 homes were left without electricity.

A spokeswoman for UK Power Networks said by Sunday evening only "one or two single premises" were still waiting to be reconnected.

In Surrey - one of the counties hit by power cuts - eyewitnesses in Chobham reported a "mini-tornado" so strong it lifted feral cats into the air like "paper bags".

There were reports of a second tornado further north in Warwickshire where some families had to seek overnight shelter at a community hall.

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The weather caused some travel disruption in parts of the UK over the weekend.

The heaviest rainfall was in Wales, where about 22mm (0.9in) came down in 12 hours.

Arriva Trains Wales say the line between Machynlleth and Pwllhelli, remains closed until 10 February following recent flooding.

And Southern says a recent major landslip means a very limited service is running between Horsham and Dorking - and is unlikely to open until early February.

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More rain to hit flooded areas

26 January 2014 Last updated at 00:32 ET

Forecasters are warning of more heavy rain across parts of the UK, bringing further risk of flooding to some areas left struggling by recent storms.

The Met Office has issued an amber warning for rain in south-west England on Sunday between 06:00 GMT and 14:00.

Rain and strong winds are also forecast for parts of the South East, Northern Ireland, Wales and much of Scotland.

On Saturday, storms battered the Midlands region, with buildings struck by lightning and trees uprooted.

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Travel news: Choose an area

The Environment Agency has 10 flood warnings in place for the south east and south west of England, meaning flooding is expected and immediate action is required.

More than 100 flood alerts - meaning flooding is possible - have also been issued, more than half of them in the South East.

The Met Office said Sunday's amber warning meant areas of the Somerset Levels that are currently under water should "be prepared for further flooding".

It said between 10 and 20mm of rain was expected to fall on saturated ground on Sunday.

It has yellow warnings - the lowest of its three alert levels - in place for wind, snow and ice for most of Scotland.

Ice and snow warnings are also in place for northern England, while people in Northern Ireland are warned to expect rain and high winds.

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Weather information

From the BBC:

Elsewhere:

The higher-level amber warning is for rain in south-west England, and yellow rain warnings are in place for London and the South East and south Wales.

On Friday, Somerset County Council declared the situation there a "major incident" and asked the armed forces to consider helping villagers who had been cut off.

The council warned that precautions to stop damage to property and risk to life "need to be taken now".

Deputy chief executive Pat Flaherty added: "Our priority has to be to keep people safe."

Sedgemoor District Council also declared a major incident on the Somerset Levels.

'Need more pumps'

The "biggest pumping operation ever" is continuing there, but much of the water has been going into already swollen rivers.

James Winslade, who runs Yeo Farm near Taunton, said he had found his land under water for a second year running.

"We've been banging on to the [Environment] Agency to clean the rivers out," he said.

"First and foremost we need more pumps. I was shouting out for them a week before Christmas, but the agency said no."

The Environment Agency said it has 62 pumps operating non-stop in the Somerset Levels to drain an estimated 65 million cubic metres of water off an area spanning about 25 square miles.

Flood risk manager Katherine Evans said: "The country has faced an extraordinary combination of weather conditions over the last six weeks.

"Our thoughts go out to those communities that have, and in some places continue to, experience flooding."

Since 1 January, 569 flood warnings and 30 severe flood warnings have been issued.

In other developments:

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• Thunderstorms moved across the Midlands, where lightning struck buildings, and into East Anglia and London causing travel disruption when a tree brought down overhead power lines
• Winds of more than 50mph were reported with unconfirmed reports of tornadoes hitting in Cambridge, Nuneaton and Retford, BBC Weather said
• South West Trains services were suspended on parts of the network after several trees fell on lines

Some of the Met Office weather warnings continue into Monday.

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Ofsted chief 'outraged' by attacks

25 January 2014 Last updated at 23:50 ET

The chief inspector of schools in England Sir Michael Wilshaw has said he is "spitting blood" by attacks on Ofsted from allies of Michael Gove.

Two think tanks, one set up by the education secretary himself, are said to be preparing to call for a radical overhaul of the inspection regime.

Ofsted chief Sir Michael called on Mr Gove to call off the critics.

In an interview with the Sunday Times he said criticism of Ofsted's ideology was "nonsensical".

Sir Michael was appointed by the education secretary and the pair have been thought of as allies, with Mr Gove once describing the inspector as his hero.

But Sir Michael, who inspects children's services, as well as schools, in England, said he was "displeased, shocked and outraged" at attacks on Ofsted's inspectors.

"I am spitting blood over this and I want it to stop," he said.

"It does nothing for [Michael Gove's] drive or our drive to raise standards in schools.

"I was never intimidated as a head teacher and I do not intend to be intimidated as a chief inspector."

At odds

The chief executive of right-wing think tank Civitas said on Friday Ofsted should be scrapped, while Policy Exchange, set up by Mr Gove in 2002, has asked teachers to respond to a paper headed: Is Ofsted fit for purpose.

Sir Michael said the think tanks were being "informed by people at the Department for Education" - and "possibly" by Mr Gove's advisers.

But BBC political correspondent Ross Hawkins said a source close to Mr Gove had said it definitely was not the case that the education secretary or anyone close had encouraged the attacks.

The Sunday Times report suggested the chief inspector and the education secretary were now at odds, our correspondent added.

Sir Michael also used the interview to express his concern at critics of the education system who he said want "children to be lectured for six hours a day in serried ranks".

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CofE goers 'more likely to be Tory'

25 January 2014 Last updated at 19:17 ET By John McManus BBC News

Church of England worshippers are more likely to vote for the Conservative Party, according to new research.

The data also suggests that Catholics tend to support the Labour Party.

Theos, a Christian think tank, published its report after compiling surveys of voters stretching back to the 1950s.

The research also suggests attitudes to welfare spending differed according to how frequently worshippers attended religious services.

The findings were revealed in a report, Voting and Values in Britain: Does Religion Count?

Fluid voting intentions

While overall the researchers found people who describe themselves as Anglicans tend to vote Conservative and Catholics Labour, there were differences within denominations.

Nominal Anglicans - those who rarely attend religious services - have historically tended to vote Labour, though this changed for the first time in 2010.

In contrast, those who attend Catholic services either frequently or infrequently have usually supported the Labour Party.

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There are clear and significant alignments between various religious and political camps"

End Quote Nick Spencer Theos

Nonconformist Christians such as Methodist and United Reformed worshippers are more fluid in their voting intentions.

The researchers said that analysing voting patterns for non-Christian religions was more difficult, because of the smaller sample sizes available.

But in the 2010 election, Muslims favoured Labour, while the Jewish vote went to the Conservatives.

Hindus tended to support Labour, while Sikhs were evenly split between the two main parties.

Buddhists disproportionately voted for the Liberal Democrats at the last election.

No block vote

As well as measuring voting patterns, the researchers also checked people's support for social security spending.

They found that, although overall public opinion has moved against welfare support, those who frequently attended religious services were more likely to back it, even if it resulted in higher taxes.

This finding was true whichever political party people voted for.

Nick Spencer, who co-authored the report, says that it is the first hard evidence of a link between faith and voting patterns.

But he said that, unlike the United States, there was no block vote of people with religiously-driven concerns - such as abortion or sexuality - that British politicians could court.

"Socio-economic factors are still the dominant theme when it comes to voting," he added.

"[The research] does show, however, that there are clear and significant alignments between various religious and political camps, of which politicians should be aware."

Believers were just as likely to care about mainstream subjects - such as the economy and immigration - as the general public.

Those who did not identify with any religious group were more likely to vary their political support, although overall their support for the Conservatives has been lower, and more recently it has been higher for the Liberal Democrats.

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E-cigarette ban for under-18s

25 January 2014 Last updated at 21:14 ET

Under-18s in England are to be banned from buying electronic cigarettes, the government has announced.

Experts say it is not yet known what harm the tobacco-free devices could inflict and that their contents could be damaging young people's health.

An estimated 1.3m people in the UK use e-cigarettes which were designed to help smokers quit.

Ministers also plan to make it illegal for adults to buy traditional cigarettes for anyone under 18.

'Irresponsible adults'

They want to crack down on the number of young people smoking by bringing the law in line with restrictions on the sale of alcohol.

The new rules could be in force by the autumn and may mean anyone caught buying cigarettes for a child could be given a £50 fixed penalty notice or a fine of up to £2,500.

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They could be extremely damaging to young people's health"

End Quote Prof Dame Sally Davies Chief medical officer, England

"We must do all we can to help children lead a healthy life," Public Health Minister Jane Ellison said.

"That's why this measure is designed to help protect children from the dangers of being bought cigarettes by irresponsible adults - something that I hope concerned parents and responsible retailers will welcome."

Some 41% of 15-year-olds who smoke say they usually buy their cigarettes from someone else, rather than from a shop, according to Department of Health figures.

But while smoking rates have fallen to their lowest ever level, experts fear the electronic substitutes could be encouraging teenagers to take up the habit.

E-cigarettes, popular with teenagers, deliver a hit of nicotine and emit water vapour to mimic the feeling and look of smoking.

"We do not yet know the harm that e-cigarettes can cause to adults let alone to children, but we do know they are not risk free," Prof Dame Sally Davies, England's chief medical officer, said.

"E-cigarettes can produce toxic chemicals and the amount of nicotine and other chemical constituents and contaminants, including vaporised flavourings, varies between products meaning they could be extremely damaging to young people's health."

Car boot ban

The UK currently has few restrictions on the use of e-cigarettes, despite moves in some countries to ban them.

Restrictions have recently been mooted in Scotland and Wales, where health policy is a devolved issue.

The law change for England will be introduced in Parliament this week as an amendment to the Children and Families Bill.

Anti-smoking charity Ash welcomed the changes but chief executive Deborah Arnott added: "We'd also like to see a retail licensing system put in place so that cigarettes could only legally be sold in shops, not in car boot sales and markets."

Smoking remains one of the biggest causes of death and illness in the UK with around 100,000 people dying each year from illnesses linked to the habit.

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Hundreds of children 'kept in cells'

26 January 2014 Last updated at 03:06 ET By Nicola Beckford BBC Radio 4, the World This Weekend

Hundreds of children in England and Wales were detained under the Mental Health Act and locked in police cells because officers did not have anywhere else to take them, the BBC has learned.

There were 305 detentions of under-18s in the first 11 months of 2013, Radio 4's the World This Weekend found.

Some were held for more than 24 hours, according to data released under Freedom of Information laws.

The Department of Health said £25m was available to fund mental health nurses.

The practice of detaining children suspected of being mentally ill was first uncovered by the BBC in 2012.

Then, the data for 2011 showed there were 385 child detentions.

The latest information revealed that in 2012 there were 317 detentions.

'Shocking'

Some children were detained for long periods of time - including 17-year-olds held for more than 24 hours and 15-year-olds for between eight and 15 hours.

Police have the power under the Mental Health Act to take people they suspect of being mentally disturbed and who could be a danger to themselves or others to a "place of safety" to be assessed by a doctor.

This detention may only last up to 72 hours.

Places of safety will usually mean a hospital, care home or any other suitable place but, in exceptional circumstances, it may also be a police station.

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The thought that either of my kids were ill and that they finished up in a police cell, I regard as abhorrent."

End Quote Chief Constable Simon Cole ACPO

In the case of children, this could mean an adolescent psychiatric unit or a children's home.

Sarah Brennan, chief executive of charity Young Minds, described the situation as "really shocking".

"[Children and young people] need to have appropriate care in the appropriate setting and that should never be a police cell when they have mental health problems."

The fact children were still being held in cells two years after it was first reported was a "terrible indictment", she added.

But the Department of Health said it was trialling two schemes to tackle the issue.

Under its "street triage" scheme, mental health nurses patrol with the police to identify people who need immediate mental health support.

Extra funding had been made available for mental health workers to be based in police stations and courts, the department said.

'Got to change'

The Association of Chief Police Officers welcomed the move, but the association's spokesman on mental health said more needed to be done.

"We were in a position where there was every day at least one young person statistically taken to a police cell," said Chief Constable Simon Cole.

"We're now down to less than one person a day as an average. Has it changed quickly enough and significantly enough? No it hasn't, and I want that change to be quicker.

"I'm a father myself and the thought that either of my kids were ill and that they finished up in a police cell, I regard as abhorrent."

So-called places of safety were, in many parts of the country, not equipped to take on young people, he said, adding: "That's just got to change."

Lorraine Khan from the Centre for Mental Health said the figures were "hugely disappointing".

"The government is currently reviewing the code of practice for the Mental Health Act and should look at ways this could help to stop children being placed in police custody when they should be in a safe hospital environment."

Professor Sue Bailey of the Royal College of Psychiatrists welcomed the government's commitment to mental health but said the pace of change needed to quicken.

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Million sick claimants 'found fit'

24 January 2014 Last updated at 19:16 ET

Nearly a million people who applied for sickness benefit have been found fit for work, according to figures from the Department for Work and Pensions.

The DWP claims 980,400 people - 32%, of new applicants for Employment and Support Allowance - were judged capable of work between 2008 and March 2013.

More than a million others withdrew their claims after interviews, it adds.

But disability campaigners said the work tests were "ridiculously harsh and extremely unfair".

A spokesman for Disability Rights UK said many of those passed fit will not, in fact, be capable of entering the workplace in any meaningful sense due to physical or mental health problems.

"They are finding people fit for work when they aren't and they are not even giving them the support they need to get a job. It is a disgrace," he told BBC News.

'Support'

Work Capability Assessments were introduced in 2008 to determine who should receive ESA. Decisions are taken by officials at the Department of Work and Pensions using evidence from the assessments, carried out by private contractors such as Atos Healthcare.

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With the right support, many people with an illness, health condition or disability can still fulfil their aspiration to get or stay in work"

End Quote Mike Penning Minister for Disable People

The assessment aims to judge how a person's condition limits their ability to work, rather than conferring eligibility for benefits simply because of a certain impairment.

Minister of State for Disabled People Mike Penning said: "As part of the government's long-term economic plan, it is only fair that we look at whether people can do some kind of work with the right support - rather than just writing them off on long-term sickness benefits, as has happened in the past.

"With the right support, many people with an illness, health condition or disability can still fulfil their aspiration to get or stay in work, allowing them to provide for themselves and their family."

The DWP says those who withdrew their claim after face-to-face interviews with officials either returned to work, recovered or claimed a benefit "more appropriate to their situation".

It says a further 467,400 new ESA claimants were granted the benefit but assessed as being able to work in the future with targeted and extra support.

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