Britain's Premium Credit Rating Downgraded

Rating agency Moody's has stripped Britain of its top-grade AAA credit rating, citing slow growth and a rising debt burden.

After the international agency announced the one notch drop to AA1, Chancellor George Osborne said it was a "stark reminder" of the country's debt problems, but said the coalition was determined to stick by its plan for economic recovery.

The downgrade is a major blow for Mr Osborne, who has been coming under increasing pressure to take action to stimulate the economy.

Moody's said Britain's recovery was proving to be significantly slower than previous rebounds from recession and it did not expect the situation to change.

"[There's] increasing clarity that, despite considerable structural economic strengths, the UK's economic growth will remain sluggish over the next few years," it said.

Moody's is the first of the major credit rating agencies to knock the UK off of its top rating.

Moody's said it did not expect Britain's slow recovery to change

The ratings agency also cut the Bank of England's AAA rating by one notch, also to AA1.

Sky Economics Editor Ed Conway said: "The fact that Britain has lost its AAA crown for the first time since credit ratings were given to the UK back in the 1970s, it's a really big blow to Britain's reputation.

"It's something of an economic blow, but in a way it's more of a political problem for George Osborne. He made a key part of the Conservative election pledge to safeguard Britain's credit rating."

On Friday evening, the Chancellor said: "We have a stark reminder of the debt problems facing our country - and the clearest possible warning to anyone who thinks we can run away from dealing with those problems.

"We are not going to run away from our problems, we are going to overcome them."

Moody's said that the British economy is constrained both by the troubled global economy and the drag from businesses and the Government slashing its debt burdens.

"Moreover, while the Government's recent Funding for Lending Scheme has the potential to support a surge in growth, Moody's believes the risks to the growth outlook remain skewed to the downside," it said.

Mr Osborne has used maintaining the top credit rating for government bonds as one of the key arguments for the Government's austerity programme.

However, Labour has insisted that withdrawing demand from the economy has put it more at risk by stunting growth.

Labour shadow chancellor Ed Balls said: "This credit rating downgrade is a humiliating blow to a Prime Minister and Chancellor who said keeping our AAA rating was the test of their economic and political credibility.

"In the Budget the government must urgently take action to kick-start our flatlining economy and realise that we need growth to get the deficit down. If David Cameron and George Osborne fail to do so and put political pride above the national economic interest we face more long-term damage and pain for businesses and families."

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Bedroom Tax' To Hit Thousands Of Families

By Emma Birchley, East Of England Correspondent

Thousands of families living in social housing are facing a cut in their benefits from April because they are seen to have too big a home.

The under-occupation penalty, dubbed "the bedroom tax", aims to encourage households to downsize if they have spare rooms, freeing up their properties for larger families.

But council house tenant Eddie Bird says the policy fails to take into consideration individual cases. His wife Shirley has terminal cancer, and weighing just five-and-a-half stone, needs her own room.

"Any form of movement on the bed and it affects my wife. She's in constant back pain," said Mr Bird. "There's no room for separate beds so I sleep in the box room."

They have been told they will lose nearly £14 a week in benefits.

"It's going to affect my wife's quality of life. We have a Motability car but if we can't afford to put petrol in it, we can't go on any day trips."

The Government hopes the policy will make better use of almost a million rooms that are not used and help reduce the £23bn housing benefit bill.

Eddie Bird says he will lose out despite his wife having terminal cancer

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: "We've put a fairly sizeable sum aside to be able to ensure that those kind of cases can be paid for.

"But the general idea that there has to be a limit on the amount of benefit that people receive I think is a correct one.

"And these are exactly the same kind of rules that have existed in the last few years in private rented (accommodation), so we are applying to public housing.

"If it was good enough for private renting, it's got to be good enough for public housing."

But critics question how you can penalise tenants for not moving somewhere smaller when there simply are not enough suitable sized properties available.

It is something the Coast and Country Housing Association has seen in South Teesside. They have 10,000 properties but only two one-bedroom apartments available.

Chief executive Iain Sim said: "We had the pasty tax last year - this is the nasty tax. This is hitting people directly who through no fault of their own are under-occupying the property that they live in.

"The cut in their benefit will range from 14% for one room up to 25% for two rooms. That's a loss in income of between £10 and £22 a week. That's a lot of money to take from people with very limited incomes."

The change is expected to affect 660,000 claimants.

Some households will be exempt if, for example, a non-resident carer for a disabled person helps at the home overnight.

But as Eddie and Shirley Bird are married they will not be eligible for this exemption. Their only hope is that they will qualify for financial assistance from a fund called the Discretionary Housing Payment scheme, but it is not guaranteed.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Food Bills May Rise Amid Growing Meat Tests

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

Consumers are being warned that food bills may rise if high demand for meat testing continues.

Since the start of the horsemeat scandal, laboratories all over the UK have been inundated with requests to test different meat products.

The latest Food Standards Agency results last week showed 29 positive results for horse DNA out of 2,501 tested beef products.

At Worcestershire Scientific Services laboratory staff have been working early mornings, late nights and weekends to keep up with demand.

Even some of the equipment has been unable to keep up with almost continual testing.

Laboratory manager Paul Hancock told Sky News that funding is tight, explaining: "The FSA do support the laboratory to a degree but things are very very difficult.

"If the consumer wants quality food they have to be prepared to pay for a degree of policing that."

Checking a meat sample for DNA from other species takes three days and costs between £75 to £100 per sample.

The number of labs capable of carrying out proper testing though has fallen over recent years due to funding cuts. In April, Somerset County Council will close its lab.

Those that remain open operate as competitive businesses rather than sharing information, equipment and practices with each other.

Mr Hancock added: "Ten or 15 years ago the labs used to work closely together that relationship has broken down because of commercial activity and that makes life a whole lot more difficult as well."

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Top Pupils Two Years Behind Those In Asia

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky Correspondent

England's brightest pupils have fallen two years behind in maths compared to international counterparts in places such as Taiwan and Hong Kong by the time they reach 16, according to a new report.

A study by the University of London's Institute of Education found that at the age of 10, England's highest achievers are at the same level as those in East Asia, but by age 16 they have lagged behind.

In fact they had made less progress than pupils from all of the 12 other countries in the study including Russia, the US, Japan and Scotland.

Researchers looked at achievements in two respected international studies of attainment - the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) .

They analysed the results of the TIMSS tests taken at age 9/10 (in 2003) and 13/14 (2007) as well as the PISA test for pupils aged 15/16 (2009).

One of the report authors, Dr John Jerrim, suggested that grades could be improved by focusing more on maths in primary school.

He said: "That's not to say there's nothing that can be done during secondary school.

"There's probably some sensible things going on at the moment with reforming the secondary curriculum to stretch the highest achievers more."

Aside from the top 10% of pupils, the study found that overall the nation's pupils are already behind those in east Asia at age 10, but this gap does not widen between then and 16.

In response to the results, Education Minister Elizabeth Truss said: "This Government is clearing up Labour's mess.

"Our reforms - tougher discipline, more rigorous exams, more freedom for headteachers, a more demanding curriculum and higher quality teaching - will drive up standards so our pupils have a first-class education that matches the best in the world."

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jemima Prees: Tribute To Ski Tragedy Schoolgirl

The family of a British schoolgirl who died in a skiing accident in the Austrian Alps has spoken of how she "lived every day as if it might be her last".

Mourners will gather today for the funeral of 10-year-old Jemima Prees, who was killed when she hit a tree at high speed on February 10 while on a half-term holiday with her family.

The schoolgirl, who was wearing a helmet, appeared to lose control and skied into a wooded off-piste area at the Mayrhofen resort near Tyrol, an Austrian police spokesman said.

The 10-year-old was on a half-term skiing holiday with her family

Her brother and father rushed to her side to give first aid before she was airlifted to hospital in Innsbruck, but she died the following day.

Her funeral will be held at the Church of St John The Baptist, in Colerne, near Chippenham, Wiltshire.

Speaking on the eve of the service, Jemima's parents, Tim and Karen, told of the mature attitude to life which belied the girl's tender years.

Mrs Prees said: "She was lovely, she was gorgeous, she was very active. She loved life. She lived every day as if it might be her last.

"Sometimes she used to say, 'Today might be the last day, we must all tell each other that we love each other because we may not come back this evening'.

"She was very wise, wise beyond her years. She had things sewn up that some people never seem to grasp."

Jemima's father described her as "a real ray of sunshine".

Jemima 'touched so many people', her parents say

"She just had the knack of making everybody feel as if they were really important to her," he said.

"And she had a smile for everybody. And I think she genuinely cared about other people, it wasn't just a surface smile."

Police in Mayrhofen - an hour away from Innsbruck and popular with British skiers - said the Prees family were on the last run of the day when Jemima careered into woodland and was knocked unconscious.

Her brother Barnaby spent 40 minutes trying to revive his sister.

Jemima's brother Barnaby attempted to resuscitate her at the scene

Jemima, who went to Calder House School, near Colerne, also has two sisters, Annabel and Olivia, who were not on the family holiday.

The schoolgirl's family have set up a charity in Jemima's memory, named Jemima's Gift, intended to help children make the most of opportunities in the arts, sport and education.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Savile: Pollard BBC Inquiry Evidence Released

The BBC is braced for the release of evidence gathered by the Pollard inquiry into how the corporation handled the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal.

Thousands of emails and transcripts of interviews with senior figures ranging from Newsnight host Jeremy Paxman to former Director-General George Entwistle will be among items released.

It is expected to reveal "dysfunctional management" contributed to the Savile scandal at the BBC.

And it is likely to place further criticism on the corporation for an apparent reluctance to hold to account executives whose actions brought about the crisis.

The Pollard Review concluded that an investigation by Newsnight into allegations of sexual abuse by the former TV presenter was abandoned because of a "flawed" decision by programme editor Peter Rippon.

Initially the BBC vowed to publish everything from the review, but there are expected to be notable omissions and some of the evidence has been redacted to avoid defamation.

Sky's Niall Paterson said: "The value of the evidence is that it will give the clearest indication of the thinking behind Mr Pollard's inquiry into why Newsnight chose to abandon an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by the former BBC DJ and presenter, despite those involved believing their report to be accurate and valid.

"There remain those who accuse the BBC of a cover up of sorts because of its failure to sack any of those involved.

"There will doubtless be plenty in the evidence to lend weight to their case."

Watch Sky News Live for the latest on the Pollard Review

The review, which cost around £2million, painted a picture of a top-down organisation beset with rivalries and faction fighting.

BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten said at that the time of the report's publication that all the evidence would be released, apart from some redactions for "legal reasons".

Lord McAlpine, former Conservative Party treasurer, urged the BBC to publish all the witness statements.

He told the Daily Telegraph: "Of course they should publish them in full, the BBC is not the Secret Service.

"There's no reason for holding back; what Jeremy Paxman said should be printed. It should be explained to people."

The peer was mistakenly linked by the BBC Newsnight programme in an edition broadcast on November 2 last year to a paedophile ring which targeted children at a care home in Wrexham.

His name was then widely mentioned on the internet, including Twitter.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Four-Year-Old 'Sexually Assaulted': Teen Held

A 13-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl at a children's play centre in Lancaster.

The girl told her parents the assault happened whilst she was playing at The Zone on Dalton Square between 12.30pm and 1.30pm on February 16, police said.

The boy has been released on bail while detectives continue their investigation.

Lancashire Police have appealed for information.

Detective Inspector Phil Jones, who is leading the investigation, said: "This is a very sensitive investigation and we are seeking the help of the public.

"I would ask the parents or relatives of any children who were at The Zone on Saturday between 12.30pm and 2pm to contact the police."

DI Jones said there was no suggestion that any other children had been victims or were potentially at risk.

"We do believe this to have been an isolated incident. However, we are seeking any witnesses that may have seen something suspicious or out of the ordinary.

"The young girl and her parents are currently being supported by specially trained officers and The Zone is fully cooperating with our investigation."

:: Anybody with any information can contact police on 101, quoting log number LC-20130216-1061, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Abuse Inquiry Uses Posters To Find Victims

By David Blevins, Ireland Correspondent

A state inquiry into historical institutional abuse in Northern Ireland has taken the unprecedented step of posting billboards on bus stops to encourage survivors to come forward and give evidence.

To date, 175 people have volunteered to recount their experiences but the team examining alleged mistreatment in residential facilities over a 73-year period believes there are more potential victims.

Northern Ireland's devolved government announced the state inquiry after a series of reports in the Irish Republic revealed a shocking level of abuse in facilities operated by the Catholic Church.

Earlier this week, there were emotional scenes in the Irish parliament when Prime Minister Enda Kenny apologised to women who had been forced to work in the church's Magdalene Laundries.

The Northern Ireland inquiry will cover similar workhouses (if residents were younger than 18) along with children's homes, orphanages, industrial schools, borstals, hospital units and schools for children with disabilities.

It will focus on institutions operated by state, church and voluntary bodies (1922-1995) but its remit does not extend to mainstream schools or to clerical abuse committed outside residential facilities.

The availability and willingness of witnesses will dictate whether or not high profile cases, such as the Kincora Boys' Home abuse scandal of the 1970s, are included in the investigation.

A spokesman for Sir Anthony Hart, the retired judge chairing the inquiry, said: "Sir Anthony wishes to ensure that as many victims and survivors as possible are made aware of the existence of the inquiry, and of the steps which the inquiry is taking to try to address the fears of those who may be worried about lifting the telephone...

"The inquiry appreciates that, for many victims and survivors, recounting their experiences can be very painful and traumatic. We hope our promotional campaign will encourage potential witnesses to come forward."

Potential witnesses will first be invited to recount their experiences in a so-called acknowledgement forum, which is designed to provide a relaxed and private environment for people to unburden themselves.

Application forms can by downloaded from the website www.hiainquiry.org or requested on Freephone 0800 068 4935. 

The inquiry, estimated to cost between £15m and £19m, must report by January 2016.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Prisons Are Run Better By Private Firms'

Private firms are better at running prisons than the public sector and all jails should be subject to open competition, according to a think tank.

The Government would be wrong to limit the role of private companies within prisons to small contracts, such as maintenance and catering, right-wing group Reform said.

Ten out of 12 privately-managed prisons have lower re-offending rates among offenders serving 12 months or more than comparable public sector prisons, a report by the group found.

Researcher Will Tanner, who wrote the report, said: "Twenty years of private prisons have created an effective market which is ready to grow.

"Evidence shows that a greater role for the private sector will advance the 'rehabilitation revolution' which ministers want to deliver."

Private firms have been managing prisons since 1992, but in November last year Justice Secretary Chris Grayling signalled a move away from wholesale privatisation as he decided four prisons, including G4S-run HMP Wolds, should be run by the public sector.

Two contracts to run five prisons - Acklington and Castington, which have since formed Northumberland prison, and three in South Yorkshire - will proceed to the next stage of the competition with an announcement expected next spring.

Mr Grayling said private firms will be brought in to all public prisons to run maintenance, resettlement and catering to save up to £450 million over six years.

Policy groups, including Reform, said the decision amounted to the end of competition for prison management between the public and private sector, although Mr Grayling insisted it did not rule out further prison-by-prison competitions in the future.

The report found 12 out of 12 private jails performed better than the public sector at "resource management and operational effectiveness", while seven out of 12 were better at "reducing reoffending".

However, seven out of 12 public prisons performed better than private jails at "public protection".

Justice Minister Jeremy Wright said: "Reoffending rates across the entire prison estate are too high and we are pressing ahead with major reforms to tackle this unacceptable problem.

"And let's be clear, there has been no U-turn on the use of prison competition.

"The cost of running our prisons is too high and must be reduced.

"The recent competition process identified a new approach for reducing costs and improving services aimed at reducing reoffending at a faster rate involving the private sector."

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Financial Crisis Led To 3.7 Million Job Losses

Around 3.7 million people have been made redundant since the recession in 2008 - one in seven of all employees - according to new research.

Almost two-thirds of those losing their jobs were men, with most redundancies reported in 2009.

The last two years have been the worst for women being made redundant, reflecting public sector spending cuts, The Jobs Economist consultancy said.

Its study shows that redundancy rates since 2008 have generally been lower than in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The job cut rate has fallen back in recent years and shows no sign of rising substantially above pre-recession levels, the report said.

Dr John Philpott, director of The Jobs Economist, said: "The observation that what might be called the UK's normal redundancy rate fell well before the recession suggests that the lower-than-expected level of redundancies in recent years, which is often partly attributed to more co-operative employment relations and pay restraint triggered by the financial crisis, labour hoarding by employers, or zombie companies kept alive by very low interest rates, is in fact symptomatic of a longer-term structural change in the economic and business climate which has resulted in a lower propensity to make staff redundant."

The research comes amid a TUC warning that the pay gap has doubled between men and women - as women reach the age of 50.

It also comes ahead of the latest jobless figures which have recently shown a downward trend.

Last month's unemployment figures showed a 37,000 fall in the quarter to November to 2.49 million.

Analysts are expecting a further fall of around by 5,000 when the official unemployment figures are published for the three months to December 2012.

The claimant count for January will also be revealed.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

IVF Treatment For Older Women On The NHS

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

Women aged 40 to 42 will be allowed one cycle of IVF so long as it is their first attempt, the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) says.

Previously Nice only recommended treatment up to the age of 39.

Lesbian couples will also qualify for IVF, as long as they have a diagnosed infertility problem.

People with infectious diseases, such as HIV, or a physical disability that prevents them from having intercourse will also be eligible.

Nice chief executive Sir Andrew Dillon said recent advances in fertility treatment had prompted a review of existing NHS guidelines.

He said: "It is because of these new advances that we have been able to update our guidelines on fertility, ensuring the right support, care and treatment is available to those who will benefit the most."

Same-sex couples have welcomed the change to NHS rules.

Lesbian author Kiki Archer and her civil partner Nicki have two children through private fertility treatment.

She told Sky News the guidelines meant all couples could have children, regardless of income.

"Whenever same-sex couples have children it is carefully thought through," she said.

"This opens another door. It's another option for those families who can't afford fertility clinics."

But there are concerns that the NHS will refuse to implement the guidelines.

It currently funds around 25,000 IVF attempts a year, each costing £3,000.

And a survey in 2011 revealed a postcode lottery, with only a quarter of NHS areas funding the full number of cycles recommended by the existing guidelines.

Dr Sue Avery of the British Fertility Society said: "There is a huge variation in the provision of treatment.

"There are some areas where couples can access three cycles as recommended by Nice. But in other areas couples may get one and some there is no funding at all."

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

New 4G Phone Operators Announced By Ofcom

Telecoms watchdog Ofcom has granted permits for more mobile phone firms to operate faster 4G networks.

The four new winners are Hutchison 3G, a division of BT called Niche Spectrum, Telefonica O2 and Vodafone.

Existing 4G operator Everything Everywhere was also given expanded bandwith.

The auction raised £2.34bn for the taxpayer but the Government had hoped for a total of £3.5bn.

Britain's last big mobile phone spectrum auction was in 2000 for 3G services and it raised £22.5bn.

In real terms, the 3G windfall would be worth more than £30bn today - more than 12 times the revenue raised on 4G.

Ofcom said the purpose of the auction was to "promote strong competition in the 4G mobile market".

It said in a statement: "This is expected to lead to faster mobile broadband speeds, lower prices, greater innovation, new investment and better coverage.

"Almost the whole UK population will be able to receive 4G mobile services by the end of 2017 at the latest."

New entrants in the sector, including Chinese-owned firms, failed in their bids.

The regulator said that was simply because their bids were too low.

Ofcom also revealed that it was "planning now to support the release of further spectrum for possible future '5G' mobile services".

It said that by 2030, demand for mobile data could be 80 times higher than it is in 2013.

Future development of 5G would be needed to meet this demand and avoid a feared "capacity crunch".

Ofcom added: "More mobile spectrum is needed over the long term, together with new technologies to make mobile broadband more efficient."

Initial 4G operator EE has already rolled out coverage to 28 towns and cities, to more than 46% of the population.

Demand for the new services has extended as penetration of smartphones has increased in recent years.

4G can supply data stream feeds typically five times faster than 3G.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hilary Mantel: Kate Is A 'Plastic Princess'

Pregnant Kate: Baby Bump On Show

Updated: 12:16am UK, Tuesday 19 February 2013

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

Kate's baby bump will be on show for the first time in the UK later today as she visits a project for women recovering from substance dependence.

The visit to Hope House, a project run by her patronage Action on Addiction, comes just days after photographs of the Duchess of Cambridge wearing a bikini on holiday in Mustique were published in some magazines overseas.

The engagement also follows the announcement Action on Addiction will receive support from the philanthropic organisation 100 Woman in Hedge Funds.

As Kate approaches the half-way mark of her pregnancy, she will meet women recovering from drug abuse at the 23-bed residential treatment centre.

Action on Addiction was one of four patronages chosen by the Duchess in January last year.

Kate's last public appearance was in January when she unveiled her first official portrait in London.

Her baby bump was first photographed while she and Prince William took a private holiday on the private Caribbean island of Mustique.

Italian Magazine Chi and the Australian publication Woman's Day both decided to publish the photographs of the couple, on holiday with the Middleton family.

Today's engagement in Clapham will be the Duchess' first solo engagement of 2013.

St James' Palace has also announced the details of her next public engagement on March 5th.

The Duchess will conduct three public engagements in the Lincolnshire town of Grimsby.

The royal mum-to-be will visit the town's National Fishing Heritage Centre, the Havelock Academy and Humberside Fire and Rescue Service.

The fire-and-rescue service has been working in partnership with The Prince's Trust since 2011 and it will be the first time Kate has visited project run by her father-in-law's trust.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

MPs: Tax Dodgers 'Should Be Named And Shamed'

Tax dodgers should be "named and shamed" to stop celebrities using legal loopholes to cut the amount they pay to the Treasury, MPs say.

The Public Accounts Committee says promoters of tax avoidance schemes are "running rings" around the taxman by taking advantage of the time it takes HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to shut them down.

It wants promoters and those who use their schemes to be listed and called on HMRC to be "more robust in its approach".

Margaret Hodge, who chairs the Public Accounts Committee, said: "We have seen how public anger and consumer pressure can influence large companies, such as Starbucks, to behave more responsibly.

"HMRC should publicly name and shame those who sell or use tax avoidance schemes in order to discourage such activity.

"With at least £5bn lost to tax avoidance each year, HMRC has got to get much more robust in its approach."

Margaret Hodge chairs the Public Accounts Committee

Mrs Hodge highlighted the case of comedian Jimmy Carr, who last year admitted making a "terrible error of judgment" after using a complex avoidance scheme to reduce his tax bill.

The K2 scheme he used enabled its members to pay income tax rates as low as 1%.

"Promoters of 'boutique' tax avoidance schemes like the one brought to our attention by the case of Jimmy Carr, are running rings around HMRC," Mrs Hodge said.

"They create schemes which exploit loopholes in legislation or abuse available tax reliefs such as those intended to encourage investment in British films, and then sign up as many clients as possible, knowing that it will take time for HMRC to change the law and shut the scheme down.

"Their clients can then take advantage of this window of opportunity to make a lot of money at the expense of the UK taxpayer, while the promoter simply moves on to a new scheme and repeats the process.

"It is a game of cat and mouse and HMRC is losing."

According to the Public Accounts Committee, some tax avoidance schemes have been shut down because of tax rules that require promoters to notify HMRC of new tactics.

However, it warned officials do not know how many promoters are ignoring the requirement.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bionic Legs: New Prosthetics For Injured Soldiers

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

The Government has pledged £6.5m to buy the latest prosthetic limbs for soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

One of the new legs which will now be available to amputees is the US-made Genium.

Its cutting edge knee joint is said to relieve back pain for the wearer and help balance. Wearers also find it easier to walk backwards and over obstacles with it.

The Defence Secretary Philip Hammond made the announcement on a trip to Headley Court rehabilitation centre in Surrey.

The hospital, which is set in 85 acres of grounds dominated by an Elizabethan manor, has recently had millions spent on it.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond inspects one of the prosthetic limbs

£17m was invested to build a new complex and a further £5m was spent refurbishing the accommodation facilities last year.

Mr Hammond told Sky News: "Welfare of our people is our top priority.

"This money will mean the clinicians here will be able to select from the very best prosthetics limbs available including the latest bionic limbs.

"We are clear that those who have suffered life-changing injuries in Afghanistan or Iraq, serving their country, deserve the very best that is clinically appropriate for them.

"The NHS has made the commitment to supporting these limbs in the future once these people have left the service and gone out into the outside world."

Sky News spoke to three men who between them have lost seven limbs.

One of them is Captain Nick Beighton. He lost both his legs above the knee when he was blown up by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in October 2009.

"I trod on an IED on a foot patrol," he explained. "You come here and you have a very pragmatic approach to things.

"One of the most obvious things we've lost is the ability to move around ourselves.

"Here we are able to discount our disability and it's about what we can achieve.

"Such a fundamental part of our recovery or rehabilitation is what limb we're using, they all offer something different.

"They (prosthetic limbs) all offer something different, but the shiny ones people tend towards because they look Gucci!

"I love these legs because they give me the freedom to express myself, to be what I want to be, to get out and do everything that I want to achieve. It's why today's announcement is so important for military amputees."

They are here to work not to have fun, one resident of the centre told me as we walked through the ground. Five days a week, full on classes. It is no wonder they get the results.

The fact that many of the soldiers are here, especially those with multiple amputations, is testament to improved medical science, particularly on the battlefield.

At the start of the Afghan conflict, many, perhaps all, would have died of their wounds long before reaching Headley Court.

The money that has been announced also comes with a commitment - that the NHS will treat the injured soldiers for life after they leave the service.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Stafford Hospital: Police Probe New Evidence

New evidence about the scandal at Stafford hospital is being examined by police and prosecutors that could lead to criminal charges, according to reports.

Matthew Ellis, the police and crime commissioner for Staffordshire, said detectives were looking at "information not in the public domain" relating to deaths at the hospital.

He said "every single piece of information" - much of which is yet to emerge - would be examined.

He told the Daily Telegraph: "There is more information that is not in the public domain that is going to be used to identify individuals who should be looked at.

Robert Francis QC's report found numerous serious failings

"They will use every single piece of information - published and not published. The police are going to look at absolutely everything, every piece of information it is possible to get."

It is believed that some of the information being considered comes from inquests into deaths at the hospital.

Mr Ellis said he wanted the people responsible for what happened to be held to account and has told the force to act quickly.

The Francis report highlighted the "appalling and unnecessary suffering of hundreds of patients" at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust between 2005 and 2009.

Patients were left for hours sitting in their own faeces, food and drink was left out of reach, and hygiene was so poor that relatives had to clean toilets themselves.

Prime Minister David Cameron apologised for the "truly dreadful" mistreatment and neglect at the trust.

Speaking in the Commons after the 1,782-page report was released, Mr Cameron announced a raft of changes designed to ensure that any future failures in NHS organisations are detected and dealt with quickly.

The public inquiry was ordered after a separate report revealed that between 400 and 1,200 people more people died than expected at Stafford Hospital over a four-year period.

The inquiry, which sat for 139 days, heard from more than 250 witnesses including victims, their family members, patients' groups, charities, medics, politicians, unions and representatives of some of the royal colleges.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Half Of Train Firms Lagging In Passenger Poll

More than half of train companies have a customer satisfaction score of 50% or lower, according to a Which? survey.

Overall, only 22% of train travellers feel their service is improving despite above-inflation fare rises in January.

Bottom in the 19-company satisfaction table was First Capital Connect, with only 40% of its passengers satisfied with its service.

The next least-satisfied passengers were those travelling on Greater Anglia trains,  with the company only scoring 42%.

Other companies where satisfaction levels were low included Southeastern (43% satisfied), First Great Western (43%), Northern (44%) and London Midland (45%).

Also below 50% were South West Trains (47%) Southern (48%) and Arriva Trains Wales (48%). The East Midlands Trains' figure was 50%, leaving 10 companies at 50% or worse and nine at better than 50%.

Top of the satisfaction table, compiled from responses from 7,500 regular train users, was West Coast main line operator Virgin Trains with a score of 67%.

First Capital Connect fared worse in the league table

London Overground was second with 65%, while the London to Tilbury and Southend company c2c and Merseyrail both scored 64%.

On London Overground, where new trains have been introduced in recent months, 60% of users said they felt the service had improved in the past two years.

But Which? said at the other end of the scale, a quarter of passengers reckoned they were now getting a worse service on London Midland where staff shortages have caused problems in recent months.

Which? said: "One First Capital Connect customer told us: 'The price has increased and the trains get more and more crowded. I never see any improvements for the extra money I am paying'.

"And a Southeastern passenger said: 'The prices are terrible, the service is bad and trains are often delayed, cancelled and dirty.'"

The survey also showed that 40% of train travellers are likely to reduce the number of journeys they make as a result of the recent price increases which have season tickets rise by an average of 4.2%.

But a third of commuters said they did not have an alternative way of getting to work and would just have to pay more.

Responding to the Which? survey, a spokesman for the Association of Train Operating Companies said: "The independent watchdog Passenger Focus surveys up to eight times as many people a year and last month reported 85% of passengers are satisfied with their service - a record high."

Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT transport union, said: "It is about time these basket-case private train companies like First Capital Connect were booted off Britain's railways for good and their franchises returned to public ownership.

"This current tolerance of these private rail spivs by the Government is reward for total and abject failure on an epic scale."

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Murder Probe After Body Found In Salford

A murder investigation has been launched after the body of a 19-year-old man was found in Salford.

The man was found with multiple injuries by police officers who were called to Light Oaks Road shortly after 9.20pm on Sunday.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A post-mortem examination will take place later today to establish the cause of death.

Detective Superintendent Jon Chadwick said: "A young man has been tragically killed and our thoughts are with his loved ones at this time.

"I want to stress that we are at the early stages of our enquiries. We have a team of detectives working to establish the full circumstances that led to his death.

"I know residents will be alarmed by this incident, but I want to reassure the community that a thorough investigation is now taking place and there are extra patrols in the area."

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Teenager Shot Dead In East London

A teenager has died and a man is fighting for his life after being shot in east London.

The pair were shot in Hindrey Road, Clapton, at 8.20pm on Saturday, Scotland Yard said.

Paramedics took them to hospital where the younger victim, 19, later died.

A 32-year-old man was understood to be in a stable condition, police said.

Detectives from Operation Trident, which investigates gang-related crime, are hunting two suspects seen running from the scene.

One is black, police said, while the second is light-skinned, possibly of Asian or Turkish appearance.

They were seen running away from Hindrey Road after the shooting towards the nearby Pembury Estate.

Police said there was as yet no clear motive for the shootings, and no-one has been arrested.

"At this very early stage we must retain an open mind regarding the circumstances of the incident and any motive," the spokesman said.

"Detectives from Trident are leading the inquiry and an incident room will open in the morning."

A post-mortem examination is to be arranged.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Horsemeat: 'Ministers Were Warned In 2011'

Government ministers were warned in 2011 that horse meat was illegally entering the human food chain, it has been claimed.

John Young, a former manager at the Meat Hygiene Service, now part of the Food Standards Agency (FSA), told the Sunday Times he helped draft a letter to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in April that year. 

But he told the paper the letter to former minister Sir Jim Paice on behalf of Britain's largest horse meat exporter, High Peak Meat Exports, which warned that flesh with possible drug residue getting into food could blow up into a scandal, was ignored.

In the letter the company warned the Government that its passport scheme designed to stop meat containing the anti-inflammatory drug phenylbutazone, known as bute, getting into the food chain was not working, calling it a "debacle".

"Defra gave nearly 80 organisations the authority to produce passports and some of them are little better than children could produce... It's a complete mess," he said.

Sir Jim said he did not remember seeing the warnings, telling the Sunday Times: "If this information was in Defra and was not being acted upon, it warrants further investigation. I would like to know why on earth I was not being told about it."

He admitted the horse passport scheme to stop bute getting into the food chain was not working, saying: "We now know that and we need to know why."

Seven percent of people have stopped eating meat altogether, poll suggests

Meanwhile the boss of one of the country's leading supermarkets warned that consumers could end up paying the price for the horse meat scandal, as ensuring food has the best safety guarantees means it can no longer be regarded as a "cheap commodity".

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Mark Price, the managing director of Waitrose, said rising costs of rearing animals could mean that "somewhere along that long supply route, somebody has looked to cheat and take advantage of these circumstances either for their own personal greed or to keep a company afloat".

Waitrose has not been affected by the scandal, which Mr Price puts down to its rigorous verification processes.

On Friday, the Food Standards Agency released test results for possible horse meat contamination.

The watchdog said 2,501 tests were conducted on beef products, with 29 results positive for undeclared horse meat at or above 1%.

The 29 related to seven different products, which have already been reported and withdrawn from sale.

:: Almost a third of voters (31%) have stopped eating ready meals as a result of the scandal, a poll suggested, and as many as one in 14 (7%) have stopped eating meat altogether.

The ComRes survey for the Sunday Mirror and the Independent on Sunday, also found a majority in favour of a ban on all meat imports "until we can be sure of their origin" by 53% to 33%.

There was encouraging news for the Government as well: 44% said it had responded well to the crisis against 30% who disagreed.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Home Secretary Pledges New Deportation Law

Home Secretary Theresa May is planning a new law to stop foreign criminals avoiding deportation, according to reports.

She told the Sunday Telegraph that the actions of some immigration judges were "not acceptable" and that they were "subverting" British democracy.

A new immigration bill will be published later this year, the newspaper claims, to give full legal weight to ministers' demands that foreign criminals should not routinely be able to dodge deportation by citing Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

Article 8 permits the right to a family life which can be a barrier to removal, but ministers and MPs say it should be balanced with the need to protect the public.

The new law is expected to state that Article 8 allows deportations to prevent "disorder or crime", meaning judges will be forced to take that into account when considering appeals by criminals.

The Sunday Telegraph also reported that new restrictions could also be included in the new law on migrants coming to Britain from countries including Romania and Bulgaria.

Last summer the Home Secretary changed immigration rules to make clear that foreign criminals should be deported if they were serious or persistent offenders.

But while the rules were backed by the House of Commons, they do not carry the full weight of law and are often ignored by judges on the Immigration Tribunal.

Ms May told the Sunday Telegraph: "The European Convention on Human Rights is clear - there is a right to a family life, but that right should be balanced with the wider public interest in controlling immigration and protecting the public.

"That's why we introduced new immigration rules last year.

"Those rules were debated in full and passed unanimously by the House of Commons. So it is not acceptable that some immigration judges are denying the democratic and legal validity of them.

"I said at the time that if the courts did not heed the changes to the rules, I would introduce primary legislation to force them to do so. That is exactly what I now intend to do.

"I am determined that Article 8 must not stop us deporting dangerous foreign criminals."

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Ms May said: "The law in this country is made by the elected representatives of the people in Parliament. And our democracy is subverted when judges decide to take on that role for themselves."

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More