PM Orders Probe Into Paedophile Dossier

By Anushka Asthana, Sky News Political Correspondent

The Prime Minister has ordered an investigation into what happened to a dossier containing explosive allegations about paedophile activity by powerful and famous figures in the 1980s.

David Cameron said he wants Mark Sedwill, the permanent secretary to the Home Office, to do "everything he can" to get to the truth.

The Government has been under pressure to act after claims that a list of names of suspected child abusers, including high-profile men in the establishment, was passed by the MP Geoffrey Dickens to the then-home secretary.

Lord Brittan admitted he received the dossier and passed it on to officials - but no action was ever taken.

"I quite understand people's concerns about these events that were referred to over 30 years ago," Mr Cameron said.

"And that is why I've asked the permanent secretary at the Home Office to do everything he can to find answers to all of these questions and make sure we can reassure people about these events."

Lord Brittan admitted he received the dossier

Mr Cameron warned that nothing must be done to "prejudice or prevent proper action by the police" but urged anyone with information of "criminal wrongdoing" to come forward.

The move comes after an investigation by the Home Office in 2013 into what happened - which was not fully published - concluded that the "credible" parts of the dossier were passed on to prosecutors while other parts were "not retained or destroyed". 

Mr Dickens' son, Barry, said he was dismayed by the lack of action over the files which his father had warned would "blow everything apart". He told Sky News that he wanted to see the Prime Minister take action.

Many of the questions focused on the Elm Guest House in Barnes, southwest London, where there have been allegations that senior members of the establishment abused children.

Allegations of sex abuse have been made against the late Cyril Smith

One figure who was said to go there was the former Lib Dem MP, Cyril Smith, about whom allegations of serial child abuse have emerged since his death in 2010.

One 16-year-old claimed he was abused by Smith at the Barnes institution. The allegations were contained in a book co-authored by Labour MP Simon Danscuk.

Barry Dickens told Sky News that an investigation by Mr Sedwill was inadequate.

"I'm not convinced the Home Office can investigate its own failings," he said.

Many are now calling for a full public inquiry into the allegations, although the Prime Minister and others have warned that it was right for the police to take the lead.

Labour MP Simon Danczuk, who has investigated claims of abuse by Smith, said: "The Prime Minister knows that there is a growing sense of public anger about allegations of historic abuse involving senior politicians and his statement today represents little more than a damage limitation exercise. It doesn't go far enough.

"The public has lost confidence in these kind of official reviews, which usually result in a whitewash. The only way to get to the bottom of this is a thorough public inquiry."

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Boxer Amir Khan Arrested Over Assaults

Former boxing world champion Amir Khan has been arrested on suspicion of two assaults in Bolton.

Khan, 27, was held after two teenagers were attacked in the early hours of Friday.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: "Just before 1.30am on Friday, police were called following reports of an assault in Bolton.

"Officers attended Russell Street and discovered two 19-year-old men had been assaulted. Their injuries are not serious.

Amir Khan tweeted about the arrest

"A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of two section 47 assaults."

The former WBA and IBF light welterweight champion has been released on bail until mid July.

An ambulance spokesman said paramedics attended the scene but those at the scene refused treatment.

Khan's spokesman said he expected the case to be dropped

A spokesman for the light welterweight fighter confirmed he had been questioned by police but was expecting the case to be dropped.

He added that some reports in the media had seen the allegations "blown out of all proportion".

"It was a minor incident and we're expecting the case to be dropped against Amir," the spokesman said.

"We're expecting to formally hear that from police on Monday morning."

Khan later tweeted about the arrest, writing: "All nonsense please don't believe what you read. I'm home with my family and nobody got beat up."

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Royals To Welcome Tour De France In Yorkshire

By Gerard Tubb, Sky News Correspondent

Crowds are gathering in Leeds for the start of the 101st Tour de France as Yorkshire hosts the opening stages of the world's greatest bike race.

Two million people are expected to line the route this weekend as they watch top cyclists in action.

Some 198 riders in 22 teams will get a royal send-off from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

Scores of towns and villages along the 190km opening stage are expected to be packed as the peloton makes its way through the Yorkshire Dales to the finish in Harrogate.

Organisers hope the Duchess will present the coveted yellow jersey to the stage winner in the town this afternoon, with British sprinter Mark Cavendish tipped as the possible recipient in his mother's home town.

Team Sky tweeted this picture of Chris Froome who was first on the team bus

On Sunday, the riders arrive in York for a stage taking in some of the most challenging climbs in Britain, ending in Sheffield.

And, on Monday, the Tour moves south to Cambridge and a stage ending on The Mall, in central London.

The bus makes its way to the start in Leeds.

Fears that the narrow roads and stone walls in the Yorkshire Dales National Park will be too dangerous for the world's fastest cyclists have been dismissed by five-times Tour de France winner Bernard Hinault.

He told Sky News the challenges that Yorkshire poses are just part of the race.

Two million people are expected to watch the opening stage of the race

"It's for the riders to adapt to the route, not for the route to adapt to the riders," he said.

Local businesses have been warned to expect up to 700 cars per hour trying to get into what are usually relatively isolated villages, with road closures for the race causing added problems.

Tens of thousands of tents and caravans will be squeezed into fields where sheep and cattle usually graze after officials relaxed the area's strict planning regulations for the weekend.

Swaledale farmer Mike Barker has created a car park for 5,000 cars, but thinks he's more likely to get a few hundred at £10 each.

He's already spent £500 on toilet hire and extra insurance but said he is confident he'll get his money back.

The Welcome to Yorkshire tourism agency predicts the event, which is watched by billions of TV viewers around the world, will bring £100m into Yorkshire's economy.

The race ends in Paris on July 27. 

All eyes will be on Britain's Chris Froome to see if he can take the title for Team Sky for the second successive year. 

It would mark a third straight British win, after Bradley Wiggins rode to victory in 2012.

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Imams Call On UK Muslims Not To Join Jihad

UK Mosque Denies Radicalising ISIS Jihadists

Updated: 9:24pm UK, Tuesday 24 June 2014

A mosque in Cardiff attended by two British members of an Islamic extremist group has denied promoting extremist ideologies as Home Secretary Theresa May says 400 UK-linked citizens are fighting in Syria.

The Al-Manar Centre confirmed that the two men who appeared alongside a third British man in a recruitment video for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) had attended the mosque. 

But it said it had never encouraged any of its members to join extremist groups fighting abroad.

In a statement, the Al-Manar Centre said: "It is worth mentioning that ACT's stance is well known, that we are opposed to going to Syria or any other country, to participate in an armed struggle and have always made this clear.

"We have on many occasions tackled the issues of extreme ideologies. Indeed, feeling the responsibilities towards our local community, especially those concerning the youth, we have engaged with parents warning against such dangers. 

"We would like to emphasise that the vast majority of the local Muslim community are law abiding British citizens.

"May we reiterate our concerns that the internet has become an alarming source for radicalisation of such vulnerable members of our British society."

In the video posted to YouTube, students Nasser Muthana and Reyaad Khan, both aged 20 and from Cardiff, and Abdul Raqib Amin, who was brought up in Aberdeen, urged Westerners to join the fighting in Iraq and Syria.

Nasser Muthana's father Ahmed told Sky News last week that he believed his son was radicalised in a mosque in the United Kingdom, but did now know which one.

Muthana's brother Aseel is also known to be fighting with ISIS.

Home Secretary Theresa May has said the latest figures suggest the number of UK-linked individuals who have gone to fight in Syria currently stands at about 400.

She told Sky News that to prevent them returning home and posing a threat to UK citizens, "we need to exercise every tool that we have."

She said that included that capability to monitor the communications of those who are suspected of taking part in extremist activity who "pose a very real threat."

Meanwhile, the Archbishop of York has called on religious leaders to make sure young people are not "brainwashed" into fighting and killing in the name of their faith.

Dr John Sentamu told Sky News they had "a duty to work together" to tackle the problem of UK youths being radicalised and recruited as jihadists.

Dr Sentamu said: "I don't want to use the word radicalising. I think it is brainwashing. We don't want our young people to be brainwashed believing really a lie, that by fighting and killing another person your religion becomes better.

"All religious leaders, whatever tradition they come from, have got a duty to work together to make sure that our young people are not being brainwashed into some kind of nonsense."

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Queen Names UK's Newest And Biggest Warship

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

The Queen will officially name the UK's new aircraft carrier later today, marking a major milestone in the history of the Royal Navy.

At 65,000 tons, HMS Queen Elizabeth is the biggest and most powerful warship ever built in the UK.

The naming ceremony, in Scotland, will be attended by the Queen, the prime minister, the defence secretary, the leader of the SNP and heads of military.

Helicopters will initially be onboard. Pic: Aircraft Carrier Alliance

The Queen will smash a bottle of Islay malt whisky, rather than the traditional champagne, on the ship's hull, reflecting the role Scotland has played in its construction.

It is significant, given the country is only two months from the independence referendum.

Eventually, F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter planes will fly off the carrier, although the Government is yet to announce the order of the first tranche of planes.

Confirmation of that order is expected within weeks.

A CGI image of the ship's runway. Pic: Aircraft Carrier Alliance

The F-35 is the world's first fifth-generation fighter jet. The 'B' variant ordered by the UK Government can land vertically and take off on a short runway like its predecessor, the Harrier jump jet.

But it means that, for its first two years of service, HMS Queen Elizabeth will sail with only helicopters onboard.

There has been no shortage of controversy around the building of two aircraft carriers at a time of severe budget cuts in the military.

The current and previous Government changed their minds over which variant of F-35 to order, resulting in expensive changes to the ship's design.

A decision on the future of the second carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, has been delayed until 2016, although the Government is expected to keep it as part of the fleet rather than sell it off.

Together, the two carriers will cost £6.2bn to build.

Lord West, the former First Sea Lord, said: "We absolutely need two. If you've only got one, you've only got one for sure for  80% of the time. If you've got two, you've got one for 100% of the time."

Parts of the carrier have been constructed in six cities across the UK, supporting 10,000 jobs and more than 600 companies in the supply chain.

Some 10,000 people helped build the ship. Pic: Aircraft Carrier Alliance

Defence analyst Howard Wheeldon said: "It's a very important day for engineering, a very important day for jobs, for skills, for achievement.

"It's a tremendous achievement to have built these ships, the largest ever for the Royal Navy and the largest ever built here in the UK.

"It represents a great future for the military and the nation as a whole."

The first sea-going captain of HMS Queen Elizabeth will be Commodore Jerry Kyd, the former Captain of HMS Ark Royal and HMS Illustrious, the UK's most recently active aircraft carriers.

Ark Royal was retired in 2011 and HMS Illustrious, which has sailed to Rosyth to sit alongside her successor, will be decommissioned later this year.

Later this month, the new carrier will be floated for the first time before she embarks on sea trials for a few years and finally enters service.

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'Too Many Foreign Players In Premier League'

By Paul Kelso, Sports Correspondent, Rio de Janeiro

England will continue to fail in major competitions as long as the Premier League is dominated by foreign players, according to the captain of Brazil's legendary 1970 World Cup-winning team.

Carlos Alberto, whose strike in the 1970 final against Italy is perhaps the most celebrated of all World Cup goals, told Sky News that English football must change if it is to revive the national team.

A huge fan of the English game and its dynamism, Alberto said he was sad but not surprised at the early demise of Roy Hodgson's side.

"The English team is the reality of English football. If they do not change the rules of the Premier League they won't go far," he said.

England go out of the World Cup after losing 2-1 to Uruguay

"There are so many foreign players playing in the Premier League they don't give a chance for the young players to be in the first team.

"Go to Arsenal, how many foreign players? Go to Liverpool... go to Manchester City, how many foreign players? They don't give a chance to the young players."

Alberto, an ambassador for Brazil 2014, said his own experience in the US as a member of the star-studded New York Cosmos side in the 1970s demonstrated how foreign imports can hold back a national team.

"In the United States I was there with so many foreign players. But when they opened the door to the American players, ever since at every World Cup the Americans are there.

Alberto Carlos: 'I love English football'

"This is what I want to see in English football because I love English football. Every Saturday I get up, I have my breakfast and I put it on. It is the most competitive league."

Alberto, known universally as "The Captain" in Rio, says he is delighted with the progress of the World Cup, claiming it has demonstrated Brazil's innate love of the game.

"We were a little scared at the start about protests but thanks to God, we knew that the Brazilian people would understand how important it was for our country to have a good World Cup. The result has been unbelievable.

"Football for us is like a religion. The Brazilian people understood how important it was. They didn't understand before, but now they do."

Brazil are through to the World Cup quarter finals

He is equally optimistic about the national team, though he believes winning the 2018 World Cup may be more realistic than this one.

"You know the Brazilian people only accept first place, but because the team are young players they will accept the result. They know that our team is not the number one, but if they are in the final then people will accept it.

"I tell you now, four years before, this team will be number one for the next World Cup in Russia. They will be four years more experienced. Can you imagine Neymar at 26 years old? Oscar in four years time. There are many other players. I think in four years they will be the best team in the world."

And that goal?

"You know even now, it is the one that people still talk about. Can you tell me who scored the second goal? Or the third? Nobody remembers, But my goal, they do. Even now. I thank God I scored it."

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Airport Security Tightened Over 'Bomb Fears'

Security at British airports has been increased after warnings from the US that terrorists are developing bombs that can be smuggled on to planes without being detected.

US Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson said he had tasked officials to "implement enhanced security measures in the coming days at certain overseas airports with direct flights to the United States".

However, he declined to say which airports would be affected.

Flights from UK airports direct to the US will be subject to the measures

A statement issued by the US Department for Homeland Security said: "We are sharing recent and relevant information with our foreign allies and consulting the aviation industry.

"These communications are an important part of our commitment to providing our security partners with situational awareness about the current environment and protecting the travelling public."

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the additional security was not expected to cause "significant" disruption to flights.

US Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson

He told Sky News: "I would like to reassure the travelling public we have got one of the toughest security regimes in the world, along with the United States.

"It is important that we take these measures to protect the travelling public and the public have confidence when we get information we take the right measures.

"There will be extra security checks but they will be made in the course of events people already go through and I hope there will not be significant delays."

But British aviation security expert Philip Baum said heightened security will inevitably mean longer queues and increased waiting times to board flights at UK airports.

"It will mean an increase in the number of random searches, secondary searches and an increase in the number of passengers asked to remove shoes and possibly all passengers being asked to remove shoes if they're going on certain flights," he said.

"It stands to reason that if we're going to spend longer doing checks, people are going to have to spend longer waiting in line to board flights."

Jabhat al Nusra militants. The Syrian group are said to be behind the plot

US officials said the security alert followed intelligence reports that Islamist groups in Yemen and Syria had joined forces to prepare an attack on the US.

Bomb-makers from al Nusra Front, al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, and Yemen-based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) are believed to be working together to develop the new devices.

According to ABC News, they are trying to build non-metallic bombs that could evade metal detectors.

An image of home-made improvised devices tweeted by a British jihadist

As a result security enhancements are likely to include greater scrutiny of US-bound passengers' electronics and footwear and installation of additional bomb-detection machines.

Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokesman said: "There are terror organisations around the world that seek to do the UK, its citizens, and citizens of many other countries including our Western allies, harm.

"We need to always be vigilant to situations that can develop."

Sky's US correspondent Dominic Waghorn said US officials were also closely monitoring the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) over concerns its success in Iraq might help it recruit jihadists from Europe, who would have easier access to flights bound for US cities.

The thousands of foreign fighters flocking to join ISIS, including an estimated 400 from Britain, is a serious concern, he said.

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Yorkshire Gears Up For 2014 Tour De France

By Gerard Tubb, Sky News Correspondent

Yorkshire is putting the finishing touches to its preparations for the Tour de France, which sets off from Leeds on Saturday.

An opening ceremony is being held on Thursday night at the start of what will be the biggest event the region has ever hosted, with a global TV audience of 3.5bn in 188 countries.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry will watch 22 teams of nine riders tackle parts of the first day's racing, before Kate presents the coveted yellow jersey to the first stage winner at the finishing line in Harrogate.

British sprinter Mark Cavendish is hotly tipped to take the top spot on the podium in his mother's home town.

The first day's course, which goes through the spectacular scenery of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, has been decked out with yellow bikes and miles of bunting fixed to houses and lampposts.

A cyclist passes a Tour de France mural in Greetland, Yorkshire

On Sunday, the riders travel from York to Sheffield, climbing a total of 3,000ft including a gruelling four-mile-long slog up Holme Moss.

Tourism businesses are preparing for an expected two million spectators and councils have relaxed planning restrictions for camping and off road parking.

More than 300 miles of roads will be closed for part of the weekend with an expected 60 miles of barriers and 30,000 traffic cones helping to keep order.

The Tour was brought to Yorkshire by Gary Verity, chief executive of the Welcome to Yorkshire tourism agency, who snatched it from under the nose of a government-backed bid from Scotland.

"The whole of Yorkshire has embraced not just cycling, but le Tour," he told Sky News.

"As a Yorkshireman I have never known anything unite the county and inspire the county like the Tour has done. It is incredible and for me it is quite emotional."

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Cot Death Warning Over Sharing Bed With Babies

By Thomas Moore, Health And Science Correspondent

Parents have been warned not to fall asleep with their baby on a bed or a sofa until the child is at least one year old.

New draft recommendations from health watchdog National Institute For Clinical Excellence (Nice) say parents can easily suffocate their babies while they are asleep.

And the risk is higher if they have drunk alcohol, taken drugs or smoked.

Babies are also more likely to die suddenly in their sleep if they were born small or premature.

Professor Mark Baker, Nice's clinical practice director, said: "Falling asleep with a baby, whether that's in a bed or on a sofa or chair, is risky.

"We recognise that some parents may choose to share a bed with their baby because it could make breastfeeding easier, or for cultural reasons.

"Or they may be forced to co-sleep because they may not have the space or money for a cot.

"This is why it's so important for parents to understand what the risks are."

Just under 250 babies a year die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in England and Wales.

Doctors still do not understand what causes babies to die. But Nice says the risk factors are becoming clearer.

Existing advice warns parents not to "co-sleep" with their babies until they are six to eight weeks old.

Nice says new research shows the risk period extends up to one year.

SIDS charity The Lullaby Trust said it regularly has contact with families that have lost a baby older than eight weeks.

Francine Bates, chief executive, said: "If every parent followed these guidelines we believe we could go a long way in achieving our ambition of halving the rate of SIDS in this country by 2020."

But Belinda Phipps, chief executive of the National Childbirth Trust, warned exhausted parents are likely to ignore the advice.

"We know that around half of UK mothers bed-share with their baby at some point in their first few months," she said.

"Nice guidance needs to reflect this reality. We are concerned that these guidelines will lead to parents hiding the fact that they are bed-sharing, or doing so through desperation or exhaustion without safety strategies in place."

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Superbugs 'Could Send UK Back To The Dark Ages'

Britain is to lead the fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs which risk sending Britain "back to the Dark Ages", David Cameron will announce today.

Tens of thousands of people around the world are dying from infections caused by bugs that have become resistant to treatment including malaria, salmonella and tuberculosis.

An estimated 627,000 people died from malaria in 2012

The WHO has warned that unless coordinated action is taken the world is heading towards a post-antibiotic era in which common infections and minor injuries can once again kill.

"This is not some distant threat, but something happening right now," the Prime Minister will say.

"If we fail we are looking at an almost unthinkable scenario where antibiotics no longer work and we are cast back into the dark ages of medicine where treatable infections and injuries will kill once again."

Dame Sally Davies: 'We must act now on a global scale'

Professor Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer for England, said: "We must act now on a global scale to slow down antimicrobial resistance.

"In Europe, at least 25,000 people a year already die from infections which are resistant to our drugs of last resort.

"New antibiotics made by the biotech and pharmaceutical industry will be central to resolving this crisis which will impact on all areas of modern medicine.

"I am delighted to see the Prime Minister taking a global lead by commissioning this review to help new antibiotics to be developed and brought to patients effectively."

David Cameron raised the issue with US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel when they met at the G7 summit in Brussels last month.

The initial £500,000 cost of the work will be met by the Wellcome Trust. Director Jeremy Farrar said: "Drug-resistant bacteria, viruses and parasites are driving a global health crisis.

"It threatens not only our ability to treat deadly infections, but almost every aspect of modern medicine: from cancer treatment to Caesarean sections, therapies that save thousands of lives every day rely on antibiotics that could soon be lost.

"We are failing to contain the rise of resistance and failing to develop new drugs to replace those that no longer work. We are heading for a post-antibiotic age."

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PMQs 'Big Turn-Off' As Mums Call For Shake-Up

By Becky Johnson, North Of England Correspondent

More than 56,000 people have signed a petition calling for changes to Prime Minister's Questions.

The petition was launched by parenting forum Mumsnet.

It comes after the behaviour of politicians was likened to that of preschoolers during the weekly debate in the Commons when MPs and the opposition leader grill the Prime Minister.

They describe PMQs as "one of the biggest turn-offs", saying "we want our children to grow up proud of that and eager to engage".

"At the moment, worrying numbers struggle to find the will to vote," the petition said.

"PMQs should be about holding power to account - not about planted questions, scripted answers and 10-second soundbites for the TV news."

A recent survey carried out by the group found 76% of mothers think PMQs is "unprofessional and outdated" and 80% think it is "ineffective".

David Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miiband make their points at PMQs

Mothers in Swinton, Greater Manchester, told Sky News they were shocked at some of the behaviour they witnessed in PMQs.

Nicola Turner, mother of four-year-old Lily, said: "I think they're quite immature in a lot of respects, quite inconsiderate of each other.

"They need to allow time for each person to speak and show the respect and consideration of allowing those people to speak without interrupting them."

Vicky Barton, who has a one-year-old son William, agrees.

She said: "The fact that the speaker had to stand up several times and tell them to be quiet and calm down, you get that in nursery or in primary school, you certainly don't expect adults to have to be told more than once."

Vicky Barton has criticised politicans' behaviour

Mumsnet users have taken to their online forum to air their views.

One wrote: "We should be very embarrassed about this pantomime. It's got nothing to do with adult debate about any subject."

Another posted "Would be nice to not see whatever party is speaking not all grinning/laughing like bullies when the speaker makes a point belittling the other side."

However, some didn't want to sign the petition.

One commented "it's a tradition. And quite amusing. Though I can quite see why people want it changed.

"But it does give a chance to see our so called leaders at their worst. So maybe that's a good thing."

Today, PMQs will be streamed live on the Mumsnet website at 12pm.

Users will be able to take part in a live webchat before and afterwards with Sky News' political correspondent Anushka Asthana to share their views.

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House Prices 'Rise Above 2007 Peak Values'

Average house prices have risen above their 2007 peak values, according to a monthly housing survey.

The Nationwide said that in seasonally-adjusted terms, prices reached the peak in the end of the second quarter.

It said that prices in June recorded their 14th successive monthly rise, up 1% on May's value.

Seen in annual terms, the average rise was 11.8%, making it the fastest pace of growth for nine years.

That annual figure was up from 11.1% recorded in May.

Although rises were seen across the country, disparity continues to grow.

The high street lender said: "While all regions recorded annual price gains for the fourth quarter in a row, there is still significant variation across the UK, with the South of England continuing to record the strongest rates of growth.

"In particular, London continued to outperform, with prices up by almost 26% in Q2 compared to the same period in 2013."

It added: "The price of a typical property in London reached the £400,000 mark for the first time, with prices in the capital now around 30% above their 2007 highs and more than twice the level prevailing in the rest of the UK when London is excluded.

"In the UK as a whole, prices are less than 1% above their pre-crisis peak. Excluding London they are 0.4% below peak."

Nationwide said newly-implemented stress tests to ensure borrowers can afford a 3% base rate rise, and 85% of applicants limited to 4.5 times loan-to-income levels are "unlikely to have a significant impact" on transactions or growth in the near term.

It also believes as a result of the measures, prices should not become "detached from earnings".

Mounting expectation of the Bank of England (BoE) raising the base rate have probably helped cool market activity, the lender said.

But it warned that attempts by the BoE's Financial Policy Committee (FPC) to help overcome significant problems in the UK housing market were being hampered by forces outside of its control.

Nationwide said: "It is important to note that the FPC does not have the tools to address the fundamental problem in the housing market – the lack of supply.

"While there are encouraging signs that the pace of construction has picked up, the pace of house building is still well below the expected pace of household formation."

The survey comes as construction data for June indicates a four-month high in homebuilding.

The monthly Markit/Cips purchasing managers' index also showed the fastest pace of hiring in the sector since 1997.

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Madeleine McCann Police To Interview Suspects

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 8:10pm UK, Monday 30 June 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

:: March 19 - Officers from Operation Grange launch a search for a man who sexually assaulted five British girls in the Algarve between 2004 and 2006.

:: April 23 - Detectives identify five new cases where a lone intruder abused young British girls in holiday apartments in the Algarve.

:: May 1 - Kate and Gerry McCann give an interview to Sky News where they are desperate to find out what happened to Madeleine, even if it is the "worst case scenario" as they back calls for a Child Rescue Alert service similar to the Amber Alert system in the US.

:: May 6 - Scotland Yard plans to dig for evidence in three locations in Praia da Luz are approved, with officers set to use ground penetrating radar.

:: May 8 - British Officers reportedly use a military helicopter to photograph potential excavation sites and hold a four-hour meeting with Portuguese colleagues to agree a timetable for new searches.

:: May 22 - Met Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley says the investigation will enter a "substantial phase of operational activity" in Portugal in the coming weeks. 

:: June 2 - Portuguese police seal off an area of scrubland to the west of Praia da Luz as they prepare to examine the potential excavation site.

:: June 11 - Police begin to search an area between Praia da Luz and the town of Lagos behind a water treatment plant. The search of the scrubland site was later wound down.

:: June 30 - The British team return to Portugal and plan to speak to a key witness and several suspects the following day.

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Rolf Harris Visited Broadmoor With Jimmy Savile

The Fall Of One Of Britain's Best-Loved Stars

Updated: 6:09pm UK, Monday 30 June 2014

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

Despite being born in Australia, Rolf Harris' lengthy career in show business, spanning almost six decades, has ensured he is one of Britain's best-known and, until now, best-loved stars.

From his humble beginnings as a swimming champion in his native Western Australia, he moved to London in 1952 after deciding to abandon a teaching career and study art instead.

Within weeks he was singing in ex-pat clubs and two years after stepping off a liner, he signed a contract with the BBC which marked the start of a lengthy association with the broadcaster.

Artist, singer-songwriter and TV star, his legendary career earned him an MBE, OBE and CBE and Australian honours as well.

He was given a BAFTA fellowship, painted a portrait of the Queen and has met other members of the royal family countless times.

Harris also made numerous TV commercials and appeared at Glastonbury six times - opening the event in 2010 - and singing in front of a crowd of almost 100,000.

Countless generations of children and adults know him through iconic programmes from the 70s, 80s and 90s, such as The Rolf Harris Show, Rolf Harris Cartoon Time, Animal Hospital and Rolf On Art.

His wife of 56 years, Alwen, and daughter Bindi, 49, supported him in court throughout the seven-week trial, although only Bindi was called to give evidence in the case.

She described how she wanted to ''stab herself with forks'' after discovering Harris had been having a relationship with her best friend, who was the subject of seven of the charges.

In his 2001 autobiography, titled after his catchphrase "Can You Tell What It Is Yet", there is a telling passage in which he explained his feelings about his family.

He wrote: ''Alwen and Bindi have to come first. It has only been in the last five years that I have realised this. Late, but better than never.''

Telling, because it was in 1997 Harris wrote to the father of Bindi's best friend to tell him of the affair he had been having with his daughter when his own daughter found out.

He also wrote of how, as his career took off in the 60s, he found himself ogling women in backstage dressing rooms set aside for dancers he worked with.

Harris wrote: ''I tried not to watch - or be seen watching - but it wasn't easy, I spent most of my time reading the same page of a book 14 times realising I was holding it upside down.''

It's also clear he had a difficult relationship with his daughter and wife - blaming himself for not being with them as he devoted his time to his career - leaving them a painful second.

In the early 1960s as his career hit the big time, Alwen visited Australia with him and it later emerged she had contemplated suicide, Harris only finding out about it 30 years later when he found her diary.

Harris described how ''the words struck me like hammer blows'' adding that he ''felt terrible and I kicked myself for my selfishness''.

His awards and honours count for nothing and he will now swap his luxury Thames-side home in Berkshire for the cold harsh surroundings of a prison cell, as a convicted sex offender.

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Murderer And Violent Prisoner On The Run

Police are hunting a murderer and another violent criminal after they absconded from an open prison in Buckinghamshire.

Darren Douglas, 46, and Ricardo Dunn, 32, left HM Spring Hill open prison in Grendon Underwood, Buckinghamshire, on Sunday.

Douglas, originally from Birmingham, is serving a life sentence for murder after stabbing a man to death outside a pub in 1998.

Dunn, from Burnley, was convicted of grievous bodily harm with intent after assaulting a man in the street in 2009.

He is serving an indeterminate sentence.

Chief inspector Olly Wright, of Thames Valley Police, said: "We are keen to speak to anyone who may have seen these men in the area and can provide us with information about their movements.

"These men were both convicted for violent offences and I would advise anyone who sees them, to not approach them and call police immediately.

"Both men have links with other areas so may have travelled out of the Thames Valley to those areas. I would like to remind people that it is a criminal offence to harbour these men and anyone caught doing so would be arrested."

"Skullcracker" Michael Wheatley absconded from HMP Standford Hill

The issue of prisoners walking out of open prisons has been in the spotlight since "Skullcracker" Michael Wheatley went on the run.

In May, the 55-year-old sparked a nationwide manhunt after he absconded from Category D jail HMP Standford Hill on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent.

The prolific armed robber - dubbed the "Skullcracker" for pistol-whipping innocent bystanders during raids - went on to rob a building society in Surrey.

He was already serving 13 life sentences for a string of raids when he disappeared, sparking a political row over the day release of dangerous criminals.

After being caught, he was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court to life behind bars and told he will serve at least 10 years before being eligible for parole.

It has also emerged that two prisoners, Scott Callaghan, 35, and Billy Harkins, 29, disappeared from the same prison on Saturday.

Callaghan is serving a sentence for perverting the course of justice and Harkins for aggravated burglary, Kent Police said.

Last month Sussex Police revealed that 89 prisoners had gone missing since the 1970s from Ford open prison and are still unaccounted for.

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Police 'Concerned' For Man Bundled Into Car

Police are appealing for information after an unidentified man was forced into a black car in Manchester.

The man was jostled into the vehicle at the junction of the A34 Kingsway and Mauldeth Road around 1.30am on Sunday.

Officers said the car had alloy wheels similar to a Volkswagen Golf.

Police are concerned about the man's welfare, according to Detective Inspector Sarah-Jane Lennie.

"We don't know exactly what has gone on or why, but from the details we have we are obviously concerned for the welfare of the person seen forcibly put into the car," she said.

"I am keen to hear from anyone who witnessed anything or saw the car in and around the area in the early hours of this morning.

"I would also like to hear from anyone who thinks they might know what has happened, who the people involved are and who this person is and why he may have been targeted.

"If you have any information please call us. We will treat it in absolute confidence."

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 4596.

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A&E 'Burdened By Millions Of GP Patients'

Hospital A&E Patient Numbers On The Rise

Updated: 1:08pm UK, Friday 10 January 2014

By Thomas Moore, Health And Science Correspondent

Hospital emergency departments saw 2,674 more admissions than they did in the same week last year.

The surge in admissions is thought to be one of the factors that has led to A&E departments nationwide missing their target for seeing patients within four hours.

In the last week, accident and emergency departments have seen 94.3% of patients within fours hours. The target is 95%.

Dame Barbara Hakin, chief operating officer of NHS England, said that although the weekly target had been missed, the quarterly target had been achieved.

She said: "The first few weeks of the calendar year are generally the toughest for the NHS, but this week's figures, the first week in quarter four, are over a percentage point better than the same week last year. This is hugely encouraging."

At Good Hope Hospital in the West Midlands, A&E staff have been dealing with a surge of patients since the New Year.

A new rapid assessment team of senior doctors and nurses checks fresh arrivals within 30 minutes of them coming in, redirecting those who could be seen by a GP or a minor injuries unit.

But a delay in discharging patients from the wards is causing a bottleneck.

By early afternoon, 13 patients are waiting in cubicles to be admitted. Until they are found a bed, patients are having to wait on trolleys for their A&E treatment to start.

A&E matron Anna Howell said the backlog adds to pressure on staff.

"It means we are doing two jobs rather than one," she said.

"There is the A&E workload and then there is the workload of patients who are stable and safe and need to be admitted for specialist treatment. They need different nursing."

Alice Mills, who turns 100 later this month, is one of those needing a bed.

She has breathing problems and doctors suspect she has an infection.

Her daughter Lesley Partridge said that although staff were busy, they were still caring.

"She was scared about coming into hospital," she said.

"But everybody has reassured her, joked with her and calmed her. It's exactly what she needed."

The problem with bed-blocking at Good Hope is common around the NHS.

Figures released earlier this week by NHS England showed that almost 2,700 beds are occupied by patients who are better. That is up on this time last year.

Abimbola Otesile, an A&E doctor at Good Hope, said the work rarely stops.

"As soon as you finish one patient you see the next one almost immediately, so you get very tired by the end of the day," he said.

Katherine Henderson, a lead A&E clinician at St Thomas's Hospital, London, said: "We have transformed our ability to get patients out of the EDU by early on flagging a patient's bed - we are going to need a bed on this unit.

"(We are) working very hard with the medical teams for patients coming into the hospital, but also working hard with the community teams, so we have a hospital-at-home system so we can actually got a rapid response community service to see any elderly patients who just needs a little bit more."

:: All this week Sky News has been providing live coverage examining the crisis in the NHS. Watch 'A Matter Of Life And Death' on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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England Fans Could Face Euro 2004 Riot Charge

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

A Portuguese court wants to put three England football fans on trial for hooliganism 10 years after they were deported.

The three are named in court papers revealed to Sky News ahead of a hearing in the resort of Albufeira on Tuesday.

The prosecution case involves an accusation that fans attacked police and one police officer needed stitches to a foot injury.

Richard Freeman (L) and Lewis Andrews deny being involved in the clashes

Builder Richard Freeman, from Berkshire, knew nothing of the case until we told him. He said he was wrongly arrested at the time.

He said: "It's a farce. It's the first I heard of it. I'm certainly not going back to Portugal because they might arrest me. What chance would I have of a fair trial?"

Mr Freeman was one of three dozen England fans arrested on the Algarve coast during several nights of violent clashes during the Euro 2004 championships.

Garry Mann was extradited to Portugal and imprisoned

Most were held for a couple of nights and then deported and banned from returning for a year.

Many were met at Heathrow airport by Metropolitan Police, questioned and told they would face no further action.

A second suspect, Lewis Andrews from Oxfordshire, said police had told his parents six weeks ago they had a letter from Portugal for him, but he had heard nothing directly.

Mr Andrews said: "Why are they suddenly bringing this up again after all this time? What do they hope to achieve?

"I was just walking home when I was jumped on by the police and beaten with batons. They were just rounding up anybody in an England shirt."

Several dozen England fans were arrested during the tournament

Bruno Min, from Fair Trials International, said: "Our advice to these men is consult a Portuguese lawyer and try to find out why there has been such a delay. It is a surprise, but a hearing could be held in their absence and the authorities could possibly ask for extradition."

The third suspect named by the court is Wayne Finney, from Nottinghamshire. His girlfriend said he knew nothing about the new court hearing.

All three men apparently received a court summons in 2008, but did not respond.

That same year the Portuguese authorities began a bid to extradite Kent firefighter Garry Mann who was arrested during the 2004 clashes, convicted and jailed for two years, but then suddenly deported.

In 2010 he was finally extradited to Portugal and jailed, before being allowed back to finish his sentence in the UK.

Court papers suggest another 21 of those deported in 2004 were considered for belated prosecution, but too much time has elapsed in their cases.

The documents indicate the Portuguese prosecutors have until December to put the other three on trial.

The Home Office said it knew nothing about the latest development.

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GPs Who Miss Cancer 'To Be Named And Shamed'

GPs who repeatedly fail to spot signs of cancer in their patients may be named and shamed, it has been reported.

Surgeries will be marked out with a red flag on an NHS website for patients if they are deemed to be missing too many cases.

Doctors will also be red-flagged if patients have to make repeated visits before being referred for tests, according to the Mail on Sunday.

Practices will be given a green rating on the NHS Choices site if they have quick referral times for patients who show possible signs of having the disease.

Jeremy Hunt says surgeries could "do much better" with cancer diagnosis

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said tough action must be taken to bring standards at surgeries with poor cancer referral rates into line with those with highest standards.

"We need to do much better," he told the newspaper.

"Cancer diagnosis levels around the country vary significantly and we must do much more to improve both the level of diagnosis and to bring those GP practices with poor referral rates up to the standards of the best."

A survey of 70,000 patients showed that one in 10 cancer sufferers had to see their GP at least five times before being referred to hospital to be diagnosed.

More than a quarter had seen their GP at least three times before being sent to a specialist.

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All Staff Get Rights To Work From Home

By Emma Birchley, Sky News correspondent

The right to request flexible working arrangements is about to be extended to apply to all staff and not just parents and carers.

From Monday, workers who have been in their job for six months will be able to ask for flexitime, to job share or to work from home.

The change will extend flexible working rights to around 20 million people.

Many businesses who already offer it say it increases staff motivation and productivity and reduces absence.

Workers may be able to avoid painful commutes to work

It has been an option for all employees at the small advertising agency Osbornenash in Norwich since they set up three years ago - and it has paid off.

Managing director Carole Osborne said: "For us as a business it has helped because we want to be able to recruit the best staff that we possibly can ... it's important that we are flexible around their lives and then also that they can be flexible around what we as a business offer our clients."

The company's senior art director, Neil Wright, has two young daughters and is able to change his hours to suit his family life.

"Obviously family is important to everyone particularly having two children and my wife also works full time," he said.

"It's very valuable to be able to balance life and work equally."

The team at Osbornenash support flexi hours

But employment lawyer Fraser Younson, a partner at Squire Patton Boggs, fears it could leave bosses with tough decisions about whose request to prioritise.

Flexibility will not be an option for all businesses and there are various grounds on which they can reject an application.

Christopher Soule, from the Federation of Small Businesses, said that one reason might be if the request worked out as too expensive for the employee's company.

But Mr Soule believes that many companies will embrace the opportunities.

"About 70% of our members already do some kind of flexible working," he said.

"It will make people think about whether it will help their business and improve their business and improve their staff relations."

Workers will have the right to appeal if the decision does not go their way and apply again 12 months later.

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Sir Elton Says Jesus Would Back Gay Marriage

Sir Elton John has revealed plans for a "very quiet" wedding - and said he believes Jesus Christ would support gay priests getting married.

In an exclusive interview with Sky News, the star told Dermot Murnaghan he hopes to marry David Furnish some time next year and that it would be a low-key affair.

He also revealed his thoughts about the Pope - describing him as a "wonderful" man whose tolerance was an example to the Church of England.

Sir Elton shares his thoughts with Dermot Murnaghan

The entertainer also spoke about the launch of a new fund to support the training of young athletes determined to compete in the Olympics and Paralympics.

He said he hoped a concert, performed for the charity SportsAid at Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire last night, would raise £500,000 for the fund.

Sir Elton told Murnaghan that the global fight for gay rights was stalling and that he planned to talk with Vladimir Putin in Russia on the subject in November.

Sir Elton performs at Stoke Park for SportsAid

"Globally, we seem to have gone backwards over the last 18 months," Sir Elton said.

"I will see Putin and talk to him - I don't know what good it will do though."

Discussing gay rights, he said that the Church of England might learn from the humility and tolerance of Pope Francis.

"The new Pope has been wonderful, he's excited me so much," Sir Elton said.

"He's stripped it [the Church] down to the bare bones and said it's all basically about love."

Sir Elton hopes to marry David Furnish next year

Sir Elton agreed that gay clergy should be allowed to get married and suggested that the celibacy vow for Catholic priests be abolished.

"These are old and stupid things. If Jesus Christ was alive today, I cannot see him, as the Christian person that he was and the great person that he was, saying this could not happen.

"He was all about love and compassion and forgiveness and trying to bring people together and that's what the church should be about."

Asked about his own wedding, he said: "I don't think we can get married until next year.

"However, when we do do, it will be very quiet and off the cuff - we had our big shebang when we had our civil union."

Sir Elton also described the Glastonbury festival as the ultimate music event - but said he had never been asked to perform there.

Murnaghan spoke to Sir Elton at the concert for SportsAid at Stoke Park. The aim of it was to create a new athlete fund that will help young people who hope to represent Great Britain at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Sir Elton, who has been involved in the charity since its creation in the 1970s, explained how he hopes to create Britain's next Olympians.

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