Energy Bills: Govt Wants Price Freeze Until 2015

The Energy Secretary has written to the big six energy providers asking them to freeze their prices until after the 2015 general election, according to Sky sources.

The call, barring any big increase in wholesale fuel costs, is to try to avoid another round of price rises that could be blamed on Government green levies, industry sources have said.

Annual bills could be cut by around £50 by the move, it is claimed.

Ed Davey has promised to help firms by introducing changes to the green levies that Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne have pledged to "roll back".

Energy Secretary Ed Davey is believed to be seeking a deal with firms

He first wrote to the firms last week and followed up his appeals with fresh letters this week.

It is understood the companies have so far given no commitment to his proposal.

Ministers are proposing to change the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) - one of the green levies branded "green crap" by a Tory source last week.

The Government wants to be able to announce a pledge or deal in the Autumn Statement on December 5.

The Department of Energy & Climate Change described the claims as speculation, stating there would be no comment on the issue ahead of next week's statement.

Bills are burned during a protest this month against prices and budget cuts

The move comes ahead of a speech by Ed Miliband later in which he will pledge to end the energy "rip-off".

The Labour leader is to call for a tough new regulator with powers to order firms to pass on wholesale savings to customers, and intervene in the market to ensure they get good value in the future.

An independent Energy Security Board would be created modelled on the Office for Budget Responsibility, to help draw up and implement a timetable for building energy capacity and ensure the lights stay on.

He will also promise action to boost competition among suppliers, simplify bills for customers and "secure energy which is affordable and available".

Labour leader Ed Miliband is to pledge to end the energy "rip-off"

The shake-up - described by Mr Miliband as the biggest since privatisation in the 1980s - would be implemented during the 20-month price freeze he has pledged if Labour wins the general election.

Launching the party's energy green paper at Manchester Town Hall, Mr Miliband will refer to the famous "Tell Sid" campaign advertising British Gas privatisation under Margaret Thatcher.

"In the past three years it has become clear to everyone but this government that the energy market is broken," he is expected to say.

"Prices are rising year on year without justification. And Britain is not getting the investment in energy we need to secure supplies for the future...

"We have a new message for Sid: We will freeze your bills for 20 months. We will reset the market with real competition and proper regulation so that prices are affordable. We will secure the investment we need.

"We will stop you being ripped off and, together, we will power Britain into the next century."

Other commitments include preventing power generation companies doing exclusive deals with their retail arms and ensuring all environmental and policy levies on bills are delivering "value for money".

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Maternity Leave: New Shared Rights Unveiled

By Darren McCaffrey, Sky News Reporter

Fathers will have the option of sharing parental leave under proposals to be announced by Nick Clegg, who has branded the current system antiquated.

The Government has published final details of a significant shake-up which they will hope cater for a growing desire by men to play a more hands-on role in a baby's first months.

From 2015 a fully flexible system of parental leave will be introduced in England, Scotland and Wales which will allow new mothers to trigger flexible leave at any point after the first two weeks' of giving birth.

Mothers and fathers will be able to share the remaining 50 weeks between them as they like by taking the leave in turns, in different blocks, or at the same time.

Reforms will also extend parents' existing right to request flexible working to all employees in an attempt to reflect the increased role of grandparents and other carers.

In an effort to allay fears of the impact on smaller firms, bosses will have to agree any proposed pattern of time off and will retain the right to insist it be confined to a continuous block, with no more than two subsequent changes.

The proposal had met strong resistance within government.

The Liberal Democrats fought to stop last ditch attempts by their Conservative partners to drop the policy.

But father-of-three Mr Clegg said change was long overdue.

"Women deserve the right to pursue their goals and not feel they have to choose between having a successful career or having a baby," he said.

Labour's Gloria De Piero claims the plans hold nothing new for parents

"They should be supported by their employers, rather than being made to feel less employable or under pressure to take unchallenging jobs.

"Many businesses already recognise how productive and motivated employees are when they are given the opportunity to work flexibly, helping them retain talent and boost their competitive edge.

"This is good for families, good for business and good for our economy."

The changes, however, have been branded "a nightmare" which would heap more burdens on already-struggling firms by the Institute of Directors (IoD).

Deputy director of policy Alexander Ehmann said: "The IoD understands the case for a system of shared parental leave and how it could help to widen the talent pool available to employers.

"Unfortunately, today's announcements heap yet more burdens on struggling employers at a time when government should be freeing them to create jobs and wealth."

Labour attacked the announcement for providing nothing new to help families struggling with the rising cost of living.

Shadow minister for women and equalities Gloria De Piero said: "Nick Clegg claims to be on parents' side but he and David Cameron have done nothing to support families in the last three years.

"This reheated announcement contains nothing new for families suffering from this government's cost-of-living crisis. It proves you can't trust a word Nick Clegg says."

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Annual UK House Price Growth 'Hits 6.5%'

The rate of annual house price growth accelerated to 6.5% in November, its fastest pace since July 2010 according to Nationwide.

The monthly survey suggested prices have now risen every month for the last year but the surge could now be threatened after the Bank of England confirmed on Thursday that its Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) would no longer support mortgage borrowing from January.

Nationwide said the latest monthly house price increase of 0.6% took average UK values to £174,566 from £173,678 in October.

Its chief economist Robert Gardner said it was important to point out that prices were still around 6% below their 2007 peak.

He said: "Activity in the housing market has picked up strongly in recent months. The number of mortgage approvals for house purchase reached 66,735 in September, 34% higher than the same period of 2012.

A large part of the improvement can be attributed to further improvements in the labour market and the brighter economic outlook, which has helped to bolster sentiment amongst potential buyers."

A shortage of property on the market and incentives to help borrowers under Government schemes such as Help to Buy have been cited as reasons for national price growth, which has soared in London and the South East.

Yesterday, the Bank of England took the first step in putting the brakes on the property market as it scrapped an initiative that has had a significant part to play in encouraging mortgage lending.

Governor Mark Carney said the FLS stimulus would instead focus purely on helping small business borrowing, which remains muted.

FLS has offered lenders access to cheap finance on condition that they pass on the benefits to borrowers, and experts yesterday said that the Bank's move could spell the "beginning of the end" for ultra-cheap mortgage deals.

Fears of a looming property bubble have been growing in recent months amid a string of reports suggesting demand in the housing market far outstrips the growth in the supply of homes.

London in particular has seen strong demand this year, and Land Registry figures released on Thursday showed that house prices in London were up by 8.7% year-on-year in October.

But the market remains patchy and prices in the North East have dropped by 3.1% year-on-year, according to the registry.

The latest phase of Help to Buy, which offers state-backed mortgages to people with deposits as low as 5% was launched in October and this is expected to inject further activity into the market among credit-worthy buyers who have particularly struggled to get on the housing ladder or move up it since the financial crisis struck because they have a lack of upfront funds.

Lenders representing around two-thirds of the mortgage market have committed to coming on board the scheme and there are also signs of competition increasing to attract low-deposit borrowers from lenders which are outside the Help to Buy scheme.

More follows...

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David Cameron 'U-Turn' Over Cigarette Packaging

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

David Cameron is set to be accused of a major U-turn over the introduction of plain packaging of cigarettes.

The Government is poised to announce it is pressing ahead with the measure aimed at making smoking less attractive to youngsters.

Mr Cameron's decision to shelve the measure last July caused an outcry after it emerged his election strategist Lynton Crosby, now employed full time by the Conservatives, is a partner of Crosby Textor, which worked with Philip Morris Ltd as it lobbied the UK government against plain packaging.

That prompted the accusation from Ed Miliband in the Commons: "He is the Prime Minister for Benson and Hedge funds, and he knows it.

Australia already uses plain packets which just show health warnings

"Can he not see that there is a devastating conflict of interest between having a key adviser raking it in from big tobacco and then advising him not to go ahead with plain packaging?"

Campaigners for plain packaging feared a pause on consultation in July had effectively ruled out any prospect of its introduction until after the next election, while lobbyists for the tobacco industry were confident of having defeated the proposal.

Now Earl Howe, the health minister, is to introduce an amendment to the Children and Families Bill in the House of Lords, possibly as early as next week, to give the Government enabling powers to introduce plain packaging.

At the same time the Government will announce another review of what has happened in Australia to report back next March. Its findings are expected to strongly back the case for plain packaging.

One of the most recent studies from the country, the first in the world to ban branded cigarettes cartons, found that those using cigarettes sold in standardised plain brown cartons were 81% more likely to consider quitting.

A Government source told The Times: "This will nail Labour's ridiculous smears. Now the pressure will be on Labour to get behind this amendment to enable the introduction of standardised packaging."

The PM was accused of pandering to his election strategist Lynton Crosby

Luciana Berger MP, Labour's shadow public health minister, said: "We need immediate legislation for standard cigarette packaging, not another review. The Government needs to stand up to the tobacco industry's vested interests.

"The evidence to support standardised packaging is clear. The consensus is overwhelming. We don't need any further delay while 570 children are lighting up for the first time every day."

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Drink-Driving: Most Brits 'Unaware Of Rules'

By Nick Martin, Sky News Correspondent

More than one million motorists have driven while over the legal alcohol limit in the last two years, new figures reveal.

In most cases drivers got behind the wheel the morning after drinking alcohol because they were not aware how long it takes for alcohol to leave the body.

According to official guidelines, it takes about an hour for the body to break down one unit of alcohol, although alcohol tolerance depends on a number of factors including the person's age, weight, gender and metabolism.

Close to half of drivers (46%) said they did not know how long they needed to wait after drinking before they were safe to drive, research by car insurance company LV found.

Drivers who consumed an average of seven pints of lager or six glasses of wine would have to wait around 15 hours for the alcohol to clear the body.

In Greater Manchester, the annual drink-driving awareness campaign encourages abstinence rather than restraint.

Called None For The Road, it stresses the safest option is to not drink at all.

Inspector Matthew Bailey-Smith, of the Serious Collision Unit, told Sky News: "Most people don't know how long it takes for alcohol to return to legal levels for driving.

"We see people after lunchtime, who had been drinking the night before, well over the legal driving limit.

"That's potentially very worrying and means people will be prosecuted if they are stopped and produce a positive breath test result."

Alexia Techner's partner James Roberts was killed in a car crash in 2009 by a driver who was three times the legal drink-driving limit, despite having stopped drinking 12 hours beforehand.

"If you know you have to drive the next day, don't drink," she said.

"It's just not worth the risk. Even a few beers can stay in your blood the next day and that can affect how you drive."

John O'Roarke, managing director of LV, said: "It's easy to assume that after a good night's sleep you will be sober enough to drive the next day but depending on how many units you've had, you may not be fit to drive.

"The key to enjoying the festive season is to plan ahead and don't drive if you are not within the legal alcohol limits."

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Student Loans: £5bn Unaccounted For Says NAO

More than £5bn paid out in student loans is unaccounted for because the Government does not have enough information about the recipients.

There are 368,000 student borrowers for whom there is no current employment record, or other details on earnings, according to a study by spending watchdog the National Audit Office (NAO).

This could be because they are unemployed students living in the UK, EU students who have returned home or UK students who have moved overseas.

It means the Government does not have enough information to decide whether these students should be making repayments on their loans, and if so, how much.

The NAO report claims the Business Department (BIS) is not doing enough to find out whether borrowers are earning enough to start repayments.

Students currently repay their loans when they earn £21,000, and repayments are linked to earnings.

It also says there are around 14,000 former students, with a total debt of £100m, living overseas who are behind on their repayments.

The Student Loans Company, which helps collect the payments, could take a "more targeted approach" to this group, says the NAO.

Earlier this week, the Government sold off older student loans totalling nearly £900m to a private debt collection agency for £160m.

Universities minister David Willetts called the sale "good value for money" and said it would help reduce public sector debt.

More than a third (35%) of new loans taken out are not expected to be repaid, according to Government figures, and around half of students are not expected to repay their debt fully.

Under a major overhaul of higher education, which saw tuition fees at English universities treble to a maximum of £9,000, student loans are now written off after 30 years.

A BIS spokesman said: "We are continually improving the collection process for borrowers and we will carefully consider the NAO's recommendations as part of this programme."

Shadow Higher Education Minister Liam Byrne said: "Labour has warned ministers time and time again that tripling fees overnight would create huge new debts that lots of students, facing a cost-of-living crisis, couldn't afford to pay back.

"Worse of all, we may be at the point where so many students loans are being written off, that the government's new student finance system is actually more expensive than the old arrangements, even though the government is asking students for three times as much money."

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Digital Post-Mortem Centre To Open In UK

Europe's first non-invasive digital post-mortem examinations will be carried out at a state-of-the-art centre in Sheffield.

It will allow pathologists to perform some investigations into cause of death without dissecting the body.

Sheffield is the only place to have the technology outside of Malaysia, where it was developed, and it will be the first of a network of centres across the UK.

The new equipment involves a CT scanning machine with unique software that turns images into a 3D representation of the body.

The pathologist uses a large touchscreen tablet computer to carry out the examination.

It could be used in 70% of post-mortem examinations, according to iGene, the company behind the technology.

The scene of death could also be reconstructed digitally using the 3D capabilities of the system, according to the firm.

Another 17 sites are expected to open by the end of 2015

It said the technology would make things easier for families, speeding up the process and, in some cases, providing more accurate findings.

"Digital autopsy is more than just a technological innovation," said Matt Chandran, chief executive of iGene.

"It represents a tremendous humanitarian step forward in establishing the cause of an unnatural death."

Sheffield City Council leader Julie Dore said "countless families" in the city would benefit from the new centre, which will be opened by chief coroner Judge Peter Thornton.

It is intended to pave the way for a series of centres, making the UK the first country to have such a network.

A centre in Bradford is expected to open next year, and the company aims to have 18 sites across England and Wales open by the end of 2015, with the creation of up to 250 highly skilled jobs.

Around 95,000 post-mortem examinations were performed in Britain last year, accounting for around 20% of deaths.

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Lottery: Last Gasp Search For £12m Winner

By Adele Robinson, Midlands Correspondent

A £12m lottery prize will be lost forever if it is not claimed before a deadline elapses tonight.

The winning EuroMillions Millionaire Raffle ticket, worth £1m a month for a year, was bought on Friday, May 31 in the Ladywood district of Birmingham, one of the poorest areas in the country.

If the prize remains unclaimed by 11pm the money will go to charitable causes.

The winning raffle number is JRG437445, but Camelot will not say where exactly it was bought.

Patrick Lisoire, from Camelot, says they are not giving up hope yet.

Birmingham's mayor has been involved in the search for the winner

He said: "A prize in the Midlands of about £2.5m a few years back was claimed in the last 24 hours before the deadline.

"So that's 179 days elapsed before the claimant claimed their prize. We never knew the reason why they took so long."

The search for the winner has been ongoing for several months, with various publicity campaigns in the Birmingham area.

The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Mike Leddy, started a countdown clock in the city centre earlier this week and National Lottery workers walked the streets handing out leaflets.

Lottery workers have been handing out flyers in the city

Lottery organisers say if the winner is a football fan they may remember that the EuroMillions draw was sandwiched between England's two international friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and Brazil.

If unclaimed, the £12m prize will become the second highest uncollected lottery jackpot. In December 2012, £64m of winnings went to charitable causes.

Anyone who believes they have the winning ticket for any of the National Lottery draws within the 180-day deadline should call the National Lottery Line on 0845 910 0000 or email help@national-lottery.co.uk.

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Brian Thexton: 'Most Wanted' Fugitive Arrested

One of Britain's most wanted fugitives has been arrested at an isolated home in Cumbria.

Brian Thexton was detained by Cumbria Police at a rural property near Kirkby Stephen shortly before 8pm on Tuesday.

The 37-year-old, from Durham, was recently highlighted by the National Crime Agency as one of the country's most wanted fugitives.

He is accused of being involved in robberies where a gang would tie up homeowners and force them to give up alarm codes and safe combinations.

In one of the robberies the gang impersonated police officers to dupe the victims into opening the door, before brandishing a pickaxe handle and a baseball bat.

Thexton is also awaiting trial for conspiracy to supply cocaine, over claims that he was the middleman in the sale of half a kilo of the drug, and had admitted plotting to steal cars and machinery.

Police had been hunting for him in Lancashire after he was seen in a car on Aberdeen Road in Lancaster earlier this month.

A police officer told him to pull over, then walked over to the car and reached into the vehicle to remove the keys from the ignition.

A Lancashire Police spokesman said the car was then driven away, trapping the officer's arm and dragging him a short distance down the road. The officer freed himself before he was seriously injured.

Police said the car was then driven away at speed and was found a short time later having been set on fire on Fernham Carr Lane.

Detective Superintendent Andrew Slattery said: "Detectives from Cumbria Constabulary have worked hard with other police forces in the north of England over recent weeks to track down and arrest Thexton.

"We would like to thank the community of north Cumbria for their support and can assure them that our county is not and will not become a safe haven for organised criminals."

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Scotland Independence: SNP Unveils White Paper

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

Scotland's SNP Government is set to present a vision of a "wealthier and fairer" Scotland ahead of next year's independence referendum.

The 670-page white paper will be launched at an event in Glasgow at 10am.

It is being billed as an "Independence Encyclopaedia" that will contain the answers to the questions surrounding a breakaway from the UK.

The SNP's opponents, however, insist it will force Scots into a "risky choice" they do not need to make.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond will unveil the document, entitled Scotland's Future - Your Guide, which he claims will make it better equipped than any other country at any other time to become independent.

Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told Sky News: "This is a document for the people of Scotland; it is their guide to independence, and it will provide both a vision for Scotland's future and the answers on independence that people have been seeking.

Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond will launch the guide in Glasgow

"As part of the guide we will be providing the answers to people's questions on how we become an independent country, what the opportunities are of independence, how our institutions of government will work and what the benefits can be of a vote for independence.

"Our message to the people of Scotland is simple: read this guide, compare it with any alternative future for Scotland and make up your own mind."

She added: "This guide to an independent Scotland will set out a vision for Scotland's future, the ways in which we can use the powers of independence to build a wealthier and fairer Scotland, and ensure that everyone benefits from our natural wealth and talent.

"This guide to independence will move the debate forward from how Scotland can become an independent country to the kind of country we can be."

Ahead of the document launch at the Glasgow Science Centre, the SNP's opponents have questioned the case for independence, particularly the SNP's stated aim to join a currency union with the remainder of the UK it plans to leave behind.

Pro-independence supporters marched through Edinburgh in September

They claim there is no guarantee that the rest of the UK would find that acceptable. 

Nor are there any guarantees surrounding the membership of an independent Scotland in the European Union or Nato.

Former chancellor Alistair Darling told Sky News: "We can have the best things about being a successful country and the best things about being part of something bigger.

"We simply don't have to choose between having a strong Scottish Parliament and the strength and security of being part of the United Kingdom. We can have both.

"We can be proudly Scottish and feel a sense of connection to friends and family in the rest of the United Kingdom.

"We can have a distinctive Scottish voice and we can keep the opportunities that come through sharing risks, rewards and resources with one of the biggest economies in the world."

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