Cigarette vending machines banned in England

 

Vending machines are expected to be banned in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland in February

The sale of tobacco from vending machines has been banned in England, with anyone caught selling cigarettes in machines facing a fine of £2,500.

The Department of Health said the ban had been introduced to prevent under-age sales to children and to support adults who were trying to quit.
The rest of the UK is expected to implement a similar ban next year.
Some pub landlords say it is a further threat to a livelihood that has already been damaged by the smoking ban.
But Cancer Research and the British Heart Foundation have welcomed the move.
According to the Department of Health, nearly all adult smokers started smoking before they turned 18.
'Unsupervised' Of the children who regularly smoke, 11% buy their cigarettes from vending machines.
It is also estimated that 35 million cigarettes are sold illegally through vending machines to children every year.
Under the new rules, pub landlords will still be able to sell cigarettes from behind the bar but they must ensure all tobacco advertising on vending machines is removed. Any person found guilty of displaying cigarette adverts on a vending machine could face imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of £5,000, or both.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said smoking was "one of the biggest and most stubborn challenges in public health", with more than eight million people in England still smoking, causing more than 80,000 deaths each year.

These children are often blissfully unaware of the damage smoking does to their health, and by the time they realise, they're hooked”

Betty McBride British Heart Foundation

 

He said: "Cigarette vending machines are often unsupervised, making it easy for children to purchase cigarettes from them.

"The ban on cigarette sales from vending machines will protect children by making cigarettes less accessible to them - we want to do everything we can to encourage young people not to start smoking in the first place."
Jo Butcher, the National Children's Bureau's programme director of health and wellbeing, welcomed the ban and said a person's lifetime smoking or non-smoking behaviour was "heavily influenced" by decisions in their adolescence.
"Children and young people tell us that external influences make it even more difficult for them to choose healthier lifestyles.
"It's essential that we create environments that improve health and tobacco legislation is an important part of public health protection and promotion," she said.
Protection Charities have also welcomed the ban.
Betty McBride, director of policy and communications at the British Heart Foundation, said thousands of children at risk of this "deadly addiction" regularly got tobacco from vending machines, "which conveniently don't ask them to prove their age".
"These children are often blissfully unaware of the damage smoking does to their health and, by the time they realise, they're hooked.
"Scrapping these machines cuts off an easy source of tobacco for existing young smokers and makes it harder for a new generation to start.
"We're encouraging landlords to remove machines completely now so they - and any left-over branding - don't act as dusty old adverts for tobacco," she said.
Eileen Streets, director of tobacco control at the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, said she hoped the ban would play a "significant part in stopping many children becoming the next generation of lung cancer victims".
Other measures Jean King, of Cancer Research UK, added: "Tobacco kills half of all long-term users and is responsible for one in four cancer deaths.
"Cancer Research UK is determined to protect children from tobacco marketing and through our Out of Sight Out of Mind campaign we are continuing to work for legislation to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes."
Other measures to protect young people from the dangers of smoking are also on the way.
In April 2012, large retailers in England and Scotland will have to get rid of all tobacco displays. Small shops will be expected to comply from April 2015.
Wales and Northern Ireland plan to implement similar regulations.
The government is also due to begin a public consultation before the end of the year on whether to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes in order to lessen their marketing appeal to young people, help make health warnings more effective and help reduce the number of smokers.

Ex-MI5 chief to hear deportation case of alleged spy

 

Miss Zatuliveter is accused of spying in her work as an MP's aide

A judge has ruled that an ex-British intelligence chief can help to decide whether an MP's former aide accused of spying should be deported from the UK.

Lawyers for Russian Katia Zatuliveter, 26, argued that former MI5 chief Sir Stephen Lander could not be impartial.
But Mr Justice Mitting said Sir Stephen's expertise was needed by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission.
Miss Zatuliveter, who denies spying, worked for Lib Dem Mike Hancock. Her case will be heard next month.
Government lawyers say she should be deported from the UK on the grounds of national security.
Sir Stephen, who was MI5 director general from 1996 to 2002 during a 27-year career at the security service, will be in a three-member panel deciding the deportation case.
At a hearing in London on Thursday, Tim Owen QC had argued that Sir Stephen was a "cheerleader" for MI5 who had given media interviews about Russian intelligence.
"This is about as clear a case of bias as it's possible to imagine," he said.
Commons pass But Mr Justice Mitting, who will chair the Special Immigration Appeals Commission panel, said: "In my judgement an informed and fair-minded observer would recognise that the intention of Parliament [is] that we should equip ourselves where possible with sufficient expertise to deal with the very difficult and very important questions we have to determine."
Miss Zatuliveter was arrested in August 2010 at Gatwick airport as she was about to fly to Moscow.
Portsmouth South MP Mr Hancock has backed his former employee, saying he had no reason to believe she did anything but act honourably when she worked for him.
Miss Zatuliveter began working for Mr Hancock in November 2006 as an intern and was given a pass to the House of Commons before becoming his full-time parliamentary assistant.
In a statement following her release on bail, she said: "I am not working for and have never worked for the Russian intelligence services."
She added: "I do not understand why the deportation order has been made against me but I am determined to stay in the UK to fight to clear my name."

Emergency surgery patients lives at risk, say surgeons

 

Emergency surgery patients are 'forgotten', says the Royal College of Surgeons

The lives of thousands of NHS emergency surgery patients are being put at risk because of poor care and delays in treatment, leading surgeons say.

The Royal College of Surgeons says poor access to facilities like scans, X-rays and operating theatres means some emergencies are not spotted in time.
The RCS also says not enough patients receive critical care after surgery.
NHS managers said they, surgeons and ambulance services needed to work together to achieve "real change".
The RCS adds that junior staff are often left to deal with complications.
A report by the college highlights figures that show that about 170,000 patients undergo emergency abdominal operations each year.
Of these, 100,000 will develop complications and 25,000 of these patients will die.
Among the elderly, deaths can climb to 40%.
The report also says that while survival rates vary from hospital to hospital, there can even be significant differences from day-to-day within the same institution.

Recommendations by the RCS

• Recognition of the need for improved services, including access to operating theatres
• Routine risk assessment and tailored management of every patient
• Better use of critical care
• Improved post-operative care, including treatment of severe infection
• Routine audit of emergency patients

The report says that poor access to facilities such as scanners and operating theatres means diagnosis is sometimes slow, not enough patients receive critical care after surgery and when they do it is for too short a time.

It also says less experienced junior staff are often left to deal with complex and dangerous cases.
There is also the suggestion that elective or planned surgery has been prioritised over emergency surgery and some may link this to the pressure on hospitals to bring down waiting lists.
The study says hospitals need to provide fast access to operating theatres.
Iain Anderson, the author of the report and a consultant general surgeon at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, said trusts needed to acknowledge that problems exist and review the way their services work.
"Every single emergency patient who comes through the door of an NHS hospital should have an individual risk assessment, diagnosis, treatment plan and post-operative care plan prioritised according to need," he said.
"Instead we have some of the NHS's sickest patients languishing on inappropriate wards, treated by juniors and with no plan in place to deal promptly with unexpected complications.
"These tend to be the patients who end up in intensive care units for lengthy periods of time or, sadly, too sick to be helped."
'Forgotten patients' The report suggests improvements but the surgeons say NHS managers in particular need to recognise the problems facing those described as the "forgotten patients" of the health service.
David Stout, deputy chief executive of the NHS Confederation which represents NHS managers, says: "If we want to make a real change to emergency services we need to get everyone - managers, surgeons and ambulances services - working together to ensure patients receive properly planned, quality surgical care."
Bruce Taylor, president of the Intensive Care Society, said: "It is vital that the guidance is initiated as it in the best interest for potentially vulnerable patients who require surgical procedures."
A spokesman at the Department of Health said: "It is essential that hospitals provide the safest possible care for patients.
"Hospitals should follow this guidance and monitor the quality of care they are giving to their patients and ensure that they are providing appropriate levels of services and staffing."

Raoul Moat death was suicide, inquest jury rules

 

Raoul Moat died following a six-hour stand-off with armed officers

Inquest jurors have returned a verdict of suicide in the death of gunman Raoul Moat, who shot himself in the head after a six-hour stand-off with police.

The 37-year-old former doorman died in Rothbury, Northumberland, in July 2010.
The hearing was told Moat was hit by an experimental shotgun Taser round fired by marksmen who believed he was preparing to kill himself.
Meanwhile an Independent Police Complaints Commission report found no evidence of misconduct by officers.
The IPCC looked at the period from the sighting of Moat until his death, including strategy and tactics and the deployment of Tasers.
It concluded there may be "some learning" for Northumbria Police from the investigation but there was no evidence of misconduct by any police officers.
On the run One area the jury had to consider was whether the use of Tasers was appropriate. It returned its verdict after deliberating for more than five hours.

A six-hour stand-off took place in Rothbury

The inquest heard the aim was to incapacitate Moat, allowing officers to make an arrest.

Officers were offered and accepted X12 Taser shotguns which were licensed only for testing in the UK.
The shotguns were used because they fired XREP cartridges over a longer range than conventional handheld Tasers.
It was the first time firearms officers had seen the weapons.
Two were fired, with one hitting his forearm and the other missing, and shortly afterwards Moat shot himself.
A consultant neuropathologist told the inquest he did not believe Moat shot himself because a Taser caused his hand to contract.
Dr Ian Schofield said there was no definitive evidence of an electrical discharge from the non-approved Taser which hit Moat's left arm.

After the verdict, solicitor Adam Straw read a statement on behalf of Angus Moat

In a written narrative explanation of the events, the jury said "questions have been raised about the suitability of XREP Tasers and the information officers were given on deployment".
"All officers involved were shotgun and X26 Taser trained and had no qualms in using XREP shotgun Taser."
Concerns were also raised by the Moat family that his estranged brother Angus and best friend Anthony Wright were not called as third party intermediaries during negotiations.
The jury found "at no point did Mr Moat ask to talk to any family member or friend".
After the verdict, solicitor Adam Straw read a statement on behalf of Angus Moat.
It said: "I remain highly critical of the police decision not to allow myself, or any other friend or relative, to speak to Raoul alongside police negotiators, during the six-hour stand-off.
"I believe the police decision to deploy and use the X12 XREP shotgun taser, despite it not being authorised by the Home Office, was a mistake.
"Sufficient knowledge of its likely chance of failure was not obtained. I also feel the training given to the officers to use the XREP was woefully inadequate, and given far too late."

 

Police said the Tasers were the only option to try to bring Moat to justice

'Extremely volatile' Northumbria Police Chief Constable Sue Sim welcomed the verdict.
She said: "Raoul Moat chose his path, he decided to murder, attempt to murder and to threaten the lives of the public and police officers.
"He had many opportunities to hand himself in and face justice, yet he chose not to do so. His victims had no such choice.
"This was an extremely complex and dynamic operation. In the first few days we were also dealing with a potential hostage situation.
"We always wanted to bring him to justice."
She responded to the criticism about why family and friends were not brought in during negotiations.
"The situation was extremely volatile and dangerous and the assessment of trained expert negotiators was that it would have been unsafe to introduce anyone into the negotiation with Moat who had not seen him for some time or who may have inflamed the situation," she said.
She said Tasers were used because there were no other options available to police to try to stop Moat from taking his own life.
Moat had been on the run for a week after shooting his ex-partner Samantha Stobbart, murdering her new boyfriend Chris Brown and later blinding PC David Rathband.

BAE Systems confirms plans to cut nearly 3,000 jobs

 

The new RAF Nimrod is one of the BAE projects scrapped as a result of spending cuts

 

Defence giant BAE Systems has confirmed that it is cutting almost 3,000 jobs at sites across the country, mainly in its military aircraft division.

The firm ended days of speculation by giving details of a huge redundancy programme, saying it needed to maintain competitiveness.
Ian King, BAE chief executive, said in a statement that the company must "ensure its long-term future".
The biggest job cuts will be at sites in Lancashire and Yorkshire.
BAE employs 40,000 people in the UK and 100,000 worldwide.
The Brough factory, in East Yorkshire, will lose 900 jobs from its 1,300-strong workforce.
At Samlesbury, Lancashire, 565 jobs will go from the 3,970-strong workforce.
At Warton, Lancashire, 843 posts will be lost among 6,537 staff.

This news from BAE Systems will be a serious knock to the individuals and communities affected”

Vince Cable Business Secretary

 

Among other plants affected are operations in Dorset, Hampshire, Surrey, and Essex.

Most of the cuts will be made in BAE's military aircraft division, which is being affected by a slowdown in orders for the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft.
'Pressure' Mr King said: "Some of our major programmes have seen significant changes. The four partner nations in the Typhoon programme have agreed to slow production rates to help ease their budget pressures.

Defence spending cuts have been blamed for the job cuts at BAE Systems.
Indeed, there was a dramatic slowdown in global defence spending growth last year to just 1.3%, with European nations actually cutting spending by 2.8%.
But overall, global military spending remains strong, having hit a record $1.63 trillion (£1tn) in 2010, about double the global spend seen in 2000.
So there are still big contracts out there and BAE is still gunning for them. For instance, India and Japan are both looking to sign major new fighter jet contracts and the Eurofighter Typhoon is seen as a strong contender.
The challenge for BAE is thus not necessarily just an overall reduction in spending, but rather the tough competition in the fighter jet market, where the Typhoon is up against some tough rivals.

"Whilst this will help extend our production schedule and ensure the production line stays open until we receive anticipated export contracts, it does reduce the workload at a number of our sites.

"Pressure on the US defence budget and top-level programme changes mean the anticipated increase in F-35 production rates will be slower than originally planned, again impacting on our expected workload."
Unite, the biggest union at BAE, said it would meet management on Tuesday "and we will be doing everything we can to mitigate the impact of these cuts."
The union said in a statement: "The government cannot sit on its hands and allow these highly skilled jobs to disappear."
Business Secretary Vince Cable said his department would do everything it could to ensure that valuable skills were not lost the the UK economy.
"This news from BAE Systems will be a serious knock to the individuals and communities affected," he said in a statement.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber told the Labour Party conference in Liverpool that the job losses were "yet another devastating body blow to our manufacturing base".

Six charged with terrorism offences

 

Specialist police teams searched properties in the city

 

Six men have been charged with terrorism offences, including a suspected suicide bombing campaign, West Midlands Police have said.

Four of the men were charged with preparing for an act of terrorism in the UK, and two with failing to disclose information.
It follows a police operation in Birmingham last week.
The six, all from Birmingham and aged between 25 and 32, will appear at West London Magistrates' Court on Monday.
Irfan Nasser, 30, of Sparkhill, and Irfan Khalid, 26, of Balsall Heath, are accused of preparing for an act of terrorism, including travelling to Pakistan for training in terrorism, making a martyrdom video and planning a bombing campaign.
They are accused of constructing a home-made explosive device for terrorist acts and stating an intention to be a suicide bomber.
Seventh man Ashik Ali, 26, of Balsall Heath, is accused of preparing for an act of terrorism, which involved planning a bombing campaign, providing premises for the planning of terrorist attack and stating an intention to be a suicide bomber.
Rahin Ahmed, 25, of Moseley, is accused of helping fund terrorist acts.
Mohammed Rizwan, 32, and Bahader Ali, 28, both of Sparkbrook, are both charged with failing to disclose information about potential acts of terrorism.
It is alleged that between 29 July and 19 September this year, both had information which they knew may help prevent the commission of an act of terrorism but did not disclose the information.
Mr Ali is also charged with providing money for the purposes of terrorism.
The offences are alleged to have taken place between Christmas Day 2010 and 19 September this year.
A seventh man from the city, aged 20, who was arrested on Thursday, continues to be questioned. Officers have until 29 September to charge, release or apply for further time.
The men were arrested as part of an operation carried out by the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit. The arrests were unarmed, pre-planned and intelligence-led.

Tuition fees: Labour pledges maximum cap of £6,000

 

Tuition fees were introduced by the last Labour government

The maximum university fee for students in England would be cut by a third under Labour, Ed Miliband has said.

If the party was in power now it would reduce the cap from £9,000 to £6,000 to ease the debt burden on students, the Labour leader told Andrew Marr.
It would be partly funded by higher interest on student loans for graduates earning more than £65,000 a year.
Mr Miliband - who voted against tuition fee increases last year - denied Tory claims the move amounted to a U-turn.
He said: "I don't think it is a reversal of policy, I think it is implementing a policy - we voted against the £9,000 tuition fee."
'Fast-buck economy' He said the government's planned cut in corporation tax would be scrapped for financial services and the highest-earning graduates would pay higher interest on their loans to pay for the policy.
As Labour gathers in Liverpool for its annual conference, Mr Miliband is attempting to present his party as being on the side of hard-pressed families struggling to maintain their standard of living amid the global economic downturn.

If they think this is going to be a manifesto policy, then I'm sorry - this isn't going to win support of students”

Liam Burns National Union of Students

 

Labour was trying to win the student vote following the Liberal Democrat decision to break their promise not to increase tuition fees.

However, she added that it was important for Labour that its sums added up because polls suggested people trusted the Conservatives and the coalition government far more with the economy.
Mr Miliband refused to guarantee that the tuition fee cap would be in Labour's manifesto for the next general election in 2015.
"It's something we would do now. It's something we are committed to - but the manifesto is three and half years away," he told Andrew Marr.
But he added: "If we can do more the time of the election, we will. But this is an important first step".
He said the policy was part of his plan to "change the way our country works" and end the "short-term, fast-buck economy" - a theme he said would dominate his set-piece speech to conference on Tuesday.
"I think we have got to put an end to the fast-buck era. I don't think the priority for Britain is to cut taxes for financial services - and it's a big choice and it's a big difference between ourselves and the government," said the Labour leader.
'Cynical' Mr Miliband said he wanted to use the party's week in Liverpool to set out an alternative to the "pessimism and austerity" which he claimed was being peddled by the coalition.
But Universities Minister David Willetts said Mr Miliband's call for a tuition fee cap made Labour's vote against fee increases last year look "completely cynical".
"Ed Miliband promised a graduate tax and now he's accepting fees have to increase to finance universities in tough times. So why should students trust anything he says? He says one thing to become leader and within a year does a U-turn," Mr Willetts said in a statement.
The president of the National Union of Students, Liam Burns, said Mr Miliband was "sorely wrong" if he believed students will back such a position at the next general election.
"If they think this is going to be a manifesto policy, then I'm sorry - this isn't going to win support of students," he said.
"Going into the context of a Parliament where the majority of people promised not to increase fees at all, to simply go back to a position of 'well, we're only doubling it,' well that's not quite good enough."
'Fantasy world' But Mr Burns said if Mr Miliband's announcement referred to what should be done immediately, he would agree with him "wholeheartedly".
Liberal Democrat MP Gordon Birtwhistle said Labour's plan to axe the planned cut in corporate tax showed they were "living in a complete economic fantasy world", as the companies that would be affected were potential employers of students.
"If you start increasing the corporation tax on companies, then it'll be cheaper to go to university, but there won't be any jobs to go into when they leave," he said.
Tuition fees were introduced by the last Labour government.
The current £9,000 maximum was introduced by the coalition government.
The Liberal Democrats have been accused by students of breaking pre-election promises not to raise tuition fees.

'Slippery' Noel Edmonds failed to pay building bills, court hears

Noel Edmonds was yesterday accused of acting in a "slippery" manner during a pair of property deals that went wrong.

Noel Edmonds and his wife Liz Davies outside Bristol Civil Justice Centre 

General Sir Richard George Lawson, former Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces Northern Europe, said the presenter of the Channel 4 programme Deal or No Deal became evasive and failed to answer phone calls about allegedly unpaid building work on a £1.3 million property in Exeter.

The former commander was giving evidence to defend his son Ulrik, 50, a property develop, who is being sued by Mr Edmonds for £370,000.

That writ is in relation to their joint purchase of another property, a country estate called Wood House in South Tawton, Devon, which they purchased for £2.1 million in 2006.

Each put in £300,000 towards a deposit, while they borrowed the rest. Mr Edmonds, 62, invested a total of £572,000.

The idea was to develop the property with housing but they failed to obtain planning permission and it was sold at a loss.

Ulrik Lawson recouped the £300,000 he invested, but Mr Edmonds received only £52,000.
The presenter said he had relied on a verbal agreement with Mr Lawson that he would get all his investment back first, while Mr Lawson would "take the hit".
On Monday Mr Edmonds told Bristol county court: "I believed in my friend. It never occurred to me for a minute that I could be the subject of a betrayal."
Mr Lawson has denied they agreed such a verbal contract. He has also launched a counter-claim saying his former friend and business partner failed to pay for £260,000 of building work on St Surf, a 6,000 square foot property in Exeter, which Mr Edmonds bought alone in 2006.
He asked Mr Lawson to help renovate the city property, installing a gym, Jacuzzi-style bath and large fish tank, to make it the "best house in Exeter". The television presenter sold it, half-finished, for just over £2 million in 2008.
Yesterday Sir Richard said he had met Mr Edmonds and his assitant, Maria Robertson, twice in 2008 to discuss the unpaid building work on St Surf, on behalf of his son.
He then wrote him a letter which he said "had to be a bit sharper saying 'when are you going to pay these overdrafts?'"
Sir Richard went on: "I was suspicious because of the response that we had from Noel Edmonds and I decided that I would be better fixed to deal with what I called 'The Edmonds Saga'.
"You have to remember the other side of this. We wished to recover money on St Surf to keep the company buoyant but the long term was Wood [House] and he didn't want to lose that by blowing it out of water on St Surf.
"It was getting a bit slippery. Noel did not answer phone calls."
By that stage the relationship between Mr Edmonds and Mr Lawson had turned acrimonious.
The hearing was told that Mr Edmonds had made a number of "very unpleasant" allegations about Sir Richard's son.
In one email to Sir Richard, he wrote: "You are going to come away with everything intact but the knowledge that your son has screwed over a close friend.
"I allowed my friendship with Ulrik to cloud my judgement and failed to see what was a scam."
Mr Edmonds and Mr Lawson became friends in 2002 and two years later the presenter stayed with him for a time after his divorce from his second wife, Helen Soby.
David Holland, representing Mr Edmonds, said on Monday that the breakdown of the friendship had been "almost like a divorce" itself.
Mr Edmonds has stated that invoices for work on St Surf were not paid after October 2007. However, he maintains that there was an agreement between them that Mr Lawson would not charge for labour - a claim the property developer denies. The hearing continues.

Cash aid for families after murders abroad

 

Lindsay Hawker, 22, was murdered in Japan in 2007, where she was working as an English teacher

Families of people who are murdered abroad are to get more financial and practical support, the government says.

The Foreign Office has given Victim Support a £100,000 grant to help families cope with the additional costs and problems such situations can cause.
The charity will use the money to commission services such as translators or to help with travel costs.
Each year almost 6,000 British people die abroad and around 60 of these are victims of murder or manslaughter.
The additional coats which a bereaved family might face can include the translation of documents, interpretation at meetings or a trial, repatriation of a body and travel expenses.
Victim Support is currently supporting 35 families in England and Wales whose relative has died in suspicious circumstances abroad.
The charity's chief executive, Javed Khan, said it was pleased to be working with the Foreign Office to do more to ensure people bereaved by a murder abroad got the help and support they needed.
"We know through our homicide service the devastating impact that losing a loved one through murder or manslaughter has," he said.
Support "In cases where the death has occurred in a foreign country, the bereaved not only face coming to terms with losing a loved one, but navigating their way through a different legal system.
"In common with deaths in the UK, the families also require emotional and practical support. This can include assistance with bringing their loved one home, financial assistance, translation of documents and travel to the country to attend the trial."
The support needed by these families was highlighted in a report by the Victim's Commissioner, Louise Casey, in July.
Minister for consular affairs, Jeremy Browne, said he had met the families of victims and decided the service the Foreign Office provided in these circumstances could be improved.
"Dealing with the death of a family member who has been murdered abroad can be an extremely traumatic experience.
"I am pleased to announce that we are now providing more practical and emotional support for families bereaved by a murder abroad and are working closely with Victim Support's national homicide service to improve the assistance available."

Designer drugs 'cost NHS millions'

 

NHS spending on insulin has been rising

Doctors have "wasted" millions on "designer" diabetes drugs when cheaper ones would have been just as effective, according to a report.

The NHS could have saved £625m over 10 years if the older types of insulin recommended in guidelines had been prescribed, claim UK researchers.
The study, published online in BMJ Open, found the NHS spent £2.73bn on insulin, mainly on "designer" forms.
A diabetes charity said patients should have a choice of what insulin to use.
Researchers at Cardiff University found NHS spending on insulin prescriptions in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland rose from £156m a year in 2000 to £359m in 2009.
Over the same period, annual NHS spending on "designer" insulin increased from £18m (12% of total insulin cost) to £305m (85% of total insulin).

Insulin

• Patients with Type 1 diabetes need insulin injections to help their bodies use glucose from meals, as do some people with Type 2 diabetes
• There are a number of types of insulin available, including animal insulin, human insulin and analogue (designer) insulins
• Animal insulin comes from animals. Human insulin doesn't come from humans but is made in a laboratory
• Analogue insulin is a type of laboratory-made human insulin which is modified to affect how quickly or slowly it acts
• Source: Diabetes UK

Based on the assumption that all patients could have been prescribed alternative forms of insulin, the NHS could have saved itself £625m, said the Cardiff University report.

Professor Craig Currie of the Department of Primary Care and Public Health told the BBC: "The regulatory agencies have to get a grip of the way that medicines are chosen and dispensed.
"The decisions aren't informed. The doctors aren't listening to guidelines. The system has to change to use medicines that represent the best value for money."
Pros and cons Many patients with diabetes need to inject insulin, to help their body process glucose from food.
There are several types of insulin; including insulin made in the lab to mimic natural insulin (human insulin) and newer laboratory-made human insulins, which have been tweaked to affect the speed of action or enhance certain properties ("designer" insulin, or insulin analogues).
These newer types of insulin may have some advantages for certain patients, such as reducing weight gain and reducing the risk of low blood sugar.
But most experts believe the benefits are modest, the authors said in BMJ Open.
The medicines watchdog NICE recommends that ordinary human insulins are used as a first-line treatment, with the newer "designer" human insulins reserved for exceptional circumstances.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health said: "NICE guidance recommends that human insulin is the preferred option when insulin therapy is necessary in Type 2 diabetes.
"The National Prescribing Centre advises that newer synthetic insulins have a role in treating some patients, but people with glycaemic control problems should be properly assessed for underlying causes before these newer, more expensive insulins are considered."
Simon O'Neill, Director of Care, Information and Advocacy at Diabetes UK, said insulin analogues should be as available to all people with diabetes.
He said: "The decision of which insulin is the most appropriate for a person with diabetes should be made on an individual basis in consultation with the person with diabetes themselves."

Lib Dem conference: Clegg to defend spending cuts

 

Nick Clegg insists the government will not deviate from its economic strategy

The government will not change course on spending cuts, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will tell the Liberal Democrat conference later.

The Treasury has denied  reports ministers are considering a £5bn rise in spending on infrastructure in a bid to kick-start the UK's stalled economy.
Mr Clegg will stress in his speech that boosting growth is a top priority.
And despite the public spending squeeze the government is not "helpless" to halt rising unemployment, he will say.
The comments come after the International Monetary Fund cut its growth forecast for the British economy and said the government should delay its deficit reduction programme if growth slowed further.
Distinct force The coalition has already brought forward spending on some infrastructure projects but BBC political editor Nick Robinson said cabinet ministers were in the early stages of discussions about injecting £5bn extra into the economy to boost growth.
Ministers pushing for such a move believe it would not be seen as a U-turn by the coalition as it would be capital spending, on roads, rail and broadband, rather than current spending.
But the story was immediately denied by the Treasury and Lib Dem cabinet ministers Danny Alexander and Chris Huhne, who both said they "did not recognise" that figure.
"The government has set out its spending plans and is sticking to them," said a Treasury spokesman.
Mr Clegg will focus strongly on the economy in his speech - but he will not announce any new measures to boost growth.
He will also use the speech to reassure party members that they remain a distinct political force and that manifesto commitments on reducing the tax burden of the lowest-paid, providing more money for the most disadvantaged pupils and restoring the link between earnings and pensions, have been delivered.
Responding to last month's riots in England, Mr Clegg will say the disorder showed that some young people "had fallen through the cracks" and had "nothing to lose" by their actions.
"It was about what they could get here and now, not what lies in front of them tomorrow and in the years ahead," he will say.
Some of those involved "lost touch with their own future" years before the riots, he will argue.
Summer schools The Lib Dem leader will also announce a programme of catch-up summer classes for children "most in need" prior to starting secondary school.
"So often the people who have gone off the rails are the ones who were struggling years earlier," he will say. "This is a £50m investment to keep them all on the right path."
The Lib Dems have been trying to regroup after suffering heavy losses in council elections in England and Scotland.
The party also suffered a defeat in a referendum on the UK voting system, when the alternative vote campaign it backed was overwhelmingly rejected by the voters.
Despite these reverses and continuing poor poll ratings, Mr Clegg has insisted he will remain in his job "well beyond" the end of the current parliament.
The conference speech - which brings the five-day event to an end - is Mr Clegg's second as deputy prime minister and his fourth since becoming Lib Dem leader.

Darlington attack victim Jason Waters thanks brave Aimee Yule

 

Jason Waters presented Aimee Yule with flowers

The victim of a brutal street attack has told the woman who intervened that he owes her his life.

Aimee Yule, 22, stepped in to stop two drunken men from punching and stamping on Jason Waters as he lay unconscious in a Darlington street in July.
Meeting Miss Yule for the first time since the attack, Mr Waters, 22, said: "I will never be able to repay her."
Simon Taylor, 31, and Ryan Piggford, 28, from Darlington, were later jailed for inflicting grievous bodily harm.
CCTV captured the attack, in which Mr Waters was repeatedly kicked in the head and stamped on in a daylight attack.
Miss Yule, who works in a nearby taxi office, ran out to confront the attackers while motorists and shoppers looked on.
Presenting her with flowers, Mr Waters told Miss Yule that she had saved his life.
He said: "I owe her my life. There's nothing in the world I could ever do that would repay her.

 

Aimee Yule bravely held back the two attackers

 

"It was weird watching the footage. I didn't feel like it was really me on the ground, but it was."
Miss Yule said: "I could not just stand there and watch what was happening.
"It was just as though they were kicking a dog.
"Even while I was kneeling by Jason's side one of them still came back to have another go."
Police praised Miss Yule for her actions.
The attackers were each jailed for four years and eight months.
Teesside Crown Court heard how Piggford, of Greenbank Road, and Taylor, of Peabody Street, both Darlington, were drunk at the time of the attack.
Mr Waters suffered fractures to his hand and foot, but made a full recovery.

Dale Farm traveller site: Bailiffs urge end to obstruction

Fergal Keane: "Two young activists have concreted themselves in"

Bailiffs have arrived at the UK's largest illegal traveller site at Dale Farm in Essex and urged campaigners to stop obstructing the eviction process.

About 20 men in blue jackets marked "Enforcement Officer" then moved away from the site.
A spokesman for the bailiffs said he was concerned a structure erected by the campaigners had the potential to "put people's lives in danger".
As many as 400 people have been living on the 51 unauthorised caravan plots.
Meanwhile in London, 72-year-old traveller Mary Flynn, who suffers breathing problems, lost her last ditch appeal court bid to challenge her eviction Dale Farm.
At Dale Farm, Bryan Lecoche, of council-employed bailiffs Constant and Co, warned travellers and protesters there was "legal judgement which allows Basildon Council to restore this area of land back to green belt land".
He added: "There are major health and safety concerns. You have deliberately blocked the emergency access road.
"In addition I am concerned that the structure erected has the potential to put people's lives in danger."
Officials said 12 families had already left the site at Crays Hill and those remaining have built reinforcements at the six-acre site.
Basildon Council had hoped to persuade all residents to leave but accused some of stalling to delay the action until a planning hearing in late November.
Those remaining, including activists, erected a barrier but it was being taken down by council staff.
'Overwhelming support' At an earlier news conference council officials said they believed talks with residents had been aimed at delaying the evictions until 22 November when the planning inspectorate is expected to rule on an application for pitches on land nearby.
Council leader Tony Ball said: "If they do not allow us in then we will begin action. Once it starts it will move swiftly and the site will be cleared even though it might take six to eight weeks."
Electricity would be turned off for the safety of the operatives who would go in to the site but Mr Ball would not give an exact time when the evictions will begin.

Councillor Tony Ball: "I would much rather we reached a peaceful solution"

"My personal concern is over the introduction of outsiders who may have their own agenda and not have the interests of the travellers at heart," he said.
"I have also been told that these protesters on the site now outnumber the travellers."
He added: "The overwhelming number of callers to the council support our action and approach."
The cleared site would also be left so that it could not be re-entered, he said.
Essex Police said their presence at Dale Farm was intended to keep the peace and ensure anyone breaking the law was dealt with but no arrests had been made so far.
Supporters inside the site said they wanted Basildon Council to provide 62 plots to temporarily house those made homeless while planning permission was sought for other sites.
The council said it had so far received 56 homelessness applications.
The Liberal Democrat chairman of the All Party Parliamentary group for Gypsy Roma travellers, Andrew George, said he had hoped the dispute could be resolved through negotiation.
But he said he was also aware the traveller issue was a national one as there were not enough legal sites for them to go to.
'Elderly and sick' Travellers inside Dale Farm reacted angrily to claims that only activists remain inside the perimeter.
Resident Kathleen McCarthy said: "The elderly and sick are here and we will stay. That bluff won't work with us."
At the High Court on Monday afternoon Mrs Flynn's appeal was rejected by Lord Justice Pill.
Her counsel, Stephen Cottle, said she was "too frail" to be evicted, and "dispossessing" her of her land would be "disproportionate" under human rights laws.
But Lord Justice Pill dismissed Mrs Flynn's application for permission to appeal against a High Court judge's refusal last month to grant a temporary injunction to halt or delay the evictions.
Jan Jarab, the European representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said he had made an offer to the British government to help with negotiations, citing his experience in similar situations elsewhere in Europe.
Mr Jarab was "informally told that wouldn't happen", he said.
"Obviously the forced eviction of hundreds of people including women and children is something to be avoided if there are alternatives," he said.
BBC correspondent Fergal Keane, who is inside the illegal part of the site, said: "There is now about an equal split between travellers and supporters. The travellers are certainly grateful for the support of the activists."
It is thought many of the residents have moved to the legal area which is not subject to the eviction order.
Dale Farm is a former scrapyard that was bought by several traveller families who moved on to the site a decade ago.
Within a year other families had bought patches of land and moved their caravans there but it has been the council's case that this part of the site is greenbelt land.
These moves were brought to the attention of local council planners who applied for the people to be moved which sparked a long legal battle at the same time as more travellers arrived to make their homes on the site.
Travellers upgraded their homes by replacing caravans with chalets and other semi-permanent structures.
The legal battle ended when Basildon Council was given authority to begin evictions earlier this year.

 

Part of the Dale Farm site is at the centre of the dispute

Lib Dem conference: Activists fail in bid for NHS vote

 

Despite major changes to the health bill, critics are still unhappy

Lib Dem activists have failed in a bid to force a vote on controversial NHS changes at their autumn conference.

Former MP Evan Harris had led calls for delegates to be allowed to vote on legislation going through Parliament overhauling how care is commissioned and the health service is regulated.
Delegates backed his call but not by the two-thirds majority needed.
Critics say the NHS plans, already heavily modified, amount to partial privatisation and should be dropped.
The government revised its plan to restructure the NHS in England - which will see primary care trusts abolished and responsibility for commissioning care transferred to GP-led consortia - following a "listening exercise" earlier this year.
The Lib Dem leadership, which pushed for far-reaching changes to the original proposals amid concerns about levels of competition, indicated they were satisfied with the modified package.
But medical professionals are still opposed to parts of the bill, which they say they will give the private sector too much power and dilute accountability, and some Lib Dem MPs are still unhappy.
Mr Harris wanted to push the plans to a vote of Lib Dem delegates at their annual five-day conference in Birmingham, arguing that they were not included in the coalition agreement endorsed by party members after the 2010 general election.
Activists said a vote would also make the party's views clear as the plans are debated in Parliament.
'Own goal' However, they failed in a challenge to conference rules, which would have ensured a vote on the issue.
Activists voted by 235 votes to 183 in favour of allowing an emergency motion on the shake-up to be debated on the conference floor but it did not pass the threshold for consideration.
Deputy leader Simon Hughes had warned against such a move, saying a new "shopping list" of demands on the NHS would be equivalent to "micro-managing" government policy.
"Don't score an own goal by unstitching a balanced conference," he said.
Delegates will still get an opportunity to discuss the revised NHS plans in a debate on Wednesday but the possibility of a rebellion over the issue has been averted.
Coalition ministers and critics of the proposals, such as Mr Harris and Baroness Williams, will also take part in a question and answer session on the plans on Tuesday.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has said claims that the NHS is set to be privatised is "ludicrous scaremongering" and the plans will give more power and choice to patients and cut bureaucracy.

Unions to ballot on nationwide pension strikes

The UK's biggest public sector union is to ballot members for mass strikes over pension contribution rises.

Unison's leader Dave Prentis told the TUC's annual conference the action would involve the "fight of our lives" for its 1.1 million members.
Extended, co-ordinated strikes could start in late November. The Fire Brigades Union has also said it will hold a ballot.
But the government said widespread action would leave the public " angry".
Ministers are seeking increases in pension contributions from next April, while millions of workers continue to face a pay freeze.
'Can win' Proposing a motion calling for mass strikes to the TUC conference, Mr Prentis said: "We've had enough. We've been patient, co-operative and we must say enough is enough.
"If we don't say it now, they [the government] will be back for more and more and more again.
"We will engage with them... but if they impose change by diktat, we will take industrial action."
He added: "It's the fight of our lives. I know it's an over-used cliché, but make no mistake, this is it."
Mr Prentis, who won a standing ovation from delegates, was followed by series of other union representatives, who backed the action.
Public and Commercial Services Union general secretary Mark Serwotka said "millions" of people could go out on strike, adding: "Marching together we can win."
The TUC executive also supports industrial action.
Unions and the government have been in talks over pension contribution rises since the beginning of the year.
'Disappointed and angry' The coalition argues that rises in employees' payments are fair and will make schemes sustainable despite an ageing population.
Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude, who is leading the pension negotiations for the government, said: "The unions' own members want to be going to work. They don't want to give up a day's pay at a time when we are all of us working under constraints.
"Unions need to think about the effect on the public and the damage that will be done to public sympathy for the public sector."
Mr Maude said talks over pensions had made "some progress" since they started nine months ago, but unions needed to demonstrate "proper engagement".
Widespread strikes would leave the public "disappointed and angry", he added.
Labour leader Ed Miliband was heckled at the TUC conference on Tuesday when he told unions that a one-day strike in June over pensions had been a "mistake" and urged them to continue the talks with the government.
The conference ends on Wednesday.

Top MPs at risk in shake-up of English constituencies

 

There will be 50 fewer MPs after the next election

Some of the most high-profile MPs in Parliament face seeing their seats disappear as part of a far-reaching shake-up of the Commons map in 2015.

Ken Clarke, Chris Huhne and Tessa Jowell are among those affected by Boundary Commission plans for England and Northern Ireland.
The proposals are part of a move to cut the number of MPs by 50 to 600 by the next general election.
Details for Wales and Scotland will be published at a later date.
Under plans approved by Parliament in February, England, Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland will all see their parliamentary representation reduced after the next election, due in May 2015.
The government believes a smaller Commons will lower the cost of politics, saving £12m, while the system will be fairer as the number of registered voters in each constituency will be more uniform.
Independent recommendations But some Labour MPs have accused the coalition of gerrymandering while some Lib Dems are reported to be unhappy about the prospect of losing seats in the shake-up - agreed as a package earlier this year in combination with May's referendum on the voting system.
The Boundary Commission for England has given details of all 502 constituencies, broken down into nine English regions, in which elections are likely to be held in 2015. It is launching a two year consultation into the proposals.
The full details of allocated English seats, compared to 2010, are:

• South East England: 83 seats (-1)
• North West England: 68 (-7)
• London - 68 seats (-5)
• Eastern England: 56 seats (-2)
• Yorkshire and Humber: 50 seats (-4)
• West Midlands: 54 seats (-5)
• South West England: 53 seats (-2)
• East Midlands: 44 seats (-2)
• North East England: 26 seats (-3)

Senior figures from all parties are likely to be affected by the changes.
Justice Secretary Ken Clarke's existing Rushcliffe constituency in Nottinghamshire would cease to exist in its current form under the plans.
Its voters would split between four proposed seats - Broxtowe, Coalville and Keyworth, Newark and Nottingham South and West Bridgford.
Chancellor George Osborne's Tatton constituency in Cheshire would also disappear, with its voters divided between the newly proposed seat of Northwich and existing Tory-held Macclesfield.
Labour fights Shadow Cabinet members Ed Balls and Hilary Benn could face a fight for one seat if their constituencies in West Yorkshire are partly amalgamated.
Mr Benn's Leeds Central constituency would effectively be abolished, with 45% of its voters transferred to the new constituency of Leeds South and Outwood.

MPS WHOSE SEATS ARE UNDER THREAT

• George Osborne, Ken Clarke, Hugh Robertson (Tories)
• Ed Balls, Hilary Benn, Tessa Jowell, Chuka Umunna (Labour)
• Chris Huhne, Vince Cable, Tim Farron (Lib Dems)
• Caroline Lucas (Green Party)

The shadow chancellor's existing Morley and Outwood constituency would also be redrawn, with more than half of its existing voters transferring to Leeds South and Outwood.

As part of major changes in London, the Dulwich and West Norwood seat of former Cabinet minister Tessa Jowell would disappear and be split into three while frontbencher Chuka Umunna would see his Streatham seat divided up four ways.
Under the outline proposals, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg's Sheffield Hallam seat will be redesignated as Sheffield West and Penistone.
The deputy prime minister is expected to face a strong Labour challenge at the 2015 poll.
Other Lib Dems who could be under pressure include Chris Huhne, Vince Cable and Tim Farron.
Energy Secretary Mr Huhne's Eastleigh constituency would be split in two under the plans, with nearly half its voters transferring to the newly proposed Hedge End and Hamble seat.
Business Secretary Vince Cable, MP for Twickenham, could potentially find himself up against millionaire Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith, MP for Richmond Park, if they both choose to fight the newly proposed Richmond and Twickenham seat.
Options for MPs A handful of MPs face the prospect of their existing constituencies being divided up five ways. These include Tories Philip Davies (MP for Shipley) and Nigel Adams (MP for Selby and Ainsty).
Mr Cameron, MP for Witney, and Labour leader Ed Miliband, MP for Doncaster North, are among 77 people whose constituencies would be unaffected by the changes.

PROPOSED SEAT ALLOCATIONS

• England: 502 (-31)
• Scotland: 52 (-7)
• Wales: 30 (-10)
• Northern Ireland: 16 (-2)

Others whose seats remain wholly intact include Home Secretary Theresa May, MP for Maidenhead and Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, MP for South West Surrey.

MPs whose constituencies are set to be effectively abolished will have to find another seat to contest if they wish to remain in Parliament, leading to a fierce scramble in the run-up to the next election.
Options open to them include applying for selection in a new seat whose boundaries closely resemble their old one or going up against another MP for the right to represent a different seat.
Another option for MPs is to succeed any MP who chooses to retire and not stand again in 2015.
'Clear rules' MPs will be able to "appeal" against the provisional changes during a 12-week consultation taking place between now and December.
The Boundary Commission will publish revised proposals next year which will also be subject to exhaustive consultation before finally being submitted to Parliament for approval by October 2013.
It is encouraging the public to engage with the process and give their feedback on its proposals - including the names of constituencies - during a series of open hearings in October and November.

THE PROPOSED CHANGES

• The number of seats will fall from 650 to 600
• Almost all constituencies will have between 72,810 and 80,473 registered voters
• Three constituencies - Western Isles, Shetland and Orkney and Isle of Wight - will be excluded from this quota due to their distinctive geography
• Isle of Wight gains second MP
• Final proposals to be submitted to Parliament for approval by October 2013

• Belfast seat to go in NI shake-up

"Parliament has set clear rules on what we can and can't do when it comes to developing our initial proposals," said the Commission's secretary Simon James.

"The Commission was given clear principles and from that starting point we have found a solution that we think best meets Parliament's rules.
"Now we want to know what people think of our initial proposals."
Details of proposed changes to Scottish constituencies will be published next month while the likely make-up of seats in Wales will become clear in January.
One election expert said the political outcome of the shake-up would be to reduce but not eliminate the existing "bias" in the electoral map against the Conservatives, created by population shifts and the number of constituencies in England compared to Scotland and Wales.
Professor John Curtice, from the University of Strathclyde, said Conservative seats tended to be larger and turnout higher, meaning their MPs needed to gain more votes to get elected than their Labour counterparts and the party achieve a higher share of the vote to secure a majority.

Ex-Tory Lords Hanningfield and Taylor freed from jail

 

Lord Hanningfield and Lord Taylor were among six parliamentarians jailed for expenses fraud

Ex-Conservative peers Lord Taylor of Warwick and Lord Hanningfield have been released early from jail sentences for fiddling parliamentary expenses.

Former Essex County Council leader Lord Hanningfield was jailed for nine months in July for falsely claiming almost £14,000 for overnight stays in London.
Lord Taylor was jailed for a year in May for fraudulently claiming £11,277.
It is understood they were freed on curfew with electronic tags, having served a quarter of their term.
The Prison Service does not comment on individual cases but a spokesman said home detention was used for "low-risk prisoners", serving sentences of between three months and four years, who had spent at least 30 days behind bars.
Both peers had said during their trials that submitting false claims was accepted practice among members of the Lords.
The pair were among six parliamentarians to be imprisoned following the expenses scandal, along with former Labour MPs Eric Illsley, David Chaytor, Jim Devine and Elliot Morley.
Lord Taylor, 58, was found guilty of six charges of false accounting over claims for travel costs and subsistence.
'Entitled' to claim He had listed his main residence as a home in Oxford, which was owned by his nephew, while he actually lived in a flat in Ealing, west London.
Lord Hanningfield, 70, was found guilty of six similar charges after claiming overnight subsistence when he was not in the capital.
He had appealed against conviction on the basis the original trial judge had misdirected the jury over an element in his defence - that he believed he was entitled to make the claims as they conformed with the accepted practice of the Lords at the time.
However, the Court of Appeal rejected his argument.

 

The Lords' expenses system has been reformed since the scandal emerged

The trial jury had heard that Lord Hanningfield was in poor health and had been diagnosed with clinical depression.
The former pig farmer said he had treated the Lords expenses for staying overnight in London as an allowance for living outside the capital and spent just "a minute a month" completing his claim forms.
He insisted his parliamentary duties had left him thousands of pounds out of pocket and said he had "averaged out" his claims to recoup some of the money he spent.
At the time, peers - who are not paid a salary - were able to claim up to £174-a-night when attending Parliament, if their main home was outside London, along with a daily allowance to cover out-of-pocket costs for office work, food and taxis.
However, reforms introduced in the wake of the parliamentary expenses scandal have meant that - since last October - they have been eligible for a daily attendance allowance of £300, or £150 for those attending only part of a sitting day.
This is intended to cover all daily and overnight subsistence, and office costs. Some travel costs are dealt with separately.

Ed Miliband seeks banker disciplinary code

 

Nobody has paid the price for the financial crisis, Ed Miliband says

Labour leader Ed Miliband has given his backing to suggestions that bankers should face being struck off if they are deemed unfit to do the job.

He told the Sunday Times that the banking industry should "take some responsibility" by stopping wrongdoers.
Striking off bankers in the same way as doctors can be was proposed last year by a cross-party commission.
Mr Miliband said: "Nobody has paid the price for [the financial crisis] - that is what really angers people."
An independent banking report, to be published on Monday, is likely to call for banks to split retail operations from their riskier investment activity to help try to prevent a repeat of the economic crisis.
But the Labour leader called for more action, even if such a step was taken.
He said: "Bankers say the era of remorse is over, but that's not good enough. I just don't think anything has really changed.
"There is a sense they just don't get it. This is nothing to do with the politics of envy. It is to do with the sense of real destruction caused by bankers, for which other people paid the price."

Tougher capital requirements and ring-fencing will be bitterly opposed by the banks, who will now lobby hard to water them down”

Brendan Barber TUC general secretary

 

Calling for the creation of a disciplinary code similar to that observed by doctors and lawyers, he went on: "I think the industry should take some responsibility, and strike people off who do the wrong thing."

The idea for striking off bad bankers was put forward in June last year by the cross-party Future of Banking Commission, which included Business Secretary Vince Cable.
Meanwhile, the Trades Union Congress (TUC), which is meeting in London this week, has urged the government to stand up to banks and follow through with proposed changes to the banking system.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber is set to tell delegates on the opening day of a three-day conference that recommendations by the Independent Commission on Banking, chaired by Sir John Vickers, should be defended against attacks by the banks.
In a speech to the Congress, he is expected say: "The Vickers team have been asked how to make the banks safe, but the real question is how we make them useful.
"Tougher capital requirements and ring-fencing will be bitterly opposed by the banks, who will now lobby hard to water them down. They should be resisted."

Gunman Raoul Moat 'may have shot himself twice'

 

Raoul Moat had been on the run for a week

Gunman Raoul Moat may have shot himself twice in the head, the inquest into his death has heard.

A police negotiator said he heard what he thought was two shots, before the former doorman's head "fell back".
He described himself as "in the zone" - concentrating on Moat - and was not aware of any Tasers being fired during the stand-off in Rothbury.
The inquest was also told Moat felt like King Kong or the Incredible Hulk while on the run from the police.
The negotiator said that he heard a sound like shotgun, followed by what he believed to be was Moat screaming out with pain, possibly because the cartridge had grazed or missed him.
After a second "pop" he saw Moat's head go back, leading him to believe he had shot himself twice in the head.

Toys burnt
 
Earlier, a recording the former doorman had made during the manhunt was played, in which he said he hated himself.
The jury was told he was paranoid, suspicious, mistrustful of authority and blamed others for his misfortune.

“Start Quote

I feel like King Kong when he's right at the top of that building, all messed up, when he's in a real mess”

Raoul Moat

 

These feelings could have been the result of a traumatic childhood, in which he was beaten and once saw his mother burn all his toys, it was said.

Moat himself had said an expert had suggested his feelings could be linked to rejection from his mother but said he didn't understand "that kind of thing".
But according to a forensic psychologist brought in to advise negotiators during a stand-off with armed police, Moat was not mentally ill.
Moat had gone on the run after critically injuring his ex-partner, Samantha Stobbart, killing her new boyfriend, Chris Brown, and shooting PC David Rathband in the face, blinding him.
He eventually died in Rothbury, Northumberland, after the stand-off.

'Wild animal'
 
In the recording made on a portable dictation device, Moat said: "I feel like King Kong when he's right at the top of that building, all messed up, when he's in a real mess.
"I hate myself. I do hate myself.

 

The six-hour stand-off took place in Rothbury

 

"It is a part of me. I'm like the Incredible Hulk.
"It is not anger, it is something completely different. It is just like a wild animal and it's been there all my life."
He added that he was not sure whether his parents had "put it there" or if it had "always been there".
"A psychologist said it has got something to do with my mother and rejection", he said.
"I don't know, I don't understand that kind of thing."
The jury heard from forensic psychologist John Hughes, who had prepared a psychological assessment based on letters seized from Moat's home and the telephone calls and recordings he made while on the run.
 
'Feeling jumpy'
 
Mr Hughes said: "He feels like there is a huge, terrible, angry person in there.
"I did not interpret it to mean in a bigger picture there was any mental illness at that point.
"If you look at his behaviour as a whole there is not the sort of chaotic disorder and failure to plan there would be if he was mentally ill."
A letter written by a psychologist to Moat's doctor following an assessment in 2006 described Moat as saying he felt "jumpy all the time".
It added: "He has concealed an axe and a crossbow in his bedroom, he worries people may break in."
The inquest, at Newcastle Crown Court, is expected to last for a further three weeks.

Foreign Office issues terror advice to Britons in US

 

Michael Bloomberg said security would be increased even though the threat was uncorroborated

The Foreign Office has warned British citizens in the US to remain vigilant ahead of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on Sunday.

Stateside officials have warned of a "specific, credible threat", possibly targeting New York or Washington DC.
"Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers," said the Foreign Office.
However, the updated advice did not warn against visiting specific areas.
The full Foreign Office advice says: "There is a general threat from terrorism in the United States. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
"In light of the publicity surrounding the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we remind British nationals of the global threat of terrorism and need to remain vigilant."
Speaking on Thursday, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the threat was "uncorroborated", but security would be boosted at bridges, tunnels and on public transport.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly added that spot checks in the New York subway would be more frequent in coming days.
Meanwhile, British officials said there has been no change to the threat level in the UK, which was reduced from "severe" to "substantial" in July, meaning an attack is considered a "strong possibility".

RAF Brize Norton centre hosts first repatriation

 

Corteges will leave a purpose-built £2.8m repatriation centre at RAF Brize Norton

RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire will host its first military repatriation later when the body of a Berkshire royal marine is returned to the UK.

Sgt Barry Weston, from Reading and of Plymouth-based 42 Commando, was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
His body will be the first to arrive at the £2.8m purpose built centre, near Carterton, since repatriations were moved from RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire.
The cortege will pass a new memorial garden on the outskirts of the town.
Father-of-three Sgt Weston, 40, died on a foot patrol in Sukmanda in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province in August.
Special journey Previously repatriations arriving at RAF Lyneham passed through the streets of Wootton Bassett where residents would line the streets.
Corteges leaving Brize Norton will pass through the newly named Britannia Gate at the base but will avoid the town centre of Carterton.
Concerns have been raised by soldiers' relatives over the level of support that will be shown at the memorial garden, which is a 15 minute walk from the town centre, because people would have to make a special journey there to pay their respects.
Maj John Thorneloe, whose son Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe was repatriated to RAF Lyneham in 2009, said: "It's one thing for people to turn out in the streets of a town and welcome those coming home, but it's another thing for people to drive into an open space, decide where to park their cars and do it as though it wasn't an involuntary thing."
The bodies of 345 services personnel have passed through Wootton Bassett over the past four years.

Shafilea Ahmed: Parents charged with murder

 

A coroner ruled that Shafilea Ahmed was unlawfully killed

 

The parents of Cheshire schoolgirl Shafilea Ahmed have been charged with her murder.

The 17-year-old was last seen in her home town of Warrington in September 2003.
Her decomposed remains were found on the banks of the River Kent in Cumbria in February 2004.
Iftikhar Ahmed, 51, and Farzana Ahmed, 48, of Liverpool Road, Great Sankey, Warrington, have now been charged with murder, Cheshire Police said.
They are due to appear at Halton Magistrates' Court later.
Mr and Mrs Ahmed were arrested on suspicion of her murder in 2010 and released on police bail.
The Crown Prosecution Service authorised Cheshire Constabulary to charge them on Wednesday.
They have always denied any involvement in their daughter's death.
At an inquest into Ms Ahmed's death, a coroner recorded a verdict of unlawful killing, saying he believed she was probably murdered.

Televised sentencing in English courts 'considered'

 

The top civil judge in the country has said filming should be allowed in courts such as the Old Bailey

The government is considering whether to allow some sentencing in English and Welsh courts to be televised.

A government spokesman said it was considering proposals to allow limited recording and transmission from courts.
Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke said televising judges' comments was a good idea which would help demystify the legal process.
Critics have said prisoners could be at risk if personal information and previous convictions were revealed.
Under the proposals, the trials themselves and the verdicts delivered by the jury would not be filmed.
BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said sources at both Downing Street and the Ministry of Justice had confirmed the government was "seriously considering" the plans in the interests of greater transparency.
He said an announcement would be made in due course however sources had denied reports that the announcement would be made by the prime minister in a forthcoming speech on crime.
Mr Clarke said said there was "no good reason" why televising courts could not happen.
But he added that he favoured proceeding cautiously, starting with the Court of Appeal and including the Crown Courts later.
He said: "I think what we need is public information, public confidence and above all transparency in the way the system works.

There are all sorts of dangers which have to be carefully examined and a balance obtained, and that balance is not an easy one because all you're concentrating on is the judge”

Julian Young Solicitor advocate

 

"There's a lot of misunderstanding on how the criminal justice system works. What we don't want is theatre and we don't want to alter the behaviour or the conduct of the trial. We want to encourage people to have confidence in it.

"But, I can see no good reason why we shouldn't have television cameras allowed to record and give to the public the remarks of the judge."
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said the Lord Chancellor was consulting with senior judges on the proposals after renewed calls from broadcasters for filming to be allowed.
'Very cruel' The director of public prosecutions, many judges and some lawyers were cautiously enthusiastic; however, some had argued that not seeing the trials themselves would hamper viewers' understanding of sentencing.
Shadow Justice Secretary Sadiq Khan said: "I believe that public understanding of and confidence in our legal system would improve if judges' verdicts were televised.
"However, it will be extremely important to ensure that careful controls are in place to protect jurors, victims and witnesses, particularly in complex and high-profile cases."
In March, the top civil judge in England and Wales suggested televising hearings to increase confidence in justice.
Master of the Rolls Lord Neuberger said broadcasting some cases could boost public engagement in the court process.
Filming ban But Julian Young, a solicitor advocate - a solicitor qualified to represent clients in the higher courts - said prisoners could be put at risk if all the judge's remarks, including personal information and previous convictions, were televised.
"The general prison population can be very cruel towards other prisoners they may see as being weak," he said.

TELEVISED COURTS

• Scotland: Some court cases are televised; they included proceedings involving Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.
• United States: Some courts allow the use of camera equipment, but not federal or supreme courts.
• South Africa: Trials involving government officials are televised
• International Criminal Court in The Hague: Proceedings involving alleged war criminals are broadcast

Mr Young said there could be difficulties in that the public would not be hearing what the prosecutor or defence lawyer had said.

He said that problems could arise if, for example, "the public gallery decided to erupt" half way through the judge's speech or if people misbehaved in court in order to gain publicity.
"There are all sorts of dangers which have to be carefully examined and a balance obtained, and that balance is not an easy one because all you're concentrating on is the judge," he added.
Filming in English courts has been banned since 1925. Cameras have been allowed in Scotland's courts since 1992 but only if all parties involved have given their consent.
Acquittal concerns This is not the first time such plans have been considered. In 2000 there were reports that a committee headed by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine of Lairg, was looking at something similar. But the then government denied this was the case.
Peter Lodder QC, chairman of the Bar Council, told the Today programme that there has been "mounting pressure for what is described as transparency, but which is really simply a wider communication of the way courts operate.
"And I don't think in the vast majority of cases, and with some care, that that's necessarily a bad thing."
But Charles Harris, last year's president of the Council of Circuit Judges, also told Today: "A trial is actually an entity of various parts, and you can't legitimately split it up into bits and pieces.
"What about a defendant who doesn't agree to [filming], is sentenced in the full light of publicity and then appeals and is acquitted?"

Dale Farm: Essex Travellers' eviction dates set

 

Travellers are set to be evicted from the site later this month

The eviction of travellers from the UK's largest illegal site will take place during the week commencing 19 September.

About 400 people face eviction from Dale Farm, at Crays Hill, Essex, by Basildon Council.
The deadline for them to leave the illegal site passed last Wednesday.
A United Nations committee has called on the government to suspend the eviction but the council said it would be going ahead.
Families are to be evicted from 400 illegal pitches, built at the site without planning permission.
The UN's Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination said the eviction would disproportionately affect family life and create hardship.
It called on the government to suspend it "until culturally appropriate accommodation is identified and provided".
But the Department for Communities and Local Government said the council was within its rights to press ahead with the eviction.
Supporters of the Travellers have established a protest camp, called Camp Constant, at the site and have pledged to help the Travellers resist eviction through non-violent means.