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.