'Bedroom Tax' To Hit Thousands Of Families

By Emma Birchley, East Of England Correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The change is expected to affect 660,000 claimants.

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

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

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Food Bills May Rise Amid Growing Meat Tests

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Top Pupils Two Years Behind Those In Asia

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky Correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Pollard's BBC Review Evidence To Be Released

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Abuse Inquiry Uses Posters To Find Victims

By David Blevins, Ireland Correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Private Firms 'Better To Run Prisons', Report

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Oldham Blast: Man Jailed Over Toddler Death

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

A man who blew up his house and killed a toddler who lived next door has been jailed for 10 years.

Andrew Partington, 28, admitted the manslaughter of two-year-old Jamie Heaton who died when his house collapsed due to the force of the gas explosion.

The toddler had been watching his favourite programme on TV while his mother, Michelle, was hanging out washing outside their home in Shaw near Oldham.

It is believed Partington, who lived next door, had cut his own gas pipes following a row with his partner, Tania Williams.

Partington allegedly cut his own gas pipes

Manchester Crown Court heard Partington was often violent towards her and the night before the explosion she had left with their five children and gone to stay with relatives in Rochdale.

The court heard Partington then sent Ms Williams messages from his Blackberry, including one at 11.31pm which read: "Told u next time u live me house go. Whith me u left your kids with no dad no home good bye boom gas pipe cut allredy fild up boom."

Andrew Menary QC told the court there was a "massive explosion" at 11.15am on June 26 last year which was the result of the ignition of gas which had built up over more than 11 hours.

The court heard the explosion "obliterated" Partington's house on Buckley Street and the Heaton's home next door.

Police who were patrolling nearby saw debris falling from the sky. When they arrived on Buckley Street they said the destruction was like a "scene from a warzone".

Jamie Heaton was crushed to death under the weight of falling rubble.

Victim Jamie Heaton

Partington suffered 39% burns in the explosion and spent several weeks in hospital. He also admitted destroying eight homes. The court heard the cost of repairing the damage is likely to total several millions of pounds.

When he was arrested Partington accepted he had been drinking heavily before the explosion and accepted he could have cut the gas pipes but told police his intention would have been to harm himself and no-one else.

The court was told we will never know whether the gas was ignited deliberately or whether it was done accidentally, by the lighting of a cigarette.

Adam Roxborough, defending, said Partington was truly sorry and had written "if he could give his life to bring Jamie back he would".

Jamie's parents, Kenny and Michelle, were in court to see their former neighbour jailed and wept as the details of what happened were read out.

An aerial view of the devastation caused by the gas blast

Speaking ahead of Tuesday's hearing they described their devastation at losing their beloved son, as well as "everything" they owned.

Mrs Heaton said they were "angry that (Partington) could be so selfish" and that now they were trying to focus their lives on their other two children and the charity set up in Jamie's memory, the Jamie's Something Special Memorial Fund.

Following the sentencing, Ian Rushton from the Crown Prosecution Service said the jail-term would "give Andrew Partington time to reflect on the immeasurable pain that his actions have caused Jamie's family and the extensive damage he has caused to people's homes and lives". 

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Older Women To Get IVF Treatment On The NHS

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has said women aged 40 to 42 will be allowed one cycle of IVF so long as it is their first attempt.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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MPs: Tax Dodgers 'Should Be Named And Shamed'

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

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

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

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

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

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

Margaret Hodge chairs the Public Accounts Committee

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Hilary Mantel: Kate Is A 'Plastic Princess'

Pregnant Kate: Baby Bump On Show

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

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Stafford Hospital: Police Probe New Evidence

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

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

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

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

Robert Francis QC's report found numerous serious failings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Half Of Train Firms Lagging In Passenger Poll

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Teenager Shot Dead In East London

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A post-mortem examination is to be arranged.

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Horsemeat: Ministers Were Warned In 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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