Climate impacts 'overwhelming' - UN

31 March 2014 Last updated at 12:35 By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent, BBC News, Yokohama, Japan

The impacts of global warming are likely to be "severe, pervasive and irreversible", a major report by the UN has warned.

Scientists and officials meeting in Japan say the document is the most comprehensive assessment to date of the impacts of climate change on the world.

Some impacts of climate change include a higher risk of flooding and changes to crop yields and water availability.

Humans may be able to adapt to some of these changes, but only within limits.

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An example of an adaptation strategy would be the construction of sea walls and levees to protect against flooding. Another might be introducing more efficient irrigation for farmers in areas where water is scarce.

Natural systems are currently bearing the brunt of climatic changes, but a growing impact on humans is feared.

Members of the UN's climate panel say it provides overwhelming evidence of the scale of these effects.

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"Start Quote

Nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change"

End Quote Rajendra Pachauri Chairman, IPCC

Our health, homes, food and safety are all likely to be threatened by rising temperatures, the summary says.

The report was agreed after almost a week of intense discussions here in Yokohama, which included concerns among some authors about the tone of the evolving document.

This is the second of a series from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) due out this year that outlines the causes, effects and solutions to global warming.

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Analysis

The prognosis on the climate isn't good - but the doctor's changing his bedside manner with the people in charge of the planet's health.

The report's chair, Dr Chris Field, is worried that an apocalyptic tone will frighten politicians so much that they'll abandon the Earth to its fate.

There is nothing inevitable about the worst impacts on people and nature, Dr Field says. We can cut emissions to reduce the risks of catastrophe and adapt to some changes that will inevitably occur.

We have to re-frame climate change as an exciting challenge for the most creative minds.

Cutting local air pollution from, say coal, can also reduce carbon emissions that cause warming; creating decent homes for poor people in countries like Bangladesh can improve lives whilst removing them from the path of flood surges.

Some will criticise Dr Field for being too upbeat. But many politicians have gone deaf to the old-style warnings. Maybe it's worth a new approach.

This latest Summary for Policymakers document highlights the fact that the amount of scientific evidence on the impacts of warming has almost doubled since the last report in 2007.

Be it the melting of glaciers or warming of permafrost, the summary highlights the fact that on all continents and across the oceans, changes in the climate have caused impacts on natural and human systems in recent decades.

In the words of the report, "increasing magnitudes of warming increase the likelihood of severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts".

"Nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change,'' IPCC chairman Rajendra Pachauri told journalists at a news conference in Yokohama.

Dr Saleemul Huq, a convening lead author on one of the chapters, commented: "Before this we thought we knew this was happening, but now we have overwhelming evidence that it is happening and it is real."

Michel Jarraud, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization, said that, previously, people could have damaged the Earth's climate out of "ignorance".

"Now, ignorance is no longer a good excuse," he said.

Mr Jarraud said the report was based on more than 12,000 peer-reviewed scientific studies. He said this document was "the most solid evidence you can get in any scientific discipline".

US Secretary of State John Kerry commented: "Unless we act dramatically and quickly, science tells us our climate and our way of life are literally in jeopardy. Denial of the science is malpractice."

He added: "No single country causes climate change, and no one country can stop it. But we need to match the urgency of our response with the scale of the science."

Ed Davey, the UK Energy and Climate Secretary said: "The science has clearly spoken. Left unchecked, climate change will impact on many aspects of our society, with far reaching consequences to human health, global food security and economic development.

"The recent flooding in the UK is a testament to the devastation that climate change could bring to our daily lives."

The report details significant short-term impacts on natural systems in the next 20 to 30 years. It details five reasons for concern that would likely increase as a result of the warming the world is already committed to.

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British winters are likely to become milder and wetter like the last one but cold spells still need to be planned for, says the UK Met Office.

Summers are likely to be hotter and drier, but washouts are still on the cards, it adds.

The assessment of future weather extremes finds the role of human influence is "detectable" in summer heatwaves and in intense rainfall.

However, the Met Office says a lot more work must be done to confirm the links.

If the study is correct, it means everything from gumboots to snowploughs and sunscreen to anoraks will still be needed.

These include threats to unique systems such as Arctic sea ice and coral reefs, where risks are said to increase to "very high" with a 2C rise in temperatures.

The summary document outlines impacts on the seas and on freshwater systems as well. The oceans will become more acidic, threatening coral and the many species that they harbour.

On land, animals, plants and other species will begin to move towards higher ground or towards the poles as the mercury rises.

Humans, though, are also increasingly affected as the century goes on.

Food security is highlighted as an area of significant concern. Crop yields for maize, rice and wheat are all hit in the period up to 2050, with around a tenth of projections showing losses over 25%.

After 2050, the risk of more severe yield impacts increases, as boom-and-bust cycles affect many regions. All the while, the demand for food from a population estimated to be around nine billion will rise.

Many fish species, a critical food source for many, will also move because of warmer waters.

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What is the IPCC?

In its own words, the IPCC is there "to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of knowledge in climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic impacts".

The offspring of two UN bodies, the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme, it has issued four heavyweight assessment reports to date on the state of the climate.

These are commissioned by the governments of 195 countries, essentially the entire world. These reports are critical in informing the climate policies adopted by these governments.

The IPCC itself is a small organisation, run from Geneva with a full time staff of 12. All the scientists who are involved with it do so on a voluntary basis.

In some parts of the tropics and in Antarctica, potential catches could decline by more than 50%.

"This is a sobering assessment," said Prof Neil Adger from the University of Exeter, another IPCC author.

"Going into the future, the risks only increase, and these are about people, the impacts on crops, on the availability of water and particularly, the extreme events on people's lives and livelihoods."

People will be affected by flooding and heat related mortality. The report warns of new risks including the threat to those who work outside, such as farmers and construction workers. There are concerns raised over migration linked to climate change, as well as conflict and national security.

Report co-author Maggie Opondo of the University of Nairobi said that in places such as Africa, climate change and extreme events mean "people are going to become more vulnerable to sinking deeper into poverty".

While the poorer countries are likely to suffer more in the short term, the rich won't escape.

"The rich are going to have to think about climate change. We're seeing that in the UK, with the floods we had a few months ago, and the storms we had in the US and the drought in California," said Dr Huq.

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IPCC Chairman Rajendra Pachauri said the findings in the report were "profound"

"These are multibillion dollar events that the rich are going to have to pay for, and there's a limit to what they can pay."

But it is not all bad news, as the co-chair of the working group that drew up the report points out.

"I think the really big breakthrough in this report is the new idea of thinking about managing climate change as a problem in managing risks," said Dr Chris Field.

"Climate change is really important but we have a lot of the tools for dealing effectively with it - we just need to be smart about it."

There is far greater emphasis to adapting to the impacts of climate in this new summary. The problem, as ever, is who foots the bill?

"It is not up to IPCC to define that," said Dr Jose Marengo, a Brazilian government official who attended the talks.

"It provides the scientific basis to say this is the bill, somebody has to pay, and with the scientific grounds it is relatively easier now to go to the climate negotiations in the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and start making deals about who will pay for adaptation."

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Network Rail plans £38bn investment

31 March 2014 Last updated at 08:06

Network Rail has announced a five-year plan to invest £38bn in rail infrastructure.

It includes the construction of new tracks, the renovation of stations and the upgrade of existing lines.

The announcement comes after it emerged that Network Rail was expecting a record fine of £70m for delays suffered by passengers over the past five years.

It blamed congestion and extreme weather for the delays, but said it was disappointed by its performance.

'Bigger, better'

In a statement accompanying Monday's announcement about its investment plans Mark Carne, chief executive of Network Rail, said: "Passenger numbers in recent years have grown far beyond even our own industry's predictions, so it's vital that this investment over the next five years helps meet the continuing increase in demand for rail travel.

"Bigger, better stations, more tracks and longer platforms, electric-powered trains, reopened railway lines and fewer level crossings - all will help deliver more frequent, more comfortable, more reliable journeys and a safer, better-value railway for everyone," he said.

The plan, which runs from 2014 to 2019, includes:

• Up to 700 more trains a day between major northern cities
• 20% increase in the capacity of London's commuter trains
• 850 miles of track to be electrified
• An east-west rail project connecting Oxford and Milton Keynes
• Upgrades for stations including Birmingham New Street and Manchester Victoria

In addition to those new projects, £13bn will be put into replacing and renewing old tracks, points, fencing and platforms.

'Punctuality priority'

David Sidebottom, acting chief executive of rail watchdog group Passenger Focus, said: "The £38bn investment for Network Rail over the next five years is welcome, particularly during difficult economic times.

Continue reading the main story

I don't think in this century we should be having railways that are out of action for two months as we've suffered in Dawlish"

End Quote Mark Carne Network Rail chief executive

"Passengers should ultimately see an improved rail service bringing the things they tell us they want: improved punctuality, reliable trains with more seats."

Alluding to the fine expected to be imposed on Network Rail for delays, he added: "Punctuality should be a particular focus given the priority passengers give to it."

Mr Carne told the BBC that "huge growth in passenger numbers over the past five years" had contributed to punctuality issues.

"The train network is becoming more and more busy, and that's why we have to invest again to increase the capacity, to improve the reliability still further," he said.

Network Rail says it also wants to improve the network's ability to withstand extreme weather.

Mr Carne said: "Over the next five years we will work tirelessly to improve the resilience of our railway, targeting investment in areas we know are vulnerable to nature's impact and reducing the likelihood of damage and disruption."

Storms in February destroyed the main line at Dawlish in Devon, cutting rail services to Cornwall.

"I don't think in this century we should be having railways that are out of action for two months as we've suffered in Dawlish," Mr Carne told the BBC. "It's quite clear we need to invest further in improving the resilience of our network."

Network Rail expects the line to reopen on 4 April.

Dawlish was just one example of a town cut off from the network by bad weather, Mr Carne said. Network Rail has just reopened the line to Hastings after several weeks of closure due to landslips.

"We've suffered an enormous amount of damage to the railway right across the network, and that's one of the reasons why our punctuality figures have been lower than we would have liked.

"We need to do more to improve the resilience and to provide the passengers with the kind of service that I think they rightly deserve," he added.

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'Cinderella' cruelty law considered

31 March 2014 Last updated at 11:36

The government is considering whether to introduce a new offence of emotional cruelty to children, it has been confirmed.

The proposed change to neglect laws in England and Wales would see parents who deny their children affection face prosecution for the first time.

It follows a campaign for a "Cinderella Law" from charity Action for Children.

The government said child cruelty was an abhorrent crime which should be punished.

Social workers have a definition of child cruelty that they work on but because it is not written into law, this makes it difficult for the police to gather evidence.

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CHILD NEGLECT

• Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical and/or psychological needs
• It includes forcing a child to witness domestic violence, scapegoating them, humiliation and degrading punishments
• It can lead to life-long mental health problems and, in some cases, to suicide.
• Currently social workers operate guidance in civil law that does recognise emotional abuse of children
• But police are limited because criminal law only recognises physical harm

Action for Children's chief executive, Sir Tony Hawkhead, said the change would be a "monumental step forward for thousands of children".

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Robert Buckland, a Conservative MP who has backed the charity's campaign, said the current law was outdated as it is based largely on legislation first introduced 150 years ago.

And he stressed that non-physical abuse could cause "significant harm" to children.

"You can look at a range of behaviours, from ignoring a child's presence, failing to stimulate a child, right through to acts of in fact terrorising a child where the child is frightened to disclose what is happening to them," Mr Buckland told BBC Radio 5 live.

"Isolating them, belittling them, rejecting them, corrupting them, as well, into criminal or anti-social behaviour."

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COLLETTE'S STORY

Collette, whose father is black, was frequently told by her white mother and stepfather that she had been "a mistake".

"When my mother met my stepfather and had children with him, I was in the way.

"My stepfather was racist and she had no excuse for having a mixed-raced child.

"The result was me being treated like Cinderella but without the ball and happy ending.

"I felt like I shouldn't have been born, I'd been told often enough.

"I would watch how my parents would be so different with my younger siblings and burn with anger and jealousy.

"I was placed under the mental health act and have been receiving help ever since.

"I was finally diagnosed with severe depression, post-traumatic stress, bipolar and anxiety."

Source: Action for Children

He said the new law would not criminalise parents for being nasty, but for their criminal behaviour.

"This proposal is not about widening the net, it's about making the net stronger so that we catch those parents and carers who are quite clearly inflicting significant harm on their children, whereas they should be nurturing them and loving them," Mr Buckland said.

He added that it would also give police a "clearer way" in which to work, he said.

The campaign was also backed by Liberal Democrat MP Mark Williams, who introduced a private member's bill on the issue last year, the late Labour MP Paul Goggins and Baroness Butler-Sloss, a former judge who was president of the family division of the High Court.

'Abhorrent crime'

The Children and Young Persons Act of 1933 provides for the punishment of a person who treats a child "in a manner likely to cause him unnecessary suffering or injury to health (including injury to or loss of sight, or hearing, or limb, or organ of the body, and any mental derangement)".

Mr Williams's bill would add a further category of harm for which the perpetrator could be punished: impairment of "physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development".

Child neglect was made a punishable offence by the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1868.

The Ministry of Justice confirmed they were "considering ways the law can support" protecting children from this sort of harm.

A spokesman said protecting children from harm was "fundamental" and that child cruelty was an "abhorrent crime which should be punished".

Ministers are looking to introduce the measure ahead of the next election, possibly in the Queen's Speech, but sources told the BBC it was not yet a done deal.

But it is understood this might not be the case as such a change would not require a separate piece of legislation - it could instead be added on to an existing bill.

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New inquests to probe fans' deaths

31 March 2014 Last updated at 13:14

A jury has been selected to hear fresh inquests into the deaths of 96 football fans who lost their lives in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

The inquests, being held in Warrington, were ordered in December 2012 when the High Court quashed the original accidental death verdicts.

Jenni Hicks, vice-chairwoman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said: "It's been a long time coming."

The panel of six men and five women are expected be sworn in on Tuesday.

The inquests, set to last a year, were ordered after new evidence was revealed by the Hillsborough Independent Panel about Liverpool FC's FA Cup semi-final where the men, women and children died.

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"Over the coming year new light will be shone on Britain's worst sporting disaster", reports Judith Moritz

The potential panel were asked whether they support Sheffield Wednesday, Liverpool or Nottingham Forest football clubs.

Members of the jury have been asked to consider carefully whether they have any connections to any of the issues or witnesses that may arise or be called before they are sworn in.

Continue reading the main story

The coroner, a serving Lord Justice of Appeal, a very senior judge, is being assisted by five lawyers, five counsel to the inquest, three solicitors and of course there are lawyers representing all the families of those who died who wish to be represented, the authorities, the police, the emergency services and so on.

When the coroner selects individual jurors they will be told they have to set aside up to a year. They will not be sitting continuously for that period, they will have to take a break, but nevertheless it is a considerable period of time.

Obviously, they will be asked about any particular connections to the tragedy at Hillsborough and they will be checked to make sure that they really can serve this considerable period of time.

The coroner could record a verdict of natural causes; accidental death, unlawful killing; an open verdict; or these days, they often give a narrative verdict, where they set out in some detail what they believe to have happened.

All of the Hillsborough disaster victims were Liverpool supporters watching their team play Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday's ground.

The original inquests in March 1991 recorded verdicts of accidental death, which stood for more than 20 years before they were quashed.

Charlotte Hennessy, who lost her father James Robert Hennessy in the disaster when she was six years old, said: "I'm really, really nervous. It's been a long, long fight.

"Hopefully, this is the beginning of the end."

The inquests are being held in a purpose-built courtroom, the biggest in England and Wales, in an office building in Birchwood Park, in Warrington.

Unseen footage

Lord Justice Goldring, a Court of Appeal judge who is acting as coroner, will open the hearing with a statement to the court.

Families of the victims will be invited to read out "background statements" - or what they are calling "pen portraits" - of their loved ones.

During proceedings the jurors will make a site visit to the Hillsborough stadium but will be directed not to read the "deeply moving" tributes on the memorial to the tragedy.

The hearing will break for several weeks for lawyers to consider new pathological evidence into how each of the 96 died.

Over the course of the inquests, jurors are expected to hear evidence on themes including stadium safety, emergency planning, crowd management and the response of the emergency services.

The court will also be shown hitherto unseen BBC footage recorded on the day.

Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool's manager at the time of the disaster, said: "We were there, we experienced it, but what about the families, the mothers and the fathers who were watching it on television? What a horrible experience that must have been."

'Difficult time'

Margaret Aspinall, who lost her son James in the disaster, said: "A lot of the families will find out an awful lot of things that they did not know about before, and I think that's going to be a very difficult time for them."

There are two separate inquiries running alongside the inquests.

Operation Resolve, led by former Chief Constable of Durham Jon Stoddart, is a criminal investigation into events leading up to the disaster, as well as the disaster itself.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is looking into allegations of police misconduct arising from the aftermath of the tragedy.

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Russian PM Medvedev in Crimea visit

31 March 2014 Last updated at 12:26

Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has arrived in Crimea - the most senior Russian official to visit since it was annexed from Ukraine.

Mr Medvedev announced that the region would become a special economic zone, with incentives for businesses.

The Russian government says it is creating a new ministry to deal with Crimea and Sevastopol.

Moscow's annexation of Crimea earlier this month has sparked international condemnation.

Mr Medvedev, leading a delegation of government ministers to the peninsula's main city Simferopol, said that no-one in Crimea should lose anything in the accession to Russia, according to the Russian government's Twitter feed.

Pensions and public sector salaries would be increased, it added.

The government also announced health insurance for Crimea residents and the introduction of Russian educational standards in schools.

The Russian prime minister described the development of Crimea as a "state priority".

"I am not going to conceal it: the resolution of this task will require very significant concentration of efforts," he said in an address broadcast on Russian state television.

'Illegal and illegitimate'

Meanwhile, four hours of "frank" talks on Sunday between the US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, ended without a breakthrough.

Continue reading the main story

Mr Kerry's description of what should be up for discussion covered quite a lot on Russia's wish list: rights for national minorities, language rights, the disarmament of irregular forces and inclusive constitutional reform, including - most importantly - the idea of federalising Ukraine.

No wonder Sergei Lavrov looked satisfied and called the talks "very very constructive," while John Kerry just looked tired. It's true the Americans are insisting that all negotiations must be subject to the approval of the government in Kiev - which has already dismissed the idea of federalism as unacceptable. But if the issue is on the table, from Russia's point of view, that is the first step.

In other ways, too, Mr Kerry seemed less than forceful: Russian troops massed on Ukraine's border were "intimidating" and "inappropriate," but he admitted they were on Russian soil so legally there could be no demand they were moved. And he made no American call for Russian troops to be pulled back in Crimea, or for the annexed territory to be returned to Ukraine. The impression left was that Washington is bending over backwards in its search for a diplomatic solution to stop this crisis getting worse.

Mr Kerry told reporters in Paris that the US still considered Russia's takeover of Ukraine's Crimea region to be "illegal and illegitimate".

He said he had stressed that no decision on Ukraine's future could be made without Kiev's involvement.

Earlier Mr Lavrov said Ukraine should become a loose federal state - a suggestion Kiev rejects as an attempt to dismember the country.

Russia's decision to take over Crimea - following the ousting of Ukraine's pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych after months of protests - has triggered a crisis in relations between Russia and the West.

The US and the European Union have imposed sanctions on members of President Vladimir Putin's inner circle and other officials. Russia has retaliated with its own sanctions on US lawmakers.

Phone call

Sunday's crisis talks between the US and Russia's top diplomats were hastily arranged following a phone call between Mr Putin and President Barack Obama on Friday evening.

The US says that Russia is massing troops on its border with eastern Ukraine, and fears that Moscow might seek to take over further areas of the country.

Ukraine's defence ministry told the AFP news agency on Monday that Russia appeared to be reducing its troops on the Ukrainian border.

"In recent days, the Russian forces have been gradually withdrawing from the border," spokesman Oleksiy Dmytrashkivskiy was quoted as saying.

As the rest of Europe put their clocks forward by one hour on Sunday morning, Crimea aligned its time with Moscow - jumping two hours ahead. Hundreds of people waving flags greeted the time change in Simferopol.

Voters in the mainly pro-Russian peninsula backed leaving Ukraine for Russia in a referendum on 16 March. But the vote has been condemned as illegal by Kiev and the UN General Assembly.

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Police 'damaged but not broken'

31 March 2014 Last updated at 12:47 By Dominic Casciani Home affairs correspondent, BBC News

Policing in England and Wales has been damaged - but not broken - by scandals, an annual assessment has concluded.

HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary Tom Winsor said loss of trust in the police was corrosive to the British model of policing by consent.

He said it was the responsibility of chief constables to repair the damage.

His report names five events linked to allegations of malpractice, wrongdoing or corruption including the Stephen Lawrence case and "plebgate" affair.

'Severely shaken'

The five examples he gives are:

• The handling of the Stephen Lawrence murder investigation into the killing of a black teenager by a gang of white youths in London in 1993
• The Hillsborough disaster and claims that police covered up mistakes during the 1989 FA cup semi-final in which 96 Liverpool fans died
• Clashes between police and protesters at Orgreave Colliery during the 1984-85 miners' strike and claims of miscarriages of justice
• The so-called plebgate affair which led to the resignation of chief whip Andrew Mitchell after a row with police officers at the gates of Downing Street in 2012
• The conduct of some undercover police officers who had relationships with women they were targeting, including some who had children

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Tom Winsor: "The police service....[will be] ruthless and uncompromising in finding corrupt police officers and throwing them out"

In his annual report to Parliament, Mr Winsor said: "It is very much to be regretted that the confidence of the public in their ability to trust the police has been so severely shaken by controversies which have recently achieved public prominence, and ones which have been the subject of public concern and criticism for many years.

"They include those concerning Hillsborough, Orgreave Colliery, the investigation of the murder of Stephen Lawrence and how police conducted themselves afterwards, the enforced resignation of a cabinet minister as a result of the actions of at least one dishonest police officer, the sexual deception of citizens who trusted undercover police officers, and others."

The report was published on the morning that fresh inquests into the Hillsborough disaster were opening in Warrington. Those hearings will look at allegations of police misconduct arising from the aftermath of the tragedy.

Former miners and their families are demanding an inquiry into their claims that they were victims of miscarriages of justice after clashes with police during the 1984-85 miner's strike. The home secretary has separately announced a public inquiry into undercover policing.

The report said that some of the allegations, particularly around the Lawrence case, were so serious that they already justified "severe criticism and public disquiet".

'Corrosive'

"Loss of trust in the police is corrosive to the heart of the British model of policing by consent by a predominantly unarmed service. Police officers require and depend upon the consent of the community," it said.

Mr Winsor said: "Controversies and revelations of a serious and negative nature in relation to the conduct of some police officers, both past and present, have hurt public confidence in the police, and the morale of the very great majority of honest, hardworking, committed and brave police officers has suffered as a consequence.

"The police service has been damaged, but it is certainly not broken. It is primarily the responsibility of the leadership of the police to repair the damage.

"It is my view and that of the Inspectors of Constabulary that honest, professional police officers are disgusted and distressed at instances of police corruption - for that is what dishonesty is - and are rightly deeply offended and hurt when the media and others attempt to disparage all on the basis of the discreditable actions of few."

The report said that despite budget cuts forces were performing well and most had "credible plans" to balance their books. It added that forces had taken "substantial steps" to protect front line roles.

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Osborne to target 'full employment'

31 March 2014 Last updated at 13:10

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George Osborne: "Our work is not done"

George Osborne has committed the Conservatives to targeting "full employment", saying that tax and welfare changes would help achieve it.

The chancellor said "unemployment is never a price worth paying, but artificial jobs paid for with borrowed money doesn't work either".

The Conservatives broke with the post-war consensus on seeking full employment during the Thatcher years.

Labour has its own "jobs guarantee" and targets full employment as a goal.

The BBC's Norman Smith said that by targeting full employment, Mr Osborne was "parking his tanks on traditional Labour territory".

In his speech in Essex, the chancellor said governments which tried to guarantee people a job were "doomed to fail" - as they ended up increasing spending to unsustainable levels, resulting in taxes going up and jobs being lost.

There are a number of different definitions of full employment:

• Sir William Beveridge, the architect of the welfare state, thought it should be 3% of the economically active workforce
• Other economists have spoken of a higher "natural rate" of unemployment, where nobody stays out of work for long, with joblessness fluctuating at between 5% and 6%
• The lowest recorded level of unemployment was 215,800, or 1%, in July 1955. The most recent figures this year put the unemployment rate at 7.2% of the population.
• Mr Osborne declined to define full employment, but said people between jobs or unable to work or with caring responsibilities would not be included
• However his goal was to have the highest employment rate in the G7, and as part of his plan he expected those who can work to take the jobs available

BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the chancellor's aim was "to identify an economic ambition which people can connect with emotionally; one which is forward looking and which highlights the surprise success of the British economy since the banks crashed".

Speaking at Tilbury docks, Mr Osborne said: "You can't abolish boom and bust. There are always going to be ups and downs to the economic cycle."

However, repudiating a phrase attributed to former Chancellor Lord Lamont in 1992, Mr Osborne said "mass unemployment was not a price worth paying" to achieve other economic objectives.

He said he was committed to securing the "fullest" possible level of employment by helping business to create new jobs and cutting taxes.

"That's why today I'm making a new commitment - a commitment to fight for full employment in Britain."

He said there was "no reason why Britain shouldn't aim to have the highest employment rate of any of the world's leading economies - to have more people working than any of the other countries in the G7 group".

Pressed on what an unacceptable level of unemployment was, Mr Osborne did not mention a specific figure but said his ambition was to make the UK "the best place in the world to create a job; to get a job; to keep a job; to be helped to look for another job if you lose one".

"A modern approach to full employment means backing business. It means cutting the tax on jobs and reforming welfare."

'Scar'

Shadow treasury chief secretary Chris Leslie said the government should have backed the idea a long time ago.

"A lot of this rhetoric is not matched by the reality. He (George Osborne) should tell this to the 900,000 young people who have been out of the work for more than 12 months or more".

Continue reading the main story

• July 1955 - 215,800 (1%)
• July 1965 - 309,800 (1.3%)
• July 1975 - 1,193,000 (4.6%)
• July 1985 - 3,139,000 (11.3%)
• July 1995 - 2,439,000 (8.6%)
• July 2005 - 1,423,000 (4.7%)
• July 2011 - 2,566,000 (8.1%)

Source: ONS figures but first two are not comparable

"Long term youth unemployment has doubled under his watch. Actually it's an apology he should have been giving so far."

Mr Leslie said Labour "absolutely" supported the idea of full employment, describing long-term or prolonged unemployment as a "scar on the economy".

There are a number of different definitions of full employment.

Sir William Beveridge, the architect of the welfare state, thought it should be 3% of the economically active workforce but other economists have spoken of a higher "natural rate" of unemployment, where nobody stays out of work for long, with joblessness fluctuates between 5% and 6%

Tax changes

In his speech, Mr Osborne said cuts to personal and business taxes due to take effect this week were the "largest for two decades".

The rise in the personal tax allowance from £6,500 to £10,000 since May 2010, enabled people to keep £700 more of their income, describing it as a "big moment" in the history of the UK tax system.

"This week you will keep more of the money you earn. This week your business can keep more of the money it makes, so you can invest, expand and create new jobs."

Mr Osborne said the government was capping rises in benefits and obliging people to look for work for a week before getting unemployment benefit to tackle a "deeply entrenched benefits culture" in parts of the UK.

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Network Rail expects £70m fine

30 March 2014 Last updated at 11:13

Network Rail has said it expects to be fined about £70m - a record figure - for delays suffered by passengers.

The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) is expected to impose the penalty later this year.

Network Rail, which maintains Britain's tracks and rail infrastructure, said it was disappointed passengers had not seen the punctuality it had promised.

It said work was continuing to make the network more reliable - but congestion and extreme weather had caused delays.

For Network Rail to meet the ORR's punctuality target, 92.5% of trains must arrive "on time" - which is defined as within five minutes of the planned time for local services and 10 minutes for long-distance trains.

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It is essential that [Network Rail] gets a grip of the situation and delivers sustainable improvements"

End Quote David Sidebottom Passenger Focus

The company was told last year that it could face a fine of up to £75m if it failed to hit this target. A Network Rail spokeswoman said a fine of about £70m was now expected.

The BBC understands the fine could be lower if the ORR accepts that uncontrollable factors such as weather played a significant part in delays.

The previous biggest fine was £14m, imposed in February 2008 after engineering work overran during the preceding Christmas and New Year period.

'More seats'

The fine would relate to Network Rail's performance over a five-year period which ends on Monday.

The company spokeswoman told the BBC the full punctuality statistics for the period were not yet available, but the final figure was likely to be "just short of 90%".

She said missing the target was "disappointing" but the company planned to "restore record levels of performance" with £38bn of investment in the next five-year period.

The company would "provide more trains, more seats and quicker, greener journeys," she added.

An ORR spokeswoman said its assessment of Network Rail's performance for 2009-14 would not be complete until June.

ORR chief executive Richard Price said Network Rail had developed a "comprehensive" improvement plan to "achieve a better railway for Britain".

'Failed to deliver'

"Now it is time for the company, in collaboration with the industry, to make it happen," he said.

"ORR will be scrutinising progress closely to ensure plans for extra capacity, expanding and electrifying the railway, improving train punctuality, enhancing the resilience of our rail network to severe weather, closing level crossings and increasing workforce safety are effectively delivered."

David Sidebottom, acting chief executive of Passenger Focus, said passengers would be disappointed that Network Rail had "failed to deliver on its top priority - performance".

"It is essential that it gets a grip of the situation and delivers sustainable improvements," he said.

Network Rail is funded by a mixture of government grants and money from train companies which use the network.

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Diplomatic push for Ukraine solution

29 March 2014 Last updated at 23:13

US Secretary of State John Kerry has diverted his homebound flight from the Middle East for hastily arranged talks in Paris on the Ukraine crisis with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The decision came after President Vladimir Putin spoke to President Barack Obama by phone late on Friday.

Mr Obama has called on Russia to pull its troops back from Ukraine's border.

Mr Lavrov told Russian TV on Saturday that Moscow had no intention of sending troops into Ukraine.

Several thousand Russian soldiers are reported to have been stationed near Ukraine's eastern borders.

The two foreign ministers are due to meet in Paris on Sunday evening.

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People in the Crimean capital Simferopol have been celebrating the change of the clocks to synchronise with the time in Moscow

Reports say Mr Kerry was flying home from the Middle East on Saturday when he abruptly changed travel plans and instructed the plane's crew to fly to France.

There were festivities in the Crimean capital Simferopol late on Saturday when the clocks were moved forward two hours at 22:00 (20:00 GMT) local time to align with Moscow time.

However, representatives of the peninsula's Tatar minority, who largely opposed Russia's annexation, voted in favour of "ethnic and territorial autonomy".

The delegates at a congress convened in the town of Bakhchisaray left open the form this autonomy would take and how it would be achieved.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's interim authorities have been pressing ahead with plans for elections due on 25 May.

Boxer and leading political figure Vitaly Klitschko pulled out of the race for president on Saturday, declaring his support for billionaire chocolate tycoon Petro Poroshenko.

"The only chance of winning is to nominate one candidate from the democratic forces," he told supporters of his Udar (Punch) party.

Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who was freed from jail when Viktor Yanukovych was ousted as president last month, has also said she will stand.

After Mr Yanukovych fled Ukraine, pro-Russian forces moved in to take control of the Crimean peninsula. Moscow then annexed the Ukrainian region after a referendum condemned as illegal by Kiev and the UN General Assembly.

In an interview with state TV channel Rossiya 1 on Saturday, Mr Lavrov said: "We have absolutely no intention of - or interest in - crossing Ukraine's borders."

He added that Russia was ready to protect "the rights of Russians and Russian-speaking people in Ukraine, using all available political, diplomatic and legal means".

After the interview was broadcast, it emerged Mr Lavrov had spoken by phone to Mr Kerry, in a conversation that Russian officials said was initiated by the US.

That call followed an hour-long phone discussion late on Friday between the US and Russian presidents. Mr Putin had contacted President Obama, according to US officials.

The White House said in a statement. that the US was keen to de-escalate the crisis.

"President Obama made clear that this remains possible only if Russia pulls back its troops and does not take any steps to further violate Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty," it added.

The US proposal, described as a "diplomatic off-ramp", has been developed in consultation with Ukraine and several EU countries,

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov: "We have absolutely no intention of, or interest in, crossing Ukraine's borders"

It is thought to involve halting the military build-up near Ukraine's border, the deployment of international monitors in eastern Ukraine to protect the rights of Russian speakers, and the return of Russian troops in Crimea to their bases there.

The Kremlin said that the Russian president had drawn Mr Obama's attention to "the continued rampage of extremists" in Kiev and various regions of Ukraine.

Russia's reported troop movements near Ukraine's eastern border - described by Nato as a "huge military build-up" - have triggered fears that Mr Putin's interest in Ukraine is not limited to Crimea.

Acting Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya said on Saturday Russia was trying to create an "instability belt" in Ukraine's south-eastern regions.

"If you look at the map, there are plans to destabilise the situation in... particularly in Odessa, which would give the Russian Federation a pretext for creating a corridor between Russia [and] Crimea," Mr Deshchytsya said.

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Police seek outsiders for top ranks

30 March 2014 Last updated at 02:37

A move to fast-track external recruits into senior policing roles for the first time is about to come into force in England and Wales.

A second fast-track scheme for some graduate recruits will enable them to rise from constable to inspector in three years.

PM David Cameron said the move would make the police more open and diverse.

For 180 years the normal way to enter the police has been to join as a constable and rise up the ranks.

The rank of chief constable is to be opened up to applicants from overseas.

'Talented and experienced'

The College of Policing, the professional body for policing, announced the recruitment schemes and said they would bring in "people with more diverse backgrounds and new perspectives".

The direct entry programme is aimed at recruiting 20 "experienced leaders" from the private, public and charity sectors to join as superintendants, the college said.

There are approximately 800 superintendents in England and Wales. The officers have operational responsibilities for local divisions and major investigations.

On the graduate scheme, some 82 recruits can expect to earn £47,000 after three years when they become an inspector.

"Schemes like these will enable talented and experienced people from a range of backgrounds to bring new ideas and a fresh approach to policing," Mr Cameron said.

"We have already slashed red tape and cut bureaucratic targets, this is about opening up policing culture by making the workforce more diverse."

He said he wanted every force in England and Wales to use the schemes.

Policing Minister Damian Green added: "This is the first time that chief constables will be able to recruit talented and motivated leaders from other walks of life, who can bring a wide range of experience and expertise."

The move was recommended by Tom Winsor in his review of police pay and conditions.

But the Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, has previously insisted external candidates should not be able to enter the force above the level of constable.

Applications are due to open in April or May with the first recruits from both schemes starting before the end of the year.

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China families vent fury in Malaysia

30 March 2014 Last updated at 10:25

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The BBC's Jennifer Pak in Kuala Lumpur: "The family members have come here for answers"

Relatives of Chinese passengers from the missing Malaysian plane have vented their anger at government officials, after arriving in Kuala Lumpur.

Chanting "Tell us the truth", they said they wanted the Malaysian prime minister to apologise for what they regard as misleading statements.

Ten planes and eight ships are looking for remains of the airliner in a vast area of the Indian Ocean.

The Beijing-bound plane disappeared on 8 March with 239 people on board.

Continue reading the main story

At the scene

These new arrivals are being carefully guarded. Blue-shirted volunteers chaperone them to and from meetings. There are security guards dotted around their hotel, and at the airport this morning a welcoming party, including a local politician, was left standing as the families were whisked away from a hidden exit.

But the message these families have brought won't be so easy to manage. At a brief press conference, they unfurled a banner which accused the Malaysian government of speculation and "trampling on innocent lives".

Many relatives accuse the Malaysian authorities of misinformation and secrecy. With no sign of flight MH370 or its passengers, their worn faces have become the most visible symbols of this mystery. And their frustration won't be easy for the government to deal with.

Some relatives of the 153 Chinese passengers on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have refused to accept the Malaysian account of events and accused the authorities.

On Sunday several dozen family members travelled from Beijing.

After landing in Kuala Lumpur they held a news conference at a hotel holding up banners that read "We want evidence, truth, dignity" in Chinese, and "Hand us the murderer. Give us our relatives," in English.

Their designated representative, Jiang Hui, said they wanted the Malaysian government to apologise over the initial handling of the disaster, as well as for Prime Minister Najib Razak's earlier statement that indicated the plane had crashed with no survivors.

He said the conclusion had been announced "without direct evidence or a sense of responsibility".

He said the group wanted to meet airline and government officials face to face - although he stopped short of saying that these included Mr Najib, as some relatives had earlier suggested.

The relatives have previously expressed anger at officials during regular briefings by Malaysian officials at a hotel in Beijing.

Malaysia's acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said on Saturday that the search for survivors would continue.

"The hardest part of my job is to see the families," he said. "I've always said we are hoping against hope that we will find survivors."

For a second day on Sunday, Malaysian officials cancelled their daily update on the search operation.

Malaysian officials have concluded that, based on satellite data, the missing plane flew into the sea somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean. So far no trace of it has been found.

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The BBC's Jon Donnison, in Perth, explains how a "towed pinger locator" is used

A Chinese and an Australian ship failed to identify debris from the missing flight after their first day in a new search area, about 1,850km (1,150 miles) west of Perth, on Saturday.

Chinese patrol ship Haixun 01 and Australia's HMAS Success both retrieved objects but none was confirmed to be from flight MH370, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) said in a statement.

Continue reading the main story

MH370 - Facts at a glance

• 8 March - Malaysia Airlines Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight carrying 239 people disappears
• Plane's transponder, which gives out location data, was switched off as it left Malaysian airspace
• Satellite 'pings' indicate plane was still flying seven hours after satellite contact was lost
• 24 March - Based on new calculations, Malaysian PM says "beyond reasonable doubt" that plane crashed in southern Indian Ocean with no survivors

Some of the objects have been very small, and officials have cautioned that they may be sea junk.

Aircraft involved in the search have so far reported seeing a number of objects of various colours floating in the sea in the new area since Friday.

Poor conditions have hampered recent search efforts.

An Australian vessel carrying a US device known as a "towed pinger locator" is due to join the search in the coming days.

The device is designed to detect any ultrasonic signals - "pings" - from flight recorders and can operate up to a depth of about 6,000m.

But the search area is huge - covering some 319,000 sq km (123,000 sq miles) - and time is running short. The flight recorders' batteries are expected to run out in about a week's time.

The current search area is about 1,100km (700 miles) north-east of the previous zone.

Officials said the focus changed after radar data showed the plane had been travelling faster that previously thought, thus burning more fuel.

This would reduce the possible distance the aircraft travelled south.

Various theories about what went wrong have been suggested - including the captain hijacking his own plane.

The speculation was fuelled by reports that files had been deleted on the pilot's home flight simulator.

However on Saturday Malaysia's transport minister said investigators had found "nothing sinister" from the simulator.

Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 vanished less than an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur.

The airliner diverted off course and lost contact with air traffic controllers between Malaysian and Vietnamese air-traffic control areas.

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Hamilton heads Mercedes one-two win

Lewis Hamilton took a dominant win in the Malaysian GP to lead Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg to a one-two finish.

The Briton was in control from the start, converting his pole position into a lead at the first corner and controlling the race.

Rosberg was unable to keep up, and concentrated on ensuring he stayed ahead of Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.

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Hamilton's perfect start

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso took fourth after Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo hit trouble.

Force India's Nico Hulkenberg was fifth.

Hamilton dedicated the win to the families of the passengers lost in the disappearance of flight MH370. "Incredible," he said. "After such a difficult weekend and a long winter, I just feel so grateful. I'd really like to dedicate it to the families, after such a tragedy three weeks ago.

"The team were spot on with all the pit stops and calling and timing, the info was spot on. What a great car, what a great job from everyone."

Team-mate Rosberg added: "I got a great start and that allowed me to get into second place. In turn three I got a bit sideways, plenty of action there - but it worked out well. Then it was just a question of trying to keep up with Lewis but he was a bit too quick today."

Ricciardo was running fourth as he came in for his third pit stop on lap 40, with 16 laps to go.

But he left the pits before the left-front wheel had been properly secured and the Australian had to stop in the pit lane and be pulled back by his mechanics for the wheel to be properly attached.

The delay cost him an entire lap to Alonso, who had been close behind when Ricciardo pitted. Three laps later Ricciardo suffered a further blow when his Red Bull's right front wing mount failed and he had to tour round almost an entire lap before pitting for it to be replaced. He retired with five laps to go.

A good start by the Australian from fifth on the grid put had him third on the first lap behind the Mercedes and ahead of Vettel and Alonso.

Vettel passed him at the start of lap three and Alonso followed closely until the first pit stops.

Mercedes' one-two was the team's first since the 1955 Italian Grand Prix

Stopping one lap earlier than Ricciardo meant Alonso was narrowly ahead as the Australian emerged from the pits but the Red Bull re-passed the Ferrari into Turn Two and was able to edge ahead more effectively than during the first stint, holding the position until hitting trouble.

The Mercedes cars were well clear of the action behind them, and Hamilton was in a class of his own at the front.

Hamilton pulled out two seconds on the first lap, and was four seconds ahead of his team-mate by lap three, after which he was able to measure his pace while still edging clear.

Hamilton underlined his superiority with a fastest lap with three laps to go, 1.5secs quicker than anyone else was lapping at the time. He also used less of his 100kg fuel allowance than any other driver in the top 10.

Hamilton retired from the first race of the season while Rosberg won, and Hamilton's victory at Sepang reduced his deficit to his team-mate in the championship to 18 points.

Behind him, Rosberg struggled in the initial stages with overheating rear tyres and had to be wary of Vettel behind him throughout the race.

Vettel kept his countryman in sight through the first pit stops and the second stint of the race and when he stopped for the second time on lap 31, a lap ahead of Rosberg, he was less than a second behind the Mercedes.

Hamilton converted his pole position from qualifying and coasted home for his first podium in nine races

But Rosberg again began to edge clear, pulling out 1.7secs over four laps, to lap 37, to consolidate second place.

Rain threatened as the race headed towards its closing stages, but a few drops with around 16 laps to go never turned into the usual tropical afternoon deluge.

Hulkenberg tried to beat Alonso by doing only two stops to the Ferrari's three, but on fresher tyres the Spaniard was comfortably able to close the 14.3-second deficit after his final pit stop, made with 12 laps to go.

Alonso was consistently two seconds a lap faster and he passed Hulkenberg for fourth on lap 53 after a brief but spirited defence from the German.

McLaren's Jenson Button took sixth from Felipe Massa's Williams, who ignored a team order in the closing stages to let Valtteri Bottas past so he could challenge Button.

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'Professor Rosberg' explains F1 science

The second McLaren of Kevin Magnussen was ninth after needing a new front wing early in the race following a second-lap collision with Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari, which also earned Magnussen a five-second stop-go penalty.

The incident caused Raikkonen a puncture and dropped the Finn to the back of the field. He recovered to finish 12th, behind Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat, who took the final point in 10th for the second race in a row, and Lotus's Romain Grosjean.

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MP quits as aide over paper claims

30 March 2014 Last updated at 11:05

Conservative MP Mark Menzies has quit his post as a ministerial aide after newspapers reported allegations by a Brazilian male escort.

He resigned as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to International Development Minister Alan Duncan after an investigation by the Sunday Mirror.

The MP for Fylde in Lancashire said a number of the claims were "untrue" and he would set the record straight.

The chair of his constituency party said Mr Menzies had its full support.

In a statement, Mr Menzies said: "I have decided to resign as a PPS after a series of allegations were made against me in a Sunday newspaper.

"A number of these allegations are not true and I look forward to setting the record straight in due course."

The Sunday Mirror reported a series of allegations about Mr Menzies' private life which it said had been made by the Brazilian man, including claims that the MP paid him for sex and asked him to buy an illegal drug.

Mr Menzies, 42, has been active in the Conservative Party since he was 16.

He studied economics and social history at Glasgow University, and later joined Marks and Spencer as a graduate trainee.

He was elected an MP in 2010. Before working for Mr Duncan he was PPS - an unsalaried role and not technically part of the government - to the housing and climate change ministers.

Councillor Brenda Ackers, who chairs the Fylde Conservative Association, said: "Mark has the full support of his constituency party."

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, asked about the issue on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, said he had not seen the Sunday Mirror article.

He said: "This is a personal matter for the individual concerned.

"It's always very sad when people are involved in personal issues that impact on their careers, but that's a matter for the person concerned."

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Crackdown on nuisance calls promised

30 March 2014 Last updated at 12:51

The government is planning to make it easier to fine firms that hound members of the public with nuisance calls.

Currently, they can be punished only if unsolicited calls cause "substantial damage" to householders.

Ministers will also consult on imposing heftier fines. Some consumer groups say the measures do not go far enough.

The Information Commissioner's Office received 120,310 complaints about "unsolicited marketing calls" from April-November 2013.

Overseas calls

It is illegal for companies to call domestic numbers registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS).

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The Telephone Preference Service

The Telephone Preference Service runs a register that allows people to opt out of any unsolicited sales or marketing calls.

Individuals can register free of charge by visiting the website or calling 0845 070 0707. It takes 28 days for registration to become effective.

Mobile phone numbers can also be registered, although this will not prevent unsolicited text messages.

It is a legal requirement that all organisations - including charities, voluntary organisations and political parties - do not make such calls to numbers registered on the TPS unless they have the individual's consent to do so.

The rules do not apply when people consent to their details being used for marketing purposes.

But BBC business correspondent Joe Lynam said members of the public continued to get unwanted calls - often pre-recorded - despite being registered with the TPS.

That was because not all companies were members of the Direct Marketing Association - the UK telemarketing industry body - some were overseas and some were "good old-fashioned fraudsters" out to steal money, he said.

The problem of unwanted calls may never be fully eradicated, he added.

Repeat offenders include firms inquiring about mis-sold payment protection insurance.

Silent calls

Firms which flout the TPS rules can currently be fined up to £500,000 by the Information Commissioner's Office.

Those which break media regulator Ofcom rules on silent and abandoned calls face fines of up to £2m.

Critics say the system is not working because rules on enforcement are skewed in favour of rogue firms.

Under Culture Secretary Maria Miller's plans, the current "substantial damage" threshold could be lowered.

They would also make it simpler for regulators such as Ofcom, the Insolvency Service and the Information Commissioner's Office to swap data about who the offenders might be.

And the Ministry of Justice will launch a consultation on Monday on whether firms that break the rules should face fines of up to 20% of their annual turnover.

'Unwanted intrusion'

"Nuisance calls must stop," Ms Miller said.

"At best they are an irritation and an unwanted intrusion; at worst they cause real distress and fear, particularly to the elderly or housebound.

"People need to feel safe and secure in their homes.

"The rules are clear - people have the right to choose not to receive unsolicited marketing calls. We will work to ensure their choice is respected."

Which? executive director Richard Lloyd welcomed the plans saying he hoped regulators would now be given "the tools to get rid of the unwanted calls that millions of us are getting bombarded with".

"But we've got to be honest about this - some of this is firms that are operating overseas," he told BBC Radio 5 live.

"The companies in Britain that benefit from those calls have to be held to account for that.

"But it's not going to be possible to turn this off overnight."

'Long battle'

Mr Lloyd, who said a thousand complaints a week were made to Which? about nuisance callers, urged more people to register their phone number with the Telephone Preference Service.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Let's remember the industry employs a million people, many of those in areas of fairly high unemployment, and we want to drive these rogue companies out of this particular field of business""

End Quote Mike Lordan Direct Marketing Association

"But it's going to be a long battle to keep these rogue companies - that really don't care about the rules - to get them under control and stop these nuisance calls and texts."

Mike Lordan, chief executive of the Direct Marketing Association, said it was unacceptable for people to receive unsolicited phone calls at home if they were registered on the TPS and hadn't given their consent for someone to call them.

He told 5 live the regulations on calls generally covered those made from overseas.

"It affects companies that operate in the UK and, if they use overseas call centres to make calls, the law still applies to them.

"And most of these calls that are being made - these rogue calls - are being made on behalf of companies that are registered in the UK."

He said he regretted "some of the image" associated with his industry but added: "I'd like to stress that it's not our business.

"Our code of practice is very strict."

He said the industry employed a million people, "many of those in areas of fairly high unemployment and we want to drive these rogue companies out of this particular field of business".

'Tough action'

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Stop mucking about with arguments about what is and what isn't consent and stop giving all the power to these half-baked regulators"

End Quote Fair Telecoms

Under the new rules, claims management companies (CMCs) could also face punishment if they buy leads generated by other firms which bombard customers with unwanted cold calls.

CMCs advertise widely on TV, in newspapers and on the internet, encouraging people to sue for personal injury compensation and for other losses.

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said: "The Claims Management Regulator already takes tough action against companies which break the rules, suspending and closing down rogue firms, but now these fines will give us an extra weapon to drive bad behaviour out of the industry."

In December, the Commons Culture, Media and Sport committee said watchdogs should use their powers more often to punish misuse of phone networks and contact information.

It found that a significant cause of nuisance calls was the unfair or even illegal use of personal data.

This included obtaining a person's "consent" to receive unsolicited marketing calls in ways that were "at best opaque and at worst dishonest" and trading personal details with companies which were "lacking in scruples".

The Fair Telecoms campaign group said the plans did not go far enough in dealing with the distress caused by constant nuisance calls.

"Stop mucking about with arguments about what is and what isn't consent and stop giving all the power to these half-baked regulators," the group's David Hickson said.

In April 2013, telecoms operator TalkTalk was fined £750,000 by Ofcom for making an excessive number of abandoned and silent calls during a telemarketing campaign to attract new subscribers.

TalkTalk said it had terminated its relationship with two call centres used when the problem was discovered.

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Nurse in court charged with murders

29 March 2014 Last updated at 11:52

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Victorino Chua was remanded in custody by magistrates in Manchester

A nurse has appeared in court charged with murdering three patients at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport in 2011.

Victorino Chua, 48, of Churchill Street, Heaton Norris, is also charged with 31 other offences including GBH and attempted poisoning.

He is accused of murdering patients Tracey Arden, 44, Arnold Lancaster, 71, and Alfred Derek Weaver, 83.

At Manchester Magistrates' Court, he confirmed his name, age and address.

Mr Chua was remanded in custody to appear at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday.

He faces one count of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, 22 counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, seven counts of attempting to administer poison and one count of causing poison to be administered with intent.

Investigators have been examining the contamination of various medical products, between June 1 and July 15 2011 at the hospital.

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Two bailed over baby boy's death

29 March 2014 Last updated at 08:05

Two people arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of a baby boy have been released on bail.

The 13-month-old died after emergency services went to an address on Church Street, Preston, on 22 March after reports that he was not breathing.

A man and a woman, both aged 25, had been bailed "pending further inquiries", Lancashire Police said.

A post-mortem examination has been carried out but the exact cause of death has not been established.

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Gay couples celebrate first weddings

29 March 2014 Last updated at 09:27

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Peter McGraith and David Cabreza, John Coffey and Bernardo Marti, and Andrew Wale and Neil Allard were among the first gay couples to marry

The first same-sex weddings have taken place after gay marriage became legal in England and Wales at midnight.

Politicians from the main parties have hailed the change in the law.

David Cameron said the move sent a message that people were now equal "whether gay or straight", but some religious groups remain opposed.

Scotland passed a similar law in February; the first same-sex marriages are expected there in October. Northern Ireland has no plans to follow suit.

In an article for the Pink News website, the prime minister wrote: "This weekend is an important moment for our country.

'Feels safer'

"It says we are a country that will continue to honour its proud traditions of respect, tolerance and equal worth."

The law change would encourage young people unsure of their sexuality, he added.

Later on Saturday morning, Mr Cameron tweeted: "Congratulations to the gay couples who have already been married - and my best wishes to those about to be on this historic day."

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said "Britain will be a different place" as a result.

He congratulated his party for being part of the reform, saying: "If our change to the law means a single young man or young woman who wants to come out, but who is scared of what the world will say, now feels safer, stronger, taller - well, for me, getting into coalition government will have been worth it just for that."

Continue reading the main story

Jo Black BBC News

---

Every wedding has a photographer but this one had hundreds.

Outside Islington Town Hall, well-wishers stopped in the street to point their smartphones while TV crews fought for the best views.

As the loving couple appeared on the steps, crowds cheered and even sang the tune to Here Comes The Bride - ironic perhaps, since this was a gay wedding with two grooms. Peter McGraith and David Cabreza are one of the first same-sex couples to marry in England and Wales.

The law, passed in Parliament last year, came into effect today. And for some who have campaigned for years, the waiting was over. As the clock ticked past midnight, registrars started speaking, rings were exchanged and the confetti flew.

Not everyone is taken by the idea though. Some politicians and religious leaders still oppose the change. And in Islington, as the two grooms beamed giant smiles, they reminded their guests that the battle for equality is still ongoing.

Labour leader Ed Miliband congratulated those planning to tie the knot.

"This is an incredibly happy time for so many gay couples and lesbian couples who will be getting married, but it's an incredibly proud time for our country as well, recognising equal marriage in law," he said.

However, he warned that the "battle for true equality" was not yet won.

'Not about rights'

One of the first couples to take advantage of the law change were married at Islington Town Hall in London just after midnight.

Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell acted as chief witness at a packed ceremony as Peter McGraith and David Cabreza wed after 17 years together.

Mr Tatchell said the couple and all the others getting married had "made history" and "made Britain a more tolerant, equal place".

With a crowd of photographers, journalists and well-wishers waiting, the couple took the opportunity to highlight the international struggle for gay rights.

But Mr Cabreza added: "From a global and political perspective it's great too, but for us it's also about us and our marriage."

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said on Friday night the Church of England would now drop its opposition to same-sex marriage, as Parliament had spoken.

"The law's changed; we accept the situation," he told the BBC.

But some religious groups remain opposed to gay marriage.

Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern, said: "We can't just redefine an institution - redefine something that always has been - because we say it's something that we want.

"This is actually very self-centred. This is not about rights, it's about seeking cultural dominance and seeking to redefine marriage for all of us."

There will now be two legal definitions of marriage, says the BBC's social affairs correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti - that recognised by the CofE and many other religious groups, and that recognised by the state.

"The Church of England believes marriage is between one man and one woman for life," the Bishop of Norwich, the Right Reverend Graham James confirmed.

"It's untidy for the law to have two definitions... but I think we can live untidiness."

The law prohibits the Church of England from performing same-sex weddings, and allows other religious organisations to refuse to perform them.

The CofE has urged clergy to support members of the congregation who are in same-sex marriages, but has ruled that priests themselves must not enter into one. The Roman Catholic Church opposes the change in the law.

Some gay vicars, though, have said they are prepared to defy their bishops by insisting they have a right to marry.

Among them is the Reverend Andrew Cain, who said the Church was entering uncharted territory, but he would not be "frightened" out of doing what he believed was right.

Mr Cain, who plans to marry his partner in the summer, said he would do so whether the Church approved or not.

"It is more important to do what is right than to be frightened into not doing what I believe to be true.

"And I won't be frightened by what the possible consequences are for me. I could lose my job, absolutely. Lose my job, my home and my place."

Long-term couple Teresa Millward and Helen Brearley plan to get married on Saturday morning.

The pair, who will wed in Halifax, have not had a civil partnership because they believed it did not offer the same rights as marriage.

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"The certificate we get on the day will be the same as the certificate that my dad has with his wife, that my mum has with her husband, that my brother has with his wife and that my sister has with her husband," Ms Millward said.

"There will be no difference, so in that case, there is true equality."

A BBC survey found a fifth of British people would turn down an invitation to a same-sex wedding - a finding the Roman Catholic group Catholic Voices suggested meant people remained "deeply uncomfortable" with the move.

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