bbcuk--2020-01-30--Baroness Scotland criticised for awarding contract to friend's firm

The secretary-general of the Commonwealth , Baroness Scotland , has been strongly criticised by internal auditors for awarding a lucrative consultancy contract to a company run by a personal friend .
The international organisation 's Audit Committee accused her of `` circumventing '' the usual competitive tendering rules by awarding a £250,000 commission to KYA Global .
The firm , owned by fellow Labour peer , Lord Patel of Bradford , was contracted to carry out a review of the Commonwealth Secretariat , the body headed by Lady Scotland from London .
But the audit committee report claimed that Lord @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' at the time with debts worth more than £40,000 .
And it stated that the Commonwealth Secretariat was unable to provide the auditors with KYA Global 's final report setting out its recommendations .
The committee 's report - obtained by the BBC - expressed concerns that the Secretariat 's `` acts and omissions '' in relation to the contract - and other alleged failings it identifies - `` [ endanger ] the integrity '' of the institution and risk `` serious reputational if not actual damage '' .
• Commonwealth body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scotland 's lawyers insisted the decision to award the contract was fully justified and complied with procurement procedures at the time .
The Secretariat is the central administrative hub for the Commonwealth , made up of 53 countries - many of them former British colonies - which encompass almost a third of the world 's population .
The critical report may raise fresh questions about whether Lady Scotland will be given a second term of office by Commonwealth heads of government when they meet in Rwanda later this year .
There is already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way the Secretariat has been run .
The BBC understands that one leading Commonwealth country has recently stopped giving funds to the institution .
Lady Scotland and Lord Patel were once Labour ministers together in the House of Lords .
The investigation into his appointment was carried out by the external accounting firm KPMG in September last year at the request of the Commonwealth High Commissioners in London , who together form the international organisation 's board of governors .
KPMG found that the consultancy contract was given to Lord Patel in April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SG Scotland '' because he had `` a high level of proven trust with the secretary general '' .
Lady Scotland asked one of her deputies to fill out a form waiving the usual competitive tendering rules , which she then approved .
The audit committee said the initial contract was for £90,000 inclusive of VAT for three months ' work .
That was then extended for a second contract worth £162,000 for a further six months ' work , it claimed , and no other firm was considered .
According to KYA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time had assets of £971 and debts of £48,762 .
In its report , dated 21 November 2019 , the Commonwealth 's audit committee said : `` Awarding an apparently insolvent company two contracts totalling £252,000 is unusual . ''
The committee said it was concerned that `` disclosing a real or perceived conflict of interest and then instructing a subordinate to prepare the waiver in order to approve it circumvented a fundamental control in the procurement process '' .
It also found that the Secretariat had no register either of tender @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unable to explain why not .
Under Commonwealth rules , competitive tendering procedures can be waived in certain circumstances , such as if a decision has to be taken urgently or if there are not enough suppliers .
The committee identified no fewer than 50 occasions between July 2015 and June 2018 when the usual procurement tenders had been waived by the Commonwealth Secretariat .
Some of these decisions predated Lady Scotland 's appointment in April 2016 .
The report concluded : `` The audit committee is concerned that the acts and omissions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absence of any explanation for those failures endangers the integrity of the Secretariat .
`` At the very least the failures identified risk serious reputational if not actual damage to the Secretariat . ''
It added : `` Despite requests , the audit committee have not been provided with the report prepared by KYA Global and delivered as a final document by 30 June 2016 as required in the initial contract . ''
In a statement , Lady Scotland 's solicitors , Carter-Ruck , said that KYA Global Ltd was awarded the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proven track record in change management consultancy '' and its services were `` dearly needed '' at the beginning of Lady Scotland 's term of office .
It said : `` This decision was wholly justifiable and SG Scotland was advised that this complied with the procurement procedures that were in force at the time .
`` SG Scotland began her post as Commonwealth Secretary-General on 1 April 2016 when the Secretariat was in a very poor financial position and was in dire need of reform .
`` She was tasked with transforming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of KYA , a leading change management consultancy , was one of the steps SG Scotland took to bring about that change in haste . ''
Carter-Ruck insisted that KYA Global `` has never been deemed insolvent and it is false to insinuate otherwise '' .
It said : `` The assertion that KYA Global was a legally insolvent company is wrong and has been made clear to the Secretariat 's audit committee chair .
`` In addition , it is false and misleading to say that KYA Global was awarded contracts totalling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually awarded two contracts worth £75,000 ( plus VAT ) each .
These contract awards constitute heavily subsidised rates from the fees which KYA Global could have charged the Secretariat . ''
The statement continued : `` The decision to award KYA Global the contracts has been fully justified in light of the recent success of the Secretariat which has gone from strength to strength in recent years and has successfully undergone a modernisation process .
`` The Secretariat has complied fully with the request of its auditors and has adopted and implemented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The BBC made repeated attempts to contact Lord Patel but there was no response .

But the audit committee report claimed that Lord Patel's firm was "apparently insolvent" at the time with debts worth more than £40,000. And it stated that the Commonwealth Secretariat was unable to provide the auditors with KYA Global's final report setting out its recommendations.


bbcuk--2020-01-30--UK interest rates kept on hold at 0.75%

UK interest rates kept on hold at 0.75%

The Bank of England has kept interest rates on hold at 0.75 % .
In Mark Carney 's final interest rate meeting as governor , the Bank 's Monetary Policy Committee ( MPC ) voted 7-2 to keep rates unchanged .
Policymakers expect an improving global backdrop and reduction in uncertainty following Prime Minister Boris Johnson 's election victory .
However , the MPC said it was poised to cut interest rates if a post-election bounce failed to materialise .
The Bank also warned that persistent Brexit uncertainty had harmed the UK 's long-term growth prospects .
The nine MPC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November .
Lower interest rates are good news for borrowers and bad news for savers because High Street banks use the Bank of England base rate as a reference point for many mortgages and savings accounts .
In a closely-watched decision , policymakers said they would monitor whether a recent improvement in business sentiment would lead to stronger economic growth .
The MPC said it stood ready to cut rates if there were signs that growth would remain subdued .
`` Policy might need to reinforce the expected recovery in UK GDP growth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent indicator of global and domestic activity not be sustained , '' the MPC said .
Two members , Jonathan Haskell and Michael Saunders , argued that past business surveys of economic growth had not been reliable .
They continued to call for an immediate interest rate cut to 0.5 % .
The Bank 's latest economic projections predict the economy did not grow at all in the final three months of last year .
Weaker growth at the turn of the year is also expected to drag overall economic growth down to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is down from a projection of 1.25 % last November .
The UK economy is expected to expand by 0.2 % in the first three months of this year .
The Bank said a trade deal between the US and China that lowers some tariffs would provide a boost to the global economy .
An expected rise in spending by the government in the March Budget could provide a further boost to growth , policymakers said .
The Bank said Brexit-related uncertainty had `` weighed on investment '' over the past few years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had diverted money towards preparing for the UK 's departure from the EU that would otherwise be invested elsewhere .
This has reduced the UK 's long-term growth prospects by limiting the space in which the economy can grow without the risk of overheating .
This would force the Bank to raise interest rates , which would in turn slow the UK economy .
Policymakers now believe the UK 's potential growth has been reduced to 1.1 % .
This is down from 2.9 % before the financial crisis and 1.6 % over @ @ @ @ @ @

But he said: "To be clear these are still early days and it's less of a case of so far so good than so far good enough," he said, again referring to the UK economy.


bbcuk--2020-01-30--Poole crash: Bus hits police car and ambulance

A bus crashed into a police car and an ambulance , closing a major route into Poole .
Police and @ @ @ @ @ crash on the A35 Upton Bypass shortly after 03:20 GMT when a bus collided with @ @ @ @ @ people suffered minor injuries .
Dorset Police said both the police car and ambulance were @ @ @ @ @ the collision .
The road remained closed westbound at the A350 junction until 10:00 .
@ @ @ @ @ the A31 Roundhouse Roundabout and the A31 west to Bere Regis .

Two people suffered minor injuries. Dorset Police said both the police car and ambulance were stationary at the time of the collision.


bbcuk--2020-01-30--PG Tips could be sold by Unilever as cuppa goes out of fashion

The PG Tips and Lipton tea brands could be sold by consumer goods giant Unilever because they are falling out of favour with the public .
The firm is reviewing its tea business amid a slowdown in sales as more consumers switch to the herbal variety .
It is part of efforts by chief executive Alan Jope to refocus the firm and concentrate on fewer brands .
The announcement came as Unilever announced its slowest quarterly growth in a decade .
The firm said its sales in the final three months of 2019 were up just 1.5 % .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performance in 2020 .
Unilever said it would look at `` all options '' for the tea business , including a partial or full sale .
• Are young Brits falling out of love with the cuppa ?
According to research firm Kantar , the British tea industry is worth £667m a year , but over the last two years , demand for traditional black tea has fallen by 2.7 % .
In contrast , demand has risen for other types of tea , with herbal teas now worth £52m and cold infusions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mark over Lipton 's future , it is rated by Unilever as one of its seven highest-earning brands .
The others are Dove soap , Knorr food products , Persil/Omo washing powder , Rexona deodorant , Hellmann 's mayonnaise and Wall 's ice cream ( known as Ola , Algida , Kibon and Langnese in different parts of the world ) , according to the company 's website .
Since he took over a year ago , Mr Jope has targeted what he calls `` brands with purpose '' , saying that brands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or environmental function could be eliminated from Unilever 's roster .
He told reporters last year that Unilever was taking a close look at such brands as Marmite , Magnum ice cream and Pot Noodle .

Since he took over a year ago, Mr Jope has targeted what he calls "brands with purpose", saying that brands which do not have a clear social or environmental function could be eliminated from Unilever's roster.


bbcuk--2020-01-30--Ministers criticised for using plane for 150-mile trip to Cardiff

Ministers used a plane to fly from London to Cardiff for a meeting earlier this week - a 150 mile journey that takes less than two hours by train .
Former Environment Secretary Michael Gove was among those who made the journey from RAF Northolt to attend talks with devolved governments .
The government insisted that using the RAF plane was the most cost effective method available .
But opposition parties said ministers were out of touch .
The government has pledged to boost investment in greener forms of transport to help meet the UK 's target of net zero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jack was among the other senior ministers to catch a lift on the plane for the Joint Ministerial Council ( JMC ) meeting with the Scottish , Welsh and Northern Irish governments .
A return ticket by train from London to Cardiff is available from £50 online .
A government spokesperson said : `` Six UK government ministers and their support staff travelled to Cardiff to attend the JMC as well as undertaking other official engagements .
They travelled in the most efficient and cost effective manner . ''
But SNP MP Tommy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for such a short journey was indefensible .
`` While the poorest in our society are hit by crippling austerity and face the damaging legacy of a Tory Brexit that Scotland did n't vote for , these actions show just how out of touch UK government ministers are , '' he said .
In 2016 , the government announced that one aircraft from the RAF Voyager fleet was being refitted at a cost of £10m to provide transport for ministers and members of the Royal Family .
Ministers said the conversion would save @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cost of private charters .

"While the poorest in our society are hit by crippling austerity and face the damaging legacy of a Tory Brexit that Scotland didn't vote for, these actions show just how out of touch UK government ministers are," he said.


bbcuk--2020-01-30--Jeremy Corbyn: Labour leader visits Northern Ireland

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is visiting Stormont on Thursday for meetings with the five main Northern Ireland parties .
On his arrival , he was greeted by Speaker Alex Maskey and signed the visitors ' book .
During his visit , Mr Corbyn is expected to discuss the government 's Brexit deal and the recent restoration of devolution .
It is his first visit to Northern Ireland since 2018 .
At that time he gave a speech at Queen 's University Belfast , which focused on the United Kingdom 's EU exit , arguing it must not be allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland .
Mr Corbyn 's successor will be named on 4 April .
His visit comes two months after Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Northern Ireland to sell his Brexit deal .
Jeremy Corbyn 's time as Labour leader is nearly at an end .
After losing the general election campaign , he 's set to stand down in April once his successor has been announced .
So his visit to Northern Ireland on Thursday is n't just for official opposition business - perhaps also a farewell tour .
He 's due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk about Brexit , a day before the UK officially leaves the EU .
The return of the power-sharing assembly is also likely to feature in the discussions .

The Labour leader also signed the book of condolence for the late Seamus Mallon, the former deputy first minister, who died last week.


bbcuk--2020-01-30--Sarah Sands: Radio 4's Today editor to stand down

Sarah Sands is standing down as editor of BBC Radio 4 's Today programme after three years .
The news comes a day after it was announced that 450 jobs are to be cut from BBC News under plans to complete its £80m savings target by 2022 .
Sands , who took over the reins of the flagship news show in 2017 , said it was `` a good time to move on '' .
She previously edited the Evening Standard , where she was replaced by former chancellor George Osborne .
`` I have decided that September is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Today programme , '' she said in a statement .
`` I have loved being part of the Radio 4 team and am proud of what we have achieved , championing intelligent broadcasting and political independence . ''
She added : `` The Today programme is a beacon of news journalism and I wish it and the BBC well . ''
Other outlets to be hit by the job closures announced on Wednesday include BBC Two 's Newsnight , BBC Radio 5 Live and the World Update programme on the World Service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning , Today presenter Nick Robinson said he was `` incredibly sorry '' to see Sands go , noting that `` she 's made a big impact on the programme '' .
Fran Unsworth , the BBC 's director of news , said in a statement : `` Sarah has brought new ideas and fresh thinking to the Today programme over the past three years .
`` Under her editorship she has broadened the programme 's agenda , putting a renewed focus on science and arts , and left the nation scratching their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' She went on : `` She has commissioned a series of formidable guest editors from Greta Thunberg to the Duke of Sussex .
We thank her for all her hard work and wish her well for the future after she leaves the programme this summer . ''
Sands made changes to Radio 4 's flagship programme , including fashion coverage and the introduction of Puzzle for Today , a `` humiliatingly hard '' morning quiz .
Writing in the i newspaper at the time , she said : `` The puzzle speaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have a history of problem solving . ''
Under her tenure , Sands also had to deal with the fallout from the publication of the BBC 's star salaries , which revealed that Today and Mastermind presenter John Humphrys earned between £600,000-£649,000 in 2016/17 , while his Today co-host Sarah Montague received less than £150,000 .
Humphrys took a pay cut and has since left the programme , while Montague has won back pay of £400,000 in an equal pay settlement .
As she made clear in her email to staff , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lifer at the BBC .
As editor of a paper like the London Evening Standard , she had huge autonomy and commercial obligations .
Editing Today , there are fewer commercial obligations , but editorial freedom is more conditional .
You could n't drop Thought for the Day , for instance , without getting sign-off from higher authorities .
Moreover , it 's a sad truth that running one of the BBC 's most high-profile shows comes with a daily dose of abuse and tedious conspiracies on social media .
Of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' departure from the wider travails of BBC News .
A major reorganisation risks weakening programme editors .
Big savings need to be made , including at Today .
John Humphrys left recently .
And ministers are - for now - boycotting the programme .
That 's despite the fact that Sands knows the prime minister very well .
Not only were they on the Telegraph together years ago , but Sands ran London 's paper when Johnson was the city 's mayor .
Running any BBC show these days is tougher than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media , declining linear audiences , and smaller budgets hurt .
But it is the political profile of Today that will make her successor 's job so tough .
Follow us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

She went on: "She has commissioned a series of formidable guest editors from Greta Thunberg to the Duke of Sussex. We thank her for all her hard work and wish her well for the future after she leaves the programme this summer."


bbcuk--2020-01-30--Most children sleep with mobile phone beside bed

More than half of children say they sleep with their mobile phone beside their bed , according to an annual survey of young people 's use of media .
The Childwise report found children getting mobiles at an earlier age , with most now having their own phone by the age of seven .
The average time spent on mobiles by seven to 16-year-olds is three hours and 20 minutes per day .
When phones are always so close at hand , as a `` private and personal technology '' , Mr Leggett says it can be tough for parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
The survey , based on interviews with 2,200 children in the UK aged five to 16 , shows the pivotal place of the mobile phone in young lives .
• The one about Friends still being the most popular programme • The end of watching television as a family There are 57 % who always have the phone beside their bed and 44 % who feel `` uncomfortable '' if they are ever without a phone signal .
There are 42 % who say they keep their phone on them at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even though the average age of owning a phone is becoming younger , the step up to secondary school at the age of 11 is still the point at which many children get a phone and ownership becomes `` almost universal '' .
For more than 70 % of children , their phones will be connected to the internet .
Whether it is chatting to each other , watching entertainment or getting information , mobile phones are the main online gateway for young people .
For listening to music , a mobile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listening to a radio .
The survey shows a media landscape dominated by digital and on-demand services .
YouTube , a veteran by online standards , remains dominant , used by 61 % of children every day , mostly on mobile phones .
It is the favourite app and website of this age group , used as the most typical starting point for videos , particularly `` funny '' clips , listening to music , `` how to '' tutorials or watching programmes .
This is followed by Snapchat , Instagram and this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with WhatsApp also among the most regularly used .
Showing the speed of change , Facebook is not even in the top 10 of favourites .
In terms of watching programmes or video content , YouTube is again the most popular service , followed by Netflix .
This is a resolutely online younger generation - only about one in five say they mostly watch programmes on a television set .
The science fiction adventure series , Stranger Things , is the most popular programme on all channels , alongside long-standing series Friends and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Stranger Things is the top pick , along with Friends , Riverdale and Brooklyn Nine-Nine .
But for parents , research director Mr Leggett says the combination of mobile phones and internet access can make it difficult to know what children are watching .
`` The moment a child owns a mobile phone , it can be a challenge to monitor what your child is accessing online because it 's such a private technology that most keep literally close to their chest , '' said Mr Leggett .

Even though the average age of owning a phone is becoming younger, the step up to secondary school at the age of 11 is still the point at which many children get a phone and ownership becomes "almost universal".


bbcuk--2020-01-30--Broadcasters speak up for Alastair Stewart after ITV News exit

Broadcasting colleagues have spoken in support of Alastair Stewart after he stepped down from ITV News , apparently in the wake of a Twitter race row .
Ranvir Singh , political editor of ITV 's Good Morning Britain , said : `` I would never use the word 'racist ' and his name in the same sentence . ''
Others posting personal tributes to Stewart included former ITV newsreader Katie Derham and Sky 's Adam Boulton .
Stewart left after what ITN called `` errors of judgment '' on social media .
ITV presenter Julie Etchingham wrote on Twitter : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have worked on many big stories together & Al is a trusted friend and guide to many of us . ''
The reasons for the veteran broadcaster 's departure have not been confirmed , but it came weeks after he was involved in a Twitter exchange with a black man in which he quoted a Shakespeare passage including the phrase `` angry ape '' .
Stewart has used this verse once before on Twitter in response to a user who was not identifiably black .
After posting a photo of herself in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Good Morning Britain : `` I texted him last night to see if he was OK , he said he was OK .
I feel really upset about it . ''
Stewart would `` pore over every word '' when he was writing the news headlines , she said .
'He did not think it was a slur' '' He understands the emphasis and I think perhaps he might be thinking , gosh , maybe I should have re-read that quote and thought about it twice , '' she said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my house on it that not for one second did he write that quote thinking that it was in any way a slur on anyone 's skin colour . ''
According to reports and screengrabs , Stewart engaged in a row about how the monarchy was funded , and posted a passage from Measure For Measure that included the line : `` Most ignorant of what he 's most assur 'd - His glassy elegance - like an angry ape . ''
At the time , the user - who has received online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` Just an @ ITV newsreader referring to me as an ape with the cover of Shakespeare .
Measure for measure , Alistair [ sic ] is a disgrace . ''
Singh added that Stewart had `` only ever been gracious and encouraging to me '' and had supported black talent in the newsroom .
While she did not know what the exchange was about or what Shakespeare 's original meaning was , she added : `` Do you go back and unpick the whole of literature ?
My God , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Enoch Powell . ''
Good Morning Britain host Ben Shephard said on the programme : `` I 've been lucky enough to work with Alastair over the years as well , and he 's an extraordinarily generous person with experience as a broadcaster to work with . ''
ITV News arts editor Nina Nannar and GMB chief correspondent Richard Gaisford were among the other colleagues to post warm words about Stewart 's character and career .
Fellow newsreader Mary Nightingale added that she was `` very sad '' about his departure .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ former head of programmes for ITV News , said he was `` simply the best on and off screen '' and `` a broadcasting legend '' .
Stewart joined ITV in 1980 and began fronting News at Ten nine years later .
His Twitter account has now been deactivated .
In a statement announcing his departure on Wednesday , the 67-year-old said : `` It was a misjudgement which I regret , but it 's been a privilege to bring the news to households throughout the UK for the past 40 years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ guidelines , but did not elaborate on the reasons for his departure .
Stewart , from Hampshire , joined ITN as industrial correspondent in 1980 .
He also served as a foreign correspondent , and was sent to Washington in 1990 and then to Saudi Arabia , from where he anchored ITV 's news coverage of the first Gulf War for two months .
Behind the news desk , he hosted ITV 's lunchtime and early evening news , as well as News At Ten and Channel 4 News .
His other shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Action !
, which was made using police footage of dangerous driving .
Stewart was named presenter of the year by the Royal Television Society in 2005 , and was awarded an OBE the following year .
He often anchored ITV 's coverage of elections and royal weddings , and in 2010 he moderated the UK 's first-ever televised general election leaders ' debate , between David Cameron , Gordon Brown and Nick Clegg .
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bbcuk--2020-01-30--Brexit: Bells and bunting, or shedding a tear - how will you mark it?

For some British people , 23:00 GMT on 31 January is a moment that ca n't come soon enough .
For others , it 's something they hoped they would never see .
But whatever your opinions about Brexit , the official time that the UK makes its exit from the European Union is almost upon us .
Will it be celebrations or commiserations ?
Here , four people explain how they are feeling ahead of the landmark event , and how they are planning to mark the occasion .
• Tears and relief as the UK 's MEPs bid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ben in Brexit Day plan Game soup , bunting and Land of Hope and Glory ... Pub owner Rob Hancock , 64 , runs the Robin Hood pub in his hometown of Boston , Lincolnshire .
Everybody just ca n't believe it 's finally happening .
We 've been waiting for what feels like 10 years .
We never even thought we would get a referendum .
I just do n't know how I 'm going to fit everyone inside the pub !
We 're putting up some banners and union jack bunting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to incite any problems .
We 've got a disco from 8pm .
At 11pm , we 're going to ring our bell , which is an old ship 's bell , and then play Land of Hope and Glory .
Then we 'll carry on the celebrations , which will include game soup - a local speciality of partridge and pheasant , along with some crusty rolls .
There will be a lot of events around the country but in Boston , as far as I know , nobody else has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For us it 's a benchmark .
It 's a time to celebrate because it 's a day when we feel we 've got our country back .
But the strange thing is we will have Europeans at the party .
We 've got a lot of Lithuanian friends , Latvian friends etc , and they know exactly where we 're coming from .
They understand intrinsically how we feel - it 's not us and them .
There 'll be a lot here on the night celebrating with us .
People can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no problem with that whatsoever , but we ca n't lose our soul and identity .
Student Kirsty Law , 35 , lives in Greenock , Inverclyde , with her French partner .
I am being abused online for daring to feel this way , which further demonstrates to me that the whole thing has unleashed an ugliness in our society that maybe always existed but had been dormant - certainly in my lifetime .
I ca n't imagine a time when I would feel joy at others misery .
Brexit has affected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of grief have taken over me , particularly since the general election when , for the first time , my eternal optimism that things will turn out OK was crushed .
The EU is personal for me .
My partner is French and without freedom of movement we would never have met .
The idea that he has `` been treating this place like home for too long '' has cut deep in me , because it is his home .
However , it has also given me a desire for knowledge and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to study politics .
I am not naive in thinking the institution itself is perfect .
Like everything political it has its good points and parts I disagree with , but it stood for peace and co-operation through Europe , which is an ideal that is hard to argue with .
Or so I thought !
On Friday evening , I am spending time with my family .
I will light a candle and spend a moment alone in quiet reflection at 11pm and will , no doubt , shed a tear .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ - please leave a light on for us .
I hope one day we can rejoin .
I am very excited for Brexit day .
After waiting for so long , we are finally getting our democratic vote enacted , which is a massive relief because I have felt real worry for our democratic process since 2016 .
Having never lived in an independent sovereign UK , that excites me the most - being self-governing and being the creators of our own destiny is the main reason I voted to leave .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sombre moment when the clock hits 11pm this Friday , for me it is going to be a proud moment .
I will be at home with my partner - who is as excited as me - watching various news channels and coverage of the various celebrations taking place and waiting patiently for the clock to hit 11pm .
I shall mark that historic moment with a nice bottle of English bubbly and I will wave the union flag from the side of my house for that entire day .
And , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had , I might entertain my partner with a pretty awful rendition of our national anthem .
Semi-retired university lecturer Anne Hernandez , 66 , lives in Malaga but is originally from Hertfordshire .
It really pains me to think about it , it 's a horrible wrench .
There are some people - my daughter , for example , who is 36 - they 've never known any different .
They are an EU citizen through and through , to suddenly lose your sense of identity is a horrible feeling .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizen .
To think that all of those rights that we 've acquired are gone - it 's awful .
I initially compared it to a wake .
It 's like a bereavement , not something you want to celebrate , or even commemorate or remember .
A lot of the British people I know are extremely upset , they do n't want it to happen .
Some are going to spend the day in bed , some are going out to have a little drink with some Spanish friends .
I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I will be at home , but I 'm certainly not going out to celebrate .
Trepidation - that 's how I 'm feeling .
It 's not something I ever wanted to see happen , but I have to accept it 's going to .
I hope it is n't what I think it will be , I 'll be the first one to say I 'm sorry I was wrong , but the writing is on the wall .
My passport is British , I have British nationality , but my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Union .

I am not naive in thinking the institution itself is perfect. Like everything political it has its good points and parts I disagree with, but it stood for peace and co-operation through Europe, which is an ideal that is hard to argue with. Or so I thought!


bbcuk--2020-01-30--Sweets and football: How the UK celebrated joining Europe

A light show in Downing Street and a new 50p coin will be among official events marking Brexit on Friday .
Despite some accusations of triumphalism , the tone marks a more muted contrast with British entry into the then European Economic Community ( EEC ) in 1973 .
A new 50p was also minted back then - featuring nine interlocking hands to reflect the newly-expanded membership of the club .
But Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath went further , and organised 11 days of government-subsidised cultural events .
Beginning three days after entry on 1 January , the `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ musical , artistic , and sporting events .
• Countdown clock but no Big Ben in Brexit Day plan • On this day : Britain joins the EEC As with Brexit in 2020 , the occasion was not immune from political wrangling .
Mr Heath , a Europhile who had long dreamed of witnessing British entry into the EEC , known as the Common Market , took an active role in certain events .
He attended a special gala at the Royal Opera House , and personally presented prizes to British and EEC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essay competition .
He also brought down the starting flag on a rally of dozens of vintage cars from London to Brussels .
The decision to put himself at the centre of events did not come without risks , however , as some events saw protests from anti-market protestors .
In fact , the prime minister was stink-bombed as he arrived for the gala in Covent Garden alongside the Queen .
In total , seven government departments and two specially-created temporary committees were involved in devising the programme for the Fanfare .
Crossbench @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led a committee responsible for cultural events - while a second committee , chaired by the Conservative peer Lord Mancroft , took the lead in other fields .
Cultural events dominated the schedule , with 25 art exhibitions on European themes arranged , as well as scores of concerts .
The Berlin Philharmonic were brought over for special concert , whilst groups such as the Kinks , Steeleye Span and Slade all had gigs .
At the Victoria and Albert Museum , an exhibition was put together featuring artwork loaned especially by each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Denmark sent two Bronze Age wind instruments , while the Italian donation , a bust of Brutus by Michelangelo , was described in the programme as a `` highly expressive tribute to the fight against tyranny '' .
Meanwhile France , which had twice vetoed British entry into the EEC in the 1960s , sent a 17th Century depiction of card cheating by painter Georges de la Tour .
However an attempt to bring the Mona Lisa to London reportedly failed when a request to send the Rosetta Stone to the Louvre in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ headline events was a special football match at Wembley , which pitted players from the six existing EEC countries against a team composed of players from the UK , Ireland and Denmark , who joined together in 1973 .
The 'Three ' , selected by England World Cup-winning manager Sir Alf Ramsey , ran out 2-0 victors with goals from Danish international Henning Jensen and Coventry City striker Colin Stein .
Among the British stars who featured were England 's Bobby Moore and Bobby Charlton , and Scottish international Peter Lorimer .
German @ @ @ @ @ @ @ although he was taken off at half-time .
Despite the star appearances , however , ticket sales were slow and only 36,500 fans turned up , not much more than a third of Wembley 's capacity at that time .
Lack of enthusiasm did not stop there , with Lord Mancroft admitting to the Times three months before events began that some councils had refused to take part .
`` But we found a much greater number , who , while not being very enthusiastic , have accepted that British entry is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us and do their best , '' he added .
Taxpayer support of £350,000 - around £4.2m in today 's terms - also proved contentious , despite protestations from Lord Goodman to MPs scrutinising expenditure that it was a `` trivial sum of money for this festival '' .
Labour leader Harold Wilson - who had opposed the Conservative deal taking the UK into the EEC - called government subsidies `` an outrage '' .
He suggested that instead of the festivities , it would have been more appropriate to give British workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it joined , the UK was the only EEC country not to offer its workers time off on New Year 's Day - and the first day of the year had long been marked by widespread absenteeism in certain sectors .
Perhaps recognising the inevitable , Ford and British Leyland were among the firms that voluntarily gave staff a day off on the first day of 1973 .
New Year 's Day did eventually become a bank holiday the following year in 1974 .
Edward Heath also had to fend off accusations that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dominated by highbrow events concentrated in London .
Things were hardly helped by the timing of Britain 's EEC entry , which took place in the midst of a government-imposed pay freeze to control inflation .
Jim Callaghan , a future Labour PM then serving as the party 's shadow foreign secretary , made the link when the issue was debated in the Commons .
`` It might be thought that because the government can not give the people bread , they are giving them circuses , '' he quipped .
Despite the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has bridged the decades with the Fanfare in one respect - with the revival of one element of the EEC festivities that went rather awry back in 1973 .
A 1973 exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery in east London , entitled `` Sweets '' , was brought to an abrupt end on its final day when the display of European confectionary was devoured by schoolchildren who had overwhelmed a guard .
The exhibition was recreated to coincide with the expected date of the UK 's exit in March last year , alongside a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brandenburg .
Ahead of its opening , she told the gallery the exhibition offered the chance to reflect on both the political and culinary tastes of the two periods .
`` What is funny is that a lot of sweets did n't change , '' she said at the time .
`` The world has changed a lot since 1973 , but not the sweets . ''

Apart from in Scotland, the UK was the only EEC country not to offer its workers time off on New Year's Day at the time it joined - but the first day of the year had long been marked by widespread absenteeism in certain sectors.


bbcuk--2020-01-30--Brexit: What will change after Friday, 31 January?

The UK formally leaves the European Union ( EU ) at 23:00 on Friday , 31 January .
But it will immediately enter an 11-month transition period .
During the transition the UK will continue to obey EU rules and pay money to the EU .
Most things will stay the same but there will be some changes : Familiar faces such as Nigel Farage and Ann Widdecombe are among the UK 's 73 MEPs who will automatically lose their seats in the European Parliament .
That 's because , at the moment of Brexit , the UK will leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and agencies .
However , in addition to the UK following EU rules during the transition period , the European Court of Justice will continue to have the final say over legal disputes .
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will have to be specially invited if he wants to join other leaders at EU Council summits in the future .
British ministers will also no longer attend regular EU meetings that decide things such as fishing limits .
3 .
We will be hearing a lot about trade The UK will be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world about setting new rules for buying and selling goods and services .
It has not been allowed to hold formal trade negotiations with countries like the US and Australia while it remained an EU member .
Brexit supporters argue that having the freedom to set its own trade policy will boost the UK 's economy .
There 's also a lot to be discussed with the EU .
Agreeing a UK-EU trade deal is a top priority , so extra charges on goods and other trade barriers are n't needed when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are reached , they wo n't be able to start until the transition period ends .
Blue passports will be making a return , more than 30 years after they were replaced by the current burgundy design .
Announcing the change in 2017 , then Immigration Minister , Brandon Lewis , praised the return to the `` iconic '' blue-and-gold design , first used in 1921 .
The new colour will be phased in over a number of months , with all new passports issued in blue by the middle of the year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be valid .
About three million commemorative 50p Brexit coins bearing the date `` 31 January '' and the inscription : `` Peace , prosperity and friendship with all nations '' , will enter circulation on Friday .
The coin has received a mixed reaction , with some Remain supporters saying they will refuse to accept it .
The government had planned to introduce a similar coin on 31 October , the date Brexit was previously meant to happen .
However , those coins had to be melted down and recycled after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handled the UK-EU negotiations and no-deal preparations will disband on Brexit day .
The Department for Exiting the European Union was set up by former Prime Minister Theresa May in 2016 .
For the upcoming talks , the UK 's negotiating team will be based in Downing Street .
7 .
Germany wo n't extradite its citizens to the UK It wo n't be possible for some suspected criminals to be brought back to the UK if they flee to Germany .
Germany 's constitution does not allow its citizens to be extradited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
`` This exception can not apply anymore after the UK has left EU , '' a spokesman from the German Federal Ministry of Justice told BBC News .
It 's unclear if the same restrictions will apply to other countries .
Slovenia , for example , says the situation is complicated , while the European Commission was unable to provide comment .
The UK Home Office says the European Arrest Warrant will continue to apply during the transition period .
( That means Germany will be able to extradite non-German citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if a country 's laws prevent extradition to the UK it `` will be expected to take over the trial or sentence of the person concerned '' .
• What is the transition period ?
Seven things that will stay the same ... Because the transition period begins immediately after Brexit , the vast majority of other things remain the same - at least until 31 December 2020 including : Flights , boats and trains will operate as usual .
When it comes to passport control , during the transition period , UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the areas reserved for EU arrivals only .
As long as they are valid , these will continue to be accepted .
• Driving after Brexit : What you need to know These are the cards that provide UK nationals with state-provided medical treatment in case of illness or accident .
They can be used in any EU country ( as well as Switzerland , Norway , Iceland and Liechtenstein ) and will continue to be valid during the transition period .
• Will the EHIC still be valid after Brexit ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ EU Freedom of movement will continue to apply during the transition , so UK nationals will still be able to live and work in the EU as they currently do .
The same applies for EU nationals wanting to live and work in the UK .
UK nationals living in the EU will continue to receive their state pension and will also receive the annual increase .
• How will Brexit affect UK pensioners in Europe ?
The UK will continue to pay into the EU budget during the transition .
This means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grants , will continue to be funded .
UK-EU trade will continue without any extra charges or checks being introduced .

It has not been allowed to hold formal trade negotiations with countries like the US and Australia while it remained an EU member. Brexit supporters argue that having the freedom to set its own trade policy will boost the UK's economy.


bbcuk--2020-01-30--The nursery putting fitness at the heart of learning

The statistics are terrible - study after study shows children all over the world are weaker , do less exercise and are less fit than in the past .
In England alone , despite a slight improvement last year , fewer than half of five to 16-year-olds achieve the government 's recommended 60 minutes ' exercise a day and poorer children are most likely to miss out .
• Children becoming weaker and less fit Many experts think physical activity needs to start at a very young age , and one place taking up the mantle is Teddy Bears Nursery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alison Welch leads a physical activity programme there , designed to boost children 's physical skills and teach them that exercise can be fun .
One game involves children using cardboard tubes to push plastic balls around the hall , aiming for a series of coloured hoops laid on the floor .
It is all part of Healthy Movers , a government-funded programme for two to four-year-olds .
It is run by charity Youth Sport Trust in 15 nurseries and early years centres in West Somerset , the area ranked bottom in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ index measures the chances that a child from a disadvantaged background will do well at school and get a good job .
Lack of exercise is a huge factor in poor physical health and obesity .
It is also linked with poor emotional wellbeing , and if children reach reception age without the core physical strength to sit straight in a chair or to grip a pencil , they start school at a massive disadvantage .
Youth Sport Trust says children must start early , aiming to boost fitness , strength , agility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be self-conscious about their bodies , and start trying to avoid school PE .
• Children 'become less active during primary years' Experienced PE teacher Flo Holmes , who co-ordinates the scheme , blames the childhood fitness slump on the burgeoning use of screens from babyhood , while fewer children play outside these days .
She quotes research showing a mid-primary school tipping point , where girls in particular decide whether or not they enjoy being physically active .
`` We just need to be making sure that physical activity is fun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before adding it is also about `` physical literacy '' .
`` We mean improving their physical skills but also their motivation , their confidence and so their enjoyment . ''
In the hall , the children 's focus is paying off .
Like mini hockey players , they weave the plastic balls around each other aiming for the correct coloured hoops with remarkable success .
Flo is impressed .
`` I 've taken Year 7 girls and they would n't be able to do that , '' she says .
So far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken part in the programme since it began in October 2018 , but the interim results are encouraging .
The children are more active than expected , more physically confident and display better physical skills , object control and `` locomotion '' , say their teachers .
`` Some of the movements we might be doing are not just gross motor skills , they 're fine motor skills as well , '' Flo explains .
`` We might be wiggling and weaving a ribbon or scarf and the children think they 're just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what we 're really doing , is looking at their finger and thumb formation , and we 're using the left and the right hand , so we 're just trying to make control of a pencil that much easier for them . ''
Alison says she `` absolutely , wholeheartedly '' loves the scheme .
She says last year 's nursery children , who were the first to do the programme , were far more school-ready than previous year groups .
`` I think it really has made a difference to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their listening skills as well . ''
She is hoping for a similar boost for this year 's group .
Alison says the children are so enthused by the activities , they repeat them in the playground and at home , improvising with whatever objects they have available .
This helps their creativity and resourcefulness in the classroom .
Each child gets a backpack including a ball , a beanbag and activity cards , to help parents continue the good work .
In the classroom , Eliza , four , proudly shows off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the top of her latest painting .
Her mum Lucy says she has detected a vast improvement in Eliza 's co-ordination .
`` She made her own games up and we 're playing them at home .
So she would always find something like a bowl and would be chucking her beanbag into the bowl , trying to aim , '' says Lucy .
`` I think it inspires them does n't it , and to think outside the box . ''
Alithea is just three and was premature so has always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her mum Katie .
`` It 's really nice to see a massive improvement .
I just want her to be the best she can be at anything she wants to do , '' says Katie .
Elsewhere the children have pushed a row of chairs into a line .
`` No it 's a helicopter and we 're going to Costa Rica to feed the animals , '' comes the reply .
The `` pilot '' decides she wants to land to load `` food for the animals '' , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it in the shape of wooden bricks and other toys , before setting off again on their exciting journey .

"We might be wiggling and weaving a ribbon or scarf and the children think they're just having a lovely time. But actually what we're really doing, is looking at their finger and thumb formation, and we're using the left and the right hand, so we're just trying to make control of a pencil that much easier for them."


bbcuk--2020-01-30--Madonna resumes her world tour in London after injury

Madonna has resumed her Madame X world tour in London , after cancelling dates in Portugal and the UK due to injury .
The star took to the stage wearing knee supports but otherwise refused to make concessions to the `` indescribable '' pain she has recently been experiencing .
She performed high kicks , yoga poses and even the splits during a highly-polished , two-and-a-half-hour show .
And she told fans she was `` happy to have made it '' to the Palladium after scrapping her first UK show on Monday .
`` How could I not do a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Palladium seats just 2,286 people - which made Wednesday night 's show Madonna 's smallest-ever full-length concert in the UK ; and her first time on the West End since appearing in David Williamson 's Up for Grabs in 2002 .
It provided a chance , she said , for a more `` intimate and thrilling '' artistic experience .
As a result , the audience were required to store mobile phones in sealed pouches as `` an intervention for us all '' .
However , Madonna admitted that even she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I 'm having little panic attacks , '' she joked .
`` I 'm like , 'Why is no-one taking my picture ? '
'' But the gambit worked : Freed from distractions , the audience gave the concert their undiluted attention ; while Madonna seemed to relax and have fun without a phalanx of tiny cameras recording her every move .
At one point , she slipped into a British accent and recalled how she 'd been ridiculed for developing similarly plummy vowels during her marriage to Guy Ritchie .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was talking about until I heard old interviews of myself , '' she said .
`` And then I was horrified and flabbergasted .
Why did you let me do that to myself ?
`` It 's all Guy Ritchie 's fault , '' she decided .
`` He made me to it . ''
( Perhaps because of the theatre setting , the crowd booed her ex like a pantomime villain ) .
The off-the-cuff banter made Madonna , who 's often been perceived as imperious and stand-offish , seem refreshingly accessible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ odds with the heavily-conceptualised musical segments .
The heart of the show had to do with Madonna 's life in Lisbon , where she moved in 2017 to support her son David 's aspirations as a footballer ( `` yes , I 'm a soccer mom , '' she accepted ) .
Uprooting the family was n't easy , she said , and she struggled with loneliness until David gave her an ultimatum : `` You 're pathetic , you 're chubby and you need some friends . ''
In Madonna 's retelling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Portugal 's fado clubs , where `` I took my loneliness and turned it into something good '' .
Traditional music percolated the show : Madonna rebuilt Isla Bonita in a fado style and covered Isabel De Oliveira 's Fado Pechincha .
During Batuka , she introduced the Orquestra Batukadeiras - a group of female hand-drummers from Cape Verde - one of whom danced with a bottle of rum balanced delicately on her head .
But Madonna being Madonna , there were also dancers in gas masks , nuns playing cellos , cameos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cute ) and urgent messages about school shootings and climate change .
Thematically , it was supposedly tied together by the character of Madame X , a secret agent / prisoner / cabaret singer / cha cha instructor / equestrian / prostitute - but the concept never quite gelled .
Instead , music was the unifying force - from the feel-good throwbacks of Vogue and Like A Prayer to more recent tracks like the gospel-infused Come Alive and I Do n't Search I Find , which updates the deep house grooves of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's 13 remaining London shows will be pleased to learn she arrived on stage within 20 minutes of the advertised starting time , in contrast to the US leg of the tour , where audiences were often kept waiting for several hours .
`` I 've been warned by Westminster council , '' she confessed , adding that an `` iron curtain '' would fall over the production if she broke an 11pm curfew .
However , there will be lingering fears over the star 's health , and the fate of future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tour 's 93 dates have been called off after the star was ordered to `` step back '' from performing by doctors .
`` I have injuries that have plagued me since the beginning of the tour but I must always listen to my body and put my health first , '' she wrote on Instagram over the weekend , after cancelling the opening date of her residency at the Palladium .
Although she seemed in good spirits on Wednesday night 's show , Madonna did admit things were `` not good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But she also made light of the injuries , after asking for a chair to be brought on stage during one of her monologues .
`` Normally , I kneel for about 20 minutes here , '' she said , a gleam entering her eye .
`` I 've been told I 'm very good at it . ''
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"I have injuries that have plagued me since the beginning of the tour but I must always listen to my body and put my health first," she wrote on Instagram over the weekend, after cancelling the opening date of her residency at the Palladium.


bbcuk--2020-01-30--Northern: Three things that went wrong at the rail firm

On Wednesday , troubled rail company Northern was brought under government control following concerns about its poor service and shaky finances .
The franchise will be stripped from operator Arriva Rail North from 1 March , and the government will step in as an `` operator of last resort '' .
So what went wrong at Northern , and were the issues all its own fault ?
Moreover , will re-nationalisation fix the network 's problems ?
The Department for Transport ( DfT ) said Northern 's poor service first came onto its radar after the botched rollout of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes were designed to introduce more services and improve punctuality , but resulted in several weeks of chaos .
Up to 300 services were cancelled each day .
• 'Nobody took charge ' in rail timetable chaos Northern was partly to blame - it introduced the timetable without having enough drivers or having made the required infrastructure improvements to deliver it .
But track manager Network Rail and the DfT were also rapped for showing a lack of `` responsibility and accountability '' during the rollout , according to regulator the Office of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's service did not fully recover .
In the latest National Rail Passenger Survey , only 52 % felt the network offered value for money , while punctuality and reliability was rated at 65 % .
The operator also faced prolonged strikes in 2018 and 2019 over moves to change the role of guards on trains , causing further cancellations and delays .
It is important to remember these changes were dictated by the government , says rail industry journalist Tony Miles .
`` The new operator is unlikely to find negotiations with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said many of Northern 's problems were due to `` inadequate infrastructure '' - although again some of these issues were beyond its control .
Firstly , the operator ordered more than 100 new trains from a Spanish company , but these have been up to a year late arriving .
That means it has had to keep its old and unpopular trains running , including the hated Pacer trains .
Introduced in the early 1980s , Pacers - or `` rail buses '' - were only meant as a short-term alternative to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noisy , cramped and poorly ventilated .
• 'The train was so awful I learned to drive' Delays in withdrawing them prompted northern leaders , including Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham , to call on Northern to slash its fares .
The operator also had to deal with an outdated track system in need of urgent upgrades .
And delays to such projects - which are the fault of Network Rail and the government - have left it struggling with poor connections and bottlenecks .
Problem spots include Ordsall Chord - a stretch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduce journey times into and through Manchester - which is not fully functioning .
There have also been delays to works between Blackpool and Manchester , as well as the electrification of lines across the North West .
This has compounded the poor service and made the introduction of new trains harder .
`` The government had promised it would upgrade a lot of the infrastructure to handle the extra trains , then cancelled most of the schemes .
So the trains have been trying to run on a railway that is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Miles .
The DfT says it ultimately re-nationalised the Northern franchise because it had become financially unviable .
In July 2019 it voiced concerns about declining passenger numbers on the network .
That was despite an around 15 % increase in services since the beginning of the franchise in 2016 .
It also warned the government had been forced to increase its subsidy of Northern after the timetable fallout by £120m .
On 9 January this year , Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the House of Commons the franchise would only be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months , prompting him to consider re-nationalisation .
According to the government , Arriva has taken out no profit from the Northern franchise since it started in 2016 .

This has compounded the poor service and made the introduction of new trains harder. "The government had promised it would upgrade a lot of the infrastructure to handle the extra trains, then cancelled most of the schemes. So the trains have been trying to run on a railway that is not able to handle them," says Mr Miles.


bbcuk--2020-01-30--The Goldfish Club: The exclusive society of air-sea crash survivors

`` I realised I was going to die - I was very relaxed and completely at peace .
I suddenly thought of my wife and children . ''
In September 1998 , Cdr Jason Phillips was stuck in the seat of his Sea King helicopter , trapped under the North Sea off the east coast of England .
Seconds earlier , he and his comrades had bailed out of the aircraft after a fireball engulfed the cockpit .
`` I opened my eyes underwater and could see the outline of the cargo door window , which was to be my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Helston in Cornwall .
`` My seat pack was stuck and , having practised this manoeuvre many times in the pool , I calmly un-snagged it and was free .
`` I looked around for my three fellow crew but could only see two .
Then came that magic moment when the second pilot swam round the front of our now upturned helicopter and we all realised we 'd survived . ''
Cdr Phillips 's training had saved him - and earned him membership of an exclusive club whose sole qualification is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sea in , or from , an aircraft .
`` I contacted the Goldfish Club membership secretary and explained I had four new members , '' Cdr Phillips says .
`` 'Fantastic , ' he said .
'We are the cheapest permanent club with an annual membership fee , but have the hardest joining routine . '
'' 'They were expecting to find a body' Kate Burrows ' flight from Guernsey to the Isle of Man on 16 December 2009 was going well until she reached the Irish Sea .
At this point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failed so she turned it off - `` I had a spare after all '' - and begin a diversion to Blackpool .
Then her left side lost power and Ms Burrows called a mayday .
`` I chose to ditch - I did n't have a lot of choice , '' she says .
`` I was in the vicinity of the Blackpool gas rigs so I chose to ditch firstly by one of the rigs and then when I saw the gas rig support ship , I chose to ditch 100ft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
One of the helicopters from the rigs was tasked to follow Ms Burrows and a helicopter was launched to pick up whatever was left after the ditching - `` they were expecting a body '' , she says .
She describes the noise as `` like a cannon being fired behind me '' , adding : `` The ditching was so violent I ripped the tail almost off the aircraft . ''
Ms Burrows hung on to the straps of her life raft in the water for about five minutes before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and winched into a helicopter .
`` I did everything I could to mitigate what problems I encountered , '' she said .
`` I ditched and came out wet , but alive . ''
She was soon approached by the Goldfish Club .
`` I remembered it from being in the Fleet Air Arm when in the navy , '' Ms Burrows says .
`` Some of the aircrew had it on their uniforms but I never thought about it outside the services .
`` There 's a certain camaraderie about being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffered the same experience - taking our aircraft swimming - and that binds us . ''
As a civilian pilot , Ms Burrows could not have been a member of the club when it was formed in 1942 by CA Robertson , the chief draughtsman at PB Cow & Co - one of the world 's largest manufacturers of air-sea rescue equipment .
Originally restricted to the military , the club had more than 9,000 members by the end of World War Two .
It had been intended further membership should cease at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be submitted .
In 1951 , some members inquired about a reunion dinner .
The first one was held at the White House Restaurant in London 's Mayfair on 26 May that year .
The gathering was such a success it was decided it should become a permanent fixture , and one has been held every year since .
One of the club 's oldest members is 97-year-old Keith Quilter .
On 28 July 1945 , the 23-year-old flight commander was shot down near Osaka on Honshu - the main island of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World War Two .
`` We 'd crossed the coast to a little fishing harbour , '' Mr Quilter says .
`` The boss had spotted a small Japanese destroyer and detailed me to take my flight down .
We skip-bombed it .
I came in low but there must 've been some guns down there because somebody hit my engine and it stopped .
I ended up ditching in a creek .
`` I got my life-jacket and got the dinghy going .
I then started paddling like mad for the open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US Navy using their submarines for air-sea rescue .
I expected the Japanese to finish me off or capture me .
That 's why I endeavoured to get out to sea where , with any luck , there would be a rescue submarine .
`` I turned round to see how I was getting on and , lo and behold , there was this sinister-looking submarine coming in on the surface .
It got closer and altered course right towards me and I thought : 'Here we go , I 've had my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw the American sailors come down on the foredeck . ''
Mr Quilter was hauled aboard and it was there he heard the news that Japan had surrendered .
`` The US Navy was supposed to be a dry navy - no alcohol on board , '' he says .
`` I do n't know where it came from , but we had a few drinks - I do n't remember much of that day . ''
Mr Quilter joined the Goldfish Club in 2013 after attending a reunion dinner at Dartmouth Royal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I so enjoyed the atmosphere , '' he says .
`` It 's a unique group .
We 're not all RAF , we 're not all Fleet Air Arm .
We 've got all sorts of people .
It 's quite a family atmosphere . ''
Art Stacey - who is now the Goldfish Club chairman - did n't know it existed until he qualified for membership .
He and six squadron colleagues were conducting a test at RAF Kinloss , near the village of Kinloss on the Moray Firth in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 1995 .
`` At that point I 'd been in the Royal Air Force 30 years , '' says Mr Stacey , from Stamford in Lincolnshire .
`` We had an electrical short-circuit where wires had been rubbing and a nut on the starting motor which was n't fit for purpose .
It resulted in the catastrophic failure and the destruction of the starter motor , which blew the lower casing off the engine , penetrating the adjacent fuel tank . ''
A fire spread rapidly through the engine .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a young sergeant who said 'the wing 's melting ' , '' says Mr Stacey .
`` It 's a wonderful description - covers everything . ''
Mr Stacey says he has been asked `` a thousand times '' why he decided to ditch into the sea when a runway was minutes away .
`` There was something - years of experience - saying to me , 'you 're not going to make it ' , '' he says .
`` I suspected the aircraft would blow up or I might lose control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ split-second decision-making .
`` When we slapped down , the noise was incredible .
Every noise you can imagine .
It was the loudest thing .
My headset , glasses and jockey cap all smashed in slow motion .
Then there was silence .
Deafening silence . ''
Mr Stacey was in hospital when he received a Goldfish Club application form .
`` I do n't think there are many clubs in the world where membership qualifications are so rigid , '' he says .
`` I hardly got my feet wet but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no longer with us , their survival stories are incredible - in a dinghy in the North Atlantic for a week in winter .
`` If you made a film of them , people would say it 'd never happen and they would n't survive . ''

"I got my life-jacket and got the dinghy going. I then started paddling like mad for the open sea because we were briefed about the US Navy using their submarines for air-sea rescue. I expected the Japanese to finish me off or capture me. That's why I endeavoured to get out to sea where, with any luck, there would be a rescue submarine.


bbcuk--2020-01-30--West Suffolk Hospital staff 'feared raising concerns', says CQC

Staff at a hospital accused of conducting a `` witch hunt '' to identify a whistleblower felt a lack of `` freedom to speak up '' , a report has said .
The husband of Susan Warby , who died at West Suffolk Hospital in 2018 , received an anonymous letter about her care .
Bosses asked doctors for fingerprints and handwriting samples to discover the author .
The trust has since apologised .
The Care Quality Commission ( CQC ) found the leadership `` did not demonstrate an open and empowering culture '' .
Trust chief executive Dr Stephen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for fingerprints in October .
`` I have written to all our consultants as well as all our staff to make it clear that we have apologised , '' he said .
`` It will now be subject to an external review and we will make sure that we learn those lessons and I am very sorry that we have impacted on staff in this way . ''
The hospital serves some constituents of Health Secretary Matt Hancock , who is the MP for West Suffolk , and the Department of Health and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commission a review into whistleblowing at the trust .
The CQC inspection , held across September and October , rated the trust as requiring improvement , having previously been found to be outstanding in December 2017 .
The regulator 's report concluded hospital employees `` did not feel listened to and saw others that had raised concerns be penalised '' .
`` Not all staff felt supported , respected or valued and some feared reprisals if they raised concerns , '' it added .
Jon Warby said he received the letter two months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 and said he was `` quite surprised '' by the lengths the hospital reportedly went to find its author .
The Doctors ' Association described the hospital 's attempt to find the writer as a `` witch hunt '' .
The report following the CQC inspection said some actions in relation to internal investigations by the hospital were `` unusual and of concern '' .
Inspectors said some staff perceived communications as `` threatening in nature , with a focus on apportioning blame '' .
In September , the hospital 's medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ departments in regard to the culture and behaviours of the executive body , on multiple occasions , that had not endorsed the trust values of freedom to speak up '' .
A meeting took place to address concerns but the CQC found that a letter to the committee 's chair `` could be considered intimidating , and confirmed to us the continued disconnect around communication '' .
• 'We spoke out and lost our jobs' Inspectors also found `` significant concerns '' within the maternity and midwifery service , which included the failure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women and newborn babies .
The CQC put a warning notice in place stating improvements to the service must be made by 31 January .
Chair of the West Suffolk NHS Trust Sheila Childerhouse said it would be `` reviewing our culture and openness to make sure there is an environment where everyone has an opportunity to contribute and play a full part in our improvement '' .
Mr Dunn said : `` While we acknowledge and accept the areas of concern this report highlights , the CQC has rated many of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and found that NHS teams across the board treated patients with compassion and respect , and we 're pleased our hardworking staff have been recognised . ''

Mr Dunn said: "While we acknowledge and accept the areas of concern this report highlights, the CQC has rated many of the trust's services as good or outstanding and found that NHS teams across the board treated patients with compassion and respect, and we're pleased our hardworking staff have been recognised."


bbcuk--2020-01-30--Coronavirus: Case likely to be found in Scotland in days

A case of coronavirus is likely in Scotland in the coming days , according to a Scottish government source .
@ @ @ @ @ the virus have been confirmed in China and 170 deaths .
The Foreign Office has @ @ @ @ @ urgently '' to fly about 200 British nationals back to the UK from the Chinese @ @ @ @ @ the virus originated .
Scottish laboratories will be able to start testing for the Wuhan-strain @ @ @ @ @ coming weeks .
Currently , samples being tested for the virus in Scotland are sent @ @ @ @ @ facility south of the border .
Learn more about the new virus • Your questions @ @ @ @ @ answered • The story explained : How worried should we be ?
• Wuhan profiled @ @ @ @ @ lockdown • In detail : Follow all our coverage here

A Scottish government spokesman said: "Self-isolation of people returning from an affected area is entirely standard practice in a virus outbreak such as this and follows the same well-established health protection procedures in place elsewhere in the UK and in other European countries.


bbcuk--2020-01-30--Stephen Martin has 'taken legal advice' over deputy chief constable shortlist

The outgoing Acting Deputy Chief Constable of the PSNI said he has `` taken legal advice '' over not being shortlisted for the permanent role .
Stephen Martin was appointed to the temporary position in August 2018 .
But he was not shortlisted to be interviewed for the full-time role and subsequently announced he would retire in February .
Earlier , an Ulster Unionist MLA expressed concern over the appointment process for the permanent position .
Alan Chambers was to be one of five politicians involved in the process , but withdrew from the interview panel and wrote to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be `` rigorously fair '' .
Mr Martin said he was shocked at missing out on the shortlist for the role , describing it as a `` gunk '' .
He said : `` These processes need to be rigorously fair , they need to be lawful .
`` If that were not the case I would certainly be shocked and grossly disappointed and would feel considerably let down . ''
`` I have taken legal advice and the board are aware of that now. ''
.
He added : `` When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weigh these things up carefully , you put a lot of personal investment into it , preparation , and when it does n't work out I think naturally anyone in my position would be disappointed . ''
A spokesperson for the Policing Board said : `` The recruitment process for the deputy chief constable position is based on the principles of merit , fairness and openness .
`` It incorporates independent scrutiny at all stages to provide additional probity and transparency .
`` As the process is ongoing the board will not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Chambers said the shortlist did not leave him with the impression the process was fair .
Interviews for the £168,000-a-year post will be held this week , with the outcome due to be announced on 30 January .
Among those shortlisted are two assistant chief constables , Barbara Gray and Mark Hamilton , and two external candidates who formerly served in the Police Service of Northern Ireland ( PSNI ) .


bbcuk--2020-01-30--Hospital A&E downgrade 'urgently needed' due to doctor shortage

Doctor shortages mean `` urgent action '' is needed to speed up plans to downgrade a hospital 's A & E department , bosses have said .
About 200 protesters lobbied Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board , which agreed to work on plans to close Royal Glamorgan Hospital 's A & E completely or overnight .
A decision to centralise emergency care in fewer hospitals was made in 2015 , but a final decision is yet to be made .
Cwm Taf said action was needed to avoid `` unacceptable risk to patient safety '' .
But the health board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' in seeing if anything could be done to keep the current A & E set-up as it is .
Nevertheless , severe staff shortages meant arrangements could not continue without compromising patient safety , Among the protesters outside the health board meeting in Abercynon , Rhondda Cynon Taff , was David Malins , an adult representative in south Wales and borders for an autism group .
`` I 'm very concerned about what 's being proposed , '' he said .
`` It 's going to affect my peers even more , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - quite frankly we 've been through enough pain over the last 10 to 15 years , so I ca n't stand by .
I wanted to make my voice known . ''
Also at Thursday 's demonstration , Jeff Jones , from Brynsadler near Pontyclun , said centralising A & E in Merthyr was `` ludicrous '' .
`` The main centre of population is further south and to base it by the Brecon Beacons national park is incredibly problematic , '' he said .
Erica Taylor , from Pontypridd , added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Royal Glamorgan as it is .
If we have to travel further to Prince Charles or to Bridgend it 's out of the area and that could be dangerous for people who are ill. '' Ann-Marie , from Porth , Rhondda , said they were getting ignored : `` It 's a deprived area and we need it the most .
`` If there 's a shortage of consultants , why ca n't they come from other hospitals ?
My father is asthmatic and many a time we 've had to rush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to have to travel from Porth down to Ponty and up to Merthyr , lives are going to be lost . ''
Clive Ball , who lives in Talbot Green , said : `` I ca n't understand why were n't consulted about this since we are the public and we are the owners of the NHS . ''
On Christmas Day and Boxing Day , ambulances had to be diverted from the Royal Glamorgan , near Llantrisant , Rhondda Cynon Taff , to Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at all Cwm Taf Morgannwg 's A & E units - at the Royal Glamorgan , Prince Charles Hospital and the Princess of Wales Bridgend - are well below UK-wide standards .
The situation at the Royal Glamorgan worsened recently with the resignation of its only full-time A & E consultant .
The health board said this `` expected retirement '' , along with a shortage of middle-grade doctors , meant three A & E services could not be `` sustained beyond the immediate short-term '' .
What are the proposals ?
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approve further consideration '' of two favoured options - keeping things as they are has already been rejected .
The first would close the consultant-led A & E service at the Royal Glamorgan , leaving it with a 24-hour nurse-led minor injuries unit ( MIU ) .
The second option would be to close the hospital 's A & E overnight , but keep an MIU open .
Both involve looking at alternative ways for GPs and paramedics to admit patients directly on to wards in the absence of A & E .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ developing the Royal Glamorgan as a specialist centre for outpatient and diagnostic services .
Is this a new plan ?
In 2014 , five south Wales health boards devised a plan to address concerns that maternity care , neonatal care , children 's hospital care and emergency medicine were spread too thinly across too many hospitals .
After a public consultation , health boards and community health councils finally agreed on a series of recommendations .
These included closing A & E at the Royal Glamorgan , but as yet no changes have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area , consultant-led maternity care has been centralised at Prince Charles Hospital .
Changes to children 's hospital care have also been repeatedly postponed .
What is the health board saying ?
Dr Nick Lyons , medical director of Cwm Taf Morgannwg , said most doctors in the Royal Glamorgan 's A & E department were temporary staff which brought `` very real safety issues '' because the health board could not ensure training and development or `` effective team working '' .
`` What we need is a safe service that you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and when you most need it can respond to your needs and treat you effectively .
At the moment I ca n't deliver that [ at the Royal Glamorgan ] , '' he added .
He said it was `` easy with hindsight to say perhaps decisions should have been made earlier ... but now we need to do that catch up and do things properly '' .
Cathy Moss , from patient watchdog Cwm Taf Morgannwg Community Health Council , said it was involved in `` detailed discussions '' with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public are kept informed '' .
What was the reaction like ?
When the plan was being discussed between 2012 and 2014 , there was considerable public and political reaction .
Last Friday , concerns were once again raised by politicians , with the plans branded as `` terrible news '' and `` completely unacceptable '' .

"If there's a shortage of consultants, why can't they come from other hospitals? My father is asthmatic and many a time we've had to rush him to hospital. If people are going to have to travel from Porth down to Ponty and up to Merthyr, lives are going to be lost."


bbcuk--2020-01-29--Mum told to leave son behind in Wuhan

Mum told to leave son behind in Wuhan

A British woman due to be flown out of Wuhan amid the coronavirus outbreak was told to leave behind her three-year-old son because he has a Chinese passport .
Up to 200 UK citizens will be flown out of China on Thursday and put into quarantine for two weeks in the UK .
Natalie Francis , originally from York , said : `` I literally had no words when I got the call . ''
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said its priority was to keep British nationals and their families together .
Under Chinese jurisdiction , only British passport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are permitted to leave through assisted departure .
Ms Francis said : `` All three of us are in Wuhan at the moment .
`` Physically we are fine , but the stress of being locked up for so long ... the emotional health is starting to suffer a little bit , especially after this news .
`` It 's rare you ever feel genuinely helpless , where there is nothing you can do , nothing you can say .
It was really upsetting . ''
Ms Francis , who works as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start of the outbreak she her husband and their son Jamie had no plans to leave .
However , over the past few days , she said `` we started to panic '' after reports younger children were being affected , especially as their son had pneumonia last year .
`` My husband said if you get the chance , take Jamie and go home . ''
`` I do n't know who can sort this out , [ but ] please do n't forget us , '' she added .
A Foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The safety of British nationals is our top priority and we have been in close contact with British nationals and their family members who might need help .
`` Our priority is to keep British nationals and their family members together and [ we ] have urgently raised this with the Chinese authorities . ''
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bbcuk--2020-01-30--Brexit: Boris Johnson to hail 'dawn of a new era'

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will hail the `` dawn of a new era '' on Friday , as the UK prepares to leave the European Union after 47 years .
In a speech to be shown at 22:00 GMT - an hour before the official departure time - he will say Brexit is `` not an end but a beginning '' .
He will describe severing ties with the other 27 EU nations as `` a moment of real national renewal and change '' .
Little will change immediately , as the UK begins a `` transition period '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in force - including the free movement of people - until the end of December , by which time the UK aims to have reached a permanent free trade agreement with the EU .
In a statement , Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn urged the country not to `` turn inwards '' and instead `` build a truly internationalist , diverse and outward-looking Britain ' '' .
• Bells and bunting for Brexit , or shedding a tear ?
• Seven things Brexit will change and seven it won't Brexit was originally scheduled for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delayed when MPs rejected a previous withdrawal agreement reached by the EU and former Prime Minister Theresa May .
Mr Johnson was able to get his own deal through Parliament after winning December 's general election with a House of Commons majority of 78 , on a pledge to `` get Brexit done '' .
This brought to an end more than three years of political wrangling , following the referendum of 2016 , in which 52 % of voters backed leaving the EU .
To mark Brexit , Mr Johnson will hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city which was the first to back Brexit when results were announced after the 2016 referendum - on Friday morning .
The prime minister - who led the 2016 campaign to get the UK out of the EU - will attempt to strike an optimistic , non-triumphalist note in his speech , stressing the need to bring all side together .
`` The most important thing to say tonight is that this is not an end but a beginning , '' he will say .
`` This is the moment when the dawn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new act .
It is a moment of real national renewal and change . ''
In his address , filmed in Downing Street , Mr Johnson will also say : `` This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances - your family 's life chances - should depend on which part of the country you grow up in .
`` This is the moment when we begin to unite and level up . ''
• Lib Dems plea to unite in fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The long campaign for Brexit Supporters of the EU are expected to take part in a procession through Whitehall at 15:00 to `` bid a fond farewell '' to the union .
Later , Brexiteers will gather in Parliament Square for a celebration , and a clock counting down to the moment the UK leaves the EU will be projected on to Downing Street .
Buildings along Whitehall will be lit up and Union flags will be flown from all the poles in Parliament Square .
However , Big Ben will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ renovation works - despite a fundraising effort led by Conservative MP Mark Francois .
In Brussels , the UK flag will be removed from the EU institutions , with one Union flag expected to be consigned to a museum .
The Belgian capital has already dressed its famous Mannekin Pis statue of a urinating boy in a John Bull costume , with Union flag waistcoat .
The city 's Grande Place was illuminated in red , white and blue , in what organisers called a tribute to the ongoing friendship between the UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which voted to stay in the EU in the 2016 referendum , candlelit vigils are planned .
The Leave a Light On gatherings are taking place in Aberdeen , Dundee , Glasgow , and Stirling , among other locations , and participants intend to send a message to the EU to keep open a place for Scotland .
Ahead of the historic moment , Mr Corbyn , who is due to stand down as Labour leader in April , said the UK was `` at a crossroads '' .
`` Britain 's place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question is what direction we now take , '' he said .
`` We can build a truly internationalist , diverse and outward-looking Britain .
Or we can turn inwards , and trade our principles , rights and standards to secure hastily arranged , one-sided , race-to-the-bottom trade deals with Donald Trump and others . ''
He promised Labour would `` hold the government to account every step of the way : to ensure jobs and living standards , rights at work , and consumer and environmental standards are protected as part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US or any other country .
Liberal Democrat acting leader Sir Ed Davey vowed his pro-EU party would `` never stop fighting '' to have the `` closest possible relationship '' with Europe .
He said it would be on a `` damage-limitation exercise to stop a hard Brexit hurting British people '' .
One long-standing pro-Brexit campaigner Conservative MP Steve Baker said he would `` celebrate discreetly… in a way which is respectful of the genuine sorrow that others are feeling at the same time . ''

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the country had to "move on" after Brexit and needed to "make sure we maintain good relations" with the EU and not "fall into the arms of a free trade deal with the United States".


bbcuk--2020-01-30--Coronavirus: Britons in Wuhan to fly home on Friday

British nationals trapped in Wuhan will return home on Friday , Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said .
A flight carrying 150 Britons and 50 EU citizens , most thought to be Spanish , will leave China at 07:00 local time ( 23:00 GMT Thursday ) .
They will fly to RAF Brize Norton before the UK nationals are taken to be quarantined at a centre believed to be Arrowe Park Hospital in the Wirral .
The remaining passengers will be flown to another EU airport .
The World Health Organization ( WHO ) has declared an international public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK 's four chief medical officers have said they were raising the risk level from low to moderate .
`` This does not mean we think the risk to individuals in the UK has changed at this stage , but that government should plan for all eventualities , '' a joint statement said .
They added that it was `` likely '' there would be `` individual '' cases of coronavirus in the UK .
But they said they were confident the heath services would be able to protect the public and provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused 170 deaths and spread to 15 other countries .
So far , 7,834 cases of the virus have been confirmed worldwide , with 7,736 in China , the WHO said .
As of Wednesday , 161 tests have been carried out on people across the UK - all with negative results .
Passengers flying from Wuhan , the centre of the coronavirus outbreak , will be checked by Chinese officials at a handling centre in the airport , then taken to its departure area where they will be met by British officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be allowed to board the flight , which will have a team of Ministry of Defence medics on board .
Wirral West MP Margaret Greenwood said she was told by the health secretary that the government did not think any of the people being flown back from Wuhan would be carrying the virus .
BBC health editor Hugh Pym said he understood UK passengers would be taken to NHS staff accommodation .
They will be put in `` supported isolation '' for 14 days with `` all necessary medical attention '' , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been due to leave Wuhan earlier but was delayed because of a lack of clearance from Chinese authorities .
• What virus does to the body • What does being in quarantine mean ?
In a statement , Mr Raab said : `` The safety and security of British nationals is our top priority .
`` Our embassy in Beijing and consular teams remain in close contact with British nationals in the region to ensure they have the latest information they need . ''
• Downing Street said it was pressing Beijing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationals to be on the Wuhan flight • Scotland 's chief medical officer said a case of coronavirus was `` highly likely '' to be detected in the country in the coming days • British Airways has extended its cancellation of services to mainland China until 29 February .
Virgin Atlantic flights between Heathrow and Shanghai are continuing to operate as scheduled Britons have told of family members with Chinese citizenship being not being permitted to travel by local authorities .
Matt Raw lives in Wuhan with his mother , who has Alzheimer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who helps care for her .
He told the BBC 's Victoria Derbyshire programme his spouse had been prevented from flying so the whole family was staying .
He said they were also concerned about the risks of flying , having seen reports that three Japanese people on evacuation flights were found to have the virus .
Adam Bridgeman said he would stay in Wuhan if his wife and one-month-old son were not allowed to fly with him .
He told BBC Radio 4 's Today programme that remaining in Wuhan with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they were `` not willing to take the risk '' of bringing him to hospital for routine treatment such as vaccinations .
Hundreds of foreign nationals are being evacuated from Wuhan , with Japan , the US and the EU among those repatriating their citizens .
It is a basic question , but the answer is elusive .
It is far too simplistic to take the 170 deaths and the 7,711 cases and come up with a death rate of 2 % .
We are in the middle of the outbreak and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treated .
We do n't know if they will live or die , so they ca n't be used in these calculations .
We also do n't know how many mild and undetected cases are out there .
Also , the deadliness of the new virus is only one component of its threat .
Flu kills hundreds of thousands of people each year , not because it is super-deadly , but because it is able to infect so many people .
Learn more about the new virus • Your questions : You asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : How worried should we be ?
• Wuhan profiled : The city now in lockdown • In detail : Follow all our coverage here Have you been affected by any of the issues raised ?
You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist .
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We are in the middle of the outbreak and thousands of those patients are still being treated. We don't know if they will live or die, so they can't be used in these calculations.


bbcuk--2020-01-30--HS2: Government review 'advises against cancelling' project

The government 's official review into HS2 `` strongly advises against cancelling '' the project , the BBC can reveal .
It also says only building one section of the line which will link southern and northern England `` does n't make sense '' .
The BBC has read the full and final version of the report , which was led by former HS2 chairman Douglas Oakervee .
The government will announce its final decision on the scheme next month .
HS2 is designed to link London , Birmingham , Manchester and Leeds , cutting overcrowding on the railways and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the project has faced criticism from both Labour and Conservative MPs for being over budget and behind schedule .
In the summer , the government commissioned an independent review on whether it should go ahead - although opponents later warned it would be a whitewash .
According to the review , the project could now cost up to double the official 2015 estimate of £56bn .
The review warns there is a `` considerable risk '' that the first phase of the project might need more money .
In the summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ £30bn over budget and raised its overall estimate to £88bn .
But this review warns that the project might cost in excess of £100bn .
However , it strongly advises against cancelling it , saying HS2 would benefit the UK transport system and that there were no `` shovel-ready '' alternative upgrades to existing railways .
The review also says calls for just one section of the railway to be built to control costs would not be value for money .
And it says scrapping the scheme would have a detrimental impact on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry .
It does express some caveats about HS2 , though .
For example , it says the scheme will need to be properly integrated with other regional transport strategies - such as Midlands Engine Rail - to achieve economic transformation .
Work on Phase 1 is ready to begin so major alterations to that part of the scheme are not deemed possible .
However , this report recommends doing more work on the plans for Phase 2 to ensure it is better value for money .
And it says further work is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HS2 on homes and jobs .
Phase 1 of HS2 between London and Birmingham is due to open at the end of 2026 , with the second phase to Leeds and Manchester scheduled for completion by 2032-33 .
It is designed to carry trains capable of travelling at 250mph ( 402km/h ) .
On Wednesday , the chancellor threw his support behind the link despite the costs .
And BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said the mood music seemed to be pointing towards HS2 going ahead despite government nerves .
Major work has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Euston , Solihull and in central Birmingham .
The project has already cost £9bn .
The government does n't have to follow the recommendations of the review .
However , it was personally commissioned by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and its emphatic endorsement makes scrapping the scheme even more unlikely .

Work on Phase 1 is ready to begin so major alterations to that part of the scheme are not deemed possible. However, this report recommends doing more work on the plans for Phase 2 to ensure it is better value for money.