26/01/2012 BBC News at Ten

Royal Bank of Scotland, the bank almost entirely owned by the

taxpayer awards a big bonus to its boss.

Stephen Hester is given shares currently worth �963,000. Critics

say he doesn't deserve it. This is a very, very bad decision.

Millions of public service workers have been told that they have to

accept pay freezing --s Tonight a government minister calls on the

Royal Bank of Scotland boss not to take his bonus.

Also: In Syria, the threat comes closer as rebels take control of

part of the capital. This is bad news for President Bashar al-Assad

an important part of his capital city in the hands of people and

defended by men who have defected by his armed forces.

A shocking waste of young people's talents, the Government's damning

verdict on secondary schools in England. As the founder fr the

company that supplied sub-standard breast implants is arrested, we

have one woman's story as she paid to have her breast implants removed.

Coming up in sport, Andy Murray, battles Rafael Nadal tomorrow in

Good evening. The Royal Bank of Scotland has

announced it will pay its chief executive a bonus worth �963,000 in

shares. The board of RBS, which is over 80%

owned by the taxpayer agreed the bonus despite intense political

pressure to limit payouts to senior bankers. In a statement it said

that Stephen Hester accepted 60% of what he was entitled to, that the

award was for tangible achievements in running the bank and in

improving it in the economy. The Royal Bank of Scotland's boss's

pay packet has become the focus of intense debate. The bank was bailed

out by the taxpayer. Public feelings about the industry are

running high. So should he get any sort of bonus, critics ask, if so,

how much? Tonight we have the answer. Hester shest on a salary of

�1.2 million. For 2010 he got a bonus of �2 million worth of shares.

In 2011, we have learned he is to get a lower bonus, �963,000 in

shares, but there's been strong criticism.

This is a very, very bad decision. Millions of low-paid workers have

been told that they have to accept pay freezes and big hikes in

pension contributions, dinner laid is, careworkers, teachers, doctors,

nurses, to be told that a banker is to be made an exception, this is

utterly unacceptable. The Government apointed Stephen

Hester to run Royal Bank of Scotland after the collapse. The

Treasury approved the bonus, but one Lib Dem minister suggested that

the Royal Bank of Scotland should - - boss should turn it down.

It does not mean he has to accept it. He is being paid more than �1

million a year. His total package now is meaning they he is getting

paid who a soldier serving in Afghanistan is paid in three years.

He should reflect on that. It was said that Stephen Hester

made substantial progress in rebuilding the bank's performance

and some argued that given the task he has got, that this sort of pay

pack set justified. We have to pay him the bonus as we

can't afford for him to leave. �1 million is not much to retain him

in a demanding job in which everyone says he is doing well.

The Royal Bank of Scotland boss himself told the BBC in 2009 that

his parents had questioned the scale of boardroom pay.

Their view is that bankers get too much. I understand that coming from

the background that I grew up in. My first job was on a farm, the

second was for packing sweets for ron trees.

I understand that. The Royal Bank of Scotland shares

are worth a lot less as the price has failen, he will not be able to

sell them for a while. The same a plies to the share in his latest

deal, but that does not stop the criticism.

Our Business Secretary, Robert Peston is joining us now from dove

areas, the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. Robert, the Government

must have known that this payout would be controversial, why did

they let it go ahead? They knew it would be anightmare for them, the

announcement of any bonus for Stephen Hester, but the first thing

is that it is not clear that Stephen Hester has been forced to

make a sacrifice. Royal Bank of Scotland announced the bonus under

political and public pressure long time before eother banks announce

bonuses for their bosses. It's been a terrible year for the banks.

Stephen Hester is getting 60% of his maximum entitlement, that may

turn out a good bonus when we see the bonuses paid to the bosses of

other banks, like Barclays. The reason that the Government did not

force him to take a zero bonus, as they could have done as we owe 81%

of the bank as taxpayers, is because they feared that he and

much of the board would walk out, that they would quit. That would

cause turmoil for a bank that is absolutely vital to the functioning

of the British economy. In the end, the Prime Minister and the

Chancellor decided that �1 million in shares was a price worth paying

to avoid that kind of disruption, but, in the coming days ahead, we

will hear from many other people that they should have taken the

risk and called his bluff. Thank you.

The Arab League is to ask the UN Security Council to back its plan

for President Bashar al-Assad to stand down. It will increase the

pressure on the Syrian leader whose group on his capital is showing

signs of weakening. Rebel who is have defected from the Syrian army

have taken control of Douma, a suburb of Damascus from where

Jeremy Bowen has this report. Look at central Damascus and you may

think that this city a calm, but when night falls, head for the

suburb of -- suburb of Douma, 15 minute's drive I away.

Getting into Douma is not easy. At the end of a muddy shraen a

checkpoint controlled by the Free Syrian Army.

Mainly army defectors are here across the country, fighting

President Bashar al-Assad's military.

Locals say that they kept the President's men out most of the

time for the last two to three weeks.

Their light weapons, can't stop an assault, but they could make it

costly for the regime's forces to stay too long.

The President says they're an armed gang, directed by foreign

conspirators, they say that they are protecting the people.

TRANSLATION: Pass this on to the world, our revolution is peaceful.

We don't attack the regime, they attack us.

We're in control here. Douma is ours, Syria is ours, we will win.

The army and the security forces keep trying to get into here, but

we defeat them. Douma is forbidding and dark with

power cuts and fuel shortages. The nights here are very cold.

So what has changed around here that means that we are able to move

in? I saw that there is a Free Syrian Army there on the edge?

defectors are protecting us. The army and the security are on the

outskirts, OK? Inside the city there are defectors.

Defectors fighting for you now? Yeah. Yeah.

Slowly people emerged from the evening prayers.

Too often for them, the nights have belonged to the President's arrests

squads. Now, nervous shadows, they head to the place near the mosque

where their numbers make them feel strong.

We're not identifying interviewies at their requests.

Freedom! Go President Bashar al- Assad from Syria.

What do you think should happen to President Bashar al-Assad? We want

to kill President Bashar al-Assad. He has to be killed.

You want him killed? You want him dead? Of course, he killed

everybody. He killed our people. He killed our families.

He has to be killed. The young men were full of bravado,

the older ones talked about victory, but they were conscious of the

regime's strength. Do you want help from abroad?

Foreign intervention from this? there is intervention, that is good.

We are going to win whether there is intervention or not, but it will

add to the rate, the stepdown of President Bashar al-Assad.

Their enemy, the President, also has strong supporters who will

chant, clap and fight for him, but for protesters across the country,

there is no turning back. This is all bad news for President

Bashar al-Assad. An important part of his capital city in the hands of

the people and defended by men who have defected from his armed forces.

The question is how much firepower the President has at his disposal

and whether he chooses to use it here to regain control of these

streets. Then they said it was getting

dangerous and hustled us out. A few hours later, activists, say, that

then the security forces were back arresting more people.

League tables for schools in England have revealed a shocking

waste of the talents of young people according to the Government.

For the first time the tables show how much progress or how little

children make at secondary school. Among children starting at the

level expected for their age, nearly half failed to reach the

expected benchmark of five good GCSEs. We have this report.

The Government has declared war on coasting schools. Today it provided

the tefd needs to fight the battle. Secondary schools in England are

failing to get thousands of children of lower and middle

ability to live up to the promise showed when they were 11.

Bottom of this year's table is St Aldheim's Academy in piano Poole,

where 3% of pupils got five good GCSEs. It serves three big estates

and has a high proportion of traveller children, but ministers

say that some schools serving these areas are outstanding. That this is

a waste of talent. We are trying to make the data more

transparent, honest, so that the parents know what it is what the

children, the schools are achieving. In this competitive global market,

we can't have children taking qualifications or pushed in the

wrong direction to boost the school's league table performances.

The tables show that 34% of disadvantaged children get the

Government's benchmark of five good GCSEs. Of those academically

wraerbg, aged 11, just 6.5% achieve that goal. For those at average at

11, over 45% don't get five good GCSEs.

But at Lilian Baylis Technology School, they are riding high.

Very good. Fantastic. It is an inner-city school with

many special needs pupils, but named as one of the 200 most

improved secondary schools. The students here are pleased.

They've improved my grades and the grades of my friends as well. I'm

very proud of my school. It is a school, no matter where you come

from, no matter your background, it releases your potential. You

achieve, no matter what. This school has improved, but the

Government wants to expose weaknesses other schools it thinks

have been masked by the previous league tables, but some are

sceptical about how useful all of this is. The head here thinks with

over 200 separate bits of data for each school, the parents will be

overwhelmed. This starts to get confusing. I

feel like I'm reading Professor Stephen Hawking, I understand the

words, about but not the big picture. Ministers say that the

data helps parents, but Government will use it to further its mission

to overhall many of England's You can find all the information in

the school league tables for England and search it by postcode

on the BBC website. Documents thought to have been

shredded, whose absence led to the collapse of a police corruption

trial, have now been found according to the police watchdog.

Last month, eight officers walked free from court after being found

not guilty of fabricating evidence in the case of Swansea prostitute

Lynette White. Her murder in 1988 led to the wrongful conviction of

three men. The founder of the French company

at the centre of an international scare over sub-standard breast

implants has been arrested. Jean- Claude Mas is accused of fraud and

manslaughter for using industrial- grade silicone in the implants.

More than 40,000 British women were given the implants. Now many have

been left wondering how they will pay to have them replaced. Our

medical correspondent followed one woman, Debbie Lewis, through her

surgery. His report contains some images of the implants being

removed. It is a dilemma facing 40,000

British women. What to do about their PIP implants. For Debbie

Lewis, the decision is simple because one of them has ruptured.

She invited us to film her surgery and explain why she had implants in

the first place. I always wanted big boobs. When I was married I

kept asking my husband if I could get them done and he said no. When

we separated, I thought to myself I would treat myself, so I got a

credit card, I saved up some money. But this is the reality of a

ruptured implant. As the surgeon removes it. It is so damaged, the

outer shell is in shreds. It looks pretty revolting but there is very

little evidence that this industrial-grade seller is harmful.

-- Phil Luff. But it is the doubt over its long-term safety that has

prompted governments in France, Germany and elsewhere to recommend

the removal of all PIP implants. The second implant emerges

undamaged and intact. The reason why the government here says there

is no need for routine removal. Debbie has had her implants changed

before and even these new ones may not last forever. Her surgeon says

one in three that he fits on replacements. What always amazes me

as a surgeon is how many ladies commit even in their 60s, choose to

have new implants him rather than a new calf. That is the value they

have placed on them -- rather than a new car. Four days after surgery

and one credit card bill has already arrived. The operation cost

�6,000. Her previews clinic would not do it for free and the NHS in

England will remove but not replace cosmetic implants. We have got

enough to worry about that we have got this disgusting implant inside

us, let alone to have to worry about how we can find the money to

replace them, reconstruction surgery. We should not have to

worry about things like that. private clinics are offering free

surgery but thousands of women are in Debbie's position, wondering

should they pay or ask the NHS to simply remove their PIP implants.

Coming up on tonight's programme: Revealed for the first time, the

people offered an honour by the Queen who turned it down.

David Cameron has sharply criticised the eurozone, saying the

euro has none of the characteristics needed for the

success of a common currency. He was speaking at a major gathering

of political and business leaders in Switzerland. But his comments

came as one of Europe's top bankers insisted the eurozone was past the

worst of its crisis. From Davos in Switzerland, Robert Peston sent

this report. Davos, smelly playground of the

wealthy in the Swiss Alps, and where once a year bankers, business

leaders and prime ministers come to natter about the big challenges

faced by the world at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum

-- snow we playground. My Mac Prime Minister came with a blunt message

about the essential nature of making a success of the troubled

eurozone. Of central bank that can comprehensively stand behind the

currency. The deepest possible economic integration with the

flexibility to deal with economic shocks and the system of fiscal

transfers and collective debt issues, currently it is not that

the eurozone does not have all of these, it is that it doesn't have

any of these. David Cameron was telling some of the world's most

powerful people that the eurozone is a long way from being fixed but

one of the eurozone's most influential bankers have a

different view. The moody markets improved in the

opening days of the year. Do you think we are over the worst? Yes. I

think we are on the right track but we are not yet finished and we have

definitely, we can't go in neutral, we have to continue to move forward.

Higher sustainable growth in Europe is as essential as cutting budgets

and deficits. The Occupier movement on tour in Davos. What they want

destroyed is what they see as unfair capitalism but not

necessarily the destruction of the eurozone.

The Prime Minister, it in your view, what is the single most important

thing that eurozone could do to see a way through the crisis?

single most important thing is to deal with the short-term issues.

There is short-term and long-term. Short-term has got to be Greece,

banks and firewall, and if you do all of those three things together

quickly and fundamentally, I think you could ease the crisis.

respect of Mr Cameron's short-term fixes, most would say the banks

will be strengthened, but the firewall, the bail-out resources,

might be seen to be inadequate, and crucial talks on cutting Greece's

debts are at a critical juncture, which is why it is too early to say

that it is a return to the sunny uplands of the euro.

In France, the socialist candidate for this year's presidential

election has set out his policies for the contest, making it clear he

would target the rich to tackle the country's deficit and to fund his

spending plans. Francois Hollande is currently doing well in the

polls against President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has surprised his

supporters by talking of the prospect of defeat.

Francois Hollande, a virtual unknown outside France, is the

front-runner to be the next French president. He is a socialist,

uncharismatic, never been in government, but he poses a real

threat to the re-election of President Sarkozy. His former

partner, Segolene Royale, and the mother of his four children, was

defeated by President Sarkozy five years ago. His target: Unfairness,

and the titans of finance. TRANSLATION: My true adversary does

not have the name, face or party. He never put forward his candidacy

but nevertheless he governs. My true adversary is the world of

finance. Today, Hollande outlined his manifesto. Higher taxes for

those spending above 150,000 euros, tax breaks would be closed to save

29 billion euros and he would create 60,000 new teaching posts.

His critics say his plans would plunge France further into the red.

They call him Mr Marshmallow, but his ratings have held up. Suddenly,

he looks credible. Not exciting but credible. Serious enough for a lot

of people who simply want to say no to Sarkozy, to say, well, I can

vote for that man. President Sarkozy has yet to declare his

candidacy. He is a formidable campaigner. Only he, he will argue,

can be trusted with the eurozone crisis. But this week he revealed a

doubt when he was overheard saying, for the first time in my life, I am

facing the end of my career. Francois Hollande arriving for a

crucial debate tonight believes that French voters are in the mood

for squeezing the rich, scrapping some of their tax breaks and

pumping more money into job- creation. The next couple of months

will prove whether that is the case. What do Alfred Hitchcock, Roald

Dahl and LS Lowry have in common? The answer? They all turned down

honours from the Queen. For the first time, a list has been

officially published of people who refused to accept them. Until now,

it has been so secret that it hasn't even been included in

government papers normally released after 30 years have elapsed. Will

Gompertz has been finding out more. Ian McKellen receiving his

knighthood from the Queen -- knighthood. For many, such a moment

is a highlight. Others in arts have felt that this constructs the wrong

note. Alfred Hitchcock, LS Lowry and Roald Dahl are among those who

turned down honours between 1951 and 1999, as did Ken Loach. Honours

offer the great and the good, the wealthy and privileged, and I think

people who write, people in the arts, I think they should be

outside that. We need to be independent, we need to be critical,

and I don't think we should be part of the Establishment and grace.

Which was a view shared by C S Lewis, the author of the Chronicles

of Narnia. He declined and honour in 1952, wishing to avoid being

seen as party political and for personal reasons. It is not at all

surprising he turned it down. He did not have any nonsense about him.

All this business of honours is nonsense, really. If you are called

Sir cs Lewis or Sir Kingsley Amis, it makes it look as though you have

been bought by the government. It is an inescapable fact. This is the

20th century win at the National Portrait Gallery and it is full of

the great, the good and the gifted of that time. It includes Lucien

Freud. He said no to an honour but that is not to say it all artistic

people refused. Here is Sir John Betjeman. And many poets have

accepted an honour. For some it might have been for personal

reasons, for others it was on behalf of their art. It is for

poetry and where I am from, you know... It always did seem that

people who got awards were middle- class, upper-class or connected,

and I am not connected. I got it from writing poetry and devoting my

life to it and I have always tried to make poetry accessible and work

at it, and that is what the award was for, which I think, fine.

course, there are those who have accepted him honour and then

changed their mind. John Lennon returned his in protest against