09/02/2014 BBC Weekend News

The Government offers an unreserved apology for rejecting calls to

dredge the rivers. Waters are still rising on the Somerset Levels,

cutting all rail services to large parts of south west England. I

apologise unreservedly and I'm really sorry we took the advice of

what we thought we were dealing with, experts. Plans to make those

off work for more than four weeks face medical assessments.

And a first medal for Great Britain at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Good afternoon. A senior minister has admitted that the Government

made a mistake in rejecting advice to dredge the Somerset Levels.

Farmers' leaders had written to the Prime Minister last summer calling

for urgent flood protection measures, but the advice was

rejected by ministers. Flood waters are still rising in Somerset,

cutting off rail services to much of the west of England. Simon Clemison

reports. It is a scene which will come to

define this winter, not cold but wet, very wet. There was some

respite from the rain today but miles away from the flooding the

impact is being felt. These passengers are mile away -- miles

away from home. It has affected my journey quite badly because now I

need to take two trains and two buses. I had to be moved from a

different bus to that bus. Landslip then put paid to another attempt to

repair the railway in Devon after a picturesque route became a picture

of destruction. Many lines are still open but again, they are impacted.

Even if we get a little bit of rain, network rail are having to put speed

restrictions in place. Back on the Somerset Levels, which have been the

focus of attention not just for the emergency services but for the

political argument as well, the Government today admitted it had got

it wrong. We made a mistake, no doubt about that. We perhaps relied

too much on the advice of the Environment Agency. I think we

recognise now that we should have dredged and it is important now we

get on the process of getting those people back into their houses, once

we are able to do some really serious pumping... So do you think

ministers should apologise? I will apologise unreservedly and I am

really sorry we took the advice of what we thought we were dealing

with, experts. Far beyond these fields, there is no letup in sight.

The Environment Agency is working to protect coastal areas in southern

England. One place thought to be particularly vulnerable to the

coming high tides and winds is Weymouth in Dorset. From there Chris

Buckler has sent this report. Beaches have been transformed into

building zones. A break in the weather, an opportunity to prepare

for what is still to come. Wind and waves have already done damage along

the south and West Coast. Here in Dorset they know the storms are

forecast to return. You can see the long lines of boulders and rocks

that have been put in place to try to hold the high tide back. All of

this needed to prevent flooding. But has this work come too late? The

Government and the Environment Agency have both faced criticism for

not being well enough prepared for the extremes of the elements. In

coastal towns like Weymouth, people recognise the power of the weather.

I don't think they can do much to protect the coast really. The

erosion on that part of the coast is enormous, and most of it has been in

recent years. I don't know what the answer is really but they have got

to throw a lot of money at it to stop it. The shadow of future storms

hangs over many communities and the pressure is on for people to be

prepared. Well we can speak now to our

correspondent Clive Myrie who's at Burrowbridge in the Somerset Levels.

How has that apology from the minister in charge gone down where

you are? When I told a few people what Eric Pickles said today, they

rolled their eyes and said, why didn't they listen to us in the

first place? Why didn't the Government listen to the farmers who

have worked the land for generations and know how to preserve it and keep

it safe? There is a feeling of frankly now the blame game has got

to come to an end, whether it is the current government blaming the past

government for not giving enough men -- money to flood defences and so

forth, but what people want now is results. While they are happy

judging is not the only solution to the crisis in the future, it is part

of the solution and they are glad it is finally on the political agenda.

There is now at least a small improvements with the problems on

the railways. Yes, in a number of ways. Firstly it is not raining,

which is a help. The River Parrett which I am standing on here has

stabilised, although this morning it was rising by a quarter of an inch

an hour, again threatening the neighbouring land around. As far as

the railways are concerned, a glimmer of hope for the connection

between the east and the south-west. The landslip at

Crewkerne in Somerset which caused so many problems yesterday, it now

transpires trains can travel through that area but at a much slower

speed. Finally things are beginning to improve on the transport side,

but the bottom line is that more storms are waiting in the Atlantic

waiting to batter this area, due from Tuesday onwards.

All workers are to be referred for health assessments if they are ill

for more than four weeks, under a new scheme to be launched by the

Department for Work and Pensions. The plans have been criticised by

the trade unions, who say it could put people under pressure to return

to work too early. Our business correspondent Jo Lynam reports. The

Government is pushing to get those out of work long-term back into the

workplace. Those off work for more than four weeks are entitled to

statutory sick pay of ?90 a week, that won't change but the Government

wants to set up a new body to advise companies and their long-term sick

staff how best to get back to work, including medical and training

programmes. It is bringing the experts together so we can look at

why you have been off sick and see if we can make the situation better.

That could help cut the Government's estimate of 1 million

people off long-term. The focus of this service should be about getting

them better, as opposed to just getting them back to work, and the

two are not the same. Although they will not force employers and that is

a problem. As high as the figure is, it is half of that from a decade

ago, in fact Britain has one of the lowest sick rates in Europe.

However, getting long-term sick back into the workplace is a benefit for

the employers and the employees. Barclays bank says it's

investigating claims that the personal details of thousands of its

customers have been stolen and sold. The bank says it's contacting those

customers affected. The problem came to light after a whistle-blower gave

a Sunday newspaper a memory stick containing personal details.

Sport, and Jenny Jones has won Britain's first ever medal on snow

at a Winter Olympics. The 33-year-old from Bristol took bronze

in the women's snowboard slopestyle. From Sochi, Andy Swiss reports.

Jenny's experience will come to the fore here...

On the brink of sporting history. For nearly a century Britain has

been trying and failing to win a medal on snow but the former

chambermaid from Bristol has done it. This is the first time Jenny

Jones' event has been included in the Olympics and she tricked and

jumped the performance of her life. Just listen to what the crowd made

of that, what a run from Jenny Jones. She has waited her whole

career for this, the question now is if that will be enough. There is a

big argument going on with the judges right now... Jones was in the

gold medal position, and she held on for the bronze, the news -- new snow

queen of British sport. It is amazing, I can't believe it, I can't

believe it! So, on the second day, the first medal for Britain and in

Jenny Jones and new staff. -- a new star. That's it from us, you can

keep up to date with the latest on the weather and flooding on the BBC

News Channel. The next news on BBC One is at 5:35pm. Bye for now.

After another stormy week of whether, what has the week ahead got

in for