16/01/2014 BBC London News

That's all from the BBC News at Six. The withdrawal

That's all from the BBC News at Six. So it's goodbye from me, and on BBC

One we now join the BBC's news teams where you are. Tonight on BBC London

News, the Prime Minister defends a government inquiry into airport

expansion, as City Hall criticises the way it's been carried out. It is

important the options are looked at, and I think Boris's proposals are

being treated fairly. But the mayor's aviation adviser disagrees.

I do not think he is looking properly and fairly but he is

looking at them and he has not killed them.

Also tonight... The damning report into standards at an immigration

detention centre where a sense of humanity had been lost.

Plus bitterness over a decision by a head`teacher to ban sugary drinks in

school lunch boxes. They are offering a reward of ?100 to find

her. Common people ` the tale of Tooting

through the eyes of the Londoners who live there.

Good evening. The Prime Minister has defended the

government inquiry into airport expansion, as City Hall today

claimed that the Mayor's plans for a hub in the Thames Estuary had been

unfairly sidelined. The options currently being considered by the

Airports Commissioner include a third runway at Heathrow and

expansion at Gatwick. But the so`called Boris Island idea hasn't

yet made the short list. But speaking to BBC London, David

Cameron said the Mayor's proposals were being treated fairly. We'll

hear from him in a moment. First here's Karl Mercer.

Together for the cameras this morning, the Prime Minister and the

mayor, checking out progress on the tunnels beneath London which will

eventually see Crossrail trains running through them. But if this

massive project is going to plan, bigger projects above ground are not

going so smoothly. Last year, the government asked Sir Howard Davies

to look into the future of Britain's airports. Three schemes

involving expansion at Gatwick or Heathrow made his short list. The

mayor's plan for an estuary airport did not. If he wants to consider the

estuary, we need to consider it on an equal basis. Above ground, the

gloves were coming off, and the target was Sir Howard Davies and his

commission. Howard Davies has been personally courteous throughout, but

he has cold shouldered the mayor in terms of engagement on the policy

issues the mayor is bought for. For him to talk about a huge investment

in infrastructure, like airport runways, and not give consideration

to all of those issues, not to engage with the mayor, is

guaranteeing the whole thing is going in the wrong direction. And

so, it seems, are relations between City Hall and the airports

commission. What is the level of engagement? They have told the mayor

they do not need anything from him. Sir Howard said that on your channel

back in December and they have carried on with that, declining to

have a meeting with us before announcing their plans today, which

included no reference to work to become treated by the mayor. Today,

Sir Howard was outlining his plans. More work is being done on the

airport estuary, and we will find out in the autumn if it makes the

short list, he said. We plan some additional work on options in the

estuary, to see if they could be added, one of them could be added to

the short list. We will make a decision on that in a few months. It

is a decision eagerly awaited by both the mayor and the Prime

Minister, possibly for different reasons.

Well, earlier the Prime Minister came into the studio and I put some

of the Mayor's concerns to him. I think it is important that the

options are properly looked at, which is what Howard Davies has

done, and I think Boris's proposals are being treated fairly. The timing

is curious. People might say you are chickening out of a strategic

decision that London needs, by leaving it until after the next

election. I do not agree with that. The country needs us to make these

decisions in a proper way on a proper timescale with all the

information in front of us. Howard Davies is making sure we have that

information, and do it in the proper way. His interim report did not say

we have to make a decision yesterday for tomorrow. He said we have to

make a decision in time, and he is satisfied with the timescale. The

funny thing is that at least with Boris Johnson people know where he

stands. He is firmly against Heathrow. Londoners might accuse you

of just avoiding this hard decision because of political consequences. I

do not accept that. We have to make a difficult decision about future

airport capacity. I want to make sure the country can unite around

that decision. I do not want to seek division with the Labour Party or

other parties, to turn this into a political foot tall. I think this

timetable gives the maximum chance of a good result. There is important

infrastructure work going ahead. Think back to Crossrail. If that had

become politicised, with Labour against the Tories in favour, or the

other way around, it would have taken longer to build it. It is good

to build consensus, because we are all going to have to live with this

decision, whichever way it goes. Let's stick with investment in

London for the moment because we know one of the big issues facing

the capital is the shortage of affordable homes. We need around

20,000 affordable homes to be built each year just to keep up with

demand and this year it looks like only around 6500 will be completed,

down from last year. We are recovering from a terrible recession

that took ?3000 out of the typical family. That recovery is underway,

house`building is up, the level of construction is up. We can be

hopeful about the future. Are you prepared to intervene, because we

know developers have the land but nothing is forcing them to build?

The Labour Party has been suggesting you should confiscate land from

developers, builders who are not going ahead. It sounds great in the

short`term, but think about it for a minute. It means developers will not

want to invest in marginal sites, difficult sites, because they will

fear they will have the lands taken off them. And this has been tried,

it has not worked. It is not a good idea. We should encourage

house`building, rather than finding new businesses to bash, which seems

Ed Miliband's latest idea. We have talked about the shortage of homes.

What about foreign buyers buying up lots of the party in London. In some

cases, they are marketed in places like Malaysia and China. Should

there be a limit on the number of homes that foreign buyers can have?

London is an international city. That is one of the strengths of

London and the UK economy. I don't think that approach would be right.

What has been absolutely wrong is the idea that foreign buyers can

come in and buy properties without paying stamp duty, and can then sell

them without paying capital gains tax. This government has dealt with

both of those issues, taking robust action. I want those foreign buyers

contributing not just to our economy but to our exchequer and our taxes,

so they must pay stamp duty, and under the rules in our budget they

will have to pay capital gains tax when they sell those homes as well,

and I think that is right. Let me turn to the Metropolitan Police. It

has not really been their finest hour, has it, the Commissioner

admitting crime figures had been fiddled, one officer admitting lying

about plebgate, and the Mark Duggan inquest. Those who police this city

are in danger of losing the trust of the people they serve. Do you think

that is true? It has been a difficult year for the Metropolitan

Police and no doubt about it. It is right not to shuffle these things

under the carpet. Police officers lying, and the rest of it, has to be

properly addressed. I have confidence that Bernard Hogan`Howe

is the right man to do that, and effective leading `` leader of our

service. We need to back him. We need to recognise that The Met were

difficult job every day of the week. We will not do them any favours by

brushing over bad behaviour or anything worse. We have to confront

that. Did you feel personally let bound by the whole plebgate affair?

When I read the e`mail which purported to be from a member of the

public, that seemed to back up the story against Andrew Mitchell, at

first reading of that e`mail, yes, I thought, this looks quite

convincing. When you find out that that actually was a serving police

officer posing as a member of the public, because this was something

that affected me, that was something I felt strongly was completely

wrong, completely outrageous, should not go unpunished, and that is all

being dealt with. Coming up: London's cabbies give

their verdict on the new green cab. Will the zero`emission taxi get

their vote? Prison inspectors have criticised

the privately run Harmondsworth immigration removal centre in west

London. Their report said bad management had created an

environment in which "a sense of humanity had been lost". In one

case, an 84`year`old detainee who was suffering from dementia was

taken to hospital and died while still in handcuffs. Guy Smith has

more. Harmondsworth is based near

Heathrow. It is an immigration removal centre holding up to 600

men. It has a history of problems. In 2006 there was a major

disturbance. A surprise visit by inspectors last August has now

highlighted new concerns, that some of the services were poorly managed

and in a state of drift. Inspectors found inadequate treatment of the

most vulnerable, particularly how they were escorted. The report

revealed there were shocking cases where a sense of humanity was lost.

In one example, an 84`year`old man who was suffering from dementia and

declared unfit for detention thy aid in handcuffs while being taken to

hospital. Some of the treatment of the most vulnerable prisoners was

shocking. We found several examples of people who were dying and in some

cases actually died still handcuffed to security staff. That is complete

the unacceptable. There were issues around overcrowding, and much of the

Centre has been described as dirty and bleak. One former detainee, a

victim of torture in his home country of Cameroon, said conditions

were unbearable. In the five months I was in Harmondsworth, it was a

nightmare. Never being respected by the staff in Harmondsworth. Never

being respected at all. Instead, I have been treated as a criminal. A

charity which works with hundreds of detainees says they are not

surprised by the findings. All of the criticisms are things that we

have raised, and lots of other organisations have raised, over

years, again and again. The lack of safeguards that work properly,

excessive use of handcuffs, inadequate health care, including

not enough mental health care, vulnerable detainees not being

picked up, these are things that have been going on for years.

Harmondsworth is run by a private contractor, an American

multinational. The company said, detainees are not routinely

handcuffed when taken out of the centre. Managers have to use

discretion to take difficult decisions, and we have issued them

with additional guidance. The Home Office said the contractor's

performance was below the high standard expected. Immigration

Minister said, the use of restraint in this case, the case of the

84`year`old, seems completely unjustified and must not be

repeated, and the centre will be closely scrutinised.

Two women have been arrested under anti`terrorism laws, one at Heathrow

Airport. Scotland Yard say a 26`year`old woman was stopped as she

tried to board a plane to Turkey with a "large quantity" of cash. The

other was arrested a short time later at an address in north`west

London. Detectives say the arrests were "intelligence led".

Workers on London's Docklands Light Railway have voted to go on strike

over pay and breakdown of industrial relations. The RMT Union said it's

concerned about a series of issues, including the use of agency staff

and disciplinary procedures. The DLR operator, Serco Docklands, said it's

working hard to resolve the issues raised.

Designs for black cabs of the future have been on display outside City

Hall. The Mayor wants all new taxis to be capable of zero emissions from

2018. Emma North went to take a look at the next generation of greener

cabs. So, Green is the new black. The mayor is blazing a trail when it

comes to the taxis, and if your vehicle is not zero emissions in

four years time, you can't get a license, so step up the new breed of

black cab. Today, a swathe of new designs were sent to woo the men and

women behind the wheel, from a Turkish vision of a taxi to an

upgrade of the current cab, they promise everything from reduced

running costs for the taxi driver to more legroom for the passenger. This

one is made in Surrey and plugs into the mains. It also boasts a clear

view of the capital. What about the challenge of making a zero emissions

vehicle look and feel and adhere to the tradition of the great black

cab? That was the difficult bit. We went through 22 different designs

and number 23, bingo. Instantly recognisable as a London black cab,

a hackney carriage. What was it you had to get right? Funnily enough, it

is the backend. What do the cabbies think? Say you live in a tower

block, how can you charge the cab to have their extension leads up there?

I think it is a green dream that these politicians have but they

don't live in the real world. The problem is they have developed the

vehicles are not spoken to one taxi driver. They've turned up with a

vehicle saying this is what I want. Has anybody asked you? That is how

they do business, they know better than us. Will you be buying one? Not

a chance. A lot of these cams are hybrid electric, and only operate on

electric when they have do, and they have a small petrol engines to

operate outside of areas with a particular air`quality problem.

Today was the beginning of a journey with more questions than answers,

and doubtless more to be said from those behind the wheel.

A primary school which has banned children from bringing in sugary

drinks as part of a health drive has been criticised by some parents.

It's after dinner ladies confiscated fruit drinks from pupils, serving

water instead. Ayshea Buksh reports from Dagenham. It was the talk of

the playground at the primary in Dagenham. Should the head teacher be

allowed to stop children having juice drinks at school? They took

all the drinks away from them, they were smelling the drinks to say they

could not have it. I understand she wants a healthy school, but she'd

shouldn't touch the lunchboxes, it is not their right. It is down to

the parents. We have given birth to the children. No one was available

from the school for an interview, but this was a copy of the letter

given to parents and in it it said that the school had always promoted

and encourage our children to adopt healthy lifestyles and asks pouch ``

patients not about anything other than water in your child's packed

lunch box as they will not be able to drink it at school. I don't know

the full details of what went on in the school, but we recommend with

the healthy schools scheme, that it be done in consultation with parents

and also children. What consumers might not be aware of is the amount

of fructose they consume when drinking fruit juice. Back in

Dagenham, some parents are more positive about the plans. I think it

is fine. Water is the healthiest drink. I think it is great. The

school are trying to promote a healthy lifestyle, and I want that

to my children at the end of the day. Maybe if my school had promoted

that when I was younger I wouldn't have a weight problem. Many schools

now promote healthy eating, but this zero tolerance approach the many is

hard to swallow. `` for many. Stay with us, still to come: The

hottest stars from the world of basketball come to London for a

sell`out game. I will be talking to the makers of a new award winning

feature film shot on tooting, and celebrating its local community. ``

Tooting. London's the most popular it's ever

been according to new figures. Last summer almost five million tourists

came to the capital. And if the trend continues it could be a

record`breaking year. Alice Bhandhukravi has more details.

London is unique because it is London and there is so much to do.

We have Waterloo Bridge, walk along the south bank. When we return the

first thing we do is go out for a great curry in Brick Lane. It's

phenomenal. Gordon Ramsay and Tweedy talking about the city they love the

European city most loved by tourists in 2013 `` Twiggy. In 2012 we let

the Olympics do the talking, and it was a job well done because a

record`breaking 4.9 million people visited the capital last summer, 20%

more than the previous year. People looked at the city and saw a city

that was more than the Royal family and beefeaters. It was welcoming,

open, had quite good weather, and they came in droves. Our best summer

ever, a fantastic set of numbers and if the trend continues the rest of

the year, the numbers that come out in three months time show we will

have the best year ever. London's biggest competitor is Paris, so what

is it about our capital that gives it the edge over the French? There

are three factors that let London differentiate itself, in the first

is the global appeal of London's cultural offerings. The second

factor is the full spectrum of the cultural infrastructure. And

finally, the dynamism and success of London's creative industry. London

for me is very modern. It's big, it's different, it's not like German

cities. It has a sort of glamour. The Household Cavalry of Buckingham

Palace, you won't get that anywhere and we are good at tradition. Not to

mention the musical heritage of London which stops the traffic on

Abbey Road. If as predicted we can keep the tourists flocking here,

there will be plenty to be pleased about.

Basketball stars from the American NBA league say they hope London will

have its own team one day. They're here for a big game tonight at the

O2. As Warren Nettleford reports, one of the coaches of the teams is

also training the British team. These basketball stars are used to

the media spotlight, but not in the UK. And these players have two

jobs, trying to win tonight 's game, and promoting one of America's

biggest sports to Europe. Bringing the game of basketball to London,

making it global, is beyond my imagination. I never even thought of

it. Never even thought I would be part of it. Even players from the

Arsenal team came to see what the fuss was about. There are 17,000 at

the stadium for the game between Brooklyn and Atlanta. After the

Great Britain basketball team appeared at 2012, the sport has

never been more popular. That popularity has not been matched by

success on the court. Now, though, the Great Britain head coach is also

assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets. It's an honour to do it but

there's also a responsibility to be there. You are the head coach and

representing people in this position. For the first time last

year the team made it to the second round of the biggest basketball

championship in Europe, and the pitch `` coaches keen to carry on

the success. 12 of them are on display as a team last year, and the

bottom line is, can we get better? Can the elite players improve?

Absolutely. More positive news, one of the biggest stars in the NBA has

now agreed to return to the international setup. But tonight the

focus will be on the two NBA teams desperate to win, keen to put on a

show for the London fans. An independent film showing a slice

of life on Tooting Common has won international acclaim. It's

described as a touching tale of love and conflict and gets its UK

premiere this weekend. Our Entertainment Correspondent, Brenda

Emmanus, spoke to the filmakers and talent behind Common People.

What do we have here? What does it say? The Princess flew out of her

kitchen window and spun around the common. They are offering a reward

of ?100 to find it. When the Princess parrot escapes her cage,

she finds herself in the South London skies and takes audiences

into the world of Tooting Common inhabitants. Common People is the

charming story of their lives. We are trying to reflect London at the

moment. Some of the characters are affected by the banking crisis, the

credit crunch. We have an older couple who are thinking about how

they are living longer lives and what they will do about that. It's a

lot of the things that people in London are thinking about right now.

But we didn't want it to be downbeat. We wanted to be uplifting.

You pregnant or just fat? The film was shot on the common over just 18

days and weaves together six stories and 30 characters to present a tale

of adventure, love and conflict on this much treasured south London

site. Look at us now, right here on the common, an Irishman, a Jamaican,

an Estonian and a Muppet. There are a lot of extras in the background,

all from the local community who got involved, even down to catering. The

local restaurants would help out, so it was a real community experience.

How do you know my name? I don't think I have ever seen you smile. I

think Londoners get a negative press a lot of the time. They are sort of

detected as people who have tunnel vision and go through their lives

not speaking to anybody, but this film shows Londoners in a completely

different way, which is important. I think old people get a negative

press. The old couple I am part of our just fabulous, funny, witty,

happy people `` are just fabulous. You don't see older people often

betrayed like that. It has already won an international award, but

Common People is released on Sunday and it will run at the Clapham

picture house during January and debris. `` February. Time for a

check on the weather. This mild winter really set to carry on.

Do you want snow? There is none in the forecast. Major Roger Klee

speaking we are halfway through winter, `` meteorologically we are

halfway through the winter, sell and by day, London was three degrees

above average for the time of year `` so day by day. Here is the

average life in January, and you can see how many days we've been

above`average, only a couple of days around average, and never below

during the day. It's because we have had the unsettled weather being

driven towards us by the jet stream across the Atlantic, coming in from

the South West and the afternoon has been no exception. We started driver

the showers are driving towards us and that is the story for really the

next 24 hours or so. Through the night we continue to see showers

moving towards us from the south and West. It keeps temperatures up to

seven or eight Celsius as we go through the night. We will continue

with them through the first half of tomorrow, and actually for a time

they will band together and be quite heavy and blustery. We could also

seek hail and Thunder mixed in. But it will start to die away towards

the end of the afternoon. Temperatures again in double figures

for tomorrow. As you can see, they will die away for the first of

tomorrow night, and as we move into Saturday more showers moving up from

the south and that sets the theme for what we will see on Saturday

morning. I will give you a bit of a health warning about the weekend's

forecast, because it is unsettled and here is the reason why. We have

low pressure in the south`west and a southerly fetch which means we will

see the weather coming from the south. On Saturday, looks like the

heaviest rain will be out towards the west, so the more east you are

you're more likely to stay dry. But it looks like the reverse on Sunday.

What we can be confident about is there will be a lot of cloud, rain

at times, and temperatures around average or maybe slightly above. But

right the way through the weekend if you have plans outside, take your

umbrellas. Well, I did ask. Let me just recap

the headlines for you. The Chancellor says he is now in favour

of an above`inflation rise in the minimum wage. Speaking exclusively

to the BBC, George Osborne says the recovery in the economy means the

country can afford a rise. Police have launched a major search for a

three`year`old boy who's gone missing from his home in Edinburgh.

Mikael Koola hasn't been seen since he went to bed last night. Speaking

on this programme, the Prime Minister has defended a Government

inquiry into airport expansion after the Mayor criticised the way it's

been carried out. More on the day's story on our website, and we will be

back during the Ten O'Clock News. From me and all of the team, thanks

for watching and have a lovely evening. Goodbye.