20/12/2012 BBC News at One

MPs have criticised the payout to the former Director-General of the

BBC. They say it is a cavalier use of public money. Large parts of

England and Wales have been told to prepare for more floods and damage

to property. A second man has been arrested in connection with the an

Drew Mitchell Plebgate investigation. And the prospect of

more cancer treatment for this seven-year-old is back in the High

Court after a successful operation Good afternoon. The pay-off to

George Entwistle, who resigned as Director-General of the BBC in the

wake of the Jimmy Savile sex-abuse scandal, has been strongly

criticised by MPs as a cavalier use of public money. George Entwistle

was given �450,000 after just 54 days in the job. The BBC is taking

legal advice about whether there are grounds to get some of it back.

Our correspondent David Sillito reports. Chaos, confusion, melt

down - the verdict on how the BBC handled the dropped investigation

into Jimmy Savile in the press this morning. Former Director-General

George Entwistle was given a pay- off of �450,000. He resigned

following Lord McAlpine getting wrongly accused of sexual abuse.

All of it has not gone down well with the public about committee.

think the BBC displayed a rather cavalier attitude to the way that

it uses taxpayers money through the licence fee. This is all of how

many, and this man has been in the job for 54 days, walking away with

�450,000. In its defence, the BBC chairman, speaking on radio this

morning, said that legally, they had little choice, and that they

had looked to see if they could claw some of that money back.

sent them a detailed account of why we had taken the decision on George

Entwistle. The legal advice, which pointed out that if we had not done

the settlement there and then, we would have had to do well more

costly settlement, with a more constructive and probably an unfair

dismissal, that it would have taken too and, that we needed to act

quickly, rather than hang about... Meanwhile, the BBC's Head of News,

Helen Boaden, returned to work today. Do you think it is right

that you kept your job at the BBC? That is for others to decide. BBC

News is trusted, that has never really diminished, it is the most

trusted news organisation in this country. Kennet still be trusted

with you at the helm? The Pollard report said she should have done

more when her department was in virtual meltdown. Allies say her

hands were tied after she was sidelines during the Savile crisis.

The Acting Director-General made his feelings clear last night.

Success is not about how many people I dismiss, it is about

making a fair and proper judgment, based on the facts in front of me,

and making saw that the BBC is in a position to rebuild trust. So, how

do they do that? The head of the Commons select committee which

monitors the BBC feels it has to really change. At think

fundamentally, there needs to be an overhaul of the entire management

structure at the BBC, which does not mean shifting a few people

around. We need to have a very hard look at the way that organisation

is run, which should be the priority for the incoming Director-

General. And of course, the BBC will have to brace itself in the

coming months for more revelations about Jimmy Savile. A second

inquiry, looking back over 40 years of the BBC and Savile has only just

begun. David Sillito joins me now from outside new Broadcasting House.

It has been another did a good day for the BBC? Very much so. 185

pages of criticism about a lack of leadership and about it in the

organisation incapable of dealing with this crisis. In addition to

that, we have had the committee excoriating the BBC about the pay-

off. So, it is another day of bad headlines. There has been a

statement and e-mail by the director of news, Helen Boaden,

which has just been issued, and she described the experiences of

reading the report over the last few weeks as bruising.

24 of heavy rain brings flooding and travel disruption - and there's

worse to come. Large parts of England and Wales are being told to

prepare for more floods and damage to property, as bands of heavy rain

continue MPs criticise the �450,000 payout to the BBC's former

director-general George Entwistle. This morning, people have had to be

rescued from their vehicles in Hampshire. The Environment Agency

has issued 214 flood alerts and 40 flood warnings about the UK. We can

join Jon Kay, in North Somerset. It is looking pretty bad there? Yes,

yet again, it is looking bad. We have had yet more rain throughout

the night. It is raining again at the moment. I can show you a stark

example of how much rain we have had. You can see this farm's gate.

The water is coming two thirds up it. These are normally fields on

the Somerset Levels, but they have been filled with floodwater, not

just overnight, but this is the accumulation of weeks and weeks of

heavy rain. The ground is completely saturated. And here you

can see the result of that, because it is still spilling onto the roads.

This lane has actually been blocked off for weeks, there has been so

much water. And there is a warning this lunchtime from the police

across the country, not just here, that if you see this kind of thing,

do not even think about driving into it. You do not know how deep

it is or what the risks might be. It is not just here in the south-

west of England that we have had heavy rain. It is right Ghana.

There are more than 200 flood alerts across the country at the

moment. -- it is right across the country. Imagine what people are

feeling, as they look ahead to Christmas, and they seem more water

coming of the Somerset Levels. They are worried about their homes, not

just here but in many other places. It is a serious situation. The

Environment Agency is watching closely, and forecasters are

watching the radar. Let's goma long to our correspondent in

Brockenhurst, in the New Forest, Chrissy Stuart. Similar scenes

there? Yes, it has been very wet here. We are in an absolutely

saturated Brockenhurst village. That is a river which has burst its

banks overnight, the waters surging over what is meant to be a car park.

You can see a car just going past. That road is completely blocked.

This scene has been repeated right across the New Forest. Lots of

people getting stuck in their cars. We ourselves this morning came

across a couple who had just scrambled out of the windows of

their Portia, which had got stuck in a Ford. They had a very narrow

escape. -- Porsche. The local control room has been dealing with

people stranded in cars, as well as people who have had their

properties flooded, particularly in a town just along the coast from

here, on the border with West Sussex. Several bungalows there are

having water pumped out as we speak. Also, a lot of disruption to South

West Trains. They have had flooding in several parts which have closed

the line. So, it is very difficult to move around in Hampshire. Police

are saying not to travel unless it is absolutely necessary. Thank you

both. Just some information coming in from the Environment Agency,

which is saying that they have decided to issue a severe flood

warning for the village of Wallington, next to the river

Wallington, which is going to be evacuated immediately, because the

river levels are just too high, and are reaching the top of the defence

systems around the village. That's the latest from the Environment

Agency. Detectives investigating whether a police officer lied about

witnessing an incident in Downing Street involving the former chief

whip and Drew Mitchell have made another a rest. The suspect has

been questioned and released on police bail. Let's speak to our

correspondent Home Affairs Correspondent - what can you tell

us? This is another twist in the tortuous tale which began when

Andrew Mitchell, it is claimed, called police plebs in Downing

Street back in September. All the Metropolitan Police will say at the

moment about this the best is that the man is 23, and that he was

questioned overnight about will allegation that he encouraged or

assisted somebody to commit an offence last Friday. The timing may

be crucial. Last Friday is the day before police made their first

arrest in this investigation, the arrest of a police officer, we are

told, who it is alleged lied about witnessing that incident in Downing

Street on 19th September. It gets quite complicated, but effectively,

this officer, it is claimed, sent an e-mail to Mr Mitchell's deputy,

saying he had seen this incident, and of course, any account of that

incident will be important in deciding whether an Drew Mitchell

is telling the truth about what happened that evening. There is

also CCTV which has come to light, which suggests that there were no

eye witnesses to what happened. All of this is still being investigated

by the police, 30 officers working on an investigation which Scotland

Yard says they are regarding with the utmost seriousness. It is

claimed that thousands of lives could be saved every year in the UK

if elderly cancer patients were not denied treatment because of their

rage. Macmillan Cancer Support says decisions about care should be

based on health assessments. Health charities and the Government have

been looking at how to make sure cancer patients who benefit from

treatment can receive it whatever their age. For the past two years

they have been testing new approaches at five trial sites in

England, working with hundreds of patience over 70. They say they

have learnt vital lessons which could save lives and money. First,

they say a proper patient assessment is vital, covering

physical and mental health. Then, physical and mental health. Then,

there is the need to make sure more staff are trained in elderly care,

to reduce age discrimination. Also, practical support at home is needed

to help people cope with the demands of cancer treatment. There

is no doubt that some older is no doubt that some older

patients are being denied cancer treatment unfairly. That is my

dad... This man's father died of prostate cancer. This year,

Geoffrey Brunt himself discovered he had the disease. The surgeon

told him he would operate to remove the tumour, but said it would have

been different if he was over 70. Geoffrey Brunt, 67, says any age

barrier is totally wrong. I have got five g grandchildren. -- five

grandchildren. Why should I be denied the chance to live another

15-20 years? To me, people do not have the right to do that.

Macmillan say extra planning before treatment can make a huge

difference. Critics might say, this is costly, Candy NHS afford it? I

would argue, we cannot afford not to. We need to do this assessment,

to pick up on things, like sending out a falls provincial programme,

which is much more cost-effective than treating a hip fracture.

Geoffrey Brunt is doing well, and can look forward to Christmas. The

challenge now is to make sure that lessons regarding overcoming age

discrimination are put into practice across the Health Service.

The Government's plans to simplify energy tariffs has come under fire.

A committee of MPs says the new system will not allow people to

compare prices easily, and the consumer organisation Which? says

it is doomed to fail unless more radical change is implemented. Our

energy correspondent John Morgan is with me. One of the big problems is

that not enough of us switch between suppliers, meaning we stay

on more expensive tourists for longer. So, the big idea that the

regulator has come up with is that they should be fewer tariffs, and

it should be simpler to switch to another supplier. Now, the problem

is that each of these tariffs, and there will only be eight per

supplier, for gas and electricity, each of them are going to be

expressed as a single standard charge, but also with a per unit

price. The problem is, if you have got eight tariff spurs player, each

of them expressed with two different numbers, that's 16

numbers, across a lot of suppliers, it is very difficult for people to

compare. The MPs have said today that they think it is good to be

hard to make comparisons. And Which? Have gone much further,

saying that the whole project is doomed to failure. They say you

have got to drop the standing charge altogether, so that people

are simply dealing with a single unit price. What does Ofgem have to

say? They have been working on these proposals for some time. They

say the reason why they have put in a standing charge is that if you

drop it, the price would have to be that much more expensive, which

would make vulnerable customers more vulnerable to paying higher

charges. They say that overall, these reforms they are putting in

to make the Tariffs easier to understand are the most far-

reaching reforms since competition began. The battle over the

treatment for a seven-year-old cancer patient is back in the High

Court today. Neon Roberts underwent more surgery on a brain tumour

yesterday, against his mother's wishes. His mother is now arguing

her son should not have radiotherapy treatment because it

could cause long-term home. The boy's father agrees with doctors

that he should have the treatment. Our correspondent is outside the

High Court. Tell us what happened Well, we have been hearing more

about seven-year-old Neon Roberts's condition on the brain tumour, the

mother said she was relieved that the operation had gone well. It was

revealed to the court she had tried to stop that operation from taking

place, but was refused permission, that is why it went ahead. We heard

from the doctors who said that the operation had gone well, that the

surgeon had removed as much tumour that they could see, but now it was

essential he underwent radio they werey. Sally Roberts opposes that.

Shoo is concerned about radio they werey, her lawyers then asked the

court for more time. An adjournment until January, in order to find

alternative treatment for her son. But from what the judge has been

saying it looks like this will be decided one way or the other today?

Well, the judge rejected that adjournment until January. He said

that was not possible. He said that every increasing delay is that much

more detrimental to Neon Roberts's health. The Trust that represents

the took tors treating Neon Roberts are looking for a judgment by the

end of the day. Thank you very much.

The top story: MPs criticise the �450,000 pay out to the BBC's form

are Director-General, George Entwistle. Coming up: Why a stumble

in the Olympic Torch Relay changed Kieron Maxwell's life.

On BBC London: The great escape. We have all of the travel details for

those getting out of town for Christmas. Looking back on 2012,

find out how this Olympian could have had a better day than this...

Fishing fleets around the UK have welcomed new targets controlling

how much they can catch in our waters. The European Union set its

latest fishing quotas after a marathon series of talks that ended

in Brussels this morning. Greenpeace welcomed the news, but

said some species are still overfished off the Scottish and the

Irish coasts. We have this report. A fresh catch, and some good news

now for Scotland's fishermen. The amount they are allowed to bring in

is controlled by rules, set by the European Union fishing ministers.

This year the massive cuts to quotas that some feared have been

avoided. I'm relieved. Some of our boats are

down to 100 a day it is not enough. They could not take the cuts.

British waters were once full of fish, but years of overfishing have

caused serious declines. Limiting fishing has helped to save

some species. Environmentalists feared that the latest deal does

not protect others. It is not good news for all fish.

Some stocks are so depleted that scientists recommend no fishing at

all. For example in Irish and Scottish waters. We are concerned.

We think that the ministers have to pick up the pace to ensure

sustainability of fish in the future.

The system is designed to ensure that no species of fish is driven

to extinction. That the fish stocks survive. Remarkably, however, one

thing threatening the goal, many agree is the EU's own fishing

policy. The thousands of rules governing

that policy are now being re- written N a year it is hoped that

there will be a ban on the controversial aspect, discards. The

throwing away of perfectly good, edible fish.

That ban is not certain yet, but if it does happen it would be good

news for fish and for those who like to eat them.

People in England who were left disabled by thalidomide are to

receive support worth �80 million over ten years. Thalidomide was

given to pregnant women with morning sickness until it was

withdrawn in 1961. It was linked to birth defegts. The move is welcomed

by the campaigners. The retailers are hoping for a

bumper few days this weekend with last-minute Christmas shopping.

They may need it, according to the figures that showed that sales

remained flat as consumers rained in their spending. Emma Simpson is

in Central London, difficult times at the moment? Yes, these figures

out today, Sophie, they were pretty uninspiring and not what the

retailers need in the run-up to Christmas. Back in October, we saw

retail volumes take quite a big drop. Last month the sales just did

not bounce back. The sales were pretty much flat. On top of that,

we had evidence from a survey showing that trading in the first

two weeks of December were weaker than predicted. So the picture is

that Christmas has gotten off to a very slow start indeed. As ever,

with the festive period and the retailers, it is not over until it

is over. Retailers are hoping that customers will be out buying

bargains at the last minute. What is unusual this year, Christmas is

on a Tuesday, there are two very big trading days this weekend. They

could prove to be crucial. I suspect that they will be cheered

by the huge number of people behind you now, what about the internet

sales? There has been talk about more and more people doing the

shopping online over the years, is that improving? Yes, that is one

very bright spot. Today we had figures show that online sales now

make up just under 11% of all retail sales that is the highest

ever. So we are spending more online at the expense of

traditional bricks and mortar. You can expect to see a bumper

Christmas online, I think. Then we will have to wait until January

when we get the full story of what really will happen this Christmas.

Nearly half of marriages in England and Wales still end in a divorce,

according to the latest figures, but there has been a slight fall in

numbers. The figures show there were more than 1 7,000 divorces in

2011, a drop of 1.7%. We have this report.

According to the cliches, love and marriage go hand in hand, but

relationships don't always work out. All of the people I know are

divorced. It is about independence now. They want their independence.

That is what it is about, I think, for men and for women.

According to the latest Census, Blackpool is the town with the

highest percentage of divorces in the country, but the numbers of

people choosing to end their marriages seem to be falling.

Figures show that there were just over 1, 1700 divorces in 2011. A

substantial number, but a fall of 1.7% compared to the year before.

Divorce has fall no-one Northern Ireland and Scotland, but some say

that the statistics don't reflect the state of modern relationships.

A polling of Relate of councillors, tells 47% of people are having to

stay together as they cannot afford to separate.

But Lacey, divorced and remarried, says that the legal fees are worth

paying. I could not afford to do anything.

I could not work. I just got in the car and left. I did not know what I

would do, but it was the best thing for me.

All relationships have ups and downs, and certainly financial

strains are putting pressure on a number of families, but in

analysing the figures, the Office for National Statistics says that

it believes that some couples are staying together until the economy

and the house prices improve. Someone came in this week to

indicate that they were intending to separate and saying that they

did not feel that they could afford to dwors at the present time.

But it is worth noting that the fall in the divorces is consistent

with the decline in marriage. In 21st century relationships, many

are choosing to live together. When Kieron Maxwell lost his leg to

cancer, he vowed it would not change his life. He continued to

play football and was chosen to carry the Olympic torch in the

summer, but a stumble in the relay has given Kieron Maxwell the chance

to fulfil his dreams. 14-year-old, Kieron Maxwell, he has

had an extraordinary year. Playing football with his friends at school

is a tribute to the good things that have happened to this teenager

over the last 12 months. The awards are stacking up for a

young man who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 12 and who had

to have his leg amputated. His personal battle saw him carry the

Olympic torch, but it did not quite go to plan.

I left a nasty dent in the torch! I fell, I thought, what would they

think of me? But they were all cheering. Telling me I could do it.

I thought, yeah, I can do it. Then the encouragement from the

torch relay team in the grey shirts. They told me to get up and do it.

They were really supportive. It was really good.

But carrying the torch was the beginning of his Olympic dreams.

This year his gymnastic potential has been recognised too.

This is what they use in the Paralympics. This is what they run

with and they get in there and just do it.

Do you see yourself being a Paralympian one day? I do. I want

to use this and go for it. In what category? In what sport?

With this, probably gymnastics. Kear acre's Olympic Torch Relay,

high lighted an appeal to buy him a more everyday leg, but the family

were blown away when this couple came up with the mon. Colin and

Christine Weir within more than �116 million on the EuroMillions

draw and offered to him -- help him. You don't think your child will be

helped. That people will think that your child is more deserving than

another person, but it is lovely when, yes, it is! It has a

different foot. A blade in the shoe... Even Kieron Maxwell cannot

believe his luck this year. R way that they suddenly stepped in

and said that this were doing this for me it was amazing.

It transformed your life? changed everything.

But above all, the generosity of a couple that his family have never

meant has meant that Kieron Maxwell can blend in with his friends again.

In remission from his cancer, this is his next Olympic ambition, all

steming from this moment in the Olympic spotlight.

Football now and Manchester United have been drawn against Spanish

champions, Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League. The

match is to see Cristiano Ronaldo returning to Old Trafford for the

first time since his �80 million move from United to Real in June,

2009. Celtic are to play Juventus. Arsenal take on last year's

Champions League runners up, Bayern Munich.

Now the all-important weather. Now the all-important weather.

It is looking terrible out there? It is. More rain to come. This

picture some it is up, a flooded Christmas tree taken in Essex. A

loft rain here. The wettest weather has been a I cross the South Wales

and south England. Heavy rain in Cornwall, heavy rain

in Bournemouth. Heavy rain in Nottingham as well. It really is

miserable. Amber warnings from the Met Office, the focus is to shift

into the east of Scotland. Warnings for the south of England and South

Wales. It will dry off here in the evening, but a miserable end to the

day. Lots of rain to come and snow in the mountains of Scotland.

Blizzards in the bitter, raw winds. There is the amber warning for the

rain over Angus, Perth and Kinross. For Northern Ireland it is becoming

drier. The winds are lighter. Cold on the eastern side of England.

More rain to come into the early part of the evening, but beginning

to dry off at 6.00pm over the south-west of England that drying

up process will continue into the night. The drier weather chases to

the north, following this belt of rain that grinds to a halt over

Scotland and the north-east of England. Away from here and the

winds there are lighter winds, mist and fog. It will be chilly, colder

than it has been recently, close to freezing in rural parts of Northern

Ireland, England and Wales. Tomorrow the wet and windy weather

for a while over the east of Scotland and the north-east of

England, but then it will brighten up with sunshine coming through and

temperatures getting up into the double figures over the south. A

chance to dry off for many areas on Friday, but it is a brief respite.

This is what we have on Saturday. A long spell of heavy rain sweeping

up quickly from the south-west. Heading up to the north-east

allowing Northern Ireland, England and Wales to dry for a while in the

afternoon. With the rain there are strong winds. The weather front is

taking the rain across the country on Saturday. Another area of low

pressure coming from the south-west and overnight, keeping it wet and

windy in many areas. So with more rain to come there is more flooding

and more travel disruption. Keep up to date with the local

radio. There is the floodline number there.

It is a wet run-up to Christmas, It is a wet run-up to Christmas,

rather than a white one. The top story: MPs criticise the

�450,000 pay out to the BBC's former Director-General, George

Entwistle. As torrential rain brings floods to parts of the UK,

the Environment Agency says that the village of Wallington in