19/07/2011 Spotlight

I am strongly minded to allow controlled culling as part of a

science lead and carefully managed policy of badger control.

Good evening. As a cull of badgers moves a step closer, we will have

reaction to today's announcement from farmers, a welfare group and

from Westminster. Also tonight...

Atandards in care homes - staff warn care quality inspectors they

do not always get a true impression of what's going on.

The Government has provisionally sanctioned a cull of badgers to

tackle rising TB rates in cattle. Farmers have campaigned for the

move for many years, whilst badger groups say this is the worst

possible news. The proposals are that a pilot will be carried out in

two areas in England where badgers will be culled. The plans are that

farmers and landowners could be given licenses for the controlled

shooting of badgers. Bovine TB cost the tax payer more than �63 million

last year in England. And it is estimated that figure could rise to

�1 billion over the next ten years. Ministers say they will have a wide

ranging consultation over how the cull could take place. Our

Environment Correspondent Adrian The South West has some of the

worst levels of bovine TV and the whole country. Many farmers such as

David Horton in Devon, have become frustrated at the continued loss of

animals to the disease, despite a strict testing regime.

It does not take a lot of common sense in my opinion to see the only

way of tidying this job up in our animals is to take her mad. Surely

to goodness the only way to tackle it in the wildlife is to take out

some of these animals that are suffering in world life. It would

not only be good for us as stock keepers, but it surely has to be

good for wildlife, also. So, what might happen in Devon, one

of the worst DB hot spots? The area would have to cover at least 150

squad -- 150 square kilometres. Badgers would be shot, and it is

hoped that would reduce the spread of bovine TB. Some scientists have

warned that badgers might get away from the area and the danger is

that could help spread the disease. We are going to follow scientific

evidence on this, and it has completely ignored what its chief

experts have said. -- the Government is saying it is going to

follow scientific evidence. Badger culls are cruel, it will not get

rid of TB and they will have to do a U-turn and change their mind.

The South could be one of two trial areas for what is being described

as a controlled cull. Devon already has the prospect of a vaccine trial

due to start soon on National Trust The Government's latest

consultation is about the controlled shooting of badgers and

how that process will be monitored. There could be a call by next

summer. I am strongly minded to a low controlled culling carried out

by groups of farmers and landowners as part of a science Wed and

carefully managed policy of badger control. It is worth reminded --

remembering not all farmers want a call.

Personally, I don't think it will work. Any infected badgers around

get forced into wider areas, and at my biggest concern is the public

backlash. The vaccination of badgers may yet

yield a useful results, but a colt looks likely in the South West,

possibly as soon as next summer. Earlier I spoke to Jack Reedy from

the Badger Trust. I asked him if the trust was now working on the

basis of when a badger cull would happen, rather than if. I do not

think it will happen at all, because what is being proposed is

such a mess I cannot see any meaningful conclusions being drawn

from it. Do you think the Government have given themselves a

little wiggle room? I do not know. What they have done is to bring in

a completely new method of killing badgers which has not been tried

before, whose results are born to be a sense -- assessed within a

very short space of time, and what the conclusions will be, Lord knows.

I did think they will have any meaningful effect on the incidents

of bovine TB if and when they ever get put into operation. Nothing in

certain today, we cannot glean anything from today's announcement,

but it has since been suggested at trial areas will be in the South

West. If it happens here, how do you

think that will work alongside, for example, the work of the National

Trust there are vaccinating badgers?

The could quite easily worked side- by-side. The advantage of

vaccination is that it does not does dubbed the population. That is

the great danger with this particular disease, but if you

start up the population -- that if you start up the population, you

run the risk of the disease spreading more quickly than it

We can cross live now to our correspondent Simon Hall who is in

Cullompton guauging reaction to today's announcement.

With me this evening are a couple talking about what the Government

has had to say. First of all, Steven Radford, you have had TB.

have had TB, the cattle on our farms, you cannot put cattle on our

farms, we have to test the cattle every 60 days, which has tremendous

impact and a lot of stress. demerger impossible for what you

are trying to do? Yes. What impact does this have on

communities. I think a young members of come the

-- young members of the community like myself are being put off going

into the farming sector. We do not want to put a our cattle through

the stress of 60 day testing and potential is seeing animals

slaughtered at duty TB. It is not just our livelihood. -- slaughtered

due to TB. You have got what you want today,

from the Farmers' Union, but there is still no guarantee it will work.

It has worked elsewhere in Gloucestershire and Dorset before,

and it is working in Ireland, where it reduced DB by 30 %. This is a

massive issue for all animals. We have to do something about it and

this is the right first step, but it is only that.

Farmers tell me they will be digestive all the Government has

had to say about the details. We can cross live the Westminster

now to our political editor Martyn Oates.

A significant step towards a colt today, but still not a final

approval. Nor, today looked as if it could be

finally drawing a line under the uncertainty over whether there

would be a Kohl or not. There had been a ruler -- a remark around

Westminster about it. This is what the farming minister had to say to

me a little earlier. Do day is not the final decision.

Today we are still strongly minded that we believe he does the right

boy -- the right way forward. We have seen fairly significant

changes to that which we consulted on nine months ago. We are having

to consult again on those changes. There are a lot of other questions,

if those pilot badger culls did take place, then where? The

minister did say he would be surprised if one did not happen in

the South West at least. The new consultation closes in September

but he was not prepared to see how quickly the Government would

respond. This move towards a pilot badger cull chains with the Lib Dem

ideas before the elections. I asked the minister whether the whole

issue seemed more complex and difficult in Government than it

appeared in opposition, and in a A Plymouth-born soldier who died in

Afghanistan yesterday has been named as Corporal Mark Anthony

Palin. The 32-year-old was killed by an improvised explosive device.

He was married with a young son and his family said he was looking

forward to the birth of his daughter. Here is our defence

reporter, Scott Bingham. Corporal Mark Anthony Palin was

based at a checkpoint in the South district of Helmand province in

Afghanistan. He was on an operation to clear up improvised explosive

devices when he was killed by an explosion. The commanding officer

of one rivals said he had a fierce bravery and died leading from the

front. -- 1 rifles. He leaves Adams sun and the wife expecting the

birth -- he leaves a young son and a wife expecting a birth.

Still to come in Spotlight tonight...

Rowing for gold - four local athletes have been selected to

represent Britain in the world Championships nest month. We will

be meeting them. And an invitation to join our Royal

Navy's flying force as RNAS A man has been arrested on

suspicion of fraud by police investigating a Devon-based company

behind school skiing trips which had to be cancelled at the last

minute earlier this year. Hundreds of students at schools across the

country had their trips cancelled by Colyton-based Skiing Europe.

Others decided to cancel the trips themselves because of fears they

had no accommodation reserved in the resorts.

Taunton Football Clubhouse has been badly damaged by fire. Tonight

investigators are still working to establish the exact cause. The club

says it will recover from the setback and future matches will not

be affected. Clinton Rogers reports. This morning a sad side for Taunton

Town football fans. A large part of the club house has been completely

destroyed by the fire, which boded just after midnight. At its height,

eight fire crews from across Somerset were involved in fighting

the flames. At one stage there were fears it might spread to the bus

depot next door, and there were concerns a nearby nursing home

would have to be evacuated for us to up there was a concern, mainly

because of the smoke plume, toxic gases, we look at the safety of

everyone and the residents of the nursing home would be high on the

list. The club says it will bounce back

from this setback and is confident no dames will need to be postponed.

Our first home game is 13th August. I hope that we can get something

organised for them. Whatever we have to do, we will do.

The club was using the closed season to renovate the clubhouse.

Many hours of work by volunteers have gone up in smoke.

Investigators have been at work all day trying to pinpoint what caused

this. They say they are happy it was not started deliberately. The

most likely explanation - an Care workers in Cornwall have told

watchdogs they do not always get a true picture of the care homes they

visit. At a special meeting last night, some staff claimed extra

people were hired to improve conditions for inspections. The

Care Quality Commission says it wants to make it easier for people

to report poor care. Here's our Health Correspondent Sally Mountjoy.

More than 24 care workers from worms around Cornwall when at last

night's meeting. Many did not want to be identified. Whilst some

praised their place of work, others were critical and claimed some

homes hired extra staff to improve conditions during inspections.

There is a lot of deceit going on in some care homes.

Lot of cover ups, managers may get more staff in to look like they

have got adequate staff and start doing activities all the things

they should be doing just for that inspection.

One woman organised the meeting between staff and the regulator as

part of a campaign to get concerns about poor standards into the open.

Inspectors said they had been listening.

I think it has been very useful, we have got a lot of ideas about how

we might work together to improve care.

This is a residential and nursing home in Truro. According to Dr Mary

Curtis, an academic researcher who changed -- who trains healthcare

staff in homes and hospitals, it is a model for the industry.

It begins to feel like home. And it is their home, so it should. It is

the little things. This is what the residents tell me, the little

things matter. If I like drinking out of a china cup, make sure I get

my china cup. It is being thoughtful.

The manager says she encourages the family's of residents to drop in

unannounced and to speak to relatives about the care.

We are still carers, and if you feel you are coming in to see your

mother or whoever it need be and you are still having to pick up the

reins and look at the basics, you cannot switch off. Here you can do

that because it is all done. You do not have to worry, but we have to

learn to trust them, and that trust is so well-founded.

They really are marvellous, they cannot do enough for you, very kind,

very gentle, and very learned, too, they know what they are talking

about. But much do very warm -- care home

resident in Cornwall is well looked after and many say that must change.

We will take stock of what happened here tonight and be in contact with

these people again. Hopefully we can start a bigger trend going in

Cornwall to make a difference for The headteacher of the region's top

performing grammar school says he would like the power to take into

account the difficulties facing poorer children who are taking the

11 plus. Paul Evans says he wants more children to benefit from a

grammar school education, regardless of their social

background. It comes as the government is looking at updating

the schools admissions code. There are seven grammar schools in

this -- in the South West, all in Devon, though they are so popular

they drop pupils from surrounding areas. We have been finding out how

the operator and who goes there. These pupils are yet to sit their

GCSEs, but just by getting here they are already high achievers.

Only the very brightest get into this grammar school in east Devon,

and surprisingly et -- and on surprisingly it has one of the best

academic records in the UK. Pupils sit GCSEs early to spend an extra

gear on A-levels. I like the idea we are competing to

get A-grade results. I don't think there is a particular emphasis on

everyone getting those grades. People are ambitious and want to

achieve what they can come and I guess that comes through in exam

results, ultimately. Up to 15 % of students here come

from independent primaries. Many had private tuition for the 11-plus.

Critics argued grammar schools have been hijacked by the middle classes.

This head teacher believes there may be valid reasons while a child

-- why a child from a disadvantaged background does not score as highly

in the 11-plus exam. He be like to make allowances for that.

The key has to be that grammar schools should be providing high-

class education regardless of background. They should be

providing a leg-up for dumb people, like I had back in the 70s, that I

have access to a particular kind of education that meets the need. If

we can do that, that is the main thing.

Not all grammar schools would want this. This high school has been

teaching some of the most able -- able in Plymouth and beyond. The

Government want to give successful schools like this financial

incentives to pick the poorest students, but here the belief is in

selection based purely on performance.

Our culture and ethos is founded upon selection by academic ability,

and I don't see that changing. But think it could change, because that

is who we are. -- I don't think it could change.

The process of preparing for the Eleven Plus starts early. Lisa

Peterson offers private tuition in Plymouth to children as young as

eight. A BBC survey a few years ago found 81 % of parents of grammar

school children coached them, have paying for private tutors come at

an average cost of �700. All to give children their best shot at

the entrance exam. It is a little extra, but the extra

tests, I did not have a clue what applied numbers where, and now I

know completely. I got most of my questions right in school.

It helps me learn more stuff for my 11-plus exam so I can pass it, and

it is educational for me. The last few years, it seems to be getting

more popular, wanting to get into a grammar school, so you need a

higher pass rate to get through on those exams now.

Those who can afford it believe it is a price worth paying. Tomorrow,

we look at how the grammar system can impact on neighbouring schools.

What is it like to be a pupil in a comprehensive on the doorstep of

one of the country's best performing grammar schools?

Thank you for all of your e-mails on that subject, please keep coming

up -- please keep them coming in. Four local rowers have been

selected for the Olympics and are now gearing up for the regatta in

Slovenia next month. This is the late in Berkshire where

Great Britain's top rowers train six days a week. The South West has

four athletes in this elite squad all bidding for world championship

glory next month and Olympic gold next year.

It is a special thing to be part of. This is probably one of the

strongest teams we have ever had, and to be part of that is a great

opportunity and a great privilege. The aim is to win gold and set

ourselves up for London. It will be pretty tough but I think it is do-

able. With Torquay's Marcus Big Ben

aiming for glory in the double sculls, every stroke for these

rowers is key as they look to bring There has been a lot of rain, but

one people -- group of people keen for good weather are the organisers

of Airday at an EMS -- array of The Black Hawks take-off for

relaxed but of practice while aircraft of all shapes and sizes

come in to land. The subject on everyone's lips is the weather and

the Met Office team are optimistic. At the moment, most aircraft

displays can have a low flying display, meaning that, even though

the weather is not great, they will still be able to fly. Into the

latter part of the afternoon, they will be able to perform a full

display. There are lots of interactive

displays for families to get into the hangars and see what the Navy

is doing around the world today. In addition to the Red Arrows this

year, there is something rather different.

Come along to Airday tomorrow and see the oldest aviator in the world

and some say the craziest! That was a bit scary at the end,

wasn't it? There should have been a warning at the beginning of that

report. Let's look at the weather. I am

rather enjoying this cooler weather rather enjoying this cooler weather

at the moment. The yes, but you have to remind

yourself it is July and we normally expect reasonable weather in July.

It has been quite cool, as Victoria pointed out. There is more wet

weather in the forecast, and that will arrive tomorrow morning. It is

a bit quicker coming in tomorrow, which is perhaps better news for

Airday, because it means it will leave quicker. We have a lump of

cloud coming into the western parts of Ireland. That develops into an

area of low pressure overnight tonight and the whole lot moves

into western Britain by six or 7:00am. The area of low pressure

then his into northern France and the rain will move out of the way

and it will hopefully be brighter. By Thursday, northerly winds back,

so again cool, and the risk of sharp showers. We have not had a

huge image of wet weather today, a few breaks developing in the cloud.

This was a earlier where we had some fine and dry weather. A little

sunshine poking through the cloud every now and then, relatively calm

seas on the south coast with north- west wins. -- North West winds. I

think over the next couple of days, northerly winds means the south

coast should be relatively quiet, and also the best place to be if

you want sunshine. There are holes in the cloud and sunshine is

getting through every now and then. Overnight tonight, clear skies for

a time, but later in the night out to the west it all changes as more

rain sweeps in, giving us a damp end to the night particularly

across Cornwall and westerly parts of Devon. Temperatures up to 12 or

13 Celsius, no lower than that tonight. The rain will move through

steadily and by the time we get into the afternoon it has moved

away, brighter skies to end the day and hopefully the cloud will lift

to a load the flying displays. Temperatures tomorrow, struggling

because of the rain, maybe up to 17 Celsius, but for most of us 15 or

16 Celsius typical and wins becoming north-easterly. -- winds

becoming north-easterly. For the Isles of Scilly, showers dotted

around and it should improve during the day with brighter skies during

the afternoon. The times of high Most of the beaches will be on the

messy side tomorrow, winds changing direction tomorrow, up to four feet

on the north coast. The coastal waters forecast has winds variable

at first then becoming north- easterly force four. Here is the

forecast all the way through, including the weekend. We are

expecting a lot of cloud on Thursday with a risk of showers.

Brief glimpses of sunshine towards the end of the day. More sunshine

on Friday but further showers possible, isolated. Temperatures

getting to 18 Celsius. For the start of the weekend there should

be dry weather and a bit of sunshine. Not really what we would

like to see in July. Hopefully a bit better come Saturday.

A reminder of the main news tonight...

The controversial proposals have been announced to introduce a

badger cull in England to combat bovine TV.

And a Plymouth boarding soldier who died in Afghanistan yesterday has