27/09/2013 Spotlight

Tonight the Prime Minister tells Spotlight rural councils in the

South West are funded fairly. Good evening David Cameron was

responding to criticism from a Conservative council leader who says

rural areas are losing out. I don't except that, we have had to make

difficult decisions across the board and had to be fair between urban and

rural areas. Also tonight, anger as Greenpeace workers are accused of

piracy. Iain Rogers and his colleagues could

be behind bars for up to two months, accused of piracy.

Curtain up on a multi million pound refurbishment for Plymouth's Theatre

Royal as War Horse sells out. And Scholes and goals — the

Manchester United legend brings a unique football academy to

Ivybridge. The Prime Minister has dashed

longstanding hopes that the government will find more money for

rural councils. Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs in the region

say the current local government funding formula is hugely unfair to

the countryside — and they believed ministers were sympathetic to their

argument. Earlier this month Spotlight revealed the Conservative

leader of Devon County Council had accused ministers of not being

transparent about the scale of savings local councils were being

asked to make. Now David Cameron has categorically dismissed the claims

in an interview with our Political Editor Martyn Oates. This month, the

Conservative leader of Devon county council otherwise impeccably loyal,

said that ministers in Whitehall must be living in cloud cuckoo land

to imagine that Devon could implement the funding settlement you

have given them without involving substantial cuts to services and has

written to the local government secretary in the strongest terms.

This kind of person that says something like that, isn't there a

chance that he is right that the government is wrong? We have asked

local councils to do difficult things over the past three years,

because we have had direct spending cuts. I would say that local

government has done brilliantly at delivering efficiencies and

redundancies —— reductions while providing great service. Overall, we

are asking local government to spend 2.3% less, so I do not think it is

impossible, what we are asking for, but it is difficult. You will be

familiar with the criticism from your own MPs not about the pot

getting smaller but the claim that the funding settlement formula

grossly disadvantages in rural areas. It causes them problems and

needs to be rated. Do you agree? I don't except that, we have had to

make difficult decisions across—the—board and have to be fair

between urban and brutal areas but all councils have had to do more. We

have made changes to the funding system. Government MPs have been

saying that you have broadened the divide, it has gotten worse. I don't

except that, off in city areas are more dependent on drugs that council

tax and the grand has not been reduced. I don't except that

criticism. You are seeing, is it difficult for local councils because

there is less money? Yes. We inherited an appalling deficit in

huge debt and must deal with it, and that affect local councils as well

as civil government. The one thing we have done is we have encouraged

councils to freeze their council tax so that hard—working people are not

pay more for the services they get. That is based on the notion that you

in Whitehall know more about the specifics of the finances than the

individual local authorities. He talked about localism giving

councils more freedom, the councils are saying they should have more

freedom but you have had more restrictive financial control from

London and I have ever known. I simply don't accept that. We have

taken off much of the ring fences on money that goes to local government,

we have said it is your money and you can spend it more as you choose.

That has been transformed since this government came to office. We have

gotten rid of things like the regional assemblies and regional

development agencies that took so much money away from local

government and wasted so much money so I don't accept this. Obviously

local councils face difficult decisions but we have demonstrated

that they can freeze council tax and reduce spending but also deliver

good services. It is a tough world we live in but businesses have to do

this your energy about, always finding cost savings and improving

services to the customer and that is what government must do. How can you

say to every local authority with no knowledge of the individual

financial circumstances that they should not exercise their major

revenue raising power through the council tax? Let me take an example

directly connected to the south—west, let's take Plymouth

Council. This year it must spend £236 million. Last year it had £239

million. That is a small reduction in a big budget and what they have

to do in Plymouth is make sure that with that money they provide good

services. Many families in the West Country have seen their income come

down by much more than that as a minister I have to think about how I

help hard—working families. The only way I can help them is to make sure

that the government is taking less of their money and they are keeping

more of their money. The prime minister talking to our political

editor. He is with me now. This is significant, isn't it? Yes, riddled

Tories and Lib Dems have long maintained that a Labour device this

formula which severely disadvantages in rural areas. We have been furious

at the Coalition that they have not closed the gap between rural and

urban areas and they claim it has made changes that has made the gap

bigger. Despite that, most of them have come onto this conviction that

somehow ministers were sympathetic and listening and that if they just

carried on lobbying long enough behind closed doors that they would

get the changes they wanted. It is now clear that the Prime Minister

like the Deputy Prime Minister has been absolutely categorical that he

does not see there is a problem, that there is any unfairness to the

address. It seems very unlikely under this government that any

changes will be made. This is the reaction from one of his own MPs. I

will be asking him to look at this again because clearly if he does not

think that there is an imbalance then he needs to be made aware of

the specific areas where there is an imbalance and where it is causing

problems for the rule councils, so that he understands it a little bit

more. —— rule councils. In his interview, the prime minister seemed

keen to talk about Plymouth and the funding.

Despite the fact that I was talking about other councils, he said that

the council is taking a small cut the big budget but the leader of the

Plymouth Council disagrees. It is a big cut the big budget but the

equivalent is causing Exeter City Council down for five years. That is

how big the cutters that Plymouth must deal with. Coincidently, local

government funding is down to be discussed at Westminster as soon as

the MPs get back from conference season, which could be interesting.

Now with more news, views Natalie. Two Greenpeace workers from Devon

are facing two months in a Russian prison, pending a piracy

investigation. They appeared in court in Murmansk after being

arrested following a protest against drilling for oil in the Arctic.

Greenpeace has tonight said it will appeal. Alison Johns reports.

37—year—old Ian Rogers is one of 30 activists arrested during a protest

at an oil platform in the Arctic last week. They say that drilling

puts the environment at risk and the breast—feeding and illegal protests.

The Russians just this assessment is embarrassing. No freedom of speech.

It is making more of the situation, which is great because that is what

we want. Is mother has been watching the court proceedings online. It is

upsetting to see him actually caged up, he was up at cheeky but he made

the court laugh. 22 Greenpeace workers have been told they face up

to two months in custody while investigations continue. The valour

of 27—year—old Alex Harris said they are in shock at the Russian

reaction. —— the father of 27—year—old. She may be detained for

a further two months. When you see the videos that they have them in

the cage and in handcuffs, she does not deserve that sort of treatment.

I don't think she does. She is not a terrorist, she is not a radical, she

is just doing a job she loves doing. The families have been told that if

they fly to Russia they will not be able to see their children whilst on

remand. I would love to be able to with a hammer and CIM here, but we

can do more good putting pressure on the Russian Embassy. —— I would love

to be able to wave to Ian and say, I am here.

A project to vaccinate badgers against bovine TB is expected to get

underway in Cornwall in the next few days. Its costing around £2 million

over seven years. The Government is helping to fund the work which has

already started in a limited way in the far west of Cornwall, but is now

set to spread across Penwith. Spotlight's Environment

correspondent Adrian Campbell reports.

Trapping badgers so they can be vaccinated against bovine TB has

been taking place in parts of West Cornwall for three years. But now

this small—scale project is about to become a lot better, partly due to

new funding from government. This man from Cornwall by the rescue has

high hopes. We must work as a group. We work with the farmers so we get

the vaccination going of the badgers, we desperately need the

cattle vaccine to be allowed to be used. And we need to take up our

security on the farms. If we can do all of this we will see a

significant drop in TB. Cornwall badger rescue has already recorded

their efforts to vaccinate badgers in West Cornwall and mark them

before releasing them into the wild. Professor rose from the zoological

Society of London has plans to expand this work. Because we are

surrounded by the sea on three sides we will not have any problem with

badgers coming in, if it will work anywhere it should work here. Five

farms are due to take part in the vaccination this autumn but this

project will expand and last for seven years. One local landowner

keen to take part as Kurt Jackson. I want to get up close and do drawings

and paintings of them as well as documents the whole process of

vaccination as essentially something that is a very important is

occurring in the countryside at the moment. Those sorts of situations I

find very interesting. The National farmers union advocates using all

options to combat bovine TB but see that vaccination will not cure

infected badgers. It says cattle vaccination is years away but

supporters of the project say it could yield very ported results.

—— very important results. The curtain goes up on the main

stage of Plymouth's Theatre Royal tonight, after a £7 million

refurbishment. The first big show to start the new season is War Horse.

The production is already a sell out. The stage version of Devon

author, Michael Morpurgo's book, is brought to life with huge mechanical

horses. Johnny Rutherford has been to the dress rehearsal.

Magnificent puppetry, as warhorse begins its national tour with a

celebrant and Plymouth. They bring a bright lights and drama to a state

that has been dark for months. The Theatre Royal has been rejuvenated,

including this new entranceway. There is also a new cafe and box

office. Work is underway so that soon there will be a third stage

located in the basement called the lab. The restaurant has gone open

plan with an extension. There is even a tennis for summer evenings.

It was a 30—year—old building and there ever limitations from that in

terms of access, how we could run programmes in the building and how

easy it was to serve the public. It is now as if it were open for the

first time. As part of the changes, the main stage will now be known as

the lyrics. The story of War horse is based in Devon, like its author.

Years coming home, seeking to it as Lee, the village of his birth the

other week, and tonight begins the UK tour of the play and it begins in

its proper place, and Plymouth. It is a great evening for the play and

for the Theatre Royal. Look at Joy! This is what I call the peak of

health. This woman plays Rose, the mother of Albert, who trains the

horse. It is about a young farmboy, Albert, who is 16, who goes to

search for his course that has been requisitioned to work in the First

World War and he goes to look for it. Having a horse on stage,

obviously not the real horse, how difficult is it accurate? It is

quite easy, actually, because it is so utterly believable. We know there

are puppeteers there but within seconds you don't look at them any

more. Charge! It is enormously theatrical and by that what I mean

is, the puppets are like nothing as you have ever seen. It takes

puppetry to a whole new level. That is what makes the piece so

interesting and why it has become such a piece of theatre that is seen

by audiences all over the world. The show is not just a sell—out at the

Theatre Royal, but also at the next two venues, Birmingham and

Manchester. Absolutely incredible, how the move. It is extraordinary.

If you go and see it and have a good time.

Now from one theatre to another. This weekend the region's biggest

hospital is giving visitors a chance to see what goes on behind the

scenes. Derriford in Plymouth is holding an open day for the first

time in a decade. People will be given a chance to visit operating

theatres and use some of the equipment. As Anna Varle reports the

aim is to find out how to improve patient care. If you could put this

hand behind your head as high as possible. Mac Katie is undergoing

tests for a liver disease. She is one of many patients that the

hospital is asking to come along to give their view on what services

need improved. We are hoping lots of people will come and give us

feedback and contribute to the different stands and build a

relationship with the hospital, so we can ask them about the feedback,

what works well and what he can improve. It is not just a

fact—finding mission, as the last hospital they also aim to make the

building more welcoming. They are opening operating theatres and

giving people the opportunity to use equipment. Children and parents can

have a go at feeling the pulse and check he is bleeding OK, he might

need some help with his bleeding so we can do that like this. They are

all things that people can get their hands on. —— check that he is

bleeding OK. There are many activities on offer, like giving

your —— like having the chance to give you say, and watching the

nurses are easy as the simulation. We wanted to be enjoyable, someone

comes into the hospital in future they feel like they have gone to

know the place already. The event starts at ten o'clock tomorrow.

Time for the sport now and there's a massive rugby test for Exeter Chiefs

this weekend isn't there Dave? You could say that. It seems only

the best come to Sandy Park these days.

The big rugby game this weekend sees Exeter Chiefs preparing for a

formidable test against reigning Premiership champions Leicester

Tigers on Sunday. The Chiefs have won their last two outings, thanks

to powerful play from the forwards which saw the pack secure the

winning points at London Irish. With Leicester's England centre Manu

Tuilagi sidelined for some time with a chest injury, could that help

Exeter? Activity is not playing, that is a bit of a downer for them

because he is a good player but I don't know, the team is not just one

player and you must always watchers around. He obviously draws a lot of

defenders. Irish striker Paddy Madden is on the

verge of making his comeback for Yeovil Town at fellow Championship

strugglers Bolton Wanderers tomorrow. May's Wembley hero has

missed most of the season so far, but scored twice against Torquay in

a private practice match at Huish Park this week. Will Exeter City's

new signing Danny Butterfield make his debut at Fleetwood Town? The

former Crystal Palace and Southampton right—back signed for

City this week. After two defeats in a row, you'd still think Plymouth

Argyle would be too good for bottom side Accrington Stanley at Home Park

and Torquay United go to Newport County buoyed by their four goal

spree against Cheltenham last week. Pupils at a Devon school are

probably still pinching themselves after a surprise guest took their

football practice this morning. Paul Scholes, who was a legend at

Manchester United, was at Ivybridge Community College for the launch of

a unique collaboration with the English champions. Spotlight's John

Danks was there. They knew something out of the

ordinary was happening but none of them expected this. I went to get

changed and the next thing I knew he was next to me. Paul Scholes was

here to kick—start the new initiative, one that could see the

best young players from this school receives specialist coaching from

Manchester United 's youth academy. The relationship works to provide an

opportunity to raise aspirations for boys in the south—west, that there

is the possibility, there is that the link and pathway for that player

that is potentially good enough. We might it clear from us. We might

not. The one thing we will get from this, hopefully, is lots of positive

plaudits about the kind of club that we are. That we have a history. 25

years of giving young players a chance. How did these 12 and

14—year—olds made up? I saw quite a lot of talent already,

I have been here half an hour and you can see. You get a feel for it

when you see kickabout, are great coders hear from our Academy two.

They have been asked to do the things and done them all. They then

got to play a game with the man who scored 155 goals for United. He has

played against the best players and to play against them was great. You

were on the opposing team? Did you get beat? Yes. It was amazing to

play with someone that high—quality. He has been in the Champions

League, Premier league, FA Cup. It was amazing. Next month they will

visit old Trafford and receive coaching at the United training

ground. Tonight, three times British

speedway champion and Team GB captain Chris Harris leads his old

team, the Exeter Falcons, in a special challenge match against

Plymouth Devils at half past seven. It's the Cornishman's first—ever

appearance at the St Boniface Arena. The meeting is in memory of the late

Falcons promoter Colin Hill. Finally, the Cornwall County gig

rowing championships for men has been re—scheduled for tomorrow at

Newquay Harbour starting at 9.30 and Plymouth Raiders get their

basketball season underway, with new head coach Jay Marriott, on Sunday

at the Pavilions against London Lions.

A charity challenge by two BBC Radio Devon presenters trying to raise

money by visiting all of Devon's forty one towns and cities by public

transport has been completed today. All this week David Sheppard and

David Fitzgerald have been racing around the county raising money for

the Give a Gift appeal. Well we saw them start in Totnes on Monday and

today Spotlight's John Ayres has caught up with them as they raced to

the finish. Where is he? He is supposed to be arriving soon. He is

on dry land! I had to hitch a lift this morning, and what are the

chances that the first person to stop and pick me up is an old friend

of mine. Apparently the water was too rough. Sets hardly ever uses

public transport. Next, a bus to Kingsbridge. What are the chances? I

know, Fitz. I have a rig that is on rent. Public transport. Not

cheating. Adaptation of rules. The plan is more conventional, although

this vintage bus was not totally to plan. In Kingsbridge, Fitz's usual

mode of public transport had become an usual. There are penalties to be

paid. The team are not too impressed with their opponents. If you are

used to being chauffeur driven everywhere and have had that for all

of your life it is inevitable that using public transport will come

hard to you. I am disappointed but not surprised that they have had to

fall back on calling in a few favours. So who is first back to

Torness station? It is the wind in your hair. Fitz get their five

minutes earlier, but what about when the money is counted and penalties

included? I can now declare that the winner is the ship. Marvellous. ——

Team Shep. Sets, your total is —£160. Negative equity, ladies and

gentlemen. They did there, Fitz. Victory for Fitz, but as organisers

he gave himself an illegal advantage.

I can believe that. That is public transport, a breeze car.

Time for the weather. Time for

The weekend looks breezy. Good news for windsurfers advocate surfers,

because the wind remained strong this weekend. We have a few showers

to content left on both days, so not drive by any stretch of the

imagination, and at times rather cloudy. It remains males and as I

mentioned it is also quite easy, particularly through the south

coast. There is quite a lot more cloud on the satellite picture, so

it is bright but not necessarily sunny over the next two days. This

area of low pressure gets closer over the next 24 hours and there is

a squeeze on the isobars to give us the strength of wind. That wind will

drop come Sunday and we are still close enough towards the area of low

pressure to generate showers by Sunday. Perhaps some persistent rain

by Monday. As the weather front comes up from the south, noticed

plenty of isobars on the charts as plenty of these remains with us into

next week. At the moment there is a easterly winds that brings showers

by the end of the night, some of them appealing to the west of the

Isles of Scilly. Those winds remain in that direction for much of

tomorrow. The quote today has not produced much, we have had some hazy

sunshine over part of the south—west, there are some showers

developing to the far south—west through the night and then gradually

a move through the —— naturally it will move through the rest of us.

There is the chance of some showers and the only saving grace is that

the breezes quite strong. There are temperatures today, cooler than they

have been, 1112 degrees for most of us. E—mail stating that what we

should be seeing. —— 11 or 12 degrees. Some sunny spells to ——

sunny spells tomorrow, turning mystery in Cornwall, and towards the

end of the day we could see some heavy showers developing but as you

can see along northern part of Cornwall in the north—west of Devon

we might get some sunshine. Temperatures up to around 19 or

possibly 20 degrees. That is still above average for this time of year,

cooler on the south coast exposing that stiff easterly breeze. This is

the forecast for the Isles of Scilly, some showers are breezy and

it will become misty into the early evening. Times of high water, at

Portland 1220 a.m. , Falmouth 11:51pm and ends at 11:45am. For

surfers, with easterly winds the server is not too bad. To four feet

on the north coast, slightly choppy on the south coast. The temperature

between 16 and 17 degrees. For the coastal waters forecast the winds

are easterly tomorrow, becoming southeasterly into Sunday at Force,

showers will generally have more than visibility. Looking ahead to

Sunday, some showers around and sunny spells perhaps briefly some

sunshine on Monday morning but cloudy with it takes of rain.

Staying mild, and also staying frost free. Have a good weekend.

Your BBC local radio station will keep you up—to—date with news

weather and travel and local sporting coverage throughout the

weekend and we will be back at 6:30pm on Monday. Goodbye.