0:00:04 > 0:00:09This is Business Live from BBC News, with Sally Bundock and Ben Thompson.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Germany's biggest trade union is threatening strike action
0:00:11 > 0:00:14unless employers meet its demands for a pay rise and an optional
0:00:14 > 0:00:1828 hour working week.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22Live from London, that's our top story on Tuesday 16th January.
0:00:38 > 0:00:44The metalworkers union is the most influential trade body in Germany -
0:00:44 > 0:00:46the negotiations could set a precedent for a huge proportion
0:00:46 > 0:00:53of the country's workforce.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55We will be live in Berlin for the latest.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59Also in the programme....
0:00:59 > 0:01:02The UK supermarket Iceland says it plans to cut the use of plastic
0:01:02 > 0:01:06in its own brand products within the next five years.
0:01:06 > 0:01:12Will others follow suit, and is this idea impact how you shop?
0:01:12 > 0:01:16The trading day has got started in Europe to a fairly good start, we
0:01:16 > 0:01:19will talk you through the winners and losers.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Taking on the big boys - we'll be speaking to the boss
0:01:22 > 0:01:24of a voice recognition company hoping to compete with the likes
0:01:24 > 0:01:25of Google and Amazon.
0:01:25 > 0:01:33We will speak to him later. As the supermarket chain Iceland says it
0:01:33 > 0:01:38wants to ban all product on its own brand products, we want to know if
0:01:38 > 0:01:44you can live without plastic and if it will change how you shop. Just
0:01:44 > 0:01:53get in touch with us in the usual way, using the hashtag #BBCBizLive.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57A very packed programme as usual. A warm welcome to you.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59Germany's biggest trade union has threatened to call for a 24-hour
0:01:59 > 0:02:02walkout as part of talks over pay and working conditions.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04IG Metall represents the rights of 2.3 million workers
0:02:04 > 0:02:06in the industrial sector, but the negotiations are seen
0:02:06 > 0:02:09as a benchmark for how pay is set in other areas
0:02:09 > 0:02:14of the German economy.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17The union has demanded a 6% increase in salaries and the option
0:02:17 > 0:02:25for a 28-hour working week for its members.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28For those who would like to do so.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30This would allow employees to look after young children
0:02:30 > 0:02:31or ageing relatives.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34And IG Metall is also pushing for an additional allowance of 200
0:02:34 > 0:02:39euro per month to help offset the loss in salary.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41With unemployment at record lows, German workers are in a strong
0:02:41 > 0:02:44position to negotiate for better pay and conditions.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47German productivity per hour - which is a key determinant of wages
0:02:47 > 0:02:50- is among the highest in the world, with countries like the UK
0:02:51 > 0:02:58and Japan lagging way behind.
0:02:58 > 0:03:05Damian McGuinness joins me live from Berlin.
0:03:05 > 0:03:11Nice to see you. Running through some of the details, what jumps out
0:03:11 > 0:03:15at me is the productivity figure, the idea that German workers are
0:03:15 > 0:03:18more productive so even if they worked a few hours they would be on
0:03:18 > 0:03:22the same level as everybody else in Europe?
0:03:22 > 0:03:27That is certainly what German workers would say. Since 2003, and
0:03:27 > 0:03:30stuffed labour market reforms came through, we have seen a lot of wage
0:03:30 > 0:03:35restraint here, which is one of the reasons why productivity is so high.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39Over the last few years, the German economy has been firing on all
0:03:39 > 0:03:43cylinders, meaning we have had record exports and profits. Now
0:03:43 > 0:03:47workers say it is time that wages went up in line with company
0:03:47 > 0:03:52profits. As Sally quite rightly mentioned, workers feel in a strong
0:03:52 > 0:03:57position, pretty emboldened, partly by a strong economy but also because
0:03:57 > 0:04:08unemployment is
0:04:08 > 0:04:10so low. Employers say they can't get enough workers, so workers know they
0:04:10 > 0:04:13are in a strong position to put forward some quite ambitious
0:04:13 > 0:04:15demands. But that is also one reason why employers feel reticent about
0:04:15 > 0:04:17allowing workers to go for few hours, they say they already have
0:04:17 > 0:04:20difficulty getting the manpower in, that is one of the problems Germany
0:04:20 > 0:04:25will face going forward. They say they can't let workers... If large
0:04:25 > 0:04:29numbers of workers start working 28 hours instead of 35, some firms say
0:04:29 > 0:04:34they will struggle. Can employers afford it? Given they
0:04:34 > 0:04:38look like they are in a wallet -- a relatively weak position given
0:04:38 > 0:04:42everything you have outlined, the question is if they can afford it.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Profits are up, can they paid staff more?Depends on each individual
0:04:46 > 0:04:50industry. Some industries are doing really well, exports keep increasing
0:04:50 > 0:04:57every quarter, almost. But what this union actually wants, lots of it is
0:04:57 > 0:05:02in line with what the centre-left social Democrats want in the new
0:05:02 > 0:05:06governing coalition, so interestingly it is not just one
0:05:06 > 0:05:10union saying this is what we want, it is lots of workers across the
0:05:10 > 0:05:14country who are not unionised. What is interesting about this particular
0:05:14 > 0:05:18trade union and this particular set of strike action is right to January
0:05:18 > 0:05:24is that if the employers say they will go for it, it will feed into
0:05:24 > 0:05:27the governing coalition negotiations, so it might end up
0:05:27 > 0:05:30that whether employers can afford it or not, they will have to put
0:05:30 > 0:05:35forward at least some of these options for workers, such as an
0:05:35 > 0:05:40optional lower working hours per week, combined with lower pay, of
0:05:40 > 0:05:46course, but it is part of a whole debate in Germany that because
0:05:46 > 0:05:51workers know there in a strong position because employment is so
0:05:51 > 0:05:55low, -- unemployment is so low, then the whole legal framework might
0:05:55 > 0:05:57change and employers might be forced to put forward some of these
0:05:57 > 0:06:01actions, whether they can afford it or not. There is pressure on
0:06:01 > 0:06:05employers to ask what many people would say would be a socially
0:06:05 > 0:06:08responsible way to help workers struggling to combine a job and
0:06:08 > 0:06:12family commitments. Thank you very much, Damien McGrane
0:06:12 > 0:06:17is in Berlin, outlining what could be a pretty fractious battle between
0:06:17 > 0:06:19employers and employees.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Thousands of small firms working for failed construction giant
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Carillion are waiting to learn if they will be paid,
0:06:27 > 0:06:28amid growing fears some could close.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Carillion used an extensive network of sub-contractors
0:06:30 > 0:06:31and local suppliers, paying them almost £1
0:06:31 > 0:06:34billion a year, according to its latest annual report.
0:06:34 > 0:06:35Critics have stepped up calls for a review
0:06:36 > 0:06:39into the Carillion crisis.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42British supermarket chain Iceland has said it will eliminate
0:06:42 > 0:06:44or drastically reduce plastic packaging of all its own label
0:06:44 > 0:06:49products by the end of 2023.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52The move will effect more than a thousand own label products.
0:06:52 > 0:06:57Iceland also said its research found that 80% of shoppers would endorse
0:06:57 > 0:07:03a supermarket's move to go plastic free.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08Lots of you have been getting into it about that and we will talk to
0:07:08 > 0:07:13you about that later. Peshmerga getting in touch about that.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17And if you need to know what time it is, then head to Geneva.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19The Swiss watch industry is gathering there to showcase
0:07:19 > 0:07:20its latest creations, and we're talking
0:07:20 > 0:07:21mechanical watches here.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25But it can be a costly affair - one brand's new "affordable range
0:07:25 > 0:07:27for the younger buyer" starts at $11,000.
0:07:27 > 0:07:34I have two! I thought so, one for each wrist! One watch and the
0:07:34 > 0:07:38back-up watch. If you watch last week, you will know he needs a
0:07:38 > 0:07:40watch. I slept through my alarm.
0:07:40 > 0:07:46That was the Tim and Samantha show. Speaking of expensive stuff...
0:07:46 > 0:07:49The surge in value of Bitcoin over the past year has led authorities
0:07:49 > 0:07:50scrambling for ways to regulate it.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Last week, the South Korean government hinted it may
0:07:53 > 0:07:55ban them altogether, but the decision hasn't gone down
0:07:55 > 0:07:56well with the public.
0:07:56 > 0:07:57Leisha Santorelli can explain for us, she's
0:07:58 > 0:08:03in our Asia business hub.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07It is particularly younger people, looking at the figures, who say they
0:08:07 > 0:08:11want to keep bitcoin?That is correct, a survey out from South
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Korea last year shows that more than 60% of the bitcoin investors are
0:08:15 > 0:08:23actually aged 30 or longer. -- younger. So the South Korean
0:08:23 > 0:08:27government is concerned about the crazy around crypto currencies.
0:08:27 > 0:08:35Korea is a hotbed for that sort of currency. They are thinking about
0:08:35 > 0:08:39banning it to regulate the sector. But the Government faces a very
0:08:39 > 0:08:43public backlash. South Korea was my presidential office has received an
0:08:43 > 0:08:48online petition opposing these moves to regulate bitcoin Ndidi crypto
0:08:48 > 0:08:53currencies -- South Korea's presidential office. It has
0:08:53 > 0:08:56collected 200,000 signatures very quickly, a threshold which will
0:08:56 > 0:09:00compel the South Korean government to respond. Bitcoin is very popular
0:09:00 > 0:09:12among young people in South Korea. There is actually something called a
0:09:12 > 0:09:16Fed premium in South Korea, because it trades at a higher price in this
0:09:16 > 0:09:19country. The great debates about crypto
0:09:19 > 0:09:22currencies is ongoing in many parts of the world.
0:09:22 > 0:09:27Let's look at financial markets in Asia. A mixed day, Japan had a good
0:09:27 > 0:09:30session, as did Hong Kong at almost 2% at the close.
0:09:30 > 0:09:30The Dow
0:09:30 > 0:09:352% at the close. The Dow, there was no action on
0:09:35 > 0:09:39Monday because of the one-day closure for the Martin Luther King
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Jr Day. Lots of earnings to grab our
0:09:42 > 0:09:46attention this week. Companies like Goldman Sachs are reporting. Let's
0:09:46 > 0:09:49look at Europe, a big mover in London, this is what we will talk
0:09:49 > 0:09:57about in more detail at a moment, and engineering contractor which
0:09:57 > 0:10:01carried out work by communion -- for Korean is down by 10%. Rail
0:10:01 > 0:10:09maintenance work. It has £1.6 million owed by Kerry on and it had
0:10:09 > 0:10:16future work worth around £2.5 million. -- it had £1.6 million owed
0:10:16 > 0:10:19by Carillion. UK inflation numbers are out, we will talk more about
0:10:19 > 0:10:19that.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22And Samira Hussain has the details about what's ahead
0:10:22 > 0:10:24on Wall Street today.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29US markets were closed on Monday so there may be a lot of eye rubbing as
0:10:29 > 0:10:33people come off a three-day weekend. Two companies reporting earnings on
0:10:33 > 0:10:39Tuesday with knowing, Citigroup is the fourth-largest bank by assets
0:10:39 > 0:10:43and its results are expected to show no gain in quarterly income,
0:10:43 > 0:10:49compared to same time last year. That is because its results will
0:10:49 > 0:10:56include some $20 billion of charges related to the new US tax law. Also
0:10:56 > 0:11:00reporting can United health group. This will be interesting to watch
0:11:00 > 0:11:04given a tax reform has delivered a blow to the health care industry.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07United health is then treat -- country's largest health insurer and
0:11:07 > 0:11:11a bellwether for the industry and it is expected to comment on the
0:11:11 > 0:11:15changing landscape of the market and layout plans on expanding business
0:11:15 > 0:11:19in the New Year, giving rising the competition -- given rising
0:11:19 > 0:11:20competition.
0:11:20 > 0:11:26Joining us is Jane Foley, senior currency strategist at Rabobank.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30Nice to see you. Let's pick up on the issue of Carillion, the fallout
0:11:30 > 0:11:35is becoming quite clear. The ones that were gaining a potentially the
0:11:35 > 0:11:39rivals of Carillion which could sleep in for contracts, the ones
0:11:39 > 0:11:43losing had joint ventures or were tied in some way to Carillion.
0:11:43 > 0:11:48A tale of two halves?And lots of the ones losing were involved in
0:11:48 > 0:11:53pubs private sector contracts. These guys will probably had to pick up
0:11:53 > 0:11:57the costs. Sullo firm could be significantly out of pocket. The
0:11:57 > 0:12:03ones announced yesterday, that this is the case then, included Balfour
0:12:03 > 0:12:07Beatty and an infrastructure company from Scotland, he would have to come
0:12:07 > 0:12:10up with potentially millions of pounds to keep the project going.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14Those involved in Government schemes, the Government has given
0:12:14 > 0:12:17reassurance to the workers and said they will carry on being paid if
0:12:17 > 0:12:21they are involved in building schools, hospitals and military
0:12:21 > 0:12:25installations etc. It is a tale of two halves. It is whether you can
0:12:25 > 0:12:30jump in and get extra business or you are a private contractor with a
0:12:30 > 0:12:32business relationship. Two things grabbing attention is on
0:12:32 > 0:12:38the markets, the price of oil is edging up and up, closing on Monday
0:12:38 > 0:12:42in London about $70 a barrel for the first time in three years. Inflation
0:12:42 > 0:12:47numbers are right in the UK and energy prices have a big impact on
0:12:47 > 0:12:50inflation. Talk as through your expectations?
0:12:50 > 0:12:55The high price of oil will affect not just UK inflation but inflation
0:12:55 > 0:12:58across the world, particularly company -- countries that import a
0:12:58 > 0:13:03lot of oil, like Japan. Inflation is being paid up, growth
0:13:03 > 0:13:07is that a really strong level, strong growth in Europe, Japan,
0:13:07 > 0:13:14China, the US.The expectation is that that will carry on, lots of art
0:13:14 > 0:13:21is to do with commodities? If we have a country like China, the
0:13:21 > 0:13:25biggest consumer of commodities growing widely, commodity prices go
0:13:25 > 0:13:30up. There are lots of different issues. China is trying to close
0:13:30 > 0:13:34down some of its dirtiest coal mines.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37All rising, strong demand, how far can it go?
0:13:37 > 0:13:42We will wait and see. You will talk as do the Iceland story, it is
0:13:42 > 0:13:46fascinating, the idea that the supermarket might try to ban plastic
0:13:46 > 0:13:47by 2023. For now, thank you.
0:13:47 > 0:13:48And still to come:
0:13:48 > 0:13:49Forget typing.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Start talking.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55Get that the right way round!
0:13:55 > 0:13:58With the boom in smart devices that you can talk to -
0:13:58 > 0:14:00we meet one firm that says it will also revolutionise
0:14:00 > 0:14:01the way we shop.
0:14:01 > 0:14:01You're with Business Live from BBC News.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14Let's talk about some companies with profits news out.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Greggs has met market expectations for the Christmas period,
0:14:16 > 0:14:21with like-for like sales of 3% in the fourth quarter.
0:14:21 > 0:14:21-- like-for-like in the fourth quarter.
0:14:21 > 0:14:21-- like-for-like sales in the fourth quarter.
0:14:21 > 0:14:22-- like-for-like sales up in the fourth quarter.
0:14:22 > 0:14:23-- like-for-like sales up 3%. in the fourth quarter.
0:14:23 > 0:14:24The baker also announced it expects inflationary
0:14:24 > 0:14:26pressures to have a impact on its 2018 results.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Theo Leggett is in our business newsroom with more.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33It feels like we talk about Greg is quite a lot, have you a particular
0:14:33 > 0:14:41fondness for it? -- it feels like we talk about Greggs quite a lot.I
0:14:41 > 0:14:44prefer Artisan bakers, but Greggs is very popular and seems to be
0:14:44 > 0:14:51continuing with its growth plans. Sales up 7.4%, in like-for-like
0:14:51 > 0:14:56terms just over 3%, 3.7% last year. Investors are still looking at this
0:14:56 > 0:15:00and they do not seem quite able to digest the news. Shares being up and
0:15:00 > 0:15:06down a little like a yo-yo, currently just over 1%. It seems
0:15:06 > 0:15:17like Fed is managing to maintain momentum, it is still opening stores
0:15:17 > 0:15:20and racking up sales despite the fact that over the past year it says
0:15:20 > 0:15:23the cost of its ingredients have gone up. -- Greggs is managing to
0:15:23 > 0:15:25maintain. Employment costs have gone up. There have been pressures on the
0:15:25 > 0:15:28business. Nevertheless, and despite the fact it has had to put up the
0:15:28 > 0:15:32prices of things like sausage rolls, it seems to continue growing in
0:15:32 > 0:15:39sales.It is the issue of disposable income, whether we trade up or down
0:15:39 > 0:15:44if we are feeling worse off in our pocket. Greggs manages to sit in the
0:15:44 > 0:15:57middle?Greggs tries to keep its sales down to a price. It had to put
0:15:57 > 0:16:01an extra five pence on a sausage roll. That was a big increase,
0:16:01 > 0:16:06something like 12%. So there are pressures on the business and at a
0:16:06 > 0:16:09time inflation, incoming prices and prices for the products that it uses
0:16:09 > 0:16:14to make past tees, they have been going up. Increases in the minimum
0:16:14 > 0:16:17wage, all of that puts pressure on the company, but for the moment, it
0:16:17 > 0:16:20seems to be weathering that pressure.Theo, thank you very much
0:16:20 > 0:16:26indeed. A couple of movers on the FTSE 100.
0:16:26 > 0:16:31Two blue stocks on the way down, RBS, shares down 2.2%ment again
0:16:31 > 0:16:35because of the Carillion story. Of course, it is one of the key lenders
0:16:35 > 0:16:45to the collapsed contractor, but also BP's shares are down a 1%. It
0:16:45 > 0:16:49announced additional charge on compensation for the Deepwater
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Horizon disaster.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55You're watching Business Live. Our top story:
0:16:55 > 0:16:57Germany's biggest trade union has threatened to call for a 24-hour
0:16:57 > 0:17:00walk-out as part of talks over pay and working conditions.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02IG Metall represents the rights of 2.3 million workers
0:17:02 > 0:17:04in the industrial sector, but the negotiations are seen
0:17:04 > 0:17:07as a benchmark for how pay is set in other areas
0:17:07 > 0:17:16of the German economy.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18Now hands-free hasn't always been stress-free when it comes
0:17:18 > 0:17:21to computers and other electronics.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25More and more we're using our voices to control the devices we use
0:17:25 > 0:17:27everyday, but it's been decades in the making.
0:17:27 > 0:17:33In 1962, IBM unveiled its Shoebox machine at the World's Fair,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36which could understand 16 words spoken in English.
0:17:36 > 0:17:41The first example of voice recognition.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43Now we have Siri, Alexa, Google Home, leading
0:17:43 > 0:17:45to 33 million voice activated devices in circulation.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47And every year that number is growing.
0:17:47 > 0:17:52But what if you don't want the Amazons and Googles
0:17:52 > 0:18:01to have your information?
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Voysis is a voice recognition company that says it can offer
0:18:03 > 0:18:13bespoke voice services that aren't linked to the big web giants.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Dr Peter Cahill is founder and chief executive of Voysis.
0:18:21 > 0:18:26We are sort of getting used to the idea of being able to talk to
0:18:26 > 0:18:31devices, aren't we? At the moment they are run by Apple and Google and
0:18:31 > 0:18:33they have a lot of data on us. What you're offering is something
0:18:33 > 0:18:37different?I think for businesses and retailers in particular, a lot
0:18:37 > 0:18:41of them are quite concerned about if the way things emerges the only way
0:18:41 > 0:18:46you can buy a product online is by talking to Amazon then Amazon can
0:18:46 > 0:18:49give you that product directly or they can control which retailer that
0:18:49 > 0:18:53product is going to come from. For any of the other major retailers out
0:18:53 > 0:18:59there, they want to have a voice alternative maybe it is via a smart
0:18:59 > 0:19:04speaker or maybe it is just on their mobile app or on their website.You
0:19:04 > 0:19:08were telling me interesting statistics about Amazon Echo, it
0:19:08 > 0:19:12proves that people shop more and they spend more money which is what
0:19:12 > 0:19:18the Amazons of this world want? Amazon said they have more revenue
0:19:18 > 0:19:23via Google Echo than for Prime accounts on average which is a very
0:19:23 > 0:19:27dramatic figure.Normally these things take a long time to build,
0:19:27 > 0:19:32but it is an overnight change. Your software would work with individual
0:19:32 > 0:19:35retailers so I can go on a website of an individual retailer and talk
0:19:35 > 0:19:40to the website?Absolutely. So you can still type in wh you want to do
0:19:40 > 0:19:45so, but from the retailers point of view, you would have a microphone
0:19:45 > 0:19:51icon, so it is not always listening to you, but when you talk to it, the
0:19:51 > 0:19:55eye that's powering this are aware of what products they sell and how
0:19:55 > 0:19:59people describe the products. Maybe if you are on a website for a
0:19:59 > 0:20:05retailer and you tap the microphone icon, you can describe what you're
0:20:05 > 0:20:08looking for. When you see search results you can say I want something
0:20:08 > 0:20:12like this, but maybe darker or bigger or cheaper, whatever. You can
0:20:12 > 0:20:17just interact with it in a more natural way which reduces friction.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20You're really focussing on US retailers because you have got a
0:20:20 > 0:20:27real interest from them because they want to compete with Amazon there on
0:20:27 > 0:20:30a voice activation level, but not so much here or in other countries, why
0:20:30 > 0:20:36is that?I think the US what we have found is, certainly many of the
0:20:36 > 0:20:41biggest retailers in the world are in the US.He they just ahead of the
0:20:41 > 0:20:48game?I'm not sure I would phrase it as ahead. From a strategic point of
0:20:48 > 0:20:53view, for all of them Amazon is their number one competitor, if they
0:20:53 > 0:20:57see Amazon's voice figures growing in a short time frrks a strategic
0:20:57 > 0:21:00point of view, they need to exploring it and understand it and
0:21:00 > 0:21:03deliver something compelling for their customers.It is interesting
0:21:03 > 0:21:10how you talk about having a nar natural conversation. We start
0:21:10 > 0:21:18speaking in language that's not human. We start talking in stunted
0:21:18 > 0:21:21phrases, "Alexia, do this."I would say natural language. I think, I
0:21:21 > 0:21:25don't think we need conversation from any of these applications just
0:21:25 > 0:21:29yet! If you can just say what you're looking for and you don't want to
0:21:29 > 0:21:33have this back and forth and have a chat with it, but using natural
0:21:33 > 0:21:38language where we can be more descriptive.It is so interesting.
0:21:38 > 0:21:44Come back and see us and let us know how it's going.
0:21:44 > 0:21:54Dr Peter Cahill there. He is the founder of Voysis.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Self-driving or autonomous cars have been a big focus for every
0:21:57 > 0:21:58major auto maker around the world.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Yogita Limaye is at the Detroit Auto Show and has been checking
0:22:01 > 0:22:04out what is on offer.
0:22:04 > 0:22:10This is a self driving vehicle tested by Forked to deliver pizzas.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15It looks like a normal car and those spinning things on the top are the
0:22:15 > 0:22:18sensors. I will take you around the car to see what the car is actually
0:22:18 > 0:22:23seeing. That little red dot there behind the car, that's me. So that's
0:22:23 > 0:22:27what the car is seeing so it can make decision on where to turn,
0:22:27 > 0:22:31whether to stop, whether it can accelerate and Ford is not the only
0:22:31 > 0:22:34car maker that's talking about cars like this. Pretty much everyone at
0:22:34 > 0:22:37the Auto Show is and they are investing money into research and
0:22:37 > 0:22:40development. The Government does play a key role, how will they
0:22:40 > 0:22:45regulate it? We had the Transport Secretary of the US Government here
0:22:45 > 0:22:48yesterday saying they don't want to have a command and control approach.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52So, saying they don't want to interfere with innovation, but of
0:22:52 > 0:22:57course, safety is a big concern for them. But also very much saying that
0:22:57 > 0:23:02the onus is on car companies to make people feel confident about vehicles
0:23:02 > 0:23:06like these. General Motors made a request to the
0:23:06 > 0:23:10US Government to allow them to put this vehicle on the roads as early
0:23:10 > 0:23:16as next year. No steering wheel or pedals. But many other car makers
0:23:16 > 0:23:20think the world's not ready for that just yet. These advances in
0:23:20 > 0:23:24technology are coming at us faster than we had ever imagined so the
0:23:24 > 0:23:29question facing governments and indeed, facing all of us are we
0:23:29 > 0:23:34ready to concede control to machines and software?
0:23:34 > 0:23:39Well, some of us, and some of us aren't! I'm not. He is. Jane is
0:23:39 > 0:23:48back. We are going to talk about Iceland
0:23:48 > 0:23:55and its ambition to rid itself of plastic packaging by 2023.Yes.This
0:23:55 > 0:24:00is on its own products. It has other products.One of the interesting
0:24:00 > 0:24:04things which doesn't surprise me at all and I'm sure it doesn't surprise
0:24:04 > 0:24:08your audience, 80% of its customers think it is a good idea. This has
0:24:08 > 0:24:12been noticeable in recent years. People are tired of plastic around
0:24:12 > 0:24:16cucumbers. People are tired of huge amounts of recycling in the street
0:24:16 > 0:24:20and one thing that annoys me, given this is a good idea to cut down on
0:24:20 > 0:24:24the packaging is we have been so slow to do it. One of the catalyst
0:24:24 > 0:24:28in Theresa May's speech about cutting down plastic waste is that
0:24:28 > 0:24:32China, of course, has been recently refusing to take a lot of our
0:24:32 > 0:24:40plastic recycling. Course a lot gets exported to China to be recycled. We
0:24:40 > 0:24:43have build-ups at our recycling sites. A lot will have to be burnt
0:24:43 > 0:24:47and go into landfill and that's not good for our environment. Finally
0:24:47 > 0:24:54action has been taken, but I think it's a bit slow.Some will say it
0:24:54 > 0:24:58has been easy, just ship the problem somewhere else. A viewer says,
0:24:58 > 0:25:03"Everyone can live without plastic. We are making a problem." Mark says,
0:25:03 > 0:25:09"A great start. I would love to do my weekly shop without having to
0:25:09 > 0:25:14take home a load of plastic." Another viewer said, "Iceland didn't
0:25:14 > 0:25:19give an option to have shopping delivered without plastic bags."
0:25:19 > 0:25:23Jean says, "Of course, we can live without plastic. We're here, aren't
0:25:23 > 0:25:28we, after millions of years without plastic." A good point.Do you think
0:25:28 > 0:25:34it is enough to make people change their habits?I think the 25 pence
0:25:34 > 0:25:39on the coffee cups is making people think, do we really want to pay the
0:25:39 > 0:25:4425 pence? Do we want plastic in our ocean? It is a slow burn.Thanks,
0:25:44 > 0:25:53Jane.Thank you for your company. We will see you tomorrow. Bye-bye.