01/01/2012 BBC Weekend News

Good afternoon. The Olympics Minister has described events

fixing by betting syndicates as the biggest threat to the 2012 games.

Organisers are setting up a dedicated intelligence unit to

monitor those who may try to bribe athletes. The start of the Games is

just over 208 days away. A New Year's Day parade is taking place

in London to mark the start of an Olympic year.

The year of the London Olympics began this lunchtime, with the

capital's annual new year parade. Later this summer, the eyes of the

world will be on the UK. The stadia have been built, and everything

should be in place in time for what is being billed as the Greatest

Show on Earth. But according to the Olympics Minister, the threat of

fixing his casting a dark shadow over the Games. In an interview for

the Sunday Times, Hugh Robertson The vigilance is understandable.

Handball is one of a number of Olympic sports which have recently

been the subject of corruption scandals. Such precautions are

being taken. This will be the first Olympics to have a dedicated

intelligence unit to crack down on bribery and examine illegal betting

patterns. A new law will be introduced to enable intelligence

sharing between the gambling commission, Olympic officials and

foreign investigating agencies. And athletes will be warned that they

may be targeted by fixers. The Olympic year is beginning in a wave

of optimism. Organisers are determined that it will not be

undermined by corruption. Council tenants who sub-let their

homes for money will face prosecution and could be jailed

under new government plans. High earners may also be forced to pay

the market rate for living in their council property in proposals

outlined today. Around 160,000 council tenants sub-

let their homes. The Government says it is a form of fraud, people

profiting from accommodation they no longer need. So ministers are

announcing a crackdown. They want to change the law to make it a

criminal offence for people to sub- let their property. It is not fair.

Hard-working taxpayers pay billions of pounds to build social housing.

It should go to those who need it, not those committing fraud. Many

local authorities already tell their tenants not to sub-let, but

often the worst penalty they faced is losing their an -- property. In

future, they could go to jail. In England and Wales, around 8 million

people live in a home owned by the council or a local housing

association. But there are still nearly 2 million families who are

on a housing waiting list. By making sub-letting illegal,

ministers hope to free up more homes for people who really need

them. The government is also considering allowing councils to

raise rents a high-earning tenants, those with an income over �100,000

may have to pay more, although only 6000 people are likely to be

affected. The government has promised to act on tenancy fraught

this year. It will begin consulting on its proposals soon, but Labour

claimed these measures will not tackle what they say is a huge and

growing housing crisis. The Duke of Edinburgh has joined

the rest of the Royal Family for the New Year's Day church service

at Sandringham, days after he was released from hospital following

surgery for a blocked artery. Our correspondent is there.

Hundreds of people turned out to see the Duke of Edinburgh make that

first public engagement? That's right, after a week of rest, the

Duke of Edinburgh's new year message was clearly that he is now

back on his feet. Striding at the head of the royal party, he made

the short walk to this morning's church service to the sound of

spontaneous applause. Hundreds of well-wishers turned out, far more

than you would usually expect, visibly pleased to see him looking

in such good health. The Queen, as usual, arrive by car. Although the

Duke of Edinburgh normally walks, that option was available to him.

But by arriving and leaving under his own steam and giving a wave, he