:00:22. > :00:25.The energy company EDF has said it cannot confirm its commitment
:00:26. > :00:27.to build a new nuclear reactor in Somerset unless the French
:00:28. > :00:33.The reactor at Hinckley Point is the first in a series of planned
:00:34. > :00:35.new nuclear power stations, intended to help guarantee
:00:36. > :00:41.Earlier this week, EDF's finance director resigned,
:00:42. > :00:44.warning the contract would break the company.
:00:45. > :00:48.Our business correspondent Joe Lynam reports.
:00:49. > :00:51.This is what the proposed Hinkley Point power station should
:00:52. > :00:54.It's set to provide 7% of Britain's entire electricity demand,
:00:55. > :00:59.and will ensure the lights stay on for decades.
:01:00. > :01:02.But the company building it, EDF, is having problems.
:01:03. > :01:04.Similar reactors in France and Finland are severely delayed
:01:05. > :01:08.and over budget, and the ?18 billion cost of building Hinkley is more
:01:09. > :01:15.Its trade unions are sceptical and the company's finance director
:01:16. > :01:22.So now the EDF chairman has written to staff to reassure them,
:01:23. > :01:24.and also to say that the French Government,
:01:25. > :01:28.which owns the company, they have to stump up more money.
:01:29. > :01:42.The political will to build Hinkley is immense.
:01:43. > :01:44.David Cameron and President Hollande reaffirmed their commitment
:01:45. > :01:47.to the deal a week ago, describing it as a pillar
:01:48. > :01:55.But a key group of MPs thinks the deal may have to be re-examined.
:01:56. > :01:58.We will have a look, we will be led by the evidence.
:01:59. > :02:01.The Energy and Climate Change Committee prides itself on looking
:02:02. > :02:03.at evidence and making a call on the evidence.
:02:04. > :02:06.As it looks at the moment, I've got to say, the evidence
:02:07. > :02:10.UK taxpayers will be paying ?92.50 for each megawatt hour that
:02:11. > :02:18.That's almost three times as much as the current wholesale
:02:19. > :02:22.But it's less than the Government is already paying for offshore wind
:02:23. > :02:24.energy and only slightly more than what we would pay
:02:25. > :02:27.The Department of Energy and Climate Change says
:02:28. > :02:30.it is committed to Hinkley as the only proven low carbon
:02:31. > :02:34.technology to deliver electricity for decades.
:02:35. > :02:37.The political will on both sides of the Channel to get this deal done
:02:38. > :02:44.appears to be such that it could override any financial logic.
:02:45. > :02:46.Footage has emerged appearing to show Turkish coastguards lashing
:02:47. > :02:50.out with sticks at a boat full of migrants in the Aegean Sea.
:02:51. > :02:53.The video is believed to have been filmed this morning in Turkish
:02:54. > :02:57.waters near the Greek island of Lesbos.
:02:58. > :02:59.Turkey says the coastguards were trying to stop the boat
:03:00. > :03:08.Early this morning off the coast of Turkey,
:03:09. > :03:11.a migrant vessel is being hit with boat hooks.
:03:12. > :03:18.Women scream, children cower on the floor of the boat.
:03:19. > :03:22.They're Turkish coastguards, trying, they claim, to disable the engine
:03:23. > :03:31.Humanitarian experts say these pictures are disturbing.
:03:32. > :03:33.Previously, the Turkish coastguard has been filmed using water cannon
:03:34. > :03:42.Nato ships are now in the waters between Greece and Turkey.
:03:43. > :03:44.Sailors and aircrew will be tasked with sending boats packed full
:03:45. > :03:47.of people heading for Europe towards Turkish coastguards for them
:03:48. > :03:55.But is this what Nato's servicemen and women will be sending
:03:56. > :03:59.The Turkish coastguard says it was trying to stop the migrants
:04:00. > :04:05.getting into Greek waters without harming the refugees.
:04:06. > :04:07.Those on board this boat did make it to Greece today,
:04:08. > :04:11.but others were intercepted by the Turkish authorities
:04:12. > :04:16.Their attempts thwarted as efforts are stepped up to stop the flow
:04:17. > :04:24.of people paying smugglers to get them onto European soil.
:04:25. > :04:27.The Justice Secretary Michael Gove today declined to deny
:04:28. > :04:30.that he was the source of the story in the Sun that claimed the Queen
:04:31. > :04:36.He told reporters this morning he didn't know where the Sun got
:04:37. > :04:39.all its information - although a source close to Mr Gove
:04:40. > :04:41.later insisted the newspaper was not briefed by him.
:04:42. > :04:46.Well, as I've said before, I don't know how the Sun got
:04:47. > :04:48.all its information, and I don't think it's really
:04:49. > :04:51.worth my adding anything to what's already been said about this story.
:04:52. > :04:54.I think it's critically important that people make their own minds up
:04:55. > :04:56.on the facts about our position in the European Union.
:04:57. > :05:02.With me now is our political correspondent, Ross Hawkins.
:05:03. > :05:09.What do you read into what Mr Gove said? When the story was published,
:05:10. > :05:13.the Palace stressed the Queen's neutrality and complaint to the
:05:14. > :05:18.press regulator. The Sun is confident and says it has multiple
:05:19. > :05:23.sources, but who? It source close to Mr Gove told me earlier that he did
:05:24. > :05:27.not brief this story, taken together he has not ruled out that he knows
:05:28. > :05:31.where some of the Sun 's information comes from, as opposed to all, and
:05:32. > :05:35.he has not ruled out the possibility that something he said has
:05:36. > :05:40.inadvertently found its way to the papers. The Cabinet Secretary has
:05:41. > :05:45.ruled out a formal inquiry conducted by him despite Labour asking for it,
:05:46. > :05:50.the Sun is confident -- I think we can say with some confidence that
:05:51. > :05:52.Labour MPs will ask Mr Gove whether or not he had involvement with the
:05:53. > :05:54.story, as will journalists. The leader of the SNP is to make
:05:55. > :05:57.a new push for independence. Speaking at her party's spring
:05:58. > :05:59.conference in Glasgow, Nicola Sturgeon said a second
:06:00. > :06:03.referendum would not take place quickly, and that independence
:06:04. > :06:05.would be achieved only when a majority of people
:06:06. > :06:12.in Scotland were persuaded. She also said a new campaign would
:06:13. > :06:14.begin this summer. She said that many had not found the argument is
:06:15. > :06:20.to leave the UK compelling. Making and winning that
:06:21. > :06:22.case is our challenge, That's why I can tell
:06:23. > :06:25.you today that, this summer, the SNP will embark
:06:26. > :06:27.on a new initiative to build A 24-year-old man has been shot
:06:28. > :06:33.by police following a siege in North Armed officers were called
:06:34. > :06:36.to a house in Kilbirnie. They say they were confronted
:06:37. > :06:39.by a man wielding a machete The injured man is being
:06:40. > :06:43.treated in hospital. His injuries are not thought
:06:44. > :06:48.to be life-threatening. Charities have strongly criticised
:06:49. > :06:50.planned new cuts to welfare payments More than half a million people
:06:51. > :06:56.are expected to face a cut in their personal independence
:06:57. > :07:00.payments under the changes. The Government says the reforms will
:07:01. > :07:02.save more than ?1 billion pounds. They say they are the hardest hit,
:07:03. > :07:17.and in recent years they have taken their arguments
:07:18. > :07:18.out onto the streets, protesting against cuts
:07:19. > :07:22.to their benefits. In the latest changes
:07:23. > :07:24.to Personal Independence Payment, the formula used to calculate
:07:25. > :07:28.the benefit is being tightened. It could mean cuts for
:07:29. > :07:33.640,000 people by 2020, and save the Government
:07:34. > :07:40.?1.2 billion. Kate's disabilities mean
:07:41. > :07:41.she is in constant pain. She's had her benefits cut
:07:42. > :07:43.before and is worried It feels like a budget decision,
:07:44. > :07:51.it feels like a financial decision If they cared about independence,
:07:52. > :07:57.they wouldn't take my car, because that takes my independence
:07:58. > :08:02.away. The Government says it wants to make
:08:03. > :08:05.sure these benefits go to people who need them and claims the current
:08:06. > :08:08.system isn't working, with many eligible for benefits
:08:09. > :08:11.despite having minimal or no It says these changes will make
:08:12. > :08:17.support for people with The announcement of changes
:08:18. > :08:22.to disability benefits comes just days before the Chancellor's Budget,
:08:23. > :08:25.with critics suggesting the savings could be used to fund tax cuts
:08:26. > :08:32.in George Osborne's latest plans. In fact, it's unforgivable
:08:33. > :08:36.if they are proposing to take that money and spend it instead on tax
:08:37. > :08:42.cuts for people like... People like MPs who earn a decent
:08:43. > :08:45.wage and don't need a further tax cut, especially on the backs
:08:46. > :08:52.of the poor and the disabled. But tonight a Treasury source
:08:53. > :08:55.dismissed the idea that cuts to disability benefits were linked
:08:56. > :09:06.to any changes in taxation. In Rugby's Six Nations,
:09:07. > :09:08.Ireland beat Italy by 58 points to 15 in Dublin, while England
:09:09. > :09:11.are currently taking on Wales at Twickenham in what could be
:09:12. > :09:17.the Championship decider. At half time England were leading
:09:18. > :09:21.16-0 thanks to three penalties from the boot of Owen Farrell
:09:22. > :09:24.and a try from winger With around half an hour remaining,
:09:25. > :09:30.England's lead 19-0. There's more throughout the evening
:09:31. > :09:33.on the BBC News Channel. We are back with the
:09:34. > :09:35.late news at 10:25pm. Now on BBC One it's time
:09:36. > :09:37.for the news where you are.