26/11/2013 BBC Channel Islands News

Hello and welcome. The top stories Edinburgh

Hello and welcome. The top stories tonight. Warnings that Jersey's

budget for next year doesn't go far enough to grow the island's economy

in the long term. The ?6 million plan to get more

islanders involved in sport. The strategy is about more people

doing more activity more often and improving the standard of sport. And

the new weapon to fight prostate cancer in Guernsey ` and how the

disease could be detected sooner. Good evening. Measures in Jersey's

budget for next year don't go far enough to grow the economy in the

long term. That's according to a panel of politicians, whose job it

is to review the Treasury's draft budget. The report questions weather

people will benefit from a reduced tax rate in the future when a new

charge for adult social care comes in. Pam Caulfield reports.

One of the main plans in next year's budget is a cut in income tax. That

means most people could save around ?800 a year. But a budget review

questions whether many will benefit. It suggests the money taxpayers save

will be offset by a new charge to fund long term care. When you get up

to the 1%, 3% and eventually it will be 3%, the only people who seem to

benefit are married men with working wives and two children, one at

university, and married pensioners. Everyone else will be out of pocket.

Also in the budget were: Plans to borrow ?250 million to build new

homes. Spend up to ?90 million on building

projects. And take ?300 million from the so

called "rainy day" fund for the new hospital.

If you start spending money from the rainy day fund, from the strategic

reserve, then somehow the barriers to spending are gone and you think,

I can just use it for this or that. The panel also proposes that revenue

raised from tax rises on cigarettes and alcohol should go directly into

the health fund. The Treasury Minister wasn't available for an

interview on camera tonight. His budget is due to be debated in a

week's time. Meanwhile, Jersey's taxpayers could

soon be assessed individually, regardless of whether or not they're

married. The island's Treasury and Resources Minister Senator Philip

Ozouf wants taxpayers treated equally, without tax policies

encouraging or discouraging lifestyles. A feasibility review has

been prepared and will be published alongside the draft budget.

Jersey deputies Trevor and Shona Pittman were suing the Jersey

evening post over at Khartoum highlighting how you could borrow up

to four times your salary for a mortgage. They claimed it made them

look like money grabbers. Visitor numbers in Guernsey have

dropped in the last year by three percent. 190,000 people stayed in

the island according to the latest figures from the Commerce and

Employment Department. Castle Cornet has bucked the trend. The attraction

has had its most successful year since the Millennium.

Guernsey's Education Department remains under pressure to ensure

adequate plans are in place ahead of two primary schools closing. Over

the next two years, St Andrew's Primary and St Sampson's Infants

will go. Deputy Laurie Queripel is continuing to push for answers on

whether the Vale Primary School can cope with the extra pupils. A short

time ago I asked him about his concerns. I think as a deputy it is

my duty to make sure that the school is in a fit state to receive the

extra pupils in the future. I think it is only right that we ask the

education Department these questions. And to make sure the

school is fit for purpose and facilities are up to scratch. You

have raised your concerns, what do you make of the response you have

had? I think the responses are reasonable. It is in their best

interest to get this piece of work right. And in our best interest to

make sure they get it right. I think they will have everything in place

in time for the transition process to go smoothly but I want to make

sure that that is the case so I will be keeping my eye on them. People

watching may argue that these questions should have been entered

in advance of your vote. On balance I voted for the proposals because I

felt that the education Department had made their case. But there is

still a lot of work to do and I want to make sure that that is done in

time for these schools to receive these pupils. But I think there is

still a lot of work to do. We need to make sure that that is done in

time and to a good standard. An extra ?175,000 will be made

available to sports groups in Jersey between now and the 2015 Island

Games. It's part of a ?6 million plan to get more islanders involved

in sport and improve standards. But some States members want to see even

more spending, as Tim Robinson reports. The opening ceremony of the

Island games in Jersey in 1997. The event returns to Jersey in 2015.

And like planners of its big brother the Olympic Games, organisers here

want it to leave a sporting legacy for the island. Legacies aren't

cheap ` this one will cost ?6 million ` mostly on fixing old and

building new facilities. Local sports clubs will share an extra

?175,000 a year too. The money will be spent on helping

people to travel away. Maybe to bring coaches over to Jersey to

develop more of our coaches to go away. And finally by putting on more

events in Jersey to improve membership and participation

numbers. But some States members think the island should be spending

even more. Deputy Sean Power says the government should be bold and

brave and borrow as much as ?100 million to turn Fort Regent into an

Olympic`sized swimming pool and specialist sport education centre.

If we are going to invest in a major strategic asset for the future, for

the youth of today and the youth of tomorrow, it is justifiable. It is

an exercise that should be done, to look at a major investment in the

fort that would be of such a high standard that people would come to

train here. And I think that's where we should be looking. The Sport

Department says spending on that scale is unlikely in the near

future, but is hopeful the money it is spending now will have a big

impact on Jersey's next sporting generation.

Guernsey has a new weapon in the fight against prostate cancer. The

disease, which affects many men in the island, can now allegedly be

detected easier and quicker. Mike Wilkins reports on a machine making

a difference. Prostate cancer is the most common

cancer in men in Guernsey. About 50 men are diagnosed each year, of

which 15 die. In the battle against the disease, Guernsey has this new

weapon in its arsenal. It's called a transrectal ultrasound and is

promising to improve prostate cancer detection. It is claimed that this

can provide much clearer images for doctors checking patients for

prostate cancer. It's also meant to be much faster and the more detailed

results lead to better treatment and more success. This is

state`of`the`art equipment intends of scanning and providing diagnostic

Dick tests for the prostate. We have got good equipment which we will

continue to use but this allows us more flexibility in coping with the

increase in demand of patients coming in with suspicions of

prostate cancer. In the last 18 months there has been a huge

increase in the number of patients with suspected prostate cancer, so

what's causing this? It is mostly in the over 70s where we see prostate

cancer. There is an ageing population and now improved

detection. So the figures are likely to go up. It seems more and more men

will have to come to terms with prostate cancer. But this machine

could literally help save lives through earlier detection.

Now a special documentary is being screened tonight reporting on

Durrell's orangutans in the wild and in Jersey. Refugees of the Lost

Rainforest, made by the BBC here in Jersey, follows the journey of

Sumatran orangutans in Indonesia at the same time as two of the animals

were born here at Jersey Wildlife Park. The programme is at eight

o'clock tonight on BBC Four, or on BBC Two this coming Saturday. Time

now for the weather, here's David. It certainly feels like winter. We

have had a lot of cloud in the last few days. And overnight tonight that

cloud might be thick enough to generate some light rain or drizzle.

Tomorrow is cloudy with some showers dotted around. It will feel less

cold. A lot of cloud to the North of us and that is heading through the

UK, crossing the channel overnight tonight and bringing with it the

threat of some patchy rain. The area of high pressure is beginning to

slowly move west. This weather system will move in tomorrow and by

Thursday it keeps us again rather cloudy for most of the day. So cloud

to come throughout the night and just some spots of rain beginning to

appear by dawn tomorrow morning. Through the morning tomorrow just

gradually and increase in thickness of the cloud, enough to generate a

few spots of rain. But it is slightly less cold, around 10

degrees the top temperature. The wind is from the North East.

Generally good visibility out at sea. If you are heading for the

beach for some surfing you will be disappointed, there is hardly a wave

in the sea. But by Friday there is much more of a breeze developing.

Some showers possible to end the day and then the high pressure comes

back for Saturday and Sunday. The risk of some overnight frost.

That is all for now. We hope you government continues, Cornwall

Council will have to find ?196 million of cuts over five years.

Two workers who exposed widespread failings at a Devon care home have

won the latest round in their legal battle to get tens of thousands of

pounds they were awarded for being unfairly dismissed. The owners of

Park View Care Home in Plymouth challenged the award to Rosemary

Parker and Launa Llewelyn Jones, but lost. Our home affairs correspondent

Simon Hall reports. This was a resounding victory for

Rosemary Parker and Launa Llewelyn Jones. The judge rejected the

evidence of the home owner as unreliable and said the ?40,000 the

women had been jointly awarded for unfair dismissal should stand. It

feels good, just determined not to give up and get justice for

ourselves, for other workers, for our elderly people, for the whole

thing of the care community. This has become a protracted case. In

summer, the women with supporters staged a sit in at Park View Care

Home for not being paid. They were dismissed after exposing poor

standards of care. But they have still received no money. We haven't

got any money yet. There is another route we will have

to go down now as soon as we get back, to see somebody else about the

money which the judge has said we can take to another court hearing.

We're not done yet. It's not a victory but it is in our favour. It

proves we didn't tell lies, we were honest to the judge. It is a

victory, we have won it. It will be a victory when we get the money.

Park View Care Home has since been closed by Plymouth City Council. The

next page in this battle is likely to see roles reversed with women

pursuing mixture to the courts. As for Mr Chapman himself, he was not

in the tribunal and has not responded to our request for a

comment. Coming up later in the programme:

Commemorating one of the Royal Navy's most famous ships.

HMS Warspite, which saw action in both world wars, is remembered 100

years after its launch. And, with one voice, the choir

hoping to help others in the run up to Christmas.

Figures released to BBC Spotlight show that, in one month alone,

paramedics in the South West raised concerns about families with young

children around 80 times. In the majority of cases, parents drinking

or taking drugs was the main factor. It's left paramedics worried about

the ability of some adults to properly look after youngsters

who've injured themselves. They say children's lives are being put at

risk. Simon Clemison reports. With a bottle or glass of something

at home, fast catching up with a pint on a night out, what if you are

a parent of a young child who needs your help? One mother said she is

never touching alcohol again. Telling a generalist her story was

too much. In e`mails passed through the NHS in Dorset, she has answered

some of my questions. In one of the most extreme cases, she drank at

lunchtime and had 14 cans of cider, falling asleep on the server.

Meanwhile, her baby has stopped breathing. When she was told he was

dead, she said she couldn't stop other parents not to end up empty

and lost. She says she believes if she hadn't drunk, she might have

noticed her young son wasn't well and got help sooner. Alcohol will go

the senses. You sometimes miss things happening. A child might be

doing their normal thing but, because the parent isn't being as

attentive, they might have a fall or crashed into something, wondered

off. Figures I have been given a show on 81 occasions in June alone,

paramedics raised concerns about families with young children. In the

majority of cases, parents in their feud had had too much to drink or

taken drugs. In 46 cases, the youngsters were under five. Of

those, 21 were less than one`year`old. I was fairly surprised

that intoxication was the main cause for referral in the age groups. It

is probably down to the fact paramedics are seeing safeguarding

as a more important part of their role rather than their emergency

life`saving situations. A parent dialling emergency may simply not be

able to follow instructions over the phone. A nurse who has been needing

an awareness campaign says in her career she has seen 24 cases of

children dying where a parent has been incapable.

We are trying to make people think about the level of alcohol. One or

two glasses might be a cake but if they are drinking the whole bottle

or drinking another bottle and started at lunchtime, it will have a

curative effect. Staying in maybe the new going out but whether that

makes someone a more responsible parent is now open to question.

Sports news now. It's a big night for Devon football,

particularly at Plainmoor where Torquay United and Plymouth Argyle

do battle for the 37th time in their history. John Sheridan's Pilgrims go

into the contest as favourites, after going unbeaten in their last

five league outings, moving to within five points off the play`off

places. But the Gulls are struggling badly, and are next to the bottom of

League Two, with only one win in nine games.

BBC Radio Devon will be at Plainmoor to bring you full coverage from

7.05pm, along with the latest on Exeter City's match at Wycombe

Wanderers. She was widely considered the

greatest British war ship ever built, HMS Warspite was launched 100

years ago today in Plymouth. The super dreadnought of 1913 was

actually the seventh battleship in Royal Navy history to bear the name

Warspite, which dates back to 1596 when Sir Walter Raleigh was her

captain. Today, her more recent veterans gathered in tribute. Clare

Burton was there to hear their stories.

NEWSREEL: This is war, the dim light of early morning. HMS Warspite,

gliding towards the Germans. There are other shells exploding. April

1940, the world is watching as HMS Warspite hunts down and destroyed

German ships in Norwegian waters. Just one battle in a 30 year service

career which ended when she ran aground in Cornwall in 1947 on her

way to be scrapped. But this is where it all began in November

1913. Number three slip at the Devonport dockyard. Today, this is

where then `` where 100 infections have `` veterans have gathered.

Unfortunately we don't have a warship or submarine here, but this

is one of the proudest ships we have in the Navy.

My memory is very good. I had some good times. Believe it or not, I had

some bad times. We got hit a couple of times. But we did very well.

It's own happy and sad times remembered in a ceremony today, a

chance for officers to reflect on the changing face of the Navy. It

has been very interesting researching into life in the Navy

that it served in. Let us not forget HMS Warspite saw service covering

two world wars which saw a huge change in the way the world wars.

Symbolic, not just of Britain's naval history, but Plymouth's master

shipbuilders, the name HMS Warspite still inspires a pride and passion

that time cannot erode. Christmas has come early in

Weymouth. The town's One Voice Choir has released a CD to raise money for

local children's charities and food banks. Local school children have

been performing some of the songs, including a special composition,

Christmas Time In Weymouth. Graham Smith reports.

One night in the pub after rehearsal, I said, if you want me to

arrange anything for your choir, I would be only too happy. The whole

project was born from that. Doesn't it feel strange to be

singing about Christmas in the middle of November? Well, yes, but

it is nearly Christmas. I want it to be Christmas every day. What do you

think, Chloe? The same as her but maybe not Christmas every day

because it wouldn't be fair on Father Christmas.

John came to me in July last summer with a song, and I thought it

sounded great. He invited all of the local schools to take part. We

wanted to at Saint Andrews. Since September, we have been rehearsing.

And have all come together today. It is so thrilling. We approached all

of the primary schools within the borough. And we were able to get six

who helped us. Time now for the weather.

It is feeling a bit Christmassy, it was freezing last night. I was going

to ask whether you have done your Christmas list?

Funnily enough, no! Plenty of time yet.

Let us have a look. It is certainly cold enough but I don't think we

will see any of the white stuff. Some fairly low overnight

temperature is, last night it was down 2`3 in several places.

Tomorrow, it is less cold. I am choosing my words carefully. Rather

cloudy, and some drizzle in the wind every now and then particularly

across Dorset and Somerset. More clouds on the satellite picture. It

is allowing some weather fronts from the North West over the next two

days. That area of high pressure moves further away back into the

Atlantic over the next 24 hours. A warm weather system comes from the

north, fairly weak, introducing cloud, meaning less cold air and the

threat of drizzle and low cloud at the end of the day tomorrow. By the

time we get to Thursday, little change in that pattern, we are on

the edge of the high pressure so a limited amount of frost is likely as

we see a lot more clout at night`time. That process has already

happened tonight. Across Somerset and Dorset, briefly a touch of

frost. Mostly, a cloudy night. Temperatures several degrees above

freezing by dawn tomorrow. Those are the figures we can expect, up to

four degrees by dawn tomorrow. Temperatures will start to rise

again in the second half. The reason for that is we have this cloud

producing a little drizzle. Mostly across Dorset and Somerset, drifting

towards northern France. Devon and Cornwall, a lot of cloud. Over high

ground, it becomes quite misty and a spit of drizzle in the wind. After

the sparkling clear days we have seen, the moorlands are likely to be

misty over the next few days. Double figures at last. Quite a big

difference tomorrow. It will feel a little less cold. 10 degrees,

considerably higher than we have seen for several days. The forecast

for the Isles of Scilly. Rather cloudy, mainly dry. The seat is

relatively calm. The winds are gentle. And on to the times of high

water. For our coastal waters forecast, the

winds are light. If you are heading down to the beach surfing, you might

disappointed. The seat is beginning to cool down now, between 12 and 13

degrees. The coastal waters forecast.

So, when will the frosts come back? Probably on Saturday night into

Sunday. The next few days, cloud around, thick enough on Friday to

generate some showers and a brisk north westerly breeze. 11 degrees by

Friday but back into single figures at the weekend. Fine weather for the

weekend but the Frost returns on Saturday night and Sunday night.

Have a good evening. We have put a video of the choir in

Weymouth on our Facebook page. That's all for now.