07/02/2013 BBC News at One

A major U-turn on the Government's plans to scrap some GCSEs as the

Education Secretary admits some of the reforms were a bridge too far.

Just five months after announcing the controversial proposals for an

English Baccalaureate Certificate, Michael Gove, abandons the idea and

says he'll make GCSEs more rigorous instead. My idea we end the

competition between exam boards to offer GCSEs in core academic

qualifications and had just one new exam in each subject, was one

reform too many at this time. this Government, the words GCSE and

fiasco is seen to be linked. This is a humiliating climbdown.

The families of two police officers shot dead in Manchester arrive in

court as the jury is told they were lured, unarmed, to a house by Dale

Cregan and then killed. The veteran broadcaster, Stuart

Hall, vows to regain his honour as he appears in court charged with

sex offences. The last two months of my life have been a living

nightmare. I have never gone Uncovered - widespread use of

banned drugs in Australian sport with links to organised crime and

possible match-fixing. Later on BBC London: We reveal how

Westminster Council is spending millions on families who've lost

their housing benefit. And what's it like to live long-

term in this temporary Good afternoon and welcome to the

BBC News at One. The Education Secretary, Michael

Gove, is abandoning plans to scrap some GCSEs in England. He had

wanted to replace exams in English, Maths and Science by 2015, with a

new, qualification called the English Baccalaureate Certificate.

He told MPs in the Commons that some of his proposals had been a

bridge too far and he would now concentrate on reforming GCSEs in

England to make them more rigorous. Labour's called it a humiliating

climb down. Our education correspondent reports.

Replacing GCSEs in key subjects would suffer EBC had been key to

this Government's reform of exams. So had plans for each exam board

course subjects. One of the proposals I put forward was a

bridge too far. My idea we end the competition between exam boards to

of the GCSEs and have just one, a new exam was one reform too many.

Labour was quick to pounce. Under this Government, the words GCSE and

fiasco seemed to be linked indelibly. This is a humiliating

climbdown. The trouble with the Secretary of State is he thinks he

knows the answer to everything. Michael Gove had wanted a return to

an O-level type traditional qualification, but his plan for the

EBC was met with a storm of criticism from headteachers and

teacher unions, from the exam regulator and last week from a

strongly worded report. It has led to a climbdown for Michael Gove.

The Government does want GCSEs to be made tougher, with more emphasis

on end-of-year exams and less coursework. What the EBC

qualification qualification being scrapped, the Ebacc remains. This

headteacher welcomes the overall moves. There is a lot of confusion

about EBC, Ebacc. A lot of people, including many teachers had not got

a clear picture. Also, we did not know what the EBC was going to look

like. This does give us more focus on the future. The abandoned EBC

left out art and creative subjects. It was to be a tougher exam, sat by

pupils of all abilities. We were ruling out important subjects that

matter to our economy and creating a system that could not measure the

ability of every child sitting them within a single paper. I am pleased

Michael Gove has listened to the voices of concern. Schools were

braced for a major upheaval. This U-turn means many are breathing a

sigh of relief. For more on this, we can talk to

our political correspondent Vicki Young. How much of a climbdown is

this, and how damaging can it be to the Government? You can call it a

climbdown, you can call it humility, but Michael Gove wanted to go much

further with his reforms by scrapping GCSEs for start he has

not been able to do that. You can remember in the regional leaking to

a newspaper was seen as a return to the old system of O-levels and

CSC's. It ran into opposition from the Liberal Democrats and after

that we had the Education Select Committee coming out against the

changes and finally, in the exam regulators said this idea wouldn't

work, he was trying to go too far, too fast. He has come to this

conclusion himself and won't be going as far as he wants to go.

There will be changes. He has talked about wanting to bring

rigour back into the exam system. GCSEs will change at the beginning

of 2015, there will be less coursework, more exams. To some

extent he has got part of that and Michael Gove was putting on a brave

face saying success means moving from one mistake to mistake, with

no loss of enthusiasm along the way. A message to his critics he will

carry on with his reforming agenda. A jury's been hearing how two

unarmed police women were shot dead in Manchester last year after being

lured to a house following a call about a burglary. 29-year-old, Dale

Cregan, is accused of killing Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes last

September. He is also charged with the murders of father and son David

and Mark Short. He denies the charges. Our correspondent Judith

Moritz is at Preston Crown Court. What was the jury told? The case

against Dale Cregan and nine others it was open this morning at Preston

Crown Court. Dale Cregan is charged with murdering the Greater

Manchester Police officers, Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes. He is also

charged with murdering a father and son, David and Mark Short. The

other nine defendants related to charges over the deaths of David

and Mark Short. The case began amid high security. The defendants were

brought in a police convoy. The judge told the jury it is not

unusual to see high-security measures in high-profile cases such

as this, and they shouldn't hold any of that against the defendants.

Standing in the dock this morning, Dale Cregan, was with the other

nine defendants. He stood with his arms folded, looking out at the

courtroom as the charges against him were read out. The jury heard

details of some of the background to what he is accused of. The

prosecution QC, Nicholas Clarke, told the jury Dale Cregan, had been

on the run after being involved in the murder of David and Mark Short.

On 18th September, Dale Cregan had waited for the two Greater

Manchester Police officers. He called them to his house on the

pretence of a burglary. He had lain in wait with a firearm he had

loaded, and a jury heard he shot them repeatedly with many bullets

until his magazine was empty. The veteran broadcaster, Stuart

Hall, has vowed to fight sex offence allegations and regain his

honour, saying his life has been a living hell since the charges were

brought. The 83-year-old appeared at Preston Magistrates' Court this

morning. He told reporters that without the love of his family he

would have considered taking his own life. Ed Thomas reports.

He is used to the cameras and attention, but not like this. For a

second time in four weeks, Stuart Hall was surrounded by

photographers at Preston magistrates courts. Inside, the

broadcaster faced 15 charges. He is accused of raping a 22-year-old

woman in 1976. And indecently assaulting 10 girls aged nine to 16

between 1967 and 1986. The hearing lasted only several minutes. Inside,

he spoke to confirm his name, age and address. Outside he said a lot

more. Alas two months of my life have been a living nightmare. I

have never gone through so much stress in my life and I am finding

it difficult to sustain. Fortunately, I have a very, very

loving family and they are very supportive. I think, but further

love, I might have been constrained to take my own life. His reputation

goes back nearly half a century. He made his name presenting the BBC's

It's a knockout in the 1970s and 80s. In 2011 he was awarded an OBE

eat. Recently he has been a football reporter for Radio 5 Live.

He no longer works for the BBC while the case against him

continues. The district judge told Stuart Hall, the charges against

him were so serious, he would have to be dealt with at a Crown Court.

He was given bail, on condition he surrendered his passport and he had

no unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 17. Stuart Hall

has already denied three separate charges of indecent assault at a

previous hearing last month. He will next appear at Preston Crown

Court on 1st March. David Cameron is due to join

European leaders in Brussels this afternoon to try to reach agreement

on the EU budget for 2014 to 2020. Britain and Germany are among some

north European countries that want further reductions in spending. But

some countries, including France and Italy, want to maintain it. The

summit's been delayed, while behind-the-scenes talks go on. We

can speak now to our Europe Correspondent, Matthew Price, who

is in Brussels for us. A delay already, do we know what the

problem is? One official has told me it is our for fine tuning of the

main proposal that it will be presented to the leaders of the

European Union in this building, in the coming hours. It is an

illustration of how difficult it is proving to be to find a compromise,

even before this summit begins. Make no mistake, this is a really

crucial stuff. What happens in his building in the next 24 hours will

define what the European -- European Union does and how much

money it has to spend on what it wants to do in the coming seven

years. It is of direct relevance to every single citizen living in the

EU, and of course to citizens who are parting with their own money in

the form of taxes to pay for what goes on here. The actual sum of

money is something in the order of less than a trillion Euros. It

sounds like a lot of money, but when you spread it out over several

years, and the 28 nations that will make up the EU when Croatia joined

in the summer, it is relatively small to British Government

spending. In terms of that argument you mentioned in the introduction

between countries like Britain and Germany who want a tighter,

efficient and more controlled budget, to rein it in as much as

possible. And other countries like France and Spain who want to see

increases, the impression I get is David Cameron and his allies are

winning the argument, but it is still going to be tough for them.

66 of HMB's 220 stores are to close in the next couple of months in a

move which will cost almost 1000 jobs. HMB called in the

administrators last month in the hope to secure the company's future.

The Bank of England has held interest rates at their record low

of 0.5%. It does not been changed for just under four years.

From July the Bank of England will have a new governor, Mark Connolly,

and today he has been defending his pay deal of �800,000 a year. He is

currently the central bank governor in Canada and told MPs his salary

will be similar to Sir Mervyn King's.

When he moves from Canada, he will become one of the most powerful

players in the British economy, as the Bank of England takes on

regulation of banks. Today, Mark Connolly, got a taste of things to

come. Thanks for coming in. MPs did not take long to talk about his pay

deal. You are were mortgages are hard to come by in the UK for many

people, including my constituents. Is that why you need an extra

quarter of a million a year? offer of the housing allowance,

which I accepted his consistent with many arrangements for

international executives, who moved for a period to this country, or to

other countries. How could he just defy a total package including

housing of more than 800,000 a year? My pay and pension is the

equivalent to the current governor. He raised the idea of broadening

the Bank of England remit targeting inflation of 2%. Today he made it

clear he Fowler -- favoured a policy review. The Chancellor said

he welcomed the debate. The bar for change is high, but there should be

that debate. A relatively short debate because I don't think

prolonged uncertainty is in anybody's interest. And then either

a read confirmation of the existing framework, or a change. He is at

ease in all parts of his native country, Canada. What remains to be

seen is how he adapts to the British climate when he starts his

new job and the inevitable had wins So could there be changes ahead?

There is a careful, polished performance. Lots of detailed

answers on monetary policy. Of course he is keen to point out that

there are nine members of the Committee to set the interest rates

and other parts of monetary policy in the Bank of England. If he

wanted to dictate a change he may not be able to achieve it but he is

still taking questions. Now we are on to questions about the banks.

You could not listen to the technical answers without thinking

this is a man who thinks there is room for the Bank of England to do

more. That they are not yet on a path out to a strong recovery.

Someone with a longer list, if you like, of things that the Bank of

England might do to support the economy. So for example he admitted

matter of factly, that there may be diminishing returns to quantitative

easing, to the policy of pumping money into the country, it may not

have the Saddam Hussein effect now as it had at the start. That is not

something that the current Bank of England wanted to commit. Saying

that interest rates may be low for long time, until unemployment

reached a certain level. So no big change. He said he did not want to

overturn or have a new framework but willing to use that to a bit

more aggressively to support the economy.

And the top story: A major U-turn on the Government's

plan to scrap some geeses as the Education Secretary admits some

proposals were a bridge too far. Coming up: A future without

flooding. More than 60,000 at-risk homes to be protected with a new

multi-millionlb flood defence programme.

On BBC London: A woman who escaped from the fire at Lakanal House said

that people were advised to stay in their flats. Captured on canvass,

whether the Thames froze over. A now project online.

A court's been hearing how the duction wife of disgraced MP, Chris

Huhne, confided in a political journalist about how she had taken

the speeding noints 2003. The Political Editor of the Sunday

Times told the court that Vicky Pryce said that Chris Huhne

pressurised her into taking the points.

Tom Symonds is at Southwark Crown Court, what else was said? It was

given detail about how Vicky Pryce found out that Chris Huhne was

pacing the points on to her. It was said that he had nominated her as

the driver of the car without consultanting her. She was, it was

said, upset about that. Then to 2011, after the point that

Chris Huhne revealed to Vicky Pryce who was having an affair.

The journalist who was close to Vicky Pryce said she was a very

hurt woman that Vicky Pryce did not believe that Chris Huhne did not

deserve to be in a position of immense responsibility that he had

at the time, in other words the Energy Secretary in the Cabinet.

All of this is important. The jury has been told that they have to

decide if Vicky Pryce is the sort of woman to be coerced into taking

the points. That is the defence. That she was coerced. Liz bell

Oakeshott described Vicky Pryce this way, that she was constantly

on the verge of tears, that little could tip her into a tearful

condition, but that contrasted with the armour, as she put it, the

impression she gave as a successful business woman. There is more

evidence from Vicky Pryce later on this afternoon. Five hospitals in

England are facing investigations over high death rates following the

inquiry into failings at Stofford Hospital. This afternoon, the

barrister who led the inquiry is meeting relatives of some of the

hundreds of patients who died. Dominic Hughes is in Stafford for

us now. The families of those who died in the Stofford Hospital

scandal and those from across the NHS organisation who have been

assessing the Francis Report, but the scale has been clear that five

further hospitals, perhaps more, are to be investigated because of

higher than average death rates. The faces of some of the hundreds

of people, thought to have died after receiving poor care at

Stofford Hospital. Today, the friends and relatives, who have

campaigned to make the NHS a safer place in the wake of the Stafford

scandal are to meet Robert Francis, his report detailed the suffering

that some of the patients endured. At Stofford Hospital, itself, the

staff have spent the past five years working under the cloud cast

by the terrible stories of poor care, but they say that Staffed is

now -- Stafford is a different place.

Matrons and sisters nurses are out, walking and talking to patients.

Checking the chance. Whilst it is not all about audits, it is about

talking to people as well. Now, other NHS hospitals find that they

are in the spotlight. The NHS medical director is investigating

worrying death rates in five hospital Trusts. Colchester,

Tameside, Blackpool, Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals and

East Lancashire Hopsitals NHS Trust, have all had above average death

rates for two years. All of the hospitals say that they welcome the

investigation. The Care Quality Commission looks

at the mortality rates in all of the work that they do. One of the

things that must emerge from this is that more of this information in

the public domain, not just available to Government or the Care

Quality Commission but so that the public knows exactly what is going

on in our hospitals. The campaign group, Cure The NHS,

helped to expose the Stafford Hospital scandal. The founder,

Julie Bailey, whose moth are died in the hospital, warns that this is

not an isolated case. There are pockets of this

throughout the country. When we say high mortality we are talking about

harm. These are people that we are talking about. It is as if this

does not matter. That these are not real people. We have to hold people

to account for the failings. There is real anger that no-one has

ever been held responsible for the disaster that unfolloweded at

Stafford Hospital. The families of those who died say that they are

determined that will change. We have had an admission by the

Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, that it is still far from clear who is

responsible for preventing another Staff yord Hospital scandal from

developing. That is something that the families here will want to

watch out for. Making sure that the politicians keep up with their

words of making the hospitals more transparent.

A year-long investigation has u uncovered widespread use of illegal

drugs in a range of professional sports in Australia it says that

organised crime is involved in the doping. The Anti-Doping Agency say

it is should serve as a wake-up call to governing bodies from

around the world. Chris Bryant has this report from Sydney N a country

that loves sports and hates cheats, the allegations of widespread

doping have produced what many are kaurling the blackest day in

Australian sporting history. The Anti-Doping Agency allege that the

use of performance hen enhancing drugs is fas it Tateed by doctors,

sports fists and coaches and organised crime. Some athletes are

using substances not yet approved for human use. In some cases entire

teams have been doped. The findings are shocking. They

will disgust Australian sports fans. The work that the Australian Crime

Commission has done, has found that the use of prohibited substances,

including peptides, hormones and illicit drugs is widespread amongst

professional athletes. Multiple criminal offences have

allegedly been committed. Athletes who have used illegal substances

have been urged to come forward. Standing here today with some of

the CEOOs with Australia's sport is a statement to those who seek to

ruin sport if you want to dope and cheat, we will catch you. If you

want to fix a match, we will catch you.

For a country at the forefront of the global anti-doping campaign,

the accusations have been shocking. This is the blackest day in

Australian sport. Because criminal investigations are

underway, the authorities have not revealed which athletes or teams

are involved. So tonight a cloud of suspicious hangs over all of

Australian sport and fans are left asking, which of their heroes they

can trust? Ministers have approved the construction of almost 100 new

flood defences across England, that will offer better protection to

65,000 homes it is hoped that the �300 million investment will bring

peace of mind to the homeowners. Jeremy Cooke reports. Floods, they

are destructive, expensive, and frequent. With the extreme recent

weather, new flood defences have been put to the test an passed.

Communities from Wakefield to Upton on Severn, saved from the rising

water. Now the Government says more businesses and home hofpls will get

protection. 156,000 spropts a lot of properties.

A significant number of people who can go to work, knowing that the

house will be safe when they come home and can plan to develop for

the future. Building flood defences is an

expensive business, but the experience has shown, once the

investment is made, it is very likely to pay off.

Here in Leeds it means a new � 50 million project. Making this weer

movable to control the water flow, but Leeds has not been flooded for

decades. So why is this a priority? There will be more thation -- that

you can spend the money on. We are taking a priority approach to it.

Investing where we can get the benefit.

So, on the Somerset levels they are not a priority. Farmland and

businesses are under water after months and there is no money

announced to help here. The locals are increasingly desperate.

Farmers are getting desperate and I know that the householders are, who

have had their houses inundated. We need someone to take account for us.

Do you feel abandoned? Totally. The economics of flood defences

look good. It is calculated at every �1 spent saves �8 in the

future, but no everywhere can be protected. Some communities will

remine at risk. They are life-like robotic patients.

They are used by doctors and nurses who want to practise their skills.

The staff can film themselves treating the robots to see how they

How are you? John is sick. He's been in a car crash. He is

struggling to breathe. These doctors are trying to figure out

what to do. If they can't, no-one dies, all medical students train on

dummies but these robots are different. They are controlled by

computer to react to treatment, second by second.

Although we are taught rigidly from protocols and books, what to do in

certain situations, it is different with the equipment in the hands and

people talking to you and the machines making noises. It is an

added stress. So this is a great way to run through a real-life

scenario. There are other man Quinns of this

family too. There is a child and this is Reg. Over here, a pregnant

woman and even a baby. It is cutting-edge technology. It is not

the only new technology here. In unseen service corridors, robots

are on patrol. Picking up and delivering the teas and the coffees.

They are employed to sort out the mail and they have revolutionised

the hospital's pharmacy. Cutting out human errors and allowing the

staff to concentrate on the patients.

One of the first things we have seen is the freeing up of staff. So

some routine task can be done safely while the robots are freeing

people up, allowing them to spend time on the patient facing the

activity. That is what we are achieving here.

Back in the virtual A&E, John's lung has collapsed, but the doctors

should be able to save his life. They should be able to save many

more, thanks to this training in the future.

the future. Now the weather with Philip.

Sophie, thank you very much. I will try to make it through in

the next two-and-a-half mince! The weather is gradually improving. The

wind has been a feature. Lighter now. Towards the west a change in

hand. A wet morning in Northern Ireland. The western fringes of

Scotland too. Here is the reason for it. Cloud coming in from the

Atlantic. That will make itself known across the western parts of

the British Isles. The rain here increasing. Winter scenes across

the high ground. Over the east, some sunshine, but

then becoming hazy. There may abconversion of rain to snow in the

high grounds of Scotland. There may be a flake on the M8 but not

amounting to much. A similar prospect in the high grounds of

Wales. Ahead of that, showers out of Liverpool Bay, down to the

Midlands. It could get into northern London,

but the main reaction is out to the west. There will be rain across the

south-west. Even this far south across the moors, there may be

winter scenes, but over the west of Cornwall, the wind strong through

the evening and overnight. For a time there could be gusts up to

50mph. The rain fizzling as we move to the east.

The greatest concern is not about the rain or the snow but as the

skies clear, the sun comes up, north wist Scotland, Wales, parts

of the Midlands, the south-west, you may have a problem with ice.

The remnants of the front through Friday, easing towards the east.

Again, a flake of something perhaps but nothing to write home about.

Then a jolly picture there. Much of Scotland, western England and Wales,

a bit of sunshine there. A feature coming in over the shoulder, that

will be dom innocent on Saturday, it is one of those day -- that will

be the dominant feature on Saturday. Then, and this is the one that is

concerning me, the weekend starts off as described, staying on the

cold side. There is a risk of snow on Sunday and indeed on into Monday.

Initially the threat, we think, there is some uncertainty, will be

found over the northern parts of British Isles. That will be snow to

lower levels. In the south a wet old day. Then the conversion to the

south in time for the rush-hour on Monday. If it matters to you, keep