23/10/2013 BBC News at One

Shock as part of the Grangemouth complex in Scotland is closed, with

the loss of hundreds of jobs. Workers at the petrochemical site

walk out after being told of the decision. It follows a bitter row

between management and unions over cost cutting. Grangemouth provides

most of the fuel to Scotland, the north of England and Northern

Ireland. We'll be asking what impact closing part of it site will

have. Also this lunchtime... The Prime Minister says he wants to

reduce green taxes on Britain's energy companies to try to cut

customers' rising bills. Seven godparents are named for Prince

George who will be christened this afternoon at a private service at

St James's Palace. Give motorists a break. MPs call for a five minute

period of grace before traffic wardens hand out parking fines. And

how an invasion of venomous spiders has forced a secondary school in

the Forest of Dean to close. Later on BBC London: How safe are cycling

superhighways? Thousands of phones stolen every month. suspected

thieves are targeted. Good afternoon and welcome to the

BBC News at One. The owners of the Grangemouth site near Falkirk say

they are shutting its petrochemical plant because of a dispute between

staff and mangers. -- managers. The workers had refused to accept cost-

cutting measures including a wage freeze. But the Grangemouth oil

refinery on the site - which was shut last week because of the

dispute - will now reopen. James Cook is at Grangemouth. This

dispute has been building for months, even years. This morning it

reached a climax. Workers have reacted with tears, anger and above

all with dismay. It near-silence, they filed into hear their fate.

Hundreds of workers at Scotland's largest industrial complex. A site

at the centre of a bitter industrial dispute. The news could

have been worse but it is still grim. The refinery will remain open

about the petrochemical plant will close. I am devastated. Absolutely

devastated. That is all I have to say. It is a disgrace. There is

going to be no trust. Where does that leave you? Out of a job. It

will be horrendous. Just horrendous, trying to live after this. Why it

is the plant closing? Inside, management gave reasons for their

decision. Today is a very sad day. We have had to announce we are

going to close our petrochemical assets down, as a result of the

fact they are making significant losses and we have been unable to

convince the employees of the site to continue to support the survival

plan. Range as employs one has an 370 workers in all. -- Grangemouth

employs. The Scottish Government is watching closely. Alex Salmon said

what happened match is the worst fears. -- Alex Salmond. The UK

government called the closure regrettable. The Government is

saddened by this news, particularly for the uncertainty it will bring

the workforce and all those who owe their lively had to this plant. The

Government does not underestimate the importance to the local

community and the Scottish economy. Today's news is very serious - and

real economic blow to the local area and Scotland. For many workers,

this will be a long and hard winter. It is a difficult time in the

coming months as well. In terms of the petrochemical site, could there

be a buyer? The company thinks that is unlikely and is liquidating the

business. It is not sure the workers will get any redundancy

payouts battle. As for the oil refinery side, the company says it

wants to restart that up. The underlying dispute about pay and

pensions remains. It is still really and clear as to when that

part of the business will start again. -- not clear. The Prime

Minister says he wants to reduce the green taxes that Britain's

energy companies have to pay to try to help bring down rising gas and

electricity bills. David Cameron told the Commons that the increase

in energy bills was unacceptable. And he said the Government planned

to introduce a proper competition test for the energy sector. The

political row over energy prices is hotting up. Labour has promised to

freeze the cost of gas and electricity bills up a Conservative

minister has called for a windfall tax. Sir John Major surprised

everyone when he got involved in the debate. He urged politicians to

do more. David Cameron is under pressure to come up with a

meaningful response. The Labour leader did not waste his

opportunity to go on the attack. The Prime Minister said that anyone

who wanted to intervene directly in the energy markets was living in it

-- in a Marxist universe. The Prime Minister said little could be done

about wholesale prices and the cost of delivering energy to people's

homes. We will be having a proper competition test carried out over

the next year as to whether this market can be more competitive. I

want more companies, better regulation and better deals. We

also need to roll back the green charges he put in place as energy

secretary. The Labour leader was unimpressed. Many people face a

choice this winter overheating and eating. These are the ordinary

people of these country who the Prime Minister one ever made and

whose lives he will never understand. The difference is that

John Major is a good man. The Right Honourable Gentleman is acting as a

conman. He is promising something he knows he cannot deliver because

he never delivered it when he was in office. Ed Miliband has been

running a relentless campaign on energy prices and he wants the next

election to be about the cost of living and difficulties people

phrase in making ends meet. The comments from John Major yesterday

were on a similar theme. He told Conservatives to stop talking about

Europe and took about things that really mattered to voters. Details

of the review will be spelt out in December. It is likely to cause

tensions with the Liberal Democrats, who are committed to measures which

encourage energy efficiency. Let's speak to our chief political

correspondent. The Prime Minister is talking about this proper

competition test for the energy companies. What does he mean by

that? This energy row has become a ball and chain around the ankle of

David Cameron. We saw a fresh attempt by Mr Cameron to sever that

chain. With that proposal, with an annual audit of competition in the

energy sector, what he is talking about is a review carried out by

the Office for Fair Trading, the energy regulator and the

Competition Authority, which would have the power to regulate prices

and profits in the energy sector. Downing Street has said nothing is

ruled out if they establish the energy companies are abusing their

position. The difficulty is it is not likely to be set up before the

end of the year. It will not report until next year. People's fuel

bills a dropping on doormats now. Privately they are some Tories who

believe a more effective way for Mr Carman to sever that ball and chain

around his ankle would have been to take up John Major's idea of a

windfall tax. -- Mr Cameron. You have to say, the prospects at

Grangemouth do not look good. They are willing to help in bringing the

two sides together but they will not be a financial rescue or

nationalisation. The Scottish government is saying it will

continue to look for buyers but the timeline is extraordinarily tight.

Liquidators will going next week. The idea of getting the two sides

back to the table looks very difficult with one source telling

me, saying it has gone beyond stalemate. MPs are preparing to

question three police officers who have been accused of giving a

misleading account of a meeting with the former cabinet minister,

Andrew Mitchell, before he resigned over the Plebgate row. Their Chief

Constables will also appear before the Home Affairs Select Committee

at Westminster this afternoon. It is thought they'll be asked to

explain why they didn't pursue disciplinary action against the

three officers. It started with a row between

Andrew Mitchell and police at the gates of Downing Street. They said

he called them plebs. He denied it but admitted swearing. The row has

reignited. It is about meeting at his constituency office in the

Midlands. Three Police Federation officials asked Mr Major what he

said in Downing Street. After the talks, officers said that Mr

Mitchell refused to elaborate and should quit. That cost the MP his

job in government. A recording said he had given his version of events

and had avoided using that word. There was an investigation into

claims the three officers were trying to discredit Mr Mitchell.

That has led to a dispute as to how they should be dealt with. I do not

support what they did. What they did was wrong. They are entitled to

fair process. What concerns me is the behaviour of some of Andrew

Mitchell's supporters saying, do you want their process thrown out

of the window? The officers had no case to answer. The findings are

supported by the chief constables from the forces the men serving.

The police watchdog said the officers' comments raised an issue

of honesty and integrity. The IPCC, backed by David Cameron and the

Home Secretary, said they should face misconduct proceedings. A home

affairs committee will try to answer this key question. Why have

not the three men been disciplined? It will hear from nine witnesses in

three hours, among them chief constables and police officers was

we will come to a conclusion as to how we think the best solution to

this agonisingly difficult problem is, so that there is closed and

people can move for it. -- closure. In the past few days, discussions

have taken place between the police constables about whether to review

the decision about this conduct proceedings or stick to their

original ruling. -- misconduct. Prince George will be christened

this afternoon in a private service at the Chapel Royal in St James'

Palace in London. The three-month- old son of the Duke and Duchess of

Cambridge, who's third in line to the throne, is being baptised by

the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. This morning the

names of the godparents were finally announced.

It is the baptism of baby George. His formal entry at the age of

three months into the Christian faith and the Church of England.

For all the importance of the day, his parents are said to want it to

be low key and private as possible. They have chosen seven godparents.

Only one is a member of Williams family. Zahra Tindall, married to

Mike Tindall. -- William's family pulls up a close friend of Diana is

said to be a godmother. She is Julia Samuel. Jamie Lowther-

Pinkerton, the former SAS officer, is also a godparent. He more than

anyone has guided William over the past eight years. The four other

godparents are Emilia Jardine- Paterson, an interior designer.

Earl Grosvenor, William van Cutsem and Oliver Baker, a friend of the

couple from St Andrew's University. Apart from George, his parents and

godparents, there will be few other guests at the christening. Just the

Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of

Cornwall from the Royal Family and Michael and Carol Milton with their

two other children. -- Middleton. The ceremony will take place at St

James's Palace. It was here that the coffin of William's mother

rested before her funeral and it is here that a baby would have been

have first grandchild will be baptised this afternoon.

Think alongside the fact there is just one member of William's family,

Zara Tindall, usual to have only one Windsor as a got parent, but a sign

that William and Catherine want to do it their way. Alongside former

school friends, there are two significant friends. Julia Samuel.

The former close friend of Diana, William will want the connection

with his late mother to continue. He will want his son to have an

opportunity to find out more about the woman who would have been his...

And Julia Samuel, will be in a position to offer that, I think the

Joyce of upup. The former army officer, has offered a very much a

mentoring role to William and Harry, and I am sure that, he, they, will

want that kind of advice, mentoring role to continue in due course for

George. Our top story. The petrochemical

plant at Grangemouth near Falkirk is to close with the loss of 800 jobs.

It follows a bitter row between management and unions over cost

cutting. The company says it wants to resume operations at the

refinery. Still to come. How an invasion of venomous spiders has

forced a secondary school in the Forest of Dean to close.

Later on BBC London, the British sprinter Adam gem live passes on his

advice to young athletes and the goals from last night's Champions

League action. Join us in 15 minutes.

-- gem live. Fires are still urn burning out of

control in Australia but officials say the immediate threat to the Blue

Mountains, west of Sydney has been averted for the moment, but they

warn the crisis is far from over. In total, 73 fires are burn bg across

the state of new South Wales, 29 of which are uncontained. Our

correspondent sent this report from the town of cat -- can tow ma. For

those fighting fire in the Blue Mountains, today had been billed as

a difficult day. By the end, the authorities were

saying a crisis had been averted but at times it was touch-and-go.

Strong winds gusting over 50mph saw a number of fires intensify.

People doing what they could, to defend their houses.

My plan is to stay and fight the fire. This property was built in

1823. I don't intend to lose it. The main fire front is up this hillside

and the winds are really swirling round today, it means the houses and

the communities just down the valley are at the mercy of those winds, and

which direction they go. Today, they are under threat.

During the afternoon, the threat level of several fires was upgraded.

We are nowt out of the woods yet. We have hours to go. There are still

fires flaring up, running, impacting on community, there is every

prospect we will see some more. There is ef preprospect we will see

fires breaking out on the xietsing fire grounds we have got. Meanwhile,

in a radio interview, Australia's new Prime Minister a volunteer

fireman himself, dismissed the idea this year's fires were linked to

global warming. Look, climate change is real, as I have often said and we

should take strong action against it, but these fires are not a

function of climate change thra, a function of life. Other also

disagree, these follows Australia's hottest 12 months on record. They

have come unusually early in the year. And although crisis may have

been averted today, the fire season has only just begin.

We can get the latest now from John. What is the situation there at the

moment? Well, I think the firefighters think they got on top

of things today and got out relatively unscathed. There had been

a lot of worry leading up to today with the strong winds, the fires

aren't out, they are still burning not far from where we are standing

now. I think the next few days and probably weeks and months, this is a

long fire season ahead, the Fire Service here are going to be urging

vigilance, one interesting note today that the Fire Service and the

police have announced that one of the biggest fires that is burning

still, just up the road from here was started by the military,

carrying out an exercise with explosives last Wednesday. As I say,

that is a fire that has destroyed 40,000 hectares or so, I think, and

is burning today. Facebook has removed a video clip

showing a woman being decapitated, and it has issued new rules about

what can be shared on its site. The a parent U-turn comes after the

company was heavily criticised for lifting a temporary ban on such

images. Face back says it will still allow graphic content but will take

a look at its context and will remove content which celebrating

violence. -- sell braces -- celebrates.

Motorists should be given a five minute period of grace before

traffic wardens hand them a fine, that is accord to a group of MPs,

the Transport Select Committee says using penalties to raise money for

local authorities in England is neither acceptable or legal.

Councils aren't supposed to use parking fines and charges

specifically to raise money. Today's report says that is unacceptable,

and illegal. But some in Wakefield this morning

thought parking wardens were a little too quick to penalise. If you

are five minutes late between your ticket, they give you a ticket. They

won't give you any leeway because I have been booked myself. It is

revenue stream for most councils is and they probably see it that way.

If you park somewhere you shouldn't be they are there within a minute,

two minutes and they have got you. What you do? The Transport Committee

says each Local Authority should publish an annual report to show

where the money is coming from and how it is being spent. The MP says

drivers could be given a five minute grace period, after the time they

have paid for runs out, before a parking ticket is issues -- issue

issued and a freeze in the maximum penalty. Parking is needed to manage

traffic and stop congestion but the public belief they are having to pay

enormous ams of money to fund that and councils are using that for

other things, we need much more clarity and transparency S Tickets

and charges make councils hundreds of millions of pounds more, than the

cost of running their parking services. This surplus has been

criticised by minister, and motoring group, but local authorities say all

the money goes back in to local transport budgets. So councils

insist their parking profits are not used to fund other spending.

In every case that surplus is ploughed back in to making sure that

transport is subsidised for young people, for the elderly, and in some

cases it is used for potholes and we although that is a problem.

Today's report calls for greater oversight of the use of CCTV to

issue parking fines. Last month the Government said it was considering a

ban on park camera, and the vehicles ministers call spy cars.

#3 The impact of the Government's benefit cap has been called into

question by a new study. The Chartered Institute of Housing

looked at one London borough and concluded that capping the amount of

benefits received did not encourage many people back in to work, but

ministers say the research is flawed and too limited to provide a true

picture. Our social affairs correspondent reports.

The benefits cap is one of the government's most popular welfare

reform, it limits the amount of benefits that are working age own

household can receive to a maximum of ?500 a week. The Government

expects to save ?110 million a year. The London borough of Haringey was

one of the first places to have the cap introduced. And based on what

has happened in this one area, the Khost Chows has found that of the --

the Chartered Institute of Housing just 74 had found work of the first

four months and nearly 50% needed local authority support to pay their

rent. The Government had some objectives to increase the number of

people who were working and reduce the amount of money they spent on

benefits in total, and in Haringey neither are being achieved and they

are both some way from being achieved.

This woman helps single mothers find a job. Since the cap she says many

more want to work but it is not easy Childcare is a big issue. Many

parents, having maybe not worked for a long period of time, it is a big

change children to go to afterschool clubs and it is costly. Whether what

has happened in Haringey will become clear in time, but this is the

second report in as many weeks to suggest that the Government's

welfare changes may not save as much money as ministers had hoped. Last

week researchers suggest that savings may fall short of

expectations. Ministers are defending the cap. This report is

flawed. It doesn't take the facts into consideration, that we knew

there would be a problem, 16,500 people got into jobs because we

contacted them before we brought in the cap. It's a very small

controlled area, it happens to be a London inner city borough. Changing

behaviour takes time and whatever initial problems the cap throws up

the Government remains committed to the problem.

An invasion of venomous spiders has forced a secondary school in the

Forest of Dean to close. The school has been infested with false widow

spiders. The spiderer's bite can cause swelling or fever though

no-one hat the school has been bitten.

-- at. Yes, normally there would be hundreds of kids out here enjoying

their lunch break but this place is deserted, school is out, for spider,

they were found in a block at the back of the building on Monday, then

in other buildings round the site yesterday, so the decision was taken

to close today, and call in the pest control officer, that is under way

right now, and if you don't like spiders you might want to look away

for a minute. A biology lesson they weren't

expecting. This is a false widow spider, like the ones found inside

the Dean Academy. Today, no lesson, the only uniforms are being worn by

pest control officers, fumigating any part of the school. For pupils

and parents, it is a surprise day off. I was scared at first, because

I didn't know like what kind of spider it was, and to be truthful I

am not a big fan of them. I was shocked to hear she was having a day

off for spiders. I mean we live if f the forest. So we have got

everything round here that can bite us, and you know, I think it is,

maybe overreacting. I am not complaining. Like the spiders now,

but I wouldn't pick one. You like them because they have given you day

off? Yes. It is about the size of a 50 pence coin and is the most

dangerous biting spider known in Britain. It came here from abroad in

the 1870s, arriving in the south-west, but over the last 25

year, it has been found right across southern England, and up into the

Midlands. There he goes. This spider expert

who lives near the school says he has had more reports of false widows

in Gloucestershire but he thinks that is because of increased media

coverage. He says they are not lethal and we shouldn't panic. It is

very slow-moving. Few you got bitten by it you are unlucky. Some people

do experience serious reactions to the bites and anyone with concerns

is advised to seek medical advice. The school is stressing that nobody

has been bitten, and as for that mum we heard in the piece saying she

thought it might be an overreaction to shut the gate, the principal has

issued a statement saying they took that decision to call in the pest

control officers after taking advice from health officials at the

council. They are hoping they will be able to re-open tomorrow, without

any spiders on the site. Lets us look at the weather now.

If you are scared of thunder and lightning you won't have enjoyed

last night. There was spectacular show on offer, there is one

photograph taken in Hampshire yesterday evening. The storms are

clear I away and the weather is calming down, so for most places it

is a bright and breezy afternoon, with sunny spells coming through,

and those winds continuing to drop. A few showers still left in

north-west areas but in the south the showers are clearing away. Some

sunny spells in parts of eastern Scotland but in the north-west it

remains blustery. A cooler feel and the showers continue to pepper

western Scotland and Northern Ireland. A few showers getting into

north-west England. Possibly North Wales but to the east of the

Pennines things are drier and certainly south of Birmingham, most

places having a bright and breezy afternoon with spells of sunshine.

Temperatures lower than they have been, but out of the breeze not

feeling too bad for October. The winds continue to die down

overnight, they will remain lively in northern Scotland, but elsewhere

with light winds and clear skies, that can of course lead top

problems. It has been warm the last couple of nights but tonight down to

single digits so a fresher feel for Thursday morning. There could be

mist and fog round but that should tend to clear and generally,

tomorrow looks like being a dry and for most a bright day. There will be

more cloud in the south and west. Overall, as I said it is looking

pretty good, with temperatures after that chilly start recovering into

the mid teens. Make the most of tomorrow, because

well, by Friday we are almost back to square one. Another low, another

set of weather fronts, the isobars squeezing together, so yes, another

bout of wet and windy weather. A bleak looking start to Friday. The

rain lingers in Scotland, there will be lots of blustery showers in Wales

and south-west England. The winds continue to come up from the south,

so here is another mild day, where we get sunshine, temperatures

getting into the high teens, the winds are big feature of the weather

this weekend. Some of us will have a dry Saturday morning before rain

arrives and bluesry showers on Sunday, with that sort of forecast,

no surprise to see another low nearby. It is this weather front

that spreads the weather front on Saturday. Lots of showers for

Sunday. I want to draw your attention further south.

It doesn't look that scary at the moment, but it does have the

potential, that is what it is, the potential to turn things stormry on

Sunday night and Monday morning. The message at the moment stay tuned to

the forecast. The petrochemical plant at

Grangemouth is to close with the loss of 800 jobs. It follows a

bitter row between management and unions over cost cutting. The

company says it wants to resume operations. And just to let you know

if you want to watch the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arriving with

Prince George, for his christening, along with the God parents you can

do so round 3.00.