17/12/2013 BBC News at One

How to innees capacity at Britain's airports? Three options are on the

table. -- increase. New runways at Heathrow

and Gatwick top the shortlist and an airport in the Thames Estuary isn't

ruled out. We think one net new runway by 2030

is what is required. Essentially it is either building another one at

Heathrow or building another one at Gatwick. We'll assess the potential

public and political fallout of that announcement, also this lunch time.

The family of a British surgeon imprisoned by the Syrian government

for over a year, say he has died in custody.

Inflation fell to a four-year low of 2. 1% last month. The Treasury says

it means the Government's long-term economic plan is working.

Shoddy repairs and over-priced premiums. The competition watchdog

calls for a shake-up of the car insurance industry.

From Australia, the news everyone knew was coming - the Ashes are back

in Australia's hands. We'll bring you the details and reaction from

the Third Test. And Freeman of the city of Bristol.

Sir David Attenborough is honoured for his work with the BBC's Natural

History Unit. Later on BBC London: The mayor's

reaction it news that his plans for a Thames Estuary airport are still

in play - just. And all the reaction from Gatwick which could see the

building of a second runway. Hello. Welcome to the BBC News at

One. New runways at Heathrow and Gatwick are among the options that

been shortlisted by the airport's commission for expanding UK airport

capacity. The three options include adding a third runway at Heathrow.

Lengthening an existing runway at Heathrow and a new runway at

Gatwick. The commission led by the

businessman Sir Howard Davies, will also consider a new airport in the

Thames Estuary. A final report is due by summer 2015. In a moment we

will be live at Heathrow. We'll get reaction as well from Westminster.

First, our report from our Business Correspondent Joe Lineham.

It's one of the most politically contentious decisions about

Britain's infrastructure and it hasn't even been taken yet. Acording

to the independent airports Commission, Britain should get at

least one major new runway in the South East, to meet soaring demand

from companies and consumers. We think one net new runway by 2030 is

what is required. Essentially it is either building another one at

hooeted Heath or building another one at Gatwick. But we are also

looking a bit further at one of the estuary options, in case that could

be a serious option. The Mayor of London's dream of a brand new

airport in the Thames Estuary wasn't included an option but could be

included next year if the Commission feels it offers a credible solution.

Boris Johnson was still ebullient about that project, despite the

setback. Of I'm relieved that the estuary option remains, narrowly, in

the frame. That's good news. We have a chance to make our case. We can

argue about the costs and environmental impact. I think people

can weigh-up the real options. If you want a hub airport, you either

have to go with Heathrow or a new solution. The disadvantages of

Heathrow are well-known, but, basically, it is a massive

environmental nightmare for loads and loads of people in our city. The

Commission primarily looked at expanding runways in the

heavily-populated south-east because more than half of all flights in

Britain leave from there. The first option it recommends is to build a

new runway at Heathrow to the north-west of the economisting

runway, demolishing 1,000 homes and neighbouring villages.

The second, shortlisted option, is also at Heathrow but envisages

doubling the length of the existing North runway to allow planes it take

off and land simultaneously. The third option being considered is to

build another runway at Gatwick which is using up more than

three-quarters of its capacity. Given how major expansion at

Heathrow is now far more likely than it was three years ago, how do the

local residents feel about it? Sipson still remains a blighted

community. We will be at the end of a proposed runway and we will be

determined to continue to fight Heathrow expansion, wherever they

want to put it. And Heathrow expansion is also likely to cause

political uproar. The Conservative MP for Richmond in west London said

it is a resigning issue for him If my party changes its position on

Heathrow, no ifs or buts, if it changes I'm obliged to trigger a

by-election. Downing Street said today it was happy for the report to

speak for itself. It may have created the independent commission

but it is under no obligation to implement its recommendations,

especially if they are politically toxic. We'll speak to Norman Smith

at Westminster for those political implications but first our Transport

Correspondent Richard wst could the who is at Heathrow. No decision

until 2030. We will know sooner about the Boris Johnson plan. Talk

us through the timeline? Hopefully we'll know in the next six months or

what what is happening in the Thames Estuary option, whether it goes into

the shortlist or not. I was speaking to Sir Howard Davies and he was

listing through what the big question marks are over that scheme:

He was saying - what would you do with the local environment? There

are nature reserves, how would you cope with moving them potentially?

How much would the transport cost? This is not an easy place to get to.

It is near to central London but there are no busy roads or fast

trains going there. You would have to build all of that. He says he

wants a breakdown of how much all of that is going to cost. Andifiablely

what would you do with this place? One of the busiest airports in the

world, you would have to close Heathrow. He wants to know more

detail of what would happen here? Would they build a new town? We

should find out by next summer. As I say the timetable will stay the

same. They'll spend the next two years, all of the shortlisted

people, doing their homework, giving Sir Howard Davies more detail and in

theory, after the next general election, he finally says - this is

the one I like. Turning to Norman, as Joe outlined in his report, there

could be significant condition sequences for what is already a

politically volatile situation? Well, Kate, when the Davies inquiry

was set up, Boris Johnson described it as a fudgerama. My feeling today

is we have a second helping of that. Everyone can leave the table happy,

supporters of Heathrow, Gatwick and even supporters of the Boris Johnson

option. But here is the rub, Howard Johnson has signalled he'll make the

critical decision on that option in the summer, ahead of the next

general election when the whole thinking behind the Davies inquiry

was to delay everything until after the next election. If he vetoes the

Boris Johnson option, it is argued that will pave the way for Heathrow

which will ignite a clat clichl in the Conservative and difficulties in

other parties. Vince Cable this lunch time stressed his opposition

to any expansion of Heathrow. Today we got fudgerama, but the storm over

Heathrow now looks as if it could break before, rather than after the

next election. OK, thank you both.

Inflation fell to a four-year low of 2. 1% last month. The Treasury says

that means the Government's long-term economic plan is working.

But analysts warn that large increases in household energy bills

have yet to take effect. Our chief economics correspondent Hugh Pym

reports. Christmas is coming and every penny

counts for shoppers like these in York, trying to stretch their

budgets over the festive season. There was some good cheer with news

that cost of living increases are at their lowest in four years. This

local department store claims there are bargains to be had w some items

cheaper than a year ago. There are still examples of deflation on

prices in the high street. For the consumer it is a good, early

Christmas present. It is their win-win. And if we are looking

around they will be able to take advantage of lowers prices. Breaking

down the overall figure shows food prices up 3% over the year to

November. Clothing was up 1. 3% over the same period but fuel prices are

lower, down 3. 6%. Alice drives to work, so she is relieved that fuel

prices have fallen but many items in the shop seem expensive so she has

to take care with spending. Even in places that are cheaper, they still

seem expensive. I like clothes shopping but I limit myself. Cost of

living increases have been running well-ahead of average you wage rises

which has put a real squeeze on households' spending power but

today's figures show the pressure is easing. Most economists expect

inflation to settle at some stage around 2% and they also predict that

wage rises will start picking up as the economy grows. So next year

could bring better times for consumers Over the last four or five

years, price inflation has been well ahead of wage inflation. But now the

gap is narrowing and over the next year or so, I would expect price

inflation to slow, wage inflation to pick up and real wages to start

rising again. But today's figures don't include

the latest gas and electricity price rises. They could temporarily push

up inflation. The price of energy is always hard to predict that. Doesn't

make life any easier for households trying to juggle their finances.

Shoddy repairs and over-priced premiums - the verdict of the

competition watchdog which is calling for a sake-up of the car

insurance industry. The Competition Commission has been studying the

private motor insurance industry for more than a year and has found the

cost of replacement cars and accident repairs is driving up

costs. Our personal finance correspondent reports.

A costly accident. The victim's insurer handles the repair work but

has little incentive to keep down the bill because it is simply passed

on to the company insuring the driver who is to blame.

The Competition Commission has calculated that inflated repair

bills are adding ?200 million to the cost of dealing with accident

damage. So, customers end up paying more than they should for their car

insurance. They are as high as they are because

the insurance companies who deal with each other don't have the right

incentives to keep costs down. And costs associated with dealing with

accidents are too high. The other concern is that courtesy cars are

twice as expensive as they should be. One solution would be to make

the hire car a cost which is borne by the victim's insurer or on the

repair bill, the Competition Commissions say the insurer of the

at-fault driver should handle the claim. It has floated the idea of

capping the costs of repairs. Repairers face xrau criticism by not

completing the work to the required standard but they say they do what

the insurers tell them They do what they are instructed to. In many

cases it may be a repair rather than a replacement. There is a cost-out

approach here. In some cases I'm sure that the repairers aren't happy

with what they are asked to do. So, how could the claims' process

change? Well, the victim of an accident will have to trust the

other driver's insurer. One of the options they are thinking about is

changing the way in which a consumer will deal with a particular insurer.

So, rather than dealing with their own insurer, they may deal with the

insurer of the person who caused the accident.

The Competition Commission believes that the over-charging adds ?8 to

the cost of insuring every car. Deal with that, deal with the much bigger

problem of excessive whiplash claims and it'll help bring down our

insurance bills. The commission will make its final proposals next year.

The Foreign Office says it is extremely concerned by reports that

a British doctor, imprisoned by the Syrian government for more than a

year, has died in custody. Dr Abbas Khan, a 32-year-old orthopaedic

surgeon from south London, was arrested shortly after arriving in

the city of Aleppo. His family says he went to help civilians in a field

hospital in an area controlled by the opposition. Paul Wood sent this

report from neighbouring Lebanon. Dr Abbas Khan went to Syria more

than a year ago to help the civilian victims of the civil war. He had

been in the northern town of Aleppo, just 48 hours, when he was arrested.

There was a huge need here for a skilled orthopaedic surgeon, such as

Dr Abbas. Last November when he arrived, hundreds of people were

being injured in Aleppo every week. But regime sources claim he was

betrayed by doctors on the rebel side, angry he was giving away free

medicines. Whatever the truth of that, he was seized by government

soldiers and taken to a prison in Damascus. In letters home, he said

he was accused of treating dying civilians - that, he said, was

classed as an act of terrorism. He wrote, "My detention has included

repeated beatings, for no other reason than the pleasure of my

captors." He had been forced to beat other prisoners, he said, kept in

squalid conditions, denied access to toilets or medical treatments.

Dr Abbas' death would have been a crushing blow to his family,

whatever the circumstances. But, they'd been told by the Syrian

authorities he was coming home, being released in just a few days'

time. Then an official rang to say he had been found hanged in his

cell. His family say they don't believe it.

One theory - that Dr Abbas was a casualty of a power struggle between

the Syrian president and his own Security Services. Only President

Assad could have ordered his release. The Foreign Office is

seeking urgent clarification from the Syrians about what happened.

Amnesty say 1,000 prison remembers killed in Syrian prisons every year

and it is all, too plausable that a British doctor is among them. Our

main story. Options for Britain's airport expansion. New runways for

Heathrow and Gatwick on the short list. A new airport in the Thames

estuary hasn't been ruled out. The beauty of the Christmas Festival of

nine lessons and carols, and it's prising birthplace. In sport, Rajesh

cyclist Jonathan Tiernan Lock is to face desert disciplinary

proceedings. He denies any wrongdoing and will contest the

charges. Britain's most famous naturalist Sir

David Attenborough hs been a fixture on our television screens for

decades. Today he's been awarded the freedom of the city of Bristol - the

highest honour the city can bestow. The award marks the close

association between Sir David and the BBC's Natural History Unit -

which is based in Bristol. He described the award as a 'great

honour' - not just for him, but for the whole team. Jon Kay watched the

ceremony. From the Amazon rainforest and the Arctic tundra to Bristol's

City Hall. In the council chamber this lunchtime, only political

animals, though. Here to give Sir David Attenborough their highest

honour. He follows Sir Winston Churchill and Lord Nelson as free

men of this city, where so many of his wildlife programmes were

produced. Today, he was typically modest about it. Of course, it isn't

really me, that's the point. It is the BBC natural history unit that is

being honoured. I get a lot of credit for all sorts of things the

unit does which I have little justification for stop but it's a

great honour to represent that unit. I have been lucky in my lifetime to

see some of the greatest spectacles of the natural world. For more than

60 years, he has travelled the globe, first on zoo quest... There,

only a few yards away, we spotted... Then through life on

Earth and frozen planet. His sole object in life at the moment is to

make sure that he and he alone makes with every single one of them. He

has taken us to places and got us closer to nature than we ever

imagined possible. And almost all his hit programmes have been made by

the BBC natural history unit in Bristol. He has the ability to

connect to all ages, from three-year-olds to a -year-olds, in

all territories around the world, because he just draws you into the

fascination of the natural world. Now 87, this freeman of the city of

Bristol says he has no plans to retire. Is there one thing you

haven't done yet? I would love to go to the centre, there are terrific

fossils, it would be extremely unproductive and bad use of the

licence payers money to send me to the centre of the Gobi Desert! From

here come he is filming again for a new series next year.

Police are investigating a suspected terrorist attack in Belfast last

night, when a man was seen running through the city centre with his

clothes on fire. It's thought he may have been carrying an incendiary

device, which caught fire prematurely. Chris Buckler reports.

The middle of Belfast just before Christmas. Filled not with shoppers

but security. Stores had to be evacuated and part of the city

centre closed, all as a result of the latest attack by dissident

republicans. In recent weeks the police had been warning people to be

vigilant and last night in one shop, they watched a man bring a firebomb

through its doors. This guy came in and unbelievably burnt into flames,

just went into flames, we thought there was something going on, he

just ran out of the shop and it turns out there was an incendiary

device he had been hiding under his coat, which inadvertently had gone

off. So-called firebombs word used during the worst years of Ireland's

troubles and the police have returned to old tactics to try and

combat increased threats. Checkpoints are back, but despite

that they are having attacks. On Friday evening, a small bomb

exploded in a part of Belfast busy with people, many of them at bars

and restaurants for Christmas parties. At the end of last month a

substantial car bomb was left outside one of the city's main

shopping centres. When you look at that capability of people who have

the technical knowledge to know how to explode a car bomb, of course we

are concerned about that. But we are also concerned about a new

generation of young, active and violent republican terrorists who

are determined to keep his campaign going. In recent weeks and months,

Republicans opposed to the peace process have fired shots at police

and sent letter bombs to police officers but this Christmas they

seem intent on simply causing widespread fear and disruption. Cars

have now been searched as they going to shopping centres, images that

could be from Christmas in a different occasion in Belfast.

Large-scale gas production or fracking could boost in Britain's

energy security and create thousands of jobs, that's the view of a report

commissioned the government which sets out the economic and

environmental effects of oil and gas at unity. Consultation on it

findings will run into March of next year. One of Britain's largest drug

company 's Glaxo Smith client as it will stop paying doctors to attend

its medical conferences. It was the first big pharmaceutical companies

to take that decision. The decision comes months after the Chinese

authorities opened an investigation into alleged bribery by some of its

employees. The former Conservative peer Lord Henning field is claimed

half the numbers of the House of Lords clock in and out of Parliament

for a few minutes a day in order to claim the ?300 daily attendance

allowance. He made the claim when challenged to explain his own

attendance record. The Daily Mirror alleges that only 11 of 19 occasions

he attended the Lords in July, he spent less than 40 minutes there. A

former personal assistant accused of defrauding Charles Saatchi and

Nigella Lawson has told the court she regularly found white powder and

rolled up banknotes in the TV chef's handbag. Francesca Grillo

told court she found evidence of cannabis being smoked in the

couple's house. Both the sisters today attended court but it was, as

you say, the younger sister Francesca Grillo who today continued

her evidence. She told the court she had never actually seen Nigella

Lawson ever take drugs but she had found remnants of both cannabis and

cocaine in the house. She said that the cannabis she had found after

parties held there, she found some in Nigella Lawson's study and also

in the kitchen. She went on to say she never felt comfortable asking

her about drug use but did ask the children about the cannabis and they

said they had cemented with their mother to help them all get to

sleep. In relation to the cocaine, she told the court that a packet of

cocaine had been found in Miss Lawson's jewellery box, and she

frequently found rolled up banknotes with remnants of cocaine on it. She

went on to say there was one occasion when Miss Lawson came down

into the kitchen and she saw some white powder on her nose. She asked

Mr Lawson what it was, she did was make up.

Australia's cricketers have regained the Ashes after beating England by

150 runs in the third Test. They're now 3-0 up, with two Tests still to

play. And the real danger is that England might be 'whitewashed' and

come home without a single Test victory. The only bright spot was

Ben Stokes scoring his maiden Test century, as Joe Wilson reports from

Perth. Want to see what it means to win the

Ashes after three East great series defeat? Four hours after play

finished, Australia's cricketers out in the middle, sharing the jury that

can only come with overwhelming England. They were held up briefly

on the fifth day in Perth. England's defiance was left to a

22-year-old injustice second Test match, the pillar in England's

rubble. Then Stokes, the first England batsmen to make 100 in the

series. Maybe England have a new all-rounder. He was out for 120, and

the rest followed rapidly. 17 runs and three wickets later, England

were all out, James Anderson the last to go. Mitchell Johnson taking

the wicket, quite appropriately. And England's captain was left to try

and explain how it could go so badly wrong so soon. We haven't had enough

players in form, that is the simple fact, you can't put any more honest

than that. People in the dressing room know that, it hurts like hell

when you say it, when you come into a contest and end up second best, as

a sportsman and especially to admit that it is quite hard. The first

wicket looks like it has been in a Test match. Cracked, torn, maybe

that's goes for England's players too, and there is one school of

thought that suggests, with their squad, they should rip it up and

start again. But there is little point in dropping players if there

is no one better to replace them. It's not easy for Andy flower author

Alastair Cook, his performance has been poor, it looks like his

performance was affected by his batting. There are not a huge amount

of answers, I don't see many waiting from outside this group who could

make a big difference. England's immediate task is to try and stop

this series becoming 5-0. Australia have had to wait a long time to win

again and they rather like it. It's a Christmas tradition enjoyed

by millions the world over. Most associated with the famous carols

from Kings College, Cambridge - the festival of nine lessons and carols

is actually a Cornish invention - and tonight at Truro Cathedral, the

very first service from 1880 will be recreated, as our reporter Nick

Beake reports from England's most westerly Cathedral.

The eyes of millions are on the soloist who has the nerve wracking

honour of starting it off. The choir of King's College Cambridge have

made this festive spectacle their own but it was Cornwall in 1880 that

started this most British Christmas tradition, and today's choir at

Truro Cathedral are bringing the first service pack to life. Back to

life. This is one of the orders of service from 1880 devised by Bishop

Benson. And it is a curious mix. Some pieces are more like musicals

of the time. I know from reading articles from the press at the

time, choral singing was not distinguished in Cornwall at the

time in churches, so we would soon -- weren't seen as too authentic.

Let's see what happens! They may not have recognised this vocal one in

1880, but probably this one. The Truro choristers practice 12 hours a

week. And learning these old pieces has been a rewarding and

challenging. We have two pronounced the edge instead of just saying

rejoiced, and there are odd gaps between the words sometimes. I'm

glad we are doing Handel 's Messiah because I have got a solar but also

because the music is very good. The first service was about getting the

people out of the pubs of Truro and into here. But now their research

suggests this service was a bit like a Christmas present to some very

disgruntled local table who have had their houses knocked down to make

way for the new Cathedral -- local people. They will be hoping there

was no rebellion in the air tonight walloped in 1000 pack the pews to

celebrate this often forgotten Cornish tradition. Time to take you

to the weather now. A lovely day today, a little bit

cooler than of late, but nevertheless, sunny spells out there

and mostly dry. We have some cloud upping and tailing the country as we

speak, but the crowd up into the far North-West, a few showers which will

die back. The cloud in the South-East, a bit of a nuisance,

maybe some more rain through the latter stages of the day. Some sunny

spells coming through, pleasant enough for many. Through this

evening, we start to see the potential for a little more rain

across the South-East and into East Anglia for a time. An early frost,

but only just because some wet and windy weather. To push in from the

west. And that because the southerly wind will lift temperatures in the

South-East towards the end of the night. The talking point will be the

strength of the wind and the rain is the day continues through Wednesday.

Showery outbreaks of rain to start with across Scotland, rather breezy

and temperatures around seven to nine degrees. Rain across the

North-West and down into Wales, the Midlands, eastern England starting

off overcast but largely fine and dry. A mild but windy start in the

south-west and some showery out books of rain steadily pushing their

way east. The main course arrives through the latter stages of

Wednesday, there will be some rain pushing erratically eastwards

through the day and the wind starting to be a feature. The

heavy, intense rainfall arrives through Wednesday afternoon and into

Wednesday evening. As the rain continues to travel further east and

the low-pressure drifts further north, the ice bars squeezing to the

south of that, the potential for 80, even more gusts of wind. That may

well cause some disruption. It's all moved out of the way by Thursday, a

cooler, breezy day with a few showers. No chance to rest on our

laurels as we move towards Friday, the potential for yet more wet and

windy weather to return towards the end of the working week.

Our main story: Options for Britain's airports expansion. New

options for Heathrow and Gatwick are on offer and a ten gesture earbud

hasn't been ruled out. Time to