15/10/2012 BBC News at Six

Today, we're in Edinburgh, where a deal is done to hold a referendum

on Scottish independence. The agreement was signed after weeks of

negotiation by David Cameron and by Scotland's First Minister, Alex

Salmond. It paves the way, of course, for the most important

decision that our country of Scotland has made in several

hundred years. Both sides agree that there'll be a simple yes /no

question, before the vote takes place at the end of 2014.

passionately believe Scotland will be better off in the UK, but

crucially that the UK will be better off with Scotland. We are

better together. We are stronger together. We are safer together.

Also on tonight's programme: A mother and four children killed in

a house fire. Police are treating the blaze as suspicious.

Firefighters say the temperature inside reached 1,000 degrees.

Friends describe a close-knit family. Two boys and a girl died at

the scene. A fourth child died in hospital. Arriving for specialist

medical treatment, the teenage girl shot by the Taliban because she

wanted an education. And the continuing on/off saga of the West

Paula Radcliffe says she will not retire, despite losing her fund

A very good evening. We are live in Edinburgh, where David Cameron and

Alex Salmond have signed an historic agreement to hold a

referendum on Scottish independence. The terms were formally approved

here at St Andrew's House - the headquarters of the Scottish

Government T referendum will take place before the end of 2014 and

will ask voters to answer a single question - a straight yes or no to

independence. The deal allows 16 and 17-year-olds to take part in

the ballot. The Prime Minister and First Minister have both pledged to

respect the final result, a result which could have immense

implications for the rest of the United Kingdom, as our political

editor reports. Does today mark a new dawn for

Scotland? The day when this country took a first important step towards

independence, or just the start of a long political battle which may

change nothing? One man claims to be in no doubt. Alex Salmond thinks

fellow Scots have nothing to fear from voting to go it alone. What a

beautiful day, but we're not scared. David Cameron believes Scots have

plenty to be scared about. He came to Rosyth to stand on top of a none

too subtle symbol - a new aircraft carrier being built for the Royal

Navy in a Scottish dockyard. This is a success story that the whole

of the United Kingdom can take pride in. One thing they agree on

is a need for a vote which everyone on all sides can respect. David

Cameron and Alex Salmond meet today as two leaders in one United

Kingdom. They both know they could in future meet as leaders of two

foreign nations. It is the voters of Scotland who will decide, thanks

to an agreement which transfers the legal power to hold a referendum

from the Parliament in Westminster to the Parliament in Edinburgh. The

two men have agreed on a simple yes/"no" vote on independence. No

other question will be asked. They have agreed it must be held before

December, 2014. Scotland's First Minister believes we're witnessing

history in the making. And it paves the way of course for the most

important decision that our country of Scotland has made in several

hundred years. It's a decision with major implications for the people

of Accrington as well as Aberdeen. This is the year in which Andy

Murray and Chris Hoy wrapped themselves up in the Union Jack.

Why do you want to rip it up? don't want to rip anything up.

We're not in the business of ripping things up. We're in the

business of developing a new relationship between the people of

these islands. I think a more independent relationship. That is

what we're trying to build. People will not be able to vote for what

many say they want. More powers for Scotland, whilst staying within the

UK. David Cameron saw that as an attempt to fudge the real choice.

want to be the Prime Minister that keeps the United Kingdom together.

I believe in showing respect to people of Scotland. They voted for

a party that wanted to have a referendum on independence. I've

made sure showing them respect that we can have that referendum, in a

way that is decisive, legal, that is fair. The agreement reached

today heralds two years of fierce political disagreement to come.

Only one of the two leaders who shock hands in Edinburgh today can

win. Either David Cameron will be the last Prime Minister of a United

Kingdom or Alex Salmond will be the first nationalist, forced to admit

that his people have rejected independence. Well then, that two-

year referendum campaign, in effect starts right now. Those expressing

their view in 2014 will include young people who will be voting for

the very first time. What is their view of independence today? What is

the mood among the wider electorate about Scotland's future?

It is known as the heart of Scotland, and Stirling's political

landscape mirrors that of the wider Scottish electorate w the long-

running debate over independence dividing opinion, even within

families. I will vote for independence. I can still be

persuaded both ways. I am currently a unionist. Scotland has the

education, the welfare and the attitude. We can make a lot more of

that as an independent nation than we can as part of the United

Kingdom. Ing a graualure is a big part of

the economy and while farmers here think the SNP has done well in

Government, it seemed unconvinced about independence. The SNP has

done well agricultural side. It is a petty they are determined to

divorce, as it were. I don't know if independence is the way to go.

Yes, if we get a loyal revenue that sound good. We'll also get a chunk

of the national debt. Around one- third of voters are in favour of

independence. That leaves a large swathe of the population undecided.

There are some really complex issues they will have to grapple

with ahead of that vote. Will Scotland be richer or poorer if it

became independent? How would the national debt be divided up? How

would the Armed Forces be split? Could an independent Scotland

remain a member of the EU? If you ask, have people engaged with these

issues - I think the answer is no. They have thought about them a

little bit. In that sense there are a lot of issues that people have

not thought about yet. 16 and 17 year olds will, for the first time,

get to vote. It is a close fight - their voices could make a

difference. 16 and 17-year-olds they are mature and stuff, but they

don't know enough about politics. All the policies will affect

everyone. Surely it should be like, it would be fair for us to have a

say on what's going on in our own lives. In two years' time Scots

will have their skai on whether 300 years of -- say on whether 300

years of union. With me here in Edinburgh is the

BBC Scotland political editor. You have followed this in such detail,

the negotiations have gone on for a while, we've had the formal

handshake today - when you looked at the words of the agreement, what

struck you? We have the rules and the regulations for the referendum.

That sound dry and dull - it is not. There is more to it than that. The

Governments by agreeing the rules and regulations, are also agreeing

they will respect the outcome, whatever it is. In fact it is not

just implicit, it is explicit n the final paragraph of that agreement,

they say clearly that both Governments agree to accept the

mandate of the Scottish people. That means that David Cameron is

accepting he is taking a calculated risk and accepting the people of

Scotland can say no to the union, yes to independence and he will

have to work with that. It means Alex Salmond is accepting that

should the people of Scotland vote to stay with the Union, he accepts

that and works with it, works with the grain. If you like, today is

about momentum. It is about the political process being concluded

and passed over into the hands of the Scottish people. Good thank.

More from Edinburgh later in the programme. Back to you.

Thank you. Four children and their mother have

died after a house fire in Essex. The children's father, Abdul

Shakour, a doctor at a local hospital, fought to save his family

and is now being treated in hospital. Our correspondent is at

the scene for us in Harlow. George, this is a very sombre

neighbourhood tonight and the shock has been made that much worse with

the idea that this fire may have been started deliberately.

All but one of the people in this photograph is now dead. Sabah

Usmani was mother to Haris Sohail, Rayyan, who was six and nine-year-

old Muneeb. Only the youngest daughter survived. Abdul Shakour,

who is a doctor was in the house too. Police say he fought bravely,

in terrible conditions, to save his family. He is being treated for

severe smoke inhalation. Scorched walls and blackened windows tell

the story. Rescue teams described it as incredibly intense, but

spread quickly. One of the reasons, police believe it may have been set

deliberately. I pledge to use whatever resources are necessary to

find out exactly what has happened and, if appropriate, bring those

responsible to justice. We do believe the answers to this

inquiry could lie within the local community of Harlow, who we are

encouraging to come forward and speak with us.

Fire crews, with braething apparatus, fought their way through

intense heat to retrieve those trapped. Outside, they tried to

resuscitate them. Three of the children and the mother died at the

scene. A fourth child died in hospital. Barn Mead is a quiet

street in Harlow. Last night, it witnessed an inferno. Essex Fire

and Rescue were called at 1.43am. Fire crews were on the scene three

minutes later. They found the building well alight and nearby a

Ford Focus car was on fire and with it some luggage also burning.

fire is, where life is lost, is traumatic. Where it is a high loss

of life, particularly children, it is awful. The crews fought through

punishing conditions. We have talking temperatures in excess of

1,000 degrees. This was an exceptionally hot fire. Friends of

the family too are trying to deal with the trauma of what happened to

Sabah Usmani and her children. was very kind and gentle. That's

why I'm very shocked about what happened to them. All the family is

gone. The burnt-out car has now been removed as part of what will

be a prolonged and intensive examination into how this fire

started and who was responsible. Well, tonight Dr Shakour, who has

lost five members of his family, is described as deeply traumatised.

Police say there is no evidence at this stage it was a racist attack.

This is still a very early stage of the investigation. The Pakistani

teenage whore was shot in the head by the Taliban because she --

teenager who was shot in the head by the Taliban because she

campaigned for education for girls has arrived in Britain. She is

being treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

From there our correspondent reports. After almost a week of

emergency treatments at a military hospital in ralpin di Malala

Yousafzai arrives here in Britain. The decision finally taken she was

stable enough for the long journey. The air ambulance touched down in

Birmingham this afternoon. She was soon on her way to a specialist

hospital in the city. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital treats British

soldiers, wounded in places like Afghanistan.

She will be assessed here by a range of specialists, including

neurosurgery, imaging specialists and other teams. She has come here

for the expertise we have. Malala Yousafzai was well known for

speaking out against the Pakistan Taliban. In particular its campaign

to stop girls going to school in her home region, the Swat Valley.

She started to write a diary for the BBC Three years ago when the

Taliban controlled the valley. Last week, the militants took their

revenge, shooting her in the head. The attack has sparked angry

demonstrations in Pakistan. People here and around the world,

horrified at the targeting of such There has been an attempt to close

down that area. We will try to ensure young people have a proper

education and in supporting Malala. What William Hague also emphasise

is that the Pakistan Government will pay for all of Malala's

treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. That treatment could last

for many weeks. Now, but girl who dared take its stand against the

Taliban in Pakistan, is dependent on the skills of British doctors

for her recovery. The BBC's Director General has

agreed to appear before MPs who are looking at the corporation's

handling of the Jimmy Savile scandal. George Entwistle is likely

to face questions about who knew what, and when, about allegations

that Savile molested young girls on BBC premises. With the detail

here's Nick Higham. Hello ladies. A fortnight after the

first allegation surface Jimmy Savile did at more than flirt with

middle aged ladies, it has gone to the House of Commons. It was up to

the BBC, to conduct inquiries into Savile's inquiries. These are

serious matters which have wide- ranging implications for a number

of public institutions, not just the BBC. It is crucial we

understand what went wrong and how it can be put right. The Commons

was told the BBC's director general is to give evidence to the Culture

Secretary next week. It united the house. Everyone has been sickened

by the abuse perpetrated by Jimmy Savile, and it is impossible to

overstate the suffering he caused to those he abused. What has

deepened the revulsion is this happened at the BBC - an

institution so loved and trusted. It has cast a stain on the BBC.

Scotland Yard what following three Conlon 40 lines of investigation in

the Savile abuse case and are in touch with 14 other police forces.

There may be as many as 60 victims. Today, the youngest came forward,

the former Boyce doubt he was nine when he claims he was molested by a

Savile in the dressing room of Jim'll Fix It. Kevin Cook from

Essex spoke to the sun. We have disguised his voice. He led me

through some corridors, we went into a dingy dressing-room and that

is where it took place. He sat me down on the chair and stood in

front of me and that is where he assaulted me. The Government's has

dismissed calls for a further public inquiry.

Our top story tonight: The agreement is signed to hold a

referendum on Scottish independence with a simple yes-no question.

Coming up: Policing our streets - what difference will the new Police

Virgin Trains is being asked to continue to run services on the

West Coast Main Line while the Department of Transport sorts out

the mess in its bidding process. Our transport correspondent,

Richard Westcott reports. Two months ago the famous Virgin logo

was about to disappear from our trains. Now it is set to return.

The company was told it had lost the West Coast contract to rivals,

FirstGroup. Now the Government has asked it back. We are commencing in

the decisions with Virgin Rail Group with a view to them remaining

as operator for passenger services on the West Coast Main Line.

Subject to ensuring value for money for the tax payer, I expect this to

last for around nine to 30 months. The Government has been in a mess

ever since it abandoned the West Coast deal this month after making

terrible mistakes with its sums. Now it has got to plug a three-year

gap before the next long terms -- deal is signed. EU laws means they

cannot just and the contract over. Instead, Virgin has been as to keep

things running for the next nine to 13 months. Ministers will award a

short-term franchise lasting two years and open to everyone. The

final deal won't be signed until at least 2000 of 15, after the General

Election. Labour went on the attack. Now the Government have had a

humiliating climbdown. Their franchising policy is in a mess.

Nobody knows what will happen over the next couple of years to the

West Coast Main Line and who will end up running it. The timetable to

run the West Coast Main Line is confusing. We may end up with three

different companies in charge over the next three years. But the

Government insists that the passengers, services won't be

affected, so we may get a different logo, but the timetable, trains and

the first will stay the same. Passengers in Manchester are

unhappy about the way it has been handled. It has been a fiasco. It

is terrible that taxpayers will have to pick up the bill. Meanwhile,

the whole franchise process is on hold while the Government waits for

two major reviews into what went wrong.

The Home Secretary has told MPs the Government plans to withdraw from

many of the European Union police and criminal justice measures.

There are around 130 of them. They include the European arrest

warrants which speeds up extradition, the sharing of data

and joist investigations between police forces across Europe. --

joint investigations. James, as I understand it, the

Government might opt back into some of these measures, what is going

on? It is all about who controls the way crime is fought and justice

is dispensed across the European Union. Prosecutors, police and the

courts have co-operated with their European counterparts, sharing

information and extraditing suspects. But it is on a case-by-

case basis. Under the Lisbon Treaty it will be given to the EU

decision-making structures. No national vetoes are the judges in

Luxembourg get involved. Theresa May said we will opt out and then

opt back into some measures where she thinks some measures are a good

thing. The Tories cannot decide where to opt back in, the European

Commission will have to agree and the whole process might cost a lot

of money. Tonight, some Tory MPs are hailing this as the first stage

of repatriating powers from Brussels to London. We're not there

yet. With less than a month to go before

the first ever elections for police commissioners in England and Wales,

there are warnings that turn-out could be the lowest in electoral

history. Commissioners will be responsible for holding each force,

outside London, to account, but as our Home Editor, Mark Easton

reports, some fear the influence of party politics on local policing.

The idea is to make police in England and Wales directly

accountable to voters by electing a police and crime permission for

each force outside London. In tis a new role invented by the Government

to oversee the police forces. Thames Valley, whoever wins on

November 15th will represent more than 2 million people from high-

crime areas in urban centres, to isolated rural hamlets. Police and

Crime Commissioners replaced the unelected police authorities,

holding police to account on behalf of voters, with the power to hire

and fire the Chief Constable. They will be paid between 65,100 �1,000

a year. They will set out priorities for the force area.

Should the police do more or less of this kind of stuff? One have you

been up to? Nothing. Should more or less money be spent on this kind of

policing, out in the countryside? When we asked local neighbourhoods

what is the most important priority, most say antisocial behaviour. But

some say Hall cursing. That is what we have across the large area.

you excited about voting for a police and crime Commissioner?

not know what it is involving. have not got any comment. I am not

sure. I have not read anything in the press or know anything about it.

Amid fears turn out might be less than 20%, a thrusting events in

Didcot's Community law invited several guests. Several of the

candidates did not make it. On the Clapham, there was cross-party

representation. Each of you is affiliated to a political party

Bostock how can we ensure there will then not be undue party

political influence. It emerged an independent has pulled out of the

race. It is stacked against independent candidates, party

political machining is huge. A lot of card-carrying members.

Government points out all members swear impartiality. If turnout is

as low as predicted, some question whether PCC will be able to claim

the Democratic mandate. And to find a full list of

candidates standing in your area you can go to the BBC website.

That's it from me, let's return to our main story, the deal on a

referendum on Scottish independence and go back to Huw, in Edinburgh.

Welcome back to Edinburgh where the First Minister, Alex Salmond, and

Prime Minister, David Cameron, have signed an agreement setting out the

terms for a referendum on Scottish independence. It'll happen by the

end of 2014, with a single yes-no on Scotland leaving the UK.

All the other option to stay within it. Our Political Editor, Nick

Robinson, has been following developments through the day and

he's with me here now. Curious thing today, when you think of the

stakes, it was very understated? Low-key, polite and respectful. The

real reason, I think both men realise that this great decision

that has to be taken about the future of the UK and the future of

Scotland, shouldn't end up in the courts. It is best decided in a

referendum all sides can agree on. It won't be a Tory, English Prime

Minister and a Scottish nationalist First Minister, the Liberal

Democrats or joined the Tories in campaigning against independence.

David Cameron did not want to be prepared -- portrayed as the man

stopping the Scots Parliament making its proper decision. What he

did want to do was to make sure Alex Salmond had no wriggle room,

no third option, no vote on whether there should be more powers for the

Scottish Parliament. He is willing to give Alex Salmond pretty much

anything else to guarantee a boat he is convinced he will win, and

the Scottish people will vote against independence. But as the

vote and the campaign begins, that courtesy and politeness will go.

This will be a vicious, political battle. All of these events are

happening in bright sunshine in 25 years ago tonight, the great

storm was about to hit. Tonight, there will be some spells of rain

and wind. Overnight, things go downhill across the West of England

and Wales. Then it will grind to a hold across parts of Northern

Ireland, northernmost parts of England and southern Scotland. The

northern part of Scotland stay in dry. There will be a frost.

Sunshine across the far north. But in the borders and down across

Northern Ireland and the North of England, cold and bleak. Very windy

across parts of North Wales and the North Midlands. Breezy across other

southern areas as we start the day. Lots of sunshine. The best of the

sunshine and the strongest of the wind will tend to subside. A few

showers across the northern Western Isles. But through the central zone

it is cloudy and damp. Temperatures in some places no higher than six

or seven degrees. Further south, in the sunshine it will feel pleasant.

14 or 15. Variety across the UK bus stop things will change later in

the week as well. Low-pressure spins itself up and rain will surge

across parts of the country. Wet weather, which is not good news

because the ground is already saturated. Eventually it will make

its way to Scotland. Brightening up behind with some sunshine but the