29/10/2013 BBC News at Six

Feeling the heat, bosses from the big energy companies face MPs'

questions about their profits. They blame rising cost for bigger bills

and say they make less money than many other major retailers. It's

less than supermarkets make. It's a fraction of what mobile phone

companies make. Although I do accept the point, it's still a big number.

Will have the reaction of those facing higher bills. These Big Six,

they have got it sewn up well, haven't they, to be fair to them.

They really have. We will look at the numbers to see if the energy

bosses have a case. Also tonight: A six figure settlement for the woman

in charge when Baby Peter died after months of abuse. Tougher sentences

for dog attacks England and Wales. If a victim dies it could be 14

years. Thousands of Syrians flee a Damascus suburb that has been under

siege for months. A BBC team watched the exodus. After battering Britain,

how the St Jude storm went on to lash northern Europe. On the sport.

Braun Brawn is set to leave his role as Mercedes team principle at the

end of the F1 season. Good evening and welcome to the

BBC's news at six. Senior executives from Britain's big energy firms have

been defending their pricing polling cyst this afternoon. They have been

facing some stiff questioning from MPs who have been asking them to

justify the profits they make. It follows the recent rise in energy

bills. Four of the energy companies have announced average price rises

of 9.1% that takes the average dual fuel to more than ?1400 a year. Our

energy -- are energy bills fair, do we get to good deal or are the Big

Six firms ripping off consumers. MPs wanted answers. How can these

profits be fair when people cannot afford to pay for their energy? If I

don't make a # 5% profit in my business, I can't afford to continue

employing my 20,000 people, which are equally members of our society

in Britain. I can't afford to operate the company. It's less than

supermarkets make. It's a fraction of what mobile phone companies make.

The energy giants were asked why prices had gone up by similar

amounts at roughly the same time. They listed rising wholesale gas and

electricity costs, once more a rival was unconvinced. I have been

somewhat confused by looking at the explanations for the price rises in

the past three or four weeks from some of our competitors because we

don't see nearly the same impact, especially on wholesale comodity

prices. Prices make up half our energy bill. The industry regulator

say it is accounts for around ?610 of an average annual dual fuel bill.

It claims the costs are up just 1.7% over the past year. Now, the firms

disagree. They say they have seen price rises of between 4% and 8%.

They claim Ofgem's figures are flawed. The firms also blame the

Government's social and green policies for pushing up bills. They

claim it would be fairer for consumers if some of that was paided

through the tax system. It should be out of the bill completely and put

into general taxation. I actually agree with that. It is a regressive

poll tax, stealth poll tax, essentially. If they are lifted,

would you pass on the saving that you incur in total to your

customers? Yes. Unquestionably yes. Yes. Yes. At this bowling club near

Cardiff, the bosses' performance and the prospects of a reduction in

bills didn't convince many. They were giving different conflicting

figures. They keep on going up. I feel the Government should step in

and do something about it. It's a very complicated market, obviously.

These Big Six, they have got it sewn up well, haven't they? This session

may have produced more heat than light, but the spotlight on the Big

Six firms shows no sign of fading away. John is with me now. Will the

energy bosses have persuaded any of their many critics? We heard from

our unofficial focus group in Cardiff, they weren't convinced by

their performance. My impression was that the MPs weren't that convinced

either. What the companies did manage to do, I think, they got

across the sense that they have invested a lot in Britain in recent

years and many of the costs they have been hit with are outside of

their control. There are some moments in the session when there

were big disco nexts going on between the MPs and the bosses

themselves, particularly on wholesale prices. It is a big part

of our bill. One of the small splayers saying, I don't recognise

the rises the companies have been talking about. They generate power

and sell it to themselves. The MPs were requesting about how

transparent the process was and the resulting profits that come out of

it. If there is good news for all of us, the companies are engaged in

this business of reforming and changing these green and social

levies. The Prime Minister told us he would roll back the green levies,

last week in parliament. The companies today said they will pass

on those reductions if thats happens. I think, in a funny way,

today increases the pressure on Government to deliver on all of this

in the coming weeks. Thank you. There is widespread condemnation of

a six-figure settlement to the former head of Children's Services

in the London borough where Baby Peter died after months of abuse.

The Health Minister has called it "shocking." Sharon Shoesmith is

thought to be in line to receive hundreds of thousands of pounds

after the Court of Appeal ruled her dismissal in 2008 was unfair. Peter

Connelly died in the most appalling of circumstances. His little body

had suffered more than 50 injuries at the hands of his abusers. For

months he had been on the radar of social services and other agencies.

They all failed to protect him. As head of Children's Services at

Haringey, Sharon Shoesmith had been a high flying local government

executive with a salary to match. The Baby P scandal ruined her

reputation and her career. She hasn't worked since. My first

priority is to put in place a new leadership and management team in

Haringey children services. Ed Balls removed Sharon Shoesmith from her

position, today he defended that decision and criticised her payout.

I would do the same again. My duty was the safety of children. The idea

there should be substantial payoff for an individual who failed in that

way, frankly, I find shocking. The criticism has been reflected across

the political spectrum. A six-figure sum, I'm afraid a lot of people will

feel this is rewarding failure. It's really not appropriate. Shame on

this country. The the atmosphere after Baby P's death was (inaudible)

there was pressure for officials to be held to account. A week after Ed

Balls intervention, Haringey Council sacked Sharon Shoesmith without

compensation. Inspectors from Ofsted described the Haringey childrens

department in the worse they have seen. Her employers ran rough shot

over proper procedure. The Appeal Court ruled her dismissal was both

unfair and unlawful. An employment lawyer says she has every right to a

payoff. If a duff decision was made to take away her job, her position,

that may be an answer as to how she managed to achieve something of the

order of ?600,000, as she appears to have done. On a social media site

tonight Sharon Shoesmith said children had been her life's work

and she hopes to continue in some capacity. The steel manufacturer

Tata u is to cut 500 jobs at its plants in Scunthorpe, Workington and

Teesside. The company said weak demand for steel in the construction

industry was to blame. Most of the jobs, 340, are expected to go in

Scunthorpe. The maximum sentence for dog owners whose pet is involved in

a fatal attack is to be increased from two to 14 years. Ministers are

also going to close a loophole which prevents prosecution where the

attack takes place at home or on private property. This was the

animal which led a pack of dogs which killed a 14-year-old girl,

Jade Anderson was savaged by the four dogs in a house in Wigan.

Because she died on private property, the dog's owner, seen

here, couldn't be prosecuted for the death. Now, her stepfather, Michael,

has welcomed today's Government move to make dog-related sentences much

tougher. If it could be more, I think it should be more. 14 years

is, you know, for someone's life, you know your dog is out of control,

they lose their lives, it's not just that person, it is everyone around

that that it it affects. Dog attack on five police officers in London

was filmed. Sentences for owners will, for the first time, also apply

on private land. Dog attacks in people's homes can also be

prosecuted. The sentence changes which apply to England and Wales

mean owners could get 14 years in prison instead of two if their dog

kills someone. Other dog attacks could lead to a five-year sentence.

Attacks on assistance dogs could mean three years in jail, instead of

six months now. There are, for instance, the arrange of escalating

penalties, starting at relatively low level which nip issues of

anti-social behaviour with dogs in the bud early. Necessary, they will

escalate and we need maximum penalties like these. In Southampton

today we came across a number of owners with more powerful breeds.

Most said their dogs were not dangerous and didn't need more

controls. If you have got a dog you know is aggressive or something,

then you should take proper precautions to make sure it doesn't

do... Attack someone or another dog. I have a fiesty dog. It's down to me

to make sure everyone is safe when he is out. The key reason why the o

Government wants to get stuff over -- tough over this is the sheer

scale of the problem. Since 2005, 16 people have died as a result of

their injuries. Some have suggested the Government overreacted to dog

attacks with its new sentencing policy. It's very unlikely that the

higher sentences will ever be used very often at all. There is already

a maximum sentence of two years under the Dangerous Dogs Act. The

reason people don't get custody for these offences is that the

circumstances just don't deserve a custodial sentence. The new

sentences won't apply to people whose dogs attack burglars, they are

a message that with ownership comes responsibility. The jury's been

sworn in the hacking trial for the former News of the World editor

Rebekah Brooks and seven other defendants, including Andy Coulson,

also a former News of the World editor and Head of Communications at

Number Ten. We can speak to our correspondent Tom Symonds. The judge

has been laying down some clear guidelines for this case? He has. Mr

Justice Saunders told the jury that the defendants in this case were, in

some cases, well-known public figures. The case against them had

to be decided on the evidence in court. There had been an

unprecedented coverage about hacking and some had been inaccurate, ill

informed and abusive. He picked up in particular on private eye which

published its November edition with a picture of Rebekah Brooks on the

front cover. Police have been to speak to a vendor of Private Eye,

quite close to the court, the Attorney General has said he does

not regard the front cover of that magazine as breaching the court

rules, even though the judge said it was in exceptionally bad taste. The

case is expected to start proper tomorrow when the jury hear the

opening statement from the prosecution. Thank you. In Syria,

thousands of civilians have been fleeing a suburb of the capital

Damascus which has been under siege by government forces for months.

Opposition fighters say the government tried to starve the

people into submission. Our chief international correspondent, Lyse

Doucet, has just sent this report from the area. A tied of people --

tide of people took to this road today, fleeing homes where they have

lived under siege for nine long months. Some now too weak to walk.

All exhausted by their ordeal. Syrian troops sealed off this area,

where rebel fighters had taken control, telling them, surrender or

starve. Civilians paid the price. TRANSLATION: Thank God we are out.

Look, my body is shaking. There was no food. We had to eat grass. They

wouldn't let us leave. These are the last of the civilians who were

trapped inside this town since March. Only a few,000 people were

able to escape. Nothing was getting in, no medical supplies, not even

food. One Syrian said, you couldn't even get a piece of bread inside the

town. Less than 10 miles from the capital, children died from

starvation. Residents had sent out messages begging the world to help.

Aid agencies called for urgent access for months. The government

finally agreed. Civilians could leave, whoever stays, they say, is

the enemy. They are terrorists. Now we take the

civilians to safe places. Then those people are not our responsibility,

they are terrorists. Women, children, the elderly were

taken to a shelter. Men were separated from their families to be

questioned about their involvement in the fight. In the home they left

behind, the battle will now intensify.

Our top story this evening: The big six energy companies defend price

hikes before a committee of MPs - they blame rising costs and say they

don't earn as much as other retailers.

And where Monday's storm went after it left Britain - Europe counts the

cost. In Sportsday on BBC News: A busy

night of League Cup action - Arsenal face Chelsea replace in

quarterfinals, Wayne Rooney is expected to be rested as Manchester

United welcome Norwich to Old Trafford.

There was another twist today in the troubled journey to deliver the HS2

rail project. In its latest business case, the Government has slightly

scaled back the likely economic benefits of the scheme. If it goes

ahead, HS2 will link London to Birmingham by 2026. Later it will go

on to the north of England. The cost is estimated at more than ?40

billion. Ministers say HS2 will still bring massive benefits to the

country. From Manchester, our transport correspondent, Richard

Westcott, sent this report. It would be Britain's most expensive

building project, cutting through great swathes of the country. But is

HS2 worth the money? They don't know the value of the businesses that

will be destroyed. John will take some convincing. The line will floor

his 150 year-old oak tree and wipe out his farm. Government figures

tell you half the story. They are trying to convince you that it will

benefit us all, HS2, but they are not taking into the amount that it

will destroy on its construction and it ripped through the countryside.

This is the journey the trains would take through John's farm. The final

budget for HS2 is more than ?42 billion, but there has been a drop

in the predicted benefits. The benefit now say it will generate

?2.30 for every ?1 it cost, down from ?2.50 earlier in the year. I

don't think we have learned anything new today. I think we roughly know

the costs and benefits of this project. I think that the benefits

remain relative to the cost, and there are probably other ways we

could better spend the money. At the government insists is HS2 will

breathe new life into rundown parts of Britain. This is Old Oak Common,

right now a train depot in one of the most deprived parts of London.

If they build HS2, this area will be transformed, turning into one of the

five busiest train stations in the country. Fresh off a slightly slower

train to Manchester, the Transport Secretary told me he must convince

his own chancellor he is on top of the budget. The idea there is a

blank cheque, George Osborne does not give the a blank cheque. The

money we have set aside has a proper Contin Jim see in it, and I believe

it will be below that price. -- has a proper contingency in it. One of

the main arguments against is that many business meetings will be held

on in future. At this IT firm says that the scheme will help their

business. We work closely with our customers, and that is important, we

want to work with them face-to-face, we need to be on their premises and

there is an expectation that we would be, we become so regret part

is in the business. With Labour openly questioning, the future of

HS2 and the land it will cross is not known.

Well, as well as the economic impact over HS2, there's also major

political issue around the project, which was first announced under the

Labour Government. Let's go live to our deputy political editor, James

Landale, who's at Westminster. HS2 was actually Labour 's idea, are

they having second thoughts? Clearly all of the mood music from Labour is

sceptical - no blank cheques, keep control over the cost, rake sure you

know the benefits. But that is not the same thing as saying they will

definitely vote against this eventually. Labour is trying to use

HS2 to try to show voters that they can be careful with taxpayers'

money, which polls suggest is clearly a work in progress. If they

opposed HS2 about right, there would be a substantial political cost, not

least there would be a lot of angry Labour council leaders in the

Midlands and the north. They are angry already. Tonight, the leader

of Birmingham City council has written on behalf of seven other

Labour council leaders, Manchester and elsewhere, saying that if you

carry on with these negative images of HS2, there will be, I quote,

protracted conflict in public treat those readers and the Labour Party.

A warning for Labour to fall into line. At the moment, studied

ambiguity. A former driver for the BBC has been

found dead in his London home on the day he was due in court to face sex

offence charges involving a 12-year-old boy. David Smith's trial

was to have been the first after arrests by police as part of

Operation Yewtree. That operation followed the Jimmy Savile scandal.

Our home affairs correspondent June Kelly is here. Just give us the

background, June? When David Smith failed to turn up at court and

failed Giroud bond to form calls, the police went to his flat, knock

down the door and found him dead -- failed to respond to phone calls. We

are told that the cause of death is not suspicious that it will not be

made public until the inquest opens. David Smith faced multiple

charges of sexually abusing a 12 year-old in 1984, this was made

after the Jimmy Savile scandal came out, but there was no link between

David Smith and Jimmy Savile. Because there is no trial, we can

say that he was a prolific offender with 22 convictions for sex offences

against young boys going back to 1966. He has been described

throughout as a BBC driver, the BBC survey has no record of him ever

being employed by the Corporation. Two more arrests today under

Operation Yewtree, a man of 64 and a man of 74, ringing to 16 the number

of people detained. The family of Ben Needham, the

two-year-old who went missing on the Greek island of Kos 22 years ago,

say they are disappointed that the young man who came forward and was

DNA tested is not Ben. The man, who was filmed at a Roma church service

on Cyprus and presented himself to authorities, was said to have

similar features to a computer-generated image of how Ben

may now look. A letter bomb addressed to Northern

Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers has been intercepted at Stormont

Castle. Staff were evacuated after the device was discovered in the

post room earlier today. Let's speak to Chris Buckler, who's at Stormont

for us this evening. What is are the details of this

incident which have emerged? Four letter bombs have been discovered in

as many days, all of their intended destinations indicate that dissident

republicans were probably responsible. The latest was found at

Stormont Castle, this is where the First Minister and Deputy First

Minister have their offices, as well as Northern Ireland Secretary,

Theresa Villiers. The package was addressed to her. She was not here,

but the First Minister was removed from his office as the device was

made safe. Devices have been sent to the Chief Constable and an officer

of the public prosecution. It has caused consternation unconcern, it

is putting postal workers in danger and it also indicates a spike in

dissident republican activity, something the police are worried

about. The south and East of England got

back on its feet today after being hit by storm St Jude. More than

50,000 homes are still without power this evening mainly in East Anglia

and Essex. There were also some continuing problems on the rail

network today. St Jude itself has moved on to cause problems across a

large swathe of northern Europe as Jeremy Cooke reports.

After the storm, the hard work. Emergency crews on the case through

the night and all day, getting on with the job of reconnecting the

600,000 properties cut off by the storm. Most homes and businesses

have the lights back on, but some, like these shops, are still off the

grid more than 24 hours after the events. For them, it is all still

costing money. This cafe has been closed for business, again.

Yesterday I thought, OK, a few hours, but right through until

today, tonight? It is ridiculous. The crews are tried in. -- trying.

Hopefully. No choice but to throw out spoiled stock. Next door, this

couple is dealing with a candle crisis. That is the last candle. I

don't want to break the news, but that is pathetic. But it is still a

source of light. At the station, they are not

laughing. These commuters are hoping normal service would be resumed. No

such luck. There are no trains. I can understand all forgive

yesterday, but today is not good enough. I pay ?4000 each year, I

thoroughly understood why could not got it yesterday but I think there

has been plenty of time to repair and I am astonished.

Storm St Jude has crossed to the continent, bringing down trees among

the canals of Amsterdam. Creating chaos on the streets of muscles.

Just walking through town was a risky, sometimes painful business.

-- on the streets of Russells. And here is a Brazilian riding perhaps

the biggest wave ever surfed. This is off the coast of Portugal. A

remarkable event. And now the weather: Thankfully,

things are returning to normal. We have had an joint and showers, but

we will lose the show tonight, and with clear skies it will be very

cold. A starry night with the risk of frost. We will keep some showers

across northern and western areas, they will lose their intensity, most

places having a dry night. Towns and cities will see temperatures

dropping to five or six degrees, but in the countryside we see our lowest

temperatures. We can even get just below freezing, minus one, to start

tomorrow morning. A chilly start tomorrow, any places will be dry and

bright with early-morning sunshine. But the cloud and the rain is

arriving across Northern Ireland to the first part of the morning,

heading to the West of Scotland, Wales and the West of England for

the afternoon. Generally staying dry across the south-east corner. The

winds will be picking up, especially across the North West of Scotland,

web is the risk of dust of about 60 mph, along with some pretty heavy

rainfall parts of Southwest Scotland. -- there is the risk of

dust is of about 60 mph. Some of the rain can be heavy at times across

the south-west corner. Whilst we can't rule out a future was around

the south-east coast of England, for many it will stay dry, fine and

bright and top temperatures of around 14 degrees. That band of rain

could linger for a time in the south-east corner on Thursday. A

mixture of sunshine and showers behind it, a fairly breezy day with

a top temperature of ten to 15 degrees. It looks like it will stay

unsettled with more wet and windy weather for Friday and even into the

weekend. That's all from us. Now the news

where you are.