27/03/2014 BBC News at Six


27/03/2014

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scathing criticism by the energy watchdog the companies are accused

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of raising prices more quickly than they cut them. There is clear

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evidence that profits have risen and prices have risen and competition

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has not worked as well as it should. The companies are warning that the

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two-year investigation could lead to low investment and blackouts. Also

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tonight: Alarming and unacceptable weaknesses, the official verdict on

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the way the police in England and Wales handle domestic violence. How

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fat has become the new normal and most people don't realise they are

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overweight. A design for life, scientists create the most complex

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manmade DNA yet which could revolutionise medicine. Everybody

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take a look at me, I have got credibility. And why the Education

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Secretary Michael Gove started rapping '80s style.

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On BBC London: Britain's top cop calls for a change in the law to

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help make the Met more diverse. And confirmation that Crossrail will be

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extended west to Reading by 2019. Good evening and welcome to the BBC

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News at Six. The UK's major energy companies are to face a full-scale

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investigation into whether customers are getting a fair deal. They have

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been referred to the Competition and Markets Authority by the energy

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watchdog Ofgem following public criticism and political pressure

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over soaring bills. The watchdog revealed the retail profits from the

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big firms for supplying gas and electricity have quadrupled, going

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up from ?233 million in 2009 to more than ?1 billion in 2012. But

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companies argue that a lengthy inquiry will delay investment and

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could lead to blackouts. Our business correspondent John Moylan

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reports. Soaring energy prices last autumn

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led to a fierce political row. It dominated the headlines and left to

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trust in the big suppliers at an all-time low. Now the regulator

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wants to clear the air by lodging a full competition inquiry. There is

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evidence that profits have risen and prices have risen and competition

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has not worked as well as it should. On that basis it is vital to build

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trust in consumers, to persuade them the price they are going to pay for

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their energy is fair. A full investigation that clears the air,

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that looks at all areas of the sector, it is the best way to

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restore trust. The move follows a review of the market that found that

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levels of switching are down in recent years with customers failing

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to look for a better deal. Evidence of tacit coordination in the timing

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and sizing of prices and the fact customers face higher prices than

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those who shop around. Richard Jackson thinks it is time the

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industry got back on track, despite switching energy supplier he is

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still not convinced he is getting the best deal. I personally feel

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very annoyed and confused when I am looking through the tariffs and I do

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not feel I should have to switch every six months or a year in order

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to find I am on a decent deal. This investigation could lead to a

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fundamental shake-up in the UK's energy industry because 15 years

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after the market was fully opened up the competition, 95% of households

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still get their energy from six big suppliers and those same sex firms

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account for 70% of all the electricity generated in Britain.

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Labour wants to freeze prices and reform the market, but today the

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Government insisted a full investigation was the best option.

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This is not a quick fix, but is the right way to restore people's trust

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that the energy market is working for their benefit. It is the right

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way to create long-term certainty for investment. Instead of defending

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the big six, why doesn't he just enforce a price freeze right now?

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But Britain needs billions to be invested in new power plants to keep

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the lights on. The boss of the biggest supplier of years this probe

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could put that investment on hold. If we do not get new power stations

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built, there is a risk at certain times of the year or at certain

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hours we will have to have some form of demand constraint and that is bad

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news for customers. This investigation is a landmark moment

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that could change our energy landscape for ever. With me now is

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our political editor Nick Robinson. Politicians from all sides are

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talking a lot about the need to reduce energy costs, welcoming this

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investigation, but can they make any difference in actually getting

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prices down? They can, but not quickly. This will not be a quick

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fix. It does not mean days, weeks or months, he means years. This is not

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an investigation into prices, it is potentially restructuring major

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industries and major shareholding stakes and huge numbers of jobs as

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well. In the meantime the Government says we can do other things, we can

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increase competition, we can cut some green taxes. Labour says none

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of that is good enough, you need a price freeze imposed on all of the

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companies. That is the only way that the pain will be reduced in the

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short and medium-term. What is interesting is sometimes people

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think none of their complaints make any difference. What has happened

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here is consumer pressure has affected politicians, the regulator

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and the companies. It may take time, but it is beginning to change. Three

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women are killed every fortnight by their current or ex-partner, but

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thousands of victims are being failed by police forces across

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England and Wales according to a new report. The HM Inspectorate of

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Constabulary strongly criticised the response from police forces saying

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they reveal "alarming and unacceptable weaknesses". The Home

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Secretary Theresa May says she will personally chair a new monitoring

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group to make sure every police force changes the way it handles

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domestic violence. Our home affairs correspondent June Kelly has more.

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One police force's Internet campaign against domestic violence. They are

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actors, but the 999 call is real. What is going on? How many children

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have you got? Four years eve of Thomas was beaten by her husband.

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The abuse culminated in him setting her on fire. She describes how on

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one occasion she waited in vain for the police to arrive. I have been in

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a situation before I escaped where I have phoned 999 and the police

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response has been terrible. You fear for your life. Every single second

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counts. Every fortnight in England and Wales three women are killed by

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their current or ex-partner. Men are also victims of domestic violence.

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It is as serious as any other violent crime, if not, more

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serious, because the attacker is the key to the front door. Among the

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issues highlighted are a lack of leadership, and alarming weaknesses

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when it comes to basics like collecting evidence and some victims

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who do not feel they are believed. Please targeted football fans with

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their domestic violence campaigns. There is often an increase in

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attacks after games. This poster is used by the greater Manchester

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force, one of those heavily criticised for not getting their

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response right on the ground. We need at a better system to get

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people in front of the courts without requiring a victim to make a

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complaint and which would allow a range of professionals to get

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evidence into that system. Please leaders maintain the focus should be

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on other parts of the criminal justice system, not just on the part

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of the police. Being overweight is increasingly being seen as the new

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normal according to the Chief Medical Officer for England.

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Professor Dame Sally Davies says a sugar tax may ultimately be

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necessary to try to combat growing obesity. She says too many people

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are unaware they need to lose weight, or that their children are

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heavier than they should be. Our health correspondent Dominic Hughes

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reports. Burning off some excess energy at a

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sports centre in Wigan. Many of these children have been identified

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