30/03/2017 BBC News at Six

From workers' rights to farming - thousands of EU laws will be

transferred to the UK's law books as the country prepares for Brexit.

We want a smooth and orderly exit, the Great Repeal Bill is integral to

that approach. Ministers say it means

the laws can then be kept, changed or scrapped once the UK has

left the European Union. Birds and their habitats,

water, pollution - most of the UK's environmental laws

currently come from the EU. So what impact will

the repeal bill have? The toddler who died after his

surgery was repeatedly delayed - two surgeons decide to speak out

about one of Britain's biggest Five members of the same family die

after their helicopter And Syria's children -

we return to the city of Homs which was devastated by war

as they try to rebuild their lives. And coming up in the

sport on BBC News... Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger

is confident Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil want to stay

at the club but says his own future Good evening and welcome

to the BBC News at 6. There are thousands and thousands

of pieces of EU legislation that currently shape almost every aspect

of our lives in the UK. But today the government

outlined its plans to transfer them into British law

as the United Kingdom The Great Repeal Bill

will effectively "copy and paste" all those EU laws onto our statute

books to avoid what ministers Once done - parliament -

and the devolved assemblies - will then have the power to scrap,

amend or improve them. Our Political Editor Laura

Kuenssberg reports. Locked inside the tower, preserved

for safekeeping. Scrolls and scrolls and scrolls of the laws of our land.

But, this one, that has shaped so much for decades, will be

disappearing. Repealed, rolled back. The act that took us into the EU.

He wants to pass instead a huge set of new laws which will put the

thousands and thousands and thousands of European measures which

currently govern us into the British statute books. As we exit the EU and

seek a new, deep and special partnership with the European Union,

we will be doing so from a position where we have the same standards and

rules. It will also ensure that we deliver on our promise to end the

supremacy of European law in the UK as we exit. In other words, on the

day that powers come back to Westminster from the year, the law

will not just disappear. The repeal Bill will essentially cut and paste

the lot from Brussels bucks back to the UK. But Labour is worried that

the Tories may take the chance to sneak through some changes.

All rights and protections derived from EU law must be can

converted without limitations. Ministers deny that there is any

plot but there will be a fight, listen to this... I was sovereign

parliament will have the power to amend, repeal or improve all of this

ghastly EU legislation. If he panders too much to the secret, not

so secret, agenda of the Barmy Army Eure Skeptas prominent behind him,

he will not get the corporation he otherwise would. With the law under

the union flag, the government has promised that power will be spread

around the UK but with precious little detail...

The government has pushed the big red button marked Brexit, with

fingers crossed and little idea of what comes next. Brexit means

sorting out thousands of compensated laws and regulations. In the rush of

getting that done, there is clear that ministers could grab extra

power. As we leave, it is politicians

abroad who could really try to make us suffer. EU leaders were not

exactly sunning themselves in the Maltese capital today...

Bunkered in the gloom of a conference centre instead.

Firm and downbeat about the prospects of a happy ending. Brexit

has made us the community of 2017 more determined and United than

before. We will remain determined and united

in future. Can it be done in two years? Ministers know that they

cannot just breeze through the nitty-gritty of Brexit.

The repeal Bill is just the start, and it is more than just tidying up

a fuel laws -- a fuel laws, but an exercise in control, and power.

Laura Kuenssberg, BBC News, in Westminster.

The process of converting EU law into British law,

while also leaving out the bits that the Government

doesn't want to keep, is no small task.

There are currently around 12,000 EU regulations in force -

They cover everything from banking and the chemicals

industry, to agriculture and the airline industry.

Our correspondents have been looking at the impact

the repeal bill could have - starting with the environment.

They have been trading livestock here for generations. But for

farmers, big changes are on the way... Out of the European Union,

and out of the Common agricultural policy.

For some, is the opportunity to transform the industry, but for

others like Julie George, there is concern about the loss of ?2.5

billion of EU substitutes currently paid to UK farmers every year.

-- subsidies. It is very worrying for farmers, knowing that we only

have 2020 where we are guaranteed this money from Europe. After that,

nobody knows. Nobody has given us the information we all deserve.

Decisions about future agriculture policy will be taken closer to home

We've got to make the best of what we can now.

The trouble is, everybody wants to produce food as cheap as we can.

So we're going to have to produce food cheap.

Farmers here told me they are feeling uncertain about the future.

They know that a shake-up is on its way.

For some, it's a time to create new opportunities

Open skies, that's basically the agreement that means that

British airlines can fly all over Europe and the European

It's one of the reasons why we have those cheap European

tickets at the moment, but that deal comes to an end in two

So the big question is - what happens next?

Like so many things at the moment, it all depends on the UK

and the European Union cutting a new deal before

The boss of Europe's biggest airline, Michael O'Leary,

He's warned that European flights could be suspended in March 2019

Other major players don't share his apocalyptic view.

EasyJet is Britain's biggest airline and they tell me they're very

confident a new agreement will be reached that will mean business

It should be relatively straight-forward, they say,

and both sides have too much to lose without it.

Like so many industries, the airlines are piling

on the pressure for an early settlement, possibly even

They plan their flight schedules up to 18 months in advance,

and they need to be certain that people can still get away once

The lives of young children are being put at risk at one

of the UK's biggest children's hospitals -

because of the intense pressure to tackle waiting lists.

That's according to two senior surgeons at the Royal Manchester

They decided to speak out after one little boy died when his urgent

With this exclusive report, here's our Health Editor Hugh Pym.

One-and-a-half-year-old Kayden - he was admitted to hospital

for emergency surgery which should have been straightforward,

His family say their lives were torn apart.

You don't expect to take a baby to hospital and come away without him.

His grandmother, Julie, spent a harrowing week at

Royal Manchester Children's Hospital in April last year.

Nobody would listen to how much pain he was in,

His mother was too upset to be interviewed.

Kayden was diagnosed on a Monday, doctors saying he needed

an operation for a hernia in his chest which

He became critically ill and never recovered.

He was basically put in a room and left.

And all we got, nearly every day was, "he's not having

the operation today, he's not having the operation today."

The hospital have told the BBC that Kayden's death

They said for some time before that, they were warning

management about the shortage of operating theatres.

Paediatric surgeon Basem Khalil says there was a top-down focus

on bringing down waiting lists for planned or elective surgery

One of the consultant surgeons had offered

with elective patients on it, so that he could do

But did not receive the support that he needed.

That doctor, he believes, felt he did not have the authority

to change his planned surgery to accommodate Kayden.

The hospital did not take any substantive actions,

with regards to warnings that we were given -

I feel that the children are being let down, and that

despite the amazing work that we are capable

of doing and are doing, we have been let down,

And I think that is completely unacceptable.

Another surgeon who retired in January this year was highly

critical of the culture at the hospital.

I was part of the group that wrote a letter to the medical director,

saying that the children's surgical services were unsafe last year.

I think it is an indictment of the management.

The medical director of the trust which runs the hospital

What do you say to the suggestion that you are prioritising routine,

elective care, and urgent cases sometimes suffer?

There is no instruction in this organisation

which priorities elective surgery over emergency surgery.

The hospital has apologised to Kayden's family,

and said delays that led to his death were unacceptable.

But Julie says they still feel their loss as acutely as ever.

I listen to my daughter and I cry, because of what my

She will ring me and say, I can't do this no more...

You know, or she'll ring me and say that she's going

How much more does this tell us about the pressures on the NHS?

Sophie, a sad and shocking story. It does raise the issue of the rising

workload faced by hospitals, the need to provide constant urgent and

emergency care and the need to bring down rising waiting lists. Royal

Manchester Children's Hospital insist that they have the right

safety culture and processes, but the internal investigation into the

death of Kayden said urgent lessons needed to be learned about

"Prioritising non-electives, urgent cases, above elective ones". The

fact that two surgeons at this hospital felt they had to come to

the BBC to voice concerns about safety and lives being at risk, and

things weren't quite right, management not listening, I believe

it tells you something. We learned tonight that health regulators,

including NHS Improvement, are looking very closely at what is

going on. Few pen, thank you. -- Hugh Pym.

Five members of the same family have been confirmed

dead after a helicopter they were travelling in crashed

The aircraft disappeared on a flight from Luton to Dublin, yesterday.

Search teams found the wreckage this morning.

It should have been a routine helicopter flight, and we understand

it was going to a family christening in Ireland, but for Kevin and Ruth

Burke, the helicopter crashed en route in the mountains behind me. We

do not know why, their bodies were not found, and the wreckage was not

found, for many hours because of the difficult to rain involved. --

terrain. It was in this remote mountainous

area of Snowdonia where rescue teams found the wreckage of the helicopter

and five bodies. Volunteers had combed the peaks

and valleys in appalling weather Police blocked off the few

narrow roads that lead up into the Rhinog Mountains

to the east of the seaside Along with five people,

all of whom are deceased. We are now preserving the scene

for a joint investigation The BBC understands those on board

were husband and wife Ruth and Kevin Burke and three other

members of their wider family. Mr and Mrs Burke lived

in the village of Hulcote, This is the type of

helicopter which crashed, It took off from near Luton

yesterday lunchtime but failed to arrive

at its destination in Ireland. It was initially thought it had

crashed into the sea but it was then established it had disappeared

from radar in North Wales. Police described search conditions

as "atrocious" with visibility down The aircraft was eventually found

by a volunteer mountain rescue team in a remote spot some

miles from here. This afternoon an RAF

rescue team headed into Helping the wider investigation to

establish what went wrong, and why. Danny Savage, BBC

News, near Dolgellau. The government outlines its plans

to transfer EU law into British law, I didn't want to live

that way any more. The films being launched

by Prince William and Harry, to encourage awareness

of mental health issues. Coming up in Sportsday on BBC News:

Manchester City's women take a 1-0 lead into their Champions League

quarter final second leg against Danish side

Fortuna Hjorring, hoping to become the first British side to reach

the semis for three seasons. It's six years since

the war in Syria began - since then more than five million

Syrians have fled the violence The city of Homs -

a key battle ground in the uprising is now almost completely back

in government control. But that wasn't the case three years

ago when our Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet reported

from the old city. Whilst filming there she met

eight-year-old Baraha, who'd lost her mother

in the conflict. Lyse decided to return to Homs,

to find the little girl. Besieged and bombarded

for two years. The government finally allowed

some families to leave. One of the most traumatised children

I'd seen in this war. Baraha is now one of

the oldest in her class. These eager kids know

learning matters. So many Syrian children

aren't in school. You know, in some ways of course

this is terrific to see, children just being children

here in Syria, in a place which has seen some of the worst

fighting of the war. And now an ordinary day

with children going to Through the alleyways

of the old city, now The last time I was here

it looked like this. Later a mortar almost hit

Baraha and her sister. So I met you three years ago

and now you are almost 12. You are OK, you are sleeping at

night, you don't have bad memories? TRANSLATION: Thank God

I forget everything. When I go to bed I remember

when I had a part in a play, I remember school, what I did

during the day. Hard for her father to forget,

now bringing up four Heading into her future,

this little girl has already It's the same for all of them,

children all across this country. Their fate still lies

in Syria's hands. Cakes, biscuits,

sweets and chocolates. Our children may love them,

but they contain large amounts of sugar, which is linked

to obesity and diabetes. Now health officials say they want

to cut the amount of sugar in such foods by 20% in the next three years

as Jane Draper reports. But eating too much sugar

is rotting children's teeth A third of children

are overweight or obese Now as part of government plans

to tackle the problem, the food industry is being given

new limits for how much sugar should Companies are being urged

to reformulate their products so that they contain less sugar,

or to make them smaller. The aim is for the UK's annual diet

to contain 200,000 fewer We expect people to see over time

smaller chocolate bars, smaller cakes, smaller biscuits,

particularly when they eat away from home, in family

restaurants and so on. We also expect people not

to notice the changes, because we know if changes

are gradually made to our food, Your bread is now 40% less salty

than it was ten years ago. Everyday foods like

these will be affected. The companies that make them

are being told to cut their sugar Cafes and restaurants

are being told to take action too, because up to a third

of the calories we eat are now And there will also be

the new tax on sugary drinks, Dieticians say there's no

time to lose in trying Around one in five

10-11-year-olds are obese. We know from research that excess

sugar is linked to weight gain and when you are obese you are more

at risk of conditions like type two diabetes,

which can lead to heart disease The food industry isn't being forced

to make these changes, but trade bodies say they'll take

on the challenge and experts in nutrition think this

is the quickest way It's actually an advantage

that they are voluntary, because the legal process of writing

mandatory guidelines is so awkward, so long, people resist it and try

and protect their own interests, that doing it on a voluntary basis

is actually quicker to write the regulations and quicker to amend

them if they don't work. The nine food groups announced today

account for less than half of children's total sugar intake,

so there's still work to be done on sugar that's less obvious,

in foods like pasta sauces. Health campaigners have praised

the plans, but they want the government to keep up

the pressure on food companies. A mother and her 13-year-old son

have died, after being stabbed at their home in Stourbridge

in the West Midlands. Police say a man, in his 20s -

who is known to the family - Our correspondent

Sima Kotecha is there. Just after 8am this morning

emergency crews turned up at the property behind me to find a family

who had been seriously stabbed. The mother who was in her 50s was

pronounced dead at the scene, the boy, a 13-year-old, was taken to a

hospital and died a short while later. The father is in hospital and

said to be in a critical condition with serious stab wounds to his

chest and his back. They are being named locally as Peter and Tracey

Wilkinson while the boy neighbours say was called peers Piers. Police

say they intervened in a Land Rover and a man was arrested on suspicion

of murder and winding. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

and Prince Harry have released a series of films

for their Heads Together campaign designed to encourage people to talk

about mental health. The charity says that opening up

to someone for the first time about a mental health issue is often

the hardest part - but new research suggests that doing

just that could change your life. Our health correspondent

Elaine Dunkley reports. I definitely did not know how to

share with someone the fact that I felt really, really depressed. All

of these films are about a conversation, saying I am not OK.

Breaking the silence around mental health, the first step in breaking

the stigma. I was 24 and my dad took his own life. Professor Green has

topped the charts with his music but childhood trauma has meant at times

he has hit rock bottom. At 18 I started writing songs and I had a

way of getting what was inside out but I did not start talking about it

until later on and it was not easy at first. When you keep things to

yourself it's easy to feel like you are the only one suffering and

things are much worse than they are. The burden is lifted when you share

your problems with someone else. As well as the film is the Heads

Together campaign has also conduct is one of the largest surveys about

putter in mental health. For so many people there are still challenges

but the findings show people in Britain are opening up and talking

more about mental health. I have got beat CD, depression, I suffer from

psychosis and you feel alone. The difference between suffering in

silence and speaking out has saved lives. I met a group of people who

have taken that first step. There is nothing better than communicating so

someone does not feel alone because one thing about mental health is it

makes you feel isolated and alone. For me it is literally the

difference between being, feeling completely overwhelmed by pain and

confusion and feeling trapped by it, in so many ways. I was bullied

really badly at school and that has affected me throughout my life. It's

the police, the second you talk to someone it just feels like the world

is not all on your shoulders, there are people willing to listen and

that's a big help. I am not going to live, I have spent two and a half

decades basically avoiding how I have felt especially coming from a

background as British Asian where our community has an even bigger

stigma in terms of dealing with it. But I have to say I felt relief.

Changing the stigma around mental health isn't easy but the

conversation can be life changing. What a day, the warmest day in March

for five years? Since 2012. Lovely day for some parts of the country.

This taken at Kew Gardens, the south-east of the UK seeing the

highest temperatures today, 22 degrees in the south-east, you can

see the sunshine, in between we have had this zone of actor crowd and

rain, most of it to the Irish Sea, this was Cumbria just you the

contrast we have seen across the UK, more rain to come overnight, even

one or two showers possible into the warmth in the south-east and to the

to the Midlands, the wetter weather is going to be for South West

England, Wales, heavy rain over the hell is once again, it's turning

wetter, a lot of cloud, really mild, the focus of the rain is going to

change whilst we get one or two showers coming eastwards, most of

the brain moving north, away from Wales and Northern Ireland up into

Scotland where it will sit in the North for quite a while. Some

air which will not be as warm, air which will not be as warm,

15-17 and a small risk of shower, looks pretty good on the whole, most

of the showers waiting in the wings. Rain in Scotland where it will be a

much cooler and wetter afternoon for the North and north-east of

Scotland. Into the weekend a weekend of two caps, Saturday looks like

showers, not many for East Anglia and the South East, temperatures

about law. Second half of the weekend looks better, showers will

have gone, chilly start, sunny start, more cloud in the afternoon

but a fine day and warm enough in the sunshine.

That's all from the BBC News at Six, so it's goodbye from me -