:00:09. > :00:12.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines: worst of all - a
:00:12. > :00:18.damning report says people here have fewer qualifications than
:00:18. > :00:21.anywhere else in the country. cannot see how those people will
:00:21. > :00:27.get any of these double jobs in that private sector without the
:00:27. > :00:33.training. Families' fury - the derelict homes cannot be demolished
:00:33. > :00:40.because they are in a conservation area. You're still living in a
:00:40. > :00:46.decimated aerial. Ridiculous. the club in debt and a player
:00:46. > :00:50.exodus - Blues fans form a protest group to oust the club president.
:00:50. > :01:00.And a makeover to turn back visitors to what was once one of
:01:00. > :01:10.
:01:10. > :01:15.Good evening. Tonight, bottom of the class. How we are lagging
:01:15. > :01:19.behind the country when it comes to education. One in three adults have
:01:19. > :01:23.no qualifications at all in Birmingham, that is according to a
:01:23. > :01:26.report from the university and college union. It was a whole
:01:26. > :01:30.generation of people will fail to meet their full potential and they
:01:30. > :01:33.want the government to address the problem urgently. The Prime
:01:33. > :01:40.Minister warned he close down failing schools and replace them
:01:40. > :01:43.with academies. Being stretched and challenged, the
:01:43. > :01:46.children at Codsall School are the lucky ones. There are six times
:01:46. > :01:51.more likely to end up with qualifications here than if they
:01:51. > :01:56.had been born less than 30 miles away. He we are just down the M6
:01:56. > :02:01.where it is a different story. This is the Hodge Hill constituency and
:02:01. > :02:06.according to a survey, one in three people of working age here have no
:02:06. > :02:14.qualifications whatsoever. I have no qualifications. It might be
:02:14. > :02:21.because there is a lot of poverty here. I have qualifications. I have
:02:21. > :02:27.an NVQ and GCSEs. It leads the list of eight areas listed in the top 20
:02:27. > :02:31.blackspots in the West Midlands. have whole communities here in the
:02:31. > :02:36.West Midlands where people between 16 and 64 have no qualifications at
:02:36. > :02:41.all. Other blackspots include Birmingham Ladywood were a quarter
:02:41. > :02:47.of adults have no qualifications. Stoke-on-Trent Central also fares
:02:47. > :02:53.badly. In South Staffordshire, the figure drops to 5.8 % and stone
:02:53. > :02:56.comes out best with just over 5.6 % of adults having no qualifications.
:02:56. > :03:00.The MP for one of the worst affected places says a whole
:03:01. > :03:04.generation is being led down. young people in Birmingham are rich
:03:04. > :03:09.in talent but their hopes are being dashed by the tripling of tuition
:03:09. > :03:13.fees, cuts to maintenance allowance and the closure of projects
:03:13. > :03:18.designed to help people back to work. The Prime Minister was quick
:03:18. > :03:23.to refute claims it was down to government cut. David Cameron used
:03:23. > :03:27.a visit to Jaguar Landrover to announce a �25 million fund to
:03:28. > :03:32.create 10,000 apprenticeships. is not about money. What cities it
:03:32. > :03:36.is about failure in terms of tolerating bad standards. What
:03:36. > :03:41.Michael Gove has said is he will not tolerate schools that fail.
:03:41. > :03:45.They will be taken over by academies. Codsall School which had
:03:45. > :03:50.an outstanding Ofsted report says they deer qualifications to the
:03:50. > :03:54.individual. Students need good levels of qualifications, so that
:03:54. > :03:59.is our job to make sure they go from this school prepared to be
:03:59. > :04:06.successful in whatever they choose to do. School's out for summer but
:04:06. > :04:12.it seems far our region's children There is not a level playing field.
:04:12. > :04:16.Perry Barr was another area which fared badly in the report. 19 % of
:04:17. > :04:19.adults there have no qualifications but once caught trying to make a
:04:19. > :04:25.difference is Perry Beeches Secondary. It was classed as
:04:25. > :04:28.failing just four years ago but recently won the national title of
:04:28. > :04:34.Outstanding School of the Year. Joining me now is their head
:04:34. > :04:38.teacher at Liam Nolan. You are what they call a super head teacher.
:04:38. > :04:44.Great at inspiring young people. What is the first thing that needs
:04:44. > :04:49.to be done to turn the statistics around? I do not think it is quite
:04:49. > :04:53.May. It is about the community realising how important it
:04:53. > :04:57.education is. People like me and my youngsters, we do not win the
:04:57. > :05:02.lottery. That is not our way of getting jobs and achieving in life.
:05:03. > :05:06.It is making our communities realise that education is the way
:05:06. > :05:09.through. Getting decent qualifications in practical subject
:05:09. > :05:16.boring subject that mean you can go to higher education is important
:05:16. > :05:22.for our youngsters and that is what we have done here. 74 % of our
:05:22. > :05:28.youngsters lead -- leave... I note you have some great results but I
:05:28. > :05:31.want to ask, it is really tough in some areas because pupils have no
:05:31. > :05:38.families with history is of qualifications and some tennis they
:05:38. > :05:42.have never even worked. You are right. Some of our youngsters here
:05:42. > :05:46.are second or third-generation youngsters who have unemployment in
:05:46. > :05:50.the family or without qualifications. But what you have
:05:50. > :05:54.to do it is instil in those communities and families that if
:05:54. > :05:59.you do not pass the exams in school, there are still chances and
:05:59. > :06:04.opportunities beyond school time in our local colleges, but also to get
:06:04. > :06:08.those grades while you are in school and it has worked here.
:06:08. > :06:13.Although we are up to criticism, this is one of the best schools in
:06:13. > :06:17.the country. You have done a fantastic job. The PM says failing
:06:17. > :06:23.schools, he was shut them and turn them into academies. Is that a good
:06:23. > :06:27.idea? Perry Beeches is becoming an Academy the summer and it is about
:06:27. > :06:31.time we have created families of schools, so that schools that were
:06:31. > :06:35.not doing well sit alongside schools that are doing well and we
:06:35. > :06:42.can learn from each other, which is the best way forward. It is the
:06:42. > :06:47.young people that are important. Thank you.
:06:47. > :06:57.Later: as we await the arrival of Jamaica's finest athletes for the
:06:57. > :07:01.Olympics next year, celebrating one of the island's best loved exports.
:07:01. > :07:04.Families have reacted furiously after council refused to give the
:07:04. > :07:08.go-ahead to demolish abandoned homes. The houses are due to be
:07:08. > :07:12.pulled down as part of a regeneration scheme to improve
:07:12. > :07:18.housing in Stoke on Trent, but the council says they cannot be
:07:18. > :07:22.bulldozed because they are in a conservation area.
:07:22. > :07:27.Middle poured in Stoke-on-Trent is classed as a regeneration zone.
:07:27. > :07:31.These streets are now also in a conservation area. Mick Poole have
:07:31. > :07:35.lived here all his life. He is dismayed at the progress of the
:07:35. > :07:41.plans to improve homes here. plans were to knock these downs and
:07:41. > :07:47.get a private builder to build them. Build new properties and it would
:07:47. > :07:52.have looked nice. But all that has gone by the board now because they
:07:52. > :07:56.have run out of money. These houses were due for demolition but now the
:07:56. > :08:01.council has turned down plans on the grounds it would be detrimental
:08:01. > :08:06.to the character and appearance of the area. It is like living in
:08:06. > :08:10.Beirut. You cannot say it is something nice to look at. It is
:08:10. > :08:16.diabolical. You have all the people out now, they might as well knock
:08:16. > :08:26.them down and build new ones. are still living in a decimated
:08:26. > :08:26.
:08:26. > :08:33.airier. Ridiculous. You just wonder what is happening. Disgusting.
:08:33. > :08:37.There is nothing here in Middleport. Boarded-up houses. This was
:08:37. > :08:42.declared a conservation area earlier this year. It means,
:08:42. > :08:47.according to the council, that different rules apply here. The
:08:47. > :08:52.council says it is sympathetic to family's concerns. There Rye
:08:52. > :08:57.Heritage issues at stake. It is important we get it spot-on. It is
:08:57. > :09:04.unclear when or if these houses will be cleared, nor is it certain
:09:04. > :09:08.what will go in their place. In other news, hundreds of jobs
:09:08. > :09:12.have been secured at a biscuit factory after its parent company
:09:12. > :09:16.announced plans to keep it open. The Fox's biscuit plant in
:09:16. > :09:20.Uttoxeter was thought to be under threat. Northern Foods had
:09:20. > :09:25.previously announced it planned to replace them with one new factory
:09:25. > :09:28.but the company now says it will invest �27 million to keep both
:09:28. > :09:34.sides open. Engineers have given their support
:09:34. > :09:35.for plans for a new high-speed train line between London and the
:09:36. > :09:40.Midlands. Institute of Civil Engineers says cutting journey
:09:40. > :09:45.times between Birmingham and the capital will regenerate parts of
:09:45. > :09:49.the Midlands as well as increase capacity. Their support comes days
:09:49. > :09:54.after the Institute of Economic Affairs said the plans were
:09:54. > :10:00.economically flawed. It is not so much about the journey times, it is
:10:00. > :10:05.much about the capacity increases that high-speed will bring. It
:10:05. > :10:08.brings a change in capacity that we need. Two Birmingham MPs are
:10:08. > :10:12.putting their differences to one side to work together against plans
:10:12. > :10:16.for a directly elected mayor the city. Three years after the
:10:16. > :10:24.electors voted to get rid of the role, Birmingham and Coventry are
:10:24. > :10:28.both due to hold a referendum on the proposal next frame. -- spring.
:10:28. > :10:32.A clear thumbs-down from the electorate of Stoke-on-Trent for
:10:32. > :10:36.the idea of a big city boss to re- energised local-government, but
:10:36. > :10:42.Boris Johnson and before him Ken Livingstone had proved formidable
:10:42. > :10:46.champions for London. But this is not London, say MPs from different
:10:46. > :10:51.parties joining forces for what they see as dictatorship. If you
:10:51. > :10:56.elected me, you will have one person, all powers will be
:10:56. > :11:03.concentrated in his hands. What role has the council got? You have
:11:03. > :11:06.100 elected councillors pay money every year, what will they do?
:11:06. > :11:11.Lib Dem MP would consider standing himself although he does not think
:11:11. > :11:17.there should be a contest at all. It is a bad idea to concentrate so
:11:17. > :11:21.much power into a one individual. However, if I sorted out the
:11:21. > :11:27.problems in family courts by the time one goes to nomination, I
:11:27. > :11:31.would be interested. The fact that he is a man of strong and clear
:11:31. > :11:35.opinions on this and everything else, it is great and it is
:11:35. > :11:39.wonderful that he is sticking his neck out. Already throwing their
:11:39. > :11:44.hats in the ring the former Labour MP for Birmingham Erdington Sion
:11:45. > :11:49.Simon, the leader of the city's Labour group are that Paul and John
:11:49. > :11:53.Bull lookalike way you go. The former Labour Defence Secretary Bob
:11:53. > :12:00.Ainsworth could also become a candidate in commentary. We have
:12:00. > :12:04.been here before in a reference -- referendum 10 years ago. The idea
:12:04. > :12:10.was rejected and almost all councillors opposed it. Now the
:12:10. > :12:14.mood of that opposition may just be softening a little. If the
:12:14. > :12:21.referendum next May delivers a yes vote, they would be under starter's
:12:21. > :12:28.orders for 12 months on end. Patrick is with us now. Referendums
:12:28. > :12:33.next year, maybe then, elections after that. It seems like a long
:12:33. > :12:38.process. Supporters of the idea think it is ridiculous, it is far
:12:38. > :12:42.too long they to generate a bit of a man term with this referendum and
:12:42. > :12:47.then you say we will go into suspended animation and to
:12:47. > :12:51.dissipate all that energy. Far better to move smoothly through a
:12:51. > :12:57.campaign phase in the autumn and have elections then. Against that,
:12:57. > :13:03.it would be more expensive. It would be cheaper to have male
:13:03. > :13:12.elections on the same day as main elections. Any others who have come
:13:12. > :13:20.into the reckoning? Clare Short, Birmingham lady would MP, Mike
:13:20. > :13:25.Whitby the Conservative lead the -- leader of the ruling coalition.
:13:25. > :13:29.Digby Jones has said in the past that he would be interested and Bob
:13:29. > :13:35.Warman, we have heard of him, the news presenter is apparently
:13:35. > :13:42.considering his options. Presumably there will be others? A supporters
:13:42. > :13:48.say there should be an ambitious head hunting exercise. To ginger up
:13:48. > :13:58.the really top talent and the public life of this country. Thank
:13:58. > :13:58.
:13:58. > :14:02.Record numbers in our prisons, but how does it actually feel to be in
:14:02. > :14:12.jail? And after a week of bad weather,
:14:12. > :14:12.
:14:12. > :14:16.this week will be brighter and a bit warmer.
:14:16. > :14:22.The prison population of England and Wales has hit a new record high.
:14:22. > :14:26.There are now more than 85,500 people locked up in our jails at a
:14:26. > :14:31.cost of millions of pounds a year. It has reopened the debate of what
:14:31. > :14:35.to do with offenders. Is the money better spent on
:14:35. > :14:43.rehabilitation projects? A replica sell has been set up on the streets
:14:43. > :14:47.of Stoke-on-Trent. These former inmates are re-
:14:47. > :14:51.enacting time spent in prison. They are part of the Go to Jail project
:14:52. > :14:59.which hopes to raise awareness about living conditions, cell size
:14:59. > :15:04.and privileges. The standard sale size was meant for one, but with
:15:04. > :15:12.the prison population in England and Wales almost doubling of the 20
:15:12. > :15:17.years to over 85,500, overpopulation has become an issue.
:15:17. > :15:22.Inevitably the size of the cell is crucial, and if you want to help
:15:22. > :15:27.people rubella -- rehabilitate, they need that space. Across the
:15:27. > :15:35.region there are five prisons of a capacity, including Shrewsbury
:15:35. > :15:40.Prison which is 65% of capacity. Hewell Prison is 16% and Dovegate
:15:40. > :15:46.in Staffordshire is 7% above capacity. More than 50% of inmates
:15:46. > :15:51.are shown to be defend within a year of being re release. Akiel
:15:51. > :15:57.served six years for drug offences and has not really offended, but he
:15:57. > :16:02.believes overcrowding has a detrimental effect. For somebody to
:16:02. > :16:07.nourish themselves mentally, they need their own space. Just not
:16:07. > :16:13.being too close to someone, smelling their body smells, it's
:16:13. > :16:20.that Iraq... I think that is a basic human right. Visitors have
:16:20. > :16:25.mixed views. It is like shoving a big Alsatian in a budgie cage. It
:16:25. > :16:31.is inhumane. I do not think they should make anything easy for
:16:31. > :16:36.people up there. But space is running out. Today the government's
:16:36. > :16:41.announcement means there is just under 2,500 spaces left in England
:16:41. > :16:48.and Wales, and projects like this raised questions about whether or
:16:49. > :16:52.not offenders should go to jail. A series of events are being held
:16:52. > :16:58.across the region this weekend to mark the countdown to next year's
:16:58. > :17:03.Olympic Games. One of them, Jamaica Live in Birmingham, will see a
:17:03. > :17:13.celebration of culture, food and music, and all this week we have
:17:13. > :17:13.
:17:13. > :17:16.been looking at the City's Jamaican connections. Our Arts and Culture
:17:16. > :17:21.correspondent Satnam Rana looks at her reggae has influenced
:17:21. > :17:24.performers. A look at what is to come in
:17:24. > :17:28.Birmingham's Victoria Square tomorrow. The next generation
:17:28. > :17:34.bringing Caribbean signs to the city, which will host the Jamaican
:17:34. > :17:44.track and field team in 2012. But the signs of Jamaica have been with
:17:44. > :17:46.
:17:46. > :17:52.us for over five decades. Kingston time, the place I long to be...
:17:52. > :18:02.When you think of reggae and Birmingham, UB40 comes to mind. The
:18:02. > :18:13.
:18:13. > :18:17.genre went mainstream in 1978, but Formed in Handsworth, this band is
:18:17. > :18:21.famously remembered for Handsworth Revolution. We were talking about
:18:21. > :18:28.how things were then, and we were expecting a revolution because that
:18:28. > :18:33.is what was building up within us as individuals. Back in his old
:18:34. > :18:38.stomping ground, the former vocalist's memories are very vivid.
:18:38. > :18:45.We did not here ourselves or the music from Jamaica on the radio, it
:18:45. > :18:50.was what was heard at home, it was on the sound systems... It was a
:18:51. > :18:55.whole alternative experience. many Jamaicans came to make burning
:18:55. > :19:00.began and surrounding cities their homes from the 1950s onwards, with
:19:00. > :19:03.the then came music and culture. But what role does reggae play in
:19:03. > :19:13.society today? This is the height of the Jamaican community in
:19:13. > :19:14.
:19:14. > :19:20.Birmingham, and the heart with regards to music is still reggae.
:19:20. > :19:25.But his musical journey has taken him to new notes. He has gone on to
:19:25. > :19:30.form the UK's only reggae Philharmonic Orchestra.
:19:30. > :19:35.challenges expectations when you say reggae. This orchestra is the
:19:35. > :19:40.evolution of everything Caribbean, everything British, and what is
:19:40. > :19:45.just to come. -- what is still to come. This musical journey will
:19:45. > :19:50.continue to change, along with society and its culture.
:19:50. > :19:55.Let us join Satnam now. She is in Cathedral Square in Birmingham.
:19:55. > :20:00.What are the highlights for the weekend? Look at this, the No Fit
:20:00. > :20:07.State Circus will be live in Chamberlain Square tomorrow as part
:20:07. > :20:14.of the Birmingham Hippodrome's Open weekend celebrations. Elsewhere, in
:20:14. > :20:20.Worcester, 12 Moves Flashmobs will be taking place - dancers begin
:20:20. > :20:24.creatures to life from Worcester to Droitwich to Bewdley. If you fancy
:20:24. > :20:30.dancing yourself, head to Coventry. You can breathe the beat with
:20:30. > :20:35.others. On Sunday, BBC Midlands will be at the Blists Hill Museum
:20:35. > :20:39.in Shropshire, for some community games, and you too can try your
:20:39. > :20:47.hand at Victorian activities. If you fancy South Asian arts, head
:20:47. > :20:54.down to their The Public in West Bromwich, where you can attend the
:20:54. > :21:01.Arts Mela hosted by Sampad. Across the region over 60 events are
:21:01. > :21:07.taking place, you can get them by going to the BBC website and
:21:07. > :21:13.navigating your way through to Open Weekend. Back to you.
:21:13. > :21:19.All very energetic! Football - Birmingham City's
:21:19. > :21:22.midfielder Barry Ferguson has joined Blackpool. His move is for
:21:22. > :21:27.an undisclosed fee. Some fans are so concerned about
:21:27. > :21:32.the club's finances, they are forming a protest group to ask
:21:32. > :21:39.questions of the board. They are Blues fans, and they are
:21:39. > :21:42.feeling blue. The more we get out there... But Kevin Roberts, Darrell
:21:42. > :21:48.Meekcom and Thomas Hill are prepared to do something about it.
:21:48. > :21:52.This is why they are unhappy. want the club to tell us that they
:21:52. > :21:58.can keep us going, that they can afford to run the club. If they
:21:58. > :22:05.cannot, put it up for sale. It it is embarrassing. You cannot hold
:22:05. > :22:10.your head up in public, we are a laughing stock. A all we get is
:22:10. > :22:17.bits back of the internet, nobody is standing up and saying anything.
:22:17. > :22:22.We just want integrity, honesty. They have formed an online campaign
:22:22. > :22:27.group calling for Carson Yeung to leave Birmingham City. They plan to
:22:27. > :22:31.protest at next week's home friendly against Everton. It has
:22:31. > :22:38.been a six month roller-coaster ride for Birmingham City, from the
:22:38. > :22:42.joy of the calming clock to the John... Now president and part
:22:42. > :22:47.owner of Carson Yeung faces five charges of money-laundering in his
:22:47. > :22:54.native Hong Kong. He has given his 18-year-old son Ryan a place on the
:22:54. > :22:58.board. The club have sent me a statement where they say that other
:22:58. > :23:03.fans on social media are stressing how important it is to back the
:23:03. > :23:07.club. The promise to keep fans in forms of development. These fans
:23:07. > :23:12.say they will back their new manager and the team, but they were
:23:12. > :23:16.worried that they will be hampered by off-the-field problems.
:23:16. > :23:22.The fans I have spoken to are very deeply concerned about the future
:23:22. > :23:26.of Birmingham City. Now, in its heyday as one of
:23:26. > :23:31.England's great country houses it was visited by King Edward the
:23:31. > :23:34.Seventh and Edward Elgar. Witley Court stands in glorious
:23:34. > :23:39.Worcestershire countryside. Net tens of thousands of pounds have
:23:39. > :23:45.been spent recreating its gardens in an attempt to dig halt the
:23:45. > :23:52.decline in visitor numbers. In its heyday, Witley Court stood
:23:52. > :23:57.in 25,000 acres of parkland. Owned by the Earl of Dudley, it hosted
:23:57. > :24:03.many an extravagant party. All that changed when much of the house was
:24:03. > :24:07.destroyed by fire in 1937. The restoration of this but there for
:24:07. > :24:15.some fountain got 72,000 visitors to the site eight years ago, but
:24:15. > :24:22.numbers have dwindled. Compared to before, visitors are still above
:24:22. > :24:27.what they were before. But we are competing with a lot of tourist
:24:27. > :24:33.attractions, we are a very weather dependence site as well. To boost
:24:33. > :24:37.tourism, gardeners have re created the landscape designed by him
:24:37. > :24:43.renown Victorian architect, William Andrews Nesfield, in an Italianate
:24:43. > :24:47.style. Even down to things people regard as mistakes, in the side
:24:47. > :24:51.beds some of the circles are not the same size, and we had to
:24:51. > :24:55.recreate that. Hopefully people will come back year after year
:24:55. > :24:59.because it is never going to look the same two years running. It is
:24:59. > :25:05.always going to be a slightly different design. We have got lists
:25:05. > :25:10.of plants that we know were used in this garden, it is quite a big list.
:25:10. > :25:16.Colourful, manicured, intricate, but it is not just formal gardens
:25:16. > :25:20.that England -- English Heritage are relying on. This lake has been
:25:20. > :25:26.created also. You can see kingfishers, great crested grebes
:25:26. > :25:29.and other birds that live on the lake. Opening up the food path
:25:29. > :25:34.gives visitors here a new perspective. There are great new
:25:34. > :25:40.views of the church and Witley Court, the use that once would only
:25:40. > :25:50.have been enjoyed by the Isle of Dudley and his visitors. Now, the
:25:50. > :25:53.
:25:53. > :25:57.We will have a bit of sunshine this weekend, but not a wall to wall.
:25:57. > :26:02.Tomorrow is going to be a slow improvement on today in terms of
:26:02. > :26:08.brightness and less wetter weather. This weekend high pressure is going
:26:08. > :26:13.to remain in charge for us here, making the weather becomes settled,
:26:13. > :26:21.brighter, less in the way of showers, but there will be some.
:26:21. > :26:26.Tonight, any showers we have seen will be clear ring to expect a
:26:26. > :26:32.mainly dry night to come with a few clear spells to come. Temperatures
:26:33. > :26:37.well below, but not that low. Nose of nine Celsius overnight tonight.
:26:37. > :26:42.Those clear spells mean a bright start to tomorrow, rather on the
:26:42. > :26:47.sunny side but the warm weather means a few showers will spring up
:26:47. > :26:53.with fair weather cloud. The showers will be like, and fairly
:26:53. > :27:00.well scattered. Highs of 20 Celsius, 68 Fahrenheit. It will feel OK in
:27:00. > :27:05.the sun. Tomorrow night, it should be dry. Lows of around 12 Celsius
:27:06. > :27:13.as we go into the start of Sunday morning. Over the next few days we
:27:13. > :27:17.are talking about that was settled weather - 21 Celsius, settled into
:27:17. > :27:23.the start of next week. A little bit of summer.
:27:23. > :27:27.Thanks very much. A look at tonight's main headlines. A bomb
:27:27. > :27:30.causes a massive explosion in Oslo. At least seven people have been
:27:30. > :27:34.killed. A shocking new report reveals