:00:09. > :00:14.Another injection of cash for Cornwall's economy. The European
:00:14. > :00:17.efforts to encourage growth. Good evening. The European grant
:00:17. > :00:20.funding is worth hundreds of millions of pounds. But why has
:00:20. > :00:22.Cornwall qualified again? Also tonight: There is no cause for
:00:22. > :00:28.concern.The NHS review into multiple cancer concerns in Helston,
:00:28. > :00:38.but campaigners remain unconvinced. And water companies say there's no
:00:38. > :00:50.
:00:50. > :00:57.threat to supplies amid concerns over potential areas of drought.
:00:57. > :01:00.2010, 2011, at the dries pair of years I have recorded in 50 years.
:01:00. > :01:02.Cornwall has discovered it's on course to get ANOTHER seven years
:01:03. > :01:05.of top-level European grant funding, worth hundreds of millions of
:01:05. > :01:08.pounds. It's a surprise because many thought Cornwall's economy had
:01:08. > :01:10.been sufficiently transformed. The county's had this money for more
:01:11. > :01:20.than ten years so far. Our business correspondent Neil Gallacher
:01:21. > :01:23.
:01:23. > :01:26.So a welcome boost for Cornish coffers or a badge of shame a
:01:26. > :01:31.question market is down to the very latest measurement of Cornwall's
:01:31. > :01:36.economy. Europe says that Cornwall's wealth is still low
:01:36. > :01:42.enough to need what -- life-support. The latest figures show that its
:01:42. > :01:48.GDP is 73 % of the European average. That is two points below the Magic
:01:48. > :01:55.75 % level. Still low, then, despite enjoying the top level of
:01:55. > :02:00.European grants for 12 years. So far there has been a �900 million
:02:00. > :02:05.of grants. It has paid for changes like a university campus, super-
:02:05. > :02:09.fast broadband and an expanded Newquay airport. And possibly even
:02:09. > :02:15.a change in the Cornish mine said. Young people going to school,
:02:15. > :02:19.studying here and then staying and growing their own businesses here.
:02:19. > :02:23.We have not seen that for quite a long time. That will take time
:02:23. > :02:29.there to see a return on the economy. The investments that we
:02:29. > :02:36.are making are for the long term. There has been economic growth, are
:02:36. > :02:39.just not enough of it. This is one of the fruits of that growth.
:02:40. > :02:43.�2.8 million that we got from Europe was critical in so --
:02:43. > :02:50.securing the funding package. That enabled us to create this amazing
:02:50. > :02:55.attraction. Is Cornwall's economy really that bad. The chairman of
:02:55. > :02:59.Devon's Local Enterprise Partnership believes that areas of
:02:59. > :03:04.Devon are at least as deserving as Cornwall. A There is a lot of
:03:04. > :03:12.frustration in the business community seeing even more funding
:03:12. > :03:16.going into an adjacent area. This investment is not coming into the
:03:16. > :03:20.Devon economy. Neither Cornwall and all the poorer parts of Devon can
:03:20. > :03:24.be certain yet what help they will get from Europe in the years to
:03:24. > :03:34.come. It does now look very much as though Cornwall will keep its place
:03:34. > :03:35.
:03:35. > :03:41.at the head of the queue. Joining the now is the Economist
:03:41. > :03:45.Peterborough pious. They have had many years of European funding.
:03:45. > :03:55.think they spend the money much more successfully the second time
:03:55. > :03:55.
:03:55. > :03:59.round. They have invested much more in strategic projects. The faster
:03:59. > :04:03.broadband was exactly the sort of things that were important. It
:04:03. > :04:10.would be interesting to know what percentage of the total spent has
:04:10. > :04:18.been on these kind of strategic projects. If Cornwall deserve the
:04:18. > :04:24.money more than it Devon, how can we judge that? Cornwall qualifies
:04:24. > :04:29.because the qualification criterion is GDP per head. Cornwall Byrd
:04:29. > :04:36.Cornwall will always have a low GDP per head because it has a lot of
:04:36. > :04:40.retired people. We could well qualify for a long period of time.
:04:40. > :04:45.There are other parts in Devon in particular which are also much less
:04:45. > :04:50.prosperous than other parts of the UK. Torbay's GDP per head is less
:04:50. > :04:54.than Cornwall's. It is just the way that the territory is defined.
:04:54. > :04:58.Briefly, they are saying that they were blown off course by the
:04:58. > :05:04.recession. Many people were blown off course, is that a fair
:05:04. > :05:09.argument? It is it fair argument. We do not know if this is good for
:05:09. > :05:14.Cornwall's image long term. Maybe it should move on. Certainly it has
:05:14. > :05:19.got to be thinking of things that it will do in the future should be
:05:19. > :05:22.you money run out. And next Monday night in a special
:05:22. > :05:28.Spotlight debate we'll be looking at the health of the region's
:05:28. > :05:32.economy. That on Monday at 11.05 here on BBC One.
:05:32. > :05:35.A new NHS review of cancer cases amongst young people in Helston has
:05:35. > :05:38.concluded there is NO cancer cluster in the town. Worried
:05:38. > :05:41.parents and teachers contacted the authorities after a number of
:05:42. > :05:47.youngsters in the Helston area died of bone or brain cancer in a five-
:05:47. > :05:51.year period. It's the second time in ten years that concerns have
:05:51. > :05:53.been raised. On both occasions reviews have found the incidence of
:05:53. > :06:03.cancer are within the "normal" expected range. David George
:06:03. > :06:03.
:06:03. > :06:07.reports. Mark Richardson's daughter was just
:06:07. > :06:11.three years old when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. 18
:06:11. > :06:16.months ago after treatment she was given the all-clear. He remains
:06:16. > :06:22.worried about the cause. There has been a lot of cancers in our local
:06:22. > :06:27.area. Whether that is different from the norm, that is difficult
:06:27. > :06:31.for us to save. There has been a lot of concern in the community. We
:06:31. > :06:35.want to put those concerns to bed and clear the air so that everyone
:06:36. > :06:40.knows what is going on. Worries about a cancer cluster in Helston
:06:40. > :06:45.and the surrounding area began 10 years ago. An number of young
:06:45. > :06:49.people died from bone and brain cancers. In 2004, an independent
:06:49. > :06:54.investigation was carried out by the South West Cancer Intelligence
:06:54. > :07:00.Service, involving the clinicians, academics and affected families. It
:07:00. > :07:06.found that there was no cause for concern. A review of patient data
:07:06. > :07:10.from 2002 has restaged a similar conclusion. You would expect to see
:07:10. > :07:14.within a range and the number of cases we have seen in Helston is
:07:14. > :07:18.within that normal range. The numbers are small so it is
:07:18. > :07:21.difficult. There will be differences year on year. When you
:07:21. > :07:26.add them up into putting a few years together you will see there
:07:26. > :07:30.is not this difference that perhaps people are seeing locally. But I am
:07:30. > :07:35.really interested in talking to local people about the results.
:07:35. > :07:42.my hand I can count 10 or 12 people in the last three years who are
:07:42. > :07:45.suffering from cancer. That is not normal. People's lives matter. If
:07:45. > :07:50.we can save one life, isn't that worth looking more deeply and
:07:50. > :07:55.making sure that we have got the right results and we have got
:07:55. > :07:59.people listened to. The hero at Helston football club a petition
:07:59. > :08:05.calling for a more in-depth investigation already has 3,000
:08:05. > :08:10.signatures. Meanwhile, campaigners say they will take off -- take up
:08:10. > :08:12.the offer of a face-to-face meeting to discuss the latest NHS review.
:08:13. > :08:15.Parts of the South West are heading towards drought conditions,
:08:15. > :08:19.according to the Environment Agency. It's worried that river levels are
:08:19. > :08:21.running so low fish may die unless we get significant rain in the next
:08:21. > :08:24.few weeks. And farmers are concerned they may be prevented
:08:24. > :08:27.from taking water from rivers to irrigate their fields. If that
:08:27. > :08:37.happens they say there could be wholesale crop failures. From
:08:37. > :08:40.
:08:40. > :08:44.The slow shallow waters of the river in Somerset. Across the West
:08:44. > :08:49.Country river levels are low and they are getting lower. And
:08:49. > :08:55.according to those who have spent a lifetime monitoring the weather
:08:55. > :09:00.this is a problem that has been a two years in the making. 2010, 2011,
:09:00. > :09:04.the driest pair of years that I have recorded in 50 years. While
:09:04. > :09:07.our reservoirs are healthier than elsewhere in the country and water
:09:07. > :09:14.companies for now are insisting there is no threat she domestic
:09:14. > :09:20.supplies, the exceptionally dry conditions of worrying Lee --
:09:20. > :09:24.worrying the Environment Agency. They say if the levels fall much
:09:24. > :09:28.lower the consequences will be serious. That will impact the fish
:09:29. > :09:36.in our rivers. There will be a reduced flow and less oxygen in the
:09:36. > :09:42.water which means that fish could be in distress and possibly die.
:09:42. > :09:47.Farmers and growers are equally concerned about their livelihood.
:09:48. > :09:52.Matthew is getting ready to plant 150 tonne of potatoes. That Cropper
:09:52. > :09:55.will need rain in the weeks ahead and if it does not come, he is
:09:55. > :10:01.worried the Environment Agency may place restrictions on farmers
:10:01. > :10:06.irrigating their land. A am very worried that they might turn round
:10:06. > :10:11.and tell us not to irrigate our land. We will not be able to meet
:10:11. > :10:15.our contracts with our customers. No one is pushing the panic button
:10:15. > :10:19.yet, but if we do not get rain soon, it will not just be the growers and
:10:19. > :10:23.the farmers that will be feeling the pain because low crop yields
:10:23. > :10:33.will mean that the price of basic products like this in the shops
:10:33. > :11:03.
:11:03. > :11:07.The cattle on this Devon farm have been clear of bovine TB for years.
:11:07. > :11:12.But last week one of the cattle failed the test. The owner says
:11:12. > :11:16.that because one animal reacted to the test he will not be able to buy
:11:16. > :11:19.in any more cattle for the next 60 days. He says that is bad news for
:11:19. > :11:24.the industry, particularly for farmers finishing their cattle for
:11:24. > :11:28.slaughter. If we do not get hold of it, the government do not get hold
:11:28. > :11:36.of it and Europe do not get hold of it, I can see the West Country
:11:36. > :11:40.being shut down completely with bovine TB. The agency says they
:11:40. > :11:43.appreciate the need for strong measures to prevent bovine TB.
:11:43. > :11:48.Farmers say that this is the best time of year when the grass is at
:11:48. > :11:53.its best. They want to be bringing more cattle on to the land but
:11:53. > :11:57.these restrictions mean that they cannot. The National Farmers' Union
:11:57. > :12:03.says that the European Commission has driven the government for more
:12:03. > :12:07.buyers restrictions. It has been implemented in the UK. We have
:12:07. > :12:11.argued for a long time for an eradication programme. We want to
:12:11. > :12:15.rid the country of bovine TB. Because we have such a high
:12:15. > :12:19.incidents, we have been earmarked by the Commission as far as these
:12:19. > :12:21.extra movement restrictions are concerned. But animal welfare
:12:22. > :12:27.groups say that tighter restrictions were announced by the
:12:27. > :12:32.government when it said that there was to be limited cull of badgers.
:12:32. > :12:36.Animal welfare organisations think a lot of the answer to -- answer to
:12:36. > :12:40.bovine TB will come from restrictions in cattle movements.
:12:40. > :12:43.There is evidence already that this has worked. Defra said that it
:12:43. > :12:50.makes sense the new animals are brought on to the farm after the
:12:50. > :12:53.risk of infection to them is minimised.
:12:53. > :12:57.With 134 days to go before the London Olympics it has been
:12:57. > :13:02.revealed that whoever triumphs of there will be a little bit of
:13:02. > :13:05.Cornwall on every winner's podium. Cornish tin is being used in the
:13:05. > :13:09.manufacture of the bronze medals that will hang around the winner's
:13:09. > :13:15.next. They are the ultimate sporting
:13:15. > :13:25.accolade. The Olympic medals that will be hung around competitors
:13:25. > :13:27.
:13:27. > :13:31.next. They bill can -- contain a Cornish tin. The Teahan has been
:13:31. > :13:37.stored near Truro and the provenance of the tin can be traced
:13:37. > :13:42.right back to Minehead. It is an incredible thing that the -- 14
:13:42. > :13:45.years after the mine closed, tin produced by all those people
:13:45. > :13:49.involved in mining is actually going to be used for something as
:13:49. > :13:58.global as the Olympics. By Phil particularly proud because I have
:13:58. > :14:07.been involved with mining here and now I have ended up producing the
:14:07. > :14:12.tin for the Olympic's 2012. The tin hat to be refined to and 99.9 %
:14:13. > :14:16.purity. Nothing but the best for the Olympics. I was made aware that
:14:16. > :14:26.it was for the Olympics. It was good to know that it was for
:14:26. > :14:28.
:14:28. > :14:33.something so important to have. actual percentage of Cornish tin in
:14:33. > :14:39.each bronze medal is quite small. It will be about 0.5 %. This will
:14:39. > :14:49.be mixed with copper and zinc. But there will be a little piece of
:14:49. > :14:52.Cornwall present on every single Olympic podium.
:14:52. > :15:01.Coming up BBC Radio Devon's David Fitzgerald finds out about School
:15:01. > :15:11.Report day, but what have the youngsters done with him? This is
:15:11. > :15:13.
:15:13. > :15:16.The South Western Ambulance Service will have a Hazardous Area Response
:15:16. > :15:18.Team available from today. The team comprises of 42 ambulance
:15:18. > :15:21.paramedics who have undergone extensive, additional training and
:15:21. > :15:31.are able to treat patients under hazardous conditions. They'll be
:15:31. > :15:36.
:15:36. > :15:39.based in Exeter and be available for deployment seven days a week.
:15:39. > :15:45.The significant difference between what we were doing previously and
:15:45. > :15:50.what we do now is the equipment that we are using. This is more
:15:50. > :15:55.robust equipment and we have more equipment. We have an oxygen system
:15:55. > :16:05.that can treat many patients at one time. We are able to treat lots of
:16:05. > :16:10.
:16:10. > :16:13.patients all in one go with the right kind of kit.
:16:13. > :16:16.More than 1,000 schoolchildren in the South West have been taking
:16:16. > :16:18.part in this year's BBC School Report today. Schools across the
:16:18. > :16:21.region turned their classrooms into newsrooms. Some had visits from
:16:21. > :16:24.Spotlight. Simon Clemison was at Clyst Vale Community College in
:16:24. > :16:26.Exeter helping to give students the opportunity to report on the issues
:16:26. > :16:29.that they care about. Meanwhile Ivybridge Community College took
:16:29. > :16:33.over the airwaves of BBC Radio Devon from where David Fitzgerald
:16:33. > :16:36.can join us. Yes, I was sent back to the classroom today for BBC
:16:36. > :16:39.School Report. Here at Ivybridge Community College I chaired our own
:16:39. > :16:42.version of Question Time broadcast live on BBC Radio Devon earlier
:16:42. > :16:52.this lunchtime. School Reporters were filming us, Spotlight were
:16:52. > :16:56.filming them. All in all it was quite a day for all concerned. Our
:16:56. > :17:06.next report, I have adjusted to take into consideration, was
:17:06. > :17:08.
:17:08. > :17:11.partially filmed and edited and Hello. We are standing here outside
:17:11. > :17:17.our community college aware Radio Devon transmitted their lunchtime
:17:17. > :17:24.show. They featured David Fitzgerald's after new show in the
:17:24. > :17:32.style of BBC Question Time. On the panel was the head teacher of the
:17:32. > :17:42.Community College. Miss Michaella, a teacher at the school and an
:17:42. > :17:47.Olympic medallist. The chief executive of Active Devon. And of
:17:47. > :17:56.the superintendent of the Devon & Cornwall Police. Good afternoon and
:17:56. > :18:00.welcome live to a Ivybridge Community College. Dreams can
:18:00. > :18:06.happen as these students soon found out. Anyone here planning a
:18:06. > :18:12.military career? I am planning on joining the Navy and hopefully
:18:12. > :18:19.either going on to A-levels and joining as an officer or a
:18:19. > :18:22.submariner. And we have another gentleman over there. Does the
:18:22. > :18:27.situation in the world concern you that your career will be head-on
:18:27. > :18:31.against somebody else? I was thinking about joining the
:18:31. > :18:35.Coldstream Guards which is infantry. By the time I had will have
:18:35. > :18:44.finished my training, we should have been pulled out of Afghanistan.
:18:44. > :18:54.I wish both of you good luck in your military careers. The pupils
:18:54. > :18:57.
:18:57. > :19:00.of Ivybridge Community College are quizzing a plan will today.
:19:00. > :19:03.Next a report from two Plymouth students who've spent the day at
:19:03. > :19:06.the heart of the Olympics. Josie and Jessica from Sir John Hunt
:19:06. > :19:15.Community Sports College have been finding out what it takes to become
:19:15. > :19:19.a teenage Olympian at the Olympic Park in London.
:19:19. > :19:24.We are really excited to be here at the Olympic Park in London. In the
:19:24. > :19:28.summer, athletes from over the world will be here competing. A
:19:28. > :19:36.month and will be three girls from Plymouth you're like bars and still
:19:36. > :19:41.in school. These girls have all qualified for the Games. So how do
:19:41. > :19:50.they cope with school work and training? It is not that difficult
:19:50. > :19:53.because we have a lot of support from the teachers. You are
:19:53. > :19:57.obviously really tired all of the time, but knowing that you are
:19:57. > :20:05.going to the Olympics keeps you going. I am really excited about
:20:05. > :20:09.the Olympics and it will be a life- changing experience. The Plymouth
:20:09. > :20:13.girls will be fighting for their chance here at the London aquatic
:20:13. > :20:19.centre. We asked the head of the Olympics, Lord Coe, about his
:20:19. > :20:24.advice. Find the best coach that you can. Develop a really good
:20:24. > :20:28.relationship with your coach. Are the best things in sport never
:20:28. > :20:34.happen overnight. It took me 12 years from the point that I joined
:20:34. > :20:38.an athletics club when I was about 12, to get to an Olympics Games.
:20:38. > :20:42.takes a lot of hard work and commitment to stay focused on the
:20:42. > :20:52.Olympic training and school work. We wish them luck on their journey
:20:52. > :21:00.ahead. We have been reporting for BBC News School Report. It has been
:21:00. > :21:10.an incredible days here for us. You can see the talent out there. I
:21:10. > :21:10.
:21:10. > :21:13.think we need to shape up and practice!
:21:13. > :21:17.Sport Relief is just over a week away and many of you have been
:21:17. > :21:19.getting ready to go the extra mile for charity. The aim is to get a
:21:19. > :21:23.million people around the country running together next Sunday.
:21:23. > :21:32.Natalie has been to meet two well known faces who're doing their bit
:21:32. > :21:36.down here. We have come back up to Plymouth
:21:36. > :21:44.Hoe is because this is where the South West flagship mile will be
:21:44. > :21:49.held on March 25th. I've been joined by football pundit Chris
:21:49. > :21:53.Hardy. Are you looking forward to Sport Relief? I cannot wait.
:21:53. > :22:01.will be a great day. You have actually run the London Marathon
:22:01. > :22:11.before. They should be a double for you. It is quite difficult because
:22:11. > :22:11.
:22:11. > :22:18.I can lose a lot of skin. This should be quite easy for you as
:22:18. > :22:23.well. I think so, yes, compared to epic marathons. You will try a bit
:22:23. > :22:31.of the course together today. I would give you the microphone and
:22:31. > :22:36.please talk it together as you run! Then, you have obviously been
:22:36. > :22:41.through a lot, what has been the hardest thing about training?
:22:41. > :22:45.hardest thing is looking after what is left of my leg. It is all about
:22:45. > :22:49.taking care of that and making sure I have got the right to dressings
:22:49. > :22:55.on just so that I can get to the finish. So it is no good me
:22:55. > :23:00.complaining about my blisters! Why have you chosen to do the Sport
:23:00. > :23:06.Relief Mile in Plymouth? I live in Plymouth and I have been here since
:23:06. > :23:12.I was 10 years old. This is my home and where else better to do it?
:23:12. > :23:16.have not picked a great day today! If you believe you can do you will
:23:17. > :23:20.get there. You have not got to come first, you have not got to spread
:23:20. > :23:26.all the way, just take your time and get to the finish. As long as
:23:26. > :23:35.you get to the finish line at that is all it is about. Definitely.
:23:35. > :23:41.was that? It was all right. Difficult to keep up. We will see
:23:42. > :23:51.you back here on Sunday 25th March. If you would like to sign up to run,
:23:52. > :23:58.
:23:58. > :24:08.there is still time. Just go to the Sport Relief website.
:24:08. > :24:08.
:24:08. > :24:13.It looked misty app said today. Did We did not have any sunshine
:24:13. > :24:17.anywhere. A big change coming up as we move into the weekend. There
:24:17. > :24:27.will be a lot more happening, the breeze picks up and it will become
:24:27. > :24:31.unsettled. We will also see rain. For some, that will be very welcome.
:24:31. > :24:37.Already on the satellite picture we can feel lot more cloud streaming
:24:37. > :24:45.in off the Atlantic. The high pressure, which has been closed by
:24:45. > :24:52.for about a week now, is now moving out of the way. This evening and
:24:52. > :24:57.tonight the other whether fund will get closer. -- weather front. After
:24:57. > :25:01.that, low pressure. We will see plenty of showers on Saturday and
:25:01. > :25:08.the showers will continue into Sunday as well. This was earlier
:25:08. > :25:17.today. In the previous days, we have had large clove -- holes in
:25:17. > :25:27.the cloud. To see just how cloudy it was, we sent our reporter down
:25:27. > :25:33.
:25:33. > :25:37.to film. You can see how light winds has been, there is hardly a
:25:37. > :25:45.wave on the ocean. Let's continue to look at what is happening
:25:45. > :25:49.tonight. The cloud clears her bit in the far west of Cornwall now.
:25:49. > :25:53.Then the cloud will return and it will turn misty again. Temperatures
:25:53. > :25:58.will be similar to what we have seen for the last couple of nights.
:25:58. > :26:02.It will be down to five or six degrees. Tomorrow, a lot of cloud
:26:02. > :26:07.to start the day. It may brighten up in the East Devon and Dorset and
:26:07. > :26:12.Somerset. Some sunshine may break through the cloud. For most of us
:26:12. > :26:15.it will be another great day. The cloud will thicken in the West to
:26:15. > :26:20.end the day with patchy rain. That will be an overnight feature
:26:20. > :26:24.tomorrow night and into the er the hours of Saturday. Temperatures
:26:24. > :26:29.tomorrow will be up to 11 or 12 degrees, but there will be more of
:26:30. > :26:39.a breeze. For the Isles of Scilly, there will be patchy rain later in
:26:40. > :26:52.
:26:52. > :26:59.On to the forecast for the coastal waters, winds will be south-
:26:59. > :27:05.westerly. The weather will be fair at first with patchy rain later.
:27:05. > :27:11.Into Saturday, early rain clearing and then quite heavy showers. One
:27:11. > :27:17.or two could be thundery. It will turn cold up on Sunday with
:27:17. > :27:20.potentially some frost on Sunday The top stories tonight: Cornwall's