Energy market faces competition probe

26 June 2014 Last updated at 12:32

The UK's energy market is to face a full investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the regulator Ofgem has announced.

The probe will last 18 months and is expected to include a look at the profits of the six largest suppliers.

Ofgem said in March it intended to refer the industry to the CMA.

"This will help build consumer trust and confidence in the energy market." said Ofgem chief executive Dermot Nolan.

"Now is the right time to refer the energy market to the CMA for the benefit of consumers.

"There is near-unanimous support for a referral and the CMA investigation offers an important opportunity to clear the air."

In March an Ofgem report questioned the effectiveness of competition in the market and recommended a full inquiry. It was then required by law to consult other interested parties before making a final referral.

Ofgem also wants the CMA to examine whether there is sufficient competition between the large energy providers, and whether consumers who do not switch supplier are being set higher prices.

Energy UK, which represents the largest energy companies, said it welcomed the investigation. "The competition inquiry will allow us to put to bed the toxic debate and shine a light on the progress the industry has already made" said its chief executive Angela Knight.

And she added: "There are now more companies than ever in the market, switching is on the up especially to smaller suppliers and the industry is making it easier than ever for customers to engage with their company."

Switching

Earlier this month Ofgem reached agreement with the energy companies to make it easier for customers to switch supplier. Under the agreement customers will be able to switch energy supplier within three days by the end of the year.

Anyone who wants to switch must be given a two-week cooling-off period for the chance to change their mind, before the three-day process starts.

Next-day switching should be in place by the end of 2018 at the latest.

At present, the switching process can take five weeks, including the two-week cancellation period.

'No stone unturned'

Consumer groups welcomed today's announcement.

"This is a watershed moment for the broken energy market and millions of people struggling to cope with spiralling bills," said Richard Lloyd, executive director of the consumer group, Which.

"The investigation must leave no stone unturned in establishing the truth behind energy prices, and while it takes place Ofgem must continue its renewed, tougher approach to protecting consumers. Energy companies must also not wait for the outcome of this inquiry but make urgent changes now to do better by their customers," he said.

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MI6 chief Sawers to step down

26 June 2014 Last updated at 10:42

Sir John Sawers, chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, known as MI6, is to step down in November after five years in the post.

His successor will be chosen by the Cabinet Office and will need to be approved by the Foreign Office and the prime minister.

Sir John was Britain's ambassador to the United Nations before being named as the head of MI6 in 2009.

He also spent three years as Tony Blair's foreign policy adviser.

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Abu Qatada not guilty of terror plot

26 June 2014 Last updated at 12:27

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Abu Qatada broke down in tears when he was acquitted, says Gordon Corera

Radical Muslim preacher Abu Qatada has been found not guilty of terrorism offences by a court in Jordan, over an alleged plot in 1998.

A panel of civilian judges sitting at the State Security Court in Amman cleared him of conspiracy to carry out terrorist acts.

Abu Qatada was deported from the UK in July 2013. A verdict on another alleged plot was adjourned until September.

The Home Office said Abu Qatada would not be able to return to Britain.

Torture evidence

This verdict comes after a near decade-long legal battle to force the radical cleric to face trial in his home country, and will raise concerns that he may use his influence to destabilise the Jordanian state at a time of increasing turmoil on its borders.

Abu Qatada, whose real name is Omar Othman, was granted asylum in the UK in 1994 but the security service MI5 increasingly saw him as a national security threat as his views on jihad hardened.

He was accused of conspiracy to commit terrorist acts following a series of bombings, including of a hotel, in Jordan in 1998 and a foiled plot to carry out attacks on civilians in Jordan to mark the millennium.

He was convicted in his absence but the convictions were eventually thrown out because they had been based on evidence which may have been acquired by torturing Abu Qatada's co-defendants.

A treaty signed last year by Jordan and the UK banned the use of such evidence from trials in Jordan, removing the final obstacle to deporting the man described by British judges as a "truly dangerous individual".

When he was deported from the UK in July 2013, Home Secretary Theresa May said she had been "as frustrated as the public" about the estimated £1.7m cost and length of time it had taken to remove him.

The cleric had fought his deportation since 2005.

Home Office minister James Brokenshire said: "Abu Qatada's re-trial in Jordan has been made possible thanks to this government's determination to successfully deport him from the UK.

"While the courts in Jordan have acquitted [Abu] Qatada of one of the two charges against him, it is right the due process of law is allowed to take place in his own country. We await a verdict on the remaining charge."

Mr Brokenshire also said Abu Qatada is subject to a deportation order which means he will be unable to return to the UK. He is also subject to a UN travel ban.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "He can't come back and he won't come back to the UK. He is a Jordanian, he does not have a UK passport and would not be granted permission to enter the UK.

"The outcome of the thorough work done by the home secretary led to his deportation. The process now is for the Jordanian judicial system."

Following the preacher's acquittal, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg told LBC radio: "It was important that we sent Abu Qatada, after lengthy delay, back to Jordan to face trial".

Continue reading the main story

He's the star of the jihadist world so his writings, lectures and sermons are all taken very seriously"

End Quote Laith Alkhouri Extremist content analyst

"What is absolutely clear to me is that this man needed to face justice and needed to do so out of the UK."

Chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, Keith Vaz, said he was surprised at the verdict.

"However, it is right that the Jordanian court has followed due process," he added. "There are still matters outstanding which need to be resolved."

"The British government was right to remove this man from the UK considering his extremist views and potential links to terrorism."

Agreement 'betrayal'

The trial was conducted at the controversial State Security Court which is housed in a military base in Marka, a suburb in the capital Amman.

At an appearance in December, Abu Qatada complained about the presence of a military judge on the panel as a "betrayal of the agreement" under which he was deported.

This had specified that he must be tried by civilian judges. The make up of the tribunal was subsequently changed.

During the trial Abu Qatada reportedly spoke out about the conflict in neighbouring Syria, urging the two main jihadist factions there, the al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis), to unite behind the leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

The BBC's Steve Swann, reporting from the trial in Amman, says that despite such outbursts, there was little to link Abu Qatada to the two terror plots in this case once the torture evidence was discounted.

A British judge had referred to this as "an extremely thin case" and this has now been proved, our correspondent added.

Smuggled writing

The BBC has seen evidence which suggests Abu Qatada has smuggled out messages and writings from his cell in the high security Muwaqqer prison to his supporters across the world.

Laith Alkhouri, senior analyst with Flashpoint Partners, monitors extremist content online from an office in New York. He has found numerous postings on the internet which claim to be in Abu Qatada's name.

In one, the cleric is alleged to have contacted al-Zawahiri to condemn Isis.

In a letter published by the al-Nusra Front in April the cleric denounced Isis as "the dogs of hellfire... because of their evil actions".

Elsewhere, he has written in praise of jihad as a tool for overthrowing tyrannical leaders of the Muslim world.

Mr Alkhouri told the BBC: "He's the star of the jihadist world so his writings, lectures and sermons are all taken very seriously. Every single word is taken very seriously by jihadists."

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Bank moves to avert housing boom

26 June 2014 Last updated at 12:42

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Mark Carney: "We are introducing a new affordability test"

A cap on the proportion of home loans that can be lent at high multiples of income has been proposed.

The plan was outlined by the Bank of England as governor Mark Carney said the housing market could be a threat to the UK economy's stability.

Under the proposal, lenders will not be allowed to lend any more than 15% of residential mortgages at more than 4.5 times a borrower's income.

Affordability checks on borrowers will also be strengthened.

The Bank's Financial Policy Committee (FPC) has a remit is to tackle any threat to the stability of the UK's economy and the measures aim to prevent the housing market getting out of control in the future.

They key recommendations are:

• Ensuring lenders check mortgage applicants can cope with a three percentage point rise in interest rates - slightly tougher than current affordability checks
• Insuring against risky lending by putting a 15% cap on the number of mortgages that banks and building societies can give to people who want to borrow more than 4.5 times their income
• A separate Treasury pledge that bans anyone applying for a loan through the Help to Buy scheme borrowing any more than 4.5 times their income

Continue reading the main storyFuture-proofing

The Bank said that the plans would not have an immediate effect on the current housing market, and would not suddenly harm a potential buyer's ability to get on the property ladder.

"These actions will have a minimal impact in the future if, and it is an important if, if the housing market evolves in line with the bank's central view," Mr Carney added.

"The 15% cap... could quickly become relevant if house prices grow more than we expect, if incomes grow less rapidly than we expect, or if underwriting standards slip."

Mr Carney said that the Bank was acting in a proportionate and graduated way, acting early, and putting in place "a fire-break" on riskier lending.

Lenders said this cap would have an impact primarily in London.

"Nationally, 9% of new loans are at 4.5 times income or more, but the figure is 19% in London," said Paul Smee, director general of the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

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Steph McGovern and Adam Parsons report on the North-South divide in house prices

However, Mr Carney said the 15% limit could be reached nationally within a year.

Some lenders, notably Lloyds Banking Group and RBS, have already limited mortgage lending to four times income for loans worth more than £500,000. The average new mortgage for a house purchase is £135,200.

The action by Lloyds and RBS was specifically aimed at curtailing "inflationary pressures" in the London housing market.

The latest official figures on the housing market showed an annual property price increase of 18.7% in London, where a small proportion of buyers pay in cash.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

It is highly unlikely that these [constraints on lenders] will have any significant impact on the health of the housing market in any part of the UK, including the booming markets in London and the South East"

End Quote

Baroness Jo Valentine, chief executive of London First, which represents various property firms, said: "If anyone thinks these tighter rules on mortgage lending will somehow make London prices more reasonable then they are mistaken."

Excluding London and the South East of England, the cost of a home was 6.3% higher in April than 12 months before, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said last week.

But various surveys have suggested that the heat might be coming out of the market, with mortgage approvals - a sign of future sales - having slowed in recent months. Some areas outside of London and the South East have seen relatively little increases in activity among buyers and sellers.

Affordability checks

Lenders are already using new affordability checks - known as the Mortgage Market Review - which test people's ability to repay were interest rates to rise.

This will be added to, under the Bank of England's plans, as lenders will need to assess if borrowers could still afford to repay their mortgage if interest rates were three percentage points higher, during the first five years of the term, than at the time the loan was approved.

Continue reading the main story

Help to Buy (mortgage guarantee)

• Covers all UK
• Covers "second-hand" homes up to £600,000
• Began October 2013
• Ends December 2016

Mortgage brokers said that relatively few people would be affected by these changes.

Mr Carney said the threat to economic stability was not imminent, but lending could turn from responsible to reckless very quickly.

In light of the bank's move, the government has said that no applicants for the government's Help to Buy scheme would be able to borrow at more than four-and-a-half times their income.

Shares in house-builders rose during trading shortly after the Bank's announcement.

Persimmon shares were up 6.5%, Barratt Developments shares rose by 5.5% and Bovis Homes shares were up by 3.7% within an hour of the announcement.

"Any lack of a real targeting of the housing market would be a positive for the house-builders," said Richard Perry, analyst at Hantec Markets.

Continue reading the main story

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Are you currently trying to buy or sell a home? Do you work in the property business? You can email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line 'housing market'.

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Savile NHS victims aged five to 75

26 June 2014 Last updated at 12:42

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Kate Lampard QC: Victims "deserve an explanation"

Ex-BBC DJ Jimmy Savile sexually assaulted victims aged five to 75 in NHS hospitals over decades of unrestricted access, investigators say.

He assaulted patients in bed, and claimed to have abused corpses, reviews into his conduct on NHS premises found.

The reports cover 28 hospitals including Leeds General Infirmary and Broadmoor psychiatric hospital.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt apologised to victims, saying Savile's actions "will shake our country to the core".

'Glass eyes'

Continue reading the main story

He was a sickening and prolific sexual abuser who repeatedly exploited the trust of a nation"

End Quote Jeremy Hunt Health secretary

Savile, a Radio 1 DJ who also presented the BBC's Top Of The Pops and Jim'll Fix It, died aged 84 in October 2011 - a year before allegations that he had sexually abused children were broadcast in an ITV documentary.

The reports on Leeds General Infirmary and Broadmoor are detailed and, at times, graphic.

They explain how Savile was allowed unsupervised access to vulnerable patients, with a failure to question the risks of his unconventional and promiscuous lifestyle.

The Leeds investigation found:

• Sixty people came forward to say they had been abused between the ages of five and 75, including staff
• The offences ranged from lewd remarks to sexual assault and three cases of rape and took place between 1962 and 2009
• Only nine victims told members of staff. There were a further eight female victims who met Savile at the hospital, but were not patients
• Savile had a well-known fixation with the dead and the report contains allegations he posed for photographs and performed sex acts on corpses in the hospital mortuary
• While there is no way to verify the claim, Dr Sue Proctor - who led the Leeds inquiry - said there is no doubt controls on access to the mortuary were "lax"
• Patients, including teenagers recovering from surgery, were abused in their beds
• A 10-year-old boy was sexually assaulted while he waited on a trolley for an x-ray on his broken arm
• A number of organisational failures over the years enabled Savile to continue unchallenged
• The situation allowed someone "as manipulative as Savile to thrive and continue his abusive behaviour unchecked for years".

Mr Hunt told the Commons one victim being treated at Leeds General Infirmary feared she was pregnant after being abused.

There were also reports that Savile made jewellery out of glass eyes taken from dead bodies from the hospital mortuary, he told MPs.

Mr Hunt apologised on behalf of the government and the NHS, saying of the victims: "We let them down badly."

The health secretary said there was a "deep sense of revulsion" over the findings.

He added: "As a nation, at that time we held Savile in our affection as a somewhat eccentric national treasure with a strong commitment to charitable causes.

"Today's report shows that in reality he was a sickening and prolific sexual abuser who repeatedly exploited the trust of a nation for his own vile purposes."

Mr Hunt is writing to all NHS trusts asking them to ensure they are confident about patient safety.

A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "deeply shocked", adding it was "important lessons are learned".

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Dr Sue Proctor on mortuary allegations - This clip contains some disturbing content

The report was clear, however, that no one person is to blame for what happened at the hospital other than Savile. But it did describe a lack of curiosity about his activities.

One 16-year-old victim told BBC Radio 4's Today programme she was abused by Savile in a basement at the Leeds hospital.

When she started to tell nurses, they laughed so she did not tell them everything.

Analysis by Nick Triggle, health correspondent, BBC News

Since the allegations about Jimmy Savile came to light, the police have looked into how many victims there may have been. A review of why he was never prosecuted has also been carried out.

But this is the most comprehensive account of how he was able to offend and get away with it for so long.

Reviews into his behaviour at the BBC and care homes are expected later this year - and will no doubt shed even more light on the scandal.

But for now the failings of the NHS - an institution that is there to care for the vulnerable - are in the spotlight.

He enjoyed unsupervised access, particularly at two sites, Leeds General Infirmary and Broadmoor psychiatric hospital, and was able to use his fame to intimidate junior staff.

What is more, senior management were too unquestioning.

The reports are loathe to blame individuals.

But with cases of abuse and improper conduct being reported up until 2009 - albeit much less frequently than in the 1960s and 1970s - the NHS has a lot of soul searching to do.

"It's only after it's all happened, I think you just feel dirty, you feel ridiculously stupid," she said.

"Because I didn't think I was that naive. And you try to analyse it and think: 'Could I have done anything differently to stop it?'.

"And to this day, all these years later, I really don't think I could have done."

Lesley McLean, Victim Support manager for West Yorkshire, said: "Savile preyed on vulnerable people for 50 years.

"The parents of the children he abused in Leeds hospitals were already anxious about their child's health.

"What they thought was a treat for their loved one was actually their worst nightmare."

'Deeply sorry'

In 1988, Savile was appointed by the Department of Health as the head of a taskforce overseeing Broadmoor.

The report describes an inappropriate culture at Broadmoor that allowed sexual liaisons between staff and patients and discouraged reporting of concerns.

The Broadmoor report found:

• Savile watched and made inappropriate comments when female patients stripped and showered naked in front of staff, a practice which was common in the late 1980s
• The late DJ was "narcissistic, arrogant and lacking in any empathy"
• He was also very manipulative and staff were convinced he had close connections in high places
• There was "no evidence that those responsible knew anything of the very much darker side" to Savile that was later revealed
• Eleven allegations of sexual abuse were reported to the review. Six of them involved patients, two staff and three children.

The report said the numbers were very likely to be an underestimate of the true picture because so many former patients simply wished to forget their time at Broadmoor.

In total, the Department of Health investigated the links that 5 hospitals or homes had with Savile.

Reports have been issued on: St Catherine's Hospital (Birkenhead); Saxondale Mental Health Hospital; Portsmouth Royal Hospital; Dewsbury and District Hospital (including Pinderfields Hospital); High Royds Psychiatric Hospital; Cardiff Royal Infirmary; Great Ormond Street Hospital; Exeter Hospital; Ashworth Hospital; Barnet General Hospital; Booth Hall; De La Pole Hospital; Dryburn Hospital; Hammersmith Hospital; Leavesden Secure Mental Health Hospital; Marsden Hospital; Maudsley Hospital; Odstock Hospital; Prestwich Psychiatric Hospital; Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead; Royal Victoria Infirmary; Queen Mary's Hospital, Carshalton; Whitby Memorial Hospital; Wythenshawe Hospital, and Woodhouse Eaves Children's Convalescent Homes in Leicester.

A report about Wheatfield's Hospice, which is run by the Sue Ryder charity, has also been released.

Hospital bedroom

A key report into Savile's activities at Stoke Mandeville Hospital has been delayed after new information recently came to light.

Savile had a bedroom at Stoke Mandeville, where his now-defunct charitable trust was based, as well as an office and living quarters at Broadmoor.

Reports concerning two other hospitals - Rampton and Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust - have also been delayed.

There are also new investigations at Springfield Hospital and Crawley Hospital.

It is understood investigations at two hospitals - the Royal Free Hospital in London and Pennine Acute NHS hospitals Trust - found nothing to report.

The revelations made in a 2012 ITV documentary about Savile prompted more than a hundred people to come forward, giving accounts of how they were sexually assaulted by Savile on NHS premises and in other places.

A report by the NSPCC said Savile abused at least 500 victims, including some as young as two.

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Arson family killers jailed for life

25 June 2014 Last updated at 12:44

Two men who murdered a family of four in a "botched revenge attack" on their house have been jailed for life.

Tristan Richards, 23, and Kemo Porter, 19, must serve minimum terms of 35 years and 25 years respectively for the death of Shehnila Taufiq and her three children in Leicester.

Six others have also been sentenced for their manslaughter.

Mrs Taufiq, 47, daughter Zainab, 19, and sons Bilal, 17, and Jamal, 15 died in the blaze on 13 September 2013.

Sitting at Nottingham Crown Court, the judge, Justice John Griffith Williams, described the group's actions as "atrocious crimes" and said the "premeditated and planned attack" that resulted in the wrong house being targeted "makes the offending even more heinous".

He said Shaun Carter, 24, Nathaniel Mullings, 19, Jackson Powell, 20, Aaron Webb, 20, Cairo Parker, 17 - and 21-year-old Akeem Jeffers from Leeds - were all influenced by Richards and Porter.

All six were convicted by a jury on Monday.

The judge said Richards, of Sparkenhoe Street, Leicester, had been the "ring leader" who bought the petrol and led the defendants to the house.

He said Porter, of Browning Street, Leicester knew exactly what the consequences of his actions would be but at no point disassociated himself.

'Terrible end'

For the remaining defendants Judge Williams said: "Each of you was party to a premeditated plan to set fire to the house, an unlawful act which any sensible person would inevitably realise must subject someone to at least the risk of some physical harm.

"As a consequence four innocent people met a terrible end."

Carter, of Franche Road, Leicester and Mullings, of Farringdon Street, Leicester, were sentenced to 15 years.

Powell, of Burnside Road, Leicester, Webb, of Saltersford Road, Leicester and Jeffers, of Carr Mills, Leeds were all sentenced to 12 years.

The three men aged under 21 will be detained at a young offenders' institution.

Parker, 17, of Wood Hill, Leicester was sentenced to be detained for eight years.

'Carried away'

During the two-month trial jurors heard the defendants had intended to target the house of another man who they believed had been involved in the stabbing of their friend Antoin Akpom.

Mr Akpom, 20, had died on the evening of 12 September after being stabbed in the back following a "confrontation".

The court heard that in the hours after the stabbing arrangements were made for the revenge attack and Parker was recruited because he claimed to know where the man who stabbed their friend lived.

Judge Williams said that while Richards was "a calculating man", the other men had got "carried away by their own grief" became influenced to act out of character.

The judge praised the family's father and husband Dr Muhammad Taufiq Al Sattar, for his "remarkable dignified presence" throughout the trial.

"He told in the most moving of terms of his loss, its effect upon him and of his dedication to complete, in their memory, the family goal of setting up a community centre in Dublin," the judge added.

"He too is a victim of what he described as a heartless, malicious act".

Dr Sattar said he had no hatred for the men but "such criminals should not be let outside of the prison for the rest of their lives".

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Campaigners lose 'right to die' case

25 June 2014 Last updated at 10:02

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Paul Lamb: "I haven't committed a crime, I don't deserve to be punished like this"

Campaigners have lost their appeal at the UK Supreme Court over the right to die - but the judges said Parliament should now act.

Justices ruled against Paul Lamb and Jane Nicklinson by seven to two.

A third man, Martin, lost his attempt to have the current prosecution guidance on assisted suicide clarified.

But five justices concluded they had the power to declare the current law breaches the right to a private life.

Had the court made such a declaration, it would have forced the government to introduce legislation to amend the law on assisted suicide.

A majority of the justices said that the question they were being asked involved moral judgements rather than points of law - and the matter had to be addressed by a democratically-elected Parliament.

The cases involve the family of the late Tony Nicklinson, of Wiltshire, who had locked-in syndrome, and Paul Lamb, of Leeds, who was paralysed in a road crash.

Continue reading the main story

I am disappointed that we lost. But it is a very positive step. Parliament will have to discuss this"

End Quote Jane Nicklinson Campaigner

They wanted the law changed to allow doctors to assist patients to die.

Nine justices had to decide whether a prohibition on assisted suicide was compatible with the right to respect for private and family life under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Five concluded the court had the "constitutional authority" to make a declaration, and two of the five said they would have done so.

'Positive step'

Mr Lamb and Mrs Nicklinson, the wife of Tony Nicklinson, said the conclusions were a "positive" step in the fight for change.

Continue reading the main story

The Supreme Court is our highest legal authority - and that also makes it a political creature. So its right-to-die judgement boils down to a single phrase directed at Parliament: Sort it out, or we will.

It argues that MPs have ducked the issue for too long - and it is time they, as our democratically-elected representatives, find the political backbone to amend the law on assisted suicide.

Lord Neuberger, the court's president, clearly finds current guidelines, whereby prosecutors consider criminal charges after a death, to be deeply unsatisfactory.

He proposes a transparent legal channel which would allow independent assessment of a patient's application to die.

Lady Hale, an international authority on law and the family, is bolder, saying the ban breaches human rights.

So make no mistake: if Parliament doesn't act, it may only be a matter of time before judges run of patience.

"I am very proud of myself," said Mr Lamb, 58. "I know it is going to change."

Mrs Nicklinson, from Wiltshire, whose husband Tony died aged 58 last year, added: "I am disappointed that we lost. But it is a very positive step. Parliament will have to discuss this. I think Tony would be very pleased at how far we have come."

Commenting on the ruling, Andrea Williams of Christian Concern, said: "This is good news for the many vulnerable people who would have been at risk if the attempt to weaken the law on euthanasia and assisted suicide had been allowed by the Supreme Court.

"The murder law is there to set the highest priority on the importance and value of life and to protect it."

A third man, known only as Martin, was seeking clarification of the Director of Public Prosecutions's (DPP's) guidance on the position of health professionals who assist a suicide.

Martin wants it to be lawful for a doctor or nurse to help him travel abroad to die with the help of a suicide organisation in Switzerland. His wife and other family want no involvement in his suicide.

The Supreme Court unanimously allowed the DPP's appeal against a previous Court of Appeal ruling in Martin's favour for clarification of the guidance.

Using an adapted computer operated by sight, Martin said in a statement: "I would implore the DPP to amend her written guidance as a matter of absolute priority.

"People in my situation, who have the right to choose how to end their lives, should be able to get the assistance they need from people outside their family."

Long battle

Mr Lamb has been almost completely paralysed from the neck down since a car accident more than 20 years ago and says he is in constant pain.

He has called for the law to be changed so any doctor who helped him die would have a defence against the charge of murder.

Tony Nicklinson was paralysed from the neck down after suffering a stroke while on a business trip to Athens in 2005.

After losing his High Court battle last year, he refused food and died naturally, aged 58, a week later at his home in Wiltshire. His widow, Jane, is continuing his legal battle.

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Lord Carlile said the UK offered "the best palliative care in the world", and there was no case for a law allowing assisted suicide

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Wonga chased debt with fake lawyers

25 June 2014 Last updated at 11:31

Payday lender Wonga must pay £2.6m in compensation after sending letters from non-existent law firms to customers in arrears.

The letters threatened legal action, but the law firms were false. In some cases Wonga added fees for these letters to customers' accounts.

The City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), said 45,000 customers would be compensated.

Wonga has apologised and said the tactic ended nearly four years ago.

The company is the UK's largest payday lender, making nearly four million loans to one million customers in 2012, latest figures show.

'Serious' misconduct

An investigation found that Wonga sent letters to customers from fake law firms called "Chainey, D'Amato & Shannon" and "Barker and Lowe Legal Recoveries".

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

We would like to apologise unreservedly to anyone affected"

End Quote Tim Weller Interim chief executive, Wonga

The plan was to make customers in arrears believe that their outstanding debt had been passed to a law firm, with legal action threatened if the debt was not paid.

The company was using this tactic to maximise collections by piling the pressure on customers, the regulator said.

"Wonga's misconduct was very serious because it had the effect of exacerbating an already difficult situation for customers in arrears," said Clive Adamson, director of supervision at the FCA.

"The FCA expects firms to pay particular attention to fair treatment of those who have difficulty in meeting their loan repayments."

The situation occurred between October 2008 and November 2010, and involved Wonga and other companies within its group.

Apology

As this happened before the FCA took over the regulation of payday lenders, it is unable to fine Wonga. It also said there would be no criminal investigation as it wanted to set up a compensation scheme as quickly as possible and a criminal probe would take time.

Instead, Wonga will start contacting customers in July to offer compensation, with money likely to be paid by the end of the month. This will either be paid in cash or customers will have their outstanding debt reduced.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

It is a shocking new low for the payday industry"

End Quote Richard Lloyd Executive director, Which?

"We would like to apologise unreservedly to anyone affected by the historical debt collection activity and for any distress caused as a result," said Tim Weller, interim chief executive of Wonga.

"The practice was unacceptable and we voluntarily ceased it nearly four years ago."

Anyone who might have changed address in the intervening period should contact Wonga.

Labour MP and campaigner against payday loans Stella Creasy has questioned the lack of criminal investigation.

"Why in those instances where customers of Wonga charged debt collection fees for these letters is that not police matter?," she asked on social media site Twitter.

Richard Lloyd, executive director of consumer group Which?, said: "It is right the FCA is taking a tougher line on irresponsible lending and it does not get much more irresponsible than this.

"It is a shocking new low for the payday industry that is already dogged by bad practice and Wonga deserves to have the book thrown at it."

More errors

The investigation was started by the FCA's predecessor, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). Wonga said it stopped the tactic voluntarily then offered information to the OFT.

In addition, in April this year, Wonga discovered that it had miscalculated some customers' balances.

This resulted in 200,000 people overpaying the company. Wonga said that the majority overpaid by less than £5, and a larger number underpaid.

Those who overpaid will be contacted by Wonga, and the underpaid debt will be cancelled.

Mr Weller said the company "will learn from these mistakes" and was strengthening its internal controls.

The problems for Wonga come shortly after its boss Niall Wass quit after six months in the job of chief executive. Mr Wass joined Wonga in January 2013 as chief operating officer - after the fake lawyer tactics ended - and became chief executive in November.

Earlier this month, chairman and founder Errol Damelin also announced that he was planning to quit.

Have you received the fake letters mentioned in this story? Would you be willing to talk to the BBC about your experiences? Email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk adding Wonga' in the subject heading and including your contact details.

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Iraq PM rejects unity government

25 June 2014 Last updated at 12:05

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Nouri Maliki said in his weekly TV address that ''Iraq is today facing a fierce terrorist onslaught''

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has rejected calls for a national salvation government to help counter the offensive by jihadist-led Sunni rebels.

Such calls represented a "coup against the constitution and an attempt to end the democratic experience", he warned.

The US has led appeals to the country's political leaders to rise above sectarian and ethnic divisions.

Government forces have been unable to recapture the territory seized by the rebels this month.

Almost half of the 300 US military advisers assigned to help the Iraqi security forces have arrived and are to start work on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the crisis in Iraq is being discussed by Nato leaders meeting in Brussels. They have been joined by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who has just returned from a two-day visit to Baghdad and Irbil.

'Dangerous goals'

In his weekly televised address, Mr Maliki called on "all political forces to reconcile" in the face of a "fierce terrorist onslaught".

But the Shia prime minister gave no promise of greater representation in government for the minority Sunni Arab community, which has long accused him of discrimination and monopolising power.

He rejected forming an emergency administration including all religious and ethnic groups, arguing that such a move would go against the results of April's parliamentary elections which were won by his bloc.

"The dangerous goals of forming a national salvation government are not hidden," he said. "It is an attempt by those who are against the constitution to eliminate the young democratic process and steal the votes of the voters."

During his visit to Iraq, Mr Kerry warned that Iraq was now at a "critical moment" in its history. He promised that US support "will be intense and sustained and if Iraq's leaders take the necessary steps to bring the country together, it will be effective".

The 130 US military advisers are setting up a joint military operations room with the Iraqi army in Baghdad and another in the north.

US officials have made it clear that this is not a "rush to the rescue", although the US advisers are in the position to call in air strikes against the militants if it is deemed necessary.

Their primary job is to assess the capabilities of the Iraqi forces and advise on what should be done, says the BBC's Jim Muir in Irbil.

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Sunni fighters: 'Baghdad will fall within a month'

The US intelligence assessment is that the Sunni rebels spearheaded by ISIS are capable of holding the territory they have captured.

Iraqi forces have tacitly recognised that, our correspondent adds. They have been unable to launch any strategic counter-offensives.

They are mainly focusing on two things - harassing the rebels from the air, mainly with attack helicopters, and building up their deployment for the defence of Baghdad, where troop numbers have been doubled.

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Jury discharged in Coulson case

25 June 2014 Last updated at 12:50

The jury in the phone-hacking trial has been discharged after failing to reach verdicts on outstanding charges against former News of the World editor Andy Coulson and journalist Clive Goodman.

Coulson was convicted of conspiracy to hack phones on Tuesday. Goodman had pleaded guilty in 2006 over hacking.

The pair faced further allegations of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office.

A decision on any retrial would be made on Monday, the judge said.

He had considered halting proceedings earlier after Coulson's lawyer criticised Prime Minster David Cameron's "ill-advised and premature intervention" in the case.

Mr Cameron issued a hasty apology on Tuesday for employing the former tabloid editor as his communications chief.

Five people have pleaded guilty in the case, while former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and her husband Charlie were among the remaining defendants cleared on Tuesday.

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