this is bbc news. i'm ben brown, live at buckingham palace. the headlines at 11: dignitaries from around the globe gather for the commonwealth heads of government meeting, where theresa may paid tribute to the queen. we committed to sustaining this commonwealth, which you have so carefully nurtured. for your showers, for your dedication, for your constancy, we thank you. a 53—gun salute is being held in near—by green park to mark the meeting. i'll have all the latest from central london throughout the day. also coming up in the next hour — a proposed ban on billions of bits of plastic. the government say 8.5 billion

straws are thrown away in the uk every year a former head of the civil service calls for an investigation into the destruction of thousands of documents which could have helped commonwealth citizens prove their right to stay in the uk. radio and tv presenter, dale winton, who rose to fame presenting supermarket sweep, has died at the age of 62. good morning and welcome to bbc news. we arrive at buckingham palace. -- we are live at buckingham

palace. the queen has formally opened the commonwealth heads of government meeting, during a ceremony at buckingham palace, which highlighted her own contribution to the organisation. there was praise from the prime minister for the queen'srole in leading this 53 nation organisation of nations large and small from india with his population of 1.2 billion to smaller nations like the seychelles with just 90,000 people altogether. it's expected to be the last such meeting to be opened by the queen. theresa may has praised the monarch‘s "service, dedication and constancy" and says she's been the commonwealth's most steadfast champion. theresa may has a 53—gun salute is being held in near—by green park to mark the occasion.

53 guns to mark the 53 nation ‘s of the commonwealth. a commonwealth which some of its critics have said isa which some of its critics have said is a little bit outdated, is a relic of the british empire, doesn't really have a role in the modern world and some have said it is out of date in many countries within the commonwealth, where lgbt rates are not recognised, homosexuality is still a criminal offence, —— rights, but supporters say it is a unique family of nations, an organisation which can push through real change and what is on the agenda very much there is climate change, tackling plastic pollutions of the ocean, tackling cyber warfare and also trade which is important in the

post—brexit world, britain particularly looking for new trading opportunities, trading partners within the commonwealth. in her opening speech the queen said she hoped her eldest son prince charles would take over as head of the organisation. it has been a matter of some debate. it has been a matter of some debate. it is not formally set in stone that he would take over but she said that would be her wish. and remains a great pleasure and honour to serve you as head of the commonwealth and to observe with pride and satisfaction that this is a flourishing network. it is my sincere wish that the commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity for future generations and will decide that one day the prince of wales should carry on the important work started by my father

in 1949. important work started by my father in 19119. by continuing to treasure and reinvigorate our associations and reinvigorate our associations and activities, i believe we will secure a safer, more prosperous and secure a safer, more prosperous and sustainable world for those who follow us, a world where the commonwealth's generosity of spirit can bring its gentle touch of healing and hope to all. mindful as a lwa ys healing and hope to all. mindful as always that this summit of commonwealth leaders draws its mandate and authority from our member countries collectively. it gives me great pleasure to declare this meeting of the commonwealth heads of government open. that was her majesty the queen opening this commonwealth heads of government meeting. we're still waiting for the 53 gun salute, everything is running later than expected but the royal artillery is preparing for the 53 gun salute and

it will go on for a few minutes but we will bring you a flavour of that when it begins. earlier theresa may, praised the queen's "service, dedication and constancy", describing her as the commonwealth's most steadfast and fervent champion. i want to offer my heartfelt thanks to your majesty, head of the commonwealth. this week, you have opened reforms to us here in london and in windsor —— you have opened your homes. you have been the commonwealth's most steadfast and fervent champion. you have been true to the deepest values of the commonwealth, that the voice of the smallest country is worth precisely as much as that of the largest, that the most vulnerable and a well stand shoulder to shoulder. you have seen us shoulder to shoulder. you have seen us through some of our most serious

challenges and we committed to sustaining this commonwealth which you have so carefully nurtured. for your service, for your dedication, for your constancy, we thank you. that was the prime minister earlier. let's give you a flavour of the ceremony here at stjames‘s palace we re ceremony here at stjames‘s palace were pa rt of ceremony here at stjames‘s palace were part of this two—day summit will be taking place. absolutely glorious weather, wonderful sunshine for this meeting of the commonwealth heads of government. 53 leaders here enjoying this rare sunshine. this summit will discuss a whole range of issues from climate change to cyber wa rfa re to issues from climate change to cyber warfare to treat and security ——

trade. global security was highlighted by theresa may during her speech at the opening ceremony. then other guns, we're still waiting for them to be fired by the royal artillery. let's speak to our diplomatic correspondent james lansdale. i diplomatic correspondent james la nsdale. i bet diplomatic correspondent james lansdale. i bet the guns fire as you start speaking! what did do queen say that caught your attention? what was interesting is that she formally asked the commonwealth for the prince of wales to succeed her as head of the commonwealth. she said it is my sincere wish that the commonwealth will continue to offer future stability for future generations and will one day decide the prince of wales should carry on the prince of wales should carry on the important work started by my father in 19117. the queen has been explicit in asking the commonwealth leaders, possibly tomorrow, to make the decision. let's have a quick listen to the guns. i think they are finally about to fire. the king's troop royal horse artillery formed

in 1946 troop royal horse artillery formed in 19116 at the end of the world war. they will fire 53 times to mark the 53 nation ‘s of the commonwealth, large and small. leaders gathered here in central london and this is the scene in green park right next to buckingham palace where we will hear that 53 gun salute to mark the formal opening of this summit, which lasts today and tomorrow but there have been forums, business forums, youth forums, trade forums all tied in with the commonwealth all week and it has been an extraordinary opportunity for these very different nations are very different leaders to come together and there has been some emotion about it, to, because it is being seen as the last time the queen will host this commonwealth summit because she doesn't travel any more and it is

only hosted here in the uk pretty really. that's why we have seen an attendance of presidents and prime ministers. a lot of colour surrounding the opening of this kind of event. we're going to hear 53 guns firing but actually only 46 heads of government are here, not all of them, but this is the largest turnout ever in the history of the commonwealth. quite often they sent foreign ministers or senior dignitaries, but this time they have really pulled out the stops. the only heads of government who haven't, those facing election or big domestic issues back home, but it isa big domestic issues back home, but it is a symbol of the importance that the place in the queen'srule and the fact it is being held in london and the fact it is possibly the last that she will attend herself personally because she has deputised to the prince of wales.

what you will see is the pomp and ceremony that london can put on relatively easy and thank goodness for the good weather as well, but for the good weather as well, but for a smaller country it is much harder. we still don't know where the next one will be held but if it is help on a small island nation or small african country, —— if it is held, the impact it has the resources and infrastructure of that country really requires a lot of investment but what you're seeing here is the british laying it on thick. maybe after brexit we need a commonwealth more than ever. hi the british government has a policy of global britain which is about promoting the uk and around the world after brexit, it's a much criticised policy, some say it is a slogan looking for a policy, but projecting british influence, soft

power through the commonwealth is one of those areas, perhaps even increasing trade, is an area that is up increasing trade, is an area that is upfor increasing trade, is an area that is up for debate. it is a matter of controversy, some question whether the commonwealth has much potential to replace some of the trader may be lost after leaving the european union, but it's certainly one of the reasons why the british government is putting on this pageantry, the flags, the guns, the processions, the banquets later on tonight, to say britain may be leaving the european union, but it is still a key player in the international rules —based order of which the commonwealth as part. that is the scene in st james's palace on the left and green park on the right. a little bit of a delay to the 53 gun salute but it is coming so we will bring you some of it. we going to talk in a moment to helen clark, former prime minister of new zealand, and as bit in

searches for new trading partners, new zealand is potentially one of those were the british government will perhaps be looking for a new relationship. what is new zealand's view of the commonwealth? we were discussing whether diplomatic correspondent that this is looking for new trade partners post—brexit and new zealand could be part of that. new zealand will have its hand up. we had a small, completely open economy. “— up. we had a small, completely open economy. —— we are a small economy. we wa nt economy. —— we are a small economy. we want to have access to britain. britain was a major market for new zealand up until eu entry and then we had to scramble. i have heard that new zealand felt betrayed when writtenjoin that new zealand felt betrayed when written join the common market back then, suddenly new zealand felt dumped —— when britainjoined the common market. everybody fell for

new zealand, they wanted new zealand to do well, so we're going to have to do well, so we're going to have to work up some friendships when britain is not going to be there, but it is still a very, very important market. when i was prime minister, and don't take the eu as a blog but single countries, britain was the fourth biggest market. so it is very important to us. what about the waiter commonwealth? is it releva nt to the waiter commonwealth? is it relevant to young people who don't know what it is? —— wider commonwealth. do you think it still has a role in the modern world? yes because multilateralism and networks work where people come together and not having slingshots at each other. from a new zealand perspective, we have very limited representation on

the african continent and caribbean and so coming to these events and interacting at every level through the commonwealth was our window in parts of the world where we were able to be wild representatives. and it gives much smaller nations are voices well, we were talking to the president of the seychelles for example, his population is 90,000 people, but he said if we want a voice on the world stage, we have almost an equal voice to britain or india orany of almost an equal voice to britain or india or any of the other members of the commonwealth. that's correct and from my eight years at the eu development programme, because i was working with the commonwealth on these issues, was how it worked on climate change, how it worked under small and developing states issue, and finance for small countries who tend to be wiped out after big storms and can't afford to borrow commercially. i saw the emphasis on trade so it picked up the idea of

small islands and ran with it. do you think the commonwealth needs to modernise? gunfire there is the beginning of the gun salute. let's just listen in for a the gun salute. let'sjust listen in for a minute. 53 gun salutes to mark the 53 nations of the commonwealth. you're watching the king's troop royal horse artillery in green park next to buckingham palace with a 53 gun salute to mark the formal opening of the commonwealth heads of government summit here, which comprises 53 nations. the kingston royal horse artillery have six world wari royal horse artillery have six world war i he —— era guns which they use for occasions like this, state

occasions, and this is a 53 gun salute lasting about up to nine minutes so we salute lasting about up to nine minutes so we were salute lasting about up to nine minutes so we were going to bring you all of it. i think we had a flavour. talking to helen clark, the former prime minister of new zealand about this commonwealth summit and i was asking you if you think it needs to modernise. there are a number of countries in the commonwealth that homosexuality is still a criminal offence and been a lot of pressure, a lot of comments from guy rights —— 93v a lot of comments from guy rights —— gay rights campaigners to say it has to change. it does have to change, it is colonial legislation that has never been changed. so it is the fault, in a sense, of the british empire. the report in britain in the late 60s led to legislation which was good. a new zealand, we didn't deal with this until 84, 85, and in the face of the hiv epidemic it was just not tenable to continue with

these laws, but there needs to be action for sure and i can say that the british government and the laws speaker i heard the other night, they are saying this has to be an issue in the commonwealth, everyone should have equal rights. another issue being discussed here is, who's the head of the commonwealth? it is set in stone that it is the queen at the moment. jeremy corbyn has suggested maybe it should be done on rotation, but the queen made it clear it is her wish that prince charles, her son, her clear it is her wish that prince charles, herson, her hair, —— heir, should do it next. i speak as a republican and when a look at the commonwealth funded by the all british empire —— when i look at the commonwealth, i see the commonwealth

and other countries fighting over who will hold the next event and be the chair of it. i think the monarchy‘s position is so far above politics that in a sense, it kind of settles everything down, if that continues to take the hit. we were talking about the commonwealth in the post—brexit world. is it your view that britain needs the commonwealth more than the commonwealth more than the commonwealth needs britain? they both need each other because britain is still a major trading partnerfor all of us. if you take the caribbean, british tourists are important. there are so many links so we need each other and perhaps we will get more attention from britain. helen clark, former prime minister of new zealand, thank you for being with us. let's bring you more of this 53 gun salute in the glorious sunshine of green park. there we are, watching that

spectacular 53 gun salute in green park, 53 guns to represent the 53 nations of the commonwealth. the kingston royal horse artillery —— king's troop, and we can see st james's palace where some of this commonwealth summit is being held. the prime minister is meeting commonwealth leaders and you can see the secretary general of the commonwealth patricia scotland, and i have been talking to and saying it is as relevant as ever, this network of nations that is the commonwealth and you can see the secretary general and prime minister standing side by side meeting the leaders one by one. as james landale was saying, 46 of the 53 nations are represented by heads of government. there are a

few who are foreign ministers and so on, but that is a very good turnout. let's talk to doctor reza, jade of the commonwealth students association representing the younger voices in the commonwealth —— chair of the commonwealth students association. a report into you think the commonwealth is? some think it isa the commonwealth is? some think it is a bit ofa the commonwealth is? some think it is a bit of a relic of the days of the british empire but you see it as important for young people to get involved with? absolutely, it is a fantastic platform for young people to get involved with and i think the commonwealth has been leading young people in the discussion and that the decision—making table. during the decision—making table. during the commonwealth youth forum, i presented the whole youth forum at the foreign minister's meeting and we had our recommendations and suggestions about how young people can partner with the ministers and

governments to deliver different goals and have yourself towards a common future so i think commonwealth is doing a fantastic job and! commonwealth is doing a fantastic job and i think is a wonderful place for us to be in. when you talk about the common future, as younger members, what are the key issues? climate change? yes, absolutely, climate change because we are inheriting the future and this is one planet that we have and we need to have a sustainable future, a sustainable, prosperous and fear future so it is one of the biggest issues that we discussed, tackling youth unemployment, engaging in entrepreneurship and innovation in our curriculum so we are more equipped to tackle issues like youth unemployment. do you feel the commonwealth gives your voice? we have been talking to the leaders of some smaller countries who feel it gives them a voice on the international stage they wouldn't otherwise have. exactly, just know we we re otherwise have. exactly, just know we were privileged as young people

and all of our voices are well represented. each member state has an equal voice and equal saying in this process and i think this is one amazing platform that all of us can make sure we are heard and their voices have integrated in the policies that are formulated and implemented. particular the younger royal family members seem very keen and anxious to hear your voice is as pa rt and anxious to hear your voice is as part of the younger generation. we did have an opportunity to meet with prince harry. he came discussed with us prince harry. he came discussed with us all the issues that we feel are releva nt to us all the issues that we feel are relevant to young people and how we can contribute, and one of the things that came out with the discussion with prince harry is it is time for those young people to become partners with government bodies, partners with agents of change to become what we wish to see and to bring about the change that we wish to see so we are ready to be partners with government bodies and eve ryo ne partners with government bodies and everyone it is going to go forward towards a common future. just

talking about what the commonwealth means for younger generation, some 60% of the 2.4 billion people within the commonwealth family of nations are under the age of 30 so that younger voices very important. the guns are being towed away from green park where we were hearing that 53 gun salute from the kings royal horse artillery and that st james's palace we have been seeing the prime minister meeting and greeting commonwealth leaders. she was just talking to the canadian trade ministerjustin trudeau, one of the many leaders who have arrived here in london for the commonwealth summit where there are a whole range of issues to be discussed over the next couple of days and theresa may outlined them in her speech inside the palace. 0pening outlined them in her speech inside the palace. opening the summit, she spoke about the need to tackle

climate change and believes britain is at the forefront of that with this latest consultation with the ban on elastic straws and making sure there's a fight against cyber crime the world, guaranteeing law and order internationally, particularly in the wake of the salisbury poison attack, and trade for britain, a very important issue in what is soon to be a post—brexit world. that's the latest from here at buckingham palace on this opening of the commonwealth heads of government. back to you in the studio. theresa may had discussed the ban on straws, stirrers and cotton buds in england as part of efforts to tackle plastic waste. every year, more than eight

billion plastic straws are thrown away in the uk. 44 billion plastic stirrers and 13 billion cotton buds are also discarded, as our science correspondent, victoria gill, reports. a sight that's transformed our view of plastic. this cheap ubiquitous throwaway material has become a visible scourge on our marine environment. the bbc series blue planet shocked viewers with heartbreaking scenes showing how ocean wildlife now has to share its world with this debris. and among the floating litter, more than eight billion plastic drinking straws thrown away every year in the uk. now the government plans to ban those straws, as well as drink stirrers and plastic cotton buds. the consultation on this proposed ban will begin later this year, and any new measures will only apply in england, but the announcement has been timed to coincide with the commonwealth summit, which, over the next two days, will discuss what's called a blue charter, an international effort to safeguard the oceans.

in samples of mud from a uk riverbed i saw for myself how plastic litter breaks down into thousands of microscopic pieces small enough to enter the food chain. evidence of what harm that plastic causes in the environment is still emerging, but this proposal will aim to stop it from being thrown away in such high volumes and prevent it from floating into our rivers and oceans. let's speak now to dr chris tuckett, she's director of programmes at the marine conservation society, shejoins us down the line from bristol. you said the government's 25 year plan was short on commitment and solid target so with this proposal, is the government doing better? the government is doing better, but

we have been shouting about this for 20 years. it's high time that something was done. in the 25 year plan, defra said that it would solve the problem in 25 years' time. we hope to get some action in play straightaway. we know there has been a blue planet effect, but what are your clean—ups on beaches telling you? the your clean—ups on beaches telling you ? the great your clean—ups on beaches telling you? the great british clean—up, what are they telling you about the amount of plastic in the waters around the uk? we do surveys all the time, week in, week out. we do beach clea ns time, week in, week out. we do beach cleans and the public and help us which is fantastic, but last year we did our survey

which is fantastic, but last year we did oursurvey in which is fantastic, but last year we did our survey in september and was a temp is an increase overall in the litter on our beaches. plastic is a huge part of that. it's about 40% of the throwaway litter that we see on a beach and so yes, straws, cotton buds. last weekend i went to a beach in weston—super—mare. the first time i went there and did a survey was nearly 20 years ago. there were plastic cotton bud sticks there then and they were there on sunday. we had about 300 people out on the beach and that was great, but the problem is not going away so absolutely it needs that action. problem is not going away so absolutely it needs that actionlj know you believe that the public is behind a change, but what does it ta ke behind a change, but what does it take in terms of a co—ordinated action from the government to the individual to make a change? we action from the government to the individualto make a change? we need legislation from government and we need that to be in place and be robust. we also need business

involvement around the design of products, so to reduce the amount of packaging to start with so we can't even buy it. it should not be available. then obviously individuals choose not to have plastic, choose not to have a plastic, choose not to have a plastic straw, choose alternatives to cotton buds that are biodegradable. make your own choices. government legislation is needed, but we all have a choice in how much plastic we use. trying to reduce the usage is important. thank you forjoining us. time now for the weather. temperatures up to 20 celsius or they could be the hottest april day since 1949. look at the scene in east sussex. that isn't sunshine everywhere with cloudy skies in

scotland, northern ireland and around the irish sea coast of western fringes of england and wales that will continue into the afternoon. some sunny spells, but the best of the sunshine is across england and wales. temperatures up to 24 degrees already in the south east. 28 could be the top temperature. even further north, temperatures into the low 20s. we could see coastal clouds, mist and fog that would linger into friday, but it will clear with lots of sunshine to follow. maximum temperatures down on today across northern areas, 15—17d. towards the south—east though temperatures still up south—east though temperatures still up to 27 celsius. this is bbc news. our latest headlines. theresa may has paid tribute to the queen —

as dignitaries from around the globe gathered for the commonwealth heads of government meeting. we commit to sustaining this commonwealth which you have so carefully nurtured. for your service, for your dedication, for your constancy, we thank you. service, for your dedication, for your constancy, we thank youm service, for your dedication, for your constancy, we thank you. it is my sincere wish that the commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity for future generations and will decide that one day the prince of welsh at curragh on the important work started by my father in 1949. plastic straws and cotton buds could be banned in england as the government announces a consultation on plastic waste. figures show 8.5 billion plastic straws are thrown away in the uk every year. a former head of the civil service calls for an investigation into the destruction of thousands of documents which could have helped commonwealth citizens prove their right to stay in the uk.

time now for the sport. chelsea defender marco alonso will miss the cup final against southampton. he has been given a three match ban for violent contact for tackling shane long. he will also miss tonight's game against burnley. the fa took retrospective action with officials failing to sleep his actions at the time. southampton go to leicester. manager mark hughes is desperate for the points. a win would lead them two from safety with four games to play. have to get them in a positive frame of mind and they need to focus on what they need to do. why have to say, the last two performances have been really good. we have made

m ista kes been really good. we have made mistakes clearly been really good. we have made m ista kes clearly a nd been really good. we have made mistakes clearly and that has been prevalent, not only my term, but previous to me coming here, but for the most part, the intention and the application of the group has been really good. news in this replays of incidents will be shown on screen. the aro will be used at a world cup for the first time, despite criticism in domestic games. 0ne criticism in domestic games. 0ne criticism has been that fans have not seen the same replays that referees have seen, leading to confusion. the crowd will also be told why a decision has been made. the england head coach eddiejones will meet with officials today. the new structure to the domestic season is set to be approved. jones will give a presentation to the professional game spore, made up from representatives from the rfu.

the new season's structure is also set to be resolved. karen hawkins who collapsed whilst leading the marathon at the commonwealth games has spoken for the first time, thanking everyone for their support. —— callum hawkins. he was near the finishing line when he was overcome by heat exhaustion. 0rganisers were criticised for not getting help to him sooner. he makes no mention of that in his tweets and thanks eve ryo ne that in his tweets and thanks everyone for their support. he is dotted and will use it as a big learning experience. that is the sport. more in the next hour. a former head of the civil service, lord kersla ke, has called for an investigation into the destruction

of thousands of documents, which could have helped commonwealth citizens prove their right to remain in the uk. it's thought dozens of people from the caribbean who've lived here for decades have been threatened with deportation. 0ur assistant political editor norman smith is in westminster. what is the status to find out what happened to the landing cards? the controversy is not going away. downing street dismissing the idea that there should be some sort of enquiry to establish who ordered the destruction of these landing cards. at the same time, however, there has been new documents obtained which indicate that ministers were warned in 2014 about the impact of immigration changes and the likely consequence for particularly older immigrants when it came to renting accommodation. in other words, a

clear indication that ministers were aware of the consequences of their policy changes, and at the same time we have heard from the environment secretary michael gove, who has been defending the government is manhandling of this whole saga and also insisted it has not damaged britain's standing in the world. this is what he's said when i asked him if the perception of britain have been hurt by the winter scandal. i don't think it has. the point about the winter saga is that the home secretary has moved quickly recognise that there are individual and sometimes very, very moving cases that deserve attention. top civil servants have been assigned to do with those cases i also think the tone that the home secretary has struck recognising that an apology is appropriate and that the rapid action is required gets things absolutely right. britain has been and remainsa absolutely right. britain has been and remains a welcoming country for people who have talent who want to

contribute to our economy and escape persecution. we need to maintain that in the future. joining me is trevor phillips, former heads of the racial equality commission. one we pass the equality act we put in a provision that every public body in whatever it did did not inadvertently create a situation where groups could be discriminated against on the grounds of race, gender or sexual orientation. the way to do that was to create an equality impact assessment. what impact will it have on different groups? they didn't want for the 2016 legislation and it was absolutely clear in the home office's own words that there would bea office's own words that there would be a large group of people, particularly older non—eu migrants

who would have difficulty finding documents and the home office actually says that some of these documents will probably have been destroyed. the point of the impact assessment was to the government, if this legislation is going to create this legislation is going to create this sort of problem, don't pass it, or if you feel you have to pass it, find some mitigating measures and the critical thing here is is that the critical thing here is is that the impact assessment must be wrong by ministers. ifind it the impact assessment must be wrong by ministers. i find it inconclusive though ——i by ministers. i find it inconclusive though —— ifind it inconceivable that ministers or their advisers we re that ministers or their advisers were not aware of this. ministers have said that it was civil servants being too rigorous and bureaucratic in implementing the procedures. in other words, is the way that officials interpreted these walls that has resulted in this.|j officials interpreted these walls that has resulted in this. i hate that has resulted in this. i hate that kind of response. is the

response of the boss that dumps on the nearest available junior employee. whitehall advised ministers in a way that they basically think that they can get away with it. so ministers might not be culpable, but responsibility does live with ministers involved, namely the immigration minister and home secretary at the time. saying that it was something that happened in a back office somewhere really does not wash. this is what was in the 2010 equality act. there is a reason we put that into the legislation and it was entirely to make sure that this sort of thing did not happen and was predicted, and it was predicted, but they basically thought, we'll get away with it. who ca res thought, we'll get away with it. who cares about what a bunch of black people go through. let me ask you about the comments this morning from michael gove who says he does not believe that this whole saga has in any way damaged britain's standing

in the world? michael gove is one of the most intelligent politicians on the most intelligent politicians on the british scene today. therefore, he cannot possibly believe what he has said. he probably hasn't talked to his great friend and colleague borisjohnson, who to his great friend and colleague boris johnson, who i to his great friend and colleague borisjohnson, who i imagine has been getting what four from caribbean heads of government and from others. the truth of the matter is, and! from others. the truth of the matter is, and i work now half of my time in the united states, some of my time on the continent, everybody in the world now knows this and actually, one of the worst parts of this is most people think that if you are not white, britain is the best place in europe to live and that means the exposure of this kind of problem, this kind of scandal has damaged our reputation far more than if it had happened in any other european country because actually,

what we're showing is a country that others look to for good race relations really isn't that serious about it. does it matter more now that we are leaving the eu and trying as it were to almost cast a new identity for ourselves? well, if the point about the new post—brexit britain is that we become a global player with new, fresh open relations with countries all over the world, particularly in the growing markets of africa and in latin america, imagine if you are sitting in accra or you're sitting in kingston jamaica sitting in accra or you're sitting in kingstonjamaica or sitting in accra or you're sitting in kingston jamaica or georgetown guyana, it's not a good look, is it? this is not a country that you think is going to treat you seriously if actually having spent 60, 70 years with people here who have paid their taxes, who'd have thought themselves to be british and now suddenly they

are being shown the door. that is not the way to begin this new era and these new friendships. trevor phillips, thank you very much indeed. i should tell you that michael gove also in that interview stressed that there will be no repeat of the winter saga for those 3 million also eu migrants living in the uk who will have to have their records processed after brexit and have to prove they have lived in the ukfor have to prove they have lived in the uk forfive have to prove they have lived in the uk for five years. norman, thank you very much. norman smith at westminster. in a moment, a summary smith at westminster. in a moment, a summary of the business news. first, the headlines bbc newsroom live. dignitaries from around the globe have gathered in london for the commonwealth heads of government meeting. the government is to propose a ban on plastic drinking staws and cotton buds in an effort to cut the billions of items that are thrown away each year. a former head of the civil service calls for an investigation into the destruction of thousands of documents which could have helped commonwealth citizens prove their right to stay in the uk.

hello, iam brent hello, i am brent thompson. in the business news: debenhams profits fell nearly 85% in the six months to march — a fall it's blamed on february's freezing weather and a tough retail market. and in a surprise move, the firm's chief financial officer matt smith is to quit, to take up a post as finance boss at selfridges. for the wider market, overall retail sales saw their biggest quarterly fall in a year during the three months to march amid signs of a slowdown in consumer spending. sales also took a hit from the colder—than—expected weather in february that forced some stores to close, and shoppers who stayed at home. talktalk has again been named the most complained—about broadband company in the uk. the telecoms regulator 0fcom says for every 100,000 talktalk customers, about 31 made a complaint to 0fcom about the company's broadband services. technical faults were the main reason for complaints. as we've been hearing

the retailer debenhams has reported another slide in profits — profit sank 84% to £13.5 million in the 26 weeks to 3 march. the retailer said like—for—like sales fell by 2.2% in the 26 weeks to 3 march, after freezing weather in late february temporarily closed 100 stores in the uk. debenhams also lowered expectations for annual profits and said chief financial officer matt smith had resigned to join rival selfridges. the cold weather also hit the wider retail market, with uk sales volumes falling 1.2% in march, according to official figures out today from the office for national statistics. joining us now is catherine shuttleworth, chief executive officer at retail marketing agency savvy. good morning. what you make of the

devron figures? they were sadly unsurprising in how bad they were. not a great day for debenhams. a number of things have happened. people have not wanted to shop with them. they came out of a poor christmas into a tricky first quarter. they are not getting the footfall into their stores and the business needs to restructure quickly. they said they will invest in the stores, make them nicer and smaller, which means they could pay less rent, put other outlets into their stores. is it working in the ones they have done? they are in steve na g e ones they have done? they are in stevenage and they are closing down parts of other stores. the important thing to remember about debenhams is

that it thing to remember about debenhams is thatitis thing to remember about debenhams is that it is an established part of the high street. some of the buildings they are in our old and dated and too big for a modern—day retailer. they need to do something quick. also, there have been comparisons with selfridge's, but they only have a couple of stores whereas the debenhams has much more. they need to build the online presence which has not been done fast enough to offset the losses of cells in physical stores. everything you say screens locals see. all of the problems of the past and it's the problems of the past and it's the same argument that places like british airways have had to go through. they have all of this square footage that they simply don't need. it's odd to know how they can compete with their online rivals when they are playing —— paying a high rates and rence. people are going in to the stores in the numbers they used to. shoppers

are changing quickly and that is the same in many consumer areas. the digitisation of society is changing at such a pace and you have two rethink what your offers will be in physical shops in the retail sector. they haven't done that quick enough and this is a big wake—up call. if they don't move quickly they could fall of the high street. thank you very much for that. some real problems that debenhams has two deal with. it's costing them a lot to invest in the stores and that means their debt levels are going up and if they are not getting people through the doors then it will affect their bottom line. that the run you through some of the other stories and figures. the head ofjapan's ministry of finance has resigned after allegations he harassed female journalists. junichi fukuda denies the accusations. separately, a local governor stepped down over allegations he paid women for relationships.

japan's traditionally conservative society has so far been slow to join the worldwide #metoo movement. the apprenticeship levy introduced in england last year is causing "confusion and frustration" among employers and must be reformed. that's according to the british chambers of commerce which says the scheme is currently "unfit for purpose". since its introduction the number of new apprenticeships has fallen by 25%. facebook is to change its terms of service meaning 1.5 billion users will no longer be subject to the new european data protection laws. the law will allow european regulators to fine companies for collecting or using personal data without users consent. currently, users agree terms of service with facebook‘s international headquarters in ireland. following the cambridge analytica data scandal, facebook has been under increased scrutiny from us lawmakers and regulators. a long—running case about whether the shape of kit kat can be trademarked has reached a significant milestone. the european court ofjustice says that the european union intellectual property office must re—examine

whether the "four—fingers" shape can be trademarked. the opinion is another blow for kit kat maker mondelez that's trying to stop others using its design. the uk government is set to wave let's have a look at the markets. gkn shares are up. the uk government is set to wave through melrose industries' contentious £8bn acquisition of engineering company gkn as early as next week after concluding it raised no national security concerns. that it will now go through. —— that deal will now go through. more from

us later. parts of the uk could see temperatures reach as high as 28c today, making it the hottest day in april since 2001. the unseasonably warm weather is being caused by low pressure over the atlantic and high pressure over western europe drawing warm air to the uk. lets join our news correspondent alison freeman now in hyde park. anyone who has an excuse to get out into hyde park today will do so. it's warming up nicely. we are into the early 20s. people are out on the serpentine in deptford allows enjoying the sunshine. there are people playing games, sunbathing, doing everything you think they would do on a day like today. it is a bit of light relief after the

winter we have had. we are expecting temperatures of 20 degrees. if we get to that, it will be the hottest day in april in about 70 years. normally the temperature would be between 11 and 12 degrees, it really isa between 11 and 12 degrees, it really is a bit of light relief. we are getting this heat for one day, temperatures expected to drop and by the weekend for the london marathon on saturday, sunday, sorry, it might not be quite as welcome. they could run the 26 mile route in 21,20 not be quite as welcome. they could run the 26 mile route in 21, 20 to do —— in 2122 degrees sunshine. but for now, everyone is enjoying the sunshine. even though the temperatures of this high forjust one day, everyone will be remembering the spf. that's right. we have been putting it on this morning. the thing is as well, there will be high tree pollen, so people will be high tree pollen, so people

will take care if they suffer from back kind of hay fever. there will be raised pollution and there are things to think about when enjoying the heat, but it is feeling very intense out here. alison, thank you very much. the headlines coming up for you in very much. the headlines coming up foryou ina very much. the headlines coming up for you in a few moments. in a moment we say goodbye to viewers on bbc two. first, we leave you with for a look at the weather. it is already the one mistake of the year so far. if we get about 27.8 celsius, we will break the 2011 records and make it the hottest day since april 1949. so that is the magic number, 27.7 degrees. sorry, 27.8 degrees. if we go above that, will be the record. these are the weather watcher photos we have had

through. beautiful scenes with all that sunshine, but there will be some of you thinking, what is that all about because we have travel scotla nd all about because we have travel scotland and northern ireland and to the irish sea coasts. anglesey, south west england, quite a bit of cloud. cloud for scotland and northern ireland, but much of england and wales this sunshine will continue on as we mentioned, temperatures potentially up to 28 degrees. 0vernight and i there could be some coastal missed and fog. there will be some other mist and fog developing into friday morning with temperatures down to seven degrees. mr will clear away and we are looking at more sunshine. more

cloud across scotland and northern ireland were showers in the west of scotla nd ireland were showers in the west of scotland and it will be that little bit fresher in northern areas tomorrow. those temperatures between 15-17d. tomorrow. those temperatures between 15—17d. across england and wells, stole into the 20s, potentially 27 degrees in the south east, but it won't be as hot as today. for the weekend high pressure will move away and we introduce this weather front in from the west as we go through the weekend which means it will turn more unsettled. saturday will start off fine and dry, but then there will be some showers, possibly thundering moving into south—west england and wales and the midlands. temperatures in the mid—20s with cooler weather towards the north. this is sunday. more cloud and persistent rain moving north and east was. southern area should be dry, although there could be a few showers developing into the

afternoon. temperatures into the 20s. further north again temperatures more like the mid—teens, which is still above the average for this time of year. so the hot weather is with us today and tomorrow and it turns cooler at the weekend and more unsettled. this is bbc news. i'm ben brown, live at buckingham palace. the headlines at midday: dignitaries from around the globe gather for the commonwealth heads of government meeting in london. the queen opened the gathering by looking to the future while the prime minister thanked her for her service. it is my sincere wish that the commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity for future generations and will decide that one day, the prince of wales should carry on the important work started by my father.

for your service, for your dedication, for your constancy, we thank you. a 53—gun salute was held in nearby green park to mark the meeting. i'll have all the latest from central london throughout the day. also coming up in the next hour: a proposed ban on billions of bits of plastic. drinking straws and cotton buds are among the items the government want to remove, saying 8.5 billion straws are thrown away in the uk every year. a former head of the civil service calls for an investigation into the destruction of thousands of documents which could have helped commonwealth citizens prove their right to stay in the uk. radio and tv presenter dale winton — who rose to fame presenting supermarket sweep — has died at the age of 62. welcome to bbc news. we're

buckingham palace. the queen has formally opened the commonwealth heads of government meeting, during a ceremony at buckingham palace, which highlighted her own contribution to the organisation. it's expected to be the last such meeting to be opened by the queen. she said she hoped her eldest son prince charles would take over as head of the commonwealth, preserving its stability and continuity. that is a decision that will be

taken by the commonwealth perhaps tomorrow. leaders from many of the 53 countries which make up the commonwealth have gathered here in london to discuss issues including ocean conservation, cyber security and trade. trade is particularly important for britain in the post—brexit world. let's hear the 53—gun salute that was heard in green park next to buckingham palace to mark the start of this commonwealth summit. gunfire a 53—gun salute to mark the 53 nations of the commonwealth, large

and small, the biggest, australia, pakistan, india, new zealand, canada, and small countries like the seychelles, just 90,000 people, and the key asset of the commonwealth is that the leaders of all those nations have an equal voice in the commonwealth. just a few minutes ago, commonwealth leaders meeting here in london when stjames's palace to start their work in earnest as part of the summit as we we re earnest as part of the summit as we were just hearing is to talk about trade and that is very important from britain's point of view. it leaves the european union looking for a new trade opportunities with countries within the commonwealth that perhaps it wasn't so bothered with welder uk was in the european union, but also cyber security is a central issue that the prime minister has highlighted and so is saving the planet, cleaning up the oceans, a clamp—down on the use of

plastics in particular. that's being pushed and pioneered by the british government. we saw the formal opening ceremony inside buckingham palace baldwin and there was praise for the role of the queen —— buckingham palace ballroom. many people have seen the queen as the glue that holds the commonwealth together and there has been some debate about whether the prince of wales, prince charles, will automatically take over as head of the commonwealth. that is not set in stone but the queen today interestingly said it was her sincere wish that the prince of wales would carry out our important work and the important work she said had been started by her father in 1949. let's listen to what her majesty had to say. it remains a great pleasure and

honour to serve you as head of the commonwealth and to observe with pride and satisfaction that this is a flourishing network. it is my sincere wish that the commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity for future generations and will decide that one day the prince of wales will carry on the important work started by my father in 1949. by continuing to treasure and reinvigorate our associations and reinvigorate our associations and activities, i believe we will secure a and activities, i believe we will secure a safer, and activities, i believe we will secure a safer, more prosperous and sustainable world for those who follow us, a world where the commonwealth generosity of spirit can bring its gentle touch of healing and hope to all. mindful as a lwa ys healing and hope to all. mindful as always that this summit of commonwealth leaders draws its mandate and authority from our

member countries collectively. it gives me great pleasure to declare this meeting of the commonwealth heads of government open. that was the queen declaring this commonwealth heads of government meeting open and we also heard from the prime minister to these may saying that the commonwealth is taking on some of the 21st—century‘s biggest issues and questions —— prime minister theresa may. i want to offer my heartfelt thanks to her majesty, head of the commonwealth. this week, if you have opened your homes to as in london and windsor. you have been the commonwealth's most steadfast and fe rve nt commonwealth's most steadfast and fervent champion. you have been true to the deepest values of the commonwealth, that the voice of the smallest member country is worth precisely as much as that of the

largest, that the wealthy and vulnerable stand shoulder to shoulder. you have seen us through some of our most serious challenges and we commit to sustaining this commonwealth which you have so carefully nurtured. for your service, for your dedication, for your constancy, we thank you. thanks to the queen from the prime minister and that has been shared by other commonwealth leaders here in london. let's talk to our royal correspondent who is inside buckingham palace —— who was inside. give us an idea of the atmosphere and the importance of what the queen was saying about the prince of wales taking over as head of the commonwealth. what was most noticeable in the atmosphere inside was the warmth felt it was the queen. there was a lot of talk about how the commonwealth is a family and

affection for the queen amongst various leaders. it was very, very obvious. as soon as the queen'sname was mentioned, there was applause, there was applause when she stood up to speak and when she sat down. there was great interest in her. it's very clear that wales to she has only a ceremonial role, it is the heads of government to make the decisions, that her symbolic role is critically important. the succession which has been talked about back and forth for the last decade, it was her sincere wish that prince charles should one day take over the work that was started by her father. she doesn't have a vote and she would be the first 20 say it is not a decision but it is inconceivable that she would say such a thing u nless that she would say such a thing unless it had been squared with the heads of government. i think it is pretty clear that this question which has been knocking around about who will take over as the head of the commonwealth is now clear, it will be prince charles. we will wait to see if we going to get an

announcement about an official statement about succession tomorrow and the palaces making clear this does not mean the queen is stepping down from the commonwealth, it simply means it is our wish and i ta ke simply means it is our wish and i take it it will happen that when she stops being head of the commonwealth, prince charles will ta ke commonwealth, prince charles will take over. there has been some controversy with jeremy corbyn suggesting the head of the commonwealth could be may be done on rotation, different people holding the role at different periods of time. it's a matter of controversy and interest because there are two things pulling at the decision. 0n one hand, the monarchy, the british monarchy, is arguably the glue that binds the commonwealth together, is a critically important part of the commonwealth. 0n the other, it's a reminder of the imperial past of the commonwealth. it's a way of looking back rather than looking towards the future. the decision has clearly been made that whatever the rights

and roles, it has to go to prince charles and the british monarchy‘s place as the head of the commonwealth is safe. the idea of different people taking over the commonwealth has been discussed before but buckingham palace has put in the legwork over the last few yea rs in the legwork over the last few years and pave the way for us. the reason for all that affection inside buckingham palace is that it is probably the last commonwealth heads of government meeting that the queen herself will host because she doesn't travel and this is a meeting thatis doesn't travel and this is a meeting that is held every two years in all parts of the commonwealth, it isn't in the uk very often. no, and it wasn't even meant to be in the uk this time around, it was meant to be another country which got struck by another country which got struck by an actual disaster and lost the facilities so it is the queen'sgood fortune to open this one. this is the last time she will open and

commonwealth heads of government meeting. she has made it clear that this is something she has great passion for every time and this is the end of an era, she will not open another one because she doesn't fly any great distance any more and would be in london for a very long time. we're going to talk to a couple of younger members of the commonwealth ina younger members of the commonwealth in a moment. but i think we can show you justin trudeau, the canadian prime minister, who is one of the many commonwealth leaders here in london. there he is, the young prime minister of canada, canada one of the most... well, the largest members of the commonwealth. kisses for the secretary—general patricia scotla nd for the secretary—general patricia scotland and the prime minister theresa may but britain as well as hosting this commonwealth summit is also looking for trading

opportunities in the post—brexit world and canada is certainly part of that. lots of other issues to be discussed amongst all the pomp and ceremony that we're seeing in the sunshine at st james's park. cyber security, climate change, and many other issues, too, but as leaders continue to arrive at st james's palace, let's talk to two of the queen'syoung leaders from sierra leone and india. you are young people from the commonwealth, what are you here to do? we're young people from across all 53 nations of the commonwealth and for the last five years this programme has been recognising young people who have been transforming their communities and have been getting the pleasure to be honoured in the presence of the royal family at the hands of her

majesty the queen herself. it is in order to be heard at buckingham palace, absolutely —— it is an honour. this is recognising the continued legacy of the queen'syoung readers and we speak on behalf of 240 of our colleagues. it was an immense pleasure for us to present our views as to the support that the commonwealth provides young people. what is the commonwealth mean to young people? ithink what is the commonwealth mean to young people? i think something like 60% of the 2.4 billion people in the commonwealth under the of 30 —— are under the age of 30, so it is about addressing the younger generation. yes, thank you, the commonwealth as you have mentioned has about 60%, 1.2 billion young people under the age of 30, and that represents a huge opportunity for the

commonwealth and i think part of my message to the leaders today was that there was a very keen it needs to invest in that young generation, to invest in that young generation, to invest in the next generation and follow the queen'slead. the queen as pa rt of follow the queen'slead. the queen as part of her 60th jubilation sent to the young leaders programme to look at 60 young people every year who receive bespoke training from the university of cambridge and then meet her and really give them an opportunity to improve their work so it's that kind of support. prince harry and other members of the royal family have made much —— have very much agreed, took part in what you're doing. some say the commonwealth dates back to the british empire, what's the point of it? what do you say to that? we all know what the history is, but as of

today, like we discussed, the majority of the demographic is young and so it is up to us to see where the world goes from here and it is amazing to have the support of the commonwealth organisation, for us to be able to implement our solution is to ta ke be able to implement our solution is to take the world forward. a lot of what we were talking about today was a quality, no matter the size or financial or fiscal power, everyone has an equal voice and that kind of character and value is what should underpin the commonwealth. they're discussing issues like climate change and the pollution of the oceans. for you as young people, is that very important, the future of the planet? it is, in my country, sierra leone, we have seen floods over the last few years and for our colleagues in the caribbean and smaller islands, i have many friends

over there who are facing the real risk of losing their islands and losing their homes so think this is an opportunity for people from diverse backgrounds from six continents, 53 nations, to give a strong voice to something that is so affecting our world. thank you so much for being with us. enjoy the rest of your time here in london, enjoy the sunshine. that is it from this opening of the commonwealth heads of government meeting, really characterised by that affection for the queen in her role as head of the commonwealth, summed up perhaps by the prime minister in the formal opening ceremony, saying the queen has been a steadfast and seven champion of this commonwealth of nations. back to the studio. the headlines on bbc newsroom live: dignitaries from around the globe have gathered in london for the commonwealth heads

of government meeting. the government is to propose a ban on plastic drinking staws and cotton buds in an effort to cut the billions of items that are thrown away each year. a former head of the civil service calls for an investigation into the destruction of thousands of documents which could have helped commonwealth citizens prove their right to stay in the uk. time for the sport headlines with azi farni. chelsea defender marco alonso will miss the cup final against southampton. he has been given a three—match ban for violent contact for tackling shane long. he will also miss tonight's premier league game against burnley. the fa took retrospective action with officials failing to see the incident.

the government says there are no plans to change the whole seating policy at stadiums after a pilot was rejected and the premier league says more evidence is needed before standing can be allowed a top—flight stadiums. the closer you to the position of the player, the more you are and imagine if people were lying in bed and watching the game, they could fall asleep sometimes, so it is better they stand up and i think it is tradition of english football to have that. it is much better. there are safety reasons and i can understand that but if the safety is right, it has my 100% backing. replays of incidents will be shown at this year's world cup in russia.

it is the first time var will be used in a world cup and despite criticism of its use in domestic competition, one issue is that fans haven't been able to see the same replays as referees, leading to confusion, but this summer, the crowd will also be told when a decision is being reviewed and why a decision is being reviewed and why a decision been reached. england's netball‘s gold medal winners say the funding of the future is uncertain despite their huge wins at the common wealth games. i spoke to two members of the team who say they hope their recent global oil can help the platform to go. after 2019, ourfunding is help the platform to go. after 2019, our funding is uncertain. help the platform to go. after 2019, ourfunding is uncertain. we have had great support from national lottery, sport england, but we hope this gold medal means more sponsors will come on board. at the moment, there are plenty of us who can play

professionally and we want even more people doing it, we want our league to be professional like australia has new zealand's we can keep competing in getting gold medals. that's the sport for now, i'll have more freely in the next hour. a former head of the civil service, lord kerslake, has called for an investigation into the destruction of thousands of documents, which could have helped commonwealth citizens prove their right to remain in the uk. it's thought dozens of people from the caribbean who've lived here for decades have been threatened with deportation. 0ur assistant political editor norman smith is in westminster. you were saying earlier that really there aren't any clear answers on who was responsible for the destruction of these documents, the landing cards. we are not going to getan inquiry landing cards. we are not going to get an inquiry into the matter called for by lord kerslake at downing street, but there are certainly rumbles on because we have new civil servants documents, one

was given to ministers prior to the introduction of the new immigration rules warning them about the potential impact of the changes, forcing people to prove their right to be in the uk if they wanted to rent a flat or open a bank account, warning that it might impact on all there immigrants who come to britain and don't have the necessary documentation. at the same time, michael gove has faced criticism after he suggested that the windrush scandal has not damaged toe britain is seen in the world. this is what i told him —— this is what he told me after i asked him would damage britain's standing. there are sometimes important cases that deserve attention. top civil servants have been assigned to deal with those cases and i think the

tone that the home secretary has struck recognising that an apology is appropriate and that rapid action is appropriate and that rapid action is required gets things absolutely right. the truth is that britain has been and remains a welcoming country for people who have talent and want to contribute to our economy, and we need to maintain that in the future. among those pointing to the document is evidence that ministers knew the likely impact of immigration changes as the former minister for racial equality trevor phillips who attacked ministers are seeking to blame the crisis on civil servants. i hate this response, this is the response of a boss who dumped on the nearest available junior employee. it is undoubtedly the case that we call advise ministers in a case that allowed them to think they could basically get away with it so i don't think civil servants are not culpable but the responsibility for

this does lie with the ministers involved. in this case, the home secretary and the immigration minister at the time and saying, frankly, it was something that happened ina frankly, it was something that happened in a back office somewhere, really does not wash. this is what was in the equality act. it is a reason why we put that into the legislation and it was entirely to make sure that this sort of thing did not happen and was predicted and it was predicted, but they basically thought, oh, we'll get away with it, who cares what a bunch of old black people go through? some strong language and strong views, the row over a windrush really ru m bles views, the row over a windrush really rumbles on. pressure over brexit too. yes, we learned in the last few minutes that there will be a commons vote next week on this key issue over whether we should remain ina issue over whether we should remain in a customs union have to brexit.

the government suffered a heavy defeat in the house of lords over the customs union issue. now chairman of the select committees at westminster have put together a motion to be debated next week calling for continued membership of a customs union so calling for continued membership of a customs union so there will be a vote in the commons on a customs union much, much sooner than ministers thought. it won't be binding vote but you get the sense that the pressure building, momentum is growing at westminster and we are facing a real showdown crunch between theresa may and her critics over whether britain should stay in a customs union. one of the challenges to be discussed at the commonwealth heads of government meeting is that of pollution and how to protect rivers, oceans and beaches from plastic waste. today, theresa may announced proposals for a ban on straws, stirrers and cotton buds in england. every year, more than eight

billion plastic straws are thrown away in the uk. let's speak to dr sabinah pahl, who is part of international marine litter research unit team at the university of plymouth and has researched the psychology and behaviour behind peoples' attitudes towards plastics. good to have you with us, thanks for joining us. your analogy to describe the approach to dealing with plastic waste so far is, i understand, akin to fixing an overflowing bath by mopping up the water spilling onto the floor, rather than turning off the floor, rather than turning off the tap, so how do you change people's attitudes to how they use plastic and respond to plastic and think about plastic which is so ubiquitous? i'm not saying it's an easy task at all, but i think what we've done so far is focused too much on clean—up actions at the end of pipe solutions and we know that

people's decisions and actions are the sole cause of plastic pollution, thatis the sole cause of plastic pollution, that is no other source of plastic. every single piece we find these daysis every single piece we find these days is caused by what people have decided to do in the past and we need to bring in social and behavioural science, things like perceptions, motivations, norms and habits, we know how they can determine behaviour as we know how to address them so we can bring this into a more technical debate and we need to work together with technical and natural scientists to come up with solutions that are acceptable and feasible for people. visualisation is one area you have spoken about, visualisation being a powerful tool to get people to change their behaviour. we have very graphic images on cigarette packets so graphic images on cigarette packets so could pictures of the impact of plastic in the ocean and influence people to change their behaviour? that's an argument we have made in a

recent paper and it is basically saying there is more than just motivations, bands, incentives, it is like stick and carrot, but there's more to it, people are very strong moral convictions about what we do to the natural environment. they have emotions, we have seen the reaction to blue planet, we have seen reaction to blue planet, we have seen michael gove says he has been haunted by pictures of plastic pollution and that is the process we're talking about, the challenge is to connect the concern. people are very is to connect the concern. people are very passionate about the ocean and want to do the right thing but they also have a very busy daily life. how do i connect —— how do we connect the two? perhaps we could use visual images such as those used on cigarette packages and use them to make the bridge, to bring that concern into daily decisions when really we are just rushing around trying to get on with our lives and making the link work in that

context. what suggestions do you have for making the link work? there is cognitive analysis we are expected to do day to day notjust in the domain of health but in the domain of the environment. we need to come up with solutions that are simple, that are quick, that don't ta ke simple, that are quick, that don't take up more of a cognitive capacity, that just allow take up more of a cognitive capacity, thatjust allow us to do what we now feel passionate about because that is a real risk here, people have a real momentum, they feel so passionate about these issues but if we don't respond to it and people feel they can't do anything, they might feel helpless and we might face backlash. momentum is important and the proposals the government is making, those on their own, highly enough?” government is making, those on their own, highly enough? ithink government is making, those on their own, highly enough? i think they are really, really important step because it is also the part of the government to say, we're serious about this, we're taking steps, and

if you think about a psychological interpretation, it empowers people to question things, do i really need that plastic lid on my hot drink? it empowers them to question what other people are doing. there is a plastic banning cosmetics products. in the past, someone must have thought it isa past, someone must have thought it is a good idea to add bits of plastic into cosmetic products. when we talked to people in our research, the thought that was outrageous that they didn't realise about these things and it is that reaction that perhaps doesn't get considered along the decisions people make, notjust the decisions people make, notjust the general public but also people, producers, cosmetics producers. very interesting to talk to you, doctor. thanks again. the bbc reporter who broke a story about sir cliff richard's home being searched by police following a child sex assault allegation has told a judge that editors considered privacy issues when making decisions about coverage. danjohnson said he said was aware of privacy issues,

but added that people higher up dealt with those matters. let's speak to helena lee, who's at the high court and has been following the case. tell us more about what has been happening so far today. dan johnson is continuing to give evidence here in court. sir cliff richard arrived on what is the sixth day of his privacy case against the bbc. he arrived with his good friend the television presenter gloria hunniford. he has been listening to the evidence of danjohnson. dan johnson is the reporterfor the bbc who got the exclusive on the story. now the helicopter issue was brought up. the bbc used a helicopter to film officers inside of sir cliff richard's apartment, searching through it and that is an invasion

of privacy. the barristerfor the singer was suggesting that dan johnson was working with the press office at south yorkshire police to get those helicopter shots and the barrister said you had some influence. dan johnson replied, barrister said you had some influence. danjohnson replied, we wa nted influence. danjohnson replied, we wanted to get as much footage as possible of the search. it was then put to dan johnson possible of the search. it was then put to danjohnson that he had assumed that sir cliff richard was guilty from the start and the barrister said to him in court you have no consideration to the truth of the allegation. danjohnson replied, it is not right. i accept the possibility that it could be forced, i was aware of that. the barrister continued that if the consequence was published,... dan is continuing to give evidence here. he

has been cross—examined by sir cliff richard's barrister. the bbc defending its coverage, saying they reported it in an accurate and fair way. helena, thank you for that update and apologies for the problems would be picture. time now for the weather. it is turning into a sparkling spring day, although it feels more like summer. temperatures easily up to 26, 27, maybe 28 degrees. cloud for northern scotland and northern ireland. areas of clouds there tonight. further south we will see a mixture of clear spells and missed and fog patches through the night. not as mild as last might, but in the centre of london temperatures

willdip no the centre of london temperatures will dip no lower than 13 degrees. some murky conditions across parts of the south to start, but then it will clear. showers in western scotla nd will clear. showers in western scotland at times. cooler towards the north—west, but warmth holding on in the south east. as we move towards the weekend the temperatures will begin to drop and we introduced the risk of some thunderstorms. this is bbc newsroom live. our latest headlines: the commonwealth heads of government meeting is underway after an opening statement by the queen, who signalled her wish for her son the prince of wales to succeed her. it is my sincere wish that the commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity for future generations and will decide that one day the prince of welsh at curragh no more plastic straws

or cotton buds — that's the proposal being put forward by the government, under a new consultation that's been announced into cutting plastic waste. a former head of the civil service calls for an investigation into the destruction of thousands of documents which could have helped commonwealth citizens prove their right to stay in the uk. and tributes are being paid to dale winton, the tv presenter well—known for hosting gameshow supermarket sweep, who has died at the age of 62. the pilot of the vintage jet that killed eleven men after it crashed on to a dual carriageway during the shoreham airshow has appeared in court. andy hill was performing aerobatics when he crashed onto the a27 in sussex on 22 august 2015. he faces 11 counts of manslaughter by gross negligence and one of endangering an aircraft. let's join our home affairs correspondent tom symonds now, live from westminster magistrates court. tom, bring us up to date. andrew

hill was flying a —— and aircraft built in19 hill was flying a —— and aircraft built in 19 65. he was attempting to com plete built in 19 65. he was attempting to complete an aerobatic manoeuvre, but the aircraft was too low and too slow to complete the manoeuvre and it crashed onto this very busy roads, the a27. there were plenty of ca rs roads, the a27. there were plenty of cars passing and people on the verges at a nearby pub. the 11 victims, all of them men, were either in a car or onlookers watching the airshow. andrew hill faces 11 charges of manslaughter through gross negligence and a charge of recklessly endangering an aircraft under the air navigation

order of 2009. he denies all of the charges. this hearing today at the westminster ‘s magistrates‘ court is the first hearing in this process. he was told the case would next be heard at the old bailey on the 17th of may and he was given bail. thank you very much. a woman has died after a car crashed into the side of a house. the vehicle caused "significant damage" to the property in clevedon, near bristol. neighbours were evacuated from their homes by police amid fears a gas pipe was damaged in the crash. a man and woman in the vehicle were arrested at the scene. the radio and tv presenter, dale winton, who became a household name in the 1990s as the host of the daytime game show, "supermarket sweep" has died. he was 62. dale winton hosted several other hit shows including bbc radio 2‘s "pick of the pops", the national lottery and the saturday night programme, "hole in the wall". andy moore reports and here's the star of the show, dale winton! thank you, thank you so much!

supermarket sweep was the show that made dale winton. but with his trademark tan and flamboyant style, he presented many other programmes for itv and the bbc, including pets win prizes. this is ringo, john and paul. so paul is a flying beatle, obviously, because he has wings. fellow stars have been paying tribute: thank you, thank you — now stop!

dale winton‘s agent said he died at home, no further details were given. two years ago, he said he had had a bad break—up, depression and health issues. dale winton hadn‘t been on our screens so much lately, but he‘ll be remembered as a consummate entertainer and game—show host. that was dale winton, who has died aged 62. there have been a number of tributes to the entertainer, including from his friend david walliams, who said: that tribute from david walliams and we have just had a that tribute from david walliams and we havejust had a message

that tribute from david walliams and we have just had a message from the metropolitan police saying that the ambulance services was called to a residential address in london at 4am. police said the death remains unexplained, although at this early stage the police are not treating it as suspicious. they say a postmortem examination will be scheduled. that statement from the metropolitan police into the death of dale winton. president trump says a campaign of maximum pressure must be maintained against north korea until it agrees to give up its nuclear weapons. mr trump said he hoped his unprecedented summit with the north korean leader, kim jong—un, would be a success. but he warned he was willing to walk away if the talks didn‘t go well. he was speaking after meeting japan‘s prime minister in florida, as our correspondent, barbara plett—usher, reports. the president of the united states and the prime minister ofjapan. president trump emerge from his

two—day retreat with the japanese prime minister optimistic about prospects for a north korea summit. we have never been in a position like this with that regime, whether it is father, grandfather or some. he seemed confident the north korean soul serious, confirming that his cia director mike pompeo has secretly sounded out kim jong on‘s willingness to negotiate over nuclear weapons. the president did make it clear that he is still prepared to walk away from the plan. ifi prepared to walk away from the plan. if i think it is a meeting that is not going to be fruitful, we‘re not going to go. if the meeting when i am there is not fruitful, i will respectively leave the meeting. the japanese minister wanted to make sure that japan would not lose out if america sit down with pyongyang.

he wanted to raise the issue of kidnapped citizens. translation: just because north korea is responding to dialogue, there should be no reward. maximum pressure should be maintained and actual implementation of concrete actions will be demanded. this firm policy has been completely shared between us. president trump went to some lengths to tell the japanese minister that they would not lose out and the us would stay committed, but when it came to disagreements over trade, mr trump did but when it came to disagreements overtrade, mrtrump did not but when it came to disagreements over trade, mr trump did not give any ground. despite a chummy round of golf, trump did not give the japanese minister the exemptions he was looking for, bargaining instead of at the trade deficit. it is hoped

that regional relations will be reshaped and for that, the japanese prime minister will need to secure a place at the table. it‘s lift—off for a new era in planet—hunting. the us space agency‘s tess satellite has launched from cape canaveral in florida on a mission to find thousands of new worlds beyond our solar system. here‘s our science correspondent, pallab ghosh. all set and ready to go. nasa‘s new mission to discover whether the stars we see at night have planets around them. on board this falcon nine rocket is a space telescope that will study the stars closest to the earth and find out whether in orbit around them are planets capable of supporting life. mission control: liftoff, the spacex falcon nine carrying tests. once in space, the test spacecraft will start scanning nearly the entire sky. as it looks for stars, it‘ll also detect any tiny decrease in the light that comes from them.

that small dip is a sign there is a planet in orbit. the big question is whether there are any like ourown earth and support life. 25 years ago we looked at a star in the sky and wondered if it had planets around it, today we look at a star in the sky, it would be crazy if it didn't have a planet around it and we're wondering whether indeed life exists on this planet. the space telescope will spend the next two years searching for stars to find thousands of new worlds, and when we look up at the night sky we‘ll know which ones have planets around them and those that might be home to life. pallab ghosh, bbc news, at the kennedy space center in florida. parts of the uk could see temperatures reach as high as 28c today, making it the hottest day in april since 2011. the unseasonably warm weather is being caused by low pressure over the atlantic and high pressure over western europe drawing warm air to the uk. let‘sjoin our news correspondent alison freeman

now in hyde park. allison, as we can see behind you, lots of people enjoying the weather. yes, it really is glorious down here andi yes, it really is glorious down here and i think you can see everyone is taking full advantage of it. dining alfresco, probably for the first time this year. some light relief after the awful winter we have had. people on the serpentine are on pedalos. a summary and beachy feel here. people are reclining on deck chairs and some beds and making the most of it. we are in the early 20s temperature wise. it could get up to 28 today and if it does it will be the hottest it has been in 70 years in april. in 1949 in april 20 8

degrees was recorded. people are putting on sunscreen and making sure they make the most of it. only today will beat this hot, it will drop down to about 25 tomorrow and even cooler by the weekend, but still pretty hot for people taking part in the london marathon on sunday. they are looking at temperatures in the low 20s. sunscreen, very important to remember. the temptation is not to remember. the temptation is not to be careful, but we must and for hay fever sufferers as well, they are badly affected today i would |magine? are badly affected today i would imagine? yes. we've seen people like out in their bikinis. weevil says seen out in their bikinis. weevil says seen people swimming. no one is in the water at the moment although we are in the designated swimming area. 0ne are in the designated swimming area. one woman told me it was icy, but a great relief from the heat. tree pollen is high because of the

temperatures so people are advised to ta ke temperatures so people are advised to take their medication. 0n the whole, people are just enjoying it. alison, thank you very much. alison freeman in hyde park enjoying the sunshine. the headlines on bbc newsroom live: dignitaries from around the globe have gathered in london for the commonwealth heads of government meeting. the government is to propose a ban on plastic drinking straws and cotton buds in an effort to cut the billions of items that are thrown away each year. a former head of the civil service calls for an investigation into the destruction of thousands of documents which could have helped commonwealth citizens prove their right to stay in the uk. more now on the commonwealth heads of government meeting, where the queen has welcomed leaders to buckingham palace. issues under discussion at the two—day summit include ocean conservation, cyber security, trade and the queen‘s successor as head of the commonwealth. not on the agenda is lgbt rights. of the 53 different nations represented at today‘s summit,

70% still outlaw homosexuality. speaking at the commonwealth heads of government meeting, theresa may told the leaders the summit would "take on some of the 21st century‘s biggest questions". (tx sor) there have been difficulties, su ccesses there have been difficulties, successes and controversies, but i believe wholeheartedly in the good that the commonwealth can do and this week as young people from our many nations gather and contribute their views, our responsibility as leaders is to ensure their voices are heard and to build a commonwealth that we can be proud to onto the next generation for in the commonwealth we have an incredible opportunity and opportunity to show just what can be achieved through

coordinated action and corporation. to seize the opportunities open to us as member countries and together to ta ke us as member countries and together to take on some of the 21st—ce ntu ry‘s to take on some of the 21st—century‘s biggest questions. how we support our most vulnerable member states as we tackle climate change and improve the health of our oceans, creating a more sustainable commonwealth. how we develop through trade, pushing back through protectionism for a more prosperous commonwealth. how we respond to threats and create a more secure commonwealth. and how in all of this we advance those common values which our organisation has always stood for. democracy, human rights, tolerance and the wall of law, so that we establish a fairer commonwealth. not on the agenda is

lg bt commonwealth. not on the agenda is lgbt rights. commonwealth. not on the agenda is lg bt rights. activates commonwealth. not on the agenda is lgbt rights. activates will be outside the summit today saying the issue must be forced onto the agenda after six decades of silence. speaking on the victoria derbyshire programme, human rights campaigner peter tatchell, who is leading the protest outside the summit later today, outlined the 4 steps he believes that the leaders at chogm should discuss to advance lgbt rights in these countries. these four proposals that come from me, they come from commonwealth activist in africa, the caribbean, asia and the pacific. they are saying four single things. they want the colonial era laws repealed to decriminalise same—sex relationships. they want to see laws passed to protect lgbt people in

housing, education and employment. they want to see the laws changed to protect lg bt people they want to see the laws changed to protect lgbt people against hate crime. and they want dialogue with their government regarding the persecution they suffer. we are talking about at least 100 million lg bt talking about at least 100 million lgbt people talking about at least 100 million lg bt people living talking about at least 100 million lgbt people living in commonwealth countries where it today it is still a crime to be gay and they are at risk of mob violence and discrimination. the environment secretary, michael gove, has said ministers will act by the end of the year to ban the sale of disposable plastic straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds in england. mr gove said single use plastics were a scourge on the oceans and lethal to the environment and wildlife. the labour mp mary creagh is chair of the environmental audit committee — she‘s in westminster (0s) is this what you would do if you are in government. absolutely, although

the scottish government has said it will ban cotton buds and more manufacturers have switched to paper—based alternatives, but this isa paper—based alternatives, but this is a welcome change and i think it puts the hotel, catering and restau ra nt puts the hotel, catering and restaurant industry on notice that business as usual is not an option. these are tiny bits of plastic that can‘t be captured by our waste systems and they are ending up in landfill as litter or being incinerated. particularly peacock and bobs that can‘t be captured so they are flowing out into the sea where they are having a devastating impact on marine life. the marine conservation society has said we all have a choice. legislation helps, but we have a choice over how much plastic we use, but in terms of setting the tone, how significant is this announcement in encouraging people to change their behaviour is? keeping the use of single use plastics on the political agenda is

very high and is a subject close to my heart. we have the micro beads coming in in the summer which my committee called for two years ago, but the real prize here is what will we do about coffee cups, lives on plastic bottles which are recyclable and can‘t be captured? we need a wholesale redesign of how we consume and how we use and how we throw on the go. that‘s where the government has been dragging its feet. the deposit return scheme, we would not see legislation until the queen‘s speech in next may and it won‘t be introduced until 2020. it‘s a disappointment because people have heard the announcement government to get on a do it. briefly, this is setting the tone as i suggested, but watmore now? does it. government

into more action? -- what more. next thursday we will have a big debate on plastics and we will hear a lot of ideas coming forward, make sure we have a sustainable clean economy that we can pass on to our children. thank you very much. you can now experience differing levels of pollution from five different cities all under one roof. it is part of a new art installation that has been unveiled in london. visitors can wander through pods that re—create the fumes and smells of cities including new delhi and beijing. 0ur arts correspondent, david sillito has been finding out more about the air that we breathe. my name‘s michael pinsky and this is an artwork. and this is an artwork? it doesn‘t feel good at all.

for me it smells good. does it? the air they are breathing has been created by chemists and perfumiers. it is called living diesel, and it is a careful reconstruction of the smell of london. wow... you like london, don't you? yes, i love it. wow. it is a combination of both combusted and uncombusted diesel. it‘s two different kind of diesel types. people aren‘t going to be buying this for christmas for their loved ones. there are five pods and it begins with... what am i sniffing here? this is clean air. really clean. really clean? but as you walk around it gets polluted. a recreation of a bad day in beijing, delhi, sao paulo, and london.

however, he has had to take all of the unpleasant things out, even for london. why notjust have proper london air that‘s out there at the moment in here? umm, because... would you be allowed to do that? i cannot do that. what‘s going on? you are not allowed to have the air out there in here? well, this is the problem. if you say i‘m going to actively go out and pollute people, that kind of statement of intent means that you will be prevented from doing that. i‘m actually lost for words. this one does not smell nice. it's kind of fumey, and there's lots of... the smell of diesel. it seems the moment you turn the air we breath into an artwork, it is a safety risk. in a moment the news at one

with sophie raworth. first the weather. temperatures in the saab is holding up temperatures in the saab is holding up at 26, 20 7 degrees. late sunshine to enjoy and as we go through this evening and the nightly was the mixture of clear spells and put patches that. to develop. northern ireland scotland have more clout with showers pushing into the north west of scotland. perhaps cooler than it was last night, but

still holding at around 13 degrees in the centre of london. early mist and fog may hang around tomorrow morning, but it will clear to give some long spells of sunshine once again. more clout into northern ireland and scotland and with this westerly flow starting to develop the wind is coming off the atlantic, we will see things a little bit cooler. east of scotland up to 17, 18,19 degrees, cooler. east of scotland up to 17, 18, 19 degrees, but western fringes will be less warm than they have been today. towards the south is the temperature still getting up to around 27 degrees. that could spark the odd isolated shower in southern areas towards the end of friday. then we move into the weekend. a bit ofa then we move into the weekend. a bit of a change in the forecast. if you we re of a change in the forecast. if you were hoping the fine weather was going to hold on, this might spoil the party. most areas will have sunshine and showers on saturday, but boundary outpost could come in

from the south—west. temperature is high in the south east at 23 degrees, but cooler north. things will be cooler still on sunday. in edinburgh on sunday afternoon expect highs of around 12 degrees, but still in the low 20s in the south east. as we head towards the weekend things will turn less warm with the risk of some downpours and thunderstorms. the queen tells commonwealth leaders she hopes prince charles will succeed her as head of the organisation one day. the heads of 53 commonwealth countries have gathered at buckingham palace for the opening of a major summit. it is my sincere wish that the commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity forfuture generations, and will decide that one day the prince of wales should carry on the important work started by my father. we‘ll be live from

buckingham palace. also this lunchtime... plans to ban billions of plastic straws, cotton buds and drinks stirrers as the government tries to clean up plastic pollution. the windrush controversy — calls for an investigation into who authorised thousands of landing cards to be destroyed. the beast from the east takes its toll on the high street —