this is bbc news, and these are the top stories developing at 11am: the maximum stake on fixed—odds betting machines is to be slashed from £100 to £2 under new government rules. iam i am absolutely determined to do the right thing by the hundreds of thousands of people, including some of the most vulnerable people who can least afford to lose this skill of money. —— scale of money. a review into the grenfell tower fire says cost was prioritised over safety but stops short of recommending an outright ban on flammable cladding. donald trump officially discloses his reimbursement to his lawyer, who paid a porn star to hush up her claims of an affair. —— donald trump officially discloses he reimbursed his lawyer more

than 100,000 dollars, allegedly for buying the silence of porn star stormy daniels. mothercare closes another 50 of its 137 remaining stores, in a bid to turn the struggling business around. also this hour: windsor awaits. i'm jane hill, at windsor castle where for the next two days we'll be bringing you all the build up as the nation prepares to join in the celebrations for saturday's royal wedding, as prince harry marries meghan markle. it's still unclear who will walk meghan markle down the aisle, after it was reported that her father was due to have heart surgery. i'm simon mccoy, live on the long walk in windsor, where very soon we will get a sneak preview of what it will look like on the day. there's a full rehearsal of saturday's procession and we'll get to see the horses, and the soldiers making sure that everything goes to plan for harry and meghan‘s big day. good morning. it's thursday 17 may.

i'm annita mcveigh. welcome to bbc newsroom live. the government has announced it is drastically reducing the maximum stake for fixed odds betting terminals tojust £2. at the moment it is £100 and gamblers can make a bet every 20 seconds. the culture secretary, matt hancock, said he had chosen to take a stand on the issue, describing fixed—odds betting terminals as a social blight. bookmakers say it will mean store closures and job losses. theo leggett reports. fixed odds betting terminals are electronic machines which allowed users to place wagers on a variety of games, such as blackjack, roulette or simulated horse racing. at the moment, players can place bets of up to £100 every 20 seconds, so bets of up to £100 every 20 seconds, so it is possible to lose a great

deal of money very quickly. there are also serious concerns that gambling like this can be very addictive. in fact, fixed odds terminals have been described as the crack cocaine of gambling. these machines give you the ability to chase losses of up to £100 and you can lose phenomenal amounts of money ina very can lose phenomenal amounts of money in a very short space of time. that was my experience. the last time i had a relapse on these machines was september last year and i lost over £2000 in 40 september last year and i lost over £2000 in a0 minutes. september last year and i lost over £2000 in 40 minutes. the government believes a clamp—down on fixed odds terminals can help to reduce problem gambling. it is planning to reduce the maximum stake from £100, down to just £2. i looked at the evidence and thought about it. i'm absolutely determined to do the right thing by the hundreds of thousands of people, including some of the most vulnerable people who can least afford to do this scale of money,

and do the right thing by them. but the gambling industry is far from happy. more than 40,000 people working high street betting shops up and down the country. the association of british bookmakers said ina association of british bookmakers said in a statement... the government as well could lose billions of pounds in tax revenues asa billions of pounds in tax revenues as a result of the changes. but it's clearly decided that protecting the public is more important than any economic considerations. let's get some reaction to today's announcement. i'm joined via webcam by shamil gillani, who's a recovering gambling addict who first got hooked on fixed odd betting terminals. when he was aged 17 and 18. how addictive were the? very addictive. it's what started my gambling addiction, really. had these

terminals not been around or had the sta ke terminals not been around or had the stake only been £2, i really don't think i would be as addicted as i was. what is the biggest amount of money you lost in a single session on these machines? i would say on a few occasions i've lost a month's wages in the space of half an hour at lunchtime. that happened a few times. one-month's wages in half an hour, and yet you came back to these machines hoping to chase your losses and make some money? it's part of the addiction. we want that six all the addiction. we want that six all the time. the fact you can gamble every 20 seconds and went up to £500 and gamble £100, that's the fit for the gambler and that's what drew me in and draws a lot of gamblers and. and perhaps another illustration of

the addiction as you gambled the money for your wedding shortly before your wedding day? yes, the day before my wedding day, i gambled what we had saved towards the wedding. i then spent the next 24 hours having to borrow money from payday loans and friends in order to make sure i still had a wedding the next day. that's how bad it can get. and what was the impact of your addiction on your life? your marriage, yourfamily? addiction on your life? your marriage, your family? well, addiction on your life? your marriage, yourfamily? well, you know, whilst my wife thankfully did not leave me, i'm sure if i had carried on, no doubt i would've lost her and my two children. i have no doubt that would have happened. two and a half years ago, i thought enough is enough. i decided i could not carry on and i have not gambled since. you have made that step and you describe yourself as a recovering addict. what is your response to the gambling industry

when they talk about the closure of gambling shops, of job when they talk about the closure of gambling shops, ofjob losses and so on? at the end of the day, what needs to happen —— it is what needs to happen. the gambling industry was saying addicts don't make that much and don't lose that much of it is not that bad. and now they're saying it's been introduced the same there are going to be so manyjob losses. saw the need to make up their mind which way they are going with it. at the end of the day, i think the health and well—being of the british public is more important than a business' money and profits, at the end of the day. thank you very much for your thoughts. a review of building regulations set up after the grenfell tragedy has called for a radical rethink of the safety system, but has stopped short of proposing a ban on flammable cladding. in her government—commissioned

report, damejudith hackitt said a genuine culture change was needed in building and recommended the creation of a new regulator to oversee the management of up to 3,000 high—risk residential buildings over ten storeys high. she's also proposing a more rigorous and transparent product testing regime and says that residents should be consulted over decisions affecting the safety of their home. 0ur correspondent caroline davies is in central london where the report has be published in the past few hours. take us through enmore detail what damejudith take us through enmore detail what dame judith had to take us through enmore detail what damejudith had to say. take us through enmore detail what dame judith had to say. good morning. this is the 156 pages of the report published by damejudith hackitt. we heard from this morning talking about this particular report. in the entire report, there

is no ban of combustible she said in her belief high—rise buildings should be clad only with materials which are not combustible. she believes her proposals will stop that from happening. the reason she said she stopped short of recommending a ban on them is that in her belief she is dealing with the system she calls a broken system which led to these materials being used in the first place, these noncompliant materials. she wants to stop that happening at the root cause and therefore she doesn't want to be as prescriptive. she wants the industry to step up and take more

responsibility. that's her argument for why these combustible materials are not explicitly banned. she did say, however, she would be supportive if the government decided to place a ban on these combustible materials. give us a sense of the reaction to this report. we knew beforehand that there would be some who would disagree with this. the families of grenfell tower victims and survivors of the grenfell tower fire, the reason why this report started in the first place. we heard earlierfrom some of started in the first place. we heard earlier from some of those families. it's absolutely ridiculous. that is the most important thing. basically what seeing as people's lives mean nothing, absolutely nothing at all, she stopped short of doing the most important thing, banning them. i mean, it'sjust important thing, banning them. i mean, it's just absolutely ridiculous. absolutely ridiculous. people can't sleep at night, people are scared to sleep at night. fire wardens in the building falling asleep. how does make any sense? now, we did hearfrom damejudith hackitt sing the most important thing was to rebuild trust and to make people feel safe in their homes, as well as being safe in their homes. whether or not this report will have an impact, we will wait to see later today. thank you very much. let's speak now to labour's shadow

housing minister, sarah jones. she's in our westminster studio. let's first of all talk about what is not in the report. no outright ban on flammable cladding, although damejudith ban on flammable cladding, although dame judith says her ban on flammable cladding, although damejudith says her proposals should stop what happened at g re nfell tower should stop what happened at grenfell tower happening in the future. is that a mistake, in your opinion? i think it's a huge wasted opportunity, absolutely. damejudith hackitt says she wants the industry to step up, but she also says there been a race to the bottom in terms of the materials the industry has been using. and i think given that oui’ been using. and i think given that our starting point is that 72 people lost their lives in the grenfell tower and the need to make sure that never happens again, that's our starting point. it seems incredible almost that you wouldn't have a straightforward ban on combustible materials on high—rise blocks. she

is right in many ways in that she says we need a complete review an overhaul of the regulatory system, that it doesn't have clarity, that it's not effective. and that's good. but she could have gone further. she could have banned desktop studies which would be sensible, according to the industry. and she could have gone and banned the combustible materials which again, it's notjust the survivors from grenfell that are saying that that should be done, it's the experts within the industry as well that think that that would bea as well that think that that would be a sensible approach. so are you saying you don't think the public can have full trust and confidence in the system without that a great band? absolutely. i think it was a huge missed opportunity. i think it was surprising. and i think the government can look at this report and go further. it's an opportunity to reflect on what damejudith hackitt has said, but we would very strongly urge her to go further and

to ban combustible materials and stop desktop studies. in the past, recommendations were not implemented. this is the opportunity now, with the new secretary of state, james brokenshire. he has already taken some steps. now it is an opportunity for him to go one step further and give survivors and experts in the industry what they want, which is a proper ban of combustible material. fightback in terms of what else damejudith hackitt had to seem this report, does this give the uk did publicly accountable does this give the uk did publicly accou nta ble system of does this give the uk did publicly accountable system of building control labour has been calling for? she's calling for more controls within the system, for more openness within the system, for more openness with residents about what happens blocks, and all those things are welcome. but i think it goes so far, but it doesn't go far enough. and if we are to give reassurance to

hundreds of thousands of people living in blocks that may be containing combustible material, we need to give them reassurance that this material will be removed and that it will not be used in building in the future. and there are still many unanswered questions. so if you are ina many unanswered questions. so if you are in a private block, for example, right now, and you have combustible material on your block, there is no clarity from government as to who should fund the removal of that. so willing to look at that side of things as well for so removing the cladding that is there but also set up cladding that is there but also set upa cladding that is there but also set up a system to ensure this never happens again. thank you very much. there are just two days to go till the wedding everybody is talking about, when prince harry and meghan markle will walk down the aisle at st george's chapel in windsor on saturday at noon. so all the preparations are now at fever pitch. let's cross to windsor to find out more with jane hill

who is at the castle. it looks absolutely glorious! 0ne it looks absolutely glorious! one wish has been granted. let's hope it stays like this for the next 24 hours. good morning and welcome to windsor, where the countdown to the royal wedding is under way. the ceremony takes place here at windsor castle on saturday of course, and this morning there's a rehearsal of the procession through windsor, with more than 250 members of the armed forces, along with a carriage which could be the ascot landau carriage the couple are expected to travel in. we have cameras all over the town. this is them leaving victoria barracks in the last few moments. this is keeping all those people who have camped out in windsor, yes, there are a few, there is plenty for them to watch certainly for the next few hours. with me is our royal correspondent, sarah campbell. this is an important moment for them

to rehearse, to make sure they have the root absolutely down pat and it has a lovely moment for those people standing in various parts of the is quite small town to watch what is going on? absolutely. some have been camping out for a few days. this is the household cavalry. they were leaving the barracks were the mounted regiment are based. in the distance, we can start hearing the band and the irish gurads coming on the high street. so this is a full military rehearsal, dress rehearsal. suitors for them to really work out the timings, to know exactly where they should be going and what they should be doing and it's for the 250 members of the armed forces, all three armed forces, who are going to be there on saturday. and they have been very specially chosen because each of them will have had some sort

of connection with prince harry, who of connection with prince harry, who of course as we now had a long ten year career with the british army. so there is the royal gurkha rifles they are. the household cavalry is probably the first one to talk about. the ceremonial troops, the ones you will see on trooping the colour, the ones you'll see on all the time of big state occasions. they consist of the lifeguards and the blues and royals. prince harry was with the blues and royals for ten yea rs was with the blues and royals for ten years and made it to the rank of captain. so it's very special. we've had some interviews over the last week or so with people who will stand there are. some will line the steps as he goes up into the chapel and comes back out. others on horseback will escort the captains escort alongside the procession. for them, it is a very special moment because they may well have fought alongside prince harry on those two

careers of afghanistan. give spoken about how special it is for them to be part of the wedding day and obviously they have been chosen because of this link with prince harry. you have hit the nail on head. where is important to me and i want these men and women to have some involvement in my special day, and how much of it is protocol and this is what goes with a large scale such as this? think it's fair to say the former to a large extent. everything we've heard from kensington palace is they want this to seem like a personal event, personal wedding. and so these are people with a personal connection. so we have a household cavalry, the blues and royals. we have the royal marines involves, prince harry was appointed captain general of the royal marines, taking over from captain general of the royal marines, taking overfrom the duke of edinburgh. it is getting quite

bit louder as the band are right behind us. the nuts and bolts are some of this will now take place inside the castle walls, so the public won't be able to see it, but after words, what a fantastic shot of the irish gurads behind us, it is giving some sort of flavour of what will happen on saturday. i'm told by the ministry of defence it is not necessarily exactly the same outfits they will wear on the day because it ta kes they will wear on the day because it takes so much preparation to get those outfits ready. tonnes of boot polish. this is for them to work out exactly where the need to be, how much time each thing will take. after they have carried out the duties they will do on the day inside the castle walls, the carriage will come out and we will see the mounted escort to take in this 25 minute carriage procession route around the streets of windsor and back up the long walk. and

that's where the police say something like 80,000 people will be able to get a bit more of a close—up view of harry and meghan. what a fantastic taste. reminded us how loud it will be on the day! sarah, stay with us because we will talk about more elements of this as we watch the regiments go past as he up the hill in the glorious sunshine and windsor castle. i was struck by the crowds. we brought you camera shots. i was struck by the number of people there already because we've been here inside the castle area for the last few hours so we didn't get an opportunity to see the extent to which the crowds have built over the last few hours. people are out in

force in windsor central this morning if only to watch the rehearsals. a fabulous day they have got for it they are. we will top more about the people out and about because they are gathering in all parts of the town over the next few minutes. sarah campbell will stay with me as well. let's talk now to ellen barry, international correspondent for the new york times, who's been following the royal wedding developments closely. she's in our central london newsroom. we have been watching the rehearsals morning. those images and pictures is one of the many things that an american audience absolutely loves about all of this? yes, i think american audiences find it completely dazzling and in particular the fact that an american is getting married in this setting,

i think they're just going bananas over it. you have used the word bananas. try to let it out a bit more and give a sense to a british audience of what has been said in the last few weeks and months about everything that's going to be happening here in windsor in 48 hours' time. well, i think over the la st two hours' time. well, i think over the last two or three days, the story has sort of taken an unexpected and sharp turn for the chaotic. it is such an orchestrated and sort of orchestrated event. i think what is fascinating to us watching is that something so central as the attendance of the bride's father is now up in the air. yes, and still

others in the air, as far as we can establish at this stage. unless you know differently. but that is certainly what seems to be the situation. we know her mother is here, we have seen herfly in from california, so we know doria ragland is your. what do people say about meghan markle herself. and very conscious she is very famous to a certain age demographic. but i suppose there are plenty of people in britain and america who was the best will in the world had never heard of her before she started going out with prince harry. it's true, i think she was a very minor star. and we learned a great deal about her in the last six months, i would say. and both that she is obviously very polished and

professional about making all of these appearances. she seems almost to be, you know, more qualified for the kind of symbolic appearances than members of the royal family themselves. she saw a comfortable in themselves. she saw a comfortable in the spotlight. and also be seen in the spotlight. and also be seen in the last few days she clearly had to build herself up if she built her career build herself up if she built her career by herself. it's clear she didn't have full support from her entire family. very many thanks indeed. thanks for your time. we may well be talking more over the coming days. thank you. we are here at windsor castle relieved procession rehearsal is under way, as we have been reflecting. that is all to do with the carriage procession. this

is the reason so many people have been camping out already. this will been camping out already. this will be the moment to see the newlyweds. married for a few minutes by the time they leave the procession. the procession will leave castle hill, travel through windsor‘s high street, sheet street, onto kings road and albert road, and then it will proceed up the long walk all the way back to st george's hall by windsor castle for a lunchtime reception, which is being given by her majesty the queen. we will top more about that in the coming hours and days as well. we have been reflecting on the number of people out there on windsor high street that we saw in the last few minutes. there are various places within windsor where people can gather, where they are being encouraged to gather. 0ne gather, where they are being encouraged to gather. one of those is on the long walk. and just down the road from me is simon mccoy who is on long walk.

jane, so nearand jane, so near and yet so far. we are still keeping us apart. anyway, some of the armed forces and horses are going through the crucial last—minute checks that will be putting deluxe minute finishing touches to the procession, taking the timings and making sure everything goes to plan. the area he went into security lockdown a few hours ago some members of the public are not allowed here. but the world's media is here, making sure they know what to expect from that 25 minute carriage ride through windsor. it promises to be quite something. you get a sense of the number of people camping out that saturday will be rather busy here in windsor. but let's talk more about the procession. i'm joined by a military historian. for prince harry, the involvement of the army

and especially his regiment is very important on saturday? absolutely. he hasn't just chosen important on saturday? absolutely. he hasn'tjust chosen regiments he served with or alongside, he is also invited regiments he has an association with. for example, the royal marines who he did not directly serve with but he is no commandant general of. it's a very generous act of him to include pretty much all the different areas of the services. and we didn't see this with the wedding of the duke and duchess of cambridge. because the duke is not allowed to serve. prince harry has and how. absolutely right. he was desperate to serve. he chose the household cavalry, the blues and royals, harry chose the regiment because he thought it was the best chance of getting into action. imagine his feelings in 2006 when he is told his regiment is going to iraq and he cannot go with

them. it was a shattering blow and a p pa re ntly them. it was a shattering blow and apparently almost caused him to leave the army. historically, the second in life to the throne is allowed to put their life at risk. the spear can be spared. since the 18th century, the spear can go. the thing is, simon, you don't know if the actual air is going to survive or is going to remain king. so we had an extraordinary moment in the first world war with a prince of wales who wanted to serve was not allowed to. his younger brother albert does actually fight with the royal navy at the famous battle of jutland on one of the battleships. and of course he later becomes king. so if they had known what was going

to happen with the abdication crisis they would not have allowed him to fight there. were just watching as the ceremony go back up castle hill. when soldiers take part in a ceremony like this, how big an event isa ceremony like this, how big an event is a ceremony like this for them?|j think is a ceremony like this for them?” think it's a tremendous event. and exactly talking to one of the officers at the household cavalry who unfortunately has not been able to ta ke who unfortunately has not been able to take part. he was saying it is interesting to his commanding officer and some of the senior people in the regiment have chosen to ta ke people in the regiment have chosen to take part. and going to interrupt you because i just to take part. and going to interrupt you because ijust got some news. this is a statement from meghan markle that has just come through. this is on kensington palace headed paper. it says, sadly my father will not be attending our wedding. i have a lwa ys not be attending our wedding. i have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health. it goes on,

i would like to thank everyone who has offered generous messages of support. please know how much harry andi support. please know how much harry and i look forward to sharing our special day with you on saturday. so confirmation in the last few moments from meghan markle herself that her father will not be walking her up the aisle, the traditional role of any father of the bride on saturday. i will be back a little later. i will talk to seoul for more history later. for now, back to jane. well, we had been expecting a decision. how significant is it that this has come from meghan markle herself? quite significant. i think it has been made clear that she was desperate for her father to walk down the aisle and so it will be a great sadness for her. the palace told us two weeks ago that that was what was going to happen, so clearly

i think this has a huge shock for meghan and for the people working inside kensington palace. i think it is worth reiterating that statement once again. sadly, my fatherwill not be attending our weather. i have a lwa ys not be attending our weather. i have always over my father and hopefully he can be given the space to care for his health. please know how much harry and i look forward to sharing our special day with you on saturday. so i'm a personal level, sadness for meghan. what doctor doesn't want their father to walk them down the aisle, and clearly thatis them down the aisle, and clearly that is not going to happen. we have seen over the past few days issues with the paparazzi and the lack of contact between the two of them has clearly been a very difficult situation. challenging for kensington palace to manage and very difficult for all sides, and sad, actually. 0n difficult for all sides, and sad, actually. on a personal level, it is very difficult. in terms of the role of kensington palace, there is some debate as to whether enough was explained to him about how the press

might react and behave once his daughter became engaged to prince harry. is there still information to emerge about that? how much do we know about what sort of contacts we re know about what sort of contacts were made and what was explained to him?i were made and what was explained to him? i think undoubtably thomas markle was a man that moved to mexico to be on his own and to get away from los angeles. it has been difficult for kensington palace to manage somebody who has been living effectively thousands of miles away while they are dealing with the media situation here. you will see reports in the media today criticism of the way that the palace has managed the situation. 0ur understanding is that there have been attempts to try to bring thomas markle under the wing and to try to help in this situation and whether those have been actively rebuffed we simply don't know. i think what we can say, it is clearly he is a man who has health problems and it has been a very difficult situation for eve ryo ne been a very difficult situation for

everyone involved. nobody would have chosen two days before the wedding for this announcement to have been made. and her mother is here, of course. we should reiterate that. she is in the country. that is known. and we wait to see whether it will be her mother who will walk down the aisle. that is something that people have spoken about. it would be a very positive thing for abs—macro's mother to walk down the aisle. we know that she arrived in the country yesterday and earlier this morning was seen going into kensington palace and there we have that statement there from miss meghan markle. what an introduction to global interest. it has been incredibly difficult, and i think you are right. i think it is significant that it came from meghan, rather than from meghan and harry. for now, thank you very much indeed. meghan markle's father will not be here in windsorfor indeed. meghan markle's father will not be here in windsor for the wedding. but the preparation is very

much continue. the rehearsals continue. and as you have seen, there are many people out on the streets of windsor already watching and following all of that. we will have much more for you. we will have more after 12. for now, let's head back to an eta in the studio. at the whether they are looking absolutely beautiful. let's get right up today with the forecast. hi, there. it is a beautiful day across much of the country. we all have high pressure keeping charge of our weather not just through have high pressure keeping charge of our weather notjust through today but lasting through friday and of course into the all—important weekend as well. here is that area of high pressure situated across the country. we have a frontjust to towards the north—west. for today, lots of sunshine. a little bit of fair weather cloud building up through the day. still breezy around

the east coasts, where it will feel rather cool. 13 celsius. inland, 17-18dc. rather cool. 13 celsius. inland, 17—18dc. things remained dry into this evening and overnight to. with those clear skies and light winds, a fresh start to your friday morning, but another dry day. more cloud heading in across parts of scotland and northern ireland. just the chance of some showers to the sunshine. you will be pleased to hear, it is shaping up to be a fine day in windsor, with temperatures of up day in windsor, with temperatures of up to 20 celsius. if you have plans for a street party across the country, things are shaping up to be fine and dry with some sunshine to. hello, good morning. this is bbc news. now it's time for the sport. good morning.

england manager gareth southgate has been addressng the media for the first time since naming his squad for this summer's world cup in russia... he says a young looking squad shows they are ‘fearless in their approach‘... our sports correspondent david 0rnstein is outside wembley for us... david what did southgate have to say about his youthful looking squad? very impressive performance from gareth southgate. 0nly five of the squad have survived since the last world cup. an average cap number of around 19, so that pales in comparison to the likes of brazil, germany, and spain. that was a point admitted by gareth southgate, but he said he could only gain that experience by throwing those players in. they have belief in them. he used words like athleticism, energy, pace, creativity. these players are co mforta ble pace, creativity. these players are comfortable on the ball and they are the best in their positions in the

country. he pointed out that only 33% of premier league players were available to choose from. that is how small people lives. but he believes this youthful squad can cause a surprise. here he is explaining some of his decisions. maybe it's break to take players without the number of caps, but i think we had to give these guides are think we had to give these guides a re leaf. think we had to give these guides are leaf. what we have tried to do over the last few months is look at younger players and we brave enough to play them. as i say, we are picking them not because they are young but because they are the best in their positions. we know they are not the finished article. we know that they don't have the number of caps or experience that the germans have, the brazilians have, the spanish have, but that's where we are at the moment. as a country. we pick from 32% of the league. it is quite a unique situation for us as an england squad. but i think there is an excitement about the route we

are going. i think we're starting to make a connection with the fans. we are rebuilding confidence in the team. but that is a bit of a process. and we got to make sure that we continue to improve and focus on our performances over the next six to eight weeks. and southgate was asked about the teams chances this summer — is he confident? yes, he actually seemed quietly confident. he mentioned that this is an exciting squad now, but they are going to be even more exciting in the future when the former fa chief executive claimed that england can win the world cup in 2022. so certainly gareth southgate has an eye on that tournament. he said that this wasn't a gamble, the young squad that he has picked. you have got to be brave, you have got to give these opportunities. he said past managers had perhaps recalled retired players back into the squad and that that had gone down badly and that that had gone down badly and that that had gone down badly and that they believed in this

current crop of players. he mentioned the word fearless. he said you can make excuses for young players because they can make m ista kes players because they can make mistakes but i am going to take that responsibility on my shoulders. and here is how he felt about the chances of the young squad in russia the summer. we have great faith in them. we know that they lack a bit of big match experience, but how are they going to get that? the only way is to put them into that environment. we think they are the best players we have available. we think they can be very exciting now and we think they can be even more exciting in the future, but i don't want to limit what they think is possible either because they are young and they are hungry and they want to have a go at things and they want to have a go at things andi and they want to have a go at things and i think that's what we've got to do in this tournament is really enjoyed the ride. and be positive with them in the way we want to play and embrace the tournament. well, england gather here, not here at wembley, but they gather on monday minus the players involved in the

champions at fa cup league finals. they play two friendlies, against nigeria and then costa rica five days later. apart from russia on the 12th ofjune, their first match is against tunisia on monday the 18th ofjune. 0k, david, outside wembley. thanks forjoining us. you can see what gareth southgate has been saying today on the bbc sport website. i will be back with more in the next hour. a personal statement from meghan markle in the last few moments to confirm that her father will not be attending her wedding to prince harry. let's get some more reaction to that with jane heller in windsor. thank you, anita. that announcement just coming through in the last few minutes. 0ur royal correspondent is following this along with me. the statement coming directly from

meghan markle hard sell. which is interesting because it brings to an end what has become a very sorry story over the last three or four days. it is only two days until the wedding. nobody would have wanted to have this level of uncertainty so close to the wedding, but now at least that has brought an end to all that, an end to the sort of gossip column predictions, speculation over what was happening. so we have had this statement released in the last few minutes. as you can see there, sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding. so there we have it. confirmation that thomas markle, meghan's dad, who lives in mexico, will not be travelling across. there has been lots of speculation that he

underwent heart surgery yesterday. that hasn't been officially confirmed but we certainly do know now that he will not be walking down the aisle, which we know she wanted him to do. there is no couple of run down the land who would want this with just two days to go and this is magnified so many times. what an introduction to royal life for meghan markle. as you say, there are afamily meghan markle. as you say, there are a family disputes and problems in the run up to most weddings, but as you say, this has been magnified and this has been a big problem. thomas markle, we know that when she was younger she had a very close relationship with her father. younger she had a very close relationship with herfather. she has spoken very fondly of him. he no longer lives in los angeles. he moved to a small town. he, i guess, was leading quite a quiet life and then his daughter goes and gets engaged to one of the most famous men on the planet. i think it is safe to say it was potentially a lwa ys safe to say it was potentially always going to be a problem. it was a lwa ys always going to be a problem. it was always going to be a problem. it was always going to be an issue. and indeed that is what it has turned out to be. but the palace would be

hoping now, having issued a statement, that the media circus can move on and just talk about the wedding. we'll find out who will be walking meghan markle down the aisle, possibly her mother, possibly prince charles, and they will hope by this to have gone back to what everybody wanted to be witches are very happy day, a marriage two people. sarah, for now, thank you very much. meanwhile, the preparations for that very much continue. still some details that have yet to be released to the press and the public and the reversal of the procession is taking place here in windsor this morning as well. more from here a little bit later. back to you for now. thank you very much. the prime minister has dismissed a report that ministers have agreed to extend britain's links to the eu customs union beyond the end of 2020 — when the post—brexit transition period comes to an end. theresa may is in bulgaria for the eu—western balkans summit in sofia, where she will attend a working dinner with the other 27 eu leaders. the united kingdom will be

leaving the customs union, because we're leaving the european union. of course, we will be negotiating future customs arrangements with the european union, and i have set three objectives. the government has three objectives in those. we need to be able to have our own independent trade policy. we want as frictionless a border between the uk and the eu so that trade can continue, and we want to ensure that there is no hard border between northern ireland and ireland. live to westminster and our assistant political editor norman smith. if you are accommodated within the realms of possibility, despite what downing street is sailing, but that deadline might need to be extended, given the deadlock over the customs union? well, the speculation at westminster is now rife that mrs may is looking at the possibility of

perhaps extending the deadline, so we remain in the customs union longer, for two reasons. one, a view that technically we simply will not be in place to put in place the sort of options that the government has looked at, whether it is the customs partnership or the so—called ‘s maxfac arrangement. secondly, it is a way to get around the issue of avoiding a border in northern ireland because of the uk wants to remain asa ireland because of the uk wants to remain as a whole in the customs union longer there would be no need for a border. interestingly, this morning, the irish prime minister, leo varadker, further morning, the irish prime minister, leo va radker, further cranked morning, the irish prime minister, leo varadker, further cranked up the pressure on mrs may by suggesting that unless she managed to break this deadlock by the customs union by the eu summit injune, then there might be no deal at all. have a listen to him. the irish position stands. we stand

by the text of the withdrawal agreement and the irish protocol that was published in march, as does the task force of the 27 member states that are behind us and we need to have that because that gives us assurance need to have that because that gives us assurance that there will be no ha rd us assurance that there will be no hard border on our island and so we stand by the same position that we have had for a very long time now that there can be no withdrawal agreement without the back stopped and we need that to ensure there is no hard border. if the united kingdom wants to put forward alternatives to that, whether it is alternatives to that, whether it is alternative future relationships between the uk and the eu, we are willing to examine that, but we need to see it written in black and white. it in the last few minutes, the prime minister's spokesman has said that negotiations on a brexit backstop arrangement are ongoing. we have heard significant voices now appearing to countenance the idea of

delay. this morning, damian green, of course, a very close ally and political friend of the of course, a very close ally and politicalfriend of the prime minister, tweeting, suggesting that he would be up for a slight delay. he said, surely the point about a new customs arrangement is that it needs to work smoothly from day one, or we will have chaos on the roads, especially in kent. if that means a small delay, so be it. so he's certainly seems to be in the market for some sort of extension to staying in the customs union. well, joining me is the conservative mp peter bowen, leading brexiteer. if that idea a runner? no, not at all. we are 316 days away from when we leave this dreadful the european union superstate. both of the proposals the prime minister has been working on have been rejected by the eu. we do not need either of them. before i became a politician and an mp, i exported all over the world. if i wanted to sell to germany or to new york, my kids turned up on time with no problems

whatsoever. we don't have problems reading with the rest of the world. just use that system. i don't know why we have got ourselves into this ridiculous position. politically, what are the implications for mrs may, were she to go down this road? well, the idea of extending the transition period, because that is what we are talking about, would be totally u na cce pta ble. ma ny of what we are talking about, would be totally unacceptable. many of my collea g u es totally unacceptable. many of my colleagues swallowed the transition period because we knew that that was going to be ourfinal day. that period because we knew that that was going to be our final day. that was a promise. it was it. we would be coming out then. and we agree to that because that is what other people wanted. but to extend it any further would be wrong. i don't understand damian green's arguments at all. what he is really arguing for, i think, at all. what he is really arguing for, ithink, is at all. what he is really arguing for, i think, is to stay indefinitely in effectively the eu, and that is wholly unacceptable. tory mps who are supportive of the idea painted as a pragmatic compromise that could potentially unite the bulk of the tory party. well, it is a solution to a problem

that doesn't exist, which has already been rejected by the eu, so why are we working on that? why don't we do say the way we do business with the rest of the world is the way we will do business with the eu and in northern ireland is straightforward, in the argument, we are not going to have a hard border there. if the irish or the eu want to put it up, that will be their decisions, and completely unacceptable. that is up to them to do. we are a sovereign nation. we will not have a hard border in northern ireland. that is it. you aren't other brexiteers have made it clear you want to tolerate the idea. does that mean that mrs may's job would be on the line? she would face a challenge were she cheat to try to extend the transition?” a challenge were she cheat to try to extend the transition? i think this is totally press regulation. all of the conservative backbenchers went into downing street this week and had a presentation, and not in any of those presentations was it suggested that we would extend the transition period. i just suggested that we would extend the transition period. ijust think suggested that we would extend the transition period. i just think this

is something that has been got up in the media. i don't think that is going to happen. and by the way, it has already been rejected by the european union. peter bone, thanks very much indeed. well, the fact that it very much indeed. well, the fact thatitis very much indeed. well, the fact that it is being talked about at all perhaps underlines just how significant this deadlock is over the customs union with the irish prime minister at least pretty much putting a deadline on thejune summitfor putting a deadline on thejune summit for some sort of resolution to it. ok, norman, thank you very much for that. the prince of wales and the duchess of cornwall willjoin relatives of victims of overseas terrorism as a permanent national memorial is unveiled at the national memorial arboretum in staffordshire. the archbishop of canterbury will lead the service to dedicate the still water sculpture. our correspondent phil mackie is at the national memorial arboretum in staffordshire. perhaps you can take as to what the ceremony is going to be like. you can hear the orchestra in the

background at the moment. that is because we are getting very close to the moment where the archbishop of canterbury, justin welby, will open the service. we will then hear a message of welcome from tobias ellwood, the defence minister whose brotherjonathan died in the bali bombings in 2002. then we will hear from one of the victim's relatives, whose husband john died in tunisia, and then eventually reflections from the prince of wales, who will be here representing the royalfamily. we will also have the foreign secretary and the home secretary and alsojeremy secretary and the home secretary and also jeremy corbyn secretary and the home secretary and alsojeremy corbyn has already taken his seat. you can see behind me. if you can imagine that this rather beautiful memorial in a wood on the national memorial arboretum would be a really tranquil and peaceful place onceit a really tranquil and peaceful place once it has opened. you can see the curved wall here with seating and the seven pyramids on a circular concrete globe, which is beer people can come to reflect. it has been

said it is a really important moment for people to remember the deaths of these people and to celebrate their lives and it is hoped that the relatives of victims of other attacks across the past few decades will be able to come here and have that moment where their loved ones are properly remembered. thank you very much. in a moment, a summary of the business news this hour but first, the headlines on bbc newsroom live: meghan markle has confirmed her father thomas markle will not be attending the royal wedding this weekend, saying he needs to "focus on his health." the maximum stake on fixed—odds betting terminals is being reduced from £100 to £2 — under new government rules. a report looking at building regulations in england, in response to the grenfell tower fire, has called for "a wholesale culture change" in how the building industry operates. i'm ben bland.

in the business news: shares in bookmakers william hill and the owner of ladbrokes, gvc holdings, are down after that decision by the government to slash the maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals. the betting firms say they expect their profits to fall by between £100 and £160 million when the £2 limit comes in. they've warned that it could lead to job losses. mothercare describes its financial position as "perilous" — as it speeds up its plan to close stores. 800 jobs are at risk. the baby products retailer has struggled to deal with challenges from the squeeze on shoppers' incomes, the growth of online competitors and the rising costs of staff, rents and business rates. 0cado, the online grocer, has struck a deal with the us grocery giant kroger. it means 0cado's technology will be used by the american firm which has annual sales of around £90 billion. shares in 0cado have rocketed by nearly 50% after the announcement.

critics describe fixed odds betting terminals as the "crack cocaine" of gambling. highly addictive, they let people bet away upto £100 every 20 seconds. that's why the government has introduced a new maximum limit of £2 as the top stake. but bookmakers warn the new law could make many of their shops loss—making and result in hundreds of jobs being lost. joining us now is matt zarb—cousin from the campaign for forfairer gambling. good to have you with us. we will put to aside these concerns. you yourself have personal experience of the problem is that these fixed odds betting terminals can cause. what is it that makes them so highly addictive? i think it's a combination of factors. when you're looking at any gambling product, it's the stake, the speed of play

and the game content and also the accessibility of it. so we are the only country in the world that allowed high stakes, high—speed casino games in easily accessible venues like a betting shop, and when you start gambling, you can get addicted by betting what you can afford and then very quickly the game draws you in. roulette is a particularly addictive game. three spends a minute and you end up sticking up and become desensitised to betting what you can afford and you chase your losses. it happens a lot. 43% of people who use these machines are at risk gamblers. a huge, significant, disproportionate level of harm associated with this product, so the government has done the right thing. with that in mind, is this what your campaign for federer gambling has set out to achieve, or are there other things that you would like to see done as well? well, the campaign for a fairer gambling was established because we think that gambling isn't

meeting the three licensing requirements in the gambling act. it is supposed to be fair, not associated with crime. these machines are the aberration of those objectives. they don't make them whatsoever. 0ther objectives. they don't make them whatsoever. other products have a disproportionate level of harm associated with them. 0nline gambling. particularly online casino games. gambling which is targeted at children. that is probably where the campaign will move next. in terms of the most harmful product, it is on terminals. so it is absolutely right that the government reduces the state to £2. thank you for giving us your thoughts. quick look at the markets. energy company shares — like royal dutch shell and bp — are higher. that's thanks to the strong oil prices — which are at their highest level since november 2014. the ftse 100 index as a whole is fairly flat as we approach lunchtime — but bear in mind it's not far off the record high that it

reached in mid january. speaking of record highs — while online grocery retailer 0cado shares hit their highest ever level after signing a deal with us. grocery giant kroger. that's all the business news. the headlines are coming up on the bbc news channel. in a moment we say goodbye to viewers on bbc two — first we leave you with for a look at the weather. hi, sarah. we have some fine weather out there today and also it is going to be lasting through the weekend as well. any couple getting married this weekend will certainly be pleased with the forecast. it is looking largely fine and dry and thatis looking largely fine and dry and that is because a big area of high pressure is in charge of things, driving our weather at the moment. there is a weak front moving into the north—west which will be a player tomorrow, but certainly today, lighter winds and we have seen. a cool breeze around the east coast of england. temperatures 12-13dc coast of england. temperatures 12—13dc on the east coast. inland, 17- 12—13dc on the east coast. inland, 17— a silkies. we keep you dry

weather to tonight into friday as well. another dry day for most of us tomorrow. just a few showers into the far north—west of scotland. a bit more clever scotland and northern ireland at times in the sunnier spells temperature is doing pretty well. up to 18 celsius or so on friday, and it will be that little bit warmer for saturday. certainly in windsor, lots of sunshine on offer. a top temperature of 20 celsius. this is bbc news. i'm jane hill live in windsor. the headlines at 12pm: meghan markle has confirmed her father thomas markle will not be attending the royal wedding this weekend, saying he needs to focus on his health. meanwhile here in windsor preparations are continuing with just 48 hours to go. i'm simon mccoy, live on the long walk in windsor — where we've been getting a sneak preview of what it'll

look like on the day. there's a full rehearsal of saturday's procession, making sure that everything goes to plan for harry and meghan's big day. also this hour: making sure the grenfell fire never happens again. a report says cost was prioritised over safety but stops short of recommending an outright ban on flammable cladding. the maximum stake on fixed—odds betting machines is to be slashed from £100 to £2 under new government rules. i am absolutely determined to do the right thing by the hundreds of thousands of people, including some of the most vulnerable people who can least afford to lose this scale of money. good afternoon and welcome to windsor,

where in the last hour meghan markle has issued a statement, saying that her father will not be attending her wedding to prince harry on saturday. thomas markle, who lives in mexico, is understood to have undergone heart surgery yesterday. here at windsor, rehearsals are under way for saturday's wedding, involving 250 military personnel. 0ne one of the key elements of the day will be the carriage procession the newlyweds will embark upon immediately after their ceremony. and this is the carriage in which they will travel through the streets

of windsor for about half an hour or so, so that what is expected to be tens of thousands of people who will be gathered here in this small town will be able to see them immediately after their ceremony. so the preparations and rehearsals of course have to continue. just 48 hours to go. let's take a moment to talk about the news that came through in the last hour. with me is our royal correspondent, sarah campbell. and a statement issued directly from the bride. which i think is unusual for the palace to issue a statement directly from someone who is not yet a member of the royalfamily. it is clearly a personal statement, showing that her voice is the most important. this is her wedding, her father and the man she wanted to

have walk her down the aisle. let's look at the statement. sadly my father will not be attending our wedding... so very heartfelt statement from meghan markle. confirmation her father who lives in mexico and has been reported to have had health problems, and that seems to confirm it, he will remain thousands of miles away on the day his daughter gets married. her mother, doria ragland, arrived yesterday. it will be interesting to see how her role may change during the ceremony on saturday. 0riginally she was due to travel in the car with meghan

markle. and allow her to walk up the aisle with her father, markle. and allow her to walk up the aisle with herfather, but markle. and allow her to walk up the aisle with her father, but clearly thatis aisle with her father, but clearly that is now not going to happen. no couple wants something that is to happenjust couple wants something that is to happen just before the wedding, but this is happening on a public stage and the is all magnified and it could not be more upsetting for them. it is very upsetting for harry and meghan that the headlines have been taken up by this. the ones that discussion to be about the flowers and make up and things. by investing the statement today, interest and we have done whilst this rehearsal is going on, perhaps a reminder that we wa nt going on, perhaps a reminder that we want a line drawn and the want people to focus on what is going to happen on saturday, rather than what

is not. thank you, sarah. preparations are in the final stages. here today we have been seeing and hearing the rehearsals. a royal wedding rehearsal involving more than 250 military personnel is taking place in windsor this morning, following the route of the carriage procession for the newlyweds on saturday. we just saw the carriage a few moments ago. the procession will leave castle hill, travel through windsor‘s high street, sheet street, onto kings road and albert road — and then it will proceed up the long walk all the way back to st george's hall by windsor castle for a lunchtime reception, which is being given by her majesty the queen. we expect some crowds out in the

sunshine to enjoy all of that. and just down the road from me is simon mccoy who is on long walk. the procession is not here yet. we're still waiting for it. a full rehearsal of saturday‘s ceremony got under way about an hour ago — some of the 250 members of the armed forces and the horses who will be taking part in the festivities were involved. it's the moment they'll be putting the finishing touches to the procession, checking timings and making sure everything goes to plan. the area went into security lockdown a couple of hours ago. so no members of the public here yet. but the world's media is here making sure that they too know what to expect from that 25 minute carriage ride through windsor. let's be more about what we can

expect. i'm joined by a military historian and a captain. these rehearsals, what is going on? what are they trying to iron out? dealing with horses, you have to take them through the route in advance. a parade of this size and scale is all ina parade of this size and scale is all in a days work for the household cavalry. something they do on a daily basis. the queen's birthday parade and things that that. the horses have a certain amount of tolerance to the noise and flag waving you might expect from such an occasion. and prince harry was in this regiment? exactly. he served from 2006 and was a true leader in afghanistan. what does it mean to be involved in something like this for a fill member of the regiment? it's a fill member of the regiment? it's a brilliant thing to be part of, or aisle leading. you have some

soldiers for whom this is the second royal wedding. you know, it comes around and it's an extremely special thing to be part of. he is one of our own. very much so, and that illustrated by this procession because every horse, every soldier in one way and another is linked to him? yes. corporal all leary served with him in afghanistan. and another corporal who is on the steps outside the chapel. buy back we saw a carriage, that is a back—up carriage. exactly. this is a different kind of royal wedding. we are talking about someone who was never going to be aired to the throne, so it has a

very different feel. second in line to the throne has a much more relaxed position within the family. it is why he was able to serve on the front line. controversially he was taken away from the front line because word got out he was there. and no one was more frustrated than him. he was furious. he was able to serve in 2007 in the beginning of 2008. word got out and they had to pull him out. redemption comes in 2012 when he goes back with the army air corps in 2012 when he goes back with the army aircorps ina 2012 when he goes back with the army air corps in a slightly different role. some of the horses were names with direct links to where he served? yes. we like to keep traditions like that going. naming horses after plough —— after places

that are relevant. was a popular in the regiment? unsurprisingly, he was. he was extremely popular. he was. he was extremely popular. he was as good a true leader as they could have hoped for. and from the humble, which is something we have come to see from him in much of its time since leaving the army, with the invictus games and things at. the presence of the military will add what to day about a young couple who are in love? it is a nice shine and a nod to his previous career. and they do look awfully smart. so i think it adds some grandeur. a lot of people can appreciate that. and surely well. you already get the sense you that something very special is about to happen. i'm sure

when we see the carriage come past you will see that in the flesh. don't go away. i'm told it is not far away. i just want to join the crowds because rather surprisingly to me lots of people are already here. our reporter noel phillips is on the high street. what's going on? all eyes on windsor castle for this is truly special love story. well—wishers have been gathering all morning. this man is having a little sleep. this is where people have been camping out. this is where people will be able to see the happy couple on saturday. these positions are very important. we're going to work our way around. a lot of media here today. hello. red going to try

and speak to a few people. between now and saturday, up to 100,000 people are expected here in windsor for the truly remarkable love tale. this is the 16th royal wedding in this town since 1863. i want to introduce you to some very enthusiastic royal fans. this introduce you to some very enthusiastic royalfans. this is annie. she has travelled from cardiff to be here today. hello. you are live on bbc news. good afternoon. this balloon is for thomas markle. we have heard he is not at all well. everybody sends our best regards. she might be the joke and that is of wales. her title is

yet to be decided. talk me through your outfit today. we attended the royal wedding of kate and william. we attended her majesty's 90th birthday. she came and said hello. we met her royal highness camilla, the duchess of cornwall. we had a lovely card from them. simon, i quickly want to show you camilla. this is a site which is truly remarkable. now all, i have seen camilla before. i know camilla very well. i remember herfrom the camilla before. i know camilla very well. i remember her from the last royal wedding. she hasn't changed a bit. the american flag is new. thank

you. we want to differentiate in some way between the operational role of someone in the regiment as you and prince harry were, and the mounted role which we are also seeing. these soldiers are dual train. you learn to ride a horse and ina train. you learn to ride a horse and in a reconnaissance role. we are a couple of hundred meters that way in our home. that is where prince harry was based. soldiers generally learn to ride horses and men there is a 16 week riding course. from there, the do several years as mounted duty men in london. be then come and do the operational side, in london. be then come and do the operationalside, learning in london. be then come and do the operational side, learning how to drive, operate and become armoured soldiers and they move between the two macs throughout their career.

very good of you to join us. thank you very much. let's go back to jane who's at castle hill. we were talking here about the carriage as well. it looks like that was the wet weather back—up. where it too poor with rain on the day, they would travel through windsor in a covered carriage for obvious reasons, but we hope we are set fair. if it is anything like today, this is perfect wedding weather. 0ne hopes that is not the carriage they will be needed. we can still hear wonderful music playing off into the castle here. we had the national anthem a little while ago. rehearsals very much under way. and if you're planning to travel to windsor to celebrate the big day,

here's what you need to know. it is not a big town. the streets are not white. —— not wide. the royal wedding is expected to attract more than 100,000 people to windsor on saturday. police are advising people to arrive early. there will be additional rail services, to all stations in windsor. passengers are also being asked to keep baggage to a minimum as there will be security checks. if you're travelling by car, book your parking in advance as spaces are limited, but be aware of road closures along the procession route, starting at 10pm on friday night. on saturday, the couple will wed at noon at st george's chapel in windsor. big screens showing live footage of the wedding will be shown on the long walk

and in alexandra gardens, and if you're hoping to catch a glimpse of the royal couple, viewing areas will be created along the procession route. that's at 1pm, when the newlyweds will travel through windsor in the ascot landau carriage in front of the crowds. we hope it will be the dry weather carriage. the carriage will leave castle hill, travel through windsor and then it will proceed up the long walk all the way back to st george's hall by windsor castle for a lunchtime reception, which is being given by her majesty the queen. there will be 600 guests.

and if you're not planning to head to windsor, you can watch the big day unfold here on the bbc news channel with kirsty young, huw edwards and dermot 0'leary from 9am and we'll have a royal wedding specialfrom 2pm including the highlights from the day. that is our guide to what is going on. plenty more to talk about throughout the course of the day. these are the rehearsal images were focusing on here. this beautiful lunchtime here in windsor. 250 military personnel taking part in their final formal preparations. much more to come from here at

windsor. for now let's head back to annita in the studio. a review of building regulations set up after the grenfell tragedy has called for a radical rethink of the safety system, but has stopped short of proposing a ban on flammable cladding. in her government—commissioned report, damejudith hackitt said a genuine culture change was needed in building and recommended the creation of a new regulator to oversee the management of high—risk residential buildings over ten storeys high. 0ur correspondent caroline davies is in central london where the report has be published in the past few hours. just take us through the details of those main point is recommended by damejudith. those main point is recommended by dame judith. thank you. this is the 150 page report we were given first thing this morning. she has described it of being a radical rethink of safety of buildings in

england. we have heard was quite critical of the current system under way it operates, saying it meant people could race to do things cheaply and quickly. some critical of the report because she has not taken the step banning cladding which is flammable. she said she believes high—rise buildings should believes high—rise buildings should be clad in materials not combustible. she says the proposals are based on dealing with a broken system. she earlier said... caroline, i apologise for interrupting you. we're going to the house of commons. james brokenshire is making a statement on the review. they must be able to act to make their homes safer. mr speaker, this

review has implications for government as a whole. i'm committing today to bring forward legislation that delivers meaningful and lasting change and gives residents are much stronger voice in an improved system of fire safety. changing the law will take time. as dame judith acknowledges, we can and must start changing the culture and practice right now. as a first step, we are asking everyone involved to have their say on how we can achieve this by contacting us by the end of july. i will update the house on progress before summer recess. we all have a role to play. for our part, this government has accepted and been implementing recommendations relating to ours since beenjudith recommendations relating to ours since been judith published recommendations relating to ours since beenjudith published her interim report in december. firstly,

we are consulting on significantly restricting or banning the use of desktop studies on cladding. i will not hesitate to ban them if the consultation which closes on 25 may does not demonstrate they can be used safely. secondly, we are working with industry to clarify building regulations fire safety guidance and i will publish this for consultation injuly. let me be clear. the cladding believed to be g re nfell tower was clear. the cladding believed to be gre nfell tower was unlawful clear. the cladding believed to be grenfell tower was unlawful under existing building regulations. it should not have been used. but i will ensure there is no room for doubt over what materials can be used safely in cladding of high—rise residential buildings. having listened carefully to concerns, the government will consult on banning the use of combustible materials in cladding systems on high—rise residential buildings. thirdly, we

work with industry to make the widest sweep of building regulations more user—friendly. all of this continues our work to ensure that people are safe. since the grenfell tragedy, my department has worked with fire and rescue services, local authorities and landlords, to identify high—rise buildings with unsafe cladding and ensure intra— measures are in place to reduce risks and give building owners clear advice about what we need to do over the longer term to make buildings safe. in ifm, a

f 332” in : building 45317 1757 ' systems will be safe in the building they own. we want to allocate this funding for remediation as soon as possible. we will encourage landlords to continue to press to other parties for costs where they are responsible or at fault. we will continue to offer financial flexibilities for local authorities who need to undertake essential fire safety work. mr speaker, we must

create a culture that truly puts people and their safety first. that inspires confidence and yes, rebuilds public trust. dame judith's review and the significant changes that will flow from it are important first steps. helping us ensure that when we say never again, we mean it. i commend this statement to the house. thank you. can i thank the secretary of state for the advance copy of the statement this morning? and can! copy of the statement this morning? and can ijoin him in thinking dame judith hackett and her team for all the work we have done in this review. this is an area which is complex and confusing. are building safety system catastrophically failed the residents of grenfell tower and has proved comprehensively flawed when over 300 other tower

blocks around the country are wrapped in the same dangerous unsafe cladding. dame judith said wrapped in the same dangerous unsafe cladding. damejudith said this morning this is a broken system and it needs to be fixed. but while there are some welcome steps in her report, this is not a report that will do that. why no ban on combustible cladding and insulation? it really beggars belief that this report continues to give a green light to combustible materials on high—rise blocks. and i say to the secretary of state, don't consult on it, do it. 72 people died in g re nfell tower. it, do it. 72 people died in grenfell tower. in australia, they had a high—rise fire in 2014. they now have a ban. in dubai, they had a high—rise fire in 2015, they have abandoned. we must do the same. we

all it to the grenfell residents and we owe it to residents living today in other tower blocks with the same g re nfell style in other tower blocks with the same grenfell style cladding. the secretary of state was here yesterday. mps on both sides argued this. even dame judith yesterday. mps on both sides argued this. even damejudith hackitt this morning has been reported as saying she would support the secretary of state if he did that, just after ruling it out in her own report. now, there are some steps which dame judith recommends which are welcome, that would help, like clearer duties for who is responsible for building safety a nd for who is responsible for building safety and clearer ways for residents to have their concerns heard. but this sounds like an insiderfrom industry heard. but this sounds like an insider from industry urging heard. but this sounds like an insiderfrom industry urging reform without rocking the boat. culture

change. clearer guidance. less prescriptive system. greater responsibility from some of those who have been cutting corners to cut costs in the current system. i say to the secretary of state, this is a missed opportunity to set clear—cut new standards that ensure a disaster like grenfell tower can never happen again. so can the secretary of state explain why there is not in this report what he will do, notjust on no ban on the combustible cladding systems, no bar on the desktop systems, no bar on the desktop systems for safety clearing without testing, no plan forfitting sprinklers, no timetable for new safety regulations in legislation, no powers are tough enough sanctions to compel private block owners to get fire tests done and then get vile —— vital safety work done. now, the secretary of state cannot simply hold this reporter arm's—length and

say it is out for consultation and comment, this is a review commissioned by the government with a chair picked by the government with support from governments that. he says in principle he accepts the recommendations. well, iagree he says in principle he accepts the recommendations. well, i agree he can endorse some of the recommendations, he must reject others that fall short and he must act where recommendations are missing. because if in practice all he does is accept these recommendations, then the division of opinion in this house will not be on his side and ours, it will be on all sides and on his front bench. and this is not a matter of party politics, this is a matter of public safety a nd politics, this is a matter of public safety and public confidence and above all this is a matter of a national response that measures up to the tragedy, the national tragedy of the grenfell tower fire.”

to the tragedy, the national tragedy of the grenfell tower fire. i say to the right honourable gentleman that while i welcome his words, in the production of what i think is a combo hints of report looking at the end to end system, looking at culture, yes, but also making the recommendations in respect of strong enforcement, criminal sanctions, this i would urge him to look very carefully before rushing to judgment in respect of all of the different sections that are contained within it, and will certainly ensure that whilst he may not agree with certain sections and he is entitled to take that view, i think to recognise the real intent from someone who is independent, has significant health and safety experience, in terms of bringing a shift in a system that i

think we mutually accept, is not fit for purpose. but i know that this will no doubt be subject to further debate and that is why i think it is important that there is time for feedback on each of the different recommendations on points that are made because of the complexity, the depth and detail, so that we get this right. and in that shared sense of what is cross—party, what is cross community, yes, is absolutely what we want to achieve and why i think it is important that we do get that feedback and input into the report to's recommendations. so the secretary of state for housing, james brokenshire, announcing that the government will consult on banning the use of combustible cladding on high—rise buildings. the hackett review into the grenfell tower fire hackett review into the grenfell towerfire didn't hackett review into the grenfell tower fire didn't go that far. that report was released this morning. it didn't call for that outright ban,

but the government now saying it will consult on banning the use of combustible cladding on high—rise buildings. john healey from labour responded to james brokenshire by saying, don't consult on it, do it. i am joineded in the studio by jane duncan who chairs the royal institute of british architects' expert advisory group on fire safety. good to have you with us. reba certainly have been calling for a ban on combustible cladding is. what do you make of what you heard in the house of commons? i am delighted to hear that the speaker is saying what we have been saying for months now. my we have been saying for months now. my expert panel has been considering this for 11 months. there is no question that above a certain height, in these buildings where people are sleeping, we should not have combustible materials. it is not good enough to say we can leave it to the industry to sort this out and we don't need a baseline prescriptive regulation. we do. we

need clarity. do we need a confrontation, or should, as john healy suggested for a labourer, should the governmentjust get on and do this? well, i wonder in 1666, the kids burghers of london consulted on making sure they had no more timber frame buildings. consulted on making sure they had no more timberframe buildings. 0ur government can do this. they don't need to consult. they can just say, let's do it now. dame judith hackett, in her report, said that she wasn't calling for an outright ban, although she will support the government if it consulted on a ban because she said that the greater regulation that she was proposing should prevent this happening in the first place. do you accept that the regulation that she is talking about is needed and is useful? the report is needed and is useful? the report is certainly very perceptive. it has understood what the construction industry is doing and it has poked holes in it. it is looking at new wheels of changing the culture within industry. this is not an

overnight solution. what he is proposing is the way that the industry could look like in ten or 15 years' time. we need to act now and reassure the public that they can trust the industry now i trust the government with the regulations that we need to make sure that we can act now. trust and confidence, thatis can act now. trust and confidence, that is the thing. we did hearjames brokenshire address the industry, saying that he was calling on the industry to do the right thing. and if they don't, what he said, i won't will anything out. in terms of some sort of sanctions. but clearly, people have got to be able to trust that the buildings that they are living in our safe. everybody has to do something here. i think dame judith is right in saying that the industry has a lot of work to do, but i also think the government has to do the writing is well and they to do the writing is well and they to provide baseline prescriptive regulation so that the industry knows what they are doing and so that somebody has a baseline on which tojudge whether that somebody has a baseline on which to judge whether the right thing is being done and the public and then trust that. so we shouldn't

just give the industry a chance to put this right, should we? we had a statement from the construction industry saying it is an important chance for the industry to show that we are ready for over whole the situation. it is not going to change overnight. it has been 11 months since this forfire. overnight. it has been 11 months since this for fire. we need wells of dealing with the situation we in now. we can look forward to a better future one thing which we don't agree with the riba, we must have prescriptive building guidance. even damejudith prescriptive building guidance. even dame judith says it prescriptive building guidance. even damejudith says it is not clear. we need it, and we need it now. thank you very much. the government has announced it is drastically reducing the maximum stake for fixed odds betting terminals tojust £2. at the moment it is £100 and gamblers can make

a bet every 20 seconds. the culture secretary, matt hancock, said he had chosen to take a stand on the issue, describing fixed—odds betting terminals as a social blight. bookmakers say it will mean store closures and job losses. theo leggett reports. fixed odds betting terminals are electronic machines which allow users to place wagers on a variety of games, such as blackjack, roulette or simulated horse racing. at the moment, players can place bets of up to £100 every 20 seconds, so it is possible to lose a great deal of money very quickly. there are also serious concerns that gambling like this can be very addictive. in fact, fixed odds terminals have been described as the crack cocaine of gambling. these machines give you the ability to chase losses up to £100 and you can lose phenomenal amounts of money in a very short space of time. that was my experience. the last time i had a relapse on these machines, september last year, and i lost £2,740 in 42 minutes. the government believes that

a clamp—down on fixed odds terminals can help to reduce problem gambling. it is planning to bring down the maximum stake from £100 to just £2. i looked at the evidence and thought about it. i'm absolutely determined to do the right thing by the hundreds of thousands of people, including some of the most vulnerable people who can least afford to do this scale of money, and do the right thing by them. but the gambling industry is far from happy. more than 40,000 people work in high street betting shops up and down the country. the association of british bookmakers said in a statement... the government too could lose billions of pounds in tax revenues as a result of the changes. but it's clearly decided that protecting the public is more important than

any economic considerations. we can now speak to andy margett, a former compulsive gambler who now vlogs about his recovery. thank you forjoining us. how many yea rs we re thank you forjoining us. how many years were you gambling for and how much money did you lose?” years were you gambling for and how much money did you lose? i gambled from when i was about 14 or 15 on the horses and then i moved online and into arcades and things, and i lost £60,000. all borrowed or credit cards or loans. and what sort of impact that having a life?” cards or loans. and what sort of impact that having a life? i was a mess. all i wanted to do was gamble all the time. i was in an complete bubble. i would lie, cheat, all the time. i was in an complete bubble. iwould lie, cheat, whatever i could do to get my hands on money. and how much of this problem was around the use of these fixed odds betting terminals? partly, for me. i

gambled on everything, really. like you say, i mean, all gambling is a problem to someone who is struggling. so i can see it as a wider scale and notjust on the fixed odds betting terminals. and do you think the reduction of the maximum stake to £2, is going to make a difference? it might make a difference to some people, but the problem i have got with it is as soon as you step outside a bookmaker, i can go on my mobile phone and go online and be limitless on there as well. if you know what i mean. so you need to look at the whole wide range of what you can gamble on. it is 24—7 now. it is normalised in society. i do believe that we need to be looking at a more broad subject on it instead ofjust the focus on one issue. so although someone might not be able to go into

a bookies and glowed their entire month's wages in half an hour, which isa month's wages in half an hour, which is a guest told me about earlier, what you're saying is that gamblers with this sort of addiction might just look elsewhere? yes, correct. the majority of people who actually message me after my blog and stuff like that our young lads, they will blow it on the phones or online. and it is hidden away even more. ifear that it will anon i is the problem a bit more. any news is good news to a compulsive gambler, so there we go. in terms of a broader system or network for helping people, i know via your blog you have lots of people reaching out to you and asking for advice, but do you think there is enough help out there in a formal way to try to help people tackle their addiction to gambling? you do have gambler‘s anonymous, which is voluntary, of course. also

gordon moody and various other places. i do think more treatment and especially education as well. especially for younger generation. we talk about sex, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes in school. nothing about gambling at all. you hit 18, and all ofa gambling at all. you hit 18, and all of a sudden you're legal to go online and have a bet and some people do it from an earlier age, myself included. 0k, andy, we appreciate you taking the time to doctor was about your experiences. thank you very much. tell us about what happened there

today at the national memorial arboretum, where the prince of wales is. it was a moving service. we heard from women who had lost love words and different terrorist attacks across the world. belinda green, whose husband stephen was killed in algeria, and from sheila alexander, his son nick was killed at the batter clan theatre in paris in 2013. we also heard from the prince of wales. he made quite a moving speech because he reminded people that he lost a loved one himself, his great uncle, the earl of mountbatten in 1979 was killed by the ira. but he had a message of hope, anything that is what most of the people gathered here today, including the archbishop of canterbury, wanted to get across. this is still water, the memorial to

victims of overseas terrorism. it is supposed to look like a pond. if you ta ke supposed to look like a pond. if you take away all of the people in the temporary seats and stands, what you are temporary seats and stands, what you a re left temporary seats and stands, what you are left with is this and just these few benches over here, so it will be a really peaceful, tranquil corner of the very lovely national memorial arboretum, where people can, and quietly reflective they choose to do so on people who they have lost as a result of overseas terrorism. there are no names here because they say this is not just are no names here because they say this is notjust for past attacks but for future attacks as well and because there are so many different ones. we also think of the three big events, word produces dozens have died abroad. 911, where 67 british people died. 33 were killed in bali and 30 in tunisia in 2015, but think of all the other individuals who have died not just of all the other individuals who have died notjust the century in places like algeria and india and egypt, but go back to the 20th

century and you can think of people who have died in places like kenya as well. so this is a place which will stand in perpetuity for people who have lost loved ones. we had survivors here today of terrorist attacks, and you can see the ceremony is over and people are heading off to share their experiences. in some cases, these people have similar experiences and it isa people have similar experiences and it is a good moment for them, a cathartic one, to share those experiences and to talk about their loved ones on a beautiful day in a really lovely location. thank you very much. the supreme court is to be examining if a woman is able to divorce her husband because of his unreasonable behaviour. kelly collins has already has her divorce application rejected twice, once by the court of appeal, as her husband's treatment of her isn't considered suitable grounds for divorce. it has led to calls for a

no—fault divorce, where couples can separate without placing blame on each other. 0ur correspondent has been following this case. a local focus and attention on this case because of the questions it throws up because of the questions it throws up about no faults divorces. yes, mrs 0wens has taken her case to the highest court in the land. five judges will look at grounds because the lower courts have said that she doesn't have sufficient grounds. the background to this is that she left the marital home in 2015, and she petitioned for a divorce, and her husband, hugh, who is a retired businessman, contested it. she went before a family courtjudge, who sided with her husband. she put forward 27 allegations of unreasonable behaviour, which range from unkind remarks, stinging remarks, being treated as a child, and being wretchedly unhappy within the marriage, and thejudge said

these were not sufficient grounds. he said that they were of the kind to be expected in marriage. in 2017, the court of appeal sided with the original judge the court of appeal sided with the originaljudge and said that parliament would have to bring in legislation for a quick no—fault divorce. in england and wales, before a court, there are five grounds on which you can show a marriage has irretrievably broken down. that can be for adultery, unreasonable behaviour, desertion, for two years. the couple can also have lived apart for two years, and if both consented to the divorce, then they can have the divorce. in then they can have the divorce. in the case where one party is contesting it, they have to be living apart for five years. so mrs

0wens can get her divorce in 2020, but clearly she wants her divorce much sooner than that. 0k, thank you very much. the prime minister has dismissed a report that ministers have agreed to extend britain's links to the eu customs union beyond the end of 2020 when the prospects of transition period comes to an end. theresa may is in bulgaria for the western balkans summit, where she will attend a working dinner with the other 27 eu leaders. the united kingdom will be leaving the customs union, because we're leaving the european union. of course, we will be negotiating future customs arrangements with the european union, and i have set three objectives. the government has three objectives in those. we need to be able to have our own independent trade policy. we want as frictionless a border between the uk and the eu so that trade can continue, and we want to ensure that there is no hard border between northern ireland and ireland. the speculation is now rife that mrs

may is now looking at the possibility of extending the deadline so that we remain in the customs union longer, for two reasons. one, a view that technically we simply will not be in a place to put in place the sort of options that the government has looked at, whether it is the customs partnership for the so—called maximum facilitation options that we don't have the technology to make sure that customs arrangements are reliable, and secondly there is a way to get around the issue of avoiding a border in northern ireland because if the uk wants to remain asa ireland because if the uk wants to remain as a whole in the customs union longer, there would be no need for a border. interestingly, this morning, the irish prime minister, further cranked up the pressure on mrs may by any effect suggesting that unless she managed to break this deadlock over the customs union

by the eu summit injune, then there might be an ordeal at all. if i listen to him. the irish position stands. we stand by the text of the withdrawal agreement and the irish protocol that backs it up. that was published in march. the 27 member states are behind us and we need that backs because that gives us an assurance that there will be no hard order on our island and so we stand by the position that we have had for a long time that there will be no withdrawal agreement without the backstop and we need that to ensure there is no hard order. if the uk wants to put forward alternatives to that, whether it is alternative text to the backstop or some sort of alternative future relationship between the uk and the eu, we are willing to examine that, but we need to see it in black—and—white. interestingly, in the last few minutes, the prime minister's spokesman has said negotiations on a

workable brexit backstop arrangement are ongoing. we have heard significant voices now appearing to countenance the idea of delay., this morning damian green, a very close ally and political friend morning damian green, a very close ally and politicalfriend of morning damian green, a very close ally and political friend of the prime minister treated, suggesting he would be up for a slight delay. he said, surely the point about a new customs arrangement is that it needs to work smoothly from day one, we will have chaos on the roads. if that means a small delay, so be it. so he certainly seems to be in the market for some sort of extension to staying in the customs union. thousands of people with dementia in england are being admitted to hospital unnecessarily because of inadequate support in the comminity from the nhs and councils, that's according to research by the alzheimer's society. it found that there has been a 73% jump in these admissions since 2012. the government says no—one should have to go to hospital unnecessarily and it will unveil plans for reform of the system soon. last year, there were 50,000 people

with dementia rushed to hospital in emergencies that we believe in many cases could have been avoided. these are reasons that were based around things where community care just wasn't there to provide either the volume or the quality of support needed to identify and prevent some of these issues turning into situations people need hospital care for. patients were put at ‘risk of serious harm' because of failures with an outsourcing contract for nhs support services in england. the national audit office found a multi—million pound contract awarded to the private company capita led to performance this is about the behind the scenes work that is meant to keep health

professionals running smoothly, doing everything from ordering supplies, making payments, and sorting pensions. 0utsourcing this work to capita in 2015 was supposed to do two things — reduce costs, and to modernise the service. it seems only the first bit has been a success. nhs england wanted to reduce its costs by more than a third from day one. and that has happened. it‘s made about £60 million worth of savings in two years. but at a cost. this report says services were and some still are a long way below an acceptable standard. paperwork delays meant 1,000 doctors, dentists, and opticians couldn‘t work with patients. the national audit office says neither nhs england nor capita understood exactly what they were getting into. nhs england have saved money, but they know that they need to get a better service for gps, pharmacists, opticians, and they know that that that matters for patients and they know that it is not good enough at the minute. capita has accepted responsibility for not meeting high standards of service, and agrees it didn‘t understand how complex the work was.

for example, ordering supplies. it estimates the workload for this was 758% more than nhs england predicted. nhs england doesn‘t agree with those figures, and point out that this contract has saved taxpayers millions of pounds, which has been reinvested in patient care. police chiefs say front—line officers in remote, rural communities could be routinely armed in order to deal with terrorist threats. the move is being considered by the national police chiefs‘ council. a drive to recruit specialist counter—terrorism firearms officers in england and wales has fallen short of its target by around 100. here‘s our home affairs correspondent, leila nathoo. armed police! show me your hands! it‘s one of the most demanding jobs in policing. these armed police in the west midlands are practising how to approach a suspect holed up with a weapon.

armed police, show your hands! hundreds more officers like these are now on duty across england and wales after extra money was promised by the government two years ago. gunfire. the recruitment and training process is rigourous, and that‘s one reason why the numbers of additional armed police hasn‘t hit its target. in 2016, there were just under 5600 firearms officers across 43 police forces. that‘s increased to more than 6400 this year. but of the 1000 extra armed officers meant to be in place by now, only 874 are in post. the boost was designed to make the police response to a potential terror attack quicker and more effective. there has been a 70% increase in the number of armed officers with specialist counterterrorism training, but there‘s still a shortfall here of about 100 and there are challenges in filling positions.

some will not meet the standard. they won‘t be selected in the first place, and others are put off by a range of things, such as some people just don‘t want to carry a gun, they didn‘tjoin the police service to carry a gun, and many worry about the level of scrutiny and the nature of post—incident investigations in the very rare occasions where a police firearm is discharged. the extra resources have been focused on urban areas deemed to be most at risk of an attack, but senior officers are considering how best to protect all communities, with the option of routinely arming officers in rural areas said to be not off the table. leila nathoo, bbc news. in a moment the news at one with kate silverton. first the weather. it has been a lovely day. the reason

behind this rather cool air this morning, this is the temperature in nantwich in cheshire. by the afternoon, shooting up to very pleasa nt afternoon, shooting up to very pleasant conditions. 18 celsius the general high here, as it is across many parts of the uk this afternoon. cooler around some of the coasts. a little bit of patchy, fairweather cloud. a fine end to the day and a lovely evening in store. most of the cloud will melt away. clear skies through tonight. light winds as well and so the recipe is for a lovely night. temperature is not dropping as much. we could get close to if not below freezing across some rural parts of scotland, central or east of england in particular. this sets us upfora of england in particular. this sets us up for a fine day on friday. some patchy cloud and also fairweather cloud in the west. still sunny spells. not quite as warm here as on

friday. another day of temperatures in the mid to high teens. into the weekend, cloud melt away and fa cup final day, nor themselves of the border, on saturday, it is going to bea border, on saturday, it is going to be a cracker. perfect conditions. strong sunshine, as will be the case for the royal wedding. temperatures peaking at 20—22dc. if you are having a street party or a garden party or any kind of party, high pressure is still in charge. lovely sunny spells for england and wales. temperatures into the high teens if not low 20s. to take through saturday night into sunday, high pressure a cross saturday night into sunday, high pressure across england and wales but it does head off into the near continent, allowing some breezy conditions on sunday. thicker cloud as well, with some splashes of rain. even here, it won‘t be a wash—out of a sunday. still the odd brighter

break a sunday. still the odd brighter brea k every a sunday. still the odd brighter break every now and again. sunshine for england and wales on sunday, with temperatures up to 23 celsius. combustible cladding could be banned from high—rise residential buildings. the government says it will consult on the issue after the review into building regulations in england failed to recommend such a move. having listened carefully to concerns, the government will consult on banning the use of combustible materials in cladding systems on high—rise residential buildings. we‘ll look at what this means for the building industry and the investigation into the grenfell tower fire. also this lunchtime... the maximum stake on fixed—odds betting terminals is to be reduced to £2. after a week of intense media speculation, meghan markle issues a public statement to confirm her father will not attend the royal wedding

due to ill health. mothercare is to close 50 stores as part of an effort to save the business, which is said to be struggling.