you re watching bbc newsroom live — it's11am and these are the main stories this morning: social media companies should be made to take more responsiblity for cracking down on content fuelling knife crime, the home secretary tells the bbc we don't have the legislation for it. i have the legislation for tariffs content, i have it for illegal child sexual abuse imagery, but we don't have that legislation today for that kind of content. inflation drops to 1.8%, its lowest level in two years, due mainly to falls in fuel and energy prices. nine out of ten police officers say there aren't enough of them to meet demand, as ministers are warned the public faces "increased risk" due to lack of front line staff. the british chambers of commerce warns that firms are in danger of being "hung out to dry" over the prospect of a no—deal brexit. the brexit secretary denies there is a plan by government to force mps to either back a reworked withdrawl deal or accept a significant delay to leaving the eu:

that's not the prime minister's plan. the prime minister is clear that we are leaving on the 29th of march. she is working hard on behalf of the country to secure that deal. and one of the world's most trafficked and endangered animals, the giant pangolin, is captured on camera. good morning, welcome to bbc newsroom live. i'm joanna gosling. social media companies should be made to take more responsiblity for cracking down on content which fuels knife crime, the home secretary has told the bbc. sajid javid says he wants measures to ensure technology firms clamp—down on gang—related material, in the same way they have targeted terrorist propaganda. newsbeat‘sjim connolly reports. more people are being killed in england and wales by knives now than at any time since the second world war.

rob was in a gang in east london but moved away to escape his violent past. he spent six years in prison but now goes around schools and colleges to try to stop others making the same mistake. i started carrying a knife when i was 12. a knife because everyone was doing it at the time. i wanted to fit in. i've stabbed quite a lot of people. if i was to say, count, i have lost count. there were so many years in the gang life. people remind me of people i stabbed i don't remember. that is the gods honest truth. the first person to be killed by knife this year died on this street in the early hours of new year's day. knife crime is becoming a grim daily reality. the government knows it has to do something about it. just down the road at kings college hospital, the home secretary has come to see where victims end up. one of the ways he wants to stop people getting to this point is by restricting content that incites violence, like some drill music, a genre of highly aggressive rap often linked to street violence.

i actually think you can do a lot more to police harmful content on the internet, because at the moment we don't have that legislation for it. i have the legislation for terrorist content, for illegal child sexual abuse imagery, but we don't have that legislation today for that kind of content. and we're changing that. as a parent i want my children to be able to walk around on any street and feel like they are safe and that quite a lot more needs to be done. you talk about your own children, do you, as a parent worry about it? i do. my daughter, our eldest daughter is going out a lot more, just part of growing up, you want them to go out with their friends and enjoy themselves, but i do worry, and there are some nights i have actually stayed up, you know, quite late into the early hours of the morning just waiting to know that she is back home. life's looking brighter for robert, but many people he grew up with are trapped in a gang lifestyle. back in my day, if i listened

to drill music, i'm riding out 21w. the way i am listening to it, the way it is now, i am definitely getting involved in crime. it is about people killing and stabbing each other, it is glamorising it. preventing getting involved is the new priority for the authorities. jim connolly, bbc news. inflation has fallen to its lowest level in two years, according to figures released this morning. the consumer prices index — which tracks changes in the cost of living — stood at 1.8% last month, compared with 2.1% in december. economists say cuts to energy and petrol prices were responsible for the fall. and we'll have more on inflation figures in business at 11.16. a ban on the use of young celebrities and sports stars in gambling adverts is to come into force to help protect children. the new rules, which cover social networks and other online platforms, will come into force in april.

zoe kleinman reports. a recent study by the gambling commission found that the number of children classed as having a gambling problem had quadrupled in the last two years. it classed 450,00011 to 16—year—olds as regular betters — more than those who had taken drugs, smoked or drunk alcohol. despite strict rules about how gambling firms can advertise, there are regular examples of those who slip through the net. 13—year—old matthew spent his birthday money on a mystery box game after seeing it promoted by a youtuber. he had hoped to win a computer. i won a key ring and a pot of slime, but it never arrived. under the new standards, gambling operators will have to check that most of the followers of any social media influencers they work with are over 18. sports stars aged under 25 are also banned from appearing, along with certain animated characters from tv and film. the committee of advertising practice say it is online ads that

need this new boost of regulation. this rule has been in place for quite a considerable length of time. the industry is well used to the fact that there's a cut—off point. they shouldn't be using individuals who maybe have youth appeal, a professional footballer who has just sort of burst on the scene. so i think we don't see a massive amount of it. however, where we do, we take action. zoe kleinman, bbc news. you can find help and support on gambling issues on the bbc‘s actionline website. a general strike in belgium has grounded all flights to and from the country s airports for 2h hours. public—sector workers are stopping work in support of pay demands. the strike began at 10pm local time on tuesday evening and will continue to 10pm local time on wednesday. i asked our europe reporter in brussels, gavin lee, what impact these cancellations were having. this is unprecedented for belgium, having this, not just

the airports closed, but having the skies closed, anything under 26,000 feet, so basically, if you've got long haul or aircraft that have an average of 30,000 feet already flying over belgium, that is the air traffic control in maastricht in holland, so that is ok. but anything taking off or landing today is not going to happen. and we are talking about the first time in history it has happened for 2h hours. there was a brief moment back in 2014, when this happened for a couple of hours, but they managed to get things back up and running. so we are talking about brussels airport, 60,000 people who were due to travel today, fly in, fly out. charleroi airport close to brussels, about 20,000 people, even the smaller ones like 0stend and liege as well. behind this, because it is not just about the skies, it is about the public sector workers in general, who for a long time, the three main unions have said that they have had too slow a growth rate when it comes to their wage increases, it is about 0.8% for the next two years in accordance

with their wages. so this is a big target against the belgian government, we are talking planes, trains, big automobiles, so the trains, the rails, down to skeleton services today across belgium, we have got the buses on strike as well, skeleton systems. hospitals, a&es are open, bare minimum staff, you've got even the bin collections that are absolutely stripped down to the minimum at the moment, just cleaning the necessary refuge outside the government buildings, ports, too. eurostar that goes from belgium, france to the uk, are saying that they are not affected to the uk, but anything going from brussels to france, to calais or lille is affected. as i say, this is huge in terms of a shutdown. the australian government says it's re—opening of its controversial christmas island detention centre to cope with a potential rise in people seeking asylum. the announcement came after the government suffered an embarrassing defeat in parliament. mps there passed a landmark bill that allows migrants in offshore camps to receive medical care in australia.

phil mercer sent this report. immigration will be at the heart of australia's next election campaign. it isa australia's next election campaign. it is a decisive issue. the question is resolved. no reeling from a embarrassing defeat in parliament, ministers say a new law for immigrants to be treated in australia would weaken border security and encourage more asylum seekers to come by boat. in anticipation of that, he is reopening a detention centre on a remote australian territory in the indian ocean. we have approved putting in place at the reopening of the christmas island detention facilities and a series of compounds there, both to deal with the

prospect of arrivals as well as dealing with the prospect of transfers. since 2013, canberra has sent migrants intercepted at sea to camps on the tiny republic and another island on papua new guinea. it has insisted they would never be allowed to resettle in australia. critics say the prime minister is spreading deceit and fear, before an election expected in may. they point out that the medical evacuation law applies only to people already detained offshore, meaning any new arrivals wouldn't be eligible for tra nsfer to arrivals wouldn't be eligible for transfer to australia. it is important to note that this legislation is confined to the current cohort of people on the island. it does not provide any kind of attraction to people to leave where they are and to try to make the journey to australia, because they will not be considered as part of this legislation. this is

designed to solve a medical problem with a medical solution. the united nations has said australia's offshore detention policies were inhumane. but canberra has stressed that they prevent people smuggling and save lives at sea. rare footage of one of the world's most trafficked and endangered animals, the giant pangolin, has been captured by scientists from chester zoo. little is known about the way the creatures live in the wild, and they're being pushed to extinction by illegal hunting. helen briggs reports. a rare glimpse of the secret life of the mysterious giant pangolin. baby clings to mum on a ride through the forest, and a grown—up tries to climb a tree. when scientists from chester zoo studied pangolins in the forests of uganda, they were amazed to see what happens after dark. and they say the race is on to protect the most trafficked animal on earth. illegally hunted for their meat and scales, smuggling is on the rise.

there have been tonnes of pangolin scales intercepted recently, including this haul confiscated in uganda. and wildlife experts say we may have lost a million pangolins from the wild in the past ten years alone. pangolins are solitary, nocturnal, they're quite elusive, often found in dense forests and historically we haven't known a huge amount about them. however, what we do know is that they are being traded really heavily, that all its species are vulnerable and threatened with extinction, and if we don't take action soon, that we could lose them. for the giant pangolin of uganda, this is one place they can't be poached. protecting rhinos around—the—clock is keeping these mysterious scaly mammals safe, too. and its opening up a completely new window into their behaviour in the wild. helen briggs, bbc news. a study suggests that women could be put off going for smear tests because of misunderstanding about the human

papilloma virus — hpv. the infection can be passed on during sex and is linked to cancer. the charityjo's cervical cancer trust, asked 2,000 women and found that a lack of knowledge and shame were widespread. a study suggests there is no connection between violence in video games and violence in real life. the research surveyed 1,000 1a and 15—year—olds in the uk and found no link between playing computer games officially rated as violent and aggressive. there are also similar studies which show an opposite correlation. i will be speaking to one of the lead authors of that report a little later on the bbc news channeljust after 1130 am. it is a prime ministers questions later today, with full coverage coming later. more on today s main stories coming up on newsroom live here on the bbc news channel, but now we say goodbye to viewers on bbc two.

the headlines on bbc news: social media companies should be made to take more responsiblity for cracking down on content fuelling knife crime, according to home secretary sajid javid. inflation drops to one point 8%, its lowest level in two years, due mainly to falls in fuel and energy prices. nine out of ten police officers say there aren't enough of them to meet demand, as ministers are warned the public faces "increased risk" due to lack of front line staff. and in sport: a wake up call for 0le gunnar solskjaer as anchester united lose their first match since his apointment as caretaker, losing 2—0 to paris saint germain in the champions league. joe root says england's consolation victory in the final match of their series loss to west indies is massive, the next test they play is their ashes opener in august. and racing resumes today following the six day suspension following the outbreak of equine flu. i'll be back with more on those stories later. with 44 days to go until the uk is due to leave the european union,

businesses are demanding answers on what a no—deal brexit could mean for them. the british chambers of commerce, which represents hundreds of thousands of companies, says 20 key questions remain unresolved. they include how will businesses be able to move skilled staff between the uk and eu after march 29th, and under what conditions? will companies be able to fly people or goods between the uk and the eu or could travel be disrupted? and what trade deals will be in place? the government said it was focused on getting approval for its brexit deal. meanwhile, downing street has refused to comment on reports that the government's chief brexit negotiator was overheard revealing the prime minister's plans in a brussels bar. 0lly robbins is reported by itv news to have said mps will be presented with two options in march; either backing the prime minister's revised brexit deal or face an lengthy extension to article 50 process. 0ur assistant political editor,

norman smith is at westminster. what reaction to that overheard conversation? a lot of people are suspicious about the conversation, fearing that 0llie robbins is maybe set out what is the prime minister's strategy, to run this to the clock and then to face mps with a choice of hurdle and a long delay. before we get to that, we have the vote tomorrow on theresa may's deal, not on the deal itself, but on her approach to it. it had been thought that it wasn't going to be a key series of votes. but there are signs that tory brexiteers are deeply unhappy at the mention of the government has put down for debate. bear with me as i talk you through this, but the government motion basically says that the government should accept the position of the house of commons that opted just one

week or so ago, to send theresa may back to get a better deal on the backstop, but also, remember, mps voted to rule out no deal, and the fear of tory brexiteers is that the government adopts that position, they will take no deal of the table and they are not happy. 0ne they will take no deal of the table and they are not happy. one of then joins me now, the deputy chairman of the erg. you are threatening to make a fight of this. i'm afraid we are, you have explained the emotion very well, but to bullet right down, because it is complex, if we vote for the government's motion, which is not a neutral motion, it is meant to be neutral, that people can hang amendments on, rather like hanging coats on a coat rail, this is not neutral, and if we were to vote for it, it is ruling out no—deal brexit. the prime minister has consistently refused to rule out no deal, rightly, because it would remove most of the negotiating leverage at a critical time in the negotiations.

so we cannot possibly vote for this, and if the government were to vote for this, in effect, and if the government were to vote forthis, in effect, they and if the government were to vote for this, in effect, they are voting against their own policy. but if you don't back it, there is a realistic prospect that theresa may could be defeated on another brexit vote and the impact of that in brussels would be for eu leaders to say, she can't get any support for anything, we will not cut her any deal. we pleaded, and i use the word deliberately, we only saw the emotion light yesterday afternoon, and as soon as we read it, we realise what it meant. we pleaded with the government and with downing street not to table it last night, but instead to have a discussion to try and come up with some alternative wording that everybody could actively support. they spurned that offer. we have offered again today a discussion with downing street to see if there is a way through, but we cannot vote for this as it is currently configured,

because it rules out no deal and removes out because it rules out no deal and removes our negotiating leverage in brussels. the prime minister, if she we nt brussels. the prime minister, if she went through the lobbies for this tomorrow night, would be voting against the guarantee she has given in the commons for months. it is madness. isn't theresa may entitled to conclude, you rallied behind her last week saying she would go back and get concessions on the backstop, it is not really worth very much, because you will stab her in the back at the first chance. we didn't table the motion, the government did. it is meant to be neutral by convention, it wasn't a neutral motion, that wasn't our decision. we pleaded with them to think again, they didn't. there is still time to change it, because we don't vote until tomorrow evening, but we voted to support the brady amendment, the help tory party did, to give negotiating mandate, but part of the mandate is that we don't take no

deal of the table. that is the one thing that worries the eu. so why would you vote to take away your best negotiating card with brussels? it makes no sense. let me suggest that one reason is that if you defeat no, you further weaken her, further endangering the prospects of what you want most, which is leaving the eu on march the 29th. we very much want to leave the eu on the 29th of march, but we have tried to support the prime minister. we didn't table this non—neutral motion, the government did. i say again, we pleaded with them to pause, they went ahead. we have offered to meet them again today to try and find a way through, but we cannot vote to rule out no deal, because it undermines our position in the negotiations. and if the government persists, they will rate mps to go through the lobbies and vote against their own policy. that

is what the emotion means. that is why it is so important. thank you for your time. if you thought of tomorrow was going to be a stroll in the park, think again. there are no strolls in the park on this one, i there? it keeps on going. we have there? it keeps on going. we have the deadline of the 29th of march, though. the government is being warned that the police and the public are being exposed to increased risk, because more front line officers are having to work alone. that's according to a survey of 18,000 officers of all grades, by the police federation of england and wales. the survey found that almost 90% of officers say there are not enough of them to manage the demand faced by their team or units. nearly 80% say they have felt feelings of stress and anxiety at work within the previous 12 months. and there is an increase in lone working — three quarters of officers indicated that they are often or always single—crewed. with me now is our home affairs correspondent, danny shaw. this

correspondent, danny shaw. issue of officers work is this issue of officers working alone is particularly eye—catching, because as far as i know, this never used to happen. how recent is this? it has been something that has happened increasingly, partly because they are always used to having this arrangement to patrol in pairs, or perhaps they were going out in teams. and i think there was a sense some years ago that this, in certain situations, where ridiculous, when they could go out by themselves quite safely. but what appears to have happened is that it has gone up and up, and as we see there, more than three quarters of officers are now patrolling by themselves rather than in pairs or in teams. that is an increase on the last time the survey was done two yea rs last time the survey was done two years ago, and the concern is that some of those situations where they are being sent alone are dangerous, and they are putting police officers at risk and potentially putting the public at risk because they cannot cope with what is in front of them. it all adds to this picture from

this survey by the police federation that officers are overstretched, overworked last year for instance, they took an average of 2.5 days over time every week. one third of them said they couldn't even take all their annual leave that they we re all their annual leave that they were entitled to full stop 57,000 rest days were cancelled by england and wales because they were required to perform their duties. this is a real concern to the police federation, we have been speaking to one of their senior executives. policing, by its very nature, is unpredictable and high pressured. but when you've got less officers to deal with the increasing demands placed on the service, and the exposure to repeated trauma, the problem becomes far worse. and the impact on the mental health and well— being of those officers is impacted significantly. what we are seeing is this pressure cooker environment that is policing now, because of the lack of officers. so that pressure cooker environment,

it obviously boils down ultimately to resources. is there likely to be an increase in resources? the police service has lost 21,000 officers since 2010 in england and wales. there have also been big cuts to police staff and community support officers. the last figures that we saw showed a very slight increase in the number of police officers are now, so the numbers are starting to edge up very slowly. what the home 0ffice edge up very slowly. what the home office is saying that it is fighting the police's corner, it is trying to get more money out of the treasury for the next spending review. it has already said it has a better settle m e nt already said it has a better settlement last year and it says it ta kes settlement last year and it says it takes welfare of officers very seriously, and there may be a new national service dedicated to the well—being of police officers and staff. thank you forjoining us. some breaking news about

investigations in the devon and cornwall where police are to treating the deaths of three men in exeter as suspicious. three men in their 80s were discovered separately and police are now saying they are linking the incidents. the bodies we re linking the incidents. the bodies were found in two properties in exeter this week and one man has been arrested in connection with those incidents. so the separate incidents, the first was on monday at around 3pm, police called to an address in exeter after the body of address in exeter after the body of a man was discovered. the man aged 80 was dead at the scene. enquiries remain on going to inform his next of kin, police are saying. then, at 1pm yesterday, police were called to a property after the bodies of two men aged 84 were found there, they we re men aged 84 were found there, they were both again confirmed dead at the scene and their next of kin have

been informed. yesterday, police arrested 27—year—old man on suspicion of murder and he is in police custody, so this is an investigation which we are just hearing has linked to those three different deaths. 0ne hearing has linked to those three different deaths. one man who is 80, two men aged 84, 27—year—old man in custody. we will have the latest shortly. treasure hunters in britain are finding more historic and significant artefacts than ever before. however, many don't end up in museums because of old and confusing definitions of what actually counts as treasure. but now new proposals are being put forward, in an effort to keep important finds on public display, rather than being sold to private collectors. john maguire has been taking a look. scouring a field in pembrokeshire, it's as if mike smith has a sixth sense thanks to his sophisticated metal detector. basically it will give you a bad, a low, deep grunt if it's rubbish, so you don't dig it. if it's anything of interest, it will give you a nice tone. mike has been out most days since he was a young boy.

have you seen on the horses, the old cart horses, where they had the lead peace over the eye? yes. that's what you've got here. interesting, but worthless. last year, he made the discovery of a lifetime — many lifetimes, in fact — finding items that are more than 2,000 years old. they're decorations from the chariot of what is believed to be a celtic king. the items have been declared as treasure by the coroner and are now crown property. they could be worth a fortune. there is no two ways around it, you know? it's going to be a life—changing amount. it's a vindication proving that 42 years, i wasn't wasting my time. i've had farmers around that i've asked to go on their land and they've said, "there's no roman or celtic activity here, mike, why are you wasting your time?" i knew it was here, ijust had to find it. further digs at the site, which is now protected by law, may reveal more artefacts, a find of national and international significance that's destined to remain in wales and on public display.

but that's not always the case. this roman helmet found by a metal detectorist in cumbria was made of copper, not a precious metal, so not declared as treasure but which then sold to a private buyerfor £2.3 million. at the british museum, a team of experts controls the process of evaluating these historic discoveries. these roman coins here have none, or very, very little precious metal in them at all. someone discovers fewer than 10 of these coins, they have no obligation to report them under law, but if they find 10 or more, than they do have to report them as treasure. there were almost 1,300 treasure finds in 2017, a record number, and the government's concerned about what happens to valuable items. so it's proposing changes in the law that include anything found and worth more than £10,000 will be officially protected by treasure status regardless of the metal it's made from.

if we think about the value of something, there have been some finds which we would have loved to see go in museums. we think the public would have benefited from being able to see these and study them but they've escaped outside of the system, they've gone to private collectors and maybe thinking about the value of them is a way to do that. back in pembrokeshire, mike smith tells me he supports the proposed changes, so once an item of historical and financial value is found, it will no longer be lost to the nation. john maguire, bbc news, pembrokeshire. now it's time for a look at the weather with phil avery. weather to treasure across jersey just at the moment, captured by a weather watcher. it is a little bit slow to get going across northern parts of britain. this was the scene

earlier near ballymena, and it is generally cloudier, but still mild wherever you are spending the day, thanks to the south—westerly breeze. 0vernight rain leaving towards the far north—east of scotland. it has been the north—east of scotland seen the best of the sunshine it through the best of the sunshine it through the afternoon. further south, the best across eastern wales, the midlands and southern england. quite a breezy day, but the breeze is coming in from the south and south—west, which is boosting the temperatures well above the normal. some will see 13 celsius today. through the evening and overnight, the cloud will thicken across the north west, a frontal work in from the atlantic. further south, these quys the atlantic. further south, these guys will stay much clearer. could bea guys will stay much clearer. could be a touch of frost as one or two spots go sub zero in the south, nothing like it further north. hello this is bbc newsroom live. the headlines: social media companies should be made to take more responsiblity

for cracking down on content fuelling knife crime, the home secretary tells the bbc: we don't have the legislation for it. i have the legislation for tariffs content, i have it for illegal child sexual abuse imagery, but we don't have that legislation today for that kind of content. a man has been arrested on suspicion of murder in the connection of the death of men in extra. —— exeter. inflation drops to 1.8% — its lowest level in two yea rs— due mainly to falls in fuel and energy prices. nine out of ten police officers say there aren't enough of them to meet demand, as ministers are warned the public faces "increased risk" due to lack of frontline staff. sport now, here'sjohn watson. good morning. it's been a dream start for 0le gunnar solskjaer

at manchester united, but last night's defeat to paris saint germain a wake up call. he said the french side were a step up to the sides he's faced since taking over as caretaker. they lost 2—0 to the french champions. his first defeat in 12 matches, kim—pembay with the first, and kylian mbappe with the second. to make things worse, paul pogba was sent off late on. disappointed of course because i thought he was our best player, he had three players around him are the time and he was still out on top so thatis time and he was still out on top so that is a big blow because he has been fantastic for us. jadon sancho has been labelled the best young player in german football heading into borussia dortmun's tie with tottenham tonight. steffen freund who played for both clubs belives he's the biggest talent playing there, since his move from city, he's earned an england call up.

and his team mates are aware of his growing reputation. i feel a ifeel a bit i feel a bit responsible or responsibility for keeping underground because i know now we are here in england and world famous for hating your young players so we try to keep it underground because no doubt he has a big future in front of him —— you are world famous for hyping your young players. paul scholes made a winning start to his managerial career since his appointment at 0ldham this week. he watched the club he supported as a boy beat relegation threatened yeovil in his first match in charge, 4—1 the score. he said afterwards tougher tests lie ahead. test places in england's top order remain up for grabs according to alistair cook after a disappointing series defeat ended with a consolation victory over west indies. england dominated the final test in st lucia, jimmy anderson got things going— with some help from moeen ali, and ben stokes finished it off

with more than a day to go to win by 232 runs. the next test series england play is the ashes. they have absolutely nailed their places, there have been glimpses. roy burns has shown signs of looking mentally capable, i think he would have found it incredibly tough from the setup from county cricket after doing such a long stint county cricket and then joe got doing such a long stint county cricket and thenjoe got 69, i thought he would kicking himself because he was probably 10—20 minutes from hundreds from the way the game was panning out. i think there have been glimpses of encouragement but there is always going to be places up for grabs.

meanwhile the west indies bowler shannon gabriel has been charged with personal abuse of a player by the cricket authorities. it's after an incident which led to the england captainjoe root telling gabriel he shouldn't use being gay as an insult. it's not known what gabriel said but root was recorded on the stump mic telling gabriel that ‘there was nothing wrong with being gay‘. i think it sums up how far sport has moved but i think it shows him showing real characteristics of leadership, being a role model in that scenario for standing up for what he believes in. we do not know what he believes in. we do not know what gabriel said but i think from joe root‘s perspective, he is shown ina joe root‘s perspective, he is shown in a positive light. that's all the sport for now. you can find more on all those stories on the bbc sport website. including the resumption of racing

following the equine flu outbreak after six days. more now on the british chambers of commerce accusing the government of leaving businesses ‘hung out to dry‘ in the event of a no—deal brexit. the organisation, which represents hundreds of thousands of companies, says 20 key questions remained unanswered. these include whether businesses will be able to move skilled staff between the uk and the european union after 29th march, and what trade deals will be in place. let's speak now to the chair of the pro—brexit campaign group, leave means leave and former director—general of the british chambers of commerce, john longworth. he's in our central london studio. thank you forjoining us. 44 days away, we really don't know what is going to happen. how can businesses possibly prepare effectively without effectively wasting lots of money on outcomes that may not happen?” effectively wasting lots of money on outcomes that may not happen? i have sympathy with businesses, i have

much less sympathy with the trade associations like the cbi and so on. the businesses should have had better and clearer communication from the government but the government have deliberately spun things out and actually organised negotiation with the european union that suited them. the government wa nted that suited them. the government wanted to maintain a close and special relationship so right from the foreign speech on ways and staying in the customs union. i have no sympathy for the trade associations because they are the architects of the problem. there was architects of the problem. there was a trade associations that only represent collectively one in six businesses in the uk press and lobbied the government to do exactly that, to stay as close to the eu as possible and never mind the democratic will of the people. they produced the situation they are complaining about. hang on, they are

busily made that decision on the basis of their fears about what would happen to business in the event of a no—deal brexit and they seem event of a no—deal brexit and they seem to be borne out by the research and predictions for forward seem to be borne out by the research and predictions forforward by many different organisations, ranging from the world trade organisation to the bank of england, why were they wrong to fight with that? the assertion is those fears were borne out but they have not been borne out at all. sorry, we don't know what is going to happen but in terms of the forecasting it is pretty universal to indicate that a no—deal brexit is going to have a serious impact on the economy and gdp. it is not universal because other organisations and economists are saying different but it has not been reported. if you look at the con this year referred to in the kit what happened during the referendum campaign, the same organisations said the uk economy would go into recession and the whole brexit boat

would be a disasterfor the recession and the whole brexit boat would be a disaster for the economy. none of that has happened. we have the highest employment levels in history and the uk has grown consistently since the referendum result and is growing faster than the other three of the big economies in europe. in fact germany is about to go into recession so actually that universal forecast you refer to what completely wrong. they will be com pletely what completely wrong. they will be completely wrong again. we are heading potentially to the unknown and you cannot assert that is definitely the case. we don't know they will be wrong. the history tells us they have been wrong in the past, that is all i am saying. what iam also past, that is all i am saying. what i am also saying is that the majority of trade in the world takes place on world trade organisation terms which is what we would go to on the 29th of march if we leave without a trade deal. most of the other things on the btc list have

already been agreed under the withdrawal agreement so those withdrawal agreement so those withdrawal over with an agreement between the eu and the uk so we are only talking about trade. 0nly between the eu and the uk so we are only talking about trade. only 8% of businesses in the uk export to europe, 8%. 92% do not and 90% of our economy is service and there is no single market in services in the eu anyway so that will continue as it is at the moment. click start on those comments apparently overheard from all the robins, the chief negotiator, indicating a no—deal brexit is not going to happen and there will be a lengthy period of delay. what is your reaction? i'm surprised about all the robin's comments. i have a sense of both him and the prime minister i tedious remainers. they do not have the wool pulled over their eyes. —— they are

devious remainers. they have couuded devious remainers. they have colluded to be in the position we are in at the moment. i hope the parliament rejects may‘s deal and every do not get a good deal from the eu we should leave on world trade organisation terms and look forward to a bright and prosperous future. let's return to police shortages now, after a survey found that nearly 90% of officers say they are under—staffed. the survey, of 18 thousand officers of all grades, was carried out by the police federation of england and wales. the federation is warning that the police and the public are being exposed to increased risk, because more front line officers are having to work alone. let's get more on this now from david jamieson, who is labour's police and crime commissioner for the west midlands. hejoins me from birmingham. are you concerned about the number of police officers who are working

on their own? this is a concern i've been taking to government but other yea rs been taking to government but other years now. we have lost a quarter of our police officers in the west redlands. that is about 2000 officers and because we have rising crime that is putting pressure on every single officer to do more and very often in situations where they are working alone rather than with colleagues. i have been saying to government the way they are cutting money especially invoices like mine, is presenting serious problem for peoples security and safety. the a nswer peoples security and safety. the answer would presumably be more resources . answer would presumably be more resources. the arguments around the reduction in resources to the police has been fought over and argued for some time, it is unlikely they are going to be forthcoming, is it? those arguments prevail. it is still true today unfortunately. the home secretary this week and i had a

discussion about the hands of spending review which determines the funding we get and he gave some indication that we need to put more resources in the area where crime is the highest, west midlands, london and the other big urban areas. at the moment it is leafy areas that are doing better than some of the really challenging areas in this country. we have got to put the resource where the crime is taking place. the home office has given us a statement and it says it takes the well—being of police officers and staff very seriously and wants to ensure forces have been necessary resources . the policing minister, nick hurd, added that a new front line review has been launched to listen to the concerns from the police forces, and that 7—and—a—half million pounds has been invested in a new national police wellbeing service. does that go some way to your concerns? that is a good thing and there is no problem with that. the chief constable and a senior staff work hard at the welfare of officers

but in the end, we are putting a sticking plaster on the problem. the problem is these officers are very stretched and dealing with more crime and we just do not have the resources . crime and we just do not have the resources. i am not calling nationally for more resourcing into policing but i am saying it should be diverted into areas where the problems are the greatest and where we have the greatest problems of crime, tickly violent crime. —— mike specially violent crime. there is no connection between violence in video games and violence in real life. that's the suggestion from a new study which surveyed 1,00014 and 15—year—olds in the uk who said they played video games such as ‘fortnite' and ‘grand theft auto' — it found no link between playing such games and aggressiveness. the study follows similar research conducted in 2014 that connected an increase in video game sales with reduced violent crime. let's cross over to oxford where we can speak to professor andrew przybylski — an experimental psychologist who conducted the study.

i hope i said your name right but thank you forjoining us. tell us more about the findings of your survey will stop we tried to put the nail in the coffin one way or the other to understand whether or not pa rents other to understand whether or not pa re nts ca n other to understand whether or not parents can actually identify changes in violent behaviour or aggressive behaviour in young people asa aggressive behaviour in young people as a function of violent video game play. so you are looking at 14 and 15 yea rs so you are looking at 14 and 15 years old, that is quite young to say it does not lead to increased violence over all? is there essentially a haemolytic effect that may have been overlooked by the survey? there might be but we really looked at the last month in a young person's life so half of the teenage girls and two thirds of the teenage boys had played violent games recently but we were not able to

find that parents take up on it so we use objective game ratings and an open science approaches everyone can check our work, and this is the approach we need to have when we are asking short—term questions or longer term once scientifically. there has been research looking at the brain of people who play fortnite and other addictive games, that the mri scans taken in the studies would indicate that the impact of playing those games have a similar effect on children's brain asjug of similar effect on children's brain as jug of these or alcoholism. there was one case reported where a nine—year—old wet herself rather than stop playing fortnite. if it is changing the brain and you can see that on the mri, why would that not indicate there would be long—term ramifications that were not picked up ramifications that were not picked up on your study? a lot of that research is very poorly done. it is

attractive work because it grabs headlines and clicks. people can be forgiven for thinking there is solid science there. believe it or not the idea that video games can cause children to wet themselves is quite an old one. there was a case of that in the 90s and all you have to do is teach kids to pass the games. in the 90s and all you have to do is teach kids to pass the gamesm in the 90s and all you have to do is teach kids to pass the games. it is baffling for parents, when you hear there is an mri scan done on someone's brain he was been playing those games and it shows the brain has been changed, why would you not ta ke has been changed, why would you not take that at face value? media hype distorts relatively small—scale studies that claim big impressive sounding results, so i think the key thing to understand is that not all studies are created equal and just because there is a correlation between one part of the brain looking like it lights up and something someone fills up in a

survey, does not mean there is something we need to be worried about. before i let you go, i do not know whether you are a father. about. before i let you go, i do not know whether you are a fatherlj about. before i let you go, i do not know whether you are a father. i am. 0k, what do you do with your kids? what would you say to someone at home? i am a father and i do play games with my kids, i am still better with them thankfully. most important thing is to remember there is nothing magical or special about games that make them different from other parts of parenting and childhood. as long as you don't treat them like a black box and you are actively involved, if there are problems arising you will have an idea of where they are coming from any better handle on how to deal with it. a lot of this is parents are not playing these games with their kids. i do not think it is a special part of childhood. if you told me children were playing alone on trampolines or riding their bikes

into dangerous neighbourhoods, i would say active involvement is the way to go. thank you forjoining us. iam sure way to go. thank you forjoining us. i am sure you will get to the point where the kids are frustrated you are still beating them. one would help. —— hope. in a moment we'll have all the business news, but first the headlines on bbc news... a man has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the deaths of three men in their 80s in exeter, whose bodies were found in two properties earlier this week. social media companies should be made to take more responsiblity for cracking down on content fuelling knife crime, according to home secretary sajid javid. inflation drops to 1.8% — its lowest level in two yea rs— due mainly to falls in fuel and energy prices. i'm ben thompson in the business news. uk inflation fell to 1.8% injanuary, the lowest level in two years according to the office for national statistics. it's also now below the bank of england's 2% target and has fallen from the five—year peak of 3.1% in november 2017

in the wake of the brexit vote. a fall in electricity, gas and other fuel prices was behind the fall in the headline rate. uk firms have accused the government of leaving them "hung out to dry" in the event of a no—deal brexit. with less than 50 days until the end of march when the uk is due to leave the eu, the british chambers of commerce says 20 key questions remain unresolved. all flights to and from belgium have been cancelled due to a 24 hour strike by the country's main transport unions. air traffic control says they are unsure about adequate staffing levels. the strike over wages, benefits and pensions, will also affect trains, buses and ports. let's return now to that top story — the rate of inflation — that measures how quickly prices are rising, has fallen to 1.8%. that has slowed.

it means prices are still rising, but they're going up less quickly. it follows falls in the price of electricity, gas and other fuels and it means that our pay is now going rising — on average — more quickly than prices, and it should mean we feel a bit better off. the rate is now below the bank of england's 2% target. joining us now is victoria clarke, economist, at investec. let us pick up on that 2% figure because we have had that elusive target set by the bank of england and we have been above it for quite and we have been above it for quite a long time. we are below it now, will it stay that way? perhaps for a couple more months but we havejust had a load of energy price increases announced by first lady of firstly by ogem. by april it will probably be pushing back by that mark,

perhaps temporarily because for the moment there does not seem to be a lot of upwards inflation pressures. so much of what we are discussing is temporary in the sense that many other things that could weigh on this, not least brexit and i'm sort of relu cta nt this, not least brexit and i'm sort of reluctant to talk about it again but that uncertainty means we could end up with imported inflation because prices could go up for things outside of our control. clearly sterling is going to be a majorfactor and drive clearly sterling is going to be a major factor and drive for where inflation heads over the next couple of years and potentially beyond that. the weakness we saw in stirling over the last couple of months will read through to inflation down the line and if we see a bigger move around the march backed the date that is going to be a big driver. disruption around brexit for businesses and importers.

there is a lot of voices are swirling around which makes it very difficult to see a clear path forward. for a long time we have talked about wages not keeping up rising prices and we are not getting a raise is but everything we buy is going up in price. that has changed now and it should be a bit more money in our pockets, shouldn't it? for household at the moment things should be a bit better. we have got more pay growth and the labour market is looking very good, it is looking strong. however, the latest economic figures we have, the gdp numbers suggest that the economy is ina numbers suggest that the economy is in a software patch and economic momentum has slowed so further down the line that continues we could see a weakening in the labour market and that may put some downward pressure on the employment and it might lead to more downward pressure on pay growth. it feels better for now but

there are a lot of forces around and how the economy performs is in a listing that is clearly tied to the brexit outcome in a month or so time. thank you. in other news.... japan's toshiba has slashed its profit forecasts for the full—year by two—thirds to around $180 million. the cut is partly due to the writing down in value of a subsidiary, but also higher costs at a japanese power project. the firm has been cutting costs, including last year winding up its nuclear power business in the uk. intercontinental hotels — the owner of holiday inn and crowne plaza — has bought six senses hotels and spas, for $300 million. the firm has 16 hotels and resorts, including properties in the maldives, seychelles and 0man. ihg, which has been hit by competition from online rental services like airbnb, is trying to fight back with more luxury hotels and resorts. the lawyer defending former nissan chairman carlos ghosn over charges

of aggravated breach of trust and understating his salary has quit. the former prosecutor notified the tokyo district court that he was no longer representing mr ghosn. no reason has been given for the resignation. japan's sankei newspaper says mr ghosn has hired hotshot lawyerjunichiro hironaka as his replacement. let me show you the market because there is a lot moving them given the uncertainty. the ftse 100 there is a lot moving them given the uncertainty. the ftse100 given the inflation figure is falling below that 2% target, the bank of england target for inflation means we might have a bit more money in our pockets and that is good news for the businesses. interaccount is up one and a quarter percent. that's all the business news. in a moment, it'll be time for prime minister's questions... let's cross to

westminster and speak to our assistant political editor, norman smith. you have 30 seconds.” you have 30 seconds. i am going to be looking at the mood between theresa may and jeremy corbyn to see whether there is any chance of getting these cross—party talks up and running because yesterday when mrs may made a statement yesterday they were going hammer and tongs at each other when mr corbyn said mrs may has not moved one iota. it is not a great prospect for wanting to kick—start party talks. we know the brexit secretary is being met today. i'm going to be watching for any warming in relations between mrs may and jeremy corbyn. now it's time for a look at the weather. speaking of warming i am bringing

you good news on the weather front. the rest of the week is very mild for this time of year and a lot of dry weather too. for that we are blessed with an area of high pressure over the continent, we are on the western flank and the air is coming from north africa towards us. some of that track is overwater so not a great surprise if i tell you thatis not a great surprise if i tell you that is what has generated all the cloud that many of you have seen across the top two thirds of the british isles. things are coming nicely across the midlands. after a dull and wet start after the north—east of scotland, you will see some glorious weather when the sunshine breaking through. quite busy across many areas, especially northern and western parts but direction is key. all of us in double figures and you don't expect to see that at this time of year and some of you are going to see 13,

possibly 14 degrees. through the evening and overnight we are going to bring this cloud and rain with another weather front across the north west of mainland scotland and elsewhere. we will end up with a touch of frost. some rain is going touch of frost. some rain is going to get minus two in the south. but once the sun is up and they will be more sunshine for many more of you through thursday, we have a flow of high pressure which a push that weather front away from the northern and western isles in the north of mainland scotland and they should be a good deal of sunshine, notjust across the south but i think the north of england, eastern scotland will see more sunshine than we get today and those temperatures respond very nicely indeed. that is one of the themes as i take you through the rest of the week and into the weekend. although there are subtle variations of the theme, the high pressure easing to the east, eventually and it will take quite a while, we will see this weather

front impinge on the western side of scotla nd front impinge on the western side of scotland through northern ireland. cloud things up through the afternoon and then possibly some rain. but with the eastern parts of scotland, the greater part of england and wales, it is not quite a scorcher but 13 or 14, some rain might get up to 15 degrees or so so thatis might get up to 15 degrees or so so that is pretty spectacular for this time of year. more detail on our website. you re watching bbc newsroom live — these are today s main stories: a man has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the deaths of three men

in their 80s in exeter. social media companies should be made to take more responsiblity for cracking down on content fuelling knife crime, according to home secretary sajid javid. inflation drops to one point 8%, its lowest level in two years, due mainly to falls in fuel and energy prices. a new threat to the prime minister's brexit plan, as brexiteers warn they may vote against her tomorrow in the house of commons. and here's the scene live in the house of commons where theresa may is due to start prime minister's questions shortly. we can speak to our assistant political editor norman smith. we are waiting for prime minister's

questions to begin. you have a little bit longer now, norman. i am going to go out on a limb and say that maybe, mr corbin won't go on brexit this week, because he has done it for successive weeks. he had agoat done it for successive weeks. he had a go at it yesterday, when theresa may did her back that statement. so maybe he will do something different, but perhaps, he could go on and provide's admission that the introduction of universal credit had led to an increase in people using food banks. it is an issue that jeremy corbyn is more comfortable with, sometimes he can get a bit bogged down on the technicalities of brexit, the austerity narrative is one. iam brexit, the austerity narrative is one. i am wondering whether there might bea one. i am wondering whether there might be a change of tack and he might be a change of tack and he might doa might be a change of tack and he might do a non—brexit approach today. all of which said, there will still be plenty of brexit, because theresa may's own mps will be watching very closely for any clarity on some of the latest issues

to emerge in the last 2041 was. namely 0lly robbins, suggesting theresa may was going to run the clock to the end of the time, and then suggest to mps that there is either her deal or staying in the eu with an extension. now, tory mp is a pay with an extension. now, tory mp is a pay " with an extension. now, tory mp is a pay —— mike tory mps appear to be on the warpath, because they are not happy that tomorrow's vote will also include an acknowledgement that mps last week voted to re—elect no deal. they are threatening not to back theresa may, which would mean she could go down to defeat. that matters not just because could go down to defeat. that matters notjust because of the symbolism of no's suffering another brexit defeat, but it would bring to the end the honeymoon between tory brexiteers and theresa may, which she managed to pull together after she managed to pull together after she said she will go back to brussels to get a better deal on the backstop. the other thing is if you

are an eu person looking in and see theresa may being defeated again, you will probably be less likely to give her any concessions, because you will think that she cannot command any sort of majority in the house of commons. so why on earth would i cut her a deal? brexit will certainly come up, but not perhaps from thatjeremy corbyn. certainly come up, but not perhaps from that jeremy corbyn. whatever they brexiteers do in the vote tomorrow, is there anything that can stop... the government has said my deal or a long extension period is not their official policy, but if it is, indicated by this overhead conversation, is there anything that can stop that happening? there is, yes, if parliament votes for it. that is still an almighty if. the first opportunity mps have to put the brakes on it will come tomorrow, because labour have emotion down to do that. let's pack that and go to the commons, because i think theresa may is about to move into blastoff

mode. later today the house will have the opportunity to pay tribute to the clerk of the house, and may i take this opportunity to add my own. sir david has served the house for over 40 yea rs david has served the house for over 40 years with dedication and tireless devotion. his support and advice on parliamentary procedure and business has been invaluable and i know members from all sides of the house will want to join me in thanking him for his service and wishing him the best for the future. mr speaker, this morning i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others and in addition to my duties in this house i will have further such meetings later today. may i also pay tribute to the work of the clerk of the house. in january, a mother of a three—year—old girl was convicted of female genital mutilation, our first fgm conviction, betty chilling reminder that girls are being cut,

not just reminder that girls are being cut, notjust in africa and around the world, but also here in the uk. well my right honourable friend the prime minister make government time to progress my honourable friend for richmond's bill to protect more girls from this abhorrent practice? my girls from this abhorrent practice? my honourable friend is absolutely right to raise the issue of this apparent practice, to recognise the importance of that first prosecution that took place on female genital mutilation here in the uk and it's only right that we find time for this bill and the government will provide time to deliver it. we have strengthened the law on fgm, leading to the first conviction and we are helping communities around the world to end this appalling crime, but it is important that we give time to this bill and act further to ensure we end what is an absolutely apparent rhyme that scars young girls for the rest of their lives,

both physically and mentally —— abhorrent crime. i am sure the prime minister and the whole house will join me in sending our deepest sympathies to the friends and families of the cadet who died at sandhurst last week. i am sure the mod is supporting the family and fellow cadets at a difficult time, but i also hope they will be reviewing the mental health support they give to all members of the armed forces at all times. we also mourn the loss of gordon banks and send our condolences to his friends and family and the entire football community. he was one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, 73 caps for england, including playing in every single game during the victorious 1966 in every single game during the victorious1966 world cup campaign which i remember with joy. victorious1966 world cup campaign which i remember withjoy. mr speaker, i also want to thank sir david nathalie for his work as clerk to the house and wish him well for his retirement. he's been here even longer than i have and has always been a source of advice to all

members, irrespective of their party, and i always admired his dry wit and humour while describing is the proceedings of the house. i think we owe him a big debt of gratitude. mr speaker, the government handling of brexit has been costly, shambolic and deliberately evasive. nothing symbolises that more than the fiasco of seaborne freight. a company with no ships or trading history and on the 8th of january the transport secretary told the house that we are confident the firm will deliver the service. what went wrong? first of all cani service. what went wrong? first of all can ijoin the right honourable gentleman in the remarks he made about the cadet at sandhurst and he referenced the issue of mental health. this is an important issue overall but obviously in the armed forces as well and i would like to pay tribute to the work of my

honourable friend for the work he has done in relation to mental health in the armed forces. i would also like to send my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of gordon banks. like the right honourable gentleman, i am old enough to remember the 1966 world cup. let's be honest, in this house, i think that's important, but from being part of that team to something else that people remember, the astonishing save from pele in 1970, he was regarded as one of the worlds greatest goalkeepers and i know he did a lot of community work in his area andi did a lot of community work in his area and i know members from all sides of the house would like to pay tribute to him. as resides as regards the freight capacity, the government let out three contracts, 90% was sent to brittany ferries and those contracts remain in place in that capacity has been obtained. and due diligence was carried out on all

of these contracts, and as the secretary of state for transport made clear in this house earlier this week, we will continue to ensure that we provide that capacity, which is important in a no deal situation and we will ensure the capacity is there. the transport secretary told the house that this decision to award a contract to seaborne freight had a no cost to the taxpayer. this week, the national audit office found that £800,000 had been spent on external co nsulta nts £800,000 had been spent on external consultants to assess the bid. will the prime minister use this opportunity to correct the record?” have to say to the right honourable gentleman that he is a bit late to the party on this because i was asked this question yesterday in the statement, i think from the snp benches, so labour are following the snp. whatever next? of course, as i

just said, when these contracts were all let, proper due diligence was carried out. that included third—party assessment of the companies that were bidding for the contract. there would have been a cost attached to the process regardless of who the contracts were entered into with. i'm really impressed that the prime minister can keep a straight face while she said due diligence was carried out. the transport secretary said it —— its business and operational plans we re its business and operational plans were assessed by external advisers. 0n the basis of that advice to his own apartment, seaborne freight was a start—up company with no ships and the contract was high—risk, was what he was told, so why then, if he was told it was high risk did he proceed with the contract? what the right

honourable gentleman seems to be suggesting is that the government should never look at start—up companies, never look at the opportunities for new companies to be undertaking these deals, and it is entirely right that the government has ensured that the majority of these contracts went to established companies and i think it's entirely right that company of which due diligence had been carried out. it's no good saying it wasn't, because it was. and we will ensure that the ferry capacity is there. what we are doing, of course, in these contracts is ensuring that we are able to deal with the situation we re we are able to deal with the situation were we to enter into a no deal. the right honourable gentleman has said in the past that he did not want any money spent on no deal preparations. he also said in the past that he does not want us to go into a no deal situation. that is fine, but if he doesn't want us to be in a no deal situation he will have to vote for the deal. it appears that we

have to be fair to those advisers because they were instructed to restrict their due diligence to the face value of the presentation put to them by seaborne freight, the company that had no trading history, and look into the directors of seaborne freight, some of whom would not have passed a due diligence test. however, the transport secretary told the house that this procurement was done properly, in a way that conforms with government rules. but, what a freedom of information request reveals, is that the secretary of state bypassed those rules as the procurement assurance board, a senior panel of experts and lawyers, were denied the chance to scrutinise the deal. so what action is the prime minister going to take over what appears to bea going to take over what appears to be a very clear breach of those rules ? be a very clear breach of those rules? the contract was awarded

following a technical and financial assurance in line with the companies status as a new entry to the market, carried out not only by senior dft officials but by third party organisations with experience and expertise in this area. that includes deloitte and slaughter and may. it was designed in recognition of the risks posed. no money was paid to the contractor. no money would be paid until services were delivered, and therefore, no money has been paid to that contractor. and i say to the right honourable gentleman, he has stood here, time and time again, and said, actually, we should not be doing anything to prepare for no deal. it is entirely right and proper that this government is taking the action necessary to ensure, and it's not our policy to have a no deal, it is our policy to have a no deal, it is our policy to get a deal, but should

we be in the no deal situation we need to ensure we have the capacity we need and that is exactly what we are doing. could i bring the prime minister back to the question of seaborne freight? eurotunnel has called this very contract procurement secretive and flawed as an exercise, and taxpayers now face an exercise, and taxpayers now face a legal bill of nearly £1 million contesting that. the money goes up and up. the secretary of state's decision to award the contract has increased the budget deficit of alnwick council, the owners of ramsgate port by nearly £2 million —— thanet council. when questioned on this, the transport secretary refused to give a guarantee. can the prime minister today give a cast—iron commitment to the people of thanet and confirmed they will not be picking up the bill for this

failure of this contract? can i say to the right honourable gentleman that the department for transport and other parts of government are in discussion with thanet council about theissue discussion with thanet council about the issue of the contract and the impact of this contract. but can i also just impact of this contract. but can i alsojust again remind impact of this contract. but can i also just again remind the impact of this contract. but can i alsojust again remind the right honourable gentleman of why it is that the department for transport has taken these actions in relation to ferry capacity. it is in order to be able to ensure in a no deal situation that we are able to guarantee that medicines will be brought into this country, primarily, as we are prioritising medicines being brought in. that was a question i seem to remember being asked on more than one occasion yesterday by members of the snp who had an interest in that. the right honourable gentleman doesn't seem to be interested in ensuring that we can ina be interested in ensuring that we can in a no deal situation provide the medicines that people in this country need. that's what we are doing. that's the sensible approach ofa doing. that's the sensible approach of a government taking this matter seriously. maybe the prime minister should

follow the advice of the house and techno deal off the table and negotiate seriously with the european union. it cannot be right that a ha rd—pressed european union. it cannot be right that a hard—pressed local council local taxpayers are footing the bill for the incompetence of the secretary of state for transport and this government. the spectacular failure of this contract is a symptom of the utter shambles of this government and its no deal preparations. the transport secretary ignored warnings about drones and airport security, gave a 1.4 billion contract to carillion despite warnings over their finances, he oversaw the disastrous new rail timetables last year, rail punctuality at a 13 year low and fires at a record high. that is some achievement. and now the transport secretary in charge of a major and vital aspect of brexit planning. how on earth can be prime minister say

that she has confidence in the transport secretary? let me tell right honourable gentleman what the transport secretary is delivering. the biggest rail investment programme since the victorian era. spending nearly 48 billion on improving our railways to deliver better journeys. 20% higher on average every year than under a labour government. that's what the transport secretary is delivering, commitment to transport in this country and commitment to transport across the whole of this country. but i notice that he right honourable gentleman wanted to focus his questions in that way rather than asking more general questions relating to brexit, because of course there are still a number of issues on brexit... where we don't know his answers to the big questions. we don't know if he'd...

it is no good labour members burying their heads in their hands, we don't know whether their leader backs a second referendum, whether he backs a deal, whether he backs brexit. he prefers ambiguity and playing politics to acting in the national interest. people used to say he was a conviction politician, not any more. thank you. on friday i visited tiverton high school, a great local school rated good by 0fsted, but it is facing many challenges, buildings old and stressful stop not enough capacity to all children to attend because of a growing town and a great time because poverty is higher than both the county and england

national average. the school buildings are located in a flood zone that means that when the banks burst there is significant risk to life. that means we really do need a new school, the site planning commission and the county council has completed a plan. will my right honourable friend the prime minister facilitate meetings between may, the schools minister is so that we come together to give her a new school that tiverton deserves? can i think my honourable friend for raising this issue with me. 0bviously my honourable friend for raising this issue with me. obviously the quality of school buildings is an important issue in our education system and that is why we are putting more money into it and we are investing 23 billion on school buildings through to 2021. he is right a specific issue of tiverton high school and i will make sure that the most from the department for education will be happy to meet him and with the head teacher and the council if that is appropriate to discuss this issue. mr ian blackford. thank you mr speaker. can

i congratulate so many of my collea g u es i congratulate so many of my colleagues for supporting with a mark of solidarity those from catalonia, supporting self—determination. will the prime minister ruled out bringing the meaningful vote to this house less than two weeks before the 29th of march? i think he was present yesterday when i made my statement to the house and he heard the process we will be following and of course it is a debate that is taking place tomorrow and then we have made clear that we would bring back if the meaningful vote hasn't been brought back and passed by this house, make a statement on the 26th of february and the debate on an amendable motion on the 27th.” of february and the debate on an amendable motion on the 27th. i am afraid that was no answer from the prime minister that continues to run the clock down. this is the height of arrogance from a government set on running the clock down. just 44

days from a no deal scenario, the prime minister is hamstrung by her own party and rejected by european leaders. the prime minister must stop playing fast and loose. businesses are begging for certainty. the economy is already suffering. prime minister, you have come to the end of the road, rumbled by your own loose lipped senior brexit adviser. will the prime minister now face down the extremists in her own party and extend article 50? can i say to the right honourable gentleman he talks about certainty for business, he can give business certainty by voting for the deal, that is what gives business certainty. he complains about no deal, but of course it was the snp who wanted to leave the uk without a plan and... and perhaps...

perhaps we should remind the snp that independence would have meant leaving the eu with no deal? nigel evans! i will be chairing a delegated legislation while the tributes, so come out publicly wish him well on his retirement and fired him well on his retirement and fired him for all the support he gave to me when i was deputy speaker, —— thank him. slow burn health centre, servicing 1000 people in the village and surrounding rural areas, it is well used and well loved by an ageing population with no bus service and the contract is set for renewal and people fear the salami slicing of services so will the prime minister publicly give her support to health services like slow burn today and to say that either reduction of services or indeed even worse closure would be totally unacceptable? can i say to my right

honourable friend, i am aware of the issues, with the country practice and of course we are aware of pressures facing gps and that is why there will be a major new investment in driving community health care this is an important element of our national health service and that has been set out in the long term plan. in the event of practice closure at nhs england does is assesses the need for a replacement provider before dispersing the list of patients who are on that gp surgery. i understand in relation to slaidburn health centre the discussions are ongoing in relation to the future of the practice and the local ccg are currently exploring options i'm sure the prime minister welcomes the news instagram has pledged to crack down on images of suicide and self—harm. however there are growing online communities which glamorise, encourage and normalise eating disorders, preying on vulnerable people who are going

through extremely personal moments. will she agree to meet with me and other organisations and charities to discuss ways in which we can combat this? i am gratefulfor discuss ways in which we can combat this? i am grateful for him discuss ways in which we can combat this? i am gratefulfor him raising the action that the secretary is taking in relation to this issue of social media sites and the action the home office is in taking in conjunction with dcms on this issue. we wa nt conjunction with dcms on this issue. we want to see social media companies doing more to ensure they are not promoting harmful content to vulnerable people. the honourable gentleman has was raised specific issues of eating disorders and the impact that can have. we want to ensure we are doing this in a way that does help keep people safe in terms of the sort of images they are looking at and i will ensure that the ministerfrom looking at and i will ensure that the minister from the department meets with them to discuss this issue. notwithstanding brussels' bar room chapter, will be prime minister

roll—out a delay of brexit beyond march the 29th and will see also rule out a future customs union arrangement which would prevent us doing those global trade deals which the bank of england governor says is a potential golden age of trade?m my honourable friend nose let me very clear the government has been clear in the proposals we put forward for customers that we want to have that independent trade policy it is specifically referenced, and we believe it is important and we are pleased with the government england has said today in the importance of free trade around the world. on the first point i am grateful he has asked me that question rather than relying on what someone said to someone else is overheard by someone else in a bar, it is very clear, the government's position is the same. we triggered article 50, this house voted to trigger it, that had a two year

timeline which ends on the 29th of march. we want to leave with the deal and that is what we are working for. two weeks ago i asked the prime minister to unblock the funding for dawlish to give the investment to improve that train line. two weeks later we still have no funding. i am worried that brexit is causing the government to set on announcements that need to be made both on rail funding and the long—term railways for plymouth. so can the prime minister held the transport secretary to get on with it and announced the funding for dawlish this week without any further delay? asi this week without any further delay? as i said to him the department has being reviewing the proposals that network rail had put forward for an effective and resilient solution in relation to the dawlish line. there will be an update on funding in due course. already there is the first phase of work to protect, it began in november, part of the 15 million wider investment to make the railway at dawlish and ten miles more

resilient to extreme weather.” at dawlish and ten miles more resilient to extreme weather. i know from the doorstep in east northamptonshire that local people wa nt to northamptonshire that local people want to see more police officers out on the beat catching criminals and deterring crime. with the additional money she has rightly announced for policing will shejoin me money she has rightly announced for policing will she join me and calling for that to be invested in front line presence? can i say that they recognise the comments he has made on the doorstep, he is an assiduous member who listens to his constituents and takes their views and brings them into this chamber, it is of course important that we have made more money available to police forces. i am pleased to say that what we are now seeing is that the number of people joining that what we are now seeing is that the number of peoplejoining police forces is at the highest level for ten yea rs forces is at the highest level for ten years but we did make more money available to police forces, £970 million over the next year, and i think there is a sadness in this chamber is that the labour party voted against it. what has the prime minister got against towns in north

wales ? minister got against towns in north wales? in the week following the loss of a £20 billion hitachi contract in the region, government she leads announced the moving of 380 wrexham tax office jobs to liverpool and to cardiff city centre. is it her view that towns across the uk should not have public sectorjobs? now, it is not. and i have to say to the honourable gentleman, on the issue he raised about the hitachi site we did offer about the hitachi site we did offer a package of support, a package of support that no previous government had been willing to consider of one third equity, all debt financing and a strike price of no more than £75 per megawatt hour. ultimately we couldn't reach an agreement between all parties at this basis and hitachi decided on a commercial

basis to suspend the project but they have made clear they wish to continue discussions with government and bringing forward new nuclear and we will support those discussions. 0ver we will support those discussions. over the last four years the number of people who have been stopped and searched by the police has fallen by two thirds. at the same time the number of stabbings has increased by a third. does the prime minister therefore agree with me that carried out in the right way, stop and search is an effective part of the battle against knife crime? can i say, i absolutely agree that carried out in the real lightweight stop and search is an effective tool for our police forces. we recognise the concern that is about violent crime and obviously he is specifically raising the knife crime issue. that is why the home secretary has published the serious violence strategy, we have established the serious violence task force, but on the point about stop and search, to reiterate, what we want the police

to do is use of stop and search properly and locally, it is a vital and effective policing tool. what we expect is that when the use of stop and search, they do it locally. iam sure i am sure you recall the days when the prime minister told a rapturous tory conference she put in end to rip—off energy companies once and for all. on thursday offer gem but relaxer energy cap and now we discover the number of households in official fuel poverty has grown to over two and half—million. how does she think she is doing?” over two and half—million. how does she think she is doing? i say to the honourable gentleman that of course it is this government that has introduced the energy price cap. this is not something done by the previous labour government and has but died it protection to 11 —— has

provided protection to 11 million households. it will save consumers a total of £1 billion on their bill annually and the citizens advice bureau has previously said the cap means people are paying a fair price now and will continue to pay their price even if the level of the cap rises. since 2014 the number of children being excluded from schools has risen by 67%. every school week there are 4250 children with special educational needs who have been permanently excluded or have fixed exclusions from school. this is a burning social injustice. will my right honourable friend updates the house on the progress of the review on to exclude children and confirm whether or not the government will make schools accountable on the outcome of the people they exclude as our select committee recommended? i thank my right honourable friend

and the education select committee for their work on this important issue. we are reckless good discipline in schools is essential but it is also important to ensure that any exclusion is lawful, reasonable and fair game is set out that her teacher should avoid as far as possible avoid excluding those with special educational needs. we do want to ensure that schools play their part in supporting children who have been excluded, working in collaboration with local authorities. my honourable friend mentioned the review which is ongoing but i can assure him when it reports in due course we will look very seriously and carefully at the recommendations it provides. since 2013 220 material is and 415 members of their staff have received training in parliament. 0ur cross— party training in parliament. 0ur cross—party group has produced this

report into the usage of mindfulness in education, health, presence and the workplace and it has been well received by government. anti—brexit negotiations have been concluded, when she might need to de—stress, will she meet with representatives of cross—party groups and senior scientists to look at what more can be done with mindfulness to reduce human suffering and to promote human flourishing? can i thank the honourable gentleman for raising this important issue and thank the mindfulness agp for the work they had done and their recent report. he knows mindfulness —based cognitive therapy is recommended for use for adults with depression but i noticed and recognise the training that has gone into staff. some weeks ago i had an individual of my constituency come into my surgery to talk about

mindfulness and the member of parliament to start with me had undertaken the training and was able to speak about the impact it had. the commissioning of psychological therapy is a matter for nhs england but i'm sure they are aware of this report. he is a busy beneficiary of mindfulness himself. he seems a very calm and pragmatic individual these days which was not always the case in the past. the honour system is designed for public service to the nation. do you agree when a small minority of individuals bring the system of honours and businesses into disrepute by behaving disgracefully, it is right as party and government should be the first to stand up for these standards and to stand up for these standards and to look at the beginning of a process to see whether people who behave in that way should be stripped of their honour? can i say to my honourable friend as he said, the honour system is there to recognise exceptional service and

achievement any wide—ranging theories of public life and it is important if the recipient of an owner brings that honour into disrepute steps to be taken to review that honour. there is a process for that purpose, which includes an independent committee which gives recommendations to me for her majesties approval. that is the process but it is important i believe we have that so anyone who has been in receipt of an honour that brings honour into disrepute, steps that brings honour into disrepute, ste ps ca n that brings honour into disrepute, steps can be taken to review that. last weekend millwall lioness is for my constituency played and beat lewis fc in the fourth round of the fa cup. for winning the lioness is received to thousand pounds prize money. the winners of the same round in the men's competition received £180,000. as the prime minister

willing to put pressure on the fa to equalise prize money in the competition? can i say to the honourable lady that as the president of the mulgrave girls football clu b president of the mulgrave girls football club i am willing to commend all those girls and female to play football and members across the south will be concerned to hear of the disparity in the winning that she has raised with this house. this isa she has raised with this house. this is a matter for the football authorities but i am sure they will have heard the concern has been expressed in this house about the current position. it takes courage and leadership to admit difficult things because that is how we start to recognise we need change. i would like to thank the secretary of state for work and pensions for acknowledging there has been a link between accessing universal credit

and food bank usage. but it is not the case that has been a link, there isa the case that has been a link, there is a link. will the prime minister please urgently review the five—week wait and benefit freeze, both must go because the unpalatable truth is our welfare safety net is no longer holding up the most honourable in society, it is tangling their feet dragging them under the water. my honourable friend and i have discussed the universal credit and the roll—out of universal credit in the roll—out of universal credit in the past. she will know we have taken a number of measures as we have been rolling this out slowly and carefully. we are taking measures to address issues that have risen. shortly after i became prime minister we cut the rates to people can keep more of the money they have earned and we have ensured we have scrapped the seven—day waiting, we have introduced the two—week overlap in relation to those in receipt of housing benefit and of course, we also ensured that 100% of the full

monthly payment is available to people at the start with those for whom that is necessary. we have been taking steps and will continue to look at universal credit but universal credit is a system that encourages people into work and make shows that work pays compared to a legacy system from a labour party that left 1.4 million people for nearly a decade trapped on benefits. despite her parties manifesto promise nearly 7000 pensioners households in my constituency in west lancashire could lose their free tv licences, often that is their only source of company. if the government going to keep their ma nifesto government going to keep their manifesto promise by taking back the responsibility and the bbc to make sure all the people keep their tv licences? obviously i reckon i is the value that people across the

country place on the value of having a television and for many older people the connection that brings with the world and that is why the three licences for the over 75 is also important. we have been clear we wa nt also important. we have been clear we want and expect the bbc to continue free licenses when they ta ke continue free licenses when they take over responsibility for concession and doesn't 20. i think taxpayers brightly want to see the bbc using its substantial licence fee income in an appropriate way to ensure it delivers fully for a uk audience. my constituent ben seaman receives employment and allowance benefit. ben has to spend a lot of this within a year in order to avoid having more than £16,000 of that and risked losing eligibility for esa. this is clearly an unintended normally so would my right honourable friend encouraged to work and pensions secretary who i know

it's empathetic to the situation to resolve this as soon as possible to a exemption for ben and those others affected. this is a concerning case. i understand the dwp are aware and i'm sure they are looking into this issue but i will ensure my honourable friend received a response as soon as honourable friend received a response as soon as possible. the prime minister pass determination has been widely acknowledged but the truth is she cannot get a deal through unless she makes fundamental changes. there is a way she can get it through would lead to getting through unchanged which would help with a reconsideration of our country on the other side. it does mean following the example of the good friday agreement and having confirmation for people afterwards, but it does mean there are fundamental benefits to that happening. i'm not asking herto passjudgment on happening. i'm not asking herto pass judgment on the dispatch box right now but which he agreed to meet with me and my honourable friend to briefly talk it through and explore the possible benefits?”

think he knows my view in relation toa think he knows my view in relation to a second referendum, i have expressed that many times in this house. my view on that has not changed. i believe it is important we deliver on the first referendum but of course colleagues are meeting members from across the south to discuss the issues they wish to raise in relation to the brexit matter so i will ensure the honourable gentleman and his honourable gentleman and his honourable friend meet, if not with me than with an appropriate minister. with the return of the royal air force tornadoes from operations for the last time. with my right honourable friend join with me in paying tribute notjust to this remarkable group but to the remarkable men and women who have flown and maintained her? can i zeta my honourable friend i am very flown and maintained her? can i zeta happy tojoin with him in paying tribute tojoin with him in paying tribute to the tornado anti—men and women

who have flown and maintained the fleet over the last 40 years. he has referenced the mountains of afghanistan from the gulf war to operations in syria and iraq, the tornado has been a vital part of operations and is my right honourable friend, the defence secretary said last week, it is with a heavy heart and with enormous pride we bid farewell to the tornado having played a vital role in keeping britain safe. i will be replaced with where the successes in the improved typhoon and others, but i'm very happy to pay tribute at the dispatch box to the play and only men and women who are flown maintain it over the past 40 years. the uk's democracy is defunct. it's economy and society chronically unequal. britain is breaking. let us speak as others find us. this plain truth has

not gone unnoticed. in pubs, clubs and homes, people talk about this place and now westminster is failing them. when will the prime minister left her gaze above party interests, above westminster interests, when will she work with others to make this island is free, self—sufficient, thriving nation rather than perpetuate the assumption of privilege for one? can i say to the honourable lady that when i became prime minister i was very clear that i wanted a country that works for everyone, that was the entire united kingdom. i know in her question she failed to recognise that northern ireland is part of the united kingdom and we want northern ireland to remain part of the united kingdom and i also say to her,

democracy is not defunct. democracy in this country will be shown by this house recognising the vote that took place in 2016, delivering on the result of the referendum and voting for a dealfor us the result of the referendum and voting for a deal for us to the eu. despite our comparative size the uk has more government departments than even the usa and we here in the space about the challenges of cross departmental working. will my honourable friend committed to spending review to focus on public services? i know the question on the size of government is an issue in number of colleagues raise but i have to course, put my hand up and admit the role that i play in increasing the size of government by creating a party for exiting the european union and the department for international trade, and we are employing more civil servants to

ensure we deliver on brexit, something i believe is close to my honourable friend's heart. maryam is just six months old, she is beautiful. she was recently diagnosed with a devastating form of vascular dystrophy. her brother had a sinking condition and died tragically young. there is a new highly effective drug available in 23 countries but not england. maryam lived in the west of scotland but not west ham she would get it but negotiations have not been successful, leaving mariam and two other babies as tiny ponds in an argument between price and profit. will be prime minister please intervene? and stop others like mariam from suffering a painful death? she has raised the case with a passion in this house and i will

ensure the minister in the department of health looks at the issue in response to her. the consumption of dog and cat meat goes against our british values. they are our companions, they are not food. does my right honourable friend agree that a man on —— ban on consumption here where it is astoundingly still legal, would send out a clear message to the rest of the world that the sickening and terrific suffering of these animals experience during slaughter should be stopped and if so was she commit to this change which has cross—party support is devastated by an amendment to the agricultural bill? cani amendment to the agricultural bill? can i say to me friend i am aware to the amendment is that the educational pill and welfare of animals as priority for this government. it is illegal to sell dog and cat meat in the uk and there are no abattoirs licensed to slaughter dogs and thankfully there

is no evidence of human consumption of dog or cat meat in the uk. i certainly hope other countries will join the uk and upholding the highest standards of animal welfare. in wishing the honourable lady very happy birthday and helping the house willjoin me in doing so, i rachel reeves. thank you mr speaker, 21 again. my constituent harriet recently gave birth to her baby three months premature. when harriet was due to return to work her baby had only recently come out of hospital. she had to make the choice between taking additional time off work but struggling to pay t—bills or to return to work but miss crucial bonding time with her baby. the had committed to doing this issue by the end of january, the had committed to doing this issue by the end ofjanuary, we the had committed to doing this issue by the end of january, we are now halfway through february so will the prime minister commit to taking action and extend parental leave to the parents of children who and up

in neonatal wards? the parents of children who and up in neonatalwards? festival, happy birthday. we are revealing this situation and we are also looking at the circumstances for example like miscarriage and what applies in those circumstances but i will ensure a written response is given to the honourable lady. the leader of the opposition has shown to date little knowledge is a very dangerous thing. he chose to speak about seabourn and ramsgate part in my constituency of south thanet. he does not speak for south thanet, id. —— i do. can my right honourable friend to me that the people of thanet are ready and prepared to keep the port open for brexit eventualities, should she gave a commitment to the council to identify them for the past year end?

cani identify them for the past year end? can i say to my right honourable friend that no one can doubt the passion and vigour with which he speaks for the people of his constituency. he has raised the issue of ramsgate but i am aware of the interaction and discussion between thanet council and the department for transport and i believe that continues. i recognise the significance of the possibility of ensuring there is capacity available to access ramsgate harbour andi available to access ramsgate harbour and i will ensure the department for transport looks at the specific issue he has raised. order. on this occasion i will take the point of order from the right honourable gentleman because i gather it appertains to the session which has just concluded but i willjust gently say, that i hope this isn't a cheeky ruse to be deployed on a wee kly cheeky ruse to be deployed on a

weekly basis to secure a third question which our procedures do not allow because that would be very wrong and i should be right honourable gentleman would not knowingly do anything wrong! we will put it to the test. there is a certain amount of chuntering from a sedentary position to suggest that he might be engaging in such behaviour but i am a charitable chap and prepared to give him a chance. thank you mr speaker and heaven forbid anyone would abuse the privilege you avoid us. i think all of us recognise the responsibility of us recognise the responsibility of the languor that we use in the quest of this house and can i try and be helpful to the prime minister because perhaps inadvertently she misled the house when she said there was no plan for scottish independence because unlike the brexit campaign... i am very

grateful for the right honourable gentleman he was brandishing a document and i have a feeling it will feature in his next press release but seriously, you have made your point with voice and alacrity which requires no reply. i hope the honourable gentleman is satisfied with his efforts but we will leave it there. the honourable gentleman ought to know about good behaviour in the chamber elsewhere, he is a distinguished football referee. i tell people watching our proceedings. point of order. ijust wonderfor a proceedings. point of order. ijust wonder for a clarification since the right honourable gentleman held up a copy of the snp's white paper, how i can get on record that white paper contains many errors and admissions for example do not include

transmission costs, wildly overstated the protective revenue for oil. unusual scenes in the end of prime ministers questions but is not the first time things have descended on a slightly unexpected way. let us bring in our assistant political editor, norman smith. just a bit of fire and fury at the end there but nothing really of substance so let us look back at what happened in terms of prime minister's questions. jeremy corbyn just went on one subject for 0liver‘s questions and that was the issue around seabourn ferries. and some idiot suggested he go on universal credit, what a stupid idea. jeremy corbyn focusing on the decision to pull the contract from seabourn ferries, a ferry company seemingly with no ferries, suggesting that taxpayers has lost out to the tune of around £1 million, that the local council

thanet had lost out. i think he has adjusted to the tune of £2 million and questioning whether due diligence had been done before that contract was awarded, and also questioning why on earth mrs may still had confidence in chris grayling, given that episode and the episode with the railway timetables and the episode with the drones over gatwick and so on. the response from mrs may, a bit of a stone wall saying due diligence had been done and it was crucial that the government put in place no deal provisions to make sure that medicines could continue to get through to the uk there is a no deal scenario. i thought the most interesting brexit question came from ian blackford, the snp leader, who tried to get mrs may to rule out the idea that she might go right up to the buffers of march 29 before she comes back with a deal to put to

the house of commons and again as she did yesterday, she did not do that. in other words, the door is wide open still for the prime minister to delay any final brexit boat, really, until the minister to delay any final brexit boat, really, untilthe last minister to delay any final brexit boat, really, until the last moment. that fits with everything else we are beginning to hear at westminster and although downing street are saying we want a deal as quickly as possible, there is a growing conviction that vote will not happen until pretty close to britain leaving the eu. thank you norman. a 27—year—old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, after the bodies of three men in their 80s were found in two properties in exeter. devon and cornwall police say the deaths of the men, one aged 80 and two aged 84, are being treated as suspicious and are being formally linked. this is one of two properties in exeter where police have been here this morning, along with forensic

officers after they have launched a double murder enquiry. it was two brothers in their mid—80s left ear, locals have said they kept to themselves although one of them was a regular at the local shop where he is to get his newspaper each morning. he was last seen on sunday. his brother was seen down at the local supermarket getting food for his dog. they were fine yesterday lunchtime. the alarms was raised when against the property were open which i am told by very unusual. they were normally closed. a couple of miles away, 24—hour as earlier, 880—year—old man was found that any property there. he was last seen sometime around last friday —— and it—year—old man. 0pposite to not know when he had died. they are linking the two inquiries and has arrested a 27—year—old man on the

suspicion of murder. he is being questioned in exeter. in a moment it's time for the one o'clock news. temperatures increasing in the next couple of days. it is already miles per not everyone has the sunshine, here is a view from cornwall with some sunny here is a view from cornwall with some sunny spells. what is clear wherever you are across the uk they are dragging up this woman here from the south and that is what we are going to find ourselves in, and anger and increasing sunshine. such entry this afternoon through east anglia and southern england, a good deal of cloud around as well. the odd shower here and there but especially some patchy rain to west north—west scotland. it is windy and the western isles with average speeds of around 50 miles an hour through tonight. temperatures almost across the ball into double figures. that said they will drop away overnight and that is especially across parts of england and wales. a

lot of cloud for north wales, north midlands, northern ireland and scotland. some outbreaks of rain elsewhere as well. a range of temperatures, we have got to the cloud, temperatures stay up. to be around nine or 10 degrees in the western isles but when you have the clear sky in parts of england and wales, there is frost on the way. i will be below freezing in the countryside with some mist and fog patches as well. same flow of air into tomorrow but there is a drier aspect of this air which means it is less in the way of cloud around. there will still be some cloud into scotla nd there will still be some cloud into scotland and northern ireland but less compared to today. some sunny spells and any rain towards north—west will push away northwards and increasing sunshine across england and wales as well. many of us england and wales as well. many of us will have blue skies of the afternoon goes on and temperatures will be a degree or so higher, expecting 14, maybe even 15 degrees.

looking into friday, plenty of sunshine around, some cloud increase to the west northern ireland and the western isles. we will see the return of some outbreaks of rain but still quite breezy and it is possible we could see 16 celsius, maybe it was northern scotland and north—east wales as we go through the day. temperatures come down ever so the day. temperatures come down ever so slightly into the weekend as there is a bit more cloud around once more but it is still miles for a time of year. theresa may insists she wants the uk to leave the eu with a deal on the 29th of march. it comes after her chief brexit negotiator was reportedly overheard appearing to suggest there could be delay. and today there's a new threat from tory brexiteers who say they might not support the government in a vote tomorrow. also this lunchtime: police say the deaths of three men in their 80s in exeter are linked — a man's been arrested. inflation fell to 1.8% last month, its lowest level for two years. the home secretary tells the bbc

he wants a crackdown on social media companies which carry content that fuels knife crime. and new controls on gambling advertising which uses young celebrities and sports stars in order to protect the under 18s. and coming up on bbc news: a wake—up call for solskjar as united lose their first match