this is bbc news. i'm kasia madera. the headlines at eight... a record waiting list for hospitals in england. surgeons say it's the calamitous impact of covid on the nhs — imagine being a cancer patient waiting for treatment. i'v e i've got this tumour and i've had it for at least 12 months, so i've had no treatment and it's frightening. marcus rashford joins celebrity chefs and charities in calling for a review into the free school meals policy as councils urge the government to provide vouchers over half term. from heat waves to wild fires, the challenge of climate change. scientists from around the world agree the last decade was the warmest on record. scottish fishermen demand compensation after eu importers refuse to accept deliveries due

to long border delays. we we re we were not expecting her yet. here she is_ we were not expecting her yet. here she is a _ and coming up, the surprise that took nine months in the making, and that's despite a stay in hospital with covid. good evening. nearly four and half million people in england were waiting to start hospital treatment last november — that's a record — and yet another shocking indicator of the cost of the pandemic on the nhs and its patients. behind the numbers are stories of operations postponed and cancer treatments delayed. the royal college of surgeons described the situation as calamitous. a further 48,682 new cases of coronavirus have

been announced today across the uk. a delay in processing data means the daily death figures haven't yet been published. here's our health editor hugh pym on how coping with the surge in covid patients has affected the health service. the consequences of coronavirus are becoming clearer. queen elizabeth hospital in birmingham temporarily halted kidney transplantation programme because of the surge in covid patient numbers. other hospitals are also postponing non—covid work. paul and his wife diane are both living with cancer. her treatment is going well, but he needs specialist radiation therapy for a rare tumour in his chest. i used to run a lot, but now i get out of breath just going up the stairs. he was set to have it last week but was told because of covid pressure at the hospital it had been cancelled. i was devastated. i couldn't speak for ten seconds when they told me on the phone.

you know, it's notjust devastating for me, it's my family and friends. they have been rooting for me for the last 12 months. i've got this tumour and i've had it for at least 12 months. it's frightening. it is frightening. cancer charities say that sort of cancellation isn't happening yet at most hospitals, but they're worried it could do. there was a huge effort made to restore cancer services to pre—pandemic levels. massive effort's gone into that. but we are concerned now, in this lockdown, that there's going to be increased pressure on services and we fear more treatments will be cancelled. for routine hospital treatments such as hip and knee replacements, in england in november more than 192,000 were waiting. to give a sense of scale, that's about three times the capacity of london stadium, home of west ham and where the olympics were staged. by contrast, in february, just before the pandemic, the figure was only about 1,600.

that's below the capacity of non—league margate football club stadium. nhs england said that, unlike the first wave, millions of people were being treated in hospitals for non—covid health problems. government sources said waiting lists were still a lot lower than some earlier predictions. vaccinations in some pharmacies in england started today, adding to sites run by gps and the major centres unveiled this week. so, how has the vaccine roll—out in england been going? up until last sunday, around 46% of the 80 and over age group in the north—east and yorkshire had had theirfirst dose. in the north—west, it was 38%. in other regions, a little bit below that. in london, it was closer to 30%. and in the east of england, it was a bit lower than that. as a percentage of the whole population, northern ireland is ahead of the rest of the uk, with more than 5% having jabs,

wales has the lowest so far at about 3.5%. but these are early days. hugh pym with that report. people who've had covid—19 are protected from getting it again for at least five months, according to a study led by public health england. the research suggests that if you've already had it, you're 83% protected from re—infection, but you can still carry the virus and pass it on to others. 0ur science correspondent rebecca morelle has more. coronavirus is spreading fast, and the number of people who have been infected with covid is rising. this latest study looked at how likely they are to catch it again. so, what if you've already had coronavirus? does having a past infection protect you? scientists tracked more than 6,500 health care workers who had already been infected with coronavirus. they found that most had protection from the virus for five months,

the duration of the study. compared with people who had never had covid, they were 83% less likely to catch the virus again. it's the big question many have been asking. can you get covid twice? a small number of re—infections have been confirmed around the world. and this study found some, too. 44 potential cases were detected. some had high enough levels of the virus to risk spreading it to others. there are people who have had infections, who can transmit to others. it's not 100% protective. so, we are still asking people, while we are seeing such a high amount of infection, and we need to do everything to protect the nhs, to take every precaution. if you've been infected in the past, do you still need to have a vaccine? even if this study says that many of us who have had covid—19 might have some residual immunity on board for four or five months, as i mentioned with the common cold viruses, it just doesn't last well.

these viruses are very good at subverting immunity and knocking out parts of your immune response. while the vaccines that we have, by which i mean the candidate vaccines we are talking about here, are really, really well designed to give you rip—roaring, long—lasting immunity. with new coronavirus variants emerging, scientists will now also be studying their impact on reinfection. but the advice for now is to stay at home, remembering hands, face and space, whether you have had the virus or not. rebecca morelle, bbc news. a ban on travellers to the uk from south america and portugal has been announced tonight because of a new variant of coronavirus which was identified in brazil. the government says it's taken the decision amid uncertainty as to whether the existing vaccine will be effective against the variant. the transport secretary grant shapps says it was important to act quickly.

we know there are different strains of this coronavirus. we will have one here in the you cake, as we know, and it is very infections. —— here in the uk. we don't want to trip up at this late stage. we're so close now that we want to make sure we do absolutely everything possible to give us the best chance of beating this virus, which is why it's so important we do act quick. do you know how many people have come in from brazil into the uk, potentially carrying this strain? there aren't that many flights going on. brits will still need to read patry eight. it's not that nobody will be coming up until now, —— repatriate. this is a precautionary approach. we want to make sure we do everything possible

so that vaccine roll—out can continue and make sure it's not disturbed by other variants of this virus. ~ , ., . ,, virus. why not include spain in this, virus. why not include spain in this. given _ virus. why not include spain in this, given the _ virus. why not include spain in this, given the travel - virus. why not include spain in - this, given the travel connections? of course, spain's restrictions of course, spain's restrictions include quarantine and the necessity from this weekend to make sure you've taken a test before leaving spain. we keep these things causally under review, but as i say, what we have to do is follow the science. we're having a look where these mutations are. unfortunately, the world has coronavirus, so we need to follow the science and make sure we act quickly, which is exactly we've donein act quickly, which is exactly we've done in brazil and portugal. france is to extend a six o—clock evening curfew across the whole of the country. the french prime minister said the new curfew would run for at least 15 days to combat

the spread of the coronavirus. since december, most of the country has already been subject to an 8pm curfew. the new earlier curfew will be enforced across the country. the footballer marcus rashford has stepped up pressure on borisjohnson over free school meals in england with a call for an urgent review of the government's policy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. the letter, asking that the review be debated in parliament and published before this year's summer holidays, was co—signed by the actress emma thompson, chefs jamie oliver, tom kerridge and hugh fearnley whittingstall, and more than a0 charities and educational leaders. 0ur political correspondent, nick eardleyjoins me. lots of celebrities, lots of charities assigning this. what is ultimately markets were in this group of people urging the government to do? == group of people urging the government to do? -- marcus rashford- — government to do? -- marcus rashford. and _

government to do? -- marcus rashford. and of _ government to do? -- marcus rashford. and of the - government to do? -- marcus| rashford. and of the questions government to do? -- marcus - rashford. and of the questions we've been talking about a lot. 0ur rashford. and of the questions we've been talking about a lot. our free school me a good enough and do they do enough people call it a high —— ourfree school meals. do enough people call it a high —— our free school meals. they don't think enough is being done and kids need to be able to get free school meals during the holidays, and more often than not, the government went, 0k, we'll do this. what marcus and a number of charities and celebrities are now saying is there needs to be are now saying is there needs to be a written branch look at how free school meals work across the uk. they're suggesting the government needs to look at things like who qualifies for free school meals, how they're funded because even at the moment when they're available to children who aren't at school because of the pandemic, there are

big questions about whether enough money has been given to local government. there's been a big row in the last couple days of pictures emerging on social media which so meagre offerings given to parents —— a show meagre offerings. the call here is to look at this as a wholesale issue. we're still waiting for a response from downing street on this, but i suspect we will get one and the big question is whether this will now lead to a written branch review of free school meals. to nick, thanks very much. the letter comes after another row over free school meals for february half—term. the government has confirmed food will be provided to children by councils under the covid winter grant scheme, rather than through schools. councils and unions say the government should provide food vouchers instead, with the grant being

used for other support. richard watts is the chairman of the local government association's resources board. he's also the labour leader of islington council in north london and joins me now. thanks forjoining us. thanks for joining us. just thanks forjoining us. just explain to us how these free school meals are normally funded and what is the change that the government has confirmed? i change that the government has confirmed?— confirmed? i believe it's where we've been _ confirmed? i believe it's where we've been in _ confirmed? i believe it's where we've been in a _ confirmed? i believe it's where we've been in a tight _ confirmed? i believe it's where we've been in a tight national i we've been in a tight national lockdown like we're going to be in february. the government has funded free school meals for pupils who are eligible, best through providing vouchers. schools are given to families who use them in the shops. what the government are proposing for this holiday is that the covid winter support grant money, which is a good scheme and we welcome that

money, but it does specifically say in the conditions for those grants and they don't replace free school meals games. so, councils which have received this money have been putting it to good use and got plans keep supporting families as we go through this horrible lockdown, and having to dramatically change their plans because they have to be used to pay for free school me. i plans because they have to be used to pay for free school me.— to pay for free school me. i know each counsel— to pay for free school me. i know each counsel is _ to pay for free school me. i know each counsel is different, - to pay for free school me. i know each counsel is different, but - to pay for free school me. i know i each counsel is different, but what kind of percentage would the covid winter grant scheme be used in order to provide free school meals? it will vary from counsel to counsel. it's talking to its members across the country to try to find out how much this is changing their plans,

because this was really thrown at us at the very last minute again. we're still trying to assess what impact this has. countries across... through this very difficult winter lockdown. ~ , ., ., lockdown. when did you find out about this? _ lockdown. when did you find out about this? the _ lockdown. when did you find out about this? the clarity _ lockdown. when did you find out about this? the clarity seems i lockdown. when did you find out about this? the clarity seems to | about this? the clarity seems to have come _ about this? the clarity seems to have come out _ about this? the clarity seems to have come out very _ about this? the clarity seems to have come out very recently. . about this? the clarity seems to have come out very recently. i l about this? the clarity seems to i have come out very recently. i first found out about it today. the challenge is, this isn't what we thought this money was coming to do, because the conditions in the grant were clear that this was not a direct replacement of the free school meals scheme. it goes into a whole range of other support for families, and the money we've got through grants is welcome and it's the right thing for the government to have done. what seems to have thrown us a bit is adding this

expectation that's what's going to happen during february half term also should come out of that money as well. we think it would be far better if we replicate what happens during the summer holiday. and the government funds that direct new schools. ~ ., , ., �* government funds that direct new schools. ~ . , ., �* ~' government funds that direct new schools. ~ ., �* ~ government funds that direct new schools. ., ~ ., schools. what you're thinking as to wh the schools. what you're thinking as to why the government _ schools. what you're thinking as to why the government is _ schools. what you're thinking as to why the government is doing - schools. what you're thinking as to why the government is doing it - schools. what you're thinking as to | why the government is doing it this time? i why the government is doing it this time? ., �* ~ ., why the government is doing it this time? ~ ., ., ~ time? i don't know, and i think it would be far— time? i don't know, and i think it would be far better _ time? i don't know, and i think it would be far better if _ time? i don't know, and i think it would be far better if they - time? i don't know, and i think it would be far better if they were i time? i don't know, and i think it| would be far better if they were to clarify that. i hope it's not something as basic as theyjust want to try and save a bit of money and only spend —— and not spend fresh money. i think there's been enough controversy about free school meals that now is not the time to try and skimp around the edges and say. i think it's much better if we fund this upfront. we can make sure

there's a scheme that every family knows what they're getting in the money is provided direct. take so much for talking _ money is provided direct. take so much for talking us _ money is provided direct. take so much for talking us through - money is provided direct. take so much for talking us through that. | the headlines on bbc news... a record waiting list for hospitals in england. surgeons say it's the calamitous impact of covid on the nhs as four and half million patients face delayed treatments. marcus rashford joins celebrity chefs and charities in calling for a review into the free school meals policy as councils urge the government to provide vouchers over half term. from heat waves to wild fires, the challenge of climate change. scientists from around the world agree the last decade was the warmest on record

i apologise for the coughing. i need a bit of a break which is lucky because sport is coming. gavin, take it away. 0ne game in the premier league tonight, arsenal trying to make it four league wins in a row hosting crystal palace, 15 minutes gone and it's goalless. arsenal are a point above their opponents in the table — but palace can go above them if they win. follow it live on the bbc sports website and app. well, ahead of that game, the premier league, efl and women's super league put out a joint statement, reminding players to follow their covid protocols. there's been plenty of breaches in league and fa cup games recently, with players continuing to hug when celebrating a goal. the leagues say they've introduced enhanced coronavirus protocols for this week's games, adding that they need to be followed

if the seasons are to be finished. football hasn't always —— has and always will be a game of instinct. if you take the instinct out, it's not that simple. they've been asked to do theirjob, and i understand that, but when they're on it pitch —— the pitch we try to adapt as well as we can. we're football, maybe it won't quite be the case. that's certainly not an easy line to draw in game and football. dom bess and stuart broad were the stars for england on the opening day of the first test against sri lanka. england finished the day on top in gaul, just eight runs behind the hosts. joe wilson was watching. escape for a moment into a different

world. called cricket. in his 15th year, stuart broad _ called cricket. in his 15th year, stuart broad enjoying - called cricket. in his 15th year, stuart broad enjoying his - called cricket. in his 15th year, j stuart broad enjoying his year. called cricket. in his 15th year, . stuart broad enjoying his year. sri lanka quickly slumped. perera improvised badly. first success for don best. the cricket ground is gloriously nestled alongside the sea, deserted for covid, almost. rob lewis has been waiting to watch england in sri lanka for three months —— ten months since their tour was suspended, but no spectators are allowed. the authorities committed rob to sing on the fort for moving him on. singing. england's players had little preparation but they were sharp. angelo matthews gone. see the

ball loop to just butler, but england's luck was in. sri lanka was singled out for 135. best took five wickets. england were now batting. playing it with wonderful control. a suite from the captain as they thrived. england 127 for two and the view getting better. joe wilson, bbc news. 0lympic bronze medalist nile wilson has announced his retirement from gymnastics following a spate of career threatening injuries. he was part of a golden generation for british gymnastics, becoming britain's first 0lympic medallist on the high bars in rio and won three golds at the commonwealth games on the gold coast in 2018. posting about his retirment he said gymnastics gave him experiences he could never have dreamed of but his body can't take anymore. and the masters snooker continues this evening, but there was a bit of a shock earlier —

the world number 5 kyren wilson was knocked out of the quarter finals by david gilbert, who came back to edge a finalframe decider to make the last four. let's take you to the live action from milton keynes now. defending champion stuart bingham's in action, he playing shaun murphy for a place in the semi—finals. he's two frames to one. in the best of 11 match. it's a first meeting at the masters between the pair. you can watch it live on bbc two, or via the bbc sport website and app. that's all the sport for now. i hope your throat is better. exciting stuff there, thank you. scientists from five key agencies around the world have confirmed that 2020 was one of the hottest years ever and brought to an end the warmest decade yet recorded. the un secretary general, antonio guterres, said the findings showed the planet was on course for a "catastrophic" rise in temperatures this century. here's our science editor david shukman. a desperate rescue in indonesia after torrential rain triggered

landslides earlier this week. scientists say even heavier downpours are likely in future as the world gets warmer. wow! in some countries hotter, drier conditions are on the cards. the wildfires that struck in australia last year are nothing new in themselves, but the more human activity releases the gases heating the atmosphere, the greater the risks of more violent conditions. and although the pandemic lockdowns have reduced traffic, they haven't made much difference to the carbon dioxide that keeps being added to the air. year on year, we're increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and notwithstanding the pandemic we still increased the carbon dioxide levels by over two parts per million last year. as long as that continues to happen, we are putting our foot

on the accelerator of climate warming. over the past 170 years, the average global temperature has been monitored by teams in britain, america and other countries and although it has varied year by year, the recent trend has been really dramatic as the planet has heated up. the result, the most recent decade was the hottest on record, and we're also getting closer to an increase of 1.5 degrees an internationally agreed limit that scientists say would e dangerous to cross. the risk is more extremes the world over. this village in the vale of glamorgan was flooded over christmas after the heaviest rainfall there for 70 years. and, as temperatures rise, heatwaves will become more common, like the one in the uk last summer. the met office says the latest records are part of a pattern. 2020, we are seeing temperatures that are yet again giving us one of the warmest years on record, despite some factors such

as conditions in the tropical pacific that in 2020 would have normally suppressed temperatures. so, will anything be done? well, joe biden has promised that america will lead a big push to tackle climate change. and china, for the first, time has committed to going carbon neutral. negotiations are due in glasgow later this year, there's a lot at stake. david shukman, bbc news. we can speak to tim 0sborn, director of the climatic research unit at the university of east anglia, which helped compile the data for the report. tim, although the different agencies that fed information into this, there was a bit of discrepancy between which years were the warmest. when it comes to the trend, it's a unanimous agreement.— it's a unanimous agreement. that's ri . ht, it's a unanimous agreement. that's right. 2020 — it's a unanimous agreement. that's right, 2020 and — it's a unanimous agreement. that's right, 2020 and 2016 _ it's a unanimous agreement. that's right, 2020 and 2016 were - it's a unanimous agreement. that's right, 2020 and 2016 were the - right, 2020 and 2016 were the warmest two years on record. you're

quite right, what matters for monitoring climate change and tracking our progress is our underlying trend. they're all in agreement it's about 0.2 celsius more. in agreement it's about 0.2 celsius more. . , ., ., , ., more. in realterms, what does that mean? also. _ more. in realterms, what does that mean? also, temperatures- more. in realterms, what does that mean? also, temperatures are - more. in real terms, what does that| mean? also, temperatures are rising at different rates in different places. at different rates in different laces. .. , �* , at different rates in different laces. , �*, ., places. exactly, there's a pattern to climate _ places. exactly, there's a pattern to climate change. _ places. exactly, there's a pattern to climate change. the _ places. exactly, there's a pattern to climate change. the high - places. exactly, there's a pattern - to climate change. the high northern latitudes of the arctic and subarea have warmed more than the lower latitudes —— artech and siberia. it's a test of our understanding —— arctic. this is increased confidence that our understanding of climate what's driving it is right and we have confidence in the future. fiend have confidence in the future. and this leads to _

have confidence in the future. and this leads to those extreme weather conditions that we saw, whether it's the dry earth that leads to fires or floods, these are extreme weather patterns of. floods, these are extreme weather patterns ot— patterns of. that's right, but when the climate _ patterns of. that's right, but when the climate changes, _ patterns of. that's right, but when the climate changes, weather- the climate changes, weather extremes also change. we have more frequent heat waves and less frequent heat waves and less frequent cold spells. for things like wildfires, it's more regionally specifically. some regions like california, where they have been increased by the warmer temperatures, dry amount of vegetation, they can be a more intense or affect a larger area. arguably, we need to limit the amount of greenhouse gases, but we saw during the pandemic the global shutdown led to a decline in greenhouse gases. but quite minimal. last year, there was about a 7% drop in the global emissions from 2019.

but even with that 7% drop, we still added more to the atmosphere than nature removed. even with the pandemic, it stillaccumulated nature removed. even with the pandemic, it still accumulated in the atmosphere and warm to the planet. by a slightly smaller amount thanif planet. by a slightly smaller amount than if there hadn't been a pandemic. than if there hadn't been a pandemic— than if there hadn't been a andemic. . ~ , ., pandemic. talk us through the evolution because _ pandemic. talk us through the evolution because i _ pandemic. talk us through the evolution because i thought i pandemic. talk us through the evolution because i thought it| pandemic. talk us through the - evolution because i thought it was interesting that with air pollution dropping somewhat because of the lockdown, it actually led to a boost in temperature. how on earth is that possible? 50. in temperature. how on earth is that ossible? ., ., possible? so, there are two solutions — possible? so, there are two solutions from _ possible? so, there are two solutions from burning - possible? so, there are two| solutions from burning fossil possible? so, there are two - solutions from burning fossil fuels. 0ne solutions from burning fossil fuels. one is carbon dioxide which has a warming effect, and some fossil fuels can also emit aerosol pollution, which reflects sunlight away from the earth. that's more shorter lives, so a longer term effect would be the reduction in carbon dioxide. usually that would keep us cooler. that drop of

pollution, there was a slight boost to the temperatures last year. it to the temperatures last year. it feels like you can't win either way. tell us in layman �*s terms what we can do to help out. we tell us in layman 's terms what we can do to help out.— can do to help out. we know the rima can do to help out. we know the primary cause — can do to help out. we know the primary cause of _ can do to help out. we know the primary cause of warming - can do to help out. we know the primary cause of warming is - can do to help out. we know the primary cause of warming is our| can do to help out. we know the - primary cause of warming is our use of coal and gas, so the solution to this to meet the goals of keeping the warming below 2 degrees, the solution is to reduce our use of energy or generate our injury differently —— energy without fossil fuels. some countries have already begun to implement those changes, but there is much more that needs to be done because we're talking about the change of the global energy system in a few decades rather than centuries. , ,., ., ,, system in a few decades rather than centuries. , ., ,, system in a few decades rather than centuries. , ,., ., ,, , ., ,., centuries. tim osborne, thank you so much.

centuries. tim osborne, thank you so much- talking — centuries. tim osborne, thank you so much. talking us _ centuries. tim osborne, thank you so much. talking us through _ those findings. heavy snow and freezing rain have caused major disruption across parts of the uk. temperatures fell as low as minus five degrees celsius in north yorkshire this morning, and minus six degrees celsius in the highlands. police scotland's road policing unit warned against travelling in the wintry weather. up to 11 centimetres of snow fell in the perth and kinross area and five centimetres in cumbria with large accumulations elsewhere, including north east england and yorkshire. take a look at this boss in halifax. like many other areas, halifax has a yellow weather warning in place for ice that's because as the rain, sleet and snow dies out, forecasters believe there is a risk of further difficult travel conditions. —— this bus in halifax. just remarkable that he managed to stop

before that car in front of the bus. incredible, i would before that car in front of the bus. incredible, iwould have before that car in front of the bus. incredible, i would have crashed straight into it. what's more on our website. now, the weather with louise lear. hello there. many of us have had to contend with some heavy rain or significant snow today. that's all easing away, however, and first thing tomorrow morning, we've got a new set of problems, with widespread ice and potentially some fog, even freezing fog in places. that may well be slow to lift away, so it's going to be a murky start, but eventually brightening up from the west, and as we go into the afternoon, it'll certainly be a drier story than today. if the fog lingers and where we've got some lying snow, the temperatures, however, struggling — two or three degrees. highest values out to the west with six or seven. it's all change, though, as we go into the weekend. we've got this area of low pressure pushing in off the atlantic. the wind direction changes to a south—westerly. a milder source, but it will bring with it some rain. now, that pushes its way down into the southeast for saturday afternoon. somewhat drier, brighter conditions follow behind with a

scattering of showers to the northwest of the great glen, highs of seven to ten degrees. hello this is bbc news, i'm kasia madera. the headlines. the royal college of surgeons says covid—19 is having a calamitious impact on waiting times for routine hospital treatment. nearly four and a half million people were on a waiting list in england in november. footballer marcus rashford joins celebrity chefs and charities in calling for a full review into the free school meals policy. meanwhile local councils in england have urged the government to provide vouchers over half term. scientists from across the world say last year was one of the warmest on record. the average temperature was just a fraction of a degree below that of 2016, the all—time highest.

scottish fishermen are demanding compensation for seafood rejected by european importers after delays at eu borders. post—brexit customs health checks and export declarations have meant the produce has taken too long to arrive. the government says its "working hard" to address what it calls "teething problems". 0ur scotland correspondent lorna gordon has the details. it is a prime product which usually commands premium prices in europe. live seafood needs to get to market fresh and that means fast. but for the last two weeks there has been new layers of brexit red tape and paperwork and additional checks which lead to disruption and delays and warnings that some businesses could go bust. we are losing money and we can't continue. we sent stuff to you up last week

and it took five days to arrive there and we lost that product. so we are on the second week now and we cannot sell to our biggest market which is the eu. it means some fishing vessels are choosing to stay in the port. a third of the scottish fleet is now tied up in harbor. some of the boats that are heading out to sea are choosing to land in countries like denmark to try to avoid bottlenecks. this process for now has switched to freezing seafood once customer is in europe could be lost and jobs are on the line. from fishing to processing plants to the staff that the employ. even this week we've had to send the staff home because we did not have to produce coming in. many of the issues faced by studies fishermen are being experienced by fishing communities elsewhere in the uk pumping questions in the commons and this response.

i am aware there have been some teething issues as businesses get| used to the process and authorities | in the eu countries are suggesting| new procedures and we are working closely with both industry _ |and authorities in the eu to iron| out these issues and to ensure it goods flow smoothly to market. the scottish government says wasted loads like this one was foreseeable and unacceptable. jobs and livelihoods might not matter to tories but they matter to scott's. i understand that the prime minister indicated that compensation would be forthcoming. that needs to happen and it needs to happen now. the uk government insists the issues are temporary. the fishermen are hoping this means there boats will be back. earlier, the leader of the house of commons, jacob rees—mogg said the government was dealing with the issue and claimed that the fish, dead or otherwise, were �*happier�* since brexit. what is happening is

that the government is tackling this issue and dealing with it as quickly as possible and the key is we've got our fish back. and our british fish! and they are better and happier fish for it. obviously, there is overwhelming evidence for that. let's find out if there is overwhelming evidence. let's find out if there dr bryce stewart is a fisheries biologist at the university of york. i'm not can ask if the fish are happier since brexit. when he talked about british fish is that in any way accurate?— about british fish is that in any way accurate? about british fish is that in any wa accurate? ., ., , ., way accurate? well, not really, to be honest- _ way accurate? well, not really, to be honest. one _ way accurate? well, not really, to be honest. one of— way accurate? well, not really, to be honest. one of the _ way accurate? well, not really, to be honest. one of the big - way accurate? well, not really, to be honest. one of the big reasons why we had to negotiate a fisheries deal with europe is because the vast majority of fish that a cart around the uk are actually shared with the nations around us. in the north sea there are seven different countries. and the fish will move between the countries, between the waters of those different countries. so we

have to actually shared the management if were going to keep fisheries sustainable. let’s management if were going to keep fisheries sustainable.— fisheries sustainable. let's talk on a serious note. _ fisheries sustainable. let's talk on a serious note. the _ fisheries sustainable. let's talk on a serious note. the problems - fisheries sustainable. let's talk on a serious note. the problems that| a serious note. the problems that fishermen are having at the moment and the exporters as well. george used as the secretary of environment and water affairs discard them as teething issues when it comes to the problems that were having on the border. how would you describe the? i think there are some teething problems. absolutely. there are new systems and plays, new online systems, new paperwork that people are getting used to. but fundamentally the whole process has changed. so whereas before there was no difference between sending fish from cornwall to london or cornwall to paris, you literally had to felt like nextel one form and you can send it to either place. now there's a 25 step process. some of the most significant steps are things like the export health certificate. it

has to be certified by a vet and also the catch certificate has to be completed for each consignment. so this is each parcel of fish that's going to different destinations. so the system is infinitely more complicated. and more costly than it was before brexit. is complicated. and more costly than it was before brexit.— was before brexit. is likely to get any easier _ was before brexit. is likely to get any easier as _ was before brexit. is likely to get any easier as people _ was before brexit. is likely to get any easier as people get - was before brexit. is likely to get any easier as people get use - was before brexit. is likely to get any easier as people get use to i any easier as people get use to filling out the forms, etc or can you just see complications continuing? i you just see complications continuing?— you just see complications continuin: ? ~ , continuing? i think things will get a little bit smoother— continuing? i think things will get a little bit smoother but - continuing? i think things will get a little bit smoother but the - a little bit smoother but the frictionless trade that we enjoyed before hand, is not really going to come back. and i talk to people in the industry about this. they are really concerned that things are fundamentally changed. they won't be able to get products to the market as quickly and as freshly as they could before. also that their costs will increase. the sad truth is this will increase. the sad truth is this will threaten some businesses and

some jobs will threaten some businesses and somejobs in a very will threaten some businesses and some jobs in a very tough time. fishermen more than anyone probably have been struggling with coronavirus. because the demand for the product is gone because of the problems with the border and also the hospitality trade drying up. it's a really tough time for the industry. it it's a really tough time for the indust . , ., ., , ., industry. it is on answer, without bein: industry. it is on answer, without being slept. _ industry. it is on answer, without being slept. to — industry. it is on answer, without being slept, to switch _ industry. it is on answer, without being slept, to switch to - industry. it is on answer, without being slept, to switch to more i being slept, to switch to more freezing of the fish? so were not talking about fresh fish live product going across the board about just having it all frozen. that was quite a change for processors. yeah, that is an option. _ quite a change for processors. yeah, that is an option. there's _ quite a change for processors. yeah, that is an option. there's a _ quite a change for processors. yeah, that is an option. there's a few i that is an option. there's a few different options. 0bviously that is an option. there's a few different options. obviously you don't get as much money for a frozen product. it is not considered as desirable. certainly not as a live product. another option is to get more people to eat more fish locally. 0ne more people to eat more fish locally. one of the issues at the moment is about 70% of which british

boats catches exported. we could be a bit more adventurous and eat fish that our boats are catching. there are some great schemes out there. this one called call for fish which is distributing the fish straight from fish men's boats out to homes around the country. these are things that have popped up during coronavirus crisis. the seafood industry is nothing if not innovative. i think they're going to have to be even more innovative to deal with the situation. [30 deal with the situation. do residents _ deal with the situation. do residents of _ deal with the situation. do residents of the uk have a pallet say fish like herring? itruieiiii residents of the uk have a pallet say fish like herring?— residents of the uk have a pallet say fish like herring? well that is the issue. the _ say fish like herring? well that is the issue. the honest _ say fish like herring? well that is the issue. the honest answer- say fish like herring? well that is the issue. the honest answer is i say fish like herring? well that is i the issue. the honest answer is not really. people like capers for breakfast but most of us prefer cod or haddock with our fish and chips. most of that is important and the rest of it is caught actually in northern waters, in the arctic. something like 95% of cod in fish and chips is actually imported from

that area. because there is not nearly as much caught around our waters as there was in the past. fascinating to speak with you. thank you so much for your time. hospitals across the uk continue to face huge challenges the number of coronavirus patients increases. in north and west yorkshire the covid patients in the region's hospitals have risen by twenty five cent in the space of a week. 0ur correspondentjamie coulson and camera operator mark graham have been given access to york hospital — where staff are fighting to save lives and care for those suffering from the virus. it is a relentless task. if people had seen the pain you was in you wouldn't believe it. if i had been an animal, they would've shot me. christmas weekend we had a handful of patients coming in with covid. i new year's two hands full nowby we open award and it in a day. terrifying, absolutely terrifying.

anybody that doesn't take it i seriously, it is the worst thing. you really do have to take it serious. | so this is one of the covid of positive wards in the hospital where some of the sickest patients are currently being looked after. they don't yet need intensive care but they may well in the coming days. 0n the covid wards at york hospital they are now treating more patients than at any time in the pandemic. good morning mr hudson. good morning. how you feeling this to morning? not too great. this doctor the lead consulting on the covid board. 63—year—old john hudson has now been a patient for 118 days. the worst part about it was going down to icu. that was the scariest thing. i have ever gone through. it was scary. luckily i made it. and i'm glad. john is not that typical in terms of how long he's been here.

he's been here 118 days today. normally patients are in for a week to two weeks. before we start to see them make recovery. john's recovery has been a lot slower. that's probably because john had to spend some time in intensive care needing more invasive therapies that we can offer on this ward. in recent weeks there has been a surge in the number of patients who are sick enough to need hospital care. here on the covid wards the pressure has been relentless. every new admission increases the strain across the entire hospital. most days we are at capacity. we have to do a lot ofjuggling and moving and praying and hoping to get through to the next day. but in reality, the hospital will be full we predict i think in two weeks' time. if we can wean him off he is potentially home tomorrow, may be. two weeks ago there were 107 covid patients across the york trust. today there are 179. i woke about six - o'clock in the morning could barely breathe, -

coughing, high temperature. called nhs, 111 answered a few questions by the time - put the phone down the ambulance was at the end of the drive. - i'm short of breathing i could take two or three stops and that was it. felt like fainting. when they when they checked us and pneumonia. we see the sickest people in the hospital. we see a lot of death. we see a lot of patients who can't see their relatives so we have to be their relatives for them as well as their nurses and doctors. and through the air mission boards we could see more i patients into the hospital. we get caught a lot. of patients coming in with shortness of breath. 0n the covid assessment unit there is a steady stream of new arrivals coming into the hospital. hi tracy it's one of the nurses. 50—year—old tracy was diagnosed with covid before christmas. but was brought back into hospital after developing blood

clots on her lungs. when i couldn't breathe the other day and my husband and my daughter honestly thought that they were going to lose me, it was awful. it was an awful experience. this doctor is the deputy medical director at the york trust. he says they are still coping but things need to change. i'm worried that we are getting very i close to the kind of scenarios that| we are already seeing down in london. i where hospitals are of breach capacity even for their surge i capacity for covid. we are looking at, we've converted another ward i this week were feeling when up today. - by the end of the day that will befall. - we got another two wardsi within our covid surge plan that we are thinking we will probably convert by the end of this weekend. people need to abide by the rules,

stay home, take it seriously. for the sake of themselves, for the sake of their loved ones and the sake of us here at the nhs that there's only so much we can do. there's only so much we can cope with. we are getting overburden and if we don't reduce the rate of covid in our area we won't be able to cope. with the vaccine roll—out there is a ray of light but on the front lines of covid care there are still dark days ahead. they can get me sorted and get me back home. it's been terrible. the headlines on bbc news... the royal college of surgeons says covid—19 is having a calamitious impact on waiting times for routine hospital treatment. nearly four and a half million people were on a waiting list in england in november. footballer marcus rashford joins celebrity chefs and charities in calling for a full review into the free school meals policy. meanwhile local councils in england have urged the government to provide vouchers over half term.

scientists from across the world say last year was one of the warmest on record. the average temperature was just a fraction of a degree below that of 2016, the all—time highest. the scottish labour leader, richard leonard, has resigned — just months before elections to the parliament at holyrood. mr leonard, a former union official who'd led the party for three years had faced calls to stand down from some of his own msps. his departure leaves scottish labour looking for its fifth leader since the independence referendum in 20111. 0ur scotland political correspondent andrew kerr reports. it's been a trying time at the top four this leader. richard leonard may have been popular with many in the party, but internal divisions were rife. he faced repeated calls to quit from his own side, and months before the holyrood election, he told me he is calling time.

my leadership was still the subject of speculation, and we are about to fight one of the most important elections in the history of the devolution era. and so i think the distraction that speculation about my leadership was causing was harming labour's chances of getting our message across in those important elections. he fully backs the uk leader sir keir starmer, who said tonight, richard has led scottish labour through one of the most challenging and difficult periods in our country's history, including a general election and the pandemic. even from opposition he has achieved a considerable amount, for which he should be very proud. richard leonard was elected just over three ago, regarded as the pro—corbyn candidate. richard leonard is a thoroughly decent and good man who has been subjected to appalling behaviour for the last three years by a group of disenchanted people

within his shadow cabinet and with his and his own parliamentary labour group. they have run a war of attrition because their preferred candidate lost. the former leader said politics is a rough and tough game. richard leonard did survive a coup attempt, but pledges to back his successor. and who do you think should take over from you? i really don't know. it will be up to the members to decide which direction they think the scottish labour party needs to go in, and when i took over, we were in third place as a party. in a poll today we are challenging for second place with the tories. richard leonard wants to serve another term in holyrood, so he is not quitting politics. the msp, monica lennon, may consider standing. the interim leaderjackie baillie says the party faces a fight

for its life as the leadership contest soon begins. scottish labour may need something of a superhero if they are hoping to revive their fortunes. andrew kurka, reporting scotland. there's evidence that the physical well—being of children may be suffering because of the pandemic. according to an annual survey by sport england, children have been less active and less engaged in sport. here's our sports correspondent natalie pirks. we are going to go a little bit faster now. for the children of st margaret's lee primary in south—east london, lockdown learning begins with fitness with mr toby. get those knees up. it makes me happy, and it's fun. we can't go to the park, we can't have parties. . so fitness will keep you happy. it makes me feel happy and joyful. the school says that happiness is key to their learning. it is 15 minutes, gets the kids ready for the first lessons

in the morning and just gets the day off to a very good start. as much as gabriel loves his online sessions, it is not quite as good as the real thing. i like my netball lessons that we used to do in physical education. but without my friends, i can't do those any more, and also with the lockdown we can't communicate. he's not alone. this pandemic has hit children hard. a survey today shows activity levels — already too low — have decreased further, with only 114.9% of children and young people in england getting the recommended 60 minutes of daily activity. that's a drop of almost 2% from the last academic year. there's been an across—the—board drop in the ten most popular activities, like team sports, swimming and active play, with school and pool closures hitting the figures, only walking and cycling have gone up. most worryingly, there has been a significant decline in key factors associated with children's enjoyment of sport and fitness, with the report showing motivation

and confidence have fallen. as we do start hopefully returning to a bit more normality, you want your kids to go back to the sports they were doing before. so, it's about putting the work in now and try to get them involved, making everything as fun as possible. it's not all bad news. today's figures actually saw a rise in girls being fitter. but overall, the pandemic has seen a million fewer children being active in england, with some groups worse hit than others across the whole of the uk. there's been a negative effect on children's physical and mental health, driven by disturbed patterns of sleep, inactivity, that has been exponentially worse for those who are on lower incomes and we are really concerned about the effect on health inequalities. keeping kids active and happy is crucial for their futures. while that may have become more difficult now, it may also have become more important. natalie pirks, bbc news.

now a story that may surprise some. it was certainly a surprise for samantha hicks from bristol. as a care worker, 2020 was a pretty busy year. and at the end of it, she got covid and had to go to hospital. recovering at home over the new year, her husband noticed something unusual about her shape. jon kay picks up the story. new year's day, and joe and samantha hicks think there are a family of four. until. my husband felt a kick on my tummy. ijust knew that it was a heel that i felt on my palm. ah, 0k. that's. that's a bit of a shock. ok, so here we have sam, and our new baby, julia. we were not expecting julia. just ten days later. she is absolutely stunning.

at seven and a half pounds, apparently full—term, still in hospital tonight, but doing fine. i was more concerned that sam and julia were healthy than anything, that they were 0k. lo and behold, here she is. so, we've got three beautiful children now. which i couldn't be more happier. sam thought she might be pregnant last summer, but all the tests came back negative. in november, she was hospitalised with covid. and even then, baby julia wasn't spotted. unreal, definitely. unreal. two weeks ago, you didn't know she was pregnant. and now you've got a full—term, healthy baby. yes! i know. it's really, really strange to think of it that way. i can't imagine any better feeling than what i'm feeling right now. jan is now getting used to having a surprise granddaughter.

i will not believe it until i see the little one in my arms. i and then when i can give her a big cuddle and a kiss, then _ the tears will form. she is beautiful! look at that. sam and julia should be home at the weekend, when four becomes five. jon kay, bbc news, portishead. something wonderful coming from 2020. nice to see that. congratulations to them. in these unusual times, there have been many unexpected things going viral on the internet — but how about the singing of sea shanties becoming a craze on tiktok? music. the interest was sparked by this man — 26 year old scottish postman — nathan evans, whose renditions of ancient sea faring songs have attracted millions of views

online since december. he says he can't believe the attention he has recieved. it's crazy, it's absolutely crazy. i knew that people would watch it neverin knew that people would watch it never in a million years what i expected. never in a million years what i expected-_ never in a million years what i expected-— never in a million years what i exected. ~ ,, ., ., , expected. music i think i've already take parcels — expected. music i think i've already take parcels to _ expected. music i think i've already take parcels to doors _ expected. music i think i've already take parcels to doors and _ expected. music i think i've already take parcels to doors and they i expected. music i think i've already take parcels to doors and they see i take parcels to doors and they see me on tick—tock somehow and they say i know your face. me on tick—tock somehow and they say i know yourface. but me on tick-tock somehow and they say i know your face-— i know your face. but it's been icked i know your face. but it's been picked up- _ i know your face. but it's been picked up- it— i know your face. but it's been picked up. it all— i know your face. but it's been picked up. it all started i i know your face. but it's been picked up. it all started back. i know your face. but it's been | picked up. it all started back in july last year. somebody liked and commented on one of my videos which the sea shanty. and i did that one. it got a million views and since then it's been so much request for

that song in the sea shanty song. i'm guessing will all be singing that for the rest of the evening. now, louise lear has the weather. hello there. many of us have had to either contend with heavy rain or significant snow today. it made for some beautiful weather watch your pictures being sent in. take a look at county durham earlier on this afternoon. a gorgeous woodland walk, no doubt. but we did see around ten cm plus of lying snow across parts of scotland and northern england. even a centimeter or two starting to accumulate across the east midlands. further north and west it was a different story. it was heavy rain in excess of 15 mm of rain fell in greater manchester and lead to some localized flooding as well. the weather front was fairly slow moving, you can see where the snow was sitting through the spine of the country. still some heavy rain to clear from the southeast as well, but it will do so through the latter stages of this evening and overnight. that in turn will bring a new set of problems with light

winds, clearing skies and seeing the temperatures are falling away, and we could have some widespread freezing services. almost anywhere across the country. so ice is an issue, and also the potential for some freezing fog. so if you do have to make an essentialjourney tomorrow, it is worth bearing in mind about that ice and fog, and tune into your bbc local radio station early morning travel and traffic updates. but on the whole, friday is all about this ridge of high pressure. so yes we are in the colder air mass. the blue colors. the milder, wetter whether waiting in the wings for saturday. but friday will be a quieter day. the fog should take it's time to lift away, but hopefully into the afternoon some brighter skies, particularly further west you are a dryer story but not a particularly warm one. temperatures peaking around 2 to five degrees, maybe 6 or seven out to the west. that milder air starting to arrive. so as we go into the weekend this low pressure moves in from the atlantic, the isobars of squeezing together around the low, the winds will strengthen. going to drive significant rainfall.

it will push through at quite a pace, potentially on saturday, easing the southeast corner by the middle of the afternoon, something brighter following on behind. a scattering of showers to the northwest of the great glen. temperatures should peak on saturday, little higher, but may be at around eight to ten for many. now as a move into sunday it could be drier and quieter still with some sunshine coming through. potential for a little more rain from monday onwards. take care.

this is bbc news. welcome to fortress washington. the impeachment is over, the inauguration lies ahead and the nation's capitol is on edge. officials in washington, dc are bracing for the worst and hoping for the best as security is tightened all over the city and the nation. troops and boarded—up shops are now the norm as authorities try to prevent further violence and business—owners and locals hunker down for what's ahead. authorities have been rounding up those responsible for last week's riots. we'll look at the crackdown on domestic terrorism, now that it's hit so close to the heart of america's government. also in the programme.... america woke up this morning to banner headlines following wednesday's impeachment. we'll speak to a historian about how this moment fits into the broader story of the nation. plus, howjoe the american pigeon caught by australian wildlife