the headlines: a royal welcome for king charles in samoa — ahead of the commonwealth summit. but will a row over reparations dominate proceedings? the uk government announces that a ban on single—use vapes will come into force from june next year. a 60—year—old woman's arrested on suspicion of manslaughter — following the deaths of three people at a care home in dorset. and — inside the mysterious mind of tim burton — we talk to the director about his work — and his exhibition opening in london. the spending watchdog is warning the system supporting children— warning the system supporting children and young people with special educational needs in england needs urgent reform. the national audit office said the current arrangement is financially unsustainable

and is letting down families. our education editor branwen jeffreys has this report. three mums with autistic children. it was two years of basically massive failing in mainstream school. sharing stories of their struggles to get help. lindsay's daughter, now in a special school, started at a mainstream primary. living hell, to be honest, if i'm completely honest. it was horrendous because she was failing every day, i was failing as a parent. i feel like you have to reach the point of failure or disaster at every turn before you're actually properly listened to. early help can make a difference and it often doesn't happen. parents feel pushed from school, to the nhs, to the council. it feels like you are fighting the system at every turn. she knows councils are struggling to meet current needs. if they had those resources from a younger age, to get the children in early years,

actually, the funding would be better spent because it would be stop children getting to a crisis mode. some autistic children struggle in mainstream. claire eventually decided to home educate her son. it's an emotional and mentall battle but you've got to smile through it and get through it| because you've got that little person there that needs you to fight through it. i kirklees council told us it was creating more special school places, trying to provide support faster to parents. but like many councils, was facing huge financial pressures. these are some of the challenges described in today's report. it says there has been 1a0% increase in education, health and care plans since 2015. parents see them as the best way of getting support. the budget is now more than £10 billion a year and yet 43% of councils risk bankruptcy

by 2026 as deficits build up. so i asked the education secretary if radical change is needed. the scale of the challenge is enormous and i recognise the pressures that this is placing on councils. there's no magic wand, we can't fix this overnight but i think what's crucial here is that whilst councils are really struggling with the costs, as the report demonstrates, its not a system that is delivering good outcomes for children and also a system where increasingly parents have lost confidence. i want to rebuild confidence in the system. this leeds primary works hard to include. children in thejoyful rainbow room can't manage in a regular class and they can't take every child that needs this support. we could easily double the spaces, as in that's the need that we've got, but they're not having their place in the specialist

resource provision. it's difficult, so difficult for them in class. extra cash is unlikely, so this is about trying to change a system already struggling. branwen jeffreys, bbc news. let's speak to our education reporter, vanessa clarke. obviously the budget is coming up obviously the budget is coming up next week. is there any expectation in the education sector that there will be more money for this?— money for this? that is what the coulthard _ money for this? that is what the coulthard today - money for this? that is what the coulthard today to - money for this? that is what the coulthard today to stop i the coulthard today to stop head teacher unions and councils looking at their trouble and saying what is needed here is more money. i think the worrying part of this report is that even though so much extra money has gone into it, £10.7 billion now, that is a 50% increase over the last decade, the problem is outcomes for children are not improving and if you will also look at

councils, there is a real worry there. two fifths of councils are overspending on their high needs budgets and they need to declare bankruptcy by march 2026, so they are calling for their debt to be written off. it is unlikely that the budget will look at this. the government have a long list of priorities. we did speak to bridget phillipson about this and she said that they have inherited a system that is failing and that it will take time. so she was very clear that this is not an immediate fix but it is one that will happen over a period of time. so the calls today for more funding, they are hoping for it in the budget but it seems that that may not happen.— in the budget but it seems that that may not happen. parents of course will _ that may not happen. parents of course will feel— that may not happen. parents of course will feel that _ that may not happen. parents of course will feel that is _ that may not happen. parents of course will feel that is one - course will feel that is one thing they don't have, time, because every year of education where your child does not get enough support they slip further backwards. children need qualifications in order to get a job. the spill over into your adult life if you don't

get proper education support at the beginning is massive. yes. the beginning is massive. yes, that is so _ the beginning is massive. yes, that is so true _ the beginning is massive. yes, that is so true and _ the beginning is massive. yes, that is so true and i _ the beginning is massive. yes, that is so true and i think - that is so true and i think that is so true and i think thatis that is so true and i think that is at the heart of this issue, families. they are sitting around on waiting lists and don't have the right provision for their children at the moment. they are trying to learn about a very complicated system, they are jumping through system, they arejumping through hoops. you also had schools who are trying to manage, some of them have special provision and some of them don't. they have limited budgets, so you had this whole cohort of people who are shouting about this. in my e—mail today, shouting about this. in my e—mailtoday, i have shouting about this. in my e—mail today, i have e—mails from the children's commissioner and from head teaching unions, from schools and councils all saying that this needs to be looked at. we have been shouting about this for years and the crux of this report is basically saying, actually, this needs whole system reform. the system is not working as is and needs to be completely re—looked at. i5 be completely re—looked at. is there any information as to why it seems we are not only hearing more about it but whether the numbers of families and children affected by this

are going up? and children affected by this are going up?— and children affected by this are going op?— and children affected by this are going up? yes, 1.7 million children have _ are going up? yes, 1.7 million children have special - children have special educational needs and disability is now in schools. that is a massive rise. there is a number of factors to that. we have better diagnosis at the moment. children are being picked up more but also the pandemic had a massive effect, especially on speech and language needs and that has an impact on children. if that happens in very early years, it carries on through school. so you also have specialist skills at massive capacity at the moment, they have an extra 7500 students. so the system is dealing with a lot more students who need help and as we say, need that future for them, but their system, as this report points out, needs health system reform and that won't happen overnight. but people are saying it should be a priority and in the budget more money should be put towards s.

vanessa clark, thank you so much. our education reporter. the metropolitan police as it will carry out a new investigation into a crash at a school in wimbledon in south when land london last year when two children were killed by a car driving into a playground. the driver has previously been told she won't be charged as she had an epileptic seizure. the force now says information which requires further examination has been identified. now, we are talking about dementia because we had a report from natalie pirks, our sports correspondent who joined us earlier and she was telling us earlier and she was telling us about theirfamilies, us earlier and she was telling us about their families, the widows of footballers who had had terrible brain injuries after heading the football on multiple occasions. let's listen to what natalie said.

judith, who you just saw in my piece, described as the tip of the iceberg. the truth is, we just don't know. we're starting to see a lot of former footballers when they die, because the key thing here is cte can only be conclusively proven in those who've died. they need to look at slices, essentially, of their brains under a scan. but we're starting to see that now coming through. judith will describe hundreds of families she's in touch with and some now who are former footballers, who are still around, who are starting to suffer cognitive decline and they're starting to worry about it. so tip of the iceberg is how she describes it. so what do the family want now? so they're asking for mandatory postmortem examinations in anyone that's ever played a contact sport. clearly that is tricky. there will be many reasons why families won't want to have those kind of examinations done, maybe for religious reasons, for example. but they would like to see it happen so that sports can adopt better brain welfare protocols, so that people can understand more and we can do more around welfare with players and people in training, for example. so they want this to become mandatory, so that people can actually see the scale

of the problem. what's the fa response to this? the fa's actually doing quite a lot in this area. they've funded a lot of studies. they're continuing to fund research into it and they told me they're investigating in multiple projects to gain a greater understanding of cte through objective, robust and thorough research. they're also banning heading in the under—11s. this season we're seeing in under—9s, next season under—10s, the following season under—11s, but there will be plenty who say, look, that's not yet quite enough. we need to ban it more, as you heard in that piece, in training, because the only way to prevent it is through restricting it in training. for any parent watching who has been worried watching their children on the side of a football or rugby pitch, why is this not being looked at more widely, with bans for everyone playing — both on a school pitch or for fun or professionally? well, football is our global game. so it would require the whole of football across the world to adopt similar protocols and clearly that is tricky

and things move slowly. but now we're starting to see, certainly in rugby, and in america they're starting to see a lot in nfl, that this clearly can be a problem in contact sports. so i think the wheels are turning. it's going to take a long. long time for us to get to a place that perhaps campaigners are happy with. that was natalie pirks. let's return to the news that the government has confirmed it is going to ban the sale and supply of single—use, disposable vapes in england. ministers say the move is aimed at protecting the environment and protecting children's health. the ban will come into effect in england from june next year. similar bans are expected to be introduced by the devolved governments in scotland, wales, and northern ireland. vapes are banned in sa countries, including brazil, india, iran and thailand — according to a 2023 report by the world health organisation. 7acountries, mostly in africa but also including pakistan, colombia and mongolia, do not regulate e—cigarettes at all, whiile the governments of the us and china allow vapes but regulate their use.

let's speak tojohn dunne who's the director—general of the uk vaping association. thank you for being with us. what is your reaction to this announcement? it what is your reaction to this announcement?— what is your reaction to this announcement? , ., announcement? it is one we were waitin: announcement? it is one we were waiting for. — announcement? it is one we were waiting for. we — announcement? it is one we were waiting for, we expected - announcement? it is one we were waiting for, we expected it - announcement? it is one we were waiting for, we expected it to - waiting for, we expected it to be effective april one, so the government has pushed the date back by two months. our main concern about this ban is we don't think it will be effective. we think it will fuel the black market, it is going to cause even more environmental issues because they are not banning the importation of these products, they are just banning them for sale. so that means the market is going to be flooded with devices which are going to be unregulated, as they currently are, and we really won't know what is in the man that is a huge concern to us. so should the 'ust huge concern to us. so should they just be — huge concern to us. so should theyjust be banned _ huge concern to us. so should theyjust be banned from - huge concern to us. so should i theyjust be banned from import also? i theyjust be banned from import also? ~ ., theyjust be banned from import also? ~' . . ~' , also? i think that makes loiical also? i think that makes logical sense. _ also? i think that makes logical sense. if - also? i think that makes logical sense. if you're l also? i think that makes - logical sense. if you're going to ban a product for sale it

should be banned for importation. this is one of the reasons that we are seeing a lot of the illicit product in the marketplace because again, those are not banned for importation, they are just band for sale. importation, they are just band forsale. i importation, they are just band for sale. i do abate show in the next day or so where i will see lots of illegal products because they could be a foreign buyer, which is ridiculous. but ou buyer, which is ridiculous. but you think _ buyer, which is ridiculous. but you think these disposable vapes should be banned in some form mark and i think the industry has already moved on. we are starting to see devices that are . ., ., , we are starting to see devices that are . . ., , ., we are starting to see devices that are . . . , ., ., that are rechargeable and have multile that are rechargeable and have multiple pods. _ that are rechargeable and have multiple pods. a _ that are rechargeable and have multiple pods. a single - that are rechargeable and have multiple pods. a single use - multiple pods. a single use device provides a purpose, especially for older people who are confused and little by using high—tech products. but they are probably the most expensive way that you can vape. the cheapest way to do it is with an open tank system which is a little more complicated that you feel yourself and that is more environmentally friendly as well. ., ,

environmentally friendly as well. . ., ., environmentally friendly as well. . . . environmentally friendly as well. . ., ., well. to be clear, are you as an organisation _ well. to be clear, are you as an organisation in _ well. to be clear, are you as an organisation in favour- well. to be clear, are you as an organisation in favour of. an organisation in favour of keeping single use vapes or do you think they should now be banned in whatever way that the government can do that? i banned in whatever way that the government can do that?- government can do that? i think that in their _ government can do that? i think that in their current _ government can do that? i think that in their current form, - that in their current form, they are an issue, absolutely. especially around youth vaping because the laws that are currently in place are not being enforced, so it is illegal to sell these products to anyone under the age of 18. our concern is if you cannot enforce the laws currently in place, how do we think we can implement new laws? you place, how do we think we can implement new laws?- implement new laws? you are presumably — implement new laws? you are presumably in _ implement new laws? you are presumably in favour - implement new laws? you are presumably in favour of - implement new laws? you are presumably in favour of the i presumably in favour of the right to vape more widely for the multiple use of these things, but do you not accept that actually, having children start the use of this long—term is addictive and bad for their health and also bad for the overall? ~ , ,., , ., overall? absolutely we agree with that- — overall? absolutely we agree with that. this _ overall? absolutely we agree with that. this is _ overall? absolutely we agree with that. this is one - overall? absolutely we agree with that. this is one of- overall? absolutely we agree with that. this is one of the l with that. this is one of the reasons why we have been pushing for things like the

licensing of vape retailers and manufacturers and that has to include robust age verification products. we are calling on the government to raise the fines on the people who break the law with a minimum of £10,000. we had an incident about two years ago where a court to find a retailer £26 for selling a vape to an under 14—year—old on two separate occasions and that is absolutely insane. so separate occasions and that is absolutely insane.— separate occasions and that is absolutely insane. so you want to vain absolutely insane. so you want to vaping allowed _ absolutely insane. so you want to vaping allowed for _ absolutely insane. so you want to vaping allowed for over - absolutely insane. so you want to vaping allowed for over 18 l to vaping allowed for over 18 is about stricter rules for children?— is about stricter rules for children? ~ , , ., , , children? absolutely. vaping is the most successful— children? absolutely. vaping is the most successful way - children? absolutely. vaping is the most successful way adults j the most successful way adults quit smoking here in the uk. 5.3 million smokers have actively moved over from combustible cigarettes, which kills one in two users. so absolutely they have a place. they are extremely beneficial they are extremely b