Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News At One 20170209

To the bbc news at one. Record numbers of patients spent more than four hours in accident and emergency units in england in december thats according to the official figures and according to data leaked to the bbc january is set to be even worse. These figures suggest Record Numbers of people waited longer than 12 hours for a hospital bed once seen in a e, making january the worst performing month for A E Departments in the past 13 years. The government says the vast majority of patients were seen and treated quickly, and busy periods in hospitals were supported by an extra £400 million of funding. Our Health Correspondent Dominic Hughes reports. For months now, accident and Emergency Departments across england have been struggling. Last week, the bbc was given exclusive access to the royal blackburn hospital, where the pressure on a e was plain to see. We need beds and staff. Its just like banging your head against a brick wall. I feel as though im going to collapse if i dont get to lie down. You need a bed. Definitely. Its distressing. Its really distressing for people. Queueing for five hours in a corridor. Its not what you expect from a country like ours, is it . We need to get some blood from you. More patients and a shortage of beds mean longer waits, and officialfigures from nhs england, published this morning, show that december was the worst month on record for waiting times in a e. The pressure this winter is greater than its ever been. It has been a steep climb this year but the thing that has changed the most has been not the 2 or 3 increase in demand, but its the 40 increase in the delays in moving patients, helping them get back home and into the community. Now new, provisional data forjanuary, leaked to the bbc, suggests that picture has got even worse. This data appears to show that, last month, just 82 of patients were transferred, admitted or discharged within four hours, the worst performance since the target of 95 was introduced in 200a. 780 patients waited for more than 12 hours for a bed after being admitted to hospital again, the worst figures on record. And more than 60,000 patients faced a wait of between four and 12 hours, more than in any month since 200a. The Nhs In Scotland is coping better, but performances in wales and Northern Ireland is even worse than in england, symptoms of the pressures building right across the health and social care system. Demand is increasing. We dont have the resources to match it but, even worse than that, many of these figures reflect patients who are not coming in with something relatively minor but needing sorting out and then going home again. It reflects the experience of people coming in needing acute hospital admission. Every patient stacked on a trolley in a corridor, not getting to the ward they need to be in, not getting the treatment they need is, for any of us, an individual system failure. Nhs sources acknowledge the system is facing unprecedented demand. These latest figures suggest there is little sign of a respite. Our Health Editor hugh pym is with me now. These figures are for england, our reporter suggested there was more pressure a cross reporter suggested there was more pressure across the uk. Thats right, the number of patients treated outside the four hour limit was aged 2 , the worst figures and in scotland and was higher, 96. 2 , wales, lower, Northern Irelandjust below 70 , the same pressures everywhere although different parts of the uk reacting in slightly different ways. Let me quote yet another statistic. Almost 500,000 Emergency Admissions to hospitals in england in december, another record high, that is what nhs england is pointing to, the sheer volume of patients coming in is higher than anything seen before and they think staff are working very hard and coping incredibly well in the circumstances. Yet for patients theres more waiting longer than four hours on trolleys after a decision has been made to admit them to hospital but to find them a bed. Thats what weve been hearing this week on bbc news, some really difficult stories and hospitals about what is happening to patients, what they are going through and have frustrated the staff are. And these arejust frustrated the staff are. And these are just the december figures, frustrated the staff are. And these arejust the decemberfigures, as the leaked to the bbc suggests, the provisional generally figures are even worse and of course winter still isnt true. Hugh, thank you very much. Well be looking at the state of Health Services in the uk all this week for the bbcs nhs health check. You can follow the coverage online too, at bbc. Co. Uk health. The Home Secretary has defended a decision which means that a key route into the uk for children caught up in europes migrant crisis is to close after a total of 350 arrivals. The government says it will stop receiving children via the so called Dubs Amendment at the end of march. Lord dubs, who aimed to help thousand of children get to the uk, Called The Decision shameful. A legal challenge to the decision will go ahead tomorrow. Dan johnson reports. They may not make as many headlines but these children of europes migrant crisis have not gone away. Refugees are still on the move, still searching for a new home, and around 90,000 of them are youngsters with no family. Under pressure from the uk to do more, David Cameron promised to bring some of them here. Campaigners hoped 3000 would benefit but the government has announced the scheme will end, having re homed 350. That has angered some people including mps. They are heading back to calais, back to dunkirk, back to the mud, the danger, back into the arms of the people traffickers and smugglers, the exploitation, abuse, Prostitution Rings and back into the modern slavery that this parliament and this government has pledged to end. We have a different approach to wear those most vulnerable are. We believe that they are in the region, thatis believe that they are in the region, that is why we have pledged to acce pt that is why we have pledged to accept 3000 children from the region and we are committed to delivering oii and we are committed to delivering on that. Well, im a refugee. I came to england at the age of six. Lord dubs, the labour peer who designed the programme. Having been rescued from nazi germany he knows what it means to be a refugee. And very disappointed. I was in greece a month ago, desperate conditions in the refugee camps, a lot of children, some unaccompanied, bitterly cold and miserable. We owe it to them. The first young refugees arrived last october, 200 have been re homed so far, another 150 will come before the end of next month. News that more will not follow has been described as a betrayal of Vulnerable Children like these and of british trolleys. The Home Secretary said there was a risk of encouraging people traffickers, she has restated the government s commitment to other schemes, bringing thousands of refugees to the uk directly from camps in the middle east. Dan johnson, the uk directly from camps in the middle east. Danjohnson, bbc news. We can speak to our political editor, norman smith, how much anger is there about this . Genuine anger, its such an emotive issue. That said, i dont detect any sign of a government rethink. Home secretary must seemed to be revelling in her defiance and bullish approach, chiding crickets for adopting a high handed approach and a high moral tone. She said britain could be proud of its records chiding critics. She said we had fulfilled oui critics. She said we had fulfilled our obligations. As the details, she argued that most local authorities didnt have the blazers to take in refugees, the french authorities we re refugees, the french authorities were not enthusiastic about the scheme and if we kept on with it that would simply encourage people traffickers to bring more children into europe. All of which said, i think many mps are generally scratching their heads as to why the government has decided to wrap up this scheme. It has only been running six months, and these schemes take time to bed down, for local authorities to get the appropriate procedures in place. Its also only taken in what, 350 children, much less than many had expected. Theres also a feel about the sort of image, the sort of message it sends out about britain, particularly in a post brexit world when we want to show that we are opening, welcoming, confident and tolerant. Is it a done deal . Perhaps not. Much will depend on how the public and the media react and there will also be a legal challenge so this might not be quite over yet. Norman, thank you. Downing street has played down suggestions that the House Of Lords could be abolished if it doesnt back legislation triggering the brexit process. A government source had warned it would face an overwhelming public call to be abolished if it tried to oppose the bill passed by mps last night. 0ur Political Correspondent Carole Walker reports. The ayes to the right, 494. The noes to the left, 122. A resounding victory for the government as mps voted overwhelmingly for it to begin the formal brExit Negotiations. Scottish national mps struck a defiant note, singing the eu anthem, 0ld tojoy. But defiant note, singing the eu anthem, 0ld to joy. But the defiant note, singing the eu anthem, 0ld tojoy. But the bill now passes unscathed to the House Of Lords. Downing street has played down an earlier suggestion there could be calls for the abolition of the House Of Lords of peers try to frustrate the legislation. Yet they face some tough warnings. The message of the british people was clear, and ambiguous, they want to leave the eu and they want us to get on with it. If the House Of Lords, who are not elected, try to subvert or distort the outcome of that referendum, i think that will put them in constitutionally a very difficult place. But ministers accept that the lords do have a role to play and opposition peers have said they will try to make changes to the bill. Weve always been clear we will not block, but we will not be intimidated into not debating, and looking at it in the normal way as we do every other bill. Last nights vote exposed the deep divisions in the labour party. More than 50 labour mps defied the instructions of their leader and voted against the bill. Jeremy corbyn now has to replace four Shadow Cabinet Ministers who have resigned and decide what, if any, action to take against more than a dozen Junior Shadow Ministers who also rebelled. The Labour Leader dismissed suggestions that the issue had caused another crisis for his leadership. Yes, a difference of opinion from mps who represents strongly remain constituencies and felt they should represent their constituents, i understand that, yet it was a national referendum, rational decision, national result. Theresa may has been meeting the italian prime minister. She is hoping to get the approval of parliament to begin formal eu Exit Negotiations with eu leaders by the end of march. Then the tough talking will really begin. Carole walker, bbc news, westminster. The us senate has backed one of President Trumps most controversial cabinet nominees, Jeff Sessions as Attorney General. More than thirty years ago, mr sessions was denied a post as a federaljudge when he was accused of racism, allegations he has always denied. He will now take charge of the justice department, and more than 100 thousand employees, including 93 us attorneys. 0ur correspondent Richard Lister sent this report. Democrats, Civil Liberties groups and those representing African America Ns reacted with outrage when President Trump nominated senatorJeff Sessions to take charge of the department ofjustice. Senator sessions has always denied allegations of racism from his time as the Senior Lawyer in the state of alabama. But, during hisjudicial Confirmation Hearing in 1986, he described the National Association for the advancement of coloured people as anti american. He also admitted describing Landmark Legislation ensuring that black people could vote as intrusive. Hes since said it was necessary and he supports it. Democrats also criticised his long established backing of mrtrump, saying the governments Chief Legal Officer needed to be an independent voice. After the vote, he reached out to them. I appreciate the full debate that weve had. I want to thank those who, after it all, found sufficient confidence in me to cast their vote to confirm me as the next Attorney General of the United States of america. But democrats are not convinced. In a blistering twitter attack, senator Elizabeth Warren said ifJeff Sessions makes even the tiniest attempt to bring his racism, sexism and bigotry into Thejustice Department, hell hearfrom all of us. And youd Better Believe every senator who voted to put Jeff Sessionss radical hatred into Thejustice Department will hear from all of us, too. Another of President Trumps nominees made some outspoken comments of his own last night. Judge neil gorsuch, the president s pick for the supreme court, was apparently unhappy with mr trumps criticism of the judge who suspended his travel ban, expressing his displeasure to a democratic senator. He certainly expressed to me that he is disheartened by the Demoralising Comments made by President Trump about the judiciary. That may Winjudge Gorsuch some democratic support, as they prepare for his confirmation process. But that, too, will be a tough battle, as democrats do all they can to obstruct mr trumps agenda. And we can speak to richard now. We know donald trump is angry about this, how else but through twitter . Yes, indeed, simon. This is a potential embarrassment for mr trump to be criticised by his own nominee. Mrtrump does to be criticised by his own nominee. Mr trump does not take well to embarrassment, it seems. His strategy appears to be to blame the messenger, the messenger in this case the democratic senator Richard Blumenthal who made comments from neil gorsuch public, saying that he made Donald Trumps criticism of Anotherjudge Demoralising made Donald Trumps criticism of another judge demoralising and disheartening. In the past few minutes donald trump has treated that Richard Blumenthal, never fought in vietnam when he said peers that he had, major light, now miss represents what neil gorsuch told him . There are two claims, the judges record, he did not serve in vietnam but on some occasions he did give the impression that he had, something for which he apologised. The bigger question is whether he misrepresented what neil gorsuch said, and Neil Gorsuchs team came out very quickly and said that yes, those comments were accurate. President trump must know that but clearly wa nts President Trump must know that but clearly wants to avoid that battle, easier to blame a democrat. In any event he had an important victory last night, the confirmation ofJeff Sessions after a very divisive battle on the senate floor. Jeff sessions is someone who was a very early supporter of donald trump, locking step with him in terms of many of his policies and he will now be sworn in as Attorney General later today. Thank you,. All that as the new director of the cia mike pompeo arrives in turkey for his first foreign trip since taking office. Lets speak to our correspondent mark lowen, whos in istanbul. Top of the agenda is the fight against islamic state. Turkey is hugely against the involvement of the Kurdish Militia in syria, because it sees that militia of links to its own kurdish militants in turkey, the pkk, whom turkey and the west classify as a terrorist organisation. Turkey wants assurances from the us that they might lessen their support from the Kurdish Militia in syria. They will discuss the so called safe zones in syria, cleared of armed groups perhaps for refugees to go back to. Turkey has called for that and donald trump has voiced support for it in recent days, although russia is lukewarm. Theres also the turkish parrot whos been living in the us for 18 years and whom turkey claims orchestrated the failed coup last year, although he denies involvement. Turkey wants its extradition as soon as possible, though they will have to go through a judicial process. This is a Bridge Building Exercise with the new trump white house, after relations with barack 0bama white house, after relations with ba rack 0bama soured white house, after relations with barack 0bama soured considerably. It will be helped by some similarities between president s erdogan and trump, both are populist leaders, both are not particularly known for their thick skins and both have a dubious relationship with press freedom, although its more extreme here in turkey, the worlds biggest jailer of journalists. Here in turkey, the worlds biggest jailer ofjournalists. This is a very visits which will be of substance but also symbolism, as turkey attempts a reset with the new trump white house. Mark lowen, thank you. Our top story this lunchtime. Figures for december show A E Departments in england had their worst performing month on record and january may be worse still. And coming up try time tom vardell runs in his 90th, leaving just one more score needed for the premiership record. Coming up in sport at 1 30pm the chairman of british cycling, bob howden, has stepped down, as the organisation braces itself for the results of a report into whether there was a culture of bullying in its performance programme. Mps and housing lawyers say private tenants in england are still being unfairly evicted because a new law on so called Revenge Evictions isnt working. The law was introduced in 2015 to stop people whove complained about Rogue Landlords or their properties being wrongly forced out of their homes. Radio 0nes newsbeat reporter Dan Whitworth has more. Damp, mould, faulty electrics, and broken windows and boilers that dont get fixed when its cold. Theyre all classed as category one hazards. In other words, theyre so bad they pose a risk to peoples health. And theyre things Amjid Chowdri from Leeds City Councils Rogue Landlords unit is all too familiar with. What is that . Thats damp thats been leaking from outside the guttering that we showed. You might expect tenants to complain about problems like these, but many dont. Thats partly because they fear being forced out of their home as a result a practice known as Revenge Eviction. Something which is supposed to be illegal. This is rented out, private rented accommodation, People Living here . Thats right. People paying to rent here, making complaints, nothing happening, and then they could be under threat of a Revenge Eviction for making the complaints . Thats the reason why theyre not coming forward to the council to make a complaint. And thats exactly what happened to helen. She was living with her mum, sister and baby daughter in a rented home with lots of problems, including damp. It was horrible. After months of complaining we got a firm of solicitors that deals with properties in these states of disrepair. They checked the property, they agreed it was damp and something needed to be done. So they wrote out to our landlord and instructed that work needed to be done on the property. Within a week of him receiving that, we received a section 21 eviction notice pushed under our door. Because of what happened to people like helen, a new law was introduced in october 2015 to try to stop retaliatory or so called Revenge Evictions, but weve seen exclusive figures gathered in a Freedom Of Information Request from hundreds of councils right across england that show more than half havent stopped any at all. More than a quarter dont even record figures and fewer than one in five have taken any action. Were talking about here landlords who are trying to avoid carrying out their responsibilities as a landlord, to keep their properties in a good state of repair. If they are asked a simple question like, will you do a repairfor me, they threaten someone with an eviction to shut them up. Now, theyre the landlords we have to get at. Theyre going to be in the worst properties, sometimes with People Living in the worst conditions, so thats the biggest challenge for everybody. The government says Revenge Evictions are rare and that because of the new law its given local councils all the powers they need to stop them. Thankfully for helen, she was able to find a new home. My landlords great. I cant complain about him. I dont have to contact him unless something does pop up. But not everyone is so lucky. Dan whitworth, bbc news. Four men, who were part of a gang that sexually exploited teenage girls in rochdale, are facing deportation to pakistan. The men, who are british nationals of pakistani origin, were jailed for between six and 22 years. Immigration judges have rejected appeals against plans to strip them of their british citizenship. Mps will put pressure on the fa today as they consider a No Confidence Motion on the organisations ability to reform itself. The commons culture, media and Sport Select Committee will examine whether the fa can comply fully with its duties. Lets speak to our Sports Correspondent richard conway. Is in westminster. What are the consequences if they find against the fa posture mark this Debate Todayis the fa posture mark this debate today is largely symbolic, but its a sign of the pressure that mps are putting under the Football Association to change their ways. This debate about fa governance has been going on for nearly 50 years now. Theres been very little change in the interim. Mps want to see the fa change its Board Of Directors and its fa council, which is effectively footballs parliament. It wants to be more representative of the people who play, watch and administer the sport in 2017. If they fail to reform it, if they fail to live up to new standards which were set by Sport England and the government late last year, then they could be at risk of losing £30 million of Public Funding over the next four yea rs. Public funding over the next four years. In addition to that, guarantees if they ever wanted to stage a world cup or european championship, could be at risk. So there is tangible things up with force the fa. The fa leadership wa nts force the fa. The fa leadership wants change to take place. It wants to modernise. But it must convince those councillors and Board Members but its in the interest of the Governing Body to do so. Greg clarke asked greg clarke says he will resign if he doesnt get the necessary support in the coming months. This debate is a sign of that growing pressure but the fa is determined in the coming few weeks it will show that it can change and show the government it has a plan to modernise the organisation. Richard conway, thank you. Shares in twitter richard conway, thank you. Have plummeted, as the Company Reported its slowest quarterly Revenue Growth since going public. The Company Continues to grapple with competition from Newer Services such as snapchat and instagram. Our Technology Correspondent Rory Cellan Jones is with me. Were the figure is expected to be better than that . Yes, twitter has been going through a hard time for quite a while because its not growing much and investors have been worried about that. But there was the thought with all the buzz around the thought with all the buzz around the us president ial election from all the rows taking place on twitter, and the key fact that the most famous tweeter in the world, donald trump, was bringing a lot of focus on the service, there was an appealing, a theory that that would bring users flooding in and key to twitters future, more advertisers to give the service a secure future