after he spent 16 years in jail. millions is pledged to a new hiv action plan on world aids day. and england record their biggest ever competitive victory after thrashing latvia 20—1 in their women's world cup qualifing game. hello, and welcome if you're watching in the uk or around the world. governments around the world are ramping up coronavirus prevention measures and closely tracking new infections of the omicron variant, as they weigh up its potential threat. in germany, the rollout of vaccines for children between five and 11 years old has been brought forward. the united states, japan and singapore are among the latest countries to tighten travel restrictions to try to contain omicron. and in england, the government is gearing up for a major expansion of the vaccine booster programme, with hospitals and thousands of community sites set to offer the jab to help fight the newly discovered omicron variant. in england, a further 14 million adults are being offered a booster. the government says all adults should have been offered a booster by the end of january. some 400 military personnel will help out at 1,500 vaccination centres across england to ramp up the booster programme. borisjohnson has promised to "throw everying" at the covid—i9 vaccination progamme and called for another "great british vaccination effort", while scientists try to find out more about the new variant. but new documents have revealed the uk government's most senior scientific advisers think the omicron may require a "very stringent response" from ministers. aruna iyengar has our first report on the situation in the uk. we're back to vaccinating on an industrial scale. over the summer, vaccination centres opened in cathedrals, shops, and football stadiums. now, borisjohnson says they'll be popping up like christmas trees. it's in response to the new omicron variant, which could be more infectious than delta. it's this constant balancing act that the government's had to get right, throughout the pandemic. the government has to get across a strong and clear message to encourage people to do the right thing. the prime minister has said the government will be throwing everything at the campaign. he's pledged every adult in england will be offered a booster by the end of january. more hospitals will offerjabs, while over 1,000 pharmacies will deliver vaccines. but minutes from a meeting from sage, the group of experts who advise the government, warns of a potentially significant wave of infections and says the government should be preparing to ramp up restrictions. i personally think that the restrictions that we have in place at the moment are unlikely to really stop this strain spreading in the uk. and that it's likely to increase over the next few months and potentially become the dominant strain and have higher levels of infection than we would have otherwise had. ministers have said their response is proportionate and further analysis of the new variant needs to take place in the weeks ahead. the governments in scotland, wales, and northern ireland have confirmed they will also step up their booster programmes. saving lives, protecting the nhs, saving christmas. time will tell if the right choices have been made. aruna iyengar, bbc news. the health secretary for england, sajid javid, advised people to exercise caution after one of the government scientists said it would be wise to minimise unnecessary social contacts in the run—up to christmas. social contacts in the run-up to christmas-_ social contacts in the run-up to christmas. , ., ., ., social contacts in the run-up to christmas. , ., ., , ., , christmas. we should always be a bit cautious. christmas. we should always be a bit cautious- it — christmas. we should always be a bit cautious. it might _ christmas. we should always be a bit cautious. it might be _ christmas. we should always be a bit cautious. it might be sensible, - christmas. we should always be a bit cautious. it might be sensible, for i cautious. it might be sensible, for example, depending on the type of party you're going to and the type of setting to take a lft test before you go but this guidance is already out there. think about throughout the pandemic of the vast majority of people have just been really sensible throughout the pandemic. and they know when they might have to take a test or should they wear face masks and things like that. they are sensible —— there are sensible precautions we can all take. england's health service is facing a "huge logistical challenge", as millions of people book appointments over the coming weeks. let's speak to chris hopson who is chief executive of nhs providers, which represents hospital trusts in england. it isa it is a massive logistical challenge, is the nhs up to it? good morninu. challenge, is the nhs up to it? good morning- it — challenge, is the nhs up to it? good morning- it is _ challenge, is the nhs up to it? good morning- it is a _ challenge, is the nhs up to it? good morning. it is a logistical— morning. it is a logistical challenge but it won't be the first one we have had over the last 18 months. everything we have had thrown at us from the need to create 34,000 thrown at us from the need to create 311,000 beds for patients who might have had coronavirus right at the beginning of the pandemic, february, march, last year, we then had an amazing expansion of critical care facilities, injanuary amazing expansion of critical care facilities, in january this amazing expansion of critical care facilities, injanuary this year, when we had a very large number, you know, 35,000 patients in hospital with covid, we then got the vaccination campaign going. we have then extended it to start doing boosters for older age groups and the more vulnerable. every time one of these challenges comes along, the nhs has absolutely, thanks to our fantastic front line staff, has rallied round and has done what is needed. we will be doing the same again. ijust think needed. we will be doing the same again. i just think we all needed. we will be doing the same again. ijust think we all need to know that this is being asked for at a point when the nhs is under huge strain. and i was talking to a hospital trust team yesterday and they just said to hospital trust team yesterday and theyjust said to me we just keep asking our staff to go again and go again and go again. it is a big set of challenges. but we will respond, as we always do.— as we always do. mice oppose the government _ as we always do. mice oppose the government is _ as we always do. mice oppose the government is trying _ as we always do. mice oppose the government is trying to _ as we always do. mice oppose the government is trying to help - as we always do. mice oppose the government is trying to help in . as we always do. mice oppose the government is trying to help in a i government is trying to help in a way by bringing in more pharmacies to the vaccination programme and hundreds of military personnel, is that welcome?— hundreds of military personnel, is that welcome? , ., , ., that welcome? yes, the military have been fantastic — that welcome? yes, the military have been fantastic in _ that welcome? yes, the military have been fantastic in terms _ that welcome? yes, the military have been fantastic in terms of _ that welcome? yes, the military have been fantastic in terms of helping - been fantastic in terms of helping us throughout the pandemic and a very public thank you to them. pharmacies are very much part of the nhs, the health and care family. and they have done an absolutely fantasticjob. i got my booster from my pharmacist literallyjust around my pharmacist literally just around the my pharmacist literallyjust around the corner two or three weeks ago and i was talking to them about what they have had to go through in order to create a booster centre and they had done an amazing job. we have a broader health and care family, broader health and care family, broader public service family if you include the armed services and we will all rally around and have been. we've already got 3000 vaccination sites up and running. that is the largest number we have ever had in the vaccination campaign. we are going full pelt to change the national booking service so we can ensure that people who are now eligible to book, when they are called forward, key message, when you are called forward, they will be able to book. we also know these things are quite complex. we are administering vaccines that are perfectly safe for people but we need to do it properly, we need to change the protocols that are adopted on each side. there is a number of different things to go through. contrary to some rather, in my view, unhelpful background briefing on a couple of newspapers today, the nhs is actually going completely full pelt as fast as we possibly can because we realise how important this is. very quick thing for me to say finally is that everybody has their role to play. i really thought the secretary of state and the prime minister were great in the last 2a hours when they said we need a national effort, we need everybody when they are called forward and are ready to come forward and are ready to come forward and are ready to come forward and have their booster. to be frank, the problem up until now hasn't been nhs capacity, it has been the number of people coming forward. when you are called forward, we need people to come forward, we need people to come forward as quickly as possible. chris, really good to talk to you, thank you so much for that. nigeria says the new omicron variant of covid—19 was present in the country as early as october — weeks before it was detected in south africa. the nigerian centre for disease control has been retrospectively looking at cases of coronavirus among travellers to nigeria, after confirming two cases of the omicron variant in people who arrived from south africa last week. our correspondent, chris ewokor, is in the nigerian capital, abuja. well, what the ncdc said is that it's carrying out more sequencing, especially looking at other backlog of samples, i mean positive samples, that have been collected to try to determine how far or how much of this variant is in the country. but what he did say, also, is that there is now a kind of, you know, contact tracing of those that have been identified to try to see how many of them could be reached and be brought into kind of isolation. the united states is drawing up new travel guidelines, and governments in europe, already under strain from the delta variant, are also considering tougher measures to try to stop the spread of omicron. courtney bembridge has this report. the world's attention may have shifted to the omicron variant, but europe is still struggling with a wave of infections linked to the previous delta variant. austria has extended its lockdown and it's moving ahead with plans to make vaccinations mandatory. greece says its citizens aged over 60 will have to get the jab orface monthly fines. and the man set to become germany's leader says he's in favour of compulsory vaccinations. translation: we have not managed to vaccinate a sufficient _ number of citizens. that is why we are in the situation we are in today. and that's why it's right that we say that under these circumstances, such a decision can and must be made. in the netherlands, tight restrictions are already in place and authorities are now re—examining recent cases to look for the new variant after it was revealed the omicron strain was present in the country well before dutch authorities panicked over two flights from south africa carrying infected passengers. labs in several countries are now combing through samples collected notjust in recent days but over the past month. scientists say it will take weeks to get a clearer picture of the variant�*s prevalence and how much protection the current vaccines will offer against it. because in the beginning, you have small numbers, you have a lot of biases in who's actually being found out as someone carries omicron. so it's going to be very difficult to answer these questions in the short run, i'm afraid. and with so much of the world not yet vaccinated, scientists have this warning about more mutations to come... you know, every person who's not immune to this virus is essentially a viral factory and a viral factory is a variant factory. _ so we just have to get the world immunised. j moderna produces one of the most widely—used jabs and says it's unlikely to be as effective against the new strain. but the company says a reformulated vaccine could be ready by early 2022. and pfizer says any changes to its vaccine could be rolled out within 100 days. courtney bembridge, bbc news. whilst the uk has announced a third boosterjab for all adults, a significant portion of people in lower and middle income countries still haven't had their first. and in south africa for example , where the omicron variant was first sequenced, only a quarter of the population has been vaccinated. i'm nowjoined by anna marriott, the health policy manager for oxfam and the policy lead for the peoples vaccine alliance. we heard gordon brown, the former british prime minister, say the other day that part of the reason the omicron variant has emerged in africa is because not enough people have been vaccinated in africa. do you agree with that?— you agree with that? yes, i think, ou you agree with that? yes, i think, you know. — you agree with that? yes, i think, you know. we _ you agree with that? yes, i think, you know, we have _ you agree with that? yes, i think, you know, we have heard - you agree with that? yes, i think, you know, we have heard rich - you agree with that? yes, i think, - you know, we have heard rich country governments saying again and again, since the beginning of this crisis, that no one is safe until everyone is safe. but the reality is they've ignored that mantra and, in large part, have turned their backs on this huge problem of vaccine scarcity across africa, across developing countries, that has allowed these mutations to emerge and keep us all at risk. this new variant is not a surprise. it was predicted. at the people's vaccine alliance we surveyed leading epidemiologists across the world earlier this year who said 90% of them said that persistent low vaccine coverage in developing countries would make it more likely for vaccine resistant mutations to emerge. and while we don't know yet if omicron is vaccine resistant, it has to be a wake—up call for governments to back the solutions that would ramp up production across the world i'd make sure that everybody has access to the vaccine. the british government, for example, they say they have been very generous in providing millions of doses for other countries through the covax scheme, the international vaccine scheme. would you suggest, for example, that the british governor should not be carrying out the booster programme here and it should be sending those vaccines abroad? —— british government. we abroad? -- british government. we are not abroad? —— british government. - are not saying that. the uk government definitely has access doses beyond those needed for a booster campaign. those doses have to be redistributed. it is in our interest for vaccine coverage to be increased in developing countries. but what we need the uk government to do is stop blocking a much more important proposal, which would see the legal rights to manufacturing these vaccines shared with qualified producers around the world, so we can ramp up production, ramp up the supply for developing countries, so they can all get access. the trickle of charity coming through right now in the form of donations is simply not sufficient to get this pandemic under control. and stop this unnecessary loss of life. i mean, there is another _ unnecessary loss of life. i mean, there is another problem. - unnecessary loss of life. i mean, there is another problem. i - unnecessary loss of life. i mean, j there is another problem. i know vaccine levels are very, very low in africa. that part of the reason for thatis africa. that part of the reason for that is vaccine hesitancy in africa, isn't it? i mean, for example, there was one survey saying almost half of south africans between 18 and 2a were hesitant about having the vaccine. that's an issue, too, isn't it? i vaccine. that's an issue, too, isn't it? 4' vaccine. that's an issue, too, isn't it? ~ , vaccine. that's an issue, too, isn't it? 4' , , ., vaccine. that's an issue, too, isn't it? ~ , , ., , vaccine. that's an issue, too, isn't it? ~ , it? i think this is a very worrying argument _ it? i think this is a very worrying argument that _ it? i think this is a very worrying argument that we _ it? i think this is a very worrying argument that we are _ it? i think this is a very worrying argument that we are hearing, l argument that we are hearing, including from the uk prime minister, that vaccine hesitancy is the cause of low coverage in africa. we really need to combat that. vaccine hesitancy is an issue everywhere. and, in fact, vaccine hesitancy is an issue everywhere. and, infact, is vaccine hesitancy is an issue everywhere. and, in fact, is high amongst some countries in europe and north america than across africa. we have to challenge vaccine hesitancy. but, the truth is, that vaccine scarcity, the lack of vaccines, and the multitude of broken promises from rich country governments, and pharmaceutical corporations, is also fuelling vaccine hesitancy. we need to combat the scarcity. we need to mmp to combat the scarcity. we need to ramp up production. if we have successful vaccine roll—out campaigns, they would protect people but they would also serve to challenge the emerging vaccine hesitancy. challenge the emerging vaccine hesitan . �* . challenge the emerging vaccine hesitan . ~ ., ., ~ challenge the emerging vaccine hesitan . ~ ., ., ,, challenge the emerging vaccine hesitan . ~ ., ., ., hesitancy. 0k, anna, thank you for our hesitancy. 0k, anna, thank you for your time- — hesitancy. 0k, anna, thank you for your time. thank _ hesitancy. 0k, anna, thank you for your time. thank you. _ from this morning, anyone over the age of 12 travelling from the uk to spain will need to show proof they have been double—vaccinated. previously, a negative pcr test would have been acceptable for entry into the country — but the rules have been tightened because of concern about the new omicron variant. our reporter, guy hedgecoe, is in madrid. till now, people traveling from the uk to spain for non—essential travel could get into the country by providing a negative pcr test. but now, however, that's no longer the case. as of today, they will have to provide a vaccination certificate, prove that they are fully vaccinated. the spanish government says that that is driven by the emergence of the new strain. there have only been two confirmed cases of the new strain in spain, so far. there are a number of other suspected cases being analyzed at the moment. and in fact, spain is better off than many other countries in europe in terms of its overall situation regarding covid. however, the numbers are rising and one of the big concerns is... regarding all this is for the tourism industry, which is so important for the spanish economy. now, the british tourism market is the single biggest market in terms of foreign visitors to the country. and, earlier this year, because there were so few british visitors, that was one of the reasons why it was such a poor year. the early part of the year was so poor for the tourism industry here. however, things have started to pick up. in october, there were over 1 million british visitors to spain. so, there was a certain amount of optimism because of that. however, because of the emergence of the new strain, i think that optimism is now being tempered. in australia's northern territory, police are searching for three people who broke out of a covid—19 quarantine facility. the centre is holding people affected by a nearby outbreak, and travellers who arrived on repatriation flights — including a man who travelled from south africa and has tested positive for the omicron variant. police say the trio managed to scale a fence and flee in the early hours of the morning and officers have been stopping and searching cars in the area. a 15—year—old boy has shot dead three students at his high school in the american state of michigan. eight other people, including a teacher, were wounded in the attack at oxford high school, north of detroit. nichelle medina reports from los angeles. the community of oxford, michigan, is in mourning after it became the scene of the latest school shooting in the us. the first of more than 100 911 calls was received from oxford high school shortly before 1:00 pm tuesday. emergency personnel swarmed the campus. a pair of sheriff's deputies apprehended a suspect within minutes. he did not give us any resistance, when he was taken into custody. he's not cooperating with us, at this point. we have talked to the parents, and all i can tell you is they didn't want their son to talk to us and they've hired an attorney. investigators say the alleged shooter is a 15—year—old sophomore at the school. they say the boy was armed with a semiautomatic handgun and had several magazines with him. they believe he acted alone, but said it remains unclear what prompted the rampage. the person that's got the most insight of the motive is not talking. so, if we find anything in any of the evidence that we've seized, whether it be a phone dump or any evidence that was seized from the home, obviously that leads towards motive, that will be something we're very much looking for. the dead include a 16—year—old boy and two girls. one was 17 years old, and the otherjust14. the american author, alice sebold, has apologised for her part in the conviction of a man she wrongly accused of raping her in 1981. anthony broadwater was arrested and convicted on flawed evidence. he served 16 years in prison but always protested his innocence, and was finally exonerated, last week. in a statement, sebold said she was struggling with the role she played in what she called "a system that sent an innocent man to jail". the events formed the basis of her memoir, in which she described being raped and later telling police she had seen a black man in the street whom she believed was her attacker. our north america correspondent, david willis, explained more about the case. well, in actualfact, alice sebold's memoir, lucky, may have indirectly led to anthony broadwater�*s exoneration because lucky was being turned into a film, when the executive director of that film started to question, as the process went on, certain details not relating to the assault itself, but to do with the investigation and the subsequent trial. he brought in a private investigator. the investigator discovered that things simply didn't add up and recommended that the evidence be referred to a lawyer. and that led, last week, to anthony broadwater�*s exoneration. now, his conviction in the first place was based on him being identified in court by alice sebold and by some subsequently proved to be flawed forensic evidence. now, today, alice sebold explained why it's taken her more than a week to actually respond to anthony broadwater�*s exoneration. she said, "it's taken me these past eight days to comprehend "how this could have happened. "i will continue to struggle with the role that i unwittingly "played within a system that sent an innocent man to jail." "rape victim, i chose to put my faith in the american legal system." british mps have warned the home secretary that plans to turn back migrant boats attempting to cross the english channel are dangerous and probably unlawful. priti patel said last week the tactic would help to deter smuggling gangs. one of the survivors of last week's capsizing, in which 27 people died, has spoken to the bbc about the tragedy. bbc persian's soran qurbani reports from the french port city of calais. this is a man who says he stared death in the face and survived. mohammad omar is one of the two survivors from wednesday's migrant boat disaster in the english channel. translation: we set out around 10pm the night before, and we were already sailing for three hours and half when water began to get into the boat. and in about 30 minutes, it started to sink. mohamed and the only other survivor from wednesday's disaster, an iraqi, swam for up to ten hours until they were rescued by a french fisherman. translation: it was so cold, the water so cold, _ i saw people die in front of my eyes. families, children as young as five years old and a pregnant woman. according to mohammed's account, they were in british waters when their inflatable boat capsized, a claim that's denied by the uk home office. translation: we were in the british waters. . the driver of our boat confirmed that to me. he died, among others, but he had this app that showed our location and it said that we were on the british side. that's why we called the british authorities. mohammad still suffers from hypothermia that left him with injuries in both his legs. but the young somali tells me that it's the emotional trauma from that fateful night that will haunt him for the rest of his life. bbc news, calais, france. workers from dozens of universities across the uk are starting three days of industrial strike action. the main disputes are over pensions, pay, and working conditions, and there are worries more strikes could take place if a deal cannot be reached. our education correspondent, elaine dunkley reports. preparing for a picket line. these strikes are about pensions, pay and working conditions. every year, we are seeing more colleagues on fixed term contracts and really insecure contracts. you know, it's got to a point where i don't feel like i can recommend this line of work to anybody any more and that's really heartbreaking for me. the average member stands to lose around 35% of their pension, which in their retirement, that obviously is going to make a really significant difference to their quality—of—life. but before they get to retirement, we have also seen in the last 12 years, in realterms, a 20% pay cut. there is support for university staff amongst these students, but with fees of £9,000 per year and some lectures cancelled, they are also worried about their futures. we are also paying for our staff to get paid a decent pay, and have decent working conditions, which they're not getting. so, i mean, we should be in solidarity with them because their fight is our fight. a lot of people are very angry because theyjust don't think it's fair that after a year of strikes followed by a year and a half of online learning, they have just got back to normal, things are just about starting to get back into the swing and then we are being, we are facing possibly months of strikes. universities uk, which represents vice chancellors, said it's frustrating to be facing industrial action over pensions but it's working to reduce the impact on students. there are many things that we can do in universities to make sure that the students don't suffer. we can change deadlines, we can change teaching methods, we can change assessments, we can change personnel, there's all sorts of things that we can do. it's the start of three days of action but this dispute has lasted over a decade. and with no resolution in sight, staff and students are preparing for more disruption. elaine dunkley, bbc news. elaine spoke to the general secretary of the university and colleges unionjo grady at a picket line in leeds earlier. yes, as you can see, there's quite a big turnout here and there are protests going on at universities across the uk, in bristol, in sheffield, in london, in glasgow, in edinburgh. well, joining me now is drjo grady, who's the general secretary of the university and college union. how concerned are you about staff in this sector? we, as a union, are incredibly concerned. we have half of staff showing signs of probable depression, people utterly burnt out by workloads, often working six days a week, if not more. burnt out staff are not best for students. even the student union themselves called working conditions in higher education "untenable". and, on top of that, we have the rampant misuse of precarious contracts. 30% of the teaching in universities are done by people not on a secure contract. this cannot continue. this is a sector with {46.8 billion of reserves. they can well afford to pay people properly so that they can live and work with dignity. now, the universities... universities, uk, who represent vice chancellors and the management, say that what you're proposing just isn't doable in terms of the finances. and they're under huge pressure. and they'll have to make cuts elsewhere in places like research or evenjob losses. i think it's really unfortunate that vice chancellors want to weaponise finances, which, as i've just outlined, are not a problem in this sector to say that they can't afford to treat staff properly. students, you know, there's lots of students on picket lines today, 73% of students support the strike. and when students are asked what they want money spending on in their universities, they say staff. they don't want fancy new buildings. they want their staff paid properly so they can work properly. so the idea that this can't be afforded or cuts have to be made elsewhere is not the case. and just one final thing. the amount of expenditure that universities spend on staff has consistently fallen. so, money is going somewhere. so, often it's going to the six—figure salaries that vice chancellors get paid. it'sjust not going to the people actually keep the sector afloat. while the university and college union say about what they're asking for is fair and straightforward, those that are representing the universities in management say there are no simple solutions. but in the middle of all of this, there are students who face a challenging time ahead. the headlines on bbc news... england gears up for a major expansion of its vaccine booster programme, with all adults to be offered the jab by the end of january. nigeria says the new omicron variant of covid—19 was present there as early as october — weeks before it was detected in south africa. a 15—year—old has killed three fellow students and injured eight others in a school shooting in the us state of michigan. there's more disruption for students as staff at dozens of universities across the uk begin a three—day strike. and the lovely bones author, alice sebold, apologises for her part in the conviction of a man cleared of raping her after he spent 16 years in jail. millions of dollars is pledged to a new hiv action plan as world aids day is marked around the globe. the former us vice president mike pence has called on the supreme court to overturn the landmark 1973 legislation that enshrined abortion as a constitutional right. mr pence said the case of roe versus wade could soon be consigned to "the ash heap of history". mr pence was speaking in washington on the eve of a crucial hearing on a mississippi law which bans abortion after 15 weeks. a ruling is not expected until nextjuly, but if the conservative—leaning supreme court rules in mississippi's favour, it would undermine american women's constitutional right to an abortion, allowing each state to enact their own laws on terminations. i urge my fellow americans that cherish life to pray tomorrow and every day between now and next spring. for thejustices on our supreme court to have the courage to seize this moment for life. ministers in england say they want millions of people to book booster jab appointments over the coming weeks but health leaders have warned that this poses a "huge logistical challenge" for the already stretched nhs. people will now be invited to book a third dose of the vaccine three months after their second, with the clinically vulnerable being prioritised. 400 military personnel will be called on to assist the roll—out, and more pharmacies will become vaccine hubs. the bbc'sjohn maguire spent the morning at one of the pharmacies offering the booster jab. the idea is that they are community pharmacists, they are in local towns. this one in midhurst in west sussex. people know the staff, people know the pharmacy, they may wear may well have come for the flu jab every year. diana is one of the people who welcomes you in the pharmacy. good morning. a chap asked whether he could have his booster but he can't because he is supposed to wait for an appointment, what did you say? i invited him to go to 119 or the nhs website to make an appointment. and explained how we load appointments regularly to give people as much chance as possible to find one. he was happy with that. good morning, guys, they are waiting for their boosterjabs later on. sam and vicky will register people. it goes on to your nhs record. you have been busy, haven't you? we have been doing up to 280 people per day. | at the main vaccine centre, we did up to 1000. - we are still offering _ that service to the community. we have been with you all morning and i have told people you are former ba cabin staff, you are going back to the job soon before the last nine months or so, you have been doing this. what has it been like? i have been thrilled - to be part of the team. it has given me a lot of purpose but it has supported _ the community. we have such a wide area of villages that need - to have the vaccine. it has been a good support. well done, great stuff, providing a fantastic service. i will introduce you to bruce, good morning. how are we? getting some of the vaccines ready, prepared. you are a semi—retired pharmacist but back in action at the sharp end, as we have been saying, this morning, what has it been like for you? very good, good to get out and tell people that it is so important to get jabs and boosters. not just for them but also for their parents and grandparents, the older people who are just more vulnerable. winter is a difficult time of year. even more important perhaps? when you are coming in to get your covid booster orjab, don't forget about flu. flu kills a lot of people. well worth getting yourjab at the same time. pharmacies very well used to doing the seasonal flu jab. i will bring you back out into the pharmacy. the chairs are laid out. at the moment, people have to sit down for 15 minutes after they have had theirjab. good morning. expecting a busy day, as we have been saying. you are part of the big solution, aren't you? mass vaccination centres, gp surgeries. where do you fit in? community pharmacies are very accessible. - we are open at the hours that people need us. - we are used to dealing with the flu jabs already, as well. _ we are used to dealing - with pharmaceutical services. this is just an add—on. we will ramp up availability, . open weekends, open sundays, and we will try to meet that. target for the end ofjanuary. some gps are warning they are concerned they might need to put some of their routine business, if you like, until the programme runs out, will that be the same for pharmacists? we have been doingl this since january 29. most of this year. and all the way through, . we have never stopped any pharmaceutical services be accessed. it is one of the prerequisites for when we stood up. - people can be rest. assured that all their prescriptions, any minor ailments, they will still be able _ to access us as normal. all we ask is not to phone us, we can't make appointmentsl through us, you make _ appointments through phoning 119 or going online. just leave our telephone lines free for people that really _ need the pharmacy services. one of the things that strikes me is that you will know a lot of your people, as indeed a gp surgery will be. if anybody is hesitant for whatever reason, you will be able to give them reassurance. i am very fortunate. our staff can put people at ease. if you have needle phobias, other questions, _ we are here to help. we are really experienced that this now, we have done _ over 55,000 people. - we know what we are doing. we can help people along the way. thanks very much indeed. good to spend the morning with you. it strikes me this is a well—oiled machine. they do know what they are doing, as raj was saying. what they have been doing since the end of january as well as the winterflu programme. once you get the invitation, hopefully that comes through to you soon, a community pharmacy could be a good option. john maguire reporting. thousands of people in scotland and northern england have spent a fifth night without power — as engineers continue to repair the damage caused by storm arwen. the affected areas are mainly remote villages like blanchland in northumberland, from where our reporter alison freeman reports. they are the actions we're seeing again and again in the wake of storm arwen. communities helping each other to survive. the lord crewe arms is the only place in blanchland that has power thanks to its back—up generators, so they are keeping an eye on the vulnerable and providing hot food and drinks. i've basically come in just to charge my wife's cochlear implant. and without the grateful help of the lord crewe, we would be absolutely snookered. and they're actually doing free soup for the village as we speak. we are surviving, only, cold showers are a bit chilly! but there's been such a community spirit, i don't think we would have survived without the lord crewe. i think half of the community were in there last night. nearby communities, they have had, northern power grid have gone round to give them a bit of community support and things. and as yet, we've had nobody into the village or in contact from northern power grid. so i would say to them, really, they do need to make at least one call to the village to tell us that they know we're here. and this northumberland village's post office is being kept stocked up and running as well. there is no internet, there is no tv. the masks have come back in and they didn't know about it. so i'm quite literally the bringer of news to a lot of people in the village. lovely to have some help from the government, maybe draft the army in, maybe just some welfare units and things like that. the lord crewe arms can manage to keep its restaurant and half its 20 or so rooms running on the generator. but they can take cash only, and cannot check bookings on their system. but the lack of information is what's causing the most frustration here. it's not very good, we haven't had any updates from the power grid as to what's going to happen. the updates we have been getting haven't been following through. so we're just a bit worried about how long it's going to be off for. so did you expect it to last this long? i'm very surprised. i thought there would have been at least maybe some generators they could have brought up and plugged into the village and just kept everyone a bit warmer, really. it's going to freeze again in a couple of days, so my worry is, if we are not sorted by then, we will have burst pipes and stuff like that to contend with as well. alison freeman, blanchland. let's talk to somebody who is badly affected by this. irene amiet is in east lancashire and has been without power and water since the storm, which also affects her self—catering business. how long is it since you have been without power and water? the power went out at midnight _ without power and water? the power went out at midnight friday, - without power and water? the power went out at midnight friday, and - without power and water? the power went out at midnight friday, and the | went out at midnight friday, and the water pumps went out to so we have been without water since then as well. white macro is anyone —— is anyone doing anything about it? i know that they are working hard, but we have had basically no communication from electricity north—west. , we thought yesterday it had never been logged. we have spent hours queueing on phone lines. the neighbourhood has. nobody got through. my husband did, talk to some who promised we had been logged, but then our postcode had never been listed. and we had text messages coming in after midnight saying, basically, that we haven't got to you and we will try again the next day. got to you and we will try again the next da . ~ , got to you and we will try again the nextda. , got to you and we will try again the nextda . ~ , ., next day. when this happened on frida next day. when this happened on ffida ou next day. when this happened on friday you probably _ next day. when this happened on friday you probably thought - next day. when this happened on friday you probably thought this. friday you probably thought this will be about 2k hours or so. but it has just gone will be about 2k hours or so. but it hasjust gone on will be about 2k hours or so. but it has just gone on ever since. taste will be about 24 hours or so. but it hasjust gone on ever since. has 'ust gone on ever since. we have a hasjust gone on ever since. we have a self catering _ hasjust gone on ever since. we have a self catering business, _ hasjust gone on ever since. we have a self catering business, so - hasjust gone on ever since. we have a self catering business, so i - hasjust gone on ever since. we have a self catering business, so i don't i a self catering business, so i don't know what to tell my guests and i still have to pay penalty fees for cancellations. people have had their plans messed with. we need to make contingency plans. yesterday i asked on social media pages for people to let us know, because we need to purchase more firewood. there is just nothing coming through. h0 just nothing coming through. no power, no water, does that mean that every day life, what is it like? you must be pretty cold. taste every day life, what is it like? you must be pretty cold.— every day life, what is it like? you must be pretty cold. we are pretty cold but our _ must be pretty cold. we are pretty cold but our friends _ must be pretty cold. we are pretty cold but our friends and _ must be pretty cold. we are pretty cold but our friends and people - cold but ourfriends and people have been extremely helpful. everybody has helped us with hot showers and hot food. the neighbourhood and the town are extremely helpful. but it is just quite cold. we live in an old farmhouse, and we are worried that pipes will burst if we do not keep it hot so that is why we have to stay at home. also we have animals that we cannotjust leave. does it make you angry that they have taken so long to deal with this and they have not even been in touch to try to reassure you? it and they have not even been in touch to try to reassure you?— to try to reassure you? it makes me an: to try to reassure you? it makes me angry because — to try to reassure you? it makes me angry because they _ to try to reassure you? it makes me angry because they keep _ to try to reassure you? it makes me angry because they keep telling - angry because they keep telling people if they have not been dealt with or they have a problem to call 115, the emergency hotline but you stay there for one hour, then you either get disconnected or they promise you a call back which never comes. i promise you a call back which never comes. ., , , ,., ., comes. i hope things get sorted out ve soon comes. i hope things get sorted out very soon because _ comes. i hope things get sorted out very soon because it _ comes. i hope things get sorted out very soon because it has _ comes. i hope things get sorted out very soon because it has been - comes. i hope things get sorted out very soon because it has been far i very soon because it has been far too long already. thank you so much for talking to us.— a british football coach who was jailed for 25 years in the united arab emirates for possessing cbd vape oil has had his sentenced reduced to 10 years on appeal. billy hood was arrested earlier this year after four bottles of the liquid, which contains cannabis oil, were found in his car in dubai. he claims he was forced to sign a confession in arabic, despite not speaking the language. the uae has denied the accusation. the headlines on bbc news... england gears up for a major expansion of its vaccine booster programme, with all adults to be offered the jab by the end of january. nigeria says the new omicron variant of covid—19 was present there as early as october — weeks before it was detected in south africa. there's more disruption for students as staff at dozens of universities across the uk begin a three—day strike. december 1st is world aids day, and this year, it coincides with the 40th anniversary of the first aids—related deaths in the uk. the virus claimed thousands of lives throughout the �*80s and �*90s, and many of those who died were young, gay men. a special exhibition is being held in liverpool to honour them. josh parry reports. irememberseeing him forthe first time. this is a story of friendship. falling into the room, laughing his head off witha big... great big sort of long scarf on. kind of bumped into each other. and, from that moment on, we just, we gelled in a way that i'd never experienced with anybody else ever since. and we were suddenly brian and jerry and we stayed brian and jerry until the day he died. together, they discovered liverpool's gay scene. brian took me to my first club. he dressed me up and back—combed my hair. and somehow we managed to get in. and someone did that with a... with a little shutter to let us in. and we were in and as soon as we went in, we just dived on the dance floor, and never looked back. it felt like there wasn't anything we couldn't do. it felt like the, you know, the world was waiting, basically. obviously, later in that period, quite a lot changed. suddenly we started to hear, i think was in the pink paper or whatever paper it was that there was this this disease killing americans. and we couldn't think that there was a disease just killing gays. you know, you just didn't think that. and then suddenly it happened. there was that look of, you know, thinness, that sort of... i remember being really sort of overwhelmed by that. everything changed. do you remember when brian told you that he'd found out he was hiv positive? it was incredibly strange because i saw him and i immediately knew it was positive. he just looked at me and ijust looked at him and we stopped being the brian and jerry we always were. we immediately stopped being young. brian died aged 29, one year before life—saving treatment for hiv would become widely available. and in the face of fear and grief and hopelessness, this is how the world tried to remember. i've sort of been to see a few of the showings of the quilt and wondered if i might see brian's. but it's never been out on exhibit. and now, obviously, it's going on display in liverpool. do you want to come and see it, for the first time in 25 years? yeah. it's time, i think. how are you both feeling? it is overwhelming. um, and ifeel quite shaky, to be honest. it's stunning. it has aged well. yeah, i hope we've aged as well as it! a team in cambridge has shown that an off—the—shelf air filter can potentially remove almost all infectious airborne coronavirus from a hospital ward. scientists at the universityjoined with doctors at addenbrooke's hospital to see just how much difference an air filter makes — and their experiment produced dramatic results, that could be used to make hospitals and other public buildings safer. here's our science correspondent richard westcott. there's evidence that the coronavirus can spread through tiny droplets floating in the air. when people cough, laugh, sneeze, even breathe. so intensive care doctor vilas had an idea. would off the shelf air purifiers stop the virus floating around a covid ward? the results were dramatic. they tested the air without the machines, first of all, and, for five days, they found tiny droplets of the virus floating around. then they switched the machines on and the virus went, for five days. then they switched them back off again and the virus came back. so, vilas, basically, this was a hunch, wasn't it? yeah, it was. it was an idea. we didn't know it would work. i didn't know it would work. and luckily managed to get together a group of people, uh, engineers, scientists, doctors. and we went for it. when you got the results, what did you think? well, i think it's fair to say that we were all fairly gobsmacked by the results. uh, we were able to, uh, show that the covid virus was was in the air, measure how much is there, prove that we could get rid of it. it sounds simple, but finding a scientifically robust way of sampling the air is complex. vilas borrowed this device off a friend. it's normally used to test for anthrax. it traps all the viruses and bugs in a liquid which they analysed at a nearby lab specialising in infectious diseases. they used the same technique that does the pcr covid tests you send away. so if you're honest, then when vilas first came to you with the idea you didn't think it would work? i was very dubious about not whether the filtration devices would work, but about whether'd we be able to detect things in the air at a sufficient level to actually show that it was there. now, i know you found the coronavirus, but you found a whole load of other stuff, too. what was it? and was it potentially harmful? yeah, that was a bit of a surprise. the amount of things that we detected in the air was quite a lot. we detected a range of different viruses. we detected to a range of different bacteria, but also fungi. some of them are potentially problematic for human health. what we don't know is if there's sufficient amounts in the air to cause an infection and whether it's a great risk. most covid wards are makeshift. they simply aren't designed to filter the air. it needs more research. but this hunch experiment has the potential to make hospitals and other places safer. i hope we can develop a metal detector for measuring the cleanliness of air. um, proving it is clear, clean and doing that notjust in hospitals, but there's clearly a potential role, if we are correct, for deploying such capability in care homes and schools. richard westcott, bbc news, cambridge. 20 years ago, the famous moulin rouge film open. twenty years ago, it was the inspiration for the iconic film starring nicole kidman and ewan mcgregor. now, a stage version of the movie has opened in the west end. here's our music correspondent mark savage. # no matter your sin, you're welcome here #. moulin rouge arrives in london after a hugely successful launch on broadway. like the movie it's based on, the stage show is an assault on the senses, with one of the most lavish sets on the west end. we've treated this theatre in a 360 way, right? so when you come to this theatre, when you step off denman street, you are in the moulin rouge — whether you're in the back row or the front row, the show is happening all around you. and let's take a walk out. just show us what's happening in the auditorium. absolutely. so, over here, we've got this amazing windmill that, as you see right now, is rotating. we've got this incredible elephant. there's 800 square metres of red velvet. we've got go—go cages that are used for performers. here's can—can seating, so some people actually sit here this close to the action. so it has that kind of nightclub vibe. and have you ever been to the real moulin rouge? i've been outside the doors, i've knocked on the doors, but i haven't been let in, yes. why wouldn't they let you in? because i went in on sunday at 11am. i think they're probably recuperating at that point. or at church. yeah, that's right. but it's notjust the stage. the costumes are equally over the top. there is just about 300 in total for our principal performers and there's 8600 rhinestones that are on satine's diamond costume alone. and do you have to keep a spare bucket of rhinestones in case one falls off? yes, they always fall off. yes, there's a huge bucket — buckets of rhinestones in the back. # i was made for loving you, baby, you were made for loving me. - # the only way of loving me, baby, is to pay a lovely fee.# baz luhrmann's original film starred ewan mcgregor and nicole kidman as christian and satine — two star—crossed lovers in 19th century paris who serenaded each other with medleys of pop songs. for the musical, even more songs have been crammed in. this sequence now includes 20 hits in just five minutes. it was really exciting to be able to kind of mine for anti—love songs. so as he's presenting these love songs to her, she's able to refute them with her own songs that she brings into the mix. # need you by my side, girl, you'll be my bride. # never be denied everlasting love. # what's love got to do, got to do with it? # come what may.# for the london production, satine is played by liisi lafontaine, who makes a spectacular entrance every night. yes, i enter by trapeze swing. something i never thought i would say. doing it every night is so surreal and you just hear like a slight gasp and then it's applause, and it's just this crazy way to start the show. satine, as fans of the film will know, has quite a tragic story in the final act. how do you prepare yourself for that emotionally every night? it's difficult. i mean, especially with covid and with how much collective grief we've all experienced in the last few years, i think that dying every day is deeper than it would have been two years ago. i think what we're all willing to sacrifice and the people we've lost along the way is kind of all represented within that moment. but i feel like it's such a poetic ending and it makes everything make more sense. and so it's almost like a sacrifice. liisi says audiences have been in tears at every night of previews for moulin rouge the musical. so if you do plan to go, remember to pack a box of tissues. adele has announced a residency at caesar's palace in las vegas. # so please help me baby...# she follows in the footseteps of celine dion and sir eltonjohn. her latest album, 30, is the fastest—selling of the year. tickets for the weekend performances go on sale on december 7th. i bet they are pretty expensive. there's been quite a bit of snow around in the last few days in some parts of the country but this is albuquerque in new mexico, where snowfall is extremely rare. so every year since 1995 the city authorities have built a "snowman" out of tumbleweed. you are watching bbc news. joanna is here next. you might have heard her singing along to adele, quite badly! now it's time for a look at the weather with carol. hello again, the temperatures in the next few days are all over the place. today and tomorrow, it's going to feel cold then some of the milder comes our way during the course of friday. but then it's cold again at the weekend. today, we've got this weather front sinking south and behind it, a straight northerly, hence the cold feel. now the weather front is producing rain as it moves across england and also wales. behind that for scotland and northern ireland and the far north of england, it's going to turn increasingly cold through the course of the day with sunshine and showers. some of those showers, even at lower levels across the north of scotland will be of snow. windy today too wherever you are, but especially along the west coast, the east coast and also the far north of scotland. and that wind coming from a chilly direction. so those temperatures lower than they were yesterday. we're looking at one is the maximum in lerwick to maybe ten in st helier. but add on the wind chill and it will feel colder than that. and that's a front sink south. the air will turn colder across the channel islands as well. now, tonight, there'll be some clear skies around, still some showers coming in through the east and also the west there, mostly of rain at lower levels, snow in the hills. but in the north of scotland, we're likely to see snow at all levels where it does fall. and it's going to be a cold night with some frost and the risk of ice on untreated surfaces. but as we head through thursday, this ridge of high pressure builds in, still a squeeze in the isobars first thing along the east coast. so windy here at first, but easing a touch through the day. still some wintry showers in the hills here, but a lot of dry weather. some wintry shows that low levels across the north of scotland for a time. and then we've got this weather front coming in from the west, introducing thicker cloud and also some rain. temperatures tomorrow are going to be lower. we're looking at three to about nine degrees. now as we head on from thursday night into friday. we've got this clash of fronts on its leading edge. we could well see some snow. and then we've got this little ridge coming in behind. so first thing on friday, there goes our weather front with all that rain. behind it, some clear skies, some sunshine, really big amounts of cloud, a few showers coming into the west ahead of the next weather front, which is coming our way. and temperatures a bit higher by now, milder across the far south west. but generally we're looking forward to about 8 celsius. into the weekend it looks like a new area of low pressure is coming our way. so turning more unsettled, windy at times with rain showers, but looking drier on sunday. this is bbc news, i'mjoanna gosling. the headlines at 11... the nhs gears up for a major expansion of its vaccine booster programme, with all adults to be offered the jab by the end of january. when you get your call, this is really part of a national mission where you can play a part. please do, you know, a step up and roll up your sleeves and get protected. step up and roll up your sleeves and get protected. leaked minutes of a sage meeting, seen by the bbc, say while the impact of the new variant remains "highly uncertain", a "very stringent" public health response may be required. but it's not business as usual. fears of the omicron variant spreading prompts people to start cancelling christmas parties and get—togethers. tens of thousands of people have spent a fifth night without power in north england and scotland after storm arwen destroyed infrastructure. it's been pretty difficult. this has been five nights of no power so far. it's pretty cold and when you are feeding a baby every two hours it is even colder. there's more disruption for students as staff at dozens of universities begin a three—day strike across the uk. millions of pounds are pledged to a new hiv action plan as world aids day is marked around the globe. and england record their biggest ever competitive victory after thrashing latvia 20—0 in their women's world cup qualifying game. good morning and welcome to bbc news. the nhs is gearing up for a major expansion of the vaccine booster programme, with hospitals and thousands of community sites set to offer the jab to help fight the newly discovered omicron variant. in england, a further 1a million adults are being offered a booster. the government says all adults should have been offered a booster by the end of january. some 400 military personnel will help out at 1,500 vaccination centres across england to ramp up the booster programme. the prime minister has promised to �*throw everything' at the covid—19 vaccination progamme and called or another �*great british vaccination effort�* while scientists try to find out more about the new variant. but new documents have revealed the government's most senior scientific advisers think the omicron may require a "very stringent response" from ministers. aru na iyengar reports. we're back to vaccinating on an industrial scale. over the summer, vaccination centres opened in cathedrals, shops, and football stadiums. now, borisjohnson says they'll be popping up like christmas trees. it's in response to the new omicron variant, which could be more infectious than delta. it's this constant balancing act that the government's had to get right, throughout the pandemic. the government has to get across a strong and clear message to encourage people to do the right thing. the prime minister has said the government will be throwing everything at the campaign. he's pledged every adult in england will be offered a booster by the end of january. more hospitals will offerjabs, while over 1,000 pharmacies will deliver vaccines. but minutes from a meeting from sage, the group of experts who advise the government, warns of a potentially significant wave of infections and says the government should be preparing to ramp up restrictions. i personally think that the restrictions that we have in place at the moment are unlikely to really stop this strain spreading in the uk. and that it's likely to increase over the next few months and potentially become the dominant strain and have higher levels of infection than we would have otherwise had. ministers have said their response is proportionate and further analysis of the new variant needs to take place in the weeks ahead. the governments in scotland, wales, and northern ireland have confirmed they will also step up their booster programmes. saving lives, protecting the nhs, saving christmas. time will tell if the right choices have been made. aruna iyengar, bbc news. this morning the health secretary sajid javid said people should exercise caution in the run up to christmas. we should always always be a bit cautious. it might be sensible, depending on the type of party you go to to take a lft test before you go. this is guidance that is already out there. i think about throughout the pandemic, the vast majority of people have just been very sensible throughout the pandemic. they know when they might have to take a test early or should they wear face masks, things like that. there are sensible precautions we can all take. as we heard earlier, new documents have revealed the government's most senior scientific advisers think the omicron may require a "very stringent response" from ministers. let's get more from our health correspondent nick triggle, who's with me now. what are they saying in these documents?— what are they saying in these documents? , ., , ., ., documents? these are minutes from a meetin: on documents? these are minutes from a meeting on monday _ documents? these are minutes from a meeting on monday of _ documents? these are minutes from a meeting on monday of the _ meeting on monday of the government's sage advisory committee. they have been passed on to the bbc. in some respects they restate what has already been set in the public, that the impact of this new variant is highly uncertain at this point, to make as you site require a very stringent response and is highly likely the variant will escape immunity to some extent but they are not sure how much. they also, these minutes, talk about the restrictions on travel. they say if there was more pcr testing when someone returns from travel, so the government has introduced a pcr test by date two, the minutes say if there was also other ones may be on day 54 eight that would be more likely to capture infections. secondly predeparture tests could be valuable as well. —— day five or eight. valuable as well. -- day five or eiaht. .,, valuable as well. -- day five or eiaht. ., valuable as well. -- day five or ei ht, ., , ., , valuable as well. -- day five or eiaht. ., , valuable as well. -- day five or eiuht. ., , ., valuable as well. -- day five or eiaht. ., , ., _ eight. those are being called for by the snp and _ eight. those are being called for by the snp and labour _ eight. those are being called for by the snp and labour and _ eight. those are being called for by the snp and labour and the - eight. those are being called for by the snp and labour and the welsh | the snp and labour and the welsh government, all separately. is it likely that this, those predeparture tests and later testing post return to the uk come in? it tests and later testing post return to the uk come in?— tests and later testing post return to the uk come in? it does raise a ruestion to the uk come in? it does raise a question of— to the uk come in? it does raise a question of why — to the uk come in? it does raise a question of why that _ to the uk come in? it does raise a question of why that hasn't - to the uk come in? it does raise a question of why that hasn't been l question of why that hasn't been done. this meeting was on monday after the government took the announcements and what we don't know is what other advice they are receiving at the moment. sage are focusing here on what has the best way to reduce infections. but they also might be getting advice from behavioural scientists, for example if you introduce three tests on return from travel, it is up to people to take these tests, will people to take these tests, will people do free tests? you could have people do free tests? you could have people say, not doing any test at all because the requirements are too stringent. you have to think what other advice you're getting at is what we can see at the moment. but they certainly raise marks about the decisions that have been taken and i am sure the government will need to answer them. am sure the government will need to answer them-— answer them. separately there is more evidence _ answer them. separately there is more evidence of— answer them. separately there is more evidence of this _ answer them. separately there is more evidence of this morning i answer them. separately there is - more evidence of this morning about the impact of covid on care for other illnesses and health conditions, particularly cancer stop you there is. there have been the national audit office looking at hospital services including cancer and routine treatments. fin hospital services including cancer and routine treatments. on cancer the oint and routine treatments. on cancer they point to _ and routine treatments. on cancer they point to the _ and routine treatments. on cancer they point to the fact _ and routine treatments. on cancer they point to the fact that - and routine treatments. on cancer they point to the fact that the - they point to the fact that the number of cancer patients being seen by hospitals are back to pre—pandemic levels but what hasn't happened, the nhs hasn't yet found those patients that didn't come forward in the early months, particular the first six months of the pandemic. these are referrals for suspected cancer, the numbers drop significantly. they estimate that could be as many as between 35000 and 60,000 missing cancer diagnoses out there. people who have cancer but it hasn't been diagnosed. the concern is that this will lead to greater numbers of later stage cancers being identified, reducing the chances of survival and then just briefly, on treatments, things like knee and hip operations, the waiting list has already reached 5.8 million in england, the highest on record, but the national audit office ones the numbers waiting for treatment is likely to climb in the coming years and could be higher in 2025 and it is now.— there are fears that the hospitality industry could suffer — as people may cancel parties and events in the run up to christmas. let's speak to michael kill, who is the ceo of the night time industries. thank you forjoining us. what the government is officially saying is people shouldn't change what they are doing. are you getting in the early signs people pulling out things that have been planned? without a doubt. i think there have been some mixed messaging early on particularly from some of the healthcare advisers suggesting that people should limit their socialisation is. it is a concern. we have seen some cancellations and we definitely see a slow and christmas bookings and ticket sales across different industries. can christmas bookings and ticket sales across different industries.- across different industries. can you tell us more _ across different industries. can you tell us more about _ across different industries. can you tell us more about the _ across different industries. can you tell us more about the level- across different industries. can you tell us more about the level of - tell us more about the level of cancellations and how the number of bookings compares with what you might have expected? this bookings compares with what you might have expected?— might have expected? as you can a- reciate might have expected? as you can appreciate this — might have expected? as you can appreciate this is _ might have expected? as you can appreciate this is a _ might have expected? as you can appreciate this is a critical - might have expected? as you can appreciate this is a critical period | appreciate this is a critical period particularly for businesses to build up particularly for businesses to build up their cash reserves leading into the q1 up their cash reserves leading into the 01 next year. we are starting to see a drop off, very early stages, the announcement that came earlier this week has really started to just feel the downturn for the stalling of tickets. we haven't got absolute numbers at the moment but over the members and businesses we have discussed with, they are definitely feeling the change in a narrative that concerns people are starting to back off committing. they are starting to see a level of cancellations particularly on party bookings, and the stalling of ticket sales for shows or events that would normally have been in a place where they are starting to fulfil their requirements. there is a level of concern and i think this is around the confusion of the communication. what would you like to hear from the government? their official message now is don't change your plans, you don't need to stop your socialising in the run—up to christmas, but obviously you mention the mixed messages but there have been. i think the health secretary coming out and telling people to be responsible, i think the key thing people need to understand as there are some very clear mitigations that are some very clear mitigations that are put in place within the settings we are talking about and they come out in terms of negative testing, to gain access. we are talking about communication training, sanitation, ventilation provisions, so there is a huge range of work that is happening within our sector to safeguard not only our customers but also stop so ijust safeguard not only our customers but also stop so i just want safeguard not only our customers but also stop so ijust want people safeguard not only our customers but also stop so i just want people to have confidence that they can still come out, socialise responsibly, as per the health minister suggested earlier on at the prime minister has suggested moving forward. but this is still a challenge as people are going to be concerned with the release of this additional variant. thank you. thousands of people in scotland and northern england have spent a fifth night without power — as engineers continue to repair the damage caused by storm arwen. the affected areas are mainly remote villages like blanchland in northumberland, from where our reporter alison freeman reports. they are the actions we're seeing again and again in the wake of storm arwen. communities helping each other to survive. the lord crewe arms is the only place in blanchland that has power thanks to its back—up generators, so they are keeping an eye on the vulnerable and providing hot food and drinks. i've basically come in just to charge my wife's cochlear implant. and without the grateful help of the lord crewe, we would be absolutely snookered. and they're actually doing free soup for the village as we speak. we are surviving, only, cold showers are a bit chilly! but there's been such a community spirit, i don't think we would have survived without the lord crewe. i think half of the community were in there last night. nearby communities, they have had, northern power grid have gone round to give them a bit of community support and things. and as yet, we've had nobody into the village or in contact from northern power grid. so i would say to them, really, they do need to make at least one call to the village to tell us that they know we're here. and this northumberland village's post office is being kept stocked up and running as well. there is no internet, there is no tv. the masks have come back in and they didn't know about it. so i'm quite literally the bringer of news to a lot of people in the village. lovely to have some help from the government, maybe draft the army in, maybe just some welfare units or things like that. the lord crewe arms can manage to keep its restaurant and half its 20 or so rooms running on the generator. but they can take cash only, and cannot check bookings on their system. but the lack of information is what's causing the most frustration here. it's not very good, we haven't had any updates from the power grid as to what's going to happen. the updates we have been getting haven't been following through. so we're just a bit worried about how long it's going to be off for. so did you expect it to last this long? i'm very surprised, i thought there would have been at least maybe some generators they could have brought up and plugged into the village and just kept everyone a bit warmer, really. it's going to freeze again in a couple of days, so my worry is, if we are not sorted by then, we will have burst pipes and stuff like that to contend with as well. alison freeman, blanchland. on monday i spoke with steven morrow who was stuck without power in doune, in perthshire. let's get an update from him. nice to see you again, what is the latest? ~ ., ., ,., ., ., latest? we have had the power on for about two or — latest? we have had the power on for about two or three _ latest? we have had the power on for about two or three hours _ latest? we have had the power on for about two or three hours last - latest? we have had the power on for about two or three hours last night. l about two or three hours last night. it's since went off, about 11 at night. it has been on and off a couple of times this morning but i don't know, they are obviously heading in the right direction, finding the pulse. we have been told possibly later on today, but on the sse website it says tomorrow, but it is one of those just take it when it comes, with the power being reconnected.— comes, with the power being reconnected. ~ ., ., reconnected. when we spoke to you on monday you — reconnected. when we spoke to you on monday you were _ reconnected. when we spoke to you on monday you were saying _ reconnected. when we spoke to you on monday you were saying we _ reconnected. when we spoke to you on monday you were saying we couldn't i monday you were saying we couldn't work because you have your young kids at home all under the age of six, and you were saying how it is impacting on them and obviouslyjust very cold for all of you not able to cook or anything else that you need power for, cook or anything else that you need powerfor, sojust cook or anything else that you need power for, so just tell us what it has been like, these last few days. it has been hard. the thing is, we don't have the bt landline, it went off, the wi—fi committee mobile phone coverage was patchy, so i don't know if one of the mobile phone transmitters were down, they are on mains power or whatever, so no one could get through to us to tell us there is a respite centre, the first couple of days were really hard and we were struggling in the house, sorry, two seconds. sorry about that. just struggling in the house. once we managed to get the phone up in the car, we found the primary school were offering three meals a day and a warm environment, so there is the last couple of days, we took an elderly friend along as well, because the thing is, i was told yesterday by the sse manager in the future do you want to go on the priority services register and i said to them, we are actually already on that. i got a text the day before the storm struck advising the right to be power outages in the area and to phoning those that we phonedin area and to phoning those that we phoned in and were told there is nothing we can do. see the register, it has been a failure for us. i would imagine there are other people affected, vulnerable people, elderly people, so i don't know what other people, so i don't know what other people have been not so much forgotten about but they have been given the full support they may be deserve. brute given the full support they may be deserve. ~ ., , ., ., ., deserve. we have been hearing from a number of people _ deserve. we have been hearing from a number of people in _ deserve. we have been hearing from a number of people in the _ deserve. we have been hearing from a number of people in the same - deserve. we have been hearing from a number of people in the same boat i deserve. we have been hearing from a number of people in the same boat as| number of people in the same boat as you and it is not easy particularly in really cold weather. hoping that it all does come back on properly very soon for you. thanks for joining us. very soon for you. thanks for joining us— very soon for you. thanks for “oininr us. g ., , ., �* , joining us. my name is ron burgundy, thank ou. joining us. my name is ron burgundy, thank you. you're _ joining us. my name is ron burgundy, thank you. you're welcome, _ joining us. my name is ron burgundy, thank you. you're welcome, stay i thank you. you're welcome, stay class . johanna konta, the former british tennis number one has announced her retirement from tennis. she is 30 and struggled with a persistent knee problem over the past couple of years and has slipped to 113 in the rankings. she made the announcement on social media with the post, headed, grateful. she wrote, "this is the word i could probably use the most during my career and it is what explains it best in the end. my playing career has come to an end and i am so incredible grateful for the career turned out to be. all the evidence pointed to me not making it in this profession. however my luck materialised and the people that came into my life and impacted my existence in ways that transcended tennis. i am so gratefulfor existence in ways that transcended tennis. i am so grateful for these people. you know who you are. through my own resilience and through the guidance of others i got to live my dreams stopped i got to become what i wanted and said as a child. how incredibly fortunate i count myself to be. how grateful i am." but is quite moving. that is her statement on why she has decided to retire at the age of 30. more in the sport at 11:30am. the headlines on bbc news... the nhs gears up for a major expansion of its vaccine booster programme, with all adults to be offered the jab by the end of january. leaked minutes of a sage meeting, seen by the bbc, say while the impact of the new variant remains "highly uncertain", a "very stringent" public health response may be required. tens of thousands of people have spent a fifth night without power in north england and scotland after storm arwen destroyed infrastructure. british mps have warned the home secretary that plans to turn back migrant boats attempting to cross the english channel are dangerous and probably unlawful. priti patel said last week the tactic would help to deter smuggling gangs. one of the survivors of last week's capsizing, in which 27 people died, has spoken to the bbc about the tragedy. bbc persian's soran qurbani reports from the french port city of calais. this is a man who says he stared death in the face and survived. mohammad omar is one of the two survivors from wednesday's migrant boat disaster in the english channel. translation: we set out around 10pm the night before, _ and we were already sailing for three hours and half when water began to get into the boat. and in about 30 minutes, it started to sink. mohamed and the only other survivor from wednesday's disaster, an iraqi, swam for up to ten hours until they were rescued by a french fisherman. translation: it was so cold, - the water so cold, i saw people die in front of my eyes. families, children as young as five years old and a pregnant woman. according to mohamed's account, they were in british waters when their inflatable boat capsized, a claim that's denied by the uk home office. translation: we were in the british waters. i the driver of our boat confirmed that to me. he died, among others, but he had this app that showed our location and it said that we were on the british side. that's why we called the british authorities. mohamed still suffers from hypothermia that left him with injuries in both his legs. but the young somali tells me that it's the emotional trauma from that fateful night that will haunt him for the rest of his life. soran ourbani, bbc news, calais, france. workers from dozens of universities across the uk are starting three days of industrial strike action. the main disputes are over pensions, pay, and working conditions, and there are worries more strikes could take place if a deal cannot be reached. our education correspondent, elaine dunkley reports. preparing for a picket line. these strikes are about pensions, pay and working conditions, every year, we are seeing more colleagues on fixed term contracts and really insecure contracts. you know, it's got to a point where i don't feel like i can recommend this line of work to anybody any more and that's really heartbreaking for me. the average member stands to lose around 35% of their pension, which in their retirement, that obviously is going to make a really significant difference to their quality of life. but before they get to retirement, we have also seen in the last 12 years, in realterms, a 20% pay cut. there is support for university staff amongst these students, but with fees of £9,000 per year and some lectures cancelled, they are also worried about their futures. we are also paying for our staff to get paid a decent pay, and have decent working conditions, which they're not getting. so, i mean, we should be in solidarity with them because their fight is our fight. a lot of people are very angry because theyjust don't think it's fair that after a year of strikes followed by a year and a half of online learning, they have just got back to normal, things are just about starting to get back into the swing and then we are being, we are facing possibly months of strikes. universities uk, which represents vice chancellors, said it's frustrating to be facing industrial action over pensions but it's working to reduce the impact on students. there are many things that we can do in universities to make sure that the students don't suffer. we can change deadlines, we can change teaching methods, we can change assessments, we can change personnel, there's all sorts of things that we can do. this is the start of three days of action but this dispute has lasted over a decade. and with no resolution in sight, staff and students are preparing for more disruption. elaine dunkley, bbc news. earlier, elaine spoke to the general secretary of the university and colleges unionjo grady at a picket line in leeds. yes, as you can see, there's quite a big turnout here and there are protests going on at universities across the uk, in bristol, in sheffield, in london, in glasgow, in edinburgh. well, joining me now is drjo grady, who's the general secretary of the university and college union. how concerned are you about staff in this sector? we, as a union, are incredibly concerned. we have half of staff showing signs of probable depression, people utterly burnt out by workloads, often working six days a week, if not more. burnt out staff are not best for students. even the student union themselves called working conditions in higher education "untenable". and, on top of that, we have the rampant misuse of precarious contracts. 30% of the teaching in universities are done by people not on a secure contract. this cannot continue. this is a sector with {46.8 billion of reserves. they can well afford to pay people properly so that they can live and work with dignity. now, the universities... universities uk, who represent vice chancellors and the management, say that what you're proposing just isn't doable in terms of the finances. and they're under huge pressure. and they'll have to make cuts elsewhere in places like research or even job losses. i think it's really unfortunate that vice chancellors want to weaponise finances, which, as i've just outlined, are not a problem in this sector to say that they can't afford to treat staff properly. students, you know, there's lots of students on picket lines today, 73% of students support the strike. and when students are asked what they want money spending on in their universities, they say staff. they don't want fancy new buildings. they want their staff paid properly so they can work properly. so the idea that this can't be afforded or cuts have to be made elsewhere is not the case. and just one final thing. the amount of expenditure that universities spend on staff has consistently fallen. so, money is going somewhere. so, often it's going to the six—figure salaries that vice chancellors get paid. it'sjust not going to the people actually keep the sector afloat. while the university and college union say what they're asking for is fair and straightforward, those that are representing the universities in management say there are no simple solutions. but in the middle of all of this, there are students who face a challenging time ahead. inflation in the uk and rising costs could push average family spending up by £1,700 over the next year, according to research carried out for the bbc�*s panorama programme. much of this is down to increasing fuel and energy prices, but it's also a result of problems in the uk's supply chain — from the shortage of hgv drivers to vegetable pickers and food processors. jane corbin reports. what's for dinner today? roast on a sunday. this family in redford in nottinghamshire are struggling with rising prices. nicki, a nurse and husband, martin, who works for a builders' merchants are on average incomes. we try and budget very carefully around food, whereas going back a couple of years, we just buy whatever we wanted to. on top of sharp hikes in their energy bills, nicki is finding the prices of many items in their weekly shop have gone up. margarine. that's definitely, definitely doubled in price. meat, definitely that's gone up. yogurts, definitely. they've gone up for sure. research done for panorama tracked prices of some essential food items, fuel and energy in the run—up to christmas. our analysis shows that inflation is expected to stand above 4.5% by the time christmas comes around. and for a typical household in the uk, that means i that their monthly spending will be around £109 higher. than it was for the same basketj of goods and services last year, this time. across the uk's supply chain, there are shortages of lorry drivers and seasonal workers as a result of brexit and covid. the government also says some of the challenges are due to global pressures. it offered 30,000 visas for seasonal workers, but growers say that's not enough. in lincolnshire, one company has offered tempting wages to try to lure british workers. we had airline pilots apply and all sorts. i there was only actually _ probably ten that could do the job. the government says a long—term answer to the labour shortage is investment in technology like roboveg, a machine that picks broccoli. well, we've set it up to be as fast as a team of seven people in the field. a machine like this will cost nearly £400,000, a significant investment. and it can't solve richard's problems right now. these machines aren't really going to be commercially used for another two or three years. and until we get there, you need the people to do the work. with all their costs, labour and energy rising, too, this grower says the increases will eventually have to be passed on to consumers. the government says it will carry on working with industry to tackle ongoing challenges. jane corbin, bbc news. and you can see jane's report on panorama — delivering christmas — what's in store? on bbc one tonight at 7.30pm your questions answered is up next. stay with us. now it's time for a look at the weather with carol kirkwood. hello again. today is the first day of the meteorological winter and it's going to feel much colder than it did yesterday. we've got this weather front sinking south, taking its rain with it and doing so, behind it colder airfilters in. we'll see sunshine and showers. but increasingly, the showers will be wintry at low levels across the north of scotland. now, it's going to be windy today, especially along the coasts. these are maximum temperatures, stilljust hanging onto the milder conditions in the south. but as that weather front clears the cold airfiltering behind it, it's going to be a cold night generally with clear skies, some wintry showers, mostly in the hills except for northern scotland, which will be at all levels. and it will be cold enough for a widespread frost and also the risk of some ice on untreated surfaces. now, tomorrow, we start off with some wintry showers on the hills, even at low levels in scotland. but there will be a lot of dry weather. it's not going to be as windy. and through the day, the cloud will build out towards the west and then we'll start to see some rain. but wherever you are, it will feel cold. hello, this is bbc news with mejoanna gosling. the headlines... the nhs gears up for a major expansion of its vaccine booster programme, with all adults to be offered the jab by the end of january. leaked minutes of a sage meeting, seen by the bbc, say while the impact of the new variant remains "highly uncertain", a "very stringent" public health response may be required. fears of the omicron variant spreading prompts people to start cancelling christmas parties and get—togethers. tens of thousands of people have spent a fifth night without power in north england and scotland after storm arwen destroyed infrastructure. there's more disruption for students as staff at dozens of universities begin a three—day strike across the uk. millions of pounds are pledged to a new hiv action plan, as world aids day is marked around the globe. we can get the latest from the bbc sport centre. that news about johanna konta retiring. former british number one johanna konta has announced she will retire from tennis at the age of 30. the former british number one broke the news on her social media channels, saying she was very grateful for her career. konta won four titles on the wta tour. she reached the semi—finals at wimbledon in 2017, losing to simona halep. but it took her to the position of world number four that year — the highest ranking by a british woman since virginia wade in 1978. however, konta has struggled with herfitness, an abdominal injury, then contracting covid, meant she missed both wimbledon and the olympics this year. she's also been sufferring from heart palpitations. the lta thanked konta for her incredible contribution to british sport. what has been so wonderful about johanna con to's korea is that it came at such a surprise to see her transform herself who was outside the top 100 and in the space of ten months became a top 20 player. the australian open final when she beat venus williams. prestigious titles in sydney and miami, a wimbledon semifinal in 2017, a french open final in 2019. that was a one that got away. she had a winning position in the semifinals that year. there had been frustrations in the last couple of years. lockdown is, a covid diagnosis and persistent knee problems, butjohanna konta is very ready for the next chapter of her life and she can look back at the phenomenal career in which she established herself as one of the very best british players of the modern era. harry kane has congratulated striker ellen white on becoming england women's top scorer after last night's 20—0 victory over latvia. it was white's second goal of the group d world cup qualifier that saw her surpass kelly smith's previous tally of 46 for her country. then, just after half time, the 32—year—old completed her hattrick. and team mate, lauren hemp scored her fourth of the night which made it 20 for england. men's captain harry kane, said white's tally was an impressive feat. ijust i just wanted to send congratulations on reaching the highest goalfor congratulations on reaching the highest goal for englandengland women's. amazing achievement, fully deserved. and i'm sure there will be more to come as well. congratulations, hope you are well and i wish you all the best. ben stokes has been settling back into the england squad in preperation for the ashes in australia — meeting up with them for the first time since july. the england all—rounder took time out of the game to have a second operation on his finger, and to concentrate on his mental health. with just a week to go until the start of the first test in brisbane, england have had to train indoors because of the weather. their warm—up inter squad four—day match was rained off. however, spin bowlerjack leach says stokes's inclusion has boosted morale within the squad. it's looking really good. he is fitting back into the group brilliantly, it is great to have him back around and he has been brilliant and he is such a team man and i think the group is only better for having him in it and he brings experience. he really brings the boys together so that has been really good. and some sad news from the world of rugby union. scotland international and stirling county back row siobhan cattigan has died at the age of 26. cattigan earned 19 caps between 2018 and 2021, with her most recent appearance coming in their world cup qualifier against spain in september. scottish rugby said their thoughts "go out to siobhan's family and team—mates at this incredibly difficult time". and they added that specialist employees would provide support to those most closely affected. that's all the sport for now. breaking use. the leader of the house of commons jacob rees—mogg is being investigated by the parliamentary commissioner for standards. , , ., parliamentary commissioner for standards-— standards. the website for the commission — standards. the website for the commission details _ standards. the website for the j commission details allegations currently being examined and it is being updated to show that jacob rees—mogg is being investigated for a potential breach of the rules on registering outside earnings. no details of the exact allegations are given, which is apparently normal practice. separately, the leader of the scottish conservatives douglas rossis the scottish conservatives douglas ross is also under investigation. so that it's just through to us. the specifics of the allegation is that it is registration of interest on private earnings. you've been getting in touch with us about the new covid omicron variant — so it's now time for your questions answered. with me is professor beate kampmann, director of the vaccine centre at the london school of hygiene and tropical medicine, and dr helen wall, senior responsible officer for the vaccination programme in bolton. welcome. helen, a question from paul. he said my partner and i recently tested positive for covid and have self isolated. we no longer have symptoms and are planning to travel to slovakia on the 15th of december to see family but have been told not to have a pcr test as it will probably still retain a positive result. how do we get proof that we are fit to travel and return as pcr tests are now required on return to the uk?— return to the uk? that is an interesting _ return to the uk? that is an interesting question - return to the uk? that is an interesting question and i return to the uk? that is an | interesting question and one return to the uk? that is an i interesting question and one which return to the uk? that is an - interesting question and one which i come across quite a lot. i would start by saying the information is not openly out there. it is a bit confusing but what we have been asked to signpost patients to with these concerns is the service 119. they will have up—to—date information on how to get around this problem. it is a problem and we know that sometimes people carry the dead virus still and their pcr test can be positive two to three months after having covid. you can get around it. you can get forms to exempt them from pcr because he had been proven to have covid and other patients have been asked to do other tests. two give specific advice, we would ask you to go through the 119 service. i5 would ask you to go through the 119 service. , ., ., ., service. is there a guarantee that there is a way _ service. is there a guarantee that there is a way around _ service. is there a guarantee that there is a way around it _ service. is there a guarantee that there is a way around it or- service. is there a guarantee that there is a way around it or is it i there is a way around it or is it just going to be they will have to find out? ., , ., ., find out? there are ways around it. i have find out? there are ways around it. i have had — find out? there are ways around it. i have had plenty — find out? there are ways around it. i have had plenty of— find out? there are ways around it. i have had plenty of patients i find out? there are ways around it. i have had plenty of patients who i i have had plenty of patients who have had covid and managed to go abroad. it is a bit of a challenge because we need more pcr tests then we did last week and many people were able to travel if they were fully vaccinated without the need for pcr. so i think the problems will go up. and we have had patients who have just risked will go up. and we have had patients who havejust risked it will go up. and we have had patients who have just risked it and will go up. and we have had patients who havejust risked it and have had negative pcr after having covid, so it is not a guarantee you would have a positive but i appreciate it is anxiety inducing so my advice is to go through 119 to get the best advice. we heard that omicron is more contagious but no discussion on how incapacitating it is. share more contagious but no discussion on how incapacitating it is.— how incapacitating it is. are we more or less — how incapacitating it is. are we more or less likely _ how incapacitating it is. are we more or less likely to - how incapacitating it is. are we more or less likely to get i more or less likely to get hospitalised or die with it? b, hospitalised or die with it? a crucial question to which we don't have _ crucial question to which we don't have the — crucial question to which we don't have the answer yet, but the positive _ have the answer yet, but the positive vibes about it is that when the disease when it has been shown in south _ the disease when it has been shown in south african young people had been _ in south african young people had been very. — in south african young people had been very, very mild. so we don't have _ been very, very mild. so we don't have any— been very, very mild. so we don't have any evidence at the moment it is going _ have any evidence at the moment it is going to — have any evidence at the moment it is going to be more severe or that we are _ is going to be more severe or that we are more — is going to be more severe or that we are more likely to die, but the main _ we are more likely to die, but the main thing — we are more likely to die, but the main thing is it is a challenge for people _ main thing is it is a challenge for people who are not vaccinated and that is _ people who are not vaccinated and that is not — people who are not vaccinated and that is notjust a case for the omicron _ that is notjust a case for the omicron virus but also the delta variant, — omicron virus but also the delta variant, hence we should all try and -et variant, hence we should all try and get vaccinated as much as possible, including _ get vaccinated as much as possible, including the boosters to protect us from death and hospitalisation but the bottom line is we don't have that information yet because this variant— that information yet because this variant is— that information yet because this variant is so new.— that information yet because this variant is so new. helen, another tricky travel _ variant is so new. helen, another tricky travel question, _ variant is so new. helen, another tricky travel question, lindsay i variant is so new. helen, another| tricky travel question, lindsay has a 13—year—old who has had the first covid injection in late september. they say we have holiday to spain, booked to fly on the 23rd of december. in spain's real clever people aged 12 and over arm are required to be fully vaccinated with two doses at least 14 days before arrival. where does that leave us, they ask, as currently children under 16 years old in the uk are only required to have one dose. i don't think this will be an answer thatis don't think this will be an answer that is well liked, unfortunately. spain and some other countries have recently this week change their guidance to say that under 16 need to have the two vaccines and as pointed out by the person asking the question, that is not the case as yet. you have seen that yesterday it was announced that we will start to do vaccines for 12 to 15—year—olds second doses and that will be at the 12 week mark. it is not an answer i want to go but unfortunately it does leave you in a difficult position and i suspect you will not be able to go on that holiday. and i have a 13—year—old and i am in the same position. they have been vaccinated at the end of september but unfortunately we can't give another dose for 12 weeks in this age group because there are risks in a healthy young child of some heart information, which are very rare, nevertheless we know that lengthening that gap decreases the risk of that considerably so we wouldn't want to give it less in 12 weeks to an otherwise healthy child. not the answer you are looking for, but it leaves you in a difficult position for travelling. rolling forward, position for travelling. rolling forward. it — position for travelling. rolling forward, it is _ position for travelling. rolling forward, it is 12 _ position for travelling. rolling forward, it is 12 weeks - position for travelling. rolling forward, it is 12 weeks plus i position for travelling. rolling l forward, it is 12 weeks plus two weeks for travellers. so that will mean anyone with kids who are in this situation may be affected by this situation may be affected by this come february half term. this could be an ongoing issue. absolutely. a question from alex. how does a boost to help against covid? does it help to lessen the symptoms?— symptoms? just in general their booster will— symptoms? just in general their booster will ring _ symptoms? just in general their booster will ring up _ symptoms? just in general their booster will ring up the - symptoms? just in general their| booster will ring up the immunity that has— booster will ring up the immunity that has been, where the foundations have been_ that has been, where the foundations have been played by the first doses and that _ have been played by the first doses and that relates to the antibody to neutralise — and that relates to the antibody to neutralise the virus and to stimulate the immune system to put down _ stimulate the immune system to put down more _ stimulate the immune system to put down more memory, including for the t cells _ down more memory, including for the t cells so— down more memory, including for the t cells so it _ down more memory, including for the t cells. so it is unfortunate you have _ t cells. so it is unfortunate you have covid, _ t cells. so it is unfortunate you have covid, despite having had the vaccine, _ have covid, despite having had the vaccine, although we know that the vaccine _ vaccine, although we know that the vaccine prevents primarily against severe _ vaccine prevents primarily against severe forms of the disease and i 'ust severe forms of the disease and i just hope — severe forms of the disease and i just hope you have a very mild presentation. it is very likely that notjust— presentation. it is very likely that notjust their booster presentation. it is very likely that not just their booster but also with the two _ not just their booster but also with the two vaccines you have had before have helped to limit this experience and that— have helped to limit this experience and that is— have helped to limit this experience and that is generally the notion that we — and that is generally the notion that we can see milder symptoms in people _ that we can see milder symptoms in people who — that we can see milder symptoms in people who get covid despite having been vaccinated.— people who get covid despite having been vaccinated. helen, clark ask my concern about — been vaccinated. helen, clark ask my concern about using _ been vaccinated. helen, clark ask my concern about using pharmacies i been vaccinated. helen, clark ask my concern about using pharmacies is i concern about using pharmacies is that it takes away the pharmacist away from prescriptions and being available for advice. the last time i pharmacist with turning people away. could that happen again? worrying for an 80—year—old. i agree it is worrying and i am sorry to hear that. we commissioned a lot of pharmacies across the country now and they are doing a greatjob. they have to go through a rigorous process in order to be able to deliver the covid vaccine, as do all the care providers, so there is a process that they need to be able to demonstrate that they have got the capacity, extra staff, extra space. so i am hoping that this will be an unfortunate position that clark found himself in but it certainly shouldn't be the case and i encourage anyone who feels that they are not being able to access a normal core pharmacy service, which is a condition of anyone providing the vaccine programme that they still can provide their core service, then they feed that back into their local area team. abs, service, then they feed that back into their local area team. a quick ruestion into their local area team. a quick question on _ into their local area team. a quick question on what _ into their local area team. a quick question on what the _ into their local area team. a quick question on what the pharmacies | into their local area team. a quick i question on what the pharmacies have to go through to provide the vaccines. some people have asked me about the storage of the pfizerjab, because it had to be stored at extremely cold temperatures. how is being managed? it is extremely cold temperatures. how is being managed?— being managed? it is no different to how we manage _ being managed? it is no different to how we manage it _ being managed? it is no different to how we manage it in _ being managed? it is no different to how we manage it in primary i being managed? it is no different to how we manage it in primary care i how we manage it in primary care centres. the pfizer vaccine does need to be stored in central storage at -70, need to be stored in central storage at —70, which is extremely cold, but when it comes to us and is delivered it can last for between two to eight degrees and now it has been extended to a month. so it has an expiry time, but it can be stored in a normal vaccine fridge for between the two to eight degrees mark and we have various protocols around making sure it stated that temperature, it is no different for pharmacist and they will star it just like is no different for pharmacist and they will star itjust like we do in primary care settings and hospital hubs. none of us need the —70 freezers which was a concern which we had this time last year.- we had this time last year. andrew asks, we had this time last year. andrew asks. from — we had this time last year. andrew asks. from the _ we had this time last year. andrew asks, from the fact _ we had this time last year. andrew asks, from the fact that _ we had this time last year. andrew asks, from the fact that wales i we had this time last year. andrew asks, from the fact that wales and | asks, from the fact that wales and scotland kept wearing face masks and england didn't, did we learn how effective mask wearing is? yes. effective mask wearing is? yes, well, i think— effective mask wearing is? yes, well, i think the _ effective mask wearing is? yes, well, i think the bottom - effective mask wearing is? yes, well, i think the bottom line i effective mask wearing is? yes, well, i think the bottom line is i effective mask wearing is? yes, well, i think the bottom line is it is better— well, i think the bottom line is it is better to — well, i think the bottom line is it is better to have them not to have them _ is better to have them not to have them and — is better to have them not to have them and we can say that with certainty _ them and we can say that with certainty. the degree of which they are protecting depends on a number of factors— are protecting depends on a number of factors because in wales and scotland — of factors because in wales and scotland people might have had different epidemiological situations as we _ different epidemiological situations as we had in some places in england, so obviously — as we had in some places in england, so obviously wearing a mask in a very— so obviously wearing a mask in a very busy— so obviously wearing a mask in a very busy supermarket is eight different— very busy supermarket is eight different level of protection as wearing — different level of protection as wearing it outside going to the bus stop. _ wearing it outside going to the bus stop. for— wearing it outside going to the bus stop, for example. so the confidence interval— stop, for example. so the confidence interval around the performance of masks _ interval around the performance of masks in _ interval around the performance of masks in preventing transmission is pretty— masks in preventing transmission is pretty wide — masks in preventing transmission is pretty wide and it goes from anything from five to 25 to 30%. but what is _ anything from five to 25 to 30%. but what is certain is that masks are an important _ what is certain is that masks are an important tool in preventing transmission and the higher the viral— transmission and the higher the viral load. — transmission and the higher the viral load, the more likely a mask will be _ viral load, the more likely a mask will be tentative. it is a good idea to wear— will be tentative. it is a good idea to wear them will be tentative. it is a good idea to wearthem and will be tentative. it is a good idea to wear them and i fully endorse that recommendation.— to wear them and i fully endorse that recommendation. helen, bob sa s, i that recommendation. helen, bob says. i am — that recommendation. helen, bob says. i am due _ that recommendation. helen, bob says, i am due to _ that recommendation. helen, bob says, i am due to have _ that recommendation. helen, bob says, i am due to have a - that recommendation. helen, bob says, i am due to have a knee i says, i am due to have a knee replacement operation on the 10th of december. will it be said to go ahead under the present situation? well, i would say that hospital infection control is not a new thing. there are lots of highly skilled professionals whose job thing. there are lots of highly skilled professionals whosejob it is to keep people safe from infection within hospitals. obviously, that it's not always absolutely possible but i would say that part of the reason we have been slower to recover from having stopped elective activity like knee replacements is that we have had extra layer of infection control in there in all settings. so absolutely, i think you have probably waited a long time for the knee replacement and no major surgery is without risk and every patient would be advised of that, but i think you have waited a long time and if you are well enough, you should probably go ahead with that. final question from penny. i had my fighter booster on the 31st of october and since then the omicron variant has been identified. does it mean that those who have received the third dose will not be protected from the new variant will be also receive the newly tweaks booster which protectors? this receive the newly tweaks booster which protectors?— receive the newly tweaks booster which protectors? this is a question that many people — which protectors? this is a question that many people are _ which protectors? this is a question that many people are asking - which protectors? this is a question that many people are asking right i that many people are asking right now _ that many people are asking right now the — that many people are asking right now. the bottom line is that we have now. the bottom line is that we have no indication— now. the bottom line is that we have no indication at the moment that the vaccine _ no indication at the moment that the vaccine we _ no indication at the moment that the vaccine we currently have are not going _ vaccine we currently have are not going to — vaccine we currently have are not going to be — vaccine we currently have are not going to be protective against severe — going to be protective against severe covid hospitalisation and death — severe covid hospitalisation and death so — severe covid hospitalisation and death. so let's be positive until we find out _ death. so let's be positive until we find out the things that may be more difficult _ find out the things that may be more difficult so— find out the things that may be more difficult. so that vaccine companies are all— difficult. so that vaccine companies are all tweaking the manufacturing to incorporate the information of the new — to incorporate the information of the new variant, but that will take a little _ the new variant, but that will take a little while and in the meantime we are _ a little while and in the meantime we are going to learn a lot more about— we are going to learn a lot more about the — we are going to learn a lot more about the possibility that there might— about the possibility that there might be immune escape from the current— might be immune escape from the current vaccine which we hope is not the case _ current vaccine which we hope is not the case if— current vaccine which we hope is not the case if it— current vaccine which we hope is not the case. if it is so, then vaccinations will be done with the new candidates or with new products and then— new candidates or with new products and then by— new candidates or with new products and then by that time we also know a lot more _ and then by that time we also know a lot more about what has happened to the immunity after the booster dose and whether people will need another boost. _ and whether people will need another boost. and _ and whether people will need another boost, and that will then be the new design _ boost, and that will then be the new design vaccine that has adapted to the variant, but to make that will take a _ the variant, but to make that will take a while because we need to see if it is— take a while because we need to see if it is really— take a while because we need to see if it is really necessary and that process — if it is really necessary and that process in— if it is really necessary and that process in the labs and companies will take _ process in the labs and companies will take a — process in the labs and companies will take a while. so we will not have _ will take a while. so we will not have a — will take a while. so we will not have a new _ will take a while. so we will not have a new and improved omicron proof— have a new and improved omicron proof vaccine on the shelves before a minimum — proof vaccine on the shelves before a minimum of two to three months. thank— a minimum of two to three months. thank you _ a minimum of two to three months. thank you very much. the american author, alice sebold, has apologised for her part in the conviction of a man she wrongly accused of raping her in 1981. anthony broadwater was arrested and convicted on flawed evidence. he served 16 years in prison but always protested his innocence, and was finally exonerated last week. in a statement, sebold said she was struggling with the role she played in what she called �*a system that sent an innocent man to jail�*. the events formed the basis of her memoir, in which she described being raped and later telling police she had seen a black man in the street whom she believed was her attacker. our north america correspondent, david willis, explained more. lucky was being turned into a film when the executive director of that film started to question as the process went on certain details, not relating to the assault itself but to do with the investigation and the subsequent trial. he brought in a private investigator. the investigator discovered that things didn�*t add up and recommended that the evidence be referred to a lawyer and that led last week to anthony broadwater�*s exoneration. now his conviction in the first place was based on him being identified in court by alice sebold and by some subsequently proved to be flawed forensic evidence. to date alice sebold explain why it has taken her more than a week to actually respond to anthony broadwater�*s exoneration. she said it has taken me these past eight days to comprehend how this could have happened. i will continue to struggle with the role i unwittingly played within a system that has sent in innocent man to jail and she added, tellingly perhaps, is a traumatised 18—year—old rape victim i chose to put my faith in the american legal system. today is world aids day — a chance to remember those who died from contracting hiv. this year it coincides with the 40th anniversary of the first aids—related death in the uk. the virus has claimed thousands of lives over the past four decades, many of them young, gay men. this year there�*s a special exhibition in the city of liverpool, honouring all those lives lost. irememberseeing him forthe first time. this is a story of friendship. falling into the room, laughing his head off witha big... great big sort of scarf on. kind of bumped into each other. and, from that moment on, we just we gelled in a way that i�*d never experienced with anybody else ever since. and we were suddenly brian and jerry and we stayed brian and jerry until the day he died. together, they discovered liverpool�*s gay scene. brian took me to my first club. he dressed me up and back combed my hair. and somehow we managed to get in. and someone did that with a... with a little shutter to let us in. and we were in and as soon as we went in, we just dived on the dance floor, and never looked back. it felt like there wasn't anything we couldn't do. it felt like the, you know, the world was waiting, basically. obviously, later in that period, quite a lot changed. suddenly we started to hear and i think was in the pink paper or whatever paper it was that there was this this disease killing americans. and we couldn't think that there was a disease just killing gays. you know, you just didn't think that. and then suddenly it happened. there was that look of, you know, thinness, that sort of... i remember being really sort of overwhelmed by that. everything changed. do you remember when brian told you that he�*d found out he was hiv positive? it was incredibly strange because i saw him and i immediately knew it was positive. he just looked at me and ijust looked at him and we stopped being the brian and jerry we always were. we immediately stopped being young. brian died aged 29, one year before life—saving treatment for hiv would become widely available. and in the face of fear and grief and hopelessness, this is how the world tried to remember. i�*ve sort of been to see a few of the showings of the quilt and wondered if i might see brian�*s. but it�*s never been out on exhibit. and now, obviously, it�*s going on display in liverpool. do you want to come and see it, for the first time in 25 years? yeah. it's time, i think. how are you both feeling? it is overwhelming. um, and ifeel quite shaky, to be honest. it's stunning. it has aged well. yeah, i hope we've aged as well as it! just after midday we�*ll have prime minister�*s questions. let�*s talk to our political correspondent damian grammaticas. damian, what would you predict? it is almost certain this is going to be revolving around their new situation with covid and the omicron variant. and the measures the government is taking to deal with that. whether the labour party may want to look at whether they feel thatis want to look at whether they feel that is appropriate. we know already we have heard bbc leaked minutes from the scientific advisory group that advises the government from their meeting at the beginning of their meeting at the beginning of the week, saying that they believed that it would be appropriate to start to take measures to prepare the nhs in case that variant turns out to be more transmissible and causes a new wave of infections. the government says it is bringing in some measures already, there booster campaign is being sped up, mask wearing, that sort of thing, but equally that advisory group has also talked about the what it said was the pre—departure testings of people coming to the uk, saying that would identify more cases than the measure at the government has brought him which is a test two days after you get back. so labour have already been talking about predeparture testing and that is something they may well want to push on. we know that the shadow home secretary has been talking about raising that this morning. so that may be something that so keir starmer tries to press the government on. the extent and appropriateness of the government response to this new variant. thank ou, response to this new variant. thank you. damien- _ response to this new variant. thank you. damien- we — response to this new variant. thank you, damien. we will— response to this new variant. thank you, damien. we will be _ response to this new variant. thank you, damien. we will be live i response to this new variant. thank you, damien. we will be live in i response to this new variant. thank you, damien. we will be live in the| you, damien. we will be live in the commons with prime minister�*s questions in a couple of minutes. first, let�*s catch up with the weather. todayis today is the first day of the meteorological winter we have this weather front thinking south. behind it a colder airfilters in and we thinking south. behind it a colder air filters in and we will see sunshine and showers and increasingly showers will be wintry at low levels across the north of scotland. it will be windy today especially among the coast. these are our maximum temperature. hanging on to the milder conditions in the south and as a weather front clears cold air will filter in. it will be a cold night generally with clear skies, some wintry showers mostly on the hills except for northern scotland, and it will be cold enough for a widespread frost and also the risk of some ice on untreated services. tomorrow, wintry showers on the hills and there will be a lot of dry weather. not as windy and through the day that cloud will build up towards the west and then will start to see some rain. but wherever you are, it will feel cold. this is bbc news. the headlines... the nhs gears up for a major expansion of its vaccine booster programme, with all adults to be offered the jab by the end of january. when you get your call, this is really part of a national mission where you can play a part. please do, you know, a step up and roll up your sleeves and get protected. leaked minutes of a sage meeting, seen by the bbc, say while the impact of the new variant remains "highly uncertain", a "very stringent" public health response may be required. we�*ll take you live to the house of commons for pmqs, where the government�*s response to the omicron variant is likely to be on the top of the agenda. tens of thousands of people have spent a fifth night without power in north england and scotland after storm arwen destroyed infrastructure. it�*s been pretty difficult. this has been five nights of no power so far. it�*s pretty cold and when you are feeding a baby every two hours it is even colder. we can cross now live to the house of commons for prime minister�*s questions i am reckitt are wearing a purple tie in recognition of people with international deals ability is this friday. and we publish a disability strategy to help everybody. i know the thoughts will be with those continuing to face disruption caused by the storm two and one of my friend will update the house on the continuing response to storm arwen after this series of questions. this morning i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others and i will have further such meetings later today. the prime minister and _ meetings later today. the prime minister and i _ meetings later today. the prime minister and i have _ meetings later today. the prime minister and i have a _ meetings later today. the prime minister and i have a shared i minister and i have a shared commitment for protecting the natural environment and improving biodiversity across the country and it is why i am campaigning to extend the chilton area of natural beauty towards the south—west of hitchen. will my right honourable friend set out how he plans to increase protections for the countryside whilst also ensuring housing of elements are both green and sustainable for the long term? yes indeed. sustainable for the long term? yes indeed- and _ sustainable for the long term? yes indeed- and i _ sustainable for the long term? yes indeed. and i can tell my honourable friend that natural england is extending the children�*s area of natural beauty and will listen to his personal appeal very carefully — the chilterns. his personal appeal very carefully - the chilterns.— his personal appeal very carefully - the chilterns. now the leader of the o- osition the chilterns. now the leader of the opposition keir— the chilterns. now the leader of the opposition keir starmer. _ the chilterns. now the leader of the opposition keir starmer. can i- the chilterns. now the leader of the opposition keir starmer. can i join l opposition keir starmer. can i 'oin the prime minister i opposition keir starmer. can i 'oin the prime minister in i opposition keir starmer. can i 'oin the prime minister in hisi opposition keir starmer. can ijoin the prime minister in his words i opposition keir starmer. can ijoin the prime minister in his words on| the prime minister in his words on disability on the victims of extreme weather. can i also mark world aids day? extraordinary advances for people living with hiv on effective treatment can now enjoy a normal life expectancy and are no longer at risk of passing on the virus. it is within our hands to end new transmission in the uk this decade and we must do so. as millions of people were locked down last year, was a christmas party thrown in downing street for dozens of people on december the 18th? iloathed downing street for dozens of people on december the 18th?— on december the 18th? what i can sell the right _ on december the 18th? what i can sell the right honourable - on december the 18th? what i can i sell the right honourable gentleman is that all guidance was followed completely at number ten and can i recommend to the right honourable gentleman that he does the same with his own christmas party which he has advertised for december the 15th, to which, unaccountably, he has failed to invite the deputy leader, mister speaker. nice try, but that won�*t work. the defence seems to be no rules were broken. well i�*ve got the rules that were in place at the time of this party. they are very clear. you must not have a work christmas lunch or party. does the prime minister really expect the country to believe that while people were banned from seeing their loved ones at christmas last year it was fine for him and his friends to throw a boozy party in downing street? i'sre his friends to throw a boozy party in downing street?— his friends to throw a boozy party in downing street? i've said what i've said about _ i�*ve said about number ten and the events of 12 months ago, but since he asked about what we are asking the country to do this year, which i think is frankly a more relevant consideration, the important thing to do is not only to follow the guidance which we have set out, but also when it comes to dealing with the omicron variant to make sure that you wear a mask on public transport and in shops, and that you self isolate if you come into contact with somebody who has omicron, and above all, we are strengthening our measures at the borders, but particularly and i think this will be very valuable here, is to get your booster. i know the right honourable gentleman is eligible for his booster. i will not ask him since i�*m forbidden to ask him questions, but i hope very much he has had it. i him questions, but i hope very much he has had it— he has had it. i can tell the prime ministerl he has had it. i can tell the prime minister i have _ he has had it. i can tell the prime minister i have had _ he has had it. i can tell the prime ministerl have had mine. - he has had it. i can tell the prime ministerl have had mine. the i he has had it. i can tell the prime i ministerl have had mine. the prime ministerl have had mine. the prime minister says— ministerl have had mine. the prime minister says we _ ministerl have had mine. the prime minister says we should _ ministerl have had mine. the prime minister says we should concentrate j minister says we should concentrate on what he�*s asking the country to do. we are asking the country to follow the rules. the prime minister doesn�*t deny there was a downing street christmas party last year. he has not denied it. he says no rules were broken. both of those things can�*t be true, prime minister. he is taking the british public for. and as for following the rules, it might be good just to look behind you when it comes to the question of masks. as ever, one rule for them, another rule for everybody else. at the last election, the prime minister promised to build 40 new hospitals. page ten of his manifesto, with waiting lists so high, it�*s a very, very important commitment. now the cabinet office and the treasury have checked on progress and it has reported that they have reached a damning conclusion. i know the chancellor will have seen that. they have concluded that the project needs a red flag because it is unachievable. the prime minister, is that true? ., ., ., that true? no, we are getting on ? he -la s that true? no, we are getting on ? he plays politics — that true? no, we are getting on ? he plays politics and _ that true? no, we are getting on ? he plays politics and asks - that true? no, we are getting on ? he plays politics and asks frivolous| he plays politics and asks frivolous questions. we are getting on with delivering on the people�*s priorities and we are putting record investment into the nhs on top of the 34,000,000,000 with which we began and then the 97,000,000,000 we put into fight covid and we are helping to build another 40 new hospitals with an injection of £36,000,000,000 of investment, which that party voted against. meiji. £36,000,000,000 of investment, which that party voted against.— that party voted against. well, this is stran . e, that party voted against. well, this is strange, because _ that party voted against. well, this is strange, because the _ that party voted against. well, thisl is strange, because the government hasn�*t been denying the report about the red flag and they haven�*t done since, but now the prime minister does. there�*s obviously some sort of confusion on these benches. over whether the cabinet office and the treasury think he is on course to break yet another promise, this time on the new building hospitals. so he can clear this up this afternoon. if he is so confident in his answer, why doesn�*t he publish the progress report in full and let us all see it? . ., ., report in full and let us all see it? ~ ., ., ., , ., report in full and let us all see it? ., ., ., , ., ., y it? what we are doing is not only buildin: it? what we are doing is not only building 40 _ it? what we are doing is not only building 40 new _ it? what we are doing is not only building 40 new hospitals, i it? what we are doing is not only building 40 new hospitals, we i it? what we are doing is not only| building 40 new hospitals, we are also, and it is incredible that we�*ve been able to going throughout the pandemic, but we are also making record investment, yes, it is, and making record investment in our nhs. we have more doctors, more nurses working in our nhs than at any time in the history of that magnificent organisation. and rather than running down what they are trying to do, casting doubt on their efforts, he should get behind them and particularly he should support our booster pack pain. — booster campaign. booster pack pain. - booster campaign-— booster pack pain. - booster cam -rain. ., campaign. there we have it. the prime minister, _ campaign. there we have it. the prime minister, i _ campaign. there we have it. the prime minister, i deny _ campaign. there we have it. the prime minister, i deny my i campaign. there we have it. the i prime minister, i deny my hospital building hospital plan has been red flagged but i don�*t have the conference to publish the report. the more we look at this promise, the murkier it gets. i have a document here sent by the department of health to the nhs. it is called the new hospital programme communications playbook. i kid you not. it offers advice to make it easier to talk about the programme. now, you might think that everybody knows what a new hospital is. i certainly thought i knew what a new hospital was before i read this document. but this guide instructs everybody to describe refurbishments and alterations on existing hospitals as new hospitals. we can all agree that refurbishments are a very good thing, but they are not new hospitals. so, prime minister, how many of the 40 are fixed up jobs on existing hospitals and how many are actually the new hospitals he promised? are actually the new hospitals he romised? ., ., , , are actually the new hospitals he promised?— are actually the new hospitals he romised? ., ., _ ., promised? you obviously don't always to around promised? you obviously don't always go around building _ promised? you obviously don't always go around building on _ promised? you obviously don't always go around building on greenfield i go around building on greenfield sites. what we are doing is ? you rebuild hospitals and that�*s what we�*ve said for the last two and a half years. it is the biggest programme of hospital building this country has ever undertaken and it has been made possible by this people�*s government and is in addition to what we are doing with the community diagnostic hubs, and it is in addition to what we are doing in investing in our nhs and i�*ve said it once, but i will say it again, they had the opportunity to vote for that 36 billion and they turned it down. we are getting on with the people�*s priorities and they are playing politics. ida with the people's priorities and they are playing politics. no wonder so many tory _ they are playing politics. no wonder so many tory donors _ they are playing politics. no wonder so many tory donors paid _ they are playing politics. no wonder so many tory donors paid so - they are playing politics. no wonder so many tory donors paid so much i they are playing politics. no wonder l so many tory donors paid so much for the wallpaper last year. he probably told them he was building a new flat. it�*s the same old story from this prime minister. week in, week out, defending the indefensible and broken promises. his mates were found to be corrupt and he tried to get them off the hook. downing street throws parties during lockdown and he says not a problem. he promised there would be no tax rises, then he put up tax. he promised there would be a real revolution in the north and he cancelled the trains. he promised nobody would have to sell their home for care and then along came his working—class dementia tax. he promised 40 new hospitals and even if you count the paintjobs, his own watchdog says he can�*t deliver it. isn�*t this the truth, that any promises from this prime minister aren�*t worth the manifesto paper they are written on? the aren't worth the manifesto paper they are written on?— they are written on? the right honourable — they are written on? the right honourable gentleman i they are written on? the right. honourable gentleman dribbles they are written on? the right - honourable gentleman dribbles on irreleva ntly honourable gentleman dribbles on irrelevantly about wallpaper and irreleva ntly about wallpaper and parties, irrelevantly about wallpaper and parties, playing politics, and by the way, and i am told that when the deputy leader and shadow secretary of state for the future work was told she wasn't invited, she denounced it as idiotic, childish and pathetic. they are getting on with factional infighting. we are delivering for the people of this country. today, cutting tax for the lowest paid people in this country, as a result of the universal credit changes, 1.9 million families getting £1000 more in their pay packets this year. the biggest programme of railway infrastructure this century. three new high—speed lines, and we are fixing social care. they have no plan whatever, and don't forget, they will resort to absolutely every problem to take this country back into lockdown or open up to uncontrolled immigration. that is their approach. we are delivering on the people's priorities and we have more people in work now as a result of the balanced and proportionate approach that we are taking that we had before the pandemic began. and if we had listened to him, mister speaker, to captain hindsight, we would all still be in lockdown, and that is the truth. come on, andrew. thank you. the prime minister _ come on, andrew. thank you. the prime minister will _ come on, andrew. thank you. the prime minister will know _ come on, andrew. thank you. the prime minister will know that - come on, andrew. thank you. the prime minister will know that we l prime minister will know that we will not be able to stop the endless waves of illegal migrants crossing the english channel until we break free from the constraints of the european convention on human rights. which impedes our ability to tackle this tragic situation and protects even the most violent criminals from being deported. so, will the prime minister agree with me that it is time to take back control and fulfil our manifesto commitment in 2015 to get rid of labour's human rights act and bring in a british bill of rights? and bring in a british bill of rihts? , ., 4' , and bring in a british bill of richts? , ., ~ , ., ., rights? yes, i thank my honourable friend and we _ rights? yes, i thank my honourable friend and we will— rights? yes, i thank my honourable friend and we will certainly - rights? yes, i thank my honourable friend and we will certainly review i friend and we will certainly review the human rights system but in the meantime there is something we can all do next tuesday and wednesday, because our borders bill is coming back to this house after long gestation and it gives us the power to make the distinction at last between illegal and legal migrants to this country and gives us the power to turn people back at sea, and it gives us the power to screen people and send them for screening overseas rather than in this country. now, i'm not going to ask, i will tell them, it is a great thing if the party opposite backed our borders bill and undermined the criminals. thank you, mr speaker. can i associate myself with the remarks of the prime minister on disability and of course, our thoughts are very much with all of those who are recovering from storm arwen and we commemorate world aids day. i'm sure your thoughts of yourself and the house will be with the family and friends of the scottish rugby player aged 26 who died over the weekend. mr speaker, it is deeply regrettable that once again, we are forced to spend so much time in this house discussing the prime minister's misconduct but when the person in charge so blatantly breaks the rules, it needs to be talked about. last christmas, the prime minister hosted a packed party in downing street. an event that broke lockdown rules. rules that everyone else was expected to follow. the prime minister might be denying it, but i have spoken to the daily mirror newspaper this morning and they are confirming what happened and they have legal advice on potential illegality. at a time when public health messaging is so vital, how are people possibly expected to trust the prime minister when he thinks it's one rule for him, and one rule for everybody else? mr speaker, i think they should concern at that line of attack more closely. i've said before he is talking total nonsense. he would have been better off saying something about the victims of storm arwen in scotland. well, i'm afraid if i didn't hear it, he was drowned out by his supporters. i think what we need to do is work together, the government of the uk working with the scottish authority to helpless people get their power back. b, authority to helpless people get their power back.— their power back. a disgraceful answer, their power back. a disgraceful answer. and — their power back. a disgraceful answer, and clearly _ their power back. a disgraceful answer, and clearly the - their power back. a disgraceful answer, and clearly the prime | answer, and clearly the prime minister cannot even listen. because i mentioned storm arwen. mr speaker, the real reason why all of this matters is because we find ourselves at another very difficult moment in this pandemic. this is at a time when leadership matters. when truth matters. and when trust really matters. and when trust really matters. only this morning, leaked sage advice confirmed that the uk government's current international travel restrictions will identify significantly fewer cases. that is exactly the same advice that the prime minister received from the first minister of scotland and wales on monday. and he has ignored that advice. since then, other countries like ireland and the us are moving rapidly on international travel to protect their people. so will the prime minister finally convene a four nation cobra meeting to tighten travel restrictions, or will he continue to ignore the scottish government, the welsh government, and his own sage advice is, and imperil the health of the public of these islands? i imperil the health of the public of these islands?— these islands? i think the right honourable _ these islands? i think the right honourable gentleman - these islands? i think the right honourable gentleman and - these islands? i think the right honourable gentleman and i . these islands? i think the right | honourable gentleman and i and these islands? i think the right - honourable gentleman and i and of course we want to work closely with him and there will be abundant opportunity to consult our activity. he is simply wrong about what he says about the steps the government has taken to prevent the seeding of this variant from abroad. we were the first country to respond, mr speaker. and for the ten countries that are most likely to cede new variant omicron in this country, we have put them on the red list so they have not only predeparture tests, they are also quarantined. and he is... i have to say that he is not right in what he says. every other country in the world, 100%, i don't mind if he shouts, mr speaker. i will tell him very calmly and quietly. 100% of the passengers arriving of every other country in the world must take a pcr test, and they cannot get out of quarantine unless they test negative. those are balanced and proportionate measures designed to protect the british people from the omicron variant and thatis people from the omicron variant and that is the right approach to take. mr speaker, britain has some of the most unaffordable child care in the developed world. it reduces opportunities for working families, particularly single parents, deepens the gender pay gap and make levelling up much harder. will the priming of to discuss the proposal in my published policy paper for priming of to discuss the proposal in my published policy paperfor an immediate review to design out these uncompetitive costs while still delivering a safe and enriching level of care for our children? i think my right honourable friend and he is completely right about the importance of childcare and the transformative influence it can have and that is why we spent £3.5 billion in the each of the last three years on free childcare entitlements, particularly for the most disadvantaged. i am always happy to meet my right honourable friend to discuss his ideas further. mr speaker, farmers across our country are crucial to our nation's prosperity. it was shown through the pandemic once again but many are now on the brink. farmers across the country is in countless villages are about to see payments cut by at least 5%, starting this very month. the prime minister promised a new support system rewarding more sustainable farming. in the meantime, he seems prepared to see many british farms go bankrupt. there is an easy solution, mr speaker, stop cutting the current system essential payment until the new scheme is fully rolled out. will the prime minister do that, and help our struggling farmers before it is too late? mr our struggling farmers before it is too late? ~ ,,, ., ~ ~ too late? mr speaker, i think british food _ too late? mr speaker, i think british food and _ too late? mr speaker, i think british food and farming - too late? mr speaker, i think| british food and farming does too late? mr speaker, i think. british food and farming does an absolutely outstanding job and it is very, and the whole time last night i met representatives of the farming industry which we continue to support the same level of payments. but at —— but what we are also doing is opening up new opportunities for them around the world, i can tell him that in every single embassy now there is a dedicated expert on supporting uk food and farming exports to the rest of the world which supports 11 million jobs in this country. and add to this country £21 billion of revenue. more needs to be — country £21 billion of revenue. more needs to be done _ country £21 billion of revenue. more needs to be done to _ country £21 billion of revenue. more needs to be done to tackle - country £21 billion of revenue. ire needs to be done to tackle the people trafficking gangs that exploit migrants across europe promising to get into this country. does the prime minister agree that it is totally unacceptable that companies like facebook allow those smugglers to offer services on their platforms, but only route into the country but also selling them forged british papers to aid the access. does he agree that when the house passes the online safety bill, we will have the power to do more to have companies like facebook take down content which promote illegal activity? the down content which promote illegal activi ? ., ., ., , activity? the right honourable gentleman — activity? the right honourable gentleman is _ activity? the right honourable gentleman is absolutely - activity? the right honourable| gentleman is absolutely right, activity? the right honourable - gentleman is absolutely right, too many of these gangs are using social media and that is why the online harm's bill is so important and it will be of assistance to us to take down that kind of material. women have been left _ down that kind of material. women have been left with _ down that kind of material. women have been left with internal - down that kind of material. women| have been left with internal damage and pain that they describe as being like razor blades inside them. many have lost their careers and some have lost their careers and some have even lost their lives. it is impossible to know exactly how many women are left suffering. so why will the prime minister not give these mesh damaged women to redress that they were recommended in the report? i’m that they were recommended in the re ort? �* , ., ., report? i'm very grateful to her, she raises _ report? i'm very grateful to her, she raises an _ report? i'm very grateful to her, she raises an extremely - report? i'm very gratefulto her, l she raises an extremely important issue and one that i know has caused a phenomenal, a phenomenon that has caused a huge amount of distress to many women in this country. we published the report, if there's anything more we can do, i'm certainly willing to look at it, i'm grateful to have or raising it. —— to herfor raising it. the grateful to have or raising it. -- to her for raising it. the levelling u . to her for raising it. the levelling un agenda _ to her for raising it. the levelling un agenda has — to her for raising it. the levelling up agenda has already _ to her for raising it. the levelling up agenda has already changed l to her for raising it. the levelling | up agenda has already changed so many areas of our country for the better. in my constituency in worksop, ourten better. in my constituency in worksop, our ten centre is in desperate need of regeneration and to finally solve our flooding problems. my counsel missed the deadline for the latest round of funds... b, deadline for the latest round of funds... �* ., . deadline for the latest round of funds... �* . u, . what funds... a labour run council! what can this government _ funds... a labour run council! what can this government do _ funds... a labour run council! what can this government do to - funds... a labour run council! what can this government do to help - can this government do to help councils like mine to make sure they are successful the next time around? i thank my right honourable friend very much, step number one is to vote out those dozy label —— dozy labour councillors. thank you for the excellent representation he gives to bassetlaw, i can tell him the second round of bidding for the levelling up fund will open in spring of next year. between 2010 and 2019, west — spring of next year. between 2010 and 2019, west midlands - spring of next year. between 2010 and 2019, west midlands police i spring of next year. between 2010 i and 2019, west midlands police lost 2000 officers, whilst at the force should receive an additional 1200 new recruits by 2023, that still leaves a shortfall of 1000 officers. this lack of police had left the force stretched and under significant pressure with officers actually telling me there are simply resources to investigate every crime. —— insufficient resources. will the primal minister commits to providing west midlands police with a fairer funding providing west midlands police with a fairerfunding deal to ensure providing west midlands police with a fairer funding deal to ensure the force can retain officer numbers to 2010 levels? i force can retain officer numbers to 2010 levels?— force can retain officer numbers to 2010 levels? . ~ ., ., 2010 levels? i thank her for drawing attention, 2010 levels? i thank her for drawing attention. i — 2010 levels? i thank her for drawing attention, i think _ 2010 levels? i thank her for drawing attention, i think the _ 2010 levels? i thank her for drawing attention, i think the police - attention, i think the police officers in the west midlands, i thank herfor doing to draw attention to the number of police officers i comest on the steps of downing street, we have recruited more and i am proud to say that our police officer workforce is more representative of the people of this country than ever before with more women and more ethnic majorities —— ethnic minorities. last women and more ethnic ma'orities -- ethnic minoritiesh ethnic minorities. last week, the chief minister _ ethnic minorities. last week, the chief minister of _ ethnic minorities. last week, the chief minister of gibraltar - ethnic minorities. last week, the i chief minister of gibraltar appeared before the european scrutiny committee, and gave evidence about the continuing negotiations between gibraltar and the european union on theirfuture gibraltar and the european union on their future relationship. gibraltar and the european union on theirfuture relationship. during theirfuture relationship. during the course of his evidence, the chief minister made clear that his ambition was at gibraltar�*s future should be, as he put it, british, british, british. can my right honourable friend say what the government is doing to support the first minister to achieve that aim and in particular, to exclude any role for the european court of justice? i role for the european court of justice? ., ~ , role for the european court of justice? . ~ , ., ., ., , justice? i thank my right honourable friend and i cannot _ justice? i thank my right honourable friend and i cannot really _ justice? i thank my right honourable friend and i cannot really improve - friend and i cannot really improve on the verdict of my friend, the chief minister of gibraltar. gibraltar is british, british, british and will remain so and by the way, i see no future role for the way, i see no future role for the european court ofjustice. mr; the european court ofjustice. m constituency of the european court ofjustice. m1 constituency of edinburgh west has some of the most polluted streets in our country. an estimated one in 29 deaths in edinburgh is related to air pollution and we do not meet who guidelines. will the prime minister meet with me and discuss whether his government can support my private members bill to tackle that issue, bring us into line and let us all breathe a little easier? i bring us into line and let us all breathe a little easier? i thank her for what she _ breathe a little easier? i thank her for what she mentions, _ breathe a little easier? i thank her for what she mentions, it's - for what she mentions, it's incredibly important and that is why we are moving now to all—out electric vehicles across the whole of the country, faster than any other european country, and our clean air strategy has been praised by the world health organization as an example for the rest of the world to follow. we will be setting out our evidence—based approach for the targets we are setting. i will be very happy to make sure that she meets the relevant minister to set out her case. meets the relevant minister to set out her case-— meets the relevant minister to set out her case. last month, the drug com an out her case. last month, the drug company pfizer— out her case. last month, the drug company pfizer announced - out her case. last month, the drug company pfizer announced the - company pfizer announced the successful trial of a new treatment, showing there was 90% success in stopping death or better. the vaccine strategy is an enormous success but leads to another ending biological arms race against a mutating virus. as a supplement to the vaccine strategy, this treatment will allow governments around the world to avoid the need for future emergency restrictions. what is the government doing to supply this revolutionary treatment in the short—term and in the long term to build factories to produce it in britain? he build factories to produce it in britain? , , i, i, i, britain? he is spot on, the roll-out of this treatment _ britain? he is spot on, the roll-out of this treatment within _ britain? he is spot on, the roll-out of this treatment within the - britain? he is spot on, the roll-out of this treatment within the uk - britain? he is spot on, the roll-out of this treatment within the uk and within the nhs will depend on approval by the mhra, but the government has as a precaution already invested in hundreds of thousands of courses of the drug. wales has 11% of the uk's rail network but only received 2% of uk rail insults and funding and as reported in wales online will be delighted millions of consequential funding from hs2. so having under delivered on rail in the north, having under delivered on rail in wales, why should anyone trust this government to deliver on its promises?— government to deliver on its promises? i'm afraid she has completely — promises? i'm afraid she has completely failed _ promises? i'm afraid she has completely failed to - promises? i'm afraid she has completely failed to look - promises? i'm afraid she has completely failed to look at i promises? i'm afraid she has - completely failed to look at what sir peter hendy set out in his union connectivity review, a fantastic agenda for change and improvement, particularly in wales and particularly in wales and particularly on the north welsh corridor where i think the railway links deserve to be improved and will be approved under this government. mr will be approved under this government.— will be approved under this overnment. ~ i,~ government. mr speaker, getting investment— government. mr speaker, getting investment into _ government. mr speaker, getting investment into gedling - government. mr speaker, getting investment into gedling is - investment into gedling is important, and at a previous pmts i put across —— i put aside political differences to champion funding bids locally which have been unsuccessful. my right honourable friend agree with me that is important that councils like gedling take stock and learn from this experience and can you confirm that hope —— help from the government will be able to be available? we hope -- help from the government will be able to be available? we are ve ha - will be able to be available? we are very happy to _ will be able to be available? we are very happy to help _ will be able to be available? we are very happy to help gedling - will be able to be available? we are very happy to help gedling and - will be able to be available? we are | very happy to help gedling and other labour run councils to get their act together where necessary, and put those bids in. to remind him, more levelling up fund bids come due in the spring of next year and i wish gedling well in the future bids. my my grandfather, along with thousands of others came to this country 70 years ago, working seven days a week in squalid conditions to help rebuild this country. but now the home secretary's nationality and borders bill mean she can revoke our british citizenship and deport us for even the most minor wrongdoings. given the government's on the home office's horrific track record with their treatment of minorities, the hostile environment and the windrush scandals, let me ask the prime minister the burning question that is on the lips of everyone from an ethnic minority background across the country, when is he coming for me? i the country, when is he coming for me? ~' i, i, i, , i, me? i think the honourable gentleman o- osite me? i think the honourable gentleman opposite should _ me? i think the honourable gentleman opposite should look _ me? i think the honourable gentleman opposite should look at _ me? i think the honourable gentleman opposite should look at the _ opposite should look at the conservative front bench to date, and he should withdraw what he says. what he says is absolutely shameful and as he knows full well, the borders bill does nothing of the kind. it helps us to fight the evil gangs who are operating on peoples willingness to cross the channel in unseaworthy boats and i would have thought a sensible labour party would support it. this thought a sensible labour party would support it.— thought a sensible labour party would support it. this saturday is small business _ would support it. this saturday is small business saturday. - would support it. this saturday is small business saturday. i - would support it. this saturday is small business saturday. i am i would support it. this saturday is i small business saturday. i am proud to represent some fantastic local businesses like the stamford notebook company and the born book shop. his gun and has provided unprecedented support throughout the pandemic so can the prime minister and assure me that his commitment to our high streets will continue long into the future? i our high streets will continue long into the future?— into the future? i thank my honourable _ into the future? i thank my honourable friend - into the future? i thank my honourable friend to - into the future? i thank my honourable friend to the i into the future? i thank my - honourable friend to the support he gives to grantham and stamford and i can tell you the saturdays receiving huge support from the government and we had a festival last night to celebrate it in downing street and i encourage everybody to get out this saturday and safely, with your mask on, there should be no inhibition on people buying in shops up and down this country. people buying in shops up and down this country-— this country. next week the 97th victim of the _ this country. next week the 97th victim of the hillsborough - this country. next week the 97th victim of the hillsborough on - victim of the hillsborough on saturday will receive the freedom of liverpool. he defied the odds that he sustained in 1987 and it was ruled he was unlawfully killed as a result of the disaster making him the 97th victim. along my tabling of an early day motion of hillsborough on the national curriculum will be prime minister agree to meet with me to discuss the roll—out of the hillsborough legacy project including the addition of the hillsborough disaster to the national curriculum and help consign to history the narrative of lies and smears peddled by some elements of the media and establishment over the last 32 years through the power of education. i, ~ i, i, i, , education. i thank the honourable entleman education. i thank the honourable gentleman for— education. i thank the honourable gentleman for the _ education. i thank the honourable gentleman for the powerful- education. i thank the honourable gentleman for the powerful point | education. i thank the honourable i gentleman for the powerful point he has made, because even though 32 years have passed since that devastating tragedy i know that the wounds remain very raw indeed in liverpool and i can say to him that the government is committed, as he knows, to continuing the engagement with the families of the bereaved and making sure that the lessons from that tragedy continue to be properly learned and the victims of hillsborough are never forgotten and i'm also happy to make sure that he meets the relevant minister to take forward an agenda and i think that is shared by people up and down this country. it's left tens and thousands of people without power for a fifth night. we people without power for a fifth ni i ht. ~ , i, i, night. we will listen to that statement. _ night. we will listen to that statement. it's _ night. we will listen to that statement. it's not - night. we will listen to that statement. it's not going i night. we will listen to that| statement. it's not going to night. we will listen to that - statement. it's not going to happen just now. back to prime minister's questions, lots of questions for borisjohnson about christmas parties last year. they are starting the statement now. ministerial statement. i now call the secretary of state. with your permission. _ the secretary of state. with your permission, sir, _ the secretary of state. with your permission, sir, i— the secretary of state. with your permission, sir, iwould - the secretary of state. with your permission, sir, iwould like - the secretary of state. with your permission, sir, i would like to i permission, sir, i would like to make a statement on the electricity disruptions as a result of storm arwen. and to inform the house on how we are working to ensure power is restored to people's homes. storm arwen brought severe weather, rain, snow and ice, causing the most severe disruption since 2005. many people across the country, but particularly in northern england and scotland, have been without power for a number of days. three people have tragically lost their lives in incidents related to the storm. my thoughts, and i'm sure the thoughts of the whole house, are with those people and their loved ones. i also want to reassure people who are still without power who are exhausted, who are worried and you are angry, that we are all working incredibly hard to make sure that normal conditions return. we have incredibly dedicated teams of engineers who have been working all around the clock to restore the network. the scale of the restoration effort engineers are facing is enormous about the weekend so exceptionally strong winds, as i said, of almost 100 so exceptionally strong winds, as i said, of almost100 mph, which said, of almost 100 mph, which have brought large trees and debris down on to power lines. for example, in central scotland, wind speeds like this have only been seen twice in the last 25 years. and of course, to add to this complex situation much of the damage is in remote and hard to reach places. i'm glad to say that over 95% of those affected by the storm, over 935,000 customers, have had their power supply restored so far. and i would like to thank the engineers for their hard work and perseverance. however, there are still 30,000 as of eight o'clock this morning who are without power. and the most specific areas, the areas most affected are the we are valley, the north peak district and the south lake areas, as well as aberdeenshire and perthshire in scotland. today, i right honourable friend the energy minister is on the ground in berwick to see first—hand the impact from storm disruption. yesterday, i spoke with the ceo of northern power grid, the electricity north—west and scottish and southern energy networks to seek assurances that restoration is happening as fast as is humanly possible. i am satisfied that these operators are sharing their resources through mutual aid agreements and through putting engineers to the worst affected areas. and i am extremely grateful to emergency responders who are also working very hard to keep people as comfortable as possible, providing torches, blankets and other necessities, also to sorting out alternative accommodation where necessary. officials in my department are monitoring the situation very closely and are in constant contact with network operators to ensure that customers can be reconnected as quickly as possible. people still experiencing issues and difficulties, the people who need further support, they should contact their electricity network by dialling 105 from their landline or moble fun. this will automatically bring them to the right operator, based on their physical location. people are also eligible for compensation, those details they can find on the off gem website. forthose details they can find on the off gem website. for those who continue to be without power, i know their primary question will be when will power he primary question will be when will power be restored. i have been assured that the overwhelming majority of those still without power today will be restored in the next day or two. i have asked operators to provide named contacts for mp5, and i will be sharing those with colleagues. this has been an extremely difficult week for many of our constituents and i want to thank them for their fortitude in the face of this extreme weather condition. when the power is back up and back to normal, we of course will be looking at the lessons that we can learn from storm arwen in order to build an even more resilient power system in the future. i build an even more resilient power system in the future.— build an even more resilient power system in the future. i now come to shadow secretary. _ system in the future. i now come to shadow secretary. let _ system in the future. i now come to shadow secretary. let me _ system in the future. i now come to shadow secretary. let me first - system in the future. i now come to shadow secretary. let me first of i shadow secretary. let me first of all 'oin shadow secretary. let me first of all join him _ shadow secretary. let me first of allioin him in — shadow secretary. let me first of alljoin him in sending _ shadow secretary. let me first of alljoin him in sending my - alljoin him in sending my condolences to the victims who have tragically died during deccan macro, and to theirfamilies. —— during storm arwen. i know from my own constituency, when we had terrible flooding in 2019, the impact of extreme weather and the traumatic effects it has on people and communities. i also want to join effects it has on people and communities. i also want tojoin him in paying tribute to the many engineers, volunteers and emergency service that have worked tirelessly to step up and help during this crisis. we have heard heartbreaking stories of outages leaving residents without power, water and light, and there are also, and i want to ask about this, there are also many reports of residents being unable to get proper information about what is happening and people waiting for hours to get through on phone lines. on behalf of the men who have suffered, i want to ask him a few questions. does he believe there is enough support for the most vulnerable on the ground? including the use of emergency generators. and has equally given thought to calling in the army if necessary to help with that process? he said that power would be restored in the next day or two for the overwhelming majority. can he say how many people he estimates will left without power and how long it will take to restore power for them? and how long it will take to restore powerfor them? and then i want and how long it will take to restore power for them? and then i want to probe him a little bit further on lessons. because after terrible storms in 2013, mr speaker. the stormiest winter in years that saw thousands lose their power. it was said at the time that lessons would be learned. i want to probe him on three areas. communications, the science and technology committee recommended that single national emergency number was put in place. the purpose of that number was that people notjust know who to call but could get information promptly. as i say, the calling of 105 which he mentioned, there are number reports of it causing enormous frustration to people not getting the information. can he say what his assessment is on whether people have been able to get the information, and if not, why not? off gem recommended in the wake of those storms that district network operators should share resources and personnel in the event of such a crisis. he says it has happened, but it is easy satisfied it has happened right across the dlo network and is happy that the scale that is required? after 2015, there was a clear... se satisfied at this stage that this has happened? because the continued vulnerability of power lines it seems all too apparent. that is where i want to end, because faced with the climate crisis, extreme weather events will sadly become more common in the future. we cannot be this vulnerable in the future. there is real concern that some lessons haven't been learned, and on this occasion we much face up to those lessons and learn them. fii to those lessons and learn them. of course, as far as the emergency and the situation with regards to climate change, he and i have very similar views on this. and clearly storm arwen was an event cut the like of which we haven't seen for certainly 60 years, since the records of the dlo starts. and we have to be prepared for a similarly extreme and difficult weather conditions in the future. we have to make sure that our system is resilient in that eventuality. in terms of his specific questions, we do have the 105 line which is the one number that people are being asked to call. it has been centralised. i think he is quite right to say that there was initial pressure. from my understanding, over the weekend it took people up to two hours to get through, which was clearly unacceptable. but of course, the storm hit and the companies didn't have the communication networks, the call centres, the people there to deal with the situation. today, and certainly yesterday when i spoke to the ceo of the companies, that waiting time had been reduced to ten minutes— a quarter of an hour. of course, if people are finding difficulties they should definitely get in touch with their mps and with government, and also the distributors. on his second point, you sack is a very effective means by which the generating companies can share and deploy engineers across different networks. and that i am told by the ceo of the companies is being very effective. but i will have more calls today with local resilience leaders to ensure that what the generating companies are saying is actually matched by what people are experiencing on the ground, because there can be a mismatch between the two. cani can i echo the words of my right honourable friend and thank all of those in the emergency services and local authority works that went out every weekend and 10th done so much to support our communities across the uk that have been affected? and local businesses that have opened their doors to look after those who are more vulnerable and in places where temperatures dropped below zero every weekend and the lost power and water. some places in my constituency remain without power and do not have access to a temporary generator, sol and do not have access to a temporary generator, so i was wondering if it could expand on his discussions with sse and and what discussions with sse and and what discussions he might have of the scottish government to see what can be done to speed up the response for these people who are going to their fifth day now without electricity, power or heating in their home? mi; power or heating in their home? my honourable friend will accept it as an extreme situation we are in and also will know that i have spoken to the head of sse and he and i, as well as colleagues in the scottish government, looking at the situation. generators can take up the slack but it is an ongoing situation and would be happy to engage with him in the next few hours. i, ~ engage with him in the next few hours. i, ,, , i, engage with him in the next few hours. i, ~' , i, , engage with him in the next few hours. i, ,, , i, , i engage with him in the next few hours. i, ~' , i, , i ~ hours. thank you very much, mr seaker. hours. thank you very much, mr speaker- i— hours. thank you very much, mr speaker. i would _ hours. thank you very much, mr speaker. i would like _ hours. thank you very much, mr speaker. i would like to - hours. thank you very much, mr speaker. i would like to thank i hours. thank you very much, mr. speaker. i would like to thank the ministerfor advance speaker. i would like to thank the minister for advance sight of his statement. this storm was of incredible strength when it hit us on friday night in the north—eastern parts of scotland and england, being especially in the full face of the girl. sse's storm models predicted between 60 high faults, but have sustained over 500. —— full face of the storm. it has affected trees which do not normally have to yield to those wins resulting in a colossal tree damage to the network. mr speaker, i wish to pay tribute to the fortitude and resolve of the many people facing severe hardship on day five without power, some of whom will not get back today or tomorrow. it is a tremendous disruption to the way that we live today and they are to be in our thoughts at this very challenging time for them. indeed, thoughts at this very challenging time forthem. indeed, as thoughts at this very challenging time for them. indeed, as of 9pm at last night, 9500 customers remained cut off from that supply, including 5700 in aberdeen and aberdeenshire, 1500 in moray, 11100 in my angus constituency and 570 in perthshire. this enduring lack of power would test anybody�*s resolve, yet it is telling that people remain mindful of the extraordinary efforts of engineers and support staff of sse and their industry partners to restore supplies and power has been restored to 180,000 customers. the uk government has, i understand, said it is on standby to provide further assistance to the scottish government, but like the deputy first minister in scotland i am a little bit sceptical to what that is, so would be grateful if the minister could elaborate of what that insistence would be and if it is financial, is it new money or recycled money because? —— that assistance would be. sse this morning have assured me they have engineers across the network working across the north—east to repair supplies and also engineers from other networks sharing the note resources in the enormous recovery effort which is hampered by the prolonged scale of the damage compounded by the locations of the damage and the types of equipment that has been damaged. i wish to place on record finally, in closing, my thanks to the engineers working in all weathers to restore power supplies to angus and the council and other members of the local resilience partnership who have done so much to help restore supplies and in the humanitarian welfare provision. i in the humanitarian welfare provision-— in the humanitarian welfare rovision. ii, i, i, i, , provision. i welcome the honourable gentleman's — provision. i welcome the honourable gentleman's remarks _ provision. i welcome the honourable gentleman's remarks and _ provision. i welcome the honourable gentleman's remarks and pay - provision. i welcome the honourable l gentleman's remarks and pay tribute, as he does, not only to the fortitude of many of his constituents and all the people in scotland, but also the tireless efforts of the engineers, voluntary staff, dlo in this instance sse, in terms of trying to deal with an unprecedented situation. the honourable gentleman was quick to point out it was not only the speed, the high velocity, but the direction of winds posed a huge direction. he will know i speak to counterparts across the border in the devolved government, devolved administration, very frequently. the fact i was on a panel with the cabinet secretary and yesterday and this is something that we are talking about all the time. we have not specified the amount of money, if there is going to be any, i do not think we have reached that conversation, but we are in constant dialogue with his colleagues in holyrood. dialogue with his colleagues in hol rood. i, ~ dialogue with his colleagues in hol rood. i, «i , dialogue with his colleagues in holrood. i, i holyrood. thank you, mr speaker. areas in my _ holyrood. thank you, mr speaker. areas in my constituency - holyrood. thank you, mr speaker. areas in my constituency of - holyrood. thank you, mr speaker. | areas in my constituency of penrith and the broader and further afield have been hard hit by this power crisis. areas like allston, matty dale, some have been restored in some are still without power. will my right honourable friend join me in thanking engineers, council services and volunteers that have been working so hard at this time and can he assure my constituents and can he assure my constituents and further afield that everything is being done across government to support them, help restore power and put in place contingency measures? thank you, mr speaker. my honourable friend will know this is a matter of very grave concern and focus for the government. he will also appreciate that electricity north west has done a reasonablejob in restoring i think 95% of the people affected, but clearly we want to work harder to make sure that about 6000 people, 7000 people, who are still of the grade can get the power as soon as possible. grade can get the power as soon as iossible. i, ., grade can get the power as soon as iossible. i, «i , i, , grade can get the power as soon as iossible. i, ~i , i, , i i possible. thank you very much, mr sieaker. possible. thank you very much, mr speaker- i— possible. thank you very much, mr speaker- i also _ possible. thank you very much, mr speaker. i also want _ possible. thank you very much, mr speaker. i also want to _ possible. thank you very much, mr speaker. i also want to send - speaker. i also want to send my condolences and pay respects to those who lost their lives in these awful circumstances, in particular to the family of the man who passed away in ambleside on friday. at least 7000 homes in my constituency have been without power for between three and five nights and i am immensely proud of the way that people in our community have stood up people in our community have stood up to support one another, support their neighbours. they know who they are. i'm also gratefulfor their neighbours. they know who they are. i'm also grateful for those working on the ground fair electricity north west to try and fix this problem as soon as possible, but thousands are still without power in my community and elsewhere in cumbria and they feel forgotten and they are not, by many of us here. hi newton, low newton, laming, have a sweet, outskirts of windermere and other places as well are now facing a six night without power. some are being told they will not have that connection fixed before the 8th of december, this time next week. the hardship caused, particularly to the elderly and others who are vulnerable, is a thinker, which is why it is massively disappointing that it took him to wednesday for a minister to this house to address this issue, but it is not too late for the comment attacked. so i would ask the minister to do the following, will he today task the army to provide the support for the engine is on the ground in cumbria to speed up fixing the public? —— not too late for the government to act. will he use the army to make sure the most vulnerable are contacted and moved into emergency accommodation today? will he also ensure that every affected community in cumbria is given generators to provide at least a temporary fix today so that no one has to spend a six night in the cold? ., has to spend a six night in the cold? i, i, , i, , , cold? so, we are obviously contacting _ cold? so, we are obviously contacting local _ cold? so, we are obviously contacting local resilience l cold? so, we are obviously - contacting local resilience forum is that, we are listening to them and actually getting guidance from them is how best to tackle the situation on the ground. he will also appreciate that an hst north west have already provided 150 generators and we will be asking them, tasking them to see what more can be done to alleviate the extreme stress and challenging situation that many of his constituents i know are facing. —— electricity north west. i his constituents i know are facing. -- electricity north west.- -- electricity north west. i thank the minister _ -- electricity north west. i thank the minister for _ -- electricity north west. i thank the minister for his _ -- electricity north west. i thank the minister for his statement. the minister for his statement today. storm. today. has the minister for his statement today. has left thousands of my constituents without power for several days but what has been really heartening is to see how people in my local towns and villages have come together, particularly in upper weardale, but also in other places and there is still a secondary school without power, several hundred children not getting the education that they need. i'm really delighted that the energy minister is in north west durham today and i thank him for his visit and what he is doing up the committee indeed he has contacted several local businesses on my behalf. there are a couple of things i would like to race with the minister, first, one of my rural surgeries has lost £10,000 for the vaccines for flu jabs surgeries has lost £10,000 for the vaccines forflu jabs and surgeries has lost £10,000 for the vaccines for flu jabs and that will impact on the roll—out. could easily to the department of health for me and ensure they get that supply robust as quickly as possible due to electricity going down under fridges going north? secondly, there are some very isolated communities who are told it may be a very long time before they get full electricity. can he do everything possible to make sure they are reconnected well before christmas? and finally, can he ensure that the government response positively to any request from the local resilience forum, including sending in the army if necessary, at the request? this one o'clock news is coming up soon. time for the weather with dan. hello there. yesterday was a mild day. today, though, it has been turning colder and we've still got some strong and gusty winds around, the really strong winds are actually heading their way into germany. it could bring some damage. we've got colder air moving down from the north behind that weather front there, which is taking some rain southwards across england and wales. and we still have those gusty winds around, particularly around coastal areas. and it will stay windy overnight across northern and eastern areas of the uk and it's getting colder from the north. so these are the temperatures early on in the evening. still got some rain to clear away from the far south of england and south wales, that will move through. and then that cold air comes pushing down across all areas. we can trace the cold air all the way up towards the barents sea and that will stream in these showers, mainly running through the north sea. they'll bump into those north sea coastal areas and turn wintry, some snow more likely even to lower levels in northern scotland. a few showers for northern ireland, turning wintry as they move into wales and the south—west. and with those showers continuing overnight, this is where we're going to find most of the ice forming. there will be a widespread frost around with the lowest temperatures likely to be in scotland. heading into tomorrow, we see the back of those showers in south wales, south—west england. we'll keep a few wintry showers running on to some of those north sea coasts and into east anglia. they do become fewer in the afternoon. many places having a dry day, plenty of sunshine. but there's more cloud coming into northern ireland quickly and then later on into western parts of scotland. ahead of that, though, temperatures maybe no better than three, four orfive degrees, despite the sunshine, so a colder day than today. so we're setting up that cold air at the moment across the uk. but if we look out further west, there's milder air trying to come in from the atlantic briefly. where we have the two, where the two meet, we have a weather front that could bring some snow during thursday evening to scotland just for a short while over the pennines, welsh hills, perhaps some sleetiness down through the midlands and east anglia for a while, but it's only for a short while because it turns back to rain again and that rain is still hanging round, perhaps across more southern parts of england. threatening to go back into the south west. should be a bit brighter. further north, perhaps some sunshine around. it starts to cool off a little bit across northern areas. and we've got a whole rash of showers arriving in the north—west of scotland, later into northern ireland. these could be heavy. and it's quite a windy start to the weekend, particularly for northern areas on saturday. some showers. sunday does look like it will be much drier with some sunshine. still chilly. the health secretary says there's no need to cancel your christmas arrangements. i don't think people need to change their plan, i think these are the right measures and will is not a node to put any more in place at this point in time. it comes as leaked documents from scientists who advise the government say the impact of the omicron variant on the uk is "highly uncertain", but officials shld prepare now for "a potentailly signficant wave" of infections, while they find out more. the prime minister says "all guidance was followed" after he was asked if a christmas party was held at downing st during lockdown last december. was a christmas party thrown in downing street for dozens of people on december 18th? prime minister. mr speaker, what i can tell- the right honourable gentleman