The Parker Review found 12 of ftse 100 bosses are from an ethnic minority up from 7 in 2022. But its still short of the 18 of people in the uk who are from a non white ethnic group according to the most recent census. Joining me now is soumen das, the co chair of the Parker Review. Hes also the chief financial 0fficerfor segro, a ftse 100 listed Real Estate Investment trust. So, some progress as we said, but not enough. What is Holding Back Progress on this front . figs not enough. What is Holding Back Progress on this front . Not enough. What is Holding Back Progress on this front . As we talk about this this progress on this front . As we talk about this this morning, progress on this front . As we talk about this this morning, there progress on this front . As we talk about this this morning, there is l about this this morning, there is reasons for optimism, weve come a long way, part of the review has been running for nine years, and the number of ethnic minority directors of boards in the uk has doubled in that time, so thats really good progress. You talked about the increasing number in the last 12 months, but thejob is never done, you are very clear this morning in the report we need to keep this focus going. If you continue this, theres real momentum which aimore is looking to achieve. What theres real momentum which aimore is looking to achieve. Is looking to achieve. What are the bi est is looking to achieve. What are the biggest hurdles is looking to achieve. What are the biggest hurdles in is looking to achieve. What are the biggest hurdles in achieving is looking to achieve. What are the biggest hurdles in achieving that . L biggest hurdles in achieving that . We have made a major leap in terms of bringing more ethnic minority directors on, this time last year we asked companies to tell us about their Senior Management teams, because what we are looking for is the pipeline of talent being brought through companies being given the right experience right time, but that takes years and years to develop, and journey starts with the individual entering the workplace, so by integrating the targets with the Talent Management processes we were hopeful that as we look forward to 2027 we asked people to set the ratio of 12 , the target set is 17 , thats only three years away, so theres still a lot for companies to do, but hopefully they will get there. ~ ~. , do, but hopefully they will get there. ~ ~. , do, but hopefully they will get there. ~. , h. , there. We know the most successful businesses of there. We know the most successful businesses of those there. We know the most successful businesses of those that there. We know the most successful businesses of those that reflect businesses of those that reflect their customer base. If the boardroom looks like those youre trying to sell to. It is important that this is at all levels within the boardroom. It gets the heart of how within the boardroom. It gets the heart of how companies within the boardroom. It gets the heart of how companies operate, | within the boardroom. It gets the heart of how companies operate, with processes, management systems, recruitment pieces, the way they run promotion, it at the back of the report this morning, and the point being that if we tinker with existing systems, unless we actually take the major leap and start to recognise the existing way of doing things, wont necessarily give us the right outcomes for the future and there will be a step change the way we approach two things, that is needed. What is interesting to me, we have case studies in this mornings review, and the role of leadership, the role of culture, all of this really makes a difference to getting to the place where we want to beat. ~ ,. , getting to the place where we want to beat. � , getting to the place where we want to beat. ~ ,. ,. , to beat. Absolutely, good to have ou with to beat. Absolutely, good to have you with us india has signed a 100 Billion Dollar Trade Agreement with four european nations. The deal is with the European Free trade association which is switzerland, norway, iceland and liechtenstein. Theyre not members of the european union. It comes after 16 years of negotiation and will give the European Countries better access to the indian market for their goods in return they will invest 100 Billion Dollars into india. But there is still little progress on a long promised deal between the eu and india. 0r indeed with the uk which has put a Free Trade Agreement with india at the centre of its post brexit plans. Well our India Business corrspondent archana shukla, is in mumbai. She explained the nature of this deal. A lot of Industrial Products like the swiss watches, chocolates, biscuits, even seafood from norway will be available at much lower prices in india as the country is bound to cut import taxes in exchange for A Hundred Billion Dollar investment from these countries. India is the eft� s largest changing my trading partner, but there is a huge Trade Deficit where imports into india for more than 20 than the exports going to these countries, india is hoping the investments will create more economic activity, will create about a millionjobs in the economic activity, will create about a million jobs in the worlds Fastest Growing economy. This is the first Free Trade Agreement with the european bloc that india has signed. The other deals with the wider group, the european union, have languished for years now. India in the uk and are currently negotiating a Free Trade Deal but it is not likely to be concluded any time soon. Lets talk to alpesh patel who is an advisor on trade with india who has been part of the uk india negotiations. Always good to have you with us. We will talk about the uk india and eu will talk about the uk india and eu india stuff shortly, but why does it take so long for this deal to come through . I does it take so long for this deal to come through . To come through . I should say, not directly part to come through . I should say, not directly part of to come through . I should say, not directly part of this. To come through . I should say, not directly part of this. 16 to come through . I should say, not directly part of this. 16 years, to come through . I should say, not directly part of this. 16 years, the l directly part of this. 16 years, the reason is, 16 years ago the west was really busy with the financial crisis in india wasnt the fifth largest economy in the world. Now of course these countries want to get a move on, because they see india as the largest major economy in terms of gross, so we want to get our hands on a bit of that, and also there is an added urgency and that we have a Trade Deficit in the United Kingdom with india. We import more, specifically, for instance, refined oil, then we export to india. A Free Trade Agreement would now be in our interests. Hour india. A Free Trade Agreement would now be in our interests. Now be in our interests. How long will it take now be in our interests. How long will it take to now be in our interests. How long will it take to negotiate now be in our interests. How long will it take to negotiate that . Will it take to negotiate that . Weve heard promises in the past, weve heard the uks Trade Minister say its possible, it may happen before an election, but doesnt want to put a deadline on it. How important could this deal be . Just before this important could this deal be . Jut before this interview i asked part of the team that is negotiating on the indian side what are some of the outstanding issues, and they are not major. I will give you an example of what we came back to me with. Mutual credential verification of executives, know your client, so it easierfor a professional to be had, easierfor a professional to be had, easierfor a professional to be had, Easierfor Indian easierfor a professional to be had, easier for indian branches, easierfor a professional to be had, Easierfor Indian branches, all negotiations down to two things, they give the same treatment you give your most favourite to two things, they give the same treatment you give your most favoured nations. India wants to be able to open bank series easily as british banks in india, and finally Social Security agreement, which has come on a little bit since we change the immigration rules, basically india is saying if you are paying National Insurance and want access to health care, i dont give us access to health care but then dont charge us the same level as tax. Just give us what you are giving the americans, basically. What you are giving the americans, basicall. ,. , what you are giving the americans, basicall. ,. ,. ,. ,. , basically. This adds up to a change and dynamic basically. This adds up to a change and dynamic in basically. This adds up to a change and dynamic in the basically. This adds up to a change and dynamic in the way basically. This adds up to a change and dynamic in the way that basically. This adds up to a change and dynamic in the way that other| and dynamic in the way that other countries negotiating trade with india. The powerhouse economy, given we are seeing a slowdown elsewhere another other developed economies are on the world, india is powering ahead and other countries want a slice of that, dont they . Judia ahead and other countries want a slice of that, dont they . Slice of that, dont they . India is the fifth largest slice of that, dont they . India is the fifth largest Economy Slice of that, dont they . India is the fifth largest economy in slice of that, dont they . India is the fifth largest economy in the l the fifth largest economy in the world and it has leapfrogged the United Kingdom, however it is only our 12th largest trading partner, and it is only the 14th largest export market. For us it is really the United States which has heading soldiers above. Lets turn around when the indians and say, we want you to guarantee inward investment United Kingdom into the defence, ai, quantum computing, others areas that we are specialist on, space and defence as well, and we can turn it around on them and get the benefit. The film star idris elba is leading a Regeneration Project in sierra leone along with siaka stevens, the grandson of a former president. They recently announced plans for a wind and solarfarm, in a country where fewer than three in ten households have access to electricity. The site for the planned eco city is Sherbro Island off the coast of west africa. Britains 0ctopus Energy Generation will build the project and our Business Reporter David Waddell spoke to its chief executive, and with idris elba, who explained why the island was chosen. 0riginally we went there looking at how can we bring tourism to the most incredible 19 miles of beachfront that was there, and then we saw something a bit more innovative, a bit more exciting, this idea of building an eco smart city, preserving whats beautiful about it but at the same time attracting partners to help build it out, if you like, and explore it. So, thats how it came about. This is a question for you, there is a lot of work to be done to make this project work, have you identified local skills and experience that are needed to complete the project . Absolutely. We would want to work with local communities to be able to upskill as much as possible. We even want the wind farm to be able to unlock new industry and actually to unlock old industries, as well, such as fisheries and fishing. So, refrigeration certainly gives us the opportunity to be able to do that again. What is it first attracted 0ctopus to partnering with International Tv and film star idris elba . Well, i was going to say, the way you put it, several reasons, in that when we met with both siaka and idris, the one thing actually blew me away was their knowledge of renewable energy. They were describing to me how this was a wind tunnel and it has 16 hours of sunshine that we can be looking at, so it was that as much as, of course, a name like idriss and siaka, who of course is the grandson of the former president of sierra leone, as well, so we knew that relationships would have been built there. And, idris, what is it that inspired you to lend not just your passion but also your name to a project like this . Never in my lifetime would i have thought i could help build the foundation for a new smart city, no, im not qualified for that but i am gonna fight to dream big, and my parents came to this country when they were young, late 60s, with the aspiration of going home, and my mum is still alive but my dad isnt, so part of me wants to build that beautiful Retirement Home for my mum where she can go back and go, wow, you know, my little guy that was born in hackney came back home and built this incredible island, and its a dream, you know, by work in the make believe business, and its exactly that, make believe. Idris elba ending that report. Much more on other stories on the bbc website. We will see very soon. Really have a special relationship. Hes been looking after her for four years but that changed last year. The car came round and clipped her rear side, and itjust kept driving, and i was left there in the middle of the road on ruby, i had no idea she if she had her broken leg, anything could have happened to her. Despite being struck by a moving vehicle they are both 0k, despite being struck by a moving vehicle they are both ok, but for ben it made him reconsider where he takes her and when. You ben it made him reconsider where he takes her and when. Takes her and when. You think, could ha en takes her and when. You think, could happen again . Takes her and when. You think, could happen again . It takes her and when. You think, could happen again . Itjust takes her and when. You think, could happen again . Itjust sort takes her and when. You think, could happen again . Itjust sort of takes her and when. You think, could happen again . Itjust sort of took happen again . Itjust sort of took the fun out of it for a while. This is something the fun out of it for a while. This is something many the fun out of it for a while. This is something many riders are concerned about. Emily runs a Riding School in warwickshire. She says heading out on the roads can be a challenge. fix. Heading out on the roads can be a challenue. �. ,. ,. , challenge. A lot of the offroad ridin , challenge. A lot of the offroad riding. Its challenge. A lot of the offroad riding, its only challenge. A lot of the offroad riding, its only accessible challenge. A lot of the offroad riding, its only accessible by i challenge. A lot of the offroad i riding, its only accessible by main roads. Riding, its only accessible by main roads. Yes, riding, its only accessible by main roads, yes, theres been instances over roads, yes, theres been instances over the roads, yes, theres been instances over the years, i feel very fortunate has never been any sort of serious fortunate has never been any sort of serious incident, but especially when serious incident, but especially when youre on young horses, like us when when youre on young horses, like us when you when youre on young horses, like us when you have clients you are taking out, it when you have clients you are taking out, it can when you have clients you are taking out, it can he when you have clients you are taking out, it can be very dangerous. Motorists out, it can be very dangerous. Motorists and riders are being asked to report incidents to so they can try and keep the rose. Meanwhile, theyre trying to put their near miss behind them. Hello from the bbc sport centre. Lets start in the English Premier League because arsenal are top of the table on Goal Difference after their title rivals Manchester City and liverpool battled it out between them, but couldnt be separated on sunday. Their match ended in a one all draw at anfield. John stones scored first, turning in a cornerfrom kevin de bruyne. But soon after half time city conceded a penalty alexis mac allister scored the spot kick to equalise for liverpool. That was the final time that Pep Guardiola and jurgen klopp will meet in the premier league, with the liverpool manager leaving at the end of the season. Both managers seemed a little emotional at full time. They were asked about playing each other for the last time in the league and both said there was respect and that they would probably become friends after they retired. He will be back. Any time, he loves too much thejob. I dont know he will find the same league, i