Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC Newsroom Live 20170629

For theresa mays Minority Government, mps will vote on the queens speech later. In half an hours time the culture and Media Secretary will announce whether 21st Century Fox will be allowed to takeover sky. The deal would give Rupert Murdoch total control of the broadcaster. And Dame Katherine grainger, the incoming chair of uk sport, says she has huge concerns about Athlete Welfare. I think there is huge concerns, without a doubt, no one is pretending there isnt. Good morning. Its thursday 29th july. Im annita mcveigh. Welcome to bbc newsroom live. A retired Court Of Appealjudge, sir Martin Moore Bick, will be appointed to lead the Public Inquiry into the Grenfell Tower disaster. The news comes as police say at least 80 people are believed to have died in the fire, but they dont expect to be able to confirm the final number for at least another six months. This morning the Prime Minister theresa may released a statement on the appointment of sir Martin Moore Bick to lead the inquiry. Theres also been a statement from thejudge himself, sir martin. With me now is our Legal Affairs correspondent clive coleman. First and foremost, the families of the victims and this virus, they will want to know more about who this man is and the survivors. will tell you more about him, he is sirmartin will tell you more about him, he is sir Martin Moore Bick, very recently retired, very senior Court Of Appeal judge, he is 70. Judges have to retire at the age of 70 and he became a qc in 1986 and he served as a deputy high courtjudge before being appointed to the high court in 19 the 1995 being appointed to the high court in 19 the 1995 and much of his practice as a barrister was as a Commercial Court was in a Commercial Court was in a Commercial Court. Especially shipping. In Shipping Cases if one shipping. In Shipping Cases if one Ship Collides with another, because ofa Ship Collides with another, because of a ships sinking, you need to deal with experts in their field. Many different experts, so he has experience of getting his head around really complex technical issues, although different in nature and maybe not different in terms of the complexity of the issue. What we know about his personal background, he is married with children. He could be described as an Establishment Figure and his Brother Isa Establishment Figure and his brother is a retired army general. He has the classic cv of a highly successful Court Of Appealjudge. We are going to listen to a clip. This is one of the survivors of the g Re Nfell Tower is one of the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fai who escaped from the 14th floor of the tower block and he has been giving his reaction Grenfell Tower fire. And he has been giving his reaction Grenfell Tower fire. We need a criminal judge, Grenfell Tower fire. We need a criminaljudge, this is the same person who sent a woman, all the way from westminster to Milton Keynes, and that is not right. He reversed the case for the winnie justice and this man is not going to give us any justice. We need justice. We need a criminaljudge. This is not right. That survive are saying a criminal judge is needed, what about that . What he was talking about, is a particular decision that sir Martin Moore Bick made in the Court Of Appeal, this was a case that involved a woman, who was a resident in westminster, but because of the benefits cap she became homeless and asa benefits cap she became homeless and as a result of that Westminster City Council wanted to house her 50 miles away in bletchley. Councils are entitled to do that but they have to ta ke entitled to do that but they have to take into account a raft of factors including her ties to the area, she was a woman with five children, single parent. She was in bad health and she was asked to go effectively 50 miles away to relocate. Sir Martin Moore Bick when he was sitting in the Court Of Appeal, he had thejob of sitting in the Court Of Appeal, he had the job of Scrutinising Whether Westminster City Council had come to that decision lawfully. He decided they had done. It has to be said, as was mentioned, the case then went to the Supreme Court and it was pretty much a thumping reversal of that decision. It was a unanimous decision. It was a unanimous decision of the Supreme Court. There was a strong judgment which was the Polar Opposite of the judgment that sirmartin Polar Opposite of the judgment that sir Martin Moore Bick had made. Just put that into context, sir Martin Moore Bick had in the Supreme Court for 11 years and we are talking about one of his judgments within that 11 year period. But some of the newspapers have written this up this morning and are nodding to the possibility, they would say, that there is some sort of view that he has about vulnerable families and that clearly has upset some people, but you have got to look at this in context but you have got to look at this in Co Ntext A Nd but you have got to look at this in context and also see that on the technical side and finding out precisely what happened in terms of the causing of that fire and how the materials stood up to the flames, and so forth in that area, because of the work he has done within his commercial practice, hes well qualified. Commercial practice, hes wellqualified. Clive, thanks. Interesting to get more background. 0ur assistant Political Editor norman smith is At Westminster. We know the government has had difficulties to say the least with judicial appointments to major inquiries, it is very important that they get this right. There will be some concern at the initial response we heard from that man who survived the Grenfell Tower tragedy, because critical to getting this inquiry off the ground is making sure that the judge has the support and the confidence of the relatives, and without that this inquiry will be in trouble. I dont know how representative that individual is but if there are wider concerns about the background of the judge and whether it he has a criminal background, Previous Court rulings, and in short his first step has to be, i would imagine, and in short his first step has to be, iwould imagine, to meet and in short his first step has to be, i would imagine, to meet the relatives and to assure them and to bring them into the process because we know they are going to be consulted about the terms of reference of this inquiry and if there is any sort of doubt they harbour about his ability to get to the truth, that will be a pretty fundamental Stumbling Block, especially when you remember what happened to the child abuse inquiry which had a similar number. This similar number of false starts, because of who was chosen to head the inquiry and because of the lack of confidence of some of the survivors of confidence of some of the suivivois groups of confidence of some of the survivors groups in the ability of thejudges to carry survivors groups in the ability of the judges to carry out a rigorous inquiry, so that is a fundamental challenge and dependent on that will be the political reaction, because at the moment, just talking to politicians, everyone is holding back. Everyone wants the inquiry to get up and running and they dont wa nt get up and running and they dont want it to be mired in controversy. They want it to start and to get to the truth, but if the relatives are not happy then i expect you will hear politicians echoing that sort of disquiet, so it is very important that he manages to command the confidence of the survivors. Norman, thanks. One of the most senior figures in the vatican has hit back after being charged with Sexual Offences. Cardinal george pell, the highest Ranking Member of the Catholic Church in australia, said he would take leave from his job in the vatican to return home and the fight the allegations. He said he was innocent of the charges and looked forward to having his day in court. From sydney phil mercer reports. The allegations against Cardinal George pell bring the issue of sexual abuse to the door of the vatican. He is facing multiple charges and is due to appear before magistrates in melbourne in three weeks time. It follows a long police investigation. Cardinal pell is facing multiple charges in respect of historic Sexual Offences. And there are multiple complainants relating to those charges. The former archbishop of sydney and melbourne has said he will return to australia to clear his name, and that he was looking forward to his day in court. Hes previously accused sections of the media of waging a Smear Campaign against him. Speaking in rome, the cardinal insisted that he was the victim of relentless Character Assassination and strongly denied the allegations. Im innocent of these charges. They are false. The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me. So im very grateful to the holy father for giving me this leave to return to australia. Its thought the charges against Cardinal Pell date back to the 1970s. In the victorian City Of Ballarat where he was born and worked as a priest after his ordination. Hes been trusted by pope francis to reform the vatican finances as the treasurer. The pontiff has previously said he would show zero tolerance to abusive priests. The pope has granted the cardinal time off to defend himself. The specific nature of these allegations have yet to be made public. A court is expected to decide next week whether to release those details. The australian cardinal is the highest ranking vatican official to be charged in the Catholic Churchs long running sexual abuse scandal. Phil mercer, bbc news. Sydney. 0ur Correspondentjames Reynolds is in rome. When he became pope a few years ago, pope francis created a commission to deal with allegations of sexual abuse by clerics and he promised a change in the vaticans approach. How he handles this case will be a huge test for him and the church. think he and the church are in a very uncomfortable position. He has made the fight against child abuse a central priority of his time as pope, and he has had criticism from members of the commission, that the vatican bureaucracy has stopped Attem Pts Vatican bureaucracy has stopped atte m pts to vatican bureaucracy has stopped attempts to deal with the problem but he now faces a central issue. 0ne but he now faces a central issue. One of his closest allies, man he picked to come from australia to rome to reform finances, now has to go back to australia to defend himself in court. George pell, like anyone else, he is innocent until proven guilty, of course, but the very fa ct proven guilty, of course, but the very fact he now has to answer these charges made by the police will be something quite uncomfortable for the pope and the Catholic Church. The behaviour of the officials of the Catholic Church, the senior officials, the cardinals, 120 of can vote in an election, they affect the popes ability to lead the church, they affect his reputation and his credibility. Thanks Forjoining Us. Talks to restore Power Sharing at stormont remain deadlocked as a deadline set by the government approaches. If a deal isnt reached by four oclock this afternoon, Northern Ireland could face a return to direct rule from westminster. 0ur ireland correspondent chris page is at stormont. The meeting is supposed to take place with a First Minister and Deputy First Minister is going to be nominated, is that meeting going to go ahead . That meeting was scheduled for noon, and in theory the purpose is for the assembly to elect a Deputy First Minister to head up the Power Sharing executive and then for the other ministers to be appointed but that wont happen unless theres a deal the biggest parties, sinn fein and dup and there is no sign of that. The party whips at stormont have been meeting to decide whether it is worthwhile to go ahead with the session of the assembly and they have adjourned and they will come back at one oclock. That means we are not going to see a meeting of the Stormont Assembly at noon but the Stormont Assembly at noon but the door is open if the whips decide to go ahead with a meeting of the assembly at some later stage this afternoon in orderfor assembly at some later stage this afternoon in order for the deadline to be met at apm. They would have to meet at the latest of around two oclock in order to go through the process of appointing the debuchy First Ministers. Deputy. As of last night, as of early this morning, still major differences existed between dup and sinn fein, especially regarding legal representation for the Irish Language, and it would mean a major turnaround if a deal is going to happen at this late stage. Chris, thanks. Lets speak to professorjon tonge, an expert in Northern Irish politics at the university of liverpool. Hejoins us from our belfast newsroom. Deadlines have a special meaning in politics there. Do you expect some sort of deal to be pulled out of the bag by four oclock this afternoon . It isa bag by four oclock this afternoon . It is a 50 slash 50 chance. I expect some sort of phage, and then they will park the discussions until the autumn fudge. The assembly breaks up autumn fudge. The assembly breaks up next week for summer, so there wont be an Irish Language act which is the biggest Stumbling Block at them, that will not be passed onto them, that will not be passed onto the autumn session of the assembly. And although in some ways, there is a case for actually Parking Everything until the autumn, but whether it can be parked and resurrected successfully then, that is another matter, but otherwise the Secretary Of States options are pretty limited. He could go nuclear and basically announce a return of direct rule from westminster but Thatis Direct Rule from westminster but that is not likely. Very few of the main parties would want that, remember there are 90 salaries at sta ke remember there are 90 salaries at stake in terms of the devolved assembly. What you might have is a sort of direct or which emerges in which the Assembly Remains in place but as a Scrutiny Body for direct rule. If a deal cant be done. Theres only one Stumbling Block which is whether you can have stand alone Irish Language act which sinn fein want or whether it has to be part of a broader package which includes a recognition for ulster scots, for example. So that is the key remaining issue . The issue of the Irish Language act . Yes, many of the Irish Language act . Yes, many of the other controversial measures appear to have been dropped. Sinn fein said they would not work with Arlene Foster as First Minister but that seems to have been dropped by sinn fein. We also have ongoing controversy sinn fein. We also have ongoing co ntrove isy over sinn fein. We also have ongoing controversy over same sex marriage but the fact is the dup in a reconstituted assembly could not alone block the introduction of same sex marriage any more come anyway. They would have to rely on other unionists supporting any petition of concern and that is by no means guaranteed. There are still issues around the bill of rights but nothing appears insurmountable except this Irish Language act, which might seem strange, seeing as only 10 of nationalist people speak the agenda, but this is a big thing speak the language, but this is a big thing for sinn fein. Has the initial controversy over the Tory Dup Deal, has that settled rather quickly and the tensions have been focused on what the deal can mean and can do for Northern Ireland and the business of getting on with trying to restore the assembly . The Tory Dup Deal is not the major problem, the dup gets the money and sinn fein can go and spend it. Its not the major problem, and the dup shopping list, if that had been around parades and they had got concessions on that front, it would have been much more tricky but essentially the £1 billion is there to be spent. It is not conditional upon the rest studio the restoration of the devolved government, and if there isnt that, you have the dup tory axis from westminster and that will not be in the interests of sinn fein. So the pressure is on sinn fein as to whether they will take the plunge and go back into the devolved executive that they collapsed back in january. Thanks Forjoining Us. The headlines on bbc newsroom live. Retired appeal courtjudge, sir Martin Moore Bick, is appointed to lead the Public Inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire and promises to get to the truth. One of the most senior figures in the Catholic Church is accused of multiple counts of sexual abuse australian Cardinal George pell says hell take leave from the vatican to fight the charges. Talks over the resumption of Power Sharing in Northern Ireland continue at stormont ahead of this afternoons deadline for a deal. British and irish lions head coach Warren Gatland has made several changes to the starting xv for saturdays second test with new zealand in wellington. Sam warburton will captain the side he comes into the pack along with maro itoje. Jonny sexton is named as fly half with owen farrell moving to inside centre. Dame katherine grainger, the incoming chair of uk sport, says she has huge concerns about Athlete Welfare given the number of Governing Bodies recently accused of bullying. And olympic champion jade jones is on course for a career grand slam of major taekwondo titles. Shes into the World Championships semi finals in south korea, and is guaranteed at least a bronze. I will be back with more sport later this afternoon. The authority of theresa mays Minority Government will be tested today when mps vote on the queens speech. Simon mccoy is At Westminster for us. Simon. Here At Westminster the tories will seek parliamentary approval for their overall legislative programme after a week of debate. Labour has tabled an amendment to the queens speech to introduce elements of its own general election manifesto. The party said it was because the conservative programme was in tatters. A previous labour amendment, on lifting the Public Sector pay cap, was defeated in the commons last night, after the democratic unionists voted with the conservatives. Joining me now is the conservative mp, mark harper. Three further moments have been tabled, one of which Stella Creasy is tabling, looking at the rights of women from Northern Ireland coming to england free of charge, for abortions. That is clearly aimed at Tory Backbenchers who have expressed disquiet about this deal with the dup. It is a major test tonight . There are three members we are dealing with, one for the labour party and one from the snp and the one you have mentioned. It is about the fact we have a devolved Health System and it did come out yesterday in the queens speech, and the sectarian state for health, jeremy hunt, said there would be a consultation on that subject. About people coming from different parts of the uk and using the health service. So it is a complex issue and in Northern Ireland where they have a different position on abortion, that is a position which is shared by people from across the different communities. The sdlp has broadly the same position on abortion as the dup, i understand. But it underlines the difficulty is government has of any potentially controversial vote, how long can this last . You are going to be nervous every time there a vote in this place . We are a Minority Government with the support of the dup and that means ministers when they come before parliament, as we have with our programme, have to think about the National Interest and have to make sure that we can build consensus, the things we have put in the queens speech are about delivering the important decision the important decision a british people made on brexit and other areas of our manifesto where it is absolutely in the National Interest, and it means ministers have to persuade people to take people with us persuade people to take people with us and reflect and listen to the result of the general election and thatis result of the general election and that is what the Prime Minister set out in her speech when she laid out our programme and that is what she will continue doing in the months and years ahead. Inevitably this has been seen as a test of the Prime Ministers authority for the many people are talking interims of weeks and months, how much authority does she have within the party . The first thing we have to think about is the interest of the country and what the public want us to do, we had an election in 2015 and a referendum last year and another general election now. The public have Made A Decision about brexit and they have Made A Decision about who they wa nted Made A Decision about who they wanted to be Prime Minister. They didnt wantJeremy Corbyn, labour lost the election, we got more votes and more seats, and it is the Prime Ministers duty to form a government in the National Interest and take those difficult decisions, seated the brexit negotiations and deliver the brexit negotiations and deliver the important Domestic Programme on skills and training and the position of those with Mental Health problems, the important domestic items that we want to deliver and thatis items that we want to deliver and that is what is going to be driving her forward. There is a perception out there at that other members of the cabinet are getting their supporters together and talking about a possible bid to take the position, is that talk is nonsense . How damaging is just the tour . have been around for long enough to have been around for long enough to have read many stories in newspapers about what people are allegedly doing, but i see a government that is getting on with the job. Ministers getting on with their importantjobs, ministers getting on with their important jobs, delivering our continued good economic record delivering the brexit negotiations, and that is what the public once, ministers getting on with the job and not indulging in Westminster Tittle Tattle and that is what the government is going to do, getting on with thejob. Government is going to do, getting on with the job. Thanks Forjoining Us. On with the job. Thanks Forjoining Us. Looking at the timings. Five oclock this Afternoon Mps will be asked to enter the lobbies but it could slip maybe an hour because of the three amendments. We might get a final decision after six oclock, but this is a test of theresa mays authority and of course a test of the deal with the dup. With me is constitutional historian, professor vernon bogdanor. Listening to mark harper, and i think hes a former of yours will stop how much of a test is this of Government Authority . A former pupil of yours. It is a test which i think the government will pass fairly comfortable lead. It got a majority of 1a in the vote yesterday, the first vote on the queens speech and i expect a similar sort of majority today. In practice, the dup agreement, controversial but some, but it might provide a long period of stability with some. We had a similar pack 1 0 with some. We had a similar pack a0 yea rs with some. We had a similar pack a0 years ago when a Labour Government with James Cala Han was ina Minority Government with James Cala Han was in a Minority Government james callaghan. This pack will last for two years and it is renewable and it might provide more stability than many imagine. The big issue is brexit, overshadowing everything in this place and indeed around the country. What do you see as the next few months holding in terms of theresa mays authority in carrying that true . It looks weak at the moment. That through. That true . It looks weak at the moment. That through. Brexit is the main issue and the problem with it, the views on brexit cut across Political Parties. There are conservative people who voted remain and there are labour studio labour labour people who voted lee. If theresa may had got a majority, it would have been clear, but now it is not clear, and its a great danger of parliamentary deadlock in the House Of Commons on the precise form of brexit. They need another referendum . The precise form of brexit. They need another referendum . Maybe there is no majority for the deal that she brings back from brussels, and some people have suggested another general election but that would not solve anything. And it would of course increase instability. There is in my View A Case In The End for a second referendum to legitimise the deal that theresa may brings back from europe and finally settle the whole european issue, to put to bed. Many people would say that was the purpose of the first referendum and we made the decision and frankly eve ryo ne and we made the decision and frankly everyone should get on with it. Indeed. I believe the election reopens the whole european issue, it is certainly true that labour is not a remain party but many of the people who voted labour were people who voted remain and were trying to get their revenge, and it has been called, this election, the revenge of the remainers. It is perfectly possible that that doubt will increase when we actually see the contours of the deal, because we dont know what the deal is and it might be that some people are rather overoptimistic about what we can achieve. We will have to see. Brexit is the toxic issue in this parliament and we already know it has broken up governments and ruined Prime Ministers and divided parties, and maybe it hasnt lost its toxic quality yet. Thanks Forjoining Us. Our guest raising the prospect of a second eu referendum. And now back to you in the studio. Some updates to bring you. We have been hearing from an interview with sirmartin been hearing from an interview with sir Martin Moore Bick, the retired Court Of Appealjudge has been appointed to lead the public enquiry into the Grenfell Tower tragedy. He has been asked about residents involvement in his selection. He said residents didnt have an input in the selection process. He said the selection was that the recommendation of the lord chief justice, but he said residents are being consulted on the terms and framework of the enquiry, which is why he will be meeting them today. In relation to the tests that are being carried out in the wake of the g re nfell being carried out in the wake of the grenfell tragedy, the latest from westminster is that 137 high rise buildings have now failed safety tests on their cladding. That represents a1 different local authority areas. 107 137 high rise buildings cladding is failed safety tests across a1 local authority areas. That number keeps going up. Also news coming in from the appeal court in Northern Ireland, which had been asked to rule if abortion law in Northern Ireland is incompatible with human rights law. The appeal court in Northern Ireland has said that Abortion Reform, the law around it in Northern Ireland is compatible with existing provision and that Abortion Reform should be left to the assembly at stormont. Of course, that isnt sitting at the moment, it doesnt exist at the moment. It may do, ifa doesnt exist at the moment. It may do, if a deal manages to be done by the deadline apm. Just to let you know, coming up very soon, we are expecting the Culture Secretary to make a statement in the House Of Commons on the proposed merger of zist commons on the proposed merger of 21st Century Fox and bskyb. Karen bradley had asked off, had asked ofcom to look at a number of areas about the proposed merger of the companies, which would give Rupert Murdoch total control of sky. When she speaks, we will be back in the commons. Now we look at the weather. Lets see how things are faring with simon king. A rather cloudy day ahead for many of us. Its largely dry in central and south eastern areas but furthermore and west, some rain. From the recent Radar Picture, like a bit of rain across scotland, especially eastern and southern scotland. Its gradually getting further north and west and, on top of that, strong north easterly winds, Making It Feel distinctly chilly on the coasts in particular. That rain spreads into Northern Ireland. Still damp and drizzly for Northern England, wales and the south west. Dry in the south east with brightness taking the temperatures to 20. Tonight, strong winds around Western Areas and north sea coasts. Damp and drizzly in Western Areas and temperatures down to about 11 1a. On friday, the rain is still with us but it tends to break up as the day goes on into scattered showers by the afternoon. A few heavy showers in the south east, with temperatures up to about 23. Furthermore north west, temperatures at 13 16. This is bbc newsroom live. The headlines at 11 30am a retired judge, sir Martin Moore Bick, will lead the inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire, with the Prime Minister saying no stone will be Left Unturned. Sir martin promises a vigorous inquiry that gets to the truth as quickly as possible. Sirmartin sir martin has been meeting residents this morning. One of the most senior figures in the Catholic Church who is accused of multiple counts of sexual abuse, the vatican treasurer Cardinal George pell, says hell take a leave of absence to fight the charges in australia. Politicians in Northern Ireland continue talks at stormont over the resumption of Power Sharing, with just hours left before the apm deadline for a deal. If a deal cannot be reached, they face the possibility of direct rule from westminster. And a test of authority for theresa mays Minority Government, as mps are set vote on the queens speech later, with three amendments to be voted on, including proposals calling for an end to austerity. Now its time for the sport. Good morning. Warren gatland, the British And Irish Lions head coach, has made several changes to his starting 15 ahead of the second test in wellington against new zealand. He knows anything other than a win will mean they cant take the series. Sam warburton replaces peter amani in the back row and as captain. Maro itoje comes into the second row, with saracens and england team mate george kruis dropping out of the squad. Courtney lawes will be a substitute. Ben teo moves to the bench with owen farrell getting a start at inside centre, linking up with johnny getting a start at inside centre, linking up withjohnny sexton, who comes in at fly half. They havent started to get it but they have had quite bit of time together and the combination was good and they had a bit of time last week as well. Its given us two ballplayers, two Kicking Options on the right foot, first and second receiver, and the left foot options Ofjonathan Davies and elliot daly as well. We are happy with the mix. England have named their squad for the womens Rugby World Cup in ireland this summer. Bristols sarah hunter, who led the team to the six nations grand slam earlier this year, will lead the side, with Emily Skerritt as vice captain. 28 players have been called up and m11 will england will begin their campaign against spain. Dame katherine grainger, Olympic Rowing gold medallist, will become the new chair of uk sport next week. In her first interview since that, she says she has got huge concerns over Athlete Welfare and, given the recent bullying allegations in several sports, there is a need for improvement. There are huge concerns without a doubt. I dont think anyone is pretending theyre not. We have to address it. Everyone is under pressure so athletes want to deliver, coaches are under pressure to get results, Performance Directors and chief executives. Its a situation where there is a, how good can we be how many more medals can we deliver . The future of the sport is dependent on it. Jade jones is on course to win a career grand slam of major titles in tae kwon do. She is into the World Championship semifinals in south korea. She got there with an 11 8 win over a chinese athlete. That guarantees her at least a bronze medal. She has never won a gold before in the competition. Leading jockey Michelle Payne has been banned forfour jockey Michelle Payne has been banned for four weeks for taking a banned for four weeks for taking a banned substance. She is the only female jockey to win the prestigious Melbourne Cup and she took a weight suppressant Melbourne Cup and she took a Weight Su Ppressa nt after Melbourne Cup and she took a weight suppressant after returning from a life threatening fall in which she split her pancreas. She has pleaded guilty at an enquiry and says she took full responsibility for our actions. That is all of the sport more now. More in the next hour. A new report suggests that Household Energy bills and Carbon Emissions could soar, unless ministers devise new power saving policies after brexit. The independent committee on Climate Change says European Union Energy Efficiency rules on Household Appliances have helped reduce emissions. Its warning that the uk government now needs to take up the challenge. Heres our environment analyst, roger harrabin. We have more and more gadgets all the time. Tvs are bigger. Many homes have multiple screens. Our chores are done by machine. Yet the average home is paying less for energy than we were before, according to the climate committee. Its because appliances like this are being forced to be ever more Energy Efficient by eu regulations. That means they do the same amount of work but for less power. It cuts down bills and it reduces Carbon Emissions. But for how long . The biggest saving has been thanks to insulation and gas boilers. Gas demand is down 23 since 2008, the report says. It is exciting that we have managed to keep bills down as well as getting emissions down. The reason for that, the reason we are spending £20 a month less on our bills is because of the tough eu regulations. This government will have to make sure that we replicate those regulations and improve them. Greater Home Insulation is the big challenge ahead. The Committee Says the government has to find some way of persuading people to invest in making their homes warmer. Without that, the uks target for emissions and Affordable Energy will be missed. Roger harrabin, bbc news. The Cholera Outbreak in yemen is now affecting more than 200,000 people. The death toll has reached more than 1,300 as a lack of clean Drinking Water and the ongoing civil war take their toll. Hospitals in the country have now been placed on maximum alert, as Faisal Irshaid reports. Cholera is a disease that affects the weakest in society. It takes grip on both the young and the elderly. As this outbreak spreads across yemen, its becoming clear this war torn country is unable to cope with another crisis. This hospital in the capital says its Receiving Hundreds of new cases every day, leaving wards full of patients and their desperate relatives. Translation this is my daughter. She contracted the disease five days ago. Without the hospital staff, my daughter would have died. We ask the world to provide us with more medicine. Translation my mother felt ill suddenly. Anyone with symptoms should not hesitate and get medical help before its too late. The situation in here is getting worse. The hospitals do not have any spare beds. Outside the hospital, tents have been set up to provide extra beds. But, with so many cases, people are treated where there is space. The Health Care System in yemen is already on the brink of collapse. Half the countrys hospitals and clinics have closed. Leaving places like this overwhelmed. Translation at the moment, we receive two to four new cases every minute. We are counting on international and regional humanitarian organisations to increase their support for yemen. The disease is spreading very rapidly and we treat patients all the time, but the centre lacks medicine and equipment. So why is it proving very difficult to help yemen . Dozens of aid agencies work in the country, but some complain the work is being slowed down by both sides in the war. On top of this, access to the affected areas is also difficult. Shortage of fuel and damaged roads mean that supplies often dont reach the people in need. Awareness of the Waterborne Disease is growing in the capital. But, in rural areas, where most of the cases occur, understanding is a problem. Over 200,000 people are now suspected of having cholera. And, without outside help, aid agencies warn that figure could more than double. The United States is introducing tough new Security Measures for flights into the country, but has stopped short of a threatened expansion of its carry on laptop ban. The guidelines include more robust screening of travellers and their personal electronics, and tighter security around aircraft and passenger areas. Tim allman reports. Somewhere in the region of 2000 commercial flights arrive in the United States every single day. Thats around 325,000 passengers from more than 100 different countries. The potential Security Risks are massive. So the new Administration Says it wants to do something about it. It is time that we raised the global baseline of aviation security. We cannot play international whack a mole with each new threat. Instead, we must put in place new measures across the board to keep the Travelling Public Safe and make it harderfor terrorists to succeed. We are told the new Security Measures will be both seen and unseen. They include the enhanced screening of passengers and their Electronic Devices. There will be heightened Security Standards for aircraft and airports, and additional locations where travellers can be cleared by us officials before they depart. But the Trump Administration has stopped short from expanding its ban on laptops being carried in hand luggage. In march, the us imposed restrictions on flights from eight countries, most of them in the middle east. Airports and airlines have been given three weeks to comply. If they dont, a ban on Electronic Devices could be widened and some flights to the us may be suspended. We are still keeping an eye on the House Of Commons, waiting on Culture Secretary Karen Bradley to appear to make a statement on the proposed merger of 21st Century Fox and sky. She had asked ofcom to look at a number of issues around the proposed merger. The merger would see Rupert Murdoch have total control of sky. Lets discuss this now with our correspondent, david sillito, who is with me. David, the European Competition authorities have given the deal the go ahead, as far as they are concerned, but an attempt to do this deal was tried in 2010 and abandoned. Talk to us about the context down, competitor now. The context down, competitor now. The context now, compared to them. Rupert murdoch launched sky in the 80s and for most people its his company, but he only owns 39 of the business, 61 of the shareholders. They have long said this isnt a natural end state. They want to own 100 . The beat is in, £11. 7 billion for sky should they get the go ahead to ta ke for sky should they get the go ahead to take over. Two areas, the Culture Secretary, Karen Bradley, looked at ofcom. The first is plurality and the second is standards. What does purity mean . It means are there enough news sources in the country owned by a variety of different people so we have a choice. The second part of that is rather simpler. Ofcom. About it in 2010 when they looked at is the first time. Essentially, the phrase is, does Anyone Media Owner have too much influence over Public Opinion and the political process . Which is something that critics of the deal are saying. If it went ahead, it would give murdoch too much power. Yes. In years gone by, there would be formulas, you could have a certain number of newspapers and tv stations. Its so much more concentrated now that its a Judgment Call, so this is what will be in front of Karen Bradley, the Judgment Call over weather Rupert Murdoch will have too much power if he goes to 1 . 100 . The second thing is standards. Can 21st Century Fox proof that it will be fair, impartial and accurate . Essentially, Thatis Impartial and accurate . Essentially, that is by news. It only about 5 of tv News Consumption but still quite a bit player. That is sky news. Those are the two areas she is looking about. If she decides today to refer it to the competition authorities, weve got another 2a weeks, maybe even six to eight months in which theyve got to make a decision, the Competition And Markets Authority, on whether the ta keover markets authority, on whether the takeover can go ahead. If she waves it through, it goes ahead. mentioned the European Commission competition authorities have cleared this proposed deal. Have they been considering exactly the same aspects of the proposal as ofcom has . Its all aboutjurisdiction. Essentially, sky is a european country. About half the business is outside the uk. Those firms were all merged a couple of years ago and bskyb became sky, so they have to look at a european wide context, whether or not this is affecting the whole of european broadcasting. They said, no, this is essentially a british matter to be decided, so thats why it will go to the Competition Markets Authority in the Competition Markets Authority in the uk. You have to remember that one of the things that has changed, andi one of the things that has changed, and i think this is the important thing, is why it was abandoned back in 2010 and why its now possible, and its one word, hacking. This ta keover and its one word, hacking. This takeover was first tried, and then the Hacking Scandal Envelope and took over the company. Milly dowlers phone was hacked. The most humble day of my life, Rupert Murdoch in front of the commons select committee. It has cost them 6a2 million in compensation and legal costs. But things have changed a great deal since then. We await that ruling. David, thank you very much. In a moment, well bring you the latest on the top stories coming through to us, but first a quick look at the headlines. A Retired Appeal Courtjudge, sir Martin Moore Bick, has been appointed to lead the public enquiry into the g Re Nfell Tower lead the public enquiry into the Grenfell Tower five. One of the most seniorfigures in the Grenfell Tower five. One of the most senior figures in the Catholic Church, australian Cardinal George pell, says sex offence charges against him are false and he looks forward to having his day in court. Talks over the resumption of Power Sharing in Northern Ireland continue at stormont head of the deadline this afternoon for a deal. A 21 year old man from oxford who travelled to the so called Islamic State controlled area of Syria In 201a says he is being held by Kurdish Forces fighting the group. Jack letts,. Jihadi jack, is suspected of going to syria to fight for so called is. He says he is opposed to is and has left the area. His parents have pleaded not guilty of funding terrorism after being accused of sending cash to their son. They are calling on the government do whatever they to help him. They told us about the last time they spoke to their son. him. They told us about the last time they spoke to their son. I was screaming at him on the phone, how could he be so utterly stupid . And then the line went dead. And then he didnt contact us again for another three weeks. In those three weeks, we spent every minute trying to contact whoever we could, trying to get help. So everybody from journalists to charities to prevent organisations, Youth Workers who work with prevent. We did a lot of reading about who he could possibly be with. At some point, you send him money. We tried to, but it was blocked by the police. You tried to send £1700. We tried to send money and it got blocked. We tried to send again, and it got blocked. The total we tried to if that amount. And then we tried to if that amount. And then we we re we tried to if that amount. And then we were charged with the offence. And you were arrested on the grounds that the money you were trying to tra nsfer that the money you were trying to transfer may have been used to fund terrorism. What happened to you after you were arrested . There was a period before the cps decided whether we would be charged or not. And then we were. We were refused bail at the Magistrates Court and sent on remand for five days, but that got overturned on appeal. Since the arrest, what has been the impact on both of your lives . Clearly, five daysin on both of your lives . Clearly, five days injail isnt on both of your lives . Clearly, five days in jail isnt necessarily what you would have wanted. What was it like . After we were arrested, we had to sign in at the Police Station every day and with a curfew between midnightand every day and with a curfew between midnight and six. Every time the door rings, it is the police or journalists or somebody. Thats been very difficult and stressful. How has your son arrested because, because of his actions, what has happened to you in the meantime . We havent talked to him much about that. We want to see him face to face. I think he doesnt like the idea. Doesnt like the idea of what . He couldnt speak very openly. But hes been out for a while. Weve had a little chat and he thinks the system shouldnt be doing it to us. What about what hes done and the impact on both of you . Its been horrible and im very upset. But is he sat . Is he showing remorse . Id like him to sit here and ask him yourself. Im sure he does, to a degree. I dont know how to a nswer does, to a degree. I dont know how to answer it because i havent have an extended discussion for the jack, are you upset at what it caused us . I think it is, but i think hes motivated by his own internal things. He is a 21 year old, confident, arrogant, pig headed lad, of which there are many. On a phone call, on a crackly line, its hard to have an in depth conversation about how upset his parents are. How did you feel when you read the statement your son had given where he said that he hated you, his pa rents, he said that he hated you, his parents, for the sake of allah, because you are non believers, and he called on you to convert to islam . Ive thought about that. I havent tackled him directly about it. A lot of the strange things Jacques Kallis said in interviews strange that jack has said in interviews, sometimes we are wondering if he is being forced to say these is he in a situation where people are overhearing what he is saying and he has to, in order to save his life, he has to say certain things . Sometimes he would write m essa g es things . Sometimes he would write messages that he wouldnt say out loud. He would say certain things out loud that sounded strange and i thought, hes in an internet cafe, he is overheard, and then what he really thought he would send in a text during the same conversation. A lot of the religious things he said would be said out loud. You narrowly survived an air strike with just a scratch. E narrowly survived for the he said, im not worried, everybody is going to die on their day. If they want to bomb me, they will bomb me. For a lot of christians, thats. What do you think about the fact he was almost killed . Its terrifying. Everyday, we have been waiting for a phone call saying our son has been killed. Our Correspondent S Been in touch with your son on whatsapp. He reports that it appears that jack has little desire to come back to the uk. Yes. And he said all along that he wants to get out of where he is. We want to get into a safe place. Wed like him to come back to the uk, but i dont think hes be happy here. I think he wants to live in an islamic country. Hes been told where he is being held at the moment that he would be released to the british, so i think he has resigned himself to the fact that he will come back yet for questioning, andi will come back yet for questioning, and i think ideally that will happen, he would be able to tell his side of the story, he wouldnt be on the run for the rest of his life, and then, once he has played his name, he can live his life as he chooses. Once he has cleared his name. Probably, in his mind, in an islamic country. The Foreign Office says that the uk advises against all travel to syria and parts of iraq. We are waiting on the Culture Secretary to make a statement in the House Of Commons on the proposed merger of 21st Century Fox and sky which would, if it goes ahead, give Rupert Murdoch complete control of sky. The headlines are coming up on the bbc news channel. In a moment we say goodbye to viewers on bbc two. First we leave you with a look at the weather. The weekend is looking drier and brighter. For now, windy conditions across the north east of england. Some outbreaks of rain in east yorkshire. You can see from the latest Radar Picture that there is a lot of Rain Across Eastern Scotland and southern scotland, edging its way further west into Northern Ireland. Its all courtesy of this low pressure, not moving far this afternoon. What you have got outside for the moment is probably what you will be with for the afternoon. Lets ta ke will be with for the afternoon. Lets take a look at things at apm. In south west england, some outbreaks of rain, cloudy skies for much of northern and southern england. In the south east, some brighter skies could break through. With the brightness, temperatures 18 or 19. Wait for wales and Northern England and certainly wet across scotland, with a strong north easterly wind. It will feel chilly. For Northern Ireland, that rain gauges its way in. Tonight, strong winds will continue around the irish sea. Staying cloudy, damp and grisly into friday morning. It should be drier still in the south east of england. Temperatures around 11 1a. On friday, we have got this rain in the morning. Not a great start, but the rain gradually breaking up, easing off, breaking into showers through the afternoon across Northern England and wales. A feud showers in the south east of england. Temperatures could get to 23. Warmer in Northern England. Temperatures about 1a 16 in scotland and Northern England. Northern ireland. For the weekend, and Northern England. Northern ireland. Forthe weekend, it and Northern England. Northern ireland. For the weekend, it will be drier and brighter and it should feel a bit warmer. This Weather Front will play away to the south east. Another Weather Front coming into the North East North West but a squeeze of High Pressure moving its way in. Some Rain In The South East First On Saturday but it will clear. Some rain and showers into the north west. But for most of us, saturday is looking drier, and sunday is looking similar. Some sunny spells across parts of the uk and a feud showers in the far north west of scotland. A few showers. We are going to go to the House Of Commons and Karen Bradley. Which is whether or not to refer to the merger again. Im punishing is whether or not to refer to the mergeragain. Im punishing both documents, copies of which which will be published in the bible is both houses and i will be publishing later today the letter to both with my decision published in the library. This reflects the ongoing responsibility as the independent regulator under the broadcasting acts to monitor who is fit and proper to a broadcast license. Decisions made by the Secretary Of State on Media Mergers under the Enterprise Act 2002 are made of ona Enterprise Act 2002 are made of on a quiet side judicial bases, Enterprise Act 2002 are made of on a Quiet Sidejudicial bases, and iam on a Quiet Sidejudicial bases, and i am tightly bound. I must take my decision on the basis of the evidence that is relevant to specify Public Interests. My decision cannot be based on opinion, speculation or conjecture. Any decision i take must be objectivelyjustified by the fa cts be objectivelyjustified by the facts before me, and i must set aside wider Political Considerations going beyond the scope of the legislation, and i must act independently and follow a Process Thatis independently and follow a process that is fair and impartial, and this is what im doing. On the question of whether the merger gives rise to Public Interest concerns regarding Media Plurality, the report from ofcom is ambiguous. They say it raises Public Interest concerns as a result of the risk of increased influence by members of the Murdoch Family trust over the uk news agenda and the political process. With its unique presence, on radio, television and in print and online, we consider that these concerns may justify reference by the Secretary Of State to become addition and markets authority. On the basis of the assessment from ofcom i am minded to refer to a phase two investigation on the grounds of Media Plurality. The reasoning in evidence of which the ofcom recommendation is based are persuasive, the entity would have the Third Largest total reach of any news provider, lower only than the bbc and itn and would also expand News Coverage on radio, television, newspapers and online, and the report states that the proposed transaction would give the Murdoch Family trust material influence over News Providers with a significant presence across all key platforms. This potentially raises Public Interest concerns because in ofcoms viewed the transaction may increase members of the Murdoch Family trusts ability to influence the news agenda and their ability to influence the political process and it may also result in the perception of increased influence. These are claggy grounds whereby a referral to a phase two investigation is warranted clear grounds. That is what i minded to do, but theres a process i must follow and im required by legislation to allow the parties the opportunity to make representations to me on this position before i reach a final decision. I will now do that and had given them until friday the 1ath of july to respond. Have given. The second question concerns whether after the merger the relevant Media Enterprises will have a genuine commitment to Broadcasting Standards. Ofcom is unequivocal, it concludes in light of foxs skys podcast compliance records and taking account of our assessment of whether sky remains fit and proper to hold Broadcasting Licences following the transaction, we do not consider that the merged entity would like a genuine commitment to the attainment of Broadcasting Standards. Therefore we consider that there are no Broadcasting Standards concerns that mayjustify reference by the Secretary Of State to the Competition And Markets Authority. Ofcoms approach sought to measure Broadcasting Standards by references to breaches of Regulation Codes and it found that foxs compliance with the Broadcasting Code is in line with the parable broadcasters. Nor did their compliance record immolation to overseas jurisdictions where ofcoms analysis focused largely on the eu, gave cause for concern. I also asked them to consider the failure of any corporate governance, and ofcom did this in the context of their separate assessment of whether fox and sky would remain fit and proper to hold broadcast licenses but when the transaction. It concluded that behaviour is alleged that fox news in the United States amounted to significant corporate failures, but these did not in its view demonstrate that the merged company would lack a genuine commitment to Broadcasting Standards. In reaching a view i have to be guided only by the evidence before me. As such, based on the ofcom report i am minded not to refer to a phase two investigation in relation to a genuine commitment to Broadcasting Standards. As required by legislation and giving the parties an opportunity to make presentations in relation to Media Plurality grounds where i am minded to refer for a phase two investigation. In the interest of conspiracy and making sure the evidence is being considered i would also invite wider representations on the question of commitment to Broadcasting Standards, where i minded not to refer for a phase two standards, where i minded not to referfor a phase two investigation. Parties responding to the consultation should not simply repeat any representations previously made to ofcom, and instead responses should be limited as setting out any new and substantial evidence and any comment on ofcoms overall approach. While there are strong feelings among both supporters and opponents of this merger, in this process my decisions can only be influenced by the facts and not opinions. And by the quality of evidence and not who shouts the loudest. The invitation to make representations will open today and close on friday the 1ath ofjuly and can be found on the website. Under the process set out in the enterprise act it is open to the parties to propose undertakings in luke they reference to the cma for more detailed investigations. In other words the parties may seek to avoid a phase to reference by proposing remedies to address public concerns that have been identified provisionally. The decision as to whether to accept undertaking is for the Secretary Of State alone, but, and unusually, the parties proposed set of undertakings to ofcom and ofcom commented on these. It revolved around fox having the editorial control of sky news, to oversee the appointment of sky news, and any changes to sky news editorial guidelines. They also include a commitment to maintain sky branded news for five years with spending at least at similar levels to now. Ofcoms view was that these remedies would mitigate the serious Media Plurality Public Interest concerns, and they also suggest that the remedies could be further strengthened. The parties last week without prejudice to my decision today which they only learned of this morning, formally submitted undertakings in largely the same terms. In accordance with the legislation if i still intend to refer the merger after having considered representations from the party im required to consider whether these remedies are appropriate. Given the parties have offered these undertakings and ofcom have commented on them ive taken an initial view, and i can confirm that i have written to the parties indicating that i minded not to accept the undertakings that have been offered. What ofcom suggests they might mitigate its concerns, it is for the Secretary Of State to decide whether they sufficiently mitigate or fowlie remedy what are serious Public Interest considerations fully. The ofcom report says we recognise that the undertakings can be difficult to monitor and that there are areas in which the proposed undertakings can be strengthened. It mentions questions regarding the ongoing arrangements for the appointment of the independent members of the sky news Editorial Board and the period of foxs commitment to maintaining its investment in sky news. I also note the guidance of the Competition And Markets Authority which in the context of competition cases says that they are appropriate where the remedies are clear cut, effective and capable of ready implementation and capable of ready implementation and that in ordinary cases it is highly unlikely to accept behavioural remedies at phase one. I have given the parties ten working days until friday the 1ath ofjuly to make representations on the minded two decisions ive reached and ifi minded two decisions ive reached and if i receive further offers of undertakings as part of those representations i will keep the house informed on how i intend to structure the process i must follow when considering them. As i have set out, i will now take representations on my minded two positions. The call will remain open for ten working days and i will then consider the evidence received before coming to a final decision on both grounds. To be cleared the minded two decisions are not my final decisions. A word before i close on the ofcom fit and proper assessment. As the independent regulator this is a matter for ofcom and my understanding is they will publish the report today. I have seen the report and no many members in this house will want to comment, but given My Currentjudicial role in the merger i will not be commenting on its findings. It is rightly not the government to determine who should and who shouldnt hold Tv Broadcast Licenses and ofcom has an ongoing duty to make sure that all uk broadcasters are fit and proper to hold tv Broadcasting Licences and im clear that if any evidence comes to light that it is for ofcom to ta ke to light that it is for ofcom to take account of that evidence. I trust as before that this update is helpful to members and that this statement gives an opportunity to debate this important issue 1 time respecting the limits of what i can say given my ongoing judicial role in relation to this matter. Mr tom watson. I thank the Secretary Of State. Studio the Culture Secretary Karen Bradley saying she will refer the proposed merger of zist will refer the proposed merger of 21st fox and sky which would give Rupert Murdoch full control of sky, to the com petition and markets authority 21st Century Fox. She says shes doing that regarding concerns about the amount of influence that the Murdoch Family would have, Media Plurality, over the countrys media. It has been referred to the Competition And Markets Authority. We have our media correspondent. Take us through the judgment. Plurality, does Rupert Murdoch have too much power, Karen Bradley looks at the ofcom report and the report appears to be unequivocal, there are serious concerns about the fact that Rupert Murdoch and the Murdoch Family trust will have too much control. What has changed, why the murdochs believe this should go ahead is that they have made a big change in how the company is organised and they have split tv and newspapers. The times and the sun and The Sunday Times is pa rt and the sun and The Sunday Times is part of the News Corporation empire the Sun Newspaper new television is part of 21st Century Fox and they say these are separated the television. So there is less concern about concentration of power but essentially they are both controlled by Rupert Murdoch and the Murdoch Family and they have special control to their shareholdings and that is the concern of ofcom. And so this will come and there are ten days, but it looks almost certain that this will go to the cma and they have six months, maybe, to make a final decision. It will be back here in 6 8 months for a final decision. David, thanks for joining in 6 8 months for a final decision. David, Thanks Forjoining us. That was our media correspondent. A retired Court Of Appealjudge, sir Martin Moore Bick, will be appointed to lead the Public Inquiry into the Grenfell Tower disaster. Theresa may confirmed the appointment of sir martin, saying no stone will be Left Unturned by the inquiry. Sir martin, who is 70, has been meeting residents of grenfell this morning. He promised a vigorous inquiry that gets to the truth and said he understood the desire of local people for justice. 137 high rise buildings have now failed safety tests on cladding. The Prime Minister theresa may released theres also been a statement from thejudge himself, sir martin. Issued on his behalf by the cabinet office. We can talk now tojoe delaney, a local resident and campaigner with the Grenfell Action Group. Thank you very much Forjoining Us this morning. You have been at a meeting with sir Martin Moore Bick, what did he say and what did you make of him . He seemed quite personable chap. In general. Whether hes the person who is fit to lead the inquiry that local residents wa nt the inquiry that local residents want is a different question entirely. His background is mainly in insurance and commercial disputes. And until he went to the bench for the Court Of Appeal. We find that concerning. This is a criminal matter as far as we are concerned. People should be arrested and locked up and charged with this matter. We dont think that the inquiry that sir Martin Moore Bick is going to be able to deliver will be able to achieve that and sir Martin Moore Bick himself perceives his remit to be rather narrow, compared to any of us compared to what any of us want, we find that disturbing. We now have a statement from the Northern Ireland secretary. If you could just wait for a moment. No problem. Thank you. We are going to stormont where the Northern Ireland secretary James Brokenshire is making a statement. The parties here are continuing to engage intensively with a view to agreeing the formation of an executive and much progress has been made. But a number of issues remain outstanding. I believe that a resolution can be found and im urging the parties to continue focusing all of their effo rts continue focusing all of their efforts on achieving this. The uk government will work with the parties toward their critical objective or forming an executive but i have made clear to Party Leaders that it is for them to reach the agreement which will pave the way for this. And their focus must be on this. All efforts of both the uk government and the Irish Government continued to be directed towards supporting the parties on this issue. To provide for the restoration of devolved government in Northern Ireland as soon as possible. That prize remains achievable and remains my focus. Thank you, james. After the last three days of intensive negotiation, im encouraged that there continues to be re engagement with the parties and significant process has been made. Although there is still gaps to be bridged on some key issues. Like the Secretary Of State, i believe that an agreement is still within reach, an agreement which will allow a Power Sharing executive to be formed on a sustainable basis. We continue to remain focused on reaching that agreement, and so talks are continuing. It is the successful outcome of this process that matters. All parties are committed to a Successful Operation of all of the institutions of the good friday agreement and everyone is convinced that devolution is the best way to deliver for all of the people of Northern Ireland. With courage and goodwill this can be achieved and everybody here is now continuing to focus on delivering a positive outcome. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. That was the Irish Foreign minister alongside the Irish Foreign minister alongside the Secretary Of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire. Basically saying that the price of Power Sharing remains achievable, urging the Party Leaders in Northern Ireland to pave the way to an agreement but certainly no suggestion that James Brokenshire was going to order a return to direct rule or indeed fresh elections in Northern Ireland but the deadline remains in place, four oclock this afternoon, and it doesnt sound as if they are expecting a deal in time for that and they are expecting an extension of those talks. We are going to go back to the conversation we were having. Joe delaney, a local resident and campaigner with the Grenfell Action Group. Thank you very much for waiting. Apologies for pulling away from our conversation. That is quite all right. As local residents have said, we feel if maybe we joined the dup we feel if maybe we joined the dup we would be listened to more, because it seems that theresa mays attention is only focused on things that will keep her in downing street. She spent £1. A billion to keep her home but they were not willing to spend that to make sure ours to not burn down. Joe, you said you were in a meeting with the formerjudge who has been appointed to lead this Public Inquiry. You we re to lead this Public Inquiry. You were explaining that a lot of people are concerned that his experience is mainly around areas of commercial law and you think it should be someone law and you think it should be someone with a background in criminal law. The point has been raised by a number of people that it is that commercial experience that will allow him to dig down into the details of cladding, contracts and so on, to try to determine what went on with grenfell, do you accept that at all . To a certain extent. But if you look at the work that the G Re Nfell You look at the work that the Grenfell Action Group have done in the last five years, they have proven quite competent in digging through contracts and finding things that were safe and unsafe. Where their wishes were ignored. Whilst i can see this is a small part of the inquiry, we think the wider remit of the inquiry needs to be led by someone the inquiry needs to be led by someone with a more criminal mind. You know, you can dig down into the fa cts you know, you can dig down into the facts and get to the bottom of issues far quicker. A simple Contract Dispute is not going to a nswer Contract Dispute is not going to answer the questions as to why so many people died and my semi people we re many people died and my semi people were evacuated. Why so many people were evacuated. Everybody wa nts a nswers people were evacuated. Everybody wa nts a nswe rs as people were evacuated. Everybody wants answers as quickly as they can. Do you think that residents are prepared to accept the appointment of sirmartin prepared to accept the appointment of sir Martin Moore Bick and to give him the opportunity to prove his worth . Well, it looks to us more and more there is an attempt to split the inquiry into several stands strands and that will cause more disquiet. What do you mean by that . Even sir Martin Moore Bick said today, he saw himself as a contracts person, and whether there was criminal negligence he might touch upon those issues, but that is not the focus of his investigation. Or whether there has been any outright criminal activity by the companies and individuals involved. He did not see that as the main point of his investigation. I know many of the residents think that is crucial and it seems that there will be different strands to this inquiry. I think the part that sir Martin Moore Bick leads should be a smaller pa rt moore bick leads should be a smaller part of a great inquiry that is criminally lead. To establish whether you feel people are prepared to extend some patients to give him the benefit of the doubt to entrust him with this task but do you think they are going to . Clearly the residence confidence and whoever is leading the inquiry has got to be there. Yes, because he will need input from all of us and if we dont have any faith in the process from the outset, al input will be reduced our input. Some of us might be pragmatists and attempt to work with him and others might suddenly lose hope. If you look at the tailing wiry, it delivered very technical recommendations when it was published 30 years ago into the Hillsborough Disaster the taylor inquiry. And it was only yesterday that criminal charges were announced we dont have the time and the patients to wait that long. Most of the evacuees hotels are only booked until the 31st of july. The evacuees hotels are only booked until the 31st ofjuly. We dont have the time and the patience to wait that long. You want to get the proper answers but you want to get them quickly, so maybe sir Martin Moore Bick should get on with the job and you can see whether that leads to criminal charges . Yes, but thatis leads to criminal charges . Yes, but that is what the hillsborough families to come and look where they are 30 years later for some charges have only just been are 30 years later for some charges have onlyjust been announced. Still no one has appeared in the dock and still no one has gone to prison. We are not prepared to wait that long. The Hillsborough Group have already contacted us and expressed their support and are willing to cooperate with us. It shouldnt be the case that victims of these kind of atrocities all around the country have two band together to make sure justice, and that is what the cbs and the police and the cps and the police and the judiciary are for. Did you discuss the framework for. Did you discuss the framework for the inquiry with sir Martin Moore Bick . For the inquiry with sir martin moorebick . Yes, we did. I said we saw this as a criminal inquiry and there was no one around the table who did not agree with me. Was he able to give you any assurances . Sorry to interrupt. Not any that have settled any disquiet, that any of the residents feel. As i say, hes a very good lawyer when it comes to insurance and maritime law, andi comes to insurance and maritime law, and i get that he has dealt with the fires on ships and oil tankers in the past and i get that this is an unprecedented incident at the tower, but i still dont think that he gets theissues but i still dont think that he gets the issues as we perceive them as residence. And maybe the kc was involved with and maybe the kc was involved with when a woman was sent to Milton Keynes with her family, is indicative of that and may be the case he was involved with. I will give him the benefit of the doubt, but the patience of other people is wafer thin and we wont give him the benefit for very long. So you will give him the benefit of the doubt and you will hope that he proves to you that he grasps what theissues proves to you that he grasps what the issues are and what the core problems are for you, quickly . Im just one person who is around. I dont speak on behalf of every resident who is involved. The other risk is that some people just disengage with the process and they become split and certain people make certain demands and others make others. And then we lose our coherent voice, and i hope this isnt a deliberate ploy by the government make sure that happens. 0k, government make sure that happens. Ok, thanks for joining government make sure that happens. Ok, Thanks Forjoining us. Joe delaney, a local resident and campaigner with the Grenfell Action Group. With me now is our Legal Affairs correspondent clive coleman. Very interesting to hear from our guest. We heard from a number of people, who have raised concerns about whether someone with the background of sir Martin Moore Bick was the right type ofjudge to lead this inquiry, and it sounds thatjoe delaney there is prepared to cooperate and give him the benefit of the doubt in the short term, but it be absolutely key that sir Martin Moore Bick can command the confidence of the people who want a nswe rs. Confidence of the people who want answers. First of all, during something as huge and in porton as this, you have to win the confidence of the families important as this. And many have to maintain the confidence of the families, and so you need a combination of skills, and abilities. And sir Martin Moore Bicks intellect is beyond question, he is a highly respected recently retired Court Of Appeal judge and theres no doubt about his intellectual ability to grasp the issues and indeed the technical issues and indeed the technical issues at the heart of this tragedy. What is of equal importance, even more importance, is that he has the Emotional Intelligence and the Communication Skills and the ability to speak to the families and explain things. Joe was saying that People Wa Nted things. Joe was saying that people wanted the inquiry to be more criminally focused but of course there is a full Criminal Investigation that is underway by the police and that is looking at criminal responsibility. The inquiry will run alongside that, we saw this with the levenson inquiry, we have the Public Inquiry. We chat to carefully tread around which had to carefully tread around. But the things were led concurrently. What needs to be explain to people is that this is part of the same effort and if they feel one bit is being impoverished because it is not being addressed then clearly the exploration has not been clear enough. The explanation has not been clear enough. Thanks for joining us. The authority of theresa mays Minority Government will be tested today when mps vote on the queens speech. Simon mccoy is At Westminster for us. Here At Westminster the tories will seek parliamentary approval for their overall legislative programme after a week of debate. Labour has tabled an amendment to the queens speech to introduce elements of its own general election manifesto. The party said it was because the conservative programme was in tatters. A previous labour amendment, on lifting the Public Sector pay cap, was defeated in the commons last night, after the democratic unionists voted with the conservatives. This with me now i this s the liberal with me now is the Liberal Democrat mp tom brake. Jeremy corbyn says he wants the debate to be about brexit and jobs first brexit. Is that something you support . Yes, i do, but the jobs first from our perspective means staying in the European Union and the Customs Union and Jeremy Corbyn has been not clear about whether thatis has been not clear about whether that is something he supports, but other Labour Politicians have said they do support that. Realistically theresa may is going to get away and there is no way that there will be a vote which puts her authority under threat. That is true, she has got the deal with the dup over the queens speech and the budget, but there will be other difficult issues. Then the issue of the border at Northern Ireland comes forward, if there is a vote on that and if the frictionless border that the dup isnt there, that might be in issue on which the government does not have the support of the dup. Theresa may has said she would like it to stay. Yes, but it is difficult to say how if the uk is coming out of the eu, there would need to be controls at that order. Border. Is there a compromise where theresa may can say, we are leaving the Customs Union and the single market, but there are enough of the existing benefits of those two unions that we can hang onto . Is that negotiable . If you are talking about negotiating with the other Political Parties in the uk, that is something on which we wa nt the uk, that is something on which we want to talk to the government, because the difficulty for the government is they now have within their own party clearly, factions within the conservative party, and they have the dup, but on issues like the Northern Ireland border, they might not support the government. I hope they will want to talk to the other parties including the lib dems to see what we can offer in terms of a package we can offer in terms of a package we can offer to the other eu countries. A constitutional expert was making the point that all the parties have divisions over brexit and even a general election may not resolve those. The only way would be another eu referendum. Would you welcome that . The Liberal Democrats are not split on this issue. We are united in our position. In terms of a second referendum, what we think has merit is the idea that, at the point the Prime Minister has secured a deal or an outline of a deal, the people should be able to have their say on whether they think thats a good deal. If his proposal was a referendum to happen in the next three to four months, im not sure that would necessarily deliver any stability, because the risk is that the remain vote might prevail or the leave vote might prevail, but only bya leave vote might prevail, but only by a small margin. Pmqs yesterday was fascinating because, for the first time for a long time, there was real debate and heat. For once, there wasnt the punch and judy that is typical of pmqs. The focus for the first 20 minutes of Prime Ministers questions was very much on Grenfell Tower, and that perhaps lead to a more informed exchange them is often the case at pmqs, where it is more theatre and serious business. Overshadowing everything is brexit. What is your sense of where the negotiations need to go in the next few months . where the negotiations need to go in the next few months . I was disappointed that the Prime Minister, and it seems as though it was her, blocked an early deal in relation to eu citizens because, if that had been cleared months ago, the eu countries might have been more positive. Germany and france really blocked it. We know that George Osborne has set in fact it was her as the then Home Secretary who blocked the idea in cabinet of resolving that matter. We now have the thorny issue of whether there will be a bill for the uk to pay to come out of the eu. Thats another reason we think the idea of people being able to have their say at the end of this process, once they know whether there is, say, a 50 Billion Euros bill to pay is something there might be an appetite for. Probably fairto might be an appetite for. Probably fair to describe the country as slightly nervous, not much sense of direction or knowing what lies ahead. How healthy is it that, frankly, every debate in this house from now on is going to be a test for the Prime Minister of the Governments Authority . for the Prime Minister of the Governments Authority . I agree. At a time when any government would have wa nted a time when any government would have wanted stability and security in terms of its numbers and policies, what we have seen, and we saw it yesterday over the issue of pay freezes, is a government that is com pletely pay freezes, is a government that is completely destabilised, doesnt have a majority, needs to rely on a Minority Party which, i think, in the months to come, may start to put real pressure on the government to deliver extra goodies for Northern Ireland, which people in england, wales and scotland will think are unacceptable. We are expecting the vote, the backing of theresa mays queens speech, to come atjust after 5pm. Three amendments had been tabled, one of which, tabled by Stella Creasy, looks at the rights of women in Northern Ireland to visit england for free abortions. That is something labour are hoping appeals to some of those Tory Backbenchers who have expressed some concern about the deal with the dup to date. Lets talk more about the state of the government, and im joined Byjill Rutter from the institute of government. There is a renewed passion in politics because of the parlous state of the government of the moment. Normally governments have strong majorities, so governments have strong majorities, so what goes on on the floor of the house doesnt necessarily matter, so its something well have to get used to over the coming months, that parliament will matter much more. Ministers will have to spend much more time in parliament. The government will have to think about the parliamentary aspects of everything they are trained to do in a way which, with a strong majority, either through winning a landslide or, as we saw with the coalition, you dont have to do too much. You have already seen the tories accusing labour of Playing Politics at this stage, when you see the opposition in such a difficult position. There will always be accusations of Playing Politics, but this is what most of this is about, so this is what most of this is about, so its interesting to see what issues the official opposition are deciding to tackle the government on and how it plays out. That will be i think, a regular activation from the government, that the opposition are Playing Politics. The government will say, we voted to leave the eu and there doesnt seem to be much sign of that happening. and there doesnt seem to be much sign of that happening. I dont think that is totally fair. There we re think that is totally fair. There were two Major Development is last the opening of negotiations between Michel Barnier and david davis, and we saw the government is taking its first proposition in its offer on citizens rights, which it put out on monday. And saw that theres going to bea monday. And saw that theres going to be a big slew, the queens speech was saying, with all of this Brexit Legislation weve got to get through, thats going to dominate and all of the other are pretty second order compared to that. Jill rutter, thank you Forjoining Us. A busy day hair ahead At Westminster. That vote from 5pm, and we are expecting results after 6pm. Also busy at stormont. Talks are continuing to try and bring about the restoration of the Northern Ireland assembly. There is a deadline of apm today for a deal to be done. That is looking unlikely. We heard a few moments ago from the Northern Ireland secretary, James Brokenshire, and his irish counterpart, the Irish Foreign minister, saying the parties were engaging intensively and that much progress has been made, but a number of issues were outstanding. Lets speak to peter hain, who was Northern Ireland secretary towards the end of tony blairs premiership. Thank you Forjoining Us. It really doesnt look, when you listen to those phrases, which we have all heard before about talks in Northern Ireland, as though a deal can be achieved by apm today, but do you expect that, rather than a return to direct rule or a triggering of another election, we are going to see the deadline extended . another election, we are going to see the deadline extended . I think there are two things that need to be avoided. Absolutely, direct rule from westminster. I thought i was the last direct rule Secretary Of State in 2007, and i said so at the time, and we got ian paisley and Martin Mcguinness to share power together in that historic settlement. To turn the clock back to direct rule, and stormont has now been suspended for six months, and its very serious, would be to roll back the years on the good friday agreement and all the progress that has been made towards peace and stability. The Secretary Of State needs to avoid that at all costs. I think the way to do it is to bring both the Prime Minister and the taoiseach in, to convene a higher level summit than has been possible, or has been secured up to now, and have a really intensive soakers intensive focus over the next hours and days to sort this out. When we spoke a couple of weeks ago in the aftermath of the election, you talk to me about your concern about the impact that a Tory Dup Deal would have on these talks. From what we are hearing, that doesnt seem to be the main issue any longer, although its there in the background, of course. Do you think that the concerns, the controversy about that as, to some extent, been resolved . would be surprised if they have, because it put the government in the position, as sirjohn major, the former conservative Prime Minister said, of not being an honest broker any more. That may be bedevilling the talks, i dont know but im not sitting in that negotiating room. Beyond that. Its important that the government is seen to be evenhanded towards all the parties, notjust between the dup and sinn fein. There are other parties involved as well. They are all critical of that pack, asi they are all critical of that pack, as i have been, not critical of the dup for extracting a lot of money for Northern Ireland. Radical of that pact. They have done well for Northern Ireland. But for the government for depending on its very life, and theresa may for her very premiership, on one particular Northern Ireland party. Its difficult for anyone to say youre evenhanded after that. If the dup can prove, can say, look, this money will be used for the benefit of eve ryo ne will be used for the benefit of everyone in Northern Ireland, isnt it beholden on Northern Ireland politicians to hammer out those remaining issues for the benefit of the people who have voted for them to represent them . Yes, it is, although i may say i was surprised that theresa may didnt make the new money, which is a massive amount for Northern Ireland, contingent upon Self Government having been established. I was rather surprised, as are other politicians in Northern Ireland, that that wasnt the case. If it had been, maybe we would have made more progress. But the issues that are still outstanding, probably the most important one is, on the one hand, nationalist and republican wishes for an Irish Language legislation, and the dups resista nce legislation, and the dups resistance to that, and insisting that has to be done within one bit of legislation which recognises also the Ulster Scots Culture and its language. The Irish Language has a much longer pedigree, and i dont think any ulster scots at s would say that it comparable as a language to irish daily. Any ulster scots adherents. Its what it represents in the symbolism. Not the length of time that people mayjudge one language or culture has been around for. Iagree, for. I agree, both should be respected, but if there isnt a case for separate legislation. I think separate legislation. I think separate legislation. I think separate legislation should be looked at, recognising and enhancing, respecting both traditions, rather than one act, which seems to be the Stumbling Block at the moment, as far as i can tell. In wales, where there is a much stronger, even going back generations, stronger support for much more fluent welsh speaking than in Northern Ireland speaking gaelic what we started off with was a much more permissive legislation, a much, as it were, lower level of legislation in terms of the language and recognising it, and gradually built up over the is greater consensus was built to the situation now, where it is equal with english and it has many more rights and genuine equality. I dont think anybody would say that is necessarily the place to start with in Northern Ireland. Maybe you start with a less firm level of equality and you build up to it as great a consent is achieved over the years. There are all of resolving these problems, but i think the governments of both westminster and the irish republic have taken their eye off the ball in the last couple of years and they should convene a summit to resolve this. We are going to go to some more reaction from stormont, but thank you for your time. This is sinn feins connor murphy. We have been here since 9 30am and we are only getting to meet with the dup now. We want to get this done quickly and on a sustainable basis which recognises that people are entitled to rights and equality, and that is at the co re and equality, and that is at the core of this institution. In our view, there was time to do this today. We were prepared to stay here all last night and do it but that wasnt possible, because we had nobody to tangle with. We are here to get this arrangement made we are clear about what needs to be done in order to achieve that. Sorry . Inaudible. It will only happen if we apply ourselves. We are back again here from 9am. We have teams here, as we have had over the past six months, whenever these negotiations have happened, to try and ensure we apply ourselves to get institutions back up ourselves to get institutions back up and running again on the basis of equality and respect and databases that commands public confidence. We have met with an anti quality and anti rights agenda. We are trying to get past that and get the dup to sign up to these matters. We are not there yet and it can be done with a matter of political will at any stage. Inaudible. The legislation is quite clear. We told the Secretary Of State last night we would not countenance a return to direct rule. That is not pa rt return to direct rule. That is not part of the st andrews agreement and it certainly isnt something that the broad nationalist community and even broader than that in this society would be angry about. The two governments are guarantors of this agreement. We need to ensure that agreement is reached. We are up for doing that and we need the dup to come with us to close those gaps. We are not asking. We were very clear. We wanted the institutions to meet today and the arrangements to be done. We didnt ask for the suspension of the sitting today. That was at the request of the dup. We wa nt that was at the request of the dup. We want to get business done. There has been sufficient time for the wii are has been sufficient time for the wii a re clear has been sufficient time for the wii are clear and focused and we need partners to do that. Inaudible. Reporter speaks gaelic that was, murphy saying that the party was only now going to meet with the democratic unionists. He said that rights and equality are the main issues but he said, when askedif the main issues but he said, when asked if a deal could still be done, he said, it will happen if we apply ourselves. He said, we are very clear about what needs to be done. We wait to find out the deadline apm this afternoon. It remains to see if the first and Deputy First Minister to the Northern Ireland assembly can be appointed and the institutions that stormont restored. A Retired Appeal Courtjudge, sir Martin Moore Bick, has been appointed to lead the Public Inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire. The proposed merger of sky and 21st Century Fox is to be referred to the Competition And Markets Authority over concerns about Media Plurality. The Northern Ireland secretaryJames Brokenshire says he believes a resolution can be found as negotiations continue over the resumption of Power Sharing. The deadline is apm this afternoon. One of the most senior figures in the vatican has been charged with Sexual Offences. Cardinal george pell, the highest Ranking Member of the Catholic Church in australia, said he would take leave from his job in the vatican to return home and fight the allegations. He said he was innocent of the charges and looked forward to having his day in court. Joining us live from rome is christopher lamb from the catholic magazine the tablet. Thank you for talking to us. I know you have been waiting for a while to speak to us. How this is dealt with by the Catholic Church is going to be hugely important, isnt it, given what pope francis said when he was elected, that he was going to change the way the Catholic Church had handled previous abuse scandals . A lot is at stake, isnt it . Yes, and i think this news came as a big shock to people here in the vatican. Obviously, it was known that there was a chance that Cardinal Pell would be charged, but today the news has really been starting to sink in, and Cardinal Pell has obviously taking the decision to step down for the time being and go back and fight the time being and go back and fight the charges in australia. I think, clearly, pope francis wants to show the world he is taking a tough line on clerical sexual abuse, but there have been some difficulties. This is a scandal that has been dogging the Catholic Church for many years. Earlier this year, a clerical sexual abuse survivor in ireland, marie collins, resigned from a body that was advising the pope on safeguarding, and now we have the charging of Cardinal Pell, so this is proving to be a very difficult issue for pope francis, as well, and of course we also have the situation of course we also have the situation of the vatican financial reforms being placed in uncertainty. Cardinal pell was leading a very strong reform of the holy see Money Management and the pope had called him from sydney to rome to do that. But now, with his temporary departure, and we dont know for how long that will be, there seems to be a bit ofa long that will be, there seems to be a bit of a vacuum and a certain degree of uncertainty over whether the pope can continue to push forward with these reforms. Cardinal pell said last year that the church had made catastrophic choices by refusing to believe abused children and by moving abusive priests from parish to parish. Do we know any more yet about the charges he himself is charging . We have heard the phrase multiple charges used, but not much detail yet. The police have said very little other than that they are multiple charges from a novel of complainants, and they relate to historical Sexual Offences dating back to the 1970s. There are a number of charges here that have been levelled against Cardinal Pell, and it will remain to be seen how they are tested in court at how the cardinal defends himself. He is very clear though that they are false and that he will defend himself vigorously and have his day in court. The pope today expressed respect for the australian justice system, and he backed Cardinal Pells decision to step down temporarily, but he also praised Cardinal Pell for his honesty and for the cardinals Cardinal Pell for his honesty and for the ca rdinals collaboration over the vatican financial reforms. So you had quite a strong show of support from the pope today for the cardinal, and indeed the cardinals statement was read out in the Vatican Press office with the spokesman of the holy see next to him. So there has been a strong support shown in the vatican for the cardinal, while also encouraging him to go back and face these charges. Thank you very much. The Court Of Appeal has overturned on appeal but the blanket ban on abortion is illegal. Seniorjudges ruled that abortion should be dealt with by the Stormont Assembly rather than the courts. Unlike the rest of the uk, abortion is illegal in almost all circumstances in Northern Ireland. Mps in westminster will vote this evening on a cross party amendment to the queens speech that calls for women in Northern Ireland to be given free access to Abortion Services in england. Lets speak to a representative from amnesty Northern Ireland, who took the case to court. She is in belfast. The irony will be lost on you that there is no assembly, no functioning assembly in Northern Ireland at the moment to make anyjudgment. The irony will not be lost on you. You plan to appeal, dont you . Yes, we are deeply disappointed with the ruling. It is a betrayal of women whose pregnancies were given a fatal diagnosis, or women who are victims of sexual crime that the court hasnt helped them today. They had the opportunity to do so and they failed stormont also failed to grapple with this issue when it was up grapple with this issue when it was up and running, but we currently dont have our devolved institutions, so ill call is clearly debatable additions to urgently legislate for much needed and overdue Abortion Reform. Whether thatis and overdue Abortion Reform. Whether that is through our devolved institutions, if they are restored, or westminster, change is needed and it must happen. Do you expect the cross party it must happen. Do you expect the cross party amendment we were speaking about a moment ago to the queens speech, calling for women in Northern Ireland to be given free access to Abortion Services in england, do you expect that to go through . We have been working with mps At Westminster to demonstrate clearly the barriers that women in Northern Ireland face when trying to access Abortion Services. I hope they have heard our calls and i hope they have heard our calls and i hope they support this amendment. Thank you for your time. Air pollution is a huge problem in cities around the world, and it affects the health of millions. But a German Company has developed a piece of Nature Inspired Technology which it thinks could help. It makes so called city trees, which its been rolling out from london to hong kong. Dougal shaw reports from hamburg, germany. In common with many other european cities, hamburg in germany likes to dress up the urban concrete jungle with a bit of greenery. But what if that greenery could be supercharged to clean up air pollution . Thats the idea of an it expert turned gardener and entrepreneur called liang wu. His start up has designed what it calls city trees, urban structures that fight air pollution by harnessing the power of moss. Normally found in forests, moss is able to grow without soil. This makes it naturally adapted to take what it needs from the air. The moss can store all the pollution particles and then just uses it as nutrients and grows with the pollution. Moss is particularly good at filtering out what scientists call particulate matter, microscopic particles of pollution in the air. In cities, it comes from car exhausts, tyre friction and factories. Some are known to penetrate the lungs and are linked to cancer. A city tree is also a live digital data point for mapping global pollution. But all this comes at a price. A normal tree costs around 900 over a decade. The cost of a city tree is 28,000. But the inventors say, when it comes to cleaning up air pollution, a city tree is equivalent to 275 normal trees, and their cost is usually picked up by corporate sponsors. But not everyone is convinced that this is the best way to tackle urban air pollution. Its really hard to get pollution out of the air once is already in it. Its like trying to take the milk out of your cup of tea. Would we be much better off spending the money on actually cleaning up the exhausts of the vehicles that are travelling around us . But after a little over two years and 25 city trees and counting, this start up is hoping it can persuade people it is a smart way to clean up city air in a meaningful way. Ina in a moment, the news at 1pm. First, here is the weather forecast. A pretty big contrast across the country again. Some wet weather across the north and west of the uk. This was not so long ago in fife. Quite a bit of rain around. But it isnt raining everywhere. Most of the rain is in scotland, the west of england, wales and Northern Ireland. Further east, something a bit brighter. This was the view in felixstowe not long ago, with brighter skies and sunshine. It contrasts across the country. It will be pretty wet and windy across the north and west of the uk. That rain will be quite heavy in scotland for a time. The rain down in the south west is lighter and more patchy, but still some rain and a bit of april breeze a bit of a breeze. One or two showers developing in the south east and east anglia, but a lot of dry and cloudy weather. Tempered at around 18 or 19. Grey into north wales and Northern Ireland. The rain across scotla nd Northern Ireland. The rain across scotland and parts of Northern Ireland is a bit heavier and more persistent. In that wind in the north and north east of scotland, it will feel quite chilly. A disappointing late june will feel quite chilly. A disappointing latejune day. Through the evening, still pretty wet and windy in scotland, the western side of wales and Northern Ireland. A lot of wales and Northern Ireland. A lot of cloud across the country overnight and it will be a fairly mild bite. Temperatures by the end of night, about 10 1a. A wet night for many. Into friday, we start with wind and rain across the north and west of the uk. It tends to become a bit lighter and more patchy as it sta rts bit lighter and more patchy as it starts to slide back south and east, so starts to slide back south and east, so brightening up from the west in scotland. Top temperatures tomorrow, around about 21 or 22. As the Weather Front slit south, it takes the rain with it on friday evening and into saturday. A temporary ridge of High Pressure building in for the start of the weekend. There will be a bit of wind and rain in the north and west, but most of us will have a decent day, bright and breezy with spells of sunshine. Temperatures should be up to 22 or 23 in the south east. 16 17 in belfast. On sunday, it looks pretty similar. A bit windy and wet in the north and west. Most places will be dry, bright and breezy with top temperatures about 23 in the south east. A Retired Appeal Courtjudge is appointed to lead the Public Inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire. Sir Martin Moore Bick met residents this morning and promised to get to the truth as quickly as possible. But his appointment has already been criticised by some survivors. Also this lunchtime. As the deadline for a deal looms, the Northern Ireland secretary says restoring Power Sharing remains possible and achievable. A Senior Member of the vatican, Cardinal George pell, is charged with sexual abuse offences in his home country, australia. Mps are due to vote on the queens speech with labour seeking amendments on public spending and brexit. And the cornish village whose chapel is being saved by the emir of dubai. And coming up in the sport on bbc news sam warburton, jonny sexton and maro itoje all come into the starting 15 for the British And Irish Lions second test against new zealand