Image:Health Secretary Sajid Javid meets staff in a COVID Intensive Care Unit at King's College Hospital in London
The health secretary told MPs it is no longer proportionate to require NHS staff and health care workers to be vaccinated as a condition of deployment through statute.
He defended the policy of initially introducing mandatory COVID vaccinations for NHS and social care workers, insisting the Government "makes no apology for it".
Mr Javid told MPs there was a need to consider the impact on the workforce in NHS and social care settings, "especially at a time where we already have a shortage of workers and near full employment across the economy".
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He added: "In December I argued, and this House overwhelmingly agreed, that the weight of clinical evidence in favour of vaccination as a condition of deployment outweighed the risks to the workforce.
"It was the right policy at the time, supported by the clinical evidence, and the Government makes no apology for it. It has also proven to be the right policy in retrospect, given the severity of Delta."
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Speaking during a visit to the Port of Tilbury, in Essex this morning, Boris Johnson said he believes it is "absolutely clear" that NHS staff should get vaccinated.
The prime minister said: "My view on NHS workers, everybody involved in looking after vulnerable people, all healthcare professionals should get a vaccine. That's absolutely clear."
There were concerns that the sector could be left with a massive staffing crisis due to the number of workers choosing not to be vaccinated.
Both the Royal College of GPs and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) had urged for the deadline to be postponed and the British Medical Association called for an "urgent impact assessment" on how the policy would affect staffing numbers.
Power companies have said they have made "good progress" reconnecting supplies to thousands of households following two weekend storms which have also brought disruption to rail services and schools.
Northern Powergrid, which supplies northern England, said around 80,000 customers experienced power cuts due to Storm Malik and that "4,000 customers are still without power".
The energy company added it is "still assessing the impact of Storm Corrie, but we currently know of around 3,000 customers that are without power, over and above the customers affected by Storm Malik".
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"The picture will become clearer throughout the morning as customers contact us and our teams survey the network," the firm said in an update on its website.
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Worst-affected were Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and County Durham.
The Scottish government said most of the 98,000 households that lost power due to Storm Malik were expected to be reconnected overnight on Sunday.
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However, it added that for some homes - mainly in Aberdeenshire - the disruption could last until Tuesday.
As well as parts of rural Aberdeenshire, there are pockets of customers without power in Angus, the Highlands, the Moray Coast and Perthshire.
Storm Malik blew down trees, damaged power lines and ripped roofs off homes in northern England and in Scotland on Saturday.
It was then followed by Storm Corrie, which brought winds of more than 90mph to Stornoway in the Western Isles of Scotland late on Sunday.
The storm then pushed into the North Sea in the early hours of Monday, leaving cold and blustery conditions behind.
Image:A house in Gateshead lost its roof on Saturday due to Storm Malik
Edinburgh-Newcastle rail services suspended
Rail services between Edinburgh and Newcastle were suspended on Monday morning with the line being closed due to continuing strong winds and heavy rain.
Affected operators include London North Eastern Railway, CrossCountry and TransPennine Express.
Network Rail said it was carrying out safety checks in a bid to reopen the line.
Passenger trains between Edinburgh and Newcastle will initially be required to run at slower speeds than normal even once the line reopens, leading to further delays.
Much of the ScotRail network has been affected by the severe weather.
The operator warned passengers on Monday that it has only been able to arrange "very limited replacement transport".
Aberdeenshire schools expected to delay opening or remain closed
Schools in Aberdeenshire are among those expected to delay opening or remain closed on Monday due to a lack of power or heating.
A nine-year-old boy in Staffordshire and a 60-year-old woman in Aberdeen died after trees came down during Storm Malik on Saturday.
The strongest gust from Storm Malik over the weekend was 93mph in Brizlee Wood, Northumberland, but there were also winds over 70mph elsewhere in England's north.
In Scotland, winds of 92mph were recorded in Stornoway, on the Western Isles, as Storm Corrie hit.
'Exceptionally strong winds for any time of the year'
Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said: "That is exceptionally strong for any time of the year and there is no wonder there were significant impacts such as power outages and damage to buildings.
"It is very unfortunate that things were worse than that for some people."
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2:38
Storm Malik costs mount
Mr Burkill said: "It is not just the case of strong winds causing problems - there is also the ice risk across parts of Scotland through to the early part of Monday morning.
"There will be some wintry showers. Emergency services are trying to get out, utility companies are trying to make repairs and so the icy conditions are not going to make that easier for them."
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the impact of Storm Corrie was "likely to be significant".
Ice warnings have been issued by the Met Office as thousands of people are still without power following Storm Malik - and a second storm is set to hit the UK in a matter of hours.
Forecasters say another deep low-pressure system, named Storm Corrie, will bring further unsettled weather - especially to Scotland - later today and into tomorrow.
Corrie will bring winds of up to 90mph in some exposed coastal locations and mountainous areas of Scotland.
Around 34,000 customers are still without power across the north of England and Scotland, power companies have said.
Yesterday, a nine-year-old boy in Staffordshire and a 60-year-old women in Aberdeen were killed by falling trees.
Image:A house in Gateshead lost its roof in the strong winds of Storm Malik
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0:43
Vehicle crushed as Storm Malik topples trees across UK
On Saturday, a group of kayakers also had to be rescued after becoming stranded on an island river amid strong winds and waves. Kent Police and a marine unit got as close as possible before officers swam ashore, negotiating 100m of thick mud to help those stuck.
Now, amber and yellow severe weather warnings for wind are in force, which state "flying debris is likely" with possible damage to trees and buildings.
The Met Office warning said: "Injuries and danger to life is likely from large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, sea fronts and properties."
Eyewitness from Country Durham
By Becky Cotterill, news correspondent
Among the thousands of people still without electricity, there are many small businesses owners like Anne and Paul Morgan. They run the Quebec Tearoom in Durham. It's a quaint coffee shop-cum-gift shop, normally it would be doing its best trade at the weekend. But they've had to put a sign outside reading "sorry no power". They’ve been off-grid since Saturday morning.
"We've been turning them away today obviously, it just affects your footfall. People are very polite, but I'm sure they're going 'where do we go now?'" says Mr Morgan.
He worries about losing customers, not just this weekend but in the long term. The business is relatively new, they brought an old pub and renovated it into the tearoom as a retirement project. But it's been a difficult couple of years with COVID and Mrs Morgan says power outages don't help.
"It happens quite a bit in Quebec."
Northern Powergrid has told them the power will be back on Monday, but Paul says they've promised to restore power throughout the weekend without success.
The Morgans live above the tearoom. They're going to stay with their daughter nearby in order to have a hot shower and a warm bed. Northern Powergrid has said it will cover reasonable costs for food and alternative accommodation for people still waiting to be reconnected.
But Mrs Morgan worries about the cost of keeping the business closed. She says she has spoken to her insurer about recouping their losses during previous power outages, but they didn't get anything.
"So I'm not hopeful this time, not hopeful at all."
Chief meteorologist Dan Suri said: "Storm Corrie will bring very strong winds to the north of the UK, especially northern Scotland, on Sunday. This follows just one day after Storm Malik moves through, also bringing a spell of very strong winds.
"Storm Corrie will bring gusts of up to 90mph in exposed coastal locations in northern Scotland, with 70-80mph gusts more widely in the north."
The Met Office has also said that most of Scotland north of Perth will see wintry showers and falling temperatures that will allow ice to form, increasing the likelihood of accidents.
Image:Kayakers got stranded on Darnet Ness in the River Medway
'Hunker down for next 24-hours'
Robert Colburn, emergency response manager for Red Cross Scotland, said he and his team are "ready and on standby" if required.
He told Sky News people should be prepared to "hunker down for the next 24 hours if required".
"All of these things, anything that is weather, you can do your preparation but you just have to sit and wait and see what happens when it actually hits," he said.
"There are lots of things that people can do preparing - this afternoon, for example, prepare to stay at home. If you don't have to go out, certainly don't go out. Have your mobile phone charged. Have available battery-powered radio and torches, just in case you get a power outage. Have easy to prepare snacks in the house, bottles of water."
A nine-year-old boy died after a tree fell on him and a man in Winnothdale, Staffordshire, at around 1pm on Saturday.
Image:Firefighters in Manchester saved a woman whose car was hit by a tree. Pic: Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
Image:Storm Malik battered in the UK with strong winds
Both were taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital, where the boy passed away and the man remains for treatment.
Separately, a woman died after being hit by a fallen tree in Aberdeen.
Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie shared images of damage after his three-month-old car was crushed by a falling "100ft" tree which "broke off during the storm... fell down onto the side of the house, bounced off the side wall and careered through both of the cars".
He told Sky News: "It's a scene of utter devastation, I have to say. I was pretty badly shaken all day yesterday knowing how close that I was to it when it came down.
"And I suppose aided by the fact that I'm working tomorrow and it's transfer deadline day for Sky Sports News and I cover Newcastle United and I'm expecting it to be a pretty busy day as far as potential transfer business is concerned."
Homes still without power
More than 130,000 homes and businesses suffered power cuts alongside widespread travel disruption.
Northern Powergrid has said 16,000 customers are still without power, almost all of whom are in Northumberland and County Durham.
Image:Winds have caused damage to buildings. Pic: Ellen Bishell
Teams are working to repair any damage but said it is not as severe as that seen by Storm Arwen, which makes the work less challenging.
And in Scotland, engineers remain on "red alert" and 18,000 people are still without power.
Northern Powergrid says: "We are working with our partners to support the communities affected - including making financial support available for people still of supply today to get a hot meal and, where it is needed, help cover the cost of alternative accommodation."
It adds that teams are already in place to help repair the areas damaged by the storm.
Mr Martin also said it would have been "helpful" if some of Northern Ireland's unionist political parties had been represented at the commemoration.
Irish President Michael D Higgins commended the people of Derry who have "led the way, in finding agreement and accommodation between communities and traditions".
In a recorded message during a special event at the city's Millennium Forum, the Irish president said the events of Bloody Sunday "reverberated across this island and around the world".
Brian Lawless/PA
"The 30th of January 1972 will live on in our collective memory, as will your efforts of vindication of the truth," he said.
The names of the 13 men to have been killed and of John Johnston, who was wounded on Bloody Sunday and died six months later, were read out during the event - Lord Savile said in his 2010 report into Bloody Sunday that Mr Johnston did not die from wounds he suffered on the day.
The auditorium then fell silent at the precise moment the first shot was fired 50 years ago.
Earlier, relatives of those killed retraced the steps of the original march.
They also laid photographs of their loved ones at the memorial in Derry's Bogside.
Bloody Sunday brought worldwide attention to the escalating crisis in Northern Ireland, which came to be known as the Troubles.
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Kay Duddy, whose 17-year-old brother Jackie was the first person to be shot on Bloody Sunday, said "it hurts as much 50 years on as it did at the time".
"We did not just lose a wee brother, we lost a whole generation. There's so many unanswered questions, would he have married? Would he have had a family?
"If they pursue their proposals, the Bloody Sunday families will be ready to meet them head on," he said.
"We will not go away and we will not be silenced."
Pacemaker
Presbyterian minister Dr David Latimer told the crowd the Bloody Sunday families have "tirelessly, across the decades, toiled to clear their loved ones' names".
He said their fight for justice has been inspirational across the world.
Archbishop Eamon Martin said the "horror inflicted on Derry" on Bloody Sunday has "thankfully been exposed and challenged".
The leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland was addressing a service in Derry's Saint Eugene's Cathedral.
"Very painfully the Bloody Sunday families were denied for too long the truth about what happened to their loved ones, and sadly they are not alone," he said.
A separate march organised by the Bloody Sunday March Committee, from Creggan to Free Derry Corner, also took place on Sunday.
A chime for every life lost
At the scene: Mike McBride, BBC News NI
People gather in the Millennium Forum for a special commemoration event half a century on since one of Derry's darkest days.
A minute's silence is observed in the amphitheatre, as the names of those killed on Bloody Sunday are read out to a hushed audience.
The poignant moment takes place as the bells of St Eugene's Cathedral ring out across the city. A chime for every life lost.
Actor Adrian Dunbar, who is hosting the event, struggling to find words, says the emotions in the city today are truly palpable 50 years on from the atrocity.
A day of commemorative events had started with the families walking the same route their relatives had tried to walk five decades ago. Hundreds joined them along the way.
A January day that started in peaceful protest, but ended in tragedy.
John Kelly, the brother of Michael Kelly, handed out a white rose to a child representing each of the Bloody Sunday families.
Each rose representing a loved one tragically taken that day.
Mr Johnson described Bloody Sunday as "one of the darkest days in our history" and said in the run up to the anniversary "we must learn from the past, reconcile and build a shared and prosperous future".
Ahead of the 50th anniversary, ex-prime minister David Cameron said his 2010 apology for Bloody Sunday made it clear there was no doubt what happened was wrong.
Thousands gathered in Derry on that January day for a rally organised by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association.
They were protesting against a new law giving the authorities powers to imprison people without trial - internment.
The Stormont government had banned such protests, and deployed the Army.
The intended destination of the demonstrators was the city centre, but Army barricades blocked marchers, so many demonstrators headed towards Free Derry Corner in the Bogside.
After prolonged skirmishes between groups of youths and the Army, soldiers from the Parachute Regiment moved in to make arrests.
Just before 16:00 GMT, stones were thrown and soldiers responded with rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon.
At 16:07 GMT, paratroopers moved to arrest as many marchers as possible. At 16:10 GMT, soldiers began to open fire.
Jean Hegarty, whose 17-year-old brother Kevin McElhinney was shot and killed on Bloody Sunday, said it was hard to believe 50 years had passed.
Kevin, who worked at a local supermarket, was killed as he attempted to flee the firing on Rossville Street.
"It never gets easier to talk about, even after all this time, for some of us [the Bloody Sunday families] it still sadly feels like it happened just yesterday," Ms Hegarty told BBC News NI.
She says Sunday is an extremely emotional day for the families.
The years after Bloody Sunday
Pacemaker
Two public inquiries have been carried out into the events of Bloody Sunday.
The Widgery Tribunal, which was announced shortly after Bloody Sunday, largely cleared the soldiers and British authorities of blame.
The Saville Inquiry, published in 2010, found none of the casualties was posing a threat or doing anything that would justify the shooting.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) began a murder investigation in 2010.
Detectives submitted their files to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) towards the end of 2016.
Prosecutors said in 2019 they would prosecute a soldier, known only as Soldier F, for the murders of James Wray and William McKinney on Bloody Sunday.
On 2 July 2021, it was announced Soldier F would not face trial following a decision by the PPS.
The decision not to proceed with the case is now the subject of live judicial review proceedings following a legal challenge brought by a brother of one of the Bloody Sunday victims.
Sheffield and Wolverhampton have been chosen as the first places to benefit from government regeneration funding.
Ministers want to help transform derelict areas of 20 towns and cities in England, with new housing and jobs.
Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said they would become "places people are proud to live and work in" and help reverse "geographical inequalities".
Labour has set out its own five-point plan, saying it wants to fix the "huge inequalities" that exist.
In Sheffield, there are plans to focus on the Integrated Rail Plan electrification and upgrades for journeys between Sheffield and London.
And in Wolverhampton, there will be a focus on reviving the city centre as well as the Wolverhampton to Walsall corridor.
Meanwhile, more than 100 places outside of London will benefit from extra funding for arts and culture from 2023, the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said.
Arts Council England will identify the locations, and DCMS said 100% of the additional funding recently agreed for the group will go to supporting culture and creativity outside of London.
Announcing his Spending Review to parliament in October, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said more than £850m was being allocated to cultural and heritage infrastructure.
The government regeneration of the 20 locations is being funded by part of a £1.5bn fund that had already been announced, with the money being made available from April.
It is part of a £1.8bn sum for regeneration of brownfield land - areas that had been previously developed - which was promised by the chancellor at the last Budget.
Some money from the fund will be used for loans to builders and developers to create 42,000 homes, most of which will be outside of London and the South East.
Part of the government plans include funding 7,800 new homes in the North and Midlands on disused brownfield land.
The levelling up white paper, which is being published next week, is also set to outline plans to expand devolution in England.
Cabinet sources have told the BBC some government figures do not think the plans are ambitious enough, with concerns the proposals repackage certain policies that have already been announced.
"This huge investment in infrastructure and regeneration will spread opportunity more evenly and help to reverse the geographical inequalities which still exist in the UK," he said.
Labour's shadow Levelling Up secretary Lisa Nandy accused the government of using "rehashed pots of money" and questioned why policies were only being announced for 20 areas.
She urged ministers to deal with the "unfolding cost of living crisis" so people can spend money in their local areas, and "young people no longer have to get out to get on".
Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said the impact of Storm Malik had been "severe" and some people in the north-east may be without power over the weekend.
After chairing a Scottish government resilience meeting about the weather, she tweeted: "Unfortunately as Malik subsides, Storm Corrie is about to hit from late tomorrow afternoon and may be more severe for parts of Scotland - eg Highlands, Grampian, Tayside - than anticipated."
Colin Wight
In Scotland, about 40,000 properties are without power in the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Perthshire and the Moray Coast. It is expected about 20,000 will be without power overnight.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said engineers were struggling to get access to faults due to a fallen trees blocking roads.
They warned that some customers may not have their power supply restored until Sunday.
Aberdeenshire Council opened a number of welfare centres for people needing showers and power, while hot food trucks were sent to areas most in need.
Another 6,000 households were waiting to be reconnected in the Borders and Lothian.
SP Energy Networks, the company responsible for electricity transmission in southern and central Scotland, said about 16,000 initially lost power due to the weather.
About 10,000 were connected with the help of engineers drafted in from Wales and Cheshire.
Northern Powergrid, which supplies power to about 3.9m homes in the north east of England and Yorkshire, said 36,000 customers were still without power as result of Storm Malik, predominantly in Northumberland and County Durham areas.
Meanwhile the Aberdeen FC clash with St Johnstone, and the Dundee v St Mirren game were postponed due to high winds.
Three Scottish Championship matches were also called off.
It took seven months to build our porch - in minutes it was destroyed
Natalie Coupar
Natalie Coupar was in the bedroom of her bungalow in Oyne, Aberdeenshire when she spotted a tree falling into her garden - her boyfriend was about to go outside to take down a swing due to the wind.
She ran to warn him as the tree came crashing down on to their porch - a wooden structure with a rocking chair that he had built by hand last summer.
The couple and their dog were not injured, though they are now without power. Having heard tragic stories across the region, Natalie, who works in communications, said they feel "very lucky".
Natalie Coupar
She told the BBC: "It took six or seven months to build but at least we're all fine - though I don't think he's looking forward to building it again.
"We're without power but it will get sorted at some point - we will be last on a long list but that's OK with us, we've got a fire and lots of snacks. The house is absolutely fine, all that can be built again. There's no point being upset about it."
Train services have been suspended between Dundee-Aberdeen, Aberdeen-Inverness, Inverness-Kyle/Wick/Thurso and on the West Highland line north of Helensburgh.
Speed restrictions also remain in place on the East Coast Mainline, North Berwick branch line, and Borders Railway.
People have been urged not to travel by rail between Edinburgh and Newcastle due to the disruption caused by the storm.
Liam Sumpter, Network Rail's route director for Scotland, said: "We have teams in place across the country ready to react quickly to cut back trees and repair any damage caused by the weather.
"We will reopen the affected lines as quickly as we can for our customers, but are urging passengers to check their journey before traveling."
Colin WIght
Steve Gordon
Police Scotland said the A96, A95, A90 and A93 and other roads in Aberdeenshire and Moray were closed at various points due to fallen trees and other debris.
The force urged people to avoid travel on the roads unless it was "absolutely essential".
And the Tay Road Bridge has been closed to all traffic, which is being diverted through Perth, while the Queensferry Crossing and Friarton Bridge have been closed to high-sided vehicles.
Fife Jammers
Storm Corrie is expected to bring gusts of between 70-80mph - potentially 90mph in exposed coastal locations - in the late afternoon and early evening.
A yellow weather warning for wind is in place across Scotland and the north of England from 18:00 on Sunday to 12:00 on Monday.
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