BBC brutally savaged over free over-75 TV licence withdrawal – ‘A dog’s breakfast!’ - Express

From August 1, when the changes come into effect, only those over-75 households that receive pension credit will continue to receive the free licences. This means another three million households will be expected to pay the annual £157.50 charge.

The end of free TV licences for over-75s had been due to come into effect on June 1, but this was pushed back to August 1 due to the coronavirus epidemic.

According to reports the two-month delay cost the corporation some £70million.

However the BBC’s handling of the move has been sharply criticised by a number of MPs.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Tory MP Andrew Rosindell commented: “The implementation sounds like a dog’s breakfast.

“A lot of people are going to be very muddled.”

Whilst the new system comes into place on August 1 pensioners won’t receive a letter instructing them what to do until later in that month.

TV Licensing and the BBC say those affected don’t need to do anything until they receive their letter.

There is particular controversy that over-75s were only given three week’s notice before the new scheme comes into effect.

READ MORE: Andrew Neil lashes out at Owen Jones over claims of cancelling career

However the Dame made it clear she believes politicians bear responsibility for cutting funding.

The Government recently transferred responsibility for providing free TV licences to the over-75s from itself to the BBC.

The BBC later decided, based on the increased cost to the corporation, to make the licences means tested.

Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain Maureen, an 82 year old who didn’t give her surname, condemned the decision.

She commented: “This is partly the Government's fault.

“It was the Government's initiative and they have dumped it on the BBC, so my heart does go out to them and I am very sorry they have been lumbered with this problem.

“But I think it is a small price to pay for the misery and conditions that the misery and the conditions that this particular group of people had to put up with after the war.

“Ten years of austerity have put is in a very bad place, we have lost all our benefits and we have been struggling now for ten years on a miserable pension.

“Fortunately, as a teacher I had a teacher's pension scheme, so I am one of the lucky ones, but I would like to speak up for those who are stranded on the standard pension.”

On Thursday Oliver Dowden, the culture secretary, said he felt “let down” by the BBC’s decision to means test licences for the over-75s.

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2020-07-11 02:40:00Z
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GCSE and A-level results 'could be affected by bias' - BBC News

Young people in England risk missing out on the grades they deserve, due to the system used for calculating results after exams were cancelled, MPs have warned.

Disadvantaged and ethnic minority pupils face particular risks from the possibility of unconscious bias, said the Commons Education Committee.

This year, teachers will predict pupils' GCSE and A-level grades.

Exam boards then moderate the estimated grades and issue the final results.

This statistical check, designed by England's exams regulator, Ofqual, includes the historic results of pupils at each school, the prior attainment of students, and statistical expectations about grade distribution for each subject.

Similar systems are being used in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The aim of this standardisation model is to ensure results are broadly in line with previous years - and guard against a situation where a school could give all of its pupils unrealistically high marks.

'Serious worries'

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson cancelled GCSE and A-level exams at the end of March for the first time in their history because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The committee received numerous submissions about the possibility that some groups' achievement levels would be underestimated.

It said there was abundant academic evidence of bias on predicted grades, particularly affecting pupils from black, Asian and other ethnic minority groups, as well as pupils from poor backgrounds and those with special educational needs and disabilities.

But the committee insisted the report was not a criticism of teachers, as everyone can be affected by unconscious bias - which is making judgements based on a person's background or race, without being aware of such bias.

Ofqual's deputy chief regulator, Michelle Meadows, told the committee: "There is some evidence of bias.

"For the most able students [with an ethnic minority background], there tends to be under-prediction of the grades that students go on to get. At lower levels of ability, you get the reverse effect where there is some over-prediction."

'No perfect system'

Education Committee chairman Robert Halfon said his committee recognised the work carried out by Ofqual and the Department for Education to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on children's education.

He accepted "no system for awarding grades will be perfect".

But he warned: "We have serious worries about the fairness of the model developed by Ofqual.

"There is a risk it will lead to unfair bias and discrimination against already disadvantaged groups."

He also questioned the fairness of the appeals system, which he said seemed to favour "the well-heeled and sharp-elbowed", who know how to navigate the system.

He added that there was a potential for the system to resemble the "Wild West of appeals" with different systems being used by different exam boards.

'Fair and accurate'

The standardisation system, being used by Ofqual, draws on a number of evidence sources to determine whether the grades calculated by teachers are more generous or less generous than expected.

It means the grades each pupil receives in the end may be different from the ones their school has attributed to them.

And the committee called on Ofqual to publish its standardisation criteria, arguing it was only by having a transparent process that pupils could check to see if they had been subject to bias in grade calculations.

The committee also heard concerns about the use of historic school data to modify results which may be unfair to pupils in newer schools or those which are improving.

Association of School and College Leaders' general secretary Geoff Barton said schools and colleges were utterly opposed to discrimination and had done everything possible to avoid unconscious bias affecting grades.

He added: "They have gone about the centre-assessed grades in extraordinarily difficult circumstances and with the utmost diligence.

"They know their students well and have done their best to ensure the grades are submitted to exam boards are fair and accurate."

'Fair as possible'

He added that everyone in education understood the limitations of the system, and that he expected colleges and universities to show generosity in deciding on applications.

An Ofqual spokesman echoed the committee's recognition of teachers' hard work and professionalism in making this year's arrangements work for students.

It added that the standardisation tool was a critical tool to ensure results in different centres are in line with each other and to maintain standards.

"We have extensively tested the model to ensure it gives students the fairest most accurate results," he said.

He added that students, parents, carers and teachers need to understand how their results are calculated and that Ofqual had committed to publishing full details of the model in due course.

A Department for Education spokesman said that Ofqual had developed a robust process that takes a wide range of evidence into account, to ensure grades are as fair as possible for all students.

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2020-07-11 02:01:44Z
CBMiLWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2VkdWNhdGlvbi01MzM2NDQ4NdIBMWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FtcC9lZHVjYXRpb24tNTMzNjQ0ODU

Huge row erupts between UK and EU as Boris shuns bloc's vaccines scheme - Express

A European Commission spokesman hit out at claims Britain would not be able to support domestic programmes searching for drugs to inoculate the population. The spat comes as Sir Tim Barrow, the UK’s ambassador to Brussels, confirmed Boris Johnson’s Government had decided against joining the EU’s efforts to negotiate with pharmaceutical firms in a bid to find a vaccine. The Government is said to have shunned joining the EU scheme amid fears over being left at the back of the queue behind member states when a vaccine is eventually found and distributed.

Ministers also expressed fears membership of the scheme would “complicate” the UK’s efforts to secure a vaccine.

But a Commission spokesman hit back, insisting claims were “not true and misleading”.

“We always promote all means that would result in the quick finding and production that would result in the quick finding and production of a successful vaccine.”

In a letter to the Commission confirming the snub, Sir Tim wrote: “I welcome the constructive approach to discussions between our respective teams over the last weeks to understand what UK participation in this scheme would look like, in line with both the terms of the agreement reached by participating Member States to shape this initiative, and the relevant provisions in the Withdrawal Agreement.

“The Commission has responded positively to our requests for clarifications but has confirmed that it is not possible for the UK to pursue parallel negotiations with potential vaccine suppliers, meaning the UK would be required to stop its negotiations with manufacturers with which the EU launched negotiations. 

“The Commission has also confirmed that it is not possible for the UK to have a role in the governance shaping decisions on which manufacturers to negotiate with, or the price, volume and delivery schedule negotiated.

“The UK Government has decided on this occasion not to join this internal EU initiative, but given our shared interest in ensuring that vaccines are available to all, we are committed to strengthening our collaboration with the EU outside the framework."

The senior diplomat said the UK Government had an “extremely strong” track record in supporting international efforts to find a coronavirus vaccine.

This includes co-hosting a summit that raised £5.5 billion towards research.

Before the decision, UK and EU officials spent months negotiating over joining the scheme.

Pro-EU politicians slammed the move, accusing the Prime Minister of not showing proper leadership.

Munira Wilson, the Liberal Democrat’s health spokeswoman, said: “When coronavirus is such a threat to people’s lives and livelihoods, Ministers should leave no stone unturned in their bid to end the pandemic.   

MUST READ: Lord Heseltine's Brexit defiance laid bare: 'We will rejoin EU!'

The backbench MP said: “This decision makes perfect sense and proves the benefit of coming out of the EU. We will be in a better position if we are independent on this and make our own decisions.

“There are a number of British companies and institutions working hard on getting a vaccine.

“We need to make our own decisions rather than being part of some big international bloc.”

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2020-07-11 00:01:00Z
52780911070366

Huge row erupts between UK and EU as Boris shuns bloc's vaccines scheme - Express

A European Commission spokesman hit out at claims Britain would not be able to support domestic programmes searching for drugs to inoculate the population. The spat comes as Sir Tim Barrow, the UK’s ambassador to Brussels, confirmed Boris Johnson’s Government had decided against joining the EU’s efforts to negotiate with pharmaceutical firms in a bid to find a vaccine. The Government is said to have shunned joining the EU scheme amid fears over being left at the back of the queue behind member states when a vaccine is eventually found and distributed.

Ministers also expressed fears membership of the scheme would “complicate” the UK’s efforts to secure a vaccine.

But a Commission spokesman hit back, insisting claims were “not true and misleading”.

“We always promote all means that would result in the quick finding and production that would result in the quick finding and production of a successful vaccine.”

In a letter to the Commission confirming the snub, Sir Tim wrote: “I welcome the constructive approach to discussions between our respective teams over the last weeks to understand what UK participation in this scheme would look like, in line with both the terms of the agreement reached by participating Member States to shape this initiative, and the relevant provisions in the Withdrawal Agreement.

“The Commission has responded positively to our requests for clarifications but has confirmed that it is not possible for the UK to pursue parallel negotiations with potential vaccine suppliers, meaning the UK would be required to stop its negotiations with manufacturers with which the EU launched negotiations. 

“The Commission has also confirmed that it is not possible for the UK to have a role in the governance shaping decisions on which manufacturers to negotiate with, or the price, volume and delivery schedule negotiated.

“The UK Government has decided on this occasion not to join this internal EU initiative, but given our shared interest in ensuring that vaccines are available to all, we are committed to strengthening our collaboration with the EU outside the framework."

The senior diplomat said the UK Government had an “extremely strong” track record in supporting international efforts to find a coronavirus vaccine.

This includes co-hosting a summit that raised £5.5 billion towards research.

Before the decision, UK and EU officials spent months negotiating over joining the scheme.

Pro-EU politicians slammed the move, accusing the Prime Minister of not showing proper leadership.

Munira Wilson, the Liberal Democrat’s health spokeswoman, said: “When coronavirus is such a threat to people’s lives and livelihoods, Ministers should leave no stone unturned in their bid to end the pandemic.   

MUST READ: Lord Heseltine's Brexit defiance laid bare: 'We will rejoin EU!'

The backbench MP said: “This decision makes perfect sense and proves the benefit of coming out of the EU. We will be in a better position if we are independent on this and make our own decisions.

“There are a number of British companies and institutions working hard on getting a vaccine.

“We need to make our own decisions rather than being part of some big international bloc.”

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2020-07-10 23:48:39Z
52780911070366

Huge row erupts between UK and EU as Boris shuns bloc's vaccines scheme - Express

A European Commission spokesman hit out at claims Britain would not be able to support domestic programmes searching for drugs to inoculate the population. The spat comes as Sir Tim Barrow, the UK’s ambassador to Brussels, confirmed Boris Johnson’s Government had decided against joining the EU’s efforts to negotiate with pharmaceutical firms in a bid to find a vaccine. The Government is said to have shunned joining the EU scheme amid fears over being left at the back of the queue behind member states when a vaccine is eventually found and distributed.

Ministers also expressed fears membership of the scheme would “complicate” the UK’s efforts to secure a vaccine.

But a Commission spokesman hit back, insisting claims were “not true and misleading”.

“We always promote all means that would result in the quick finding and production that would result in the quick finding and production of a successful vaccine.”

In a letter to the Commission confirming the snub, Sir Tim wrote: “I welcome the constructive approach to discussions between our respective teams over the last weeks to understand what UK participation in this scheme would look like, in line with both the terms of the agreement reached by participating Member States to shape this initiative, and the relevant provisions in the Withdrawal Agreement.

“The Commission has responded positively to our requests for clarifications but has confirmed that it is not possible for the UK to pursue parallel negotiations with potential vaccine suppliers, meaning the UK would be required to stop its negotiations with manufacturers with which the EU launched negotiations. 

“The Commission has also confirmed that it is not possible for the UK to have a role in the governance shaping decisions on which manufacturers to negotiate with, or the price, volume and delivery schedule negotiated.

“The UK Government has decided on this occasion not to join this internal EU initiative, but given our shared interest in ensuring that vaccines are available to all, we are committed to strengthening our collaboration with the EU outside the framework."

The senior diplomat said the UK Government had an “extremely strong” track record in supporting international efforts to find a coronavirus vaccine.

This includes co-hosting a summit that raised £5.5 billion towards research.

Before the decision, UK and EU officials spent months negotiating over joining the scheme.

Pro-EU politicians slammed the move, accusing the Prime Minister of not showing proper leadership.

Munira Wilson, the Liberal Democrat’s health spokeswoman, said: “When coronavirus is such a threat to people’s lives and livelihoods, Ministers should leave no stone unturned in their bid to end the pandemic.   

MUST READ: Lord Heseltine's Brexit defiance laid bare: 'We will rejoin EU!'

The backbench MP said: “This decision makes perfect sense and proves the benefit of coming out of the EU. We will be in a better position if we are independent on this and make our own decisions.

“There are a number of British companies and institutions working hard on getting a vaccine.

“We need to make our own decisions rather than being part of some big international bloc.”

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2020-07-10 23:09:38Z
52780911070366

Tighter rules on face coverings likely says Boris Johnson- BBC News - BBC News

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1. Tighter rules on face coverings likely says Boris Johnson- BBC News  BBC News
2. Are global coronavirus death rates linked to a country's obesity levels?  The Independent
3. Boris Johnson tells school leavers they have come of age 'like no generation before'  Evening Standard
4. As it happened: Johnson considering mandatory face coverings in England's shops  BBC News
5. Boris Johnson: government considering stricter rules on face coverings  Guardian News
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2020-07-10 21:12:23Z
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Huge row erupts between UK and EU as Boris shuns bloc's vaccines scheme - Express

A European Commission spokesman hit out at claims Britain would not be able to support domestic programmes searching for drugs to inoculate the population. The spat comes as Sir Tim Barrow, the UK’s ambassador to Brussels, confirmed Boris Johnson’s Government had decided against joining the EU’s efforts to negotiate with pharmaceutical firms in a bid to find a vaccine. The Government is said to have shunned joining the EU scheme amid fears over being left at the back of the queue behind member states when a vaccine is eventually found and distributed.

Ministers also expressed fears membership of the scheme would “complicate” the UK’s efforts to secure a vaccine.

But a Commission spokesman hit back, insisting claims were “not true and misleading”.

“We always promote all means that would result in the quick finding and production that would result in the quick finding and production of a successful vaccine.”

In a letter to the Commission confirming the snub, Sir Tim wrote: “I welcome the constructive approach to discussions between our respective teams over the last weeks to understand what UK participation in this scheme would look like, in line with both the terms of the agreement reached by participating Member States to shape this initiative, and the relevant provisions in the Withdrawal Agreement.

“The Commission has responded positively to our requests for clarifications but has confirmed that it is not possible for the UK to pursue parallel negotiations with potential vaccine suppliers, meaning the UK would be required to stop its negotiations with manufacturers with which the EU launched negotiations. 

“The Commission has also confirmed that it is not possible for the UK to have a role in the governance shaping decisions on which manufacturers to negotiate with, or the price, volume and delivery schedule negotiated.

“The UK Government has decided on this occasion not to join this internal EU initiative, but given our shared interest in ensuring that vaccines are available to all, we are committed to strengthening our collaboration with the EU outside the framework."

The senior diplomat said the UK Government had an “extremely strong” track record in supporting international efforts to find a coronavirus vaccine.

This includes co-hosting a summit that raised £5.5 billion towards research.

Before the decision, UK and EU officials spent months negotiating over joining the scheme.

Pro-EU politicians slammed the move, accusing the Prime Minister of not showing proper leadership.

Munira Wilson, the Liberal Democrat’s health spokeswoman, said: “When coronavirus is such a threat to people’s lives and livelihoods, Ministers should leave no stone unturned in their bid to end the pandemic.   

MUST READ: Lord Heseltine's Brexit defiance laid bare: 'We will rejoin EU!'

The backbench MP said: “This decision makes perfect sense and proves the benefit of coming out of the EU. We will be in a better position if we are independent on this and make our own decisions.

“There are a number of British companies and institutions working hard on getting a vaccine.

“We need to make our own decisions rather than being part of some big international bloc.”

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2020-07-10 19:04:00Z
52780911070366