October 12, 2011, 4:20 am
![Sex education 'not up to scratch']()
Campaigners have warned that school sex education lessons are not up to scratch, as a survey found most youngsters get more information outside the classroom.
Around one in seven (13%) teenagers said they learnt most about sex at school, according to a poll by Brook, the sexual healthy charity for young people. Just under one in 10 (9%) said they received most of their information from their mother, father or both parents.
More than a third (36%) said they got most of their information about sex from friends, with 13% saying they learnt about the subject from magazines, books, music lyrics and videos or TV. And 5% said they learnt about sex online from pornography.
Almost half (47%) of the 2,029 youngsters questioned agreed that sex and relationships education (SRE) in their school does not cover what they really want to know about sex. Just over a quarter (26%) agreed that SRE at their school is "non-existent".
More than one in five (22%) of the teenagers questioned rated SRE in their school as "poor" or "very poor", with 40% calling it "average" and 34% "good" or "very good".
Nearly four in five (78%) said they had not been given the opportunity to influence what is covered in their SRE classes, with 72% saying pupils should be asked what they want to be taught. More than half (52%) said relationships and emotions are not discussed enough in their SRE classes.
Jules Hillier, Brook deputy chief executive, said: "Young people in Britain deserve honest, useful information about sex and relationships but SRE in UK schools is failing them.
"Learning about sex and relationships is a crucial life skill and by letting teenagers leave school ill-informed we are letting them down. We are calling on young people to seize the opportunity to make their voices heard by telling us what they think 21st century SRE should cover, to better meet their needs."
A Department for Education spokesman said: "We are carrying out a wide, internal review of the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum to strengthen classes to address weaknesses reported by Ofsted last year.
"We are simplifying the statutory guidance on sex education to focus on relationships, positive parenting, and teaching young people about sexual consent. We have launched a public call for evidence - and will consult on firm proposals in due course."
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October 12, 2011, 4:20 am
![Travellers to hear farm ruling]()
Residents of Dale Farm, the UK's largest illegal travellers' site, are to learn whether they have won their High Court battle against eviction.
They are seeking court orders in three linked applications for judicial review blocking their removal from the controversial site near Basildon, Essex.
Traveller lawyers have argued that Basildon Council's decision earlier this year to take direct action to clear the green belt site of 400 residents, including about 100 children, was "disproportionate" and must at least be reconsidered.
The council was accused of failing to take account of vulnerable residents, including the sick in need of regular medication and children whose schooling would be disrupted if families were evicted.
Council chiefs have fought a 10-year battle to clear the site. Their lawyers told Mr Justice Ouseley they had throughout acted lawfully and reasonably and complied with their statutory duty.
Bailiffs have been given permission by another High Court judge to clear 49 of the 54 plots if the latest legal challenge fails. Further delay might be caused if the travellers decide to try to appeal if they lose.
On the last day of the hearing of the judicial review application, Mr Justice Ouseley was told the council had agreed that some families could not be evicted by direct action.
Richard Harwood, representing site resident Margaret McCarthy, argued the council's original aim in taking direct action - to restore the whole site to a cleared, open state - was impossible to achieve.
He said the council was legally obliged to reconsider the benefits of continuing the action and weigh them against the effect on individual travellers.
Reuben Taylor, for the council, argued the direct action decision remained lawful and indicated some other form of action still might be taken against those who remained on the site.
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October 12, 2011, 8:40 am
![Peers set to vote on NHS reforms]()
The second day of debate on the Government's controversial NHS reforms got under way in the House of Lords with peers preparing to take part in two crucial votes on the future of the plans.
Labour former GP Lord Rea has launched an unusual bid to prevent the Health and Social Care Bill being given a second reading - a move that would kill off the legislation.
If peers reject Lord Rea's amendment they will then be asked to vote on former SDP leader Lord Owen's plan to refer parts of the Bill to a special select committee.
Health minister Earl Howe told peers on Tuesday that Lord Owen's plan, which would require the committee to report by December 19, posed "an unacceptable" risk to the legislation and the Government's health reforms.
Ministers fear the delay threatens to make it impossible to get the legislation through Parliament before the end of the session next April.
On Tuesday Lord Owen denied his amendment was a "blocking measure" and said a select committee was the only way to ensure "the complexity" of the new relationship set out in the Bill between the Health Secretary and the NHS would be properly examined.
As debate resumed, fertility doctor and television presenter Lord Winston said: "This Bill is unnecessary and, I'm afraid to say, irresponsible."
The Labour peer said a lack of co-ordination was "common" in the health service but added: "Unfortunately I don't feel this Bill addresses this issue at all. In fact one of the concerns I have is that fragmentation may actually make it much worse."
He argued that the costs and success rates of the NHS compared favourably with the United States and countries such as Germany and France.
And he said it was tackling issues such as obesity rather than reforming the NHS that would tackle inequalities in life expectancy.
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October 12, 2011, 8:40 am
![Libya operations to cost £300m]()
Britain's military involvement over Libya will cost the taxpayer an estimated £300 million, Defence Secretary Liam Fox has revealed.
In a Commons written statement, Dr Fox said the cost of operations - from the start of the missions in March to the middle of December - was estimated at £160 million.
The Ministry of Defence had previously put the cost of operations to the middle of September at £120 million.
In addition, the MoD faces a bill of £140 million to replace the ammunition used.
All costs will be met from Treasury reserves and will not affect the MoD's core budget.
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October 12, 2011, 8:42 am
![Nice to see you, to see you, knight]()
Sir Bruce Forsyth has described his joy at being knighted by the Queen and vowed to keep on entertaining the country.
The veteran performer received the honour at Buckingham Palace after years of campaigning by fans.
Strictly Come Dancing host Sir Bruce was championed by a Facebook campaign, newspapers and even a parliamentary Early Day Motion, signed by 73 MPs, before the accolade was announced in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
The 83-year-old entertainer looked ecstatic after the ceremony and said: "It's absolutely wonderful to get the knighthood. It's been a thing that's been going on for a long time but it's not often one can say the press has been right behind you in my business - but they have been.
"Entertaining - it's been the only thing I've ever wanted to do and I've done it for many, many years. Who feels like quitting? I want to go on."
Earlier, in the palace's magnificent ballroom, the television star was called forward by his full name - Sir Bruce Forsyth-Johnson - and knelt on a velvet investiture stool to receive the accolade. He was dubbed a knight by the Queen, who lightly touched him on the shoulder with a sword that belonged to her father, George VI.
Sir Bruce was watched by the investiture audience, who included his Puerto Rican-born wife Wilnelia, a former Miss World, their 24-year-old son Jonathan Joseph, known as JJ, and his daughters from previous marriages Charlotte, 34, and Laura, 48.
During the ceremony the television star shared a few words with the Queen.
Sir Bruce said: "She said thank you for entertaining the country for such a long time, she was very much on that wave length. But she was most intrigued about how long I'd been in showbusiness. I think she was a bit shocked when I said (almost) 70 years.
"She was asking how old I was when I started and I told her 14, during the war, when you could leave school at 14 and go and work helping the war effort. I went on the stage and was travelling up and down the country during the blitz, travelling on trains and sleeping in the luggage racks."
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October 12, 2011, 8:42 am
![Fox defiant amid burglary 'gossip']()
A defiant Liam Fox has declared he intends to carry on as Defence Secretary as claims continued to swirl about his links with his close friend, the lobbyist Adam Werritty.
In the latest twist to the controversy, Dr Fox was forced to deny he was responsible for wrongly briefing journalists that he was alone in his London flat when it was burgled during last year's general election campaign.
The Sun disclosed that a "younger man" had been staying the night at the apartment when thieves broke in and took a laptop computer, a mobile phone and the keys to his Skoda car.
In a statement, Dr Fox insisted he had given the full facts to police at the time and said he was "appalled at being portrayed as having something to hide". He added, "for the sake of clarity", that the guest was not Mr Werritty.
As he left on the Eurostar for talks in Paris with his French counterpart, Dr Fox indicated that he had no intention of standing down in the face of the continuing controversy.
"I shall carry on doing the job that I am meant to do, the job that I am paid for," he told reporters.
Meanwhile a Government minister acknowledged that gossip about Dr Fox's private life was circulating at Westminster.
Employment minister Chris Grayling dismissed the stories as "gossip, innuendo and tittle-tattle" and insisted that he had heard nothing which affected Dr Fox's ability to do his job as a minister.
Asked about rumours the Defence Secretary is gay - described by Dr Fox as "smears" in a 2005 interview - Mr Grayling said: "If you look around the Westminster village you will find all kinds of wild gossip about all kinds of individuals in all parties. That doesn't mean they are not good at their jobs."
He added: "I thought we had got past the point in politics though where we needed to worry about people's private lives. The question is somebody doing an important and capable job. The fact is Liam is a very good Defence Secretary doing a very good job. I've not seen anything emerge in any of this that would give me rise to believe that Liam has done anything substantially wrong or would call his position into question."
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October 12, 2011, 8:42 am
![Mail editor defends press watchdog]()
Over-regulating the British press would "put democracy itself in peril", Associated Newspapers editor-in-chief Paul Dacre has said.
Mr Dacre launched a staunch defence of the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) as he addressed the latest seminar of the Leveson Inquiry, which was set up in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal.
He suggested there may be a need for a newspaper industry ombudsman, and announced a new corrections and clarifications column to be published on page two of the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and Metro.
Addressing the seminar, entitled Supporting A Free Press And High Standards - Approaches To Regulation, Mr Dacre said he unequivocally condemned phone hacking.
"Such practices are a disgrace and have shocked and shaken us all. They need to be purged from journalism and reforms instigated to prevent such criminal activities ever happening again," he said.
Mr Dacre defended press self-regulation.
"Self-regulation, albeit a considerably beefed-up form, is, in a country that regards itself as truly democratic, the only viable way of policing a genuinely free press.
"There are thousands of decent journalists in Britain who don't hack phones, who don't bribe police and who work long anti-social hours for modest recompense because they passionately believe their papers give voice to the voiceless and expose the misdeeds of the rich, the powerful and the pompous."
He said newspapers already faced considerable regulation and the press was on the cusp of being over-regulated, citing laws such as the Data Protection Act and the Bribery Act and the use of injunctions to block stories.
"Today we are in danger of ignoring the fact that news does not grow on trees," he said. "News is often something that someone, the rich, the powerful, the privileged, does not want printed."
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October 12, 2011, 8:42 am
![PM: Jobless rise 'disappointing']()
David Cameron has acknowledged the latest unemployment figures are "very disappointing" after more than 100,000 people joined the ranks of those looking for a job.
As unemployment reached a 17-year high, the Prime Minister admitted that the Government had to "do more to get our economy moving".
But he insisted the coalition's deficit reduction plans must not be abandoned, arguing that to do so would send interest rates soaring and the economy "into a tailspin".
At Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, Labour leader Ed Miliband said it was time for Mr Cameron to admit the Government's plan "isn't working".
Mr Cameron said: "These are very disappointing figures that have been announced today and every job that is lost is a tragedy for that person and for their family.
"That is why the Government is going to do everything it can to get people into work."
He added: "I accept we have got to do more to get our economy moving, to get jobs for our people, but we mustn't abandon the plan that has given us record low interest rates."
Mr Miliband hit back: "The same script, month after month. Doesn't he realise? It isn't working."
The figures showed that youth unemployment has reached a record high of 991,000, while the numbers claiming jobseeker's allowance increased for the seventh month in a row, to 1.6 million.
Other figures showed a 178,000 slump in employment in the quarter to August - the biggest fall in more than two years - and the largest-ever cut in the number of part-time workers, down by 175,000.
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October 12, 2011, 8:42 am
![Court upholds foreign spouse ruling]()
Banning foreign spouses aged between 18 and 21 from entering the UK is not a lawful way of dealing with the problem of forced marriages, the Supreme Court has ruled.
By a four to one majority, the highest court in the land rejected an appeal by Home Secretary Theresa May against a Court of Appeal decision which outlawed the ban as "arbitrary and disruptive".
The ruling upholding the appeal judges is a victory for two couples - Diego and Amber Aguilar, and Shakira Bibi and Suhyal Mohammed - who had fallen victim to changes to the immigration rules that prevented non-European under 21s from obtaining visas to join their British partners in the UK.
Four Supreme Court justices - Lord Phillips, Lady Hale, Lord Clarke and Lord Wilson - have agreed the ban could not stand as it infringed the right of the couples to family and private life, as protected by Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The fifth justice, Lord Brown, disagreed and said he would have allowed the Home Secretary's appeal. He said it was "unwise" for the courts "yet again to frustrate Government policy" through the use of Article 8.
But Lord Wilson robustly upheld the appeal court ruling."The Secretary of State has failed to establish that interference with the rights of such couples under Article 8 is justified," he said.
The sole question was whether the restriction was "necessary in a democratic society", and whether it was "a proportionate response to a pressing social need". Lady Hale said: "As Lord Wilson has shown, there are many reasons to conclude that it was not.
"First and foremost, although nobody knows the figures, it is clear that the rule will interfere with many more entirely voluntary marriages than it will prevent, deter or delay forced marriages. The scale and severity of the impact upon these unforced marriages has scarcely been considered."
Secondly, it was also entirely unclear whether the rule did prevent or deter forced marriages. Consequently, she said, if the rule was not effective in preventing a forced marriage, it might do a great deal more harm than good.
"A young woman may be sent abroad and forced to marry against her will and kept there until she can sponsor her husband to come here," said Lady Hale. "During this time she may be raped many times, bear children she does not want to have, and be deprived of the education and life which she would otherwise have had here."
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October 12, 2011, 10:18 am
![Cameron: I will decide on Fox job]()
Prime Minister David Cameron has said he will decide whether Liam Fox keeps his job amid claims that Adam Werritty was a former colleague of his chief spokeswoman.
Mr Cameron said Defence Secretary Dr Fox was doing an "excellent job" as he agreed during Prime Minister's Questions to look at whether Mr Werritty had met any other ministers or Downing Street staff since May 2010.
He also called on MPs to show patience as Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell carries out an investigation - due to report on October 21 - into the relationship between Mr Werritty and Dr Fox and whether the ministerial code was broken.
Labour MP Alun Michael also questioned whether the investigation would look into claims Mr Werritty and the Prime Minister's chief spokeswoman, Gabby Bertin, are former colleagues.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Cameron said he would make a decision once the investigation had been completed.
He told MPs: "The ministerial code is very clear that in the end it is for the Prime Minister to decide whether someone keeps their job or not.
"In the case of the Defence Secretary, I think it is very important that when the leader of the opposition has called for an inquiry by the Cabinet Secretary, when I have established an inquiry by the Cabinet Secretary, let us allow the Cabinet Secretary to do his work to establish the facts, then a decision can be made.
"But let me be clear, I think the Defence Secretary has done an excellent job clearing up the complete mess that he was left by Labour."
Labour leader Ed Miliband accused Mr Cameron of being more concerned with saving Dr Fox's job than with dealing with rising unemployment.
Mr Miliband said: "On the day of the worst unemployment figures in 17 years, the Prime Minister is fighting to save the job of the Defence Secretary while he is doing nothing to save the jobs of hundreds of thousands of people up and down this country. It's one rule if you are in the Cabinet, it's another rule for everyone else."
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October 12, 2011, 10:18 am
![Mother guilty of force feeding baby]()
A nurse is facing jail after being convicted of force feeding her baby daughter until she died.
Gloria Dwomoh, 31, was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of 10-month-old Diamond.
She was said to be obsessed with the child's weight and poured liquidised food into the child's mouth when she was weaning her.
The baby died in March last year, after being taken to a hospital near her home in Waltham Forest, east London. A post-mortem examination found she died from pneumonia caused by food, including meat and cereals, in her lungs.
The prosecution at the Old Bailey said the baby had been forced to take her feed from a jug after the spout was placed in the baby's mouth.
The mother and her 37-year-old husband denied the charge. The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was found not guilty.
Dwomoh showed no emotion as she was remanded in custody to be sentenced on November 9.
Dwomoh, who worked at St Thomas' hospital, south London, had wept in court as she denied doing anything to harm her baby. She said she and her siblings had been fed the same way by her mother in Ghana when she was weaning them onto solid food.
Dwomoh showed the jury two small china jugs, the size of cups, which she used for feeding. She said she made up feeds, including liquidised chicken soup, in one jug and transferred small amounts to feed the girl into the other.
Diamond did not take to the bottle well and she was trying "to give her nutrients rather than milk". However Andrew Edis, QC, prosecuting, said the food had "gone down the wrong way" over months after the child had begun coughing and choking.
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October 12, 2011, 12:32 pm
![NHS Bill clears first Lords hurdle]()
The Government's reform programme for the NHS has cleared a crucial hurdle as it received a second reading in the House of Lords.
Peers rejected by a margin of 330-262 an attempt by former SDP leader Lord Owen to delay the Health and Social Care Bill by referring it to a special committee.
They earlier voted down a bid to kill off the legislation altogether by refusing it a second reading, defeating an amendment from Labour's Lord Rea by 354 votes to 220.
Lord Owen denied his amendment was designed to block the Bill by preventing it clearing Parliament by the end of the session next spring.
He insisted that a special committee was the only way to ensure the complexity of the controversial changes - which will see responsibility for the vast majority of health spending handed over to GPs and clinicians - was properly examined.
But health minister Lord Howe wrote to peers on Tuesday warning that any delay "could well prove fatal" to the legislation, adding: "This is not a risk that I believe this House should take."
The latest votes clear the way for the Bill to continue through the committee and report stages of the Lords before being passed into law. A Department of Health spokesman said: "Today's vote is an important step towards giving the NHS the clarity and certainty it needs and delivering a world-class health service for patients.
"We look forward to full scrutiny in the main Lords committee, drawing on peers' wide expertise to ensure that our modernisation plans are as effective as possible."
But, despite the victories, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley may still face a protracted struggle getting his plans on to the statute book by the end of the session in April.
And shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said Labour would fight for "substantial and drastic" changes to the legislation if Mr Lansley was not willing to drop it now.
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October 12, 2011, 12:32 pm
![Travellers lose eviction court bid]()
Residents of Dale Farm, the UK's largest illegal travellers' site, have lost their High Court battle against eviction.
They attempted to block their removal from the controversial site near Basildon, Essex, in three linked applications for judicial review.
However Mr Justice Ouseley, sitting in London, ruled they had delayed too long in challenging Basildon Council's decision to take direct action against them.
The judge said: "It is the residents of Dale Farm who have to comply with the obligation to leave voluntarily.
"If the removal becomes forcible it would be because of decisions made by the residents not to comply."
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October 12, 2011, 1:09 pm
![Nurse faces jail over baby feeding]()
A nurse is facing jail after killing her baby by force-feeding her in the first case of its kind in Britain.
Social workers and health professionals apologised for not saving 10-month-old Diamond, the latest in a line of children let down by carers.
Now, an investigation is being launched into feeding methods used by mothers, particularly those from cultures where bigger babies are considered to be healthier.
A serious case review reported 18 key findings, including the lack of understanding on the issues which should have caused alarm bells to ring.
Gloria Dwomoh was found guilty at the Old Bailey of causing or allowing the death of Diamond. She was said to be obsessed with Diamond's weight and poured liquidised food into her mouth when she was weaning her.
Diamond died in March last year after being taken to a hospital near her home in Waltham Forest, east London. A post-mortem examination found she died from pneumonia caused by food, including meat and cereals, in her lungs.
The prosecution said Diamond was forced to take her feed from a jug after the spout was placed in her mouth. The mother and her 37-year-old husband denied the charge. The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was found not guilty.
Dwomoh, 31, who worked at St Thomas' Hospital in south London, had wept in court as she denied doing anything to harm her baby. She said she and her siblings had been fed the same way by her mother in Ghana when she was weaning them onto solid food.
Dwomoh had been warned about the feeding method in the past but Diamond, although taken to see doctors, was not on the "at risk" register.
Laura Eades, chair of Waltham Forest Safeguarding Children's Board, said: "I would like to express our deep regret and sadness for the death of Diamond. The death of a child by force-feeding is extremely rare. To our knowledge, this case is the first of its kind in this country and we are determined to learn from the issues that were central to this tragic loss of life."
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October 12, 2011, 1:09 pm
![Casey quits as Victims Commissioner]()
Victims Commissioner Louise Casey has resigned in order to head the Government's broad response to the riots, Prime Minister David Cameron has announced.
Ms Casey quit after 18 months as Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses to head a new troubled families team in the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
In her resignation letter to Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke, she said she had seen "a glimpse of some of the worst acts of human nature" and also "the very best of human behaviour".
Ms Casey will now "drive forward the Prime Minister's commitment to turn around the lives of 120,000 most troubled families", the Ministry of Justice said.
In her resignation letter, she said it had been an "enormous honour" to be the first Victims Commissioner, which was "one of the most challenging jobs that I have undertaken in terms of the very great suffering that I found, and the unmet need that is alongside it".
She said: "My team and I over the last 18 months have, however briefly, been shown a glimpse of some of the worst acts of human nature, the plight of those who have had loved ones taken from them and a response from the 'system' that, however well-meant, has often fallen short.
"I have also witnessed the very best of human behaviour - in those people who, after tragedy has hit them and their family, devote their lives to campaigning to make things better and supporting other people who are going through the same terrible experience.
"I have also seen first-hand how many victims act with courage and dignity despite awful personal circumstances, coupled with dealing with a system that does not always treat them as it should."
Ms Casey added that there was still much work to be done following her review into the needs of families bereaved by homicide.
Further consideration should also be given "to my calls for a 'victims' law' whereby, for the first time, there would be some statutory safeguard put in place for victims and witnesses", she said.
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October 12, 2011, 1:09 pm
![BlackBerry users angry at failure]()
Disruption to BlackBerry services is continuing, with fed-up users reporting further problems.
BlackBerry's maker Research in Motion (RIM) said in a statement that service problems which started on Monday were due to a "core switch failure" within its infrastructure and assured users it is working to clear a "large backlog" of data.
But the Twittersphere is still abuzz with criticism about problems with the service and RIM's failure to explain it to users.
702JohnRobbie wrote: "Blackberry down again. Very poor communications from them about what the problem is. #Fail." Bombxleo said: "maybe i'd like my phone more if it wasn't a stupid blackberry."
Others resorted to humour to mock the disruption. Sickipediabot said "It was nice of Blackberry to honour Steve Jobs with two days of silence" - a reference to the recent death of the technology pioneer who founded rival firm Apple.
Problems with BlackBerry services started at around 11am on Monday. RIM initially gave the all-clear on Tuesday morning but was forced to admit in a recorded message later in the day that it was experiencing a "service" issue which was having an impact on subscribers in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India and several carriers from the Latin America region.
In a statement issued at 10pm UK time on Tuesday, RIM said: "Although the system is designed to failover to a back-up switch, the failover did not function as previously tested. As a result, a large backlog of data was generated and we are now working to clear that backlog and restore normal service as quickly as possible.
"We apologise for any inconvenience and we will continue to keep you informed."
Matt Bath, Which? technology editor, said: "Most of us rely pretty heavily on our mobile phone to communicate with colleagues, family and friends, so when things go wrong, it's incredibly frustrating.
"BlackBerry should be doing more to keep customers informed about the ongoing problems with its service. In some cases, customers have heard about the issue from their mobile network provider but have heard nothing from BlackBerry itself. That's not great customer service."
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October 12, 2011, 1:09 pm
![PM vow as unemployment hits high]()
The Prime Minister has admitted that the Government had to do more to get the economy moving after "horrific" figures showed unemployment at a 17-year high, the number of young people out of work nearing a million and Jobseeker's Allowance claimants increasing for the seventh month in a row.
Both sides of industry voiced concern about the state of the jobs market, while Labour leader Ed Miliband told David Cameron it was time to admit the Government's plan "isn't working".
The Prime Minister told the Commons: "I accept we have got to do more to get our economy moving, to get jobs for our people, but we mustn't abandon the plan that has given us record low interest rates."
Unemployment increased by 114,000 to 2.57 million in the quarter to August, the worst total since the autumn of 1994, giving a jobless rate of 8.1%, the highest since 1996.
Youth unemployment reached a record high of 991,000, while the numbers claiming Jobseeker's Allowance increased for the seventh month in a row, to 1.6 million, date from the Office of National Statistics has shown.
Other figures showed a 178,000 slump in employment in the quarter to August - the biggest fall in more than two years - and the largest-ever cut in the number of part-time workers, down by 175,000.
The number of people classed as economically inactive increased by 26,000 to 9.35 million, a rate of 23.3%. Taking the inactivity rate and the new jobless figures together, half of 16 to 24-year-olds are now not employed, it was revealed.
At Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, Mr Miliband said it was time for Mr Cameron to admit the Government's plan "isn't working", adding: "The same script, month after month. Doesn't he realise? It isn't working."
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "These are terrible figures. The Government's austerity measures have turned unemployment into a full-blown crisis - with job losses not seen since the darkest days of the recession."
John Philpott, chief economic adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), said: "The quarterly rise in unemployment is reminiscent of an economy in recession rather than any kind of recovery and confirms that the private sector just isn't creating enough jobs at present to offset public sector job cuts."
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October 12, 2011, 3:12 pm
![Sugar attacks BlackBerry failings]()
Business mogul Lord Sugar has launched a stinging attack on the BlackBerry brand as users endured a third day of chaos.
The disgruntled tycoon vented his outrage in a string of postings on microblogging site Twitter, eventually insisting: "If it was my company It would have been fixed by now."
His diatribe came amid mounting criticism of Research in Motion (RIM) - the company behind the smart phone - which has drawn widespread anger following Monday's internet blackout.
The disruption is reported to have left millions of people unable to access email or surf the web.
Furious users have also hit out at the company's apparent failure to explain the problems - or give any indication of when they might be resolved.
One of many to express dissatisfaction on Twitter, Lord Sugar wrote: "In all my years in IT biz, I have never seen such a outage as experienced by Blackberry. I can't understand why it's taking so long to fix."
A later posting read: "All my companies use BB's, every one so reliant on getting email on the move, people don't know if they are coming or going."
Problems with BlackBerry services started at around 11am on Monday. RIM initially gave the all-clear on Tuesday morning but was later forced to admit in a recorded message that it was experiencing a "service" issue which was having an impact on subscribers in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India and several carriers from the Latin America region.
On Tuesday night, RIM attributed its problems to a "core switch failure" within its infrastructure and assured users it was working to clear a "large backlog" of data.
Which? technology editor Matt Bath hit out at the company which, he said, should be "doing more" to keep clients informed.
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October 12, 2011, 3:12 pm
![Fox defiant amid Werritty questions]()
A defiant Liam Fox has signalled his determination to carry on as Defence Secretary amid more questions over his working relationship with close friend and lobbyist Adam Werritty.
At Westminster, the focus was increasingly turning to the links between Dr Fox's political duties and his private life, which one fellow minister admitted was the subject of "wild gossip" among MPs.
The Defence Secretary was forced to deny he was responsible for wrongly briefing journalists that he was alone in his London flat when it was burgled last year while his wife, Jesme, was out of the country.
The Sun disclosed that an unnamed "younger man" was staying with him when thieves broke into the apartment during the general election campaign and stole a laptop computer, a mobile phone and the keys to his Skoda car.
In a statement, Dr Fox said he had given the full facts to police at the time and was "appalled at being portrayed as having something to hide". He added, "for the sake of clarity", that the guest was not Mr Werritty, a former flatmate.
In the Commons, he received support from David Cameron who said he was doing an "excellent job" at the Ministry of Defence.
However, the Prime Minister also made clear that in the end he would decide whether Dr Fox should keep his job once the Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell had completed his inquiry into his links with Mr Werritty.
Mr Cameron found himself being drawn into the controversy after it was disclosed that one of his most senior political advisers, Gabby Bertin, had previously worked for Dr Fox's controversial Atlantic Bridge charity.
The organisation - which Mr Werritty also later worked for - was dissolved earlier this year after the Charity Commission said its main objective appeared to be promoting a political party "closely associated with the Conservative Party".
Under pressure from Labour MPs, Mr Cameron said he would be "very happy" to consider publishing a list of all ministers and No 10 staffers who had met Mr Werritty, either officially or socially, since the Government came to office.
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October 12, 2011, 4:11 pm
![Travellers plan eviction bid appeal]()
Residents of Dale Farm, the UK's largest illegal travellers' site, have lost their High Court battle against eviction - but are now planning an appeal.
They attempted to block their removal from the controversial site near Basildon, Essex, in three linked applications for judicial review.
Mr Justice Ouseley, sitting in London, ruled they had delayed too long in challenging Basildon Council's decision to take direct action against them. The judge also ruled the council's actions were not "disproportionate".
He said the travellers were breaking criminal law on a daily basis by remaining on the site and their removal was necessary to avoid "the criminal law and the planning system being brought into serious disrepute."
The ruling was a victory for Basildon Council chiefs who have fought a costly 10-year campaign to clear the site. The judge refused the travellers permission to appeal, but those in court said they would ask the Court of Appeal itself to hear their case.
Travellers at the Dale Farm site said they were going to stand their ground and resist eviction. Dale Farm Solidarity member Jake Fulton addressed the media outside the gates of the travellers' home, saying the families were "too distraught" to speak after they lost their High Court battle.
Basildon Council's leader Tony Ball said : "This is not a day for triumphalism, but I do take quiet satisfaction on behalf of local people that in all matters the council has been found to have acted lawfully. We believed all along that we were doing so, and as you can imagine I welcome the decision of the court confirming this."
"I strongly urge the travellers not to return to the path of unlawful resistance. As I have said they have had their day in court - having sought the support of the law of the land they must now obey that same law. They cannot adopt a pick and mix approach to the law.
"It is too early yet to say exactly when the site clearance will begin. That will be a decision for the officers and our partners, such as the police, and will primarily depend upon how quickly all the necessary resources can be put back in place so it can be done safely."
The judge said travellers, some of whom received legal aid, should pay the council's legal costs. Reuben Taylor, for Basildon Council, said the site would not be cleared before Monday.
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Campaigners have warned that school sex education lessons are not up to scratch, as a survey found most youngsters get more information outside the classroom.
Around one in seven (13%) teenagers said they learnt most about sex at school, according to a poll by Brook, the sexual healthy charity for young people. Just under one in 10 (9%) said they received most of their information from their mother, father or both parents.
More than a third (36%) said they got most of their information about sex from friends, with 13% saying they learnt about the subject from magazines, books, music lyrics and videos or TV. And 5% said they learnt about sex online from pornography.
Almost half (47%) of the 2,029 youngsters questioned agreed that sex and relationships education (SRE) in their school does not cover what they really want to know about sex. Just over a quarter (26%) agreed that SRE at their school is "non-existent".
More than one in five (22%) of the teenagers questioned rated SRE in their school as "poor" or "very poor", with 40% calling it "average" and 34% "good" or "very good".
Nearly four in five (78%) said they had not been given the opportunity to influence what is covered in their SRE classes, with 72% saying pupils should be asked what they want to be taught. More than half (52%) said relationships and emotions are not discussed enough in their SRE classes.
Jules Hillier, Brook deputy chief executive, said: "Young people in Britain deserve honest, useful information about sex and relationships but SRE in UK schools is failing them.
"Learning about sex and relationships is a crucial life skill and by letting teenagers leave school ill-informed we are letting them down. We are calling on young people to seize the opportunity to make their voices heard by telling us what they think 21st century SRE should cover, to better meet their needs."
A Department for Education spokesman said: "We are carrying out a wide, internal review of the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum to strengthen classes to address weaknesses reported by Ofsted last year.
"We are simplifying the statutory guidance on sex education to focus on relationships, positive parenting, and teaching young people about sexual consent. We have launched a public call for evidence - and will consult on firm proposals in due course."
Residents of Dale Farm, the UK's largest illegal travellers' site, are to learn whether they have won their High Court battle against eviction.
They are seeking court orders in three linked applications for judicial review blocking their removal from the controversial site near Basildon, Essex.
Traveller lawyers have argued that Basildon Council's decision earlier this year to take direct action to clear the green belt site of 400 residents, including about 100 children, was "disproportionate" and must at least be reconsidered.
The council was accused of failing to take account of vulnerable residents, including the sick in need of regular medication and children whose schooling would be disrupted if families were evicted.
Council chiefs have fought a 10-year battle to clear the site. Their lawyers told Mr Justice Ouseley they had throughout acted lawfully and reasonably and complied with their statutory duty.
Bailiffs have been given permission by another High Court judge to clear 49 of the 54 plots if the latest legal challenge fails. Further delay might be caused if the travellers decide to try to appeal if they lose.
On the last day of the hearing of the judicial review application, Mr Justice Ouseley was told the council had agreed that some families could not be evicted by direct action.
Richard Harwood, representing site resident Margaret McCarthy, argued the council's original aim in taking direct action - to restore the whole site to a cleared, open state - was impossible to achieve.
He said the council was legally obliged to reconsider the benefits of continuing the action and weigh them against the effect on individual travellers.
Reuben Taylor, for the council, argued the direct action decision remained lawful and indicated some other form of action still might be taken against those who remained on the site.
The second day of debate on the Government's controversial NHS reforms got under way in the House of Lords with peers preparing to take part in two crucial votes on the future of the plans.
Labour former GP Lord Rea has launched an unusual bid to prevent the Health and Social Care Bill being given a second reading - a move that would kill off the legislation.
If peers reject Lord Rea's amendment they will then be asked to vote on former SDP leader Lord Owen's plan to refer parts of the Bill to a special select committee.
Health minister Earl Howe told peers on Tuesday that Lord Owen's plan, which would require the committee to report by December 19, posed "an unacceptable" risk to the legislation and the Government's health reforms.
Ministers fear the delay threatens to make it impossible to get the legislation through Parliament before the end of the session next April.
On Tuesday Lord Owen denied his amendment was a "blocking measure" and said a select committee was the only way to ensure "the complexity" of the new relationship set out in the Bill between the Health Secretary and the NHS would be properly examined.
As debate resumed, fertility doctor and television presenter Lord Winston said: "This Bill is unnecessary and, I'm afraid to say, irresponsible."
The Labour peer said a lack of co-ordination was "common" in the health service but added: "Unfortunately I don't feel this Bill addresses this issue at all. In fact one of the concerns I have is that fragmentation may actually make it much worse."
He argued that the costs and success rates of the NHS compared favourably with the United States and countries such as Germany and France.
And he said it was tackling issues such as obesity rather than reforming the NHS that would tackle inequalities in life expectancy.
Britain's military involvement over Libya will cost the taxpayer an estimated £300 million, Defence Secretary Liam Fox has revealed.
In a Commons written statement, Dr Fox said the cost of operations - from the start of the missions in March to the middle of December - was estimated at £160 million.
The Ministry of Defence had previously put the cost of operations to the middle of September at £120 million.
In addition, the MoD faces a bill of £140 million to replace the ammunition used.
All costs will be met from Treasury reserves and will not affect the MoD's core budget.
Sir Bruce Forsyth has described his joy at being knighted by the Queen and vowed to keep on entertaining the country.
The veteran performer received the honour at Buckingham Palace after years of campaigning by fans.
Strictly Come Dancing host Sir Bruce was championed by a Facebook campaign, newspapers and even a parliamentary Early Day Motion, signed by 73 MPs, before the accolade was announced in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
The 83-year-old entertainer looked ecstatic after the ceremony and said: "It's absolutely wonderful to get the knighthood. It's been a thing that's been going on for a long time but it's not often one can say the press has been right behind you in my business - but they have been.
"Entertaining - it's been the only thing I've ever wanted to do and I've done it for many, many years. Who feels like quitting? I want to go on."
Earlier, in the palace's magnificent ballroom, the television star was called forward by his full name - Sir Bruce Forsyth-Johnson - and knelt on a velvet investiture stool to receive the accolade. He was dubbed a knight by the Queen, who lightly touched him on the shoulder with a sword that belonged to her father, George VI.
Sir Bruce was watched by the investiture audience, who included his Puerto Rican-born wife Wilnelia, a former Miss World, their 24-year-old son Jonathan Joseph, known as JJ, and his daughters from previous marriages Charlotte, 34, and Laura, 48.
During the ceremony the television star shared a few words with the Queen.
Sir Bruce said: "She said thank you for entertaining the country for such a long time, she was very much on that wave length. But she was most intrigued about how long I'd been in showbusiness. I think she was a bit shocked when I said (almost) 70 years.
"She was asking how old I was when I started and I told her 14, during the war, when you could leave school at 14 and go and work helping the war effort. I went on the stage and was travelling up and down the country during the blitz, travelling on trains and sleeping in the luggage racks."
A defiant Liam Fox has declared he intends to carry on as Defence Secretary as claims continued to swirl about his links with his close friend, the lobbyist Adam Werritty.
In the latest twist to the controversy, Dr Fox was forced to deny he was responsible for wrongly briefing journalists that he was alone in his London flat when it was burgled during last year's general election campaign.
The Sun disclosed that a "younger man" had been staying the night at the apartment when thieves broke in and took a laptop computer, a mobile phone and the keys to his Skoda car.
In a statement, Dr Fox insisted he had given the full facts to police at the time and said he was "appalled at being portrayed as having something to hide". He added, "for the sake of clarity", that the guest was not Mr Werritty.
As he left on the Eurostar for talks in Paris with his French counterpart, Dr Fox indicated that he had no intention of standing down in the face of the continuing controversy.
"I shall carry on doing the job that I am meant to do, the job that I am paid for," he told reporters.
Meanwhile a Government minister acknowledged that gossip about Dr Fox's private life was circulating at Westminster.
Employment minister Chris Grayling dismissed the stories as "gossip, innuendo and tittle-tattle" and insisted that he had heard nothing which affected Dr Fox's ability to do his job as a minister.
Asked about rumours the Defence Secretary is gay - described by Dr Fox as "smears" in a 2005 interview - Mr Grayling said: "If you look around the Westminster village you will find all kinds of wild gossip about all kinds of individuals in all parties. That doesn't mean they are not good at their jobs."
He added: "I thought we had got past the point in politics though where we needed to worry about people's private lives. The question is somebody doing an important and capable job. The fact is Liam is a very good Defence Secretary doing a very good job. I've not seen anything emerge in any of this that would give me rise to believe that Liam has done anything substantially wrong or would call his position into question."
Over-regulating the British press would "put democracy itself in peril", Associated Newspapers editor-in-chief Paul Dacre has said.
Mr Dacre launched a staunch defence of the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) as he addressed the latest seminar of the Leveson Inquiry, which was set up in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal.
He suggested there may be a need for a newspaper industry ombudsman, and announced a new corrections and clarifications column to be published on page two of the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and Metro.
Addressing the seminar, entitled Supporting A Free Press And High Standards - Approaches To Regulation, Mr Dacre said he unequivocally condemned phone hacking.
"Such practices are a disgrace and have shocked and shaken us all. They need to be purged from journalism and reforms instigated to prevent such criminal activities ever happening again," he said.
Mr Dacre defended press self-regulation.
"Self-regulation, albeit a considerably beefed-up form, is, in a country that regards itself as truly democratic, the only viable way of policing a genuinely free press.
"There are thousands of decent journalists in Britain who don't hack phones, who don't bribe police and who work long anti-social hours for modest recompense because they passionately believe their papers give voice to the voiceless and expose the misdeeds of the rich, the powerful and the pompous."
He said newspapers already faced considerable regulation and the press was on the cusp of being over-regulated, citing laws such as the Data Protection Act and the Bribery Act and the use of injunctions to block stories.
"Today we are in danger of ignoring the fact that news does not grow on trees," he said. "News is often something that someone, the rich, the powerful, the privileged, does not want printed."
David Cameron has acknowledged the latest unemployment figures are "very disappointing" after more than 100,000 people joined the ranks of those looking for a job.
As unemployment reached a 17-year high, the Prime Minister admitted that the Government had to "do more to get our economy moving".
But he insisted the coalition's deficit reduction plans must not be abandoned, arguing that to do so would send interest rates soaring and the economy "into a tailspin".
At Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, Labour leader Ed Miliband said it was time for Mr Cameron to admit the Government's plan "isn't working".
Mr Cameron said: "These are very disappointing figures that have been announced today and every job that is lost is a tragedy for that person and for their family.
"That is why the Government is going to do everything it can to get people into work."
He added: "I accept we have got to do more to get our economy moving, to get jobs for our people, but we mustn't abandon the plan that has given us record low interest rates."
Mr Miliband hit back: "The same script, month after month. Doesn't he realise? It isn't working."
The figures showed that youth unemployment has reached a record high of 991,000, while the numbers claiming jobseeker's allowance increased for the seventh month in a row, to 1.6 million.
Other figures showed a 178,000 slump in employment in the quarter to August - the biggest fall in more than two years - and the largest-ever cut in the number of part-time workers, down by 175,000.
Banning foreign spouses aged between 18 and 21 from entering the UK is not a lawful way of dealing with the problem of forced marriages, the Supreme Court has ruled.
By a four to one majority, the highest court in the land rejected an appeal by Home Secretary Theresa May against a Court of Appeal decision which outlawed the ban as "arbitrary and disruptive".
The ruling upholding the appeal judges is a victory for two couples - Diego and Amber Aguilar, and Shakira Bibi and Suhyal Mohammed - who had fallen victim to changes to the immigration rules that prevented non-European under 21s from obtaining visas to join their British partners in the UK.
Four Supreme Court justices - Lord Phillips, Lady Hale, Lord Clarke and Lord Wilson - have agreed the ban could not stand as it infringed the right of the couples to family and private life, as protected by Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The fifth justice, Lord Brown, disagreed and said he would have allowed the Home Secretary's appeal. He said it was "unwise" for the courts "yet again to frustrate Government policy" through the use of Article 8.
But Lord Wilson robustly upheld the appeal court ruling."The Secretary of State has failed to establish that interference with the rights of such couples under Article 8 is justified," he said.
The sole question was whether the restriction was "necessary in a democratic society", and whether it was "a proportionate response to a pressing social need". Lady Hale said: "As Lord Wilson has shown, there are many reasons to conclude that it was not.
"First and foremost, although nobody knows the figures, it is clear that the rule will interfere with many more entirely voluntary marriages than it will prevent, deter or delay forced marriages. The scale and severity of the impact upon these unforced marriages has scarcely been considered."
Secondly, it was also entirely unclear whether the rule did prevent or deter forced marriages. Consequently, she said, if the rule was not effective in preventing a forced marriage, it might do a great deal more harm than good.
"A young woman may be sent abroad and forced to marry against her will and kept there until she can sponsor her husband to come here," said Lady Hale. "During this time she may be raped many times, bear children she does not want to have, and be deprived of the education and life which she would otherwise have had here."
Prime Minister David Cameron has said he will decide whether Liam Fox keeps his job amid claims that Adam Werritty was a former colleague of his chief spokeswoman.
Mr Cameron said Defence Secretary Dr Fox was doing an "excellent job" as he agreed during Prime Minister's Questions to look at whether Mr Werritty had met any other ministers or Downing Street staff since May 2010.
He also called on MPs to show patience as Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell carries out an investigation - due to report on October 21 - into the relationship between Mr Werritty and Dr Fox and whether the ministerial code was broken.
Labour MP Alun Michael also questioned whether the investigation would look into claims Mr Werritty and the Prime Minister's chief spokeswoman, Gabby Bertin, are former colleagues.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Cameron said he would make a decision once the investigation had been completed.
He told MPs: "The ministerial code is very clear that in the end it is for the Prime Minister to decide whether someone keeps their job or not.
"In the case of the Defence Secretary, I think it is very important that when the leader of the opposition has called for an inquiry by the Cabinet Secretary, when I have established an inquiry by the Cabinet Secretary, let us allow the Cabinet Secretary to do his work to establish the facts, then a decision can be made.
"But let me be clear, I think the Defence Secretary has done an excellent job clearing up the complete mess that he was left by Labour."
Labour leader Ed Miliband accused Mr Cameron of being more concerned with saving Dr Fox's job than with dealing with rising unemployment.
Mr Miliband said: "On the day of the worst unemployment figures in 17 years, the Prime Minister is fighting to save the job of the Defence Secretary while he is doing nothing to save the jobs of hundreds of thousands of people up and down this country. It's one rule if you are in the Cabinet, it's another rule for everyone else."
A nurse is facing jail after being convicted of force feeding her baby daughter until she died.
Gloria Dwomoh, 31, was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of 10-month-old Diamond.
She was said to be obsessed with the child's weight and poured liquidised food into the child's mouth when she was weaning her.
The baby died in March last year, after being taken to a hospital near her home in Waltham Forest, east London. A post-mortem examination found she died from pneumonia caused by food, including meat and cereals, in her lungs.
The prosecution at the Old Bailey said the baby had been forced to take her feed from a jug after the spout was placed in the baby's mouth.
The mother and her 37-year-old husband denied the charge. The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was found not guilty.
Dwomoh showed no emotion as she was remanded in custody to be sentenced on November 9.
Dwomoh, who worked at St Thomas' hospital, south London, had wept in court as she denied doing anything to harm her baby. She said she and her siblings had been fed the same way by her mother in Ghana when she was weaning them onto solid food.
Dwomoh showed the jury two small china jugs, the size of cups, which she used for feeding. She said she made up feeds, including liquidised chicken soup, in one jug and transferred small amounts to feed the girl into the other.
Diamond did not take to the bottle well and she was trying "to give her nutrients rather than milk". However Andrew Edis, QC, prosecuting, said the food had "gone down the wrong way" over months after the child had begun coughing and choking.
Victims Commissioner Louise Casey has resigned in order to head the Government's broad response to the riots, Prime Minister David Cameron has announced.
Ms Casey quit after 18 months as Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses to head a new troubled families team in the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
In her resignation letter to Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke, she said she had seen "a glimpse of some of the worst acts of human nature" and also "the very best of human behaviour".
Ms Casey will now "drive forward the Prime Minister's commitment to turn around the lives of 120,000 most troubled families", the Ministry of Justice said.
In her resignation letter, she said it had been an "enormous honour" to be the first Victims Commissioner, which was "one of the most challenging jobs that I have undertaken in terms of the very great suffering that I found, and the unmet need that is alongside it".
She said: "My team and I over the last 18 months have, however briefly, been shown a glimpse of some of the worst acts of human nature, the plight of those who have had loved ones taken from them and a response from the 'system' that, however well-meant, has often fallen short.
"I have also witnessed the very best of human behaviour - in those people who, after tragedy has hit them and their family, devote their lives to campaigning to make things better and supporting other people who are going through the same terrible experience.
"I have also seen first-hand how many victims act with courage and dignity despite awful personal circumstances, coupled with dealing with a system that does not always treat them as it should."
Ms Casey added that there was still much work to be done following her review into the needs of families bereaved by homicide.
Further consideration should also be given "to my calls for a 'victims' law' whereby, for the first time, there would be some statutory safeguard put in place for victims and witnesses", she said.
Disruption to BlackBerry services is continuing, with fed-up users reporting further problems.
BlackBerry's maker Research in Motion (RIM) said in a statement that service problems which started on Monday were due to a "core switch failure" within its infrastructure and assured users it is working to clear a "large backlog" of data.
But the Twittersphere is still abuzz with criticism about problems with the service and RIM's failure to explain it to users.
702JohnRobbie wrote: "Blackberry down again. Very poor communications from them about what the problem is. #Fail." Bombxleo said: "maybe i'd like my phone more if it wasn't a stupid blackberry."
Others resorted to humour to mock the disruption. Sickipediabot said "It was nice of Blackberry to honour Steve Jobs with two days of silence" - a reference to the recent death of the technology pioneer who founded rival firm Apple.
Problems with BlackBerry services started at around 11am on Monday. RIM initially gave the all-clear on Tuesday morning but was forced to admit in a recorded message later in the day that it was experiencing a "service" issue which was having an impact on subscribers in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India and several carriers from the Latin America region.
In a statement issued at 10pm UK time on Tuesday, RIM said: "Although the system is designed to failover to a back-up switch, the failover did not function as previously tested. As a result, a large backlog of data was generated and we are now working to clear that backlog and restore normal service as quickly as possible.
"We apologise for any inconvenience and we will continue to keep you informed."
Matt Bath, Which? technology editor, said: "Most of us rely pretty heavily on our mobile phone to communicate with colleagues, family and friends, so when things go wrong, it's incredibly frustrating.
"BlackBerry should be doing more to keep customers informed about the ongoing problems with its service. In some cases, customers have heard about the issue from their mobile network provider but have heard nothing from BlackBerry itself. That's not great customer service."
