Npower: Energy Firm Denies Tax Avoidance

Npower has admitted it has not paid corporation tax in the UK for three years - just months after increasing prices by around 9%.

The company made the admission to the Energy and Climate Change select committee - but its boss said they had invested billions in new power stations and wind technology.

Chief Executive Paul Massara said: "Effectively we have invested £5bn in the last five years building power plants, creating jobs, creating employment and helping to keep the lights on.

"If we had not made that investment we would not have the deductibility that we would be allowed. That is a simple accounting UK rule."

Npower reported a 34% rise in profits to £413m last year.

The admission came as the "big six" energy companies were questioned by MPs over topics including profits and how they treat their customers.

A company statement added: "Looking at RWE npower specifically, our investment programme since 2008 has amounted to almost £3bn, which means we have seen a large increase in tax relief.

"This is in no way tax avoidance, and all of our business is taxable in the UK. We've not paid corporation tax because we've been investing hundreds of millions to keep the UK's lights on."

Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokesman said: "I wouldn't comment on an individual taxpayer.

"More broadly, the Prime Minister's view is that it is important that companies pay the tax that is due."

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Lowestoft: Death Fall Mum 'Cared Too Much'

A heavily pregnant woman who fell to her death before her three young children were found dead was "beautiful and intelligent".

Fiona Anderson had suffered from mental illness

Fiona Anderson, 23, has been formally identified after she suffered fatal head injuries at a multi-storey car park on Monday morning.

Officers investigating the incident later found the children - named by neighbours as Levina, three, Addy, two, and 11-month-old baby Kyden - at their home in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

In a statement issued by Suffolk police, Ms Anderson's mother Kerry, father Michael and sisters, Claire and Laura, said she "cared passionately" but had suffered with mental illness from a young age.

Levina

They said: "Fiona was a beautiful, intelligent girl and a loving and caring person, but she had suffered from mental illness since she was young and we believe she was driven to her actions yesterday.

"This was not our Fiona - she was not herself. She cared passionately about others but often brought stress on herself by caring too much.

"She was gentle but ended up under too much pressure.

Addy

"As a family we were close but she would often push us away, keen to do her own thing and not to listen when we offered support. Life was sometimes overwhelming for her.

"She was really popular but just didn't believe she was and had forgotten there were people there that could help her.

"We wish more had been done to recognise her mental health problems, which could be masked by her intelligence and creativity. She would often make costumes for the children, who she loved very much."

Kyden

The family added that Ms Anderson would be remembered as a "girlie girl" who was also a very private person.

Post-mortem examinations have failed to ascertain how the children died and further tests will be carried out, police said.

Neighbours said Ms Anderson was eight months pregnant with a baby girl she had planned on calling Evalie.

CCTV images show Fiona Anderson shortly before her death

She was seen entering the car park in Battery Green Road, Lowestoft, shortly before 8am on Monday, Suffolk police said.

CCTV footage showed Ms Anderson walking around Lowestoft holding a teddy bear shortly before she was found.

Detective Superintendent John Brocklebank said the force was "conducting a meticulous investigation" into the tragedy.

The IPCC said it was awaiting details of the case from Suffolk police.

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Jobless Total Up As Income Squeeze Tightens

The unemployment total has risen for the second month in a row while average pay increases were found to be at their weakest on record.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the number of people without work rose 70,000 in the three months to the end of February to reach 2.56 million - pushing the jobless rate up to 7.9%.

The number of people in work fell by 2,000 over the period to just under 30 million - the first time the figure has dipped since autumn 2011.

There were 900,000 out of work for more than a year, an 8,000 increase on the three months to November, while the number of unemployed 16 to 24-year-olds rose by 20,000 to 979,000.

However, those claiming unemployment benefit fell by 7,000 in March.

While the jobless figures suggested a reversal in the resilience of the UK labour market amid the UK's weak economic growth, it was the pay statistics that will most worry those who are seeking a pick-up in consumer spending to boost output.

Pay, excluding bonuses, rose by 1% between November and February compared to a year earlier which was the smallest on record, the ONS said.

With CPI inflation currently measured at an annual rate of 2.8%, the pay figure demonstrates that prices are continuing to rise at a faster pace than wage growth at a time when energy bills and many other costs have soared.

Employers have been limiting pay increases as a way of managing to keep hold of staff amid the flat-lining economy.

The move has been cited by some economists as a key reason why unemployment levels fell last year: companies wanting to be ready for when recovery came.

While the Government hailed falling jobseeker's allowance claims it admitted there was much still to do to help get people back to work.

GMB union general secretary Paul Kenny said: "The Chancellor should heed IMF advice to change course to grow the economy to end this needless waste of human talent."

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Home Office To Appeal Over Qatada Ruling

The Home Office has asked the Court of Appeal for leave to appeal over a decision to allow Abu Qatada to stay in the UK.

The move to appeal to the Supreme Court comes after judges last month rejected the latest in a long line of attempts to deport the radical cleric to Jordan.

In March, Court of Appeal judges backed an earlier ruling that Qatada, also known as Omar Othman, could not be deported over fears that evidence obtained through torture would be used against him.

A Home Office spokesman said: "The Government remains committed to deporting this dangerous man and we continue to work with the Jordanians to address the outstanding legal issues preventing deportation."

The Government has now been trying to deport Qatada to Jordan, where he was convicted of terror charges in his absence in 1999, for nearly eight years.

The Home Secretary's lawyers challenged a ruling made last November by immigration judges on the grounds that Qatada was a "truly dangerous" individual who had escaped deportation through "errors of law".

Qatada on his release from prison last November

But three Court of Appeal judges said the Special Immigration Appeals Commission was entitled to conclude that disputed statements would be used against Qatada.

And, in reaching their conclusion, they added it was not "relevant" that terror suspect Qatada was regarded as "extremely dangerous".

Qatada, who featured in sermons found on videos in the flat of one of the 9/11 bombers, has ultimately thwarted every Government attempt to deport him.

A resident in the UK since September 1993, he was returned to jail last month after being arrested for alleged bail breaches.

A hearing over whether he should be granted bail again was due to be held last month but was delayed.

Police say he is being investigated over extremist material following a search of his London home.

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London Marathon Security Review After Boston

British police are reviewing security arrangements for the London Marathon this Sunday after the bombs in Boston.

Marathon organisers and officers are working together to find out whether there is an international threat and if they should change any arrangements.

The security operation for Baroness Thatcher's funeral on Wednesday is also being reviewed.

The London Marathon passes some of the capital's top tourist attractions

Chief Superintendent Julia Pendry, police commander for the London Marathon, said: "A security plan is in place. We will be reviewing our security arrangements in partnership with marathon organisers."

Nick Bitel, London Marathon Chief Executive, vowed to look at whether extra steps need to be taken to safeguard the race and runners.

"We are deeply saddened and shocked by the news from Boston," he said. "Our immediate thoughts are with the people there and their families.

"When an incident of this nature occurs you can't be complacent. You have to see if more needs to be done. That's what we'll be doing in the coming hours and days."

Nick Bitel: "It's a sad day for athletics"

The London Marathon is the world's largest but turnout for the event could now be affected because of the attacks in Boston.

Half a million spectators were expected to line the streets of the capital to watch more than 30,000 runners, but it is possible some will pull out.

The course, starting in Blackheath and finishing in front of Buckingham Palace, takes in some of the capital's top tourist attractions, including Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, Big Ben and Parliament Square.

As well as the threat of disruption from Irish republican groups and left-wing protesters, police will now be preparing for the possibility of copycat attacks after the blasts in Massachusetts.

Richard Barrett, who analyses terror threats for the United Nations, said they would need to balance the needs of security with the need to allow public events to continue.

"They'll be concerned about copycat attacks and about other sporting events and public galleries," he said.

"The Boston Marathon was a very soft target with 26 miles of spectators and lots of cars and people moving around.

"Security services are used to dealing with these issues but they'll be looking at things again in the light of this attack."

Soldiers rehearsing on Monday for Baroness Thatcher's funeral

Meanwhile, Lord Reid has said experts will be keen to review security arrangements for Lady Thatcher's funeral, which is also due to pass major London landmarks.

He said: "Everyone will have been appalled at the terrible events in Boston. While the culprits and motivation behind the US terror attacks are still unclear, this will obviously entail a review of security arrangements for both Lady Thatcher's funeral and the London Marathon.

"They will require extra vigilance from everyone involved and it is also to be hoped that everyone recognises the added responsibility of co-operating with the police and the authorities at both events."

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Terror Suspect Haroon Aswat - No Extradition

European judges have blocked the extradition of terror suspect Haroon Aswat, ruling that sending him to the US would breach his human rights.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decided that Broadmoor patient Aswat's probable incarceration in a high security prison could "exacerbate his condition of paranoid schizophrenia".

The terror suspect and suspected ally of Abu Hamza is wanted by US prosecutors for allegedly plotting with Hamza to set up a terror training camp in Bly, Oregon.

Aswat is a suspected ally of Abu Hamza

Hamza and four other terror suspects were extradited last year after the court rejected their appeal against the move - but Aswat's case was adjourned to allow judges more time to consider his mental health.

Aswat, who was born in 1974 and is being treated for schizophrenia, claimed that he would be at risk of ill-treatment inside the so-called supermax prison ADX Florence, in Colorado, if he was sent to America.

The Strasbourg court's decision came after it adjourned the case last April to obtain further submissions on the relevance of Aswat's schizophrenia to his claim.

Last year, the court ruled that five men, including Hamza, would not face ill-treatment if they were extradited to the US.

Hamza, Babar Ahmad, Seyla Talha Ahsan, Adel Abdul Bary and Khaled Al-Fawwaz were all removed from the country.

Hamza, who was serving a seven-year sentence in Britain for soliciting to murder and inciting racial hatred when he was extradited, has denied 11 counts of criminal conduct related to the taking of 16 hostages in Yemen in 1998 and advocating violent jihad in Afghanistan in 2001.

He is also accused of conspiring to establish the Oregon-based jihad training camp between June 2000 and December 2001. Aswat was charged with being Hamza's "co-conspirator".

:: Meanwhile, three members of an al Qaeda-inspired group that plotted to bomb the London Stock Exchange and build a terrorist training camp have had their  indeterminate sentences quashed at the Court of Appeal.

Instead, the three judges imposed "determinate" custodial sentences of 17 years and eight months in the case of one of the men and 16 years in relation to the two others.

The Islamist extremists originally received the indeterminate sentences for public protection at London's Woolwich Crown Court in February last year.

Mohammed Shahjahan, now 29, was then ordered to serve a minimum term of eight years and 10 months, while fellow Stoke-on-Trent-based radicals Usman Khan, 22, and Nazam Hussain, 27, were ordered to serve at least eight years behind bars.

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Boston Marathon Explosions: Britons On Attacks

No British nationals appear to have been injured in the deadly Boston terror attacks, but the Foreign Office says it is continuing to monitor the situation.

Some 347 of the 25,000 runners taking part in the race were British and several have spoken of the aftermath of the twin blasts, which killed three people.

The Foreign Office tweeted: "We're in close contact with local authorities in Boston. Not aware of any British nationals injured but will continue to monitor situation."

One marathon runner from Cardiff told how she heard explosions moments after crossing the finishing line.

Arriving back at Heathrow Airport still wearing her running gear, Sarah Morris, 46, told Sky's Rachel Younger: "People were running towards us. There was a lot of blood and screaming."

Shattered windows in buildings lining the route of the marathon

Mrs Morris had just met up with her husband, Brian, when the explosions happened. He said: "There was a lot of panic. A man said a little boy had his leg blown off."

Abi Griffiths, from London, crossed the finishing line around 10 minutes before the explosions.

The 34-year-old told Sky News she heard the blast while collecting her bag.

She said: "The ground shook and immediately people sort of looked around - it was just too loud to be something that wasn't serious.

"People kind of didn't know what to do. Then all of a sudden it went into a state of chaos. Police were everywhere, we were being evacuated out of the area and it was really eerie.

"It was very, very scary and what should be a major celebration of the achievement of running 26.2 miles suddenly became a frightening scene."

She said police had swung into action quickly.

An injured man with shredded clothes

"This is just such an awful scene to have happened," Ms Griffiths continued. "It felt like it may have come from the inside of a shop.

"Suddenly you looked around and there was this cloud of smoke and then people went into gear. There were police everywhere."

Jez Hughes, a firefighter from Morley, west Yorkshire, was walking to the subway with his wife when they heard two explosions.

He had been standing only 100 yards from the finish line with other competitors after completing his 10th marathon but walked around the corner to meet his wife.

He said: "While we were going to the subway we heard two explosions. I said straight away that sounds like a bomb and then we heard a second one.

"My wife is very shook up but we are out here until Thursday evening and no terrorists are going to spoil our day. Don't let them get the better of you."

Darren Foy, 40, from Southampton, his wife Sandra and their two children, missed the explosions by just half an hour after he finished the marathon in three and a half hours.

The chartered surveyor, who is chairman of the Lordshill Road Runners in Southampton and was competing in his fourth marathon, said: "There are reports here that the explosions came from a hotel at the finish line and I walked past there a few days ago to pick up my race number.

"It's such a soft target. There are hundreds of thousands spectators on the streets and 27,000 runners, so we got off lightly."

Mark Jenkin, a 34-year-old sports writer from Barnstaple in Devon, said the explosion had put the race into perspective.

After finishing 138th in a time of 2 hours 24 minutes, he told his paper, the North Devon Journal: "It's a beautiful spring afternoon in Boston.

"The people of the city put on a great race and it's such a tragedy this has happened.

"I was feeling tired and a bit disappointed with my time in the race but all that seems irrelevant now. I just feel grateful to be ok."

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Cable Climbdown After One Direction Blast

Business Secretary Vince Cable has been forced to backtrack after suggesting that the high pay of pop bands like One Direction is "downright insensitive and grossly immoral".

At an Institute of Directors event in central London, the Cabinet minister was questioned about the earnings of the boy band.

One Direction - made up of singers Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne - made a total of £25m last year, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.

Mr Cable was asked if he agreed it was "mad" that the band had made £5m each over the past year.

He replied: "I agree ... about the extremities of pay and the fact much of it is downright insensitive and in some cases grossly immoral."

Vince Cable suggested the singers' earnings were "mad"

However, aides stressed that the Liberal Democrat had misheard the question and was referring to the pay of chief executives, rather than the teen pop group.

He told Sky News: "I don't want to attack One Direction; this is one particular group who are apparently very popular and very successful so I have nothing against them.

"But there is a general issue of chief execs in particular who are paid well beyond what can be justified in terms of the performance of their companies and that's something the Government is now trying to address."

Fans of the group immediately took to Twitter to criticise the politician.

One said: "I like Vince Cable a lot less after turning on One Direction." Another said: "And to THINK I voted for him."

Mr Cable was unveiling a 12p rise in the minimum wage when he made the remarks.

The rate for 18 to 20-year-olds will rise by 5p to £5.03, and by 4p to £3.72 for 16 and 17-year-olds, from October.

Ministers rejected a recommendation from the Low Pay Commission that the rate for apprentices should be frozen, and announced a 3p an hour increase to £2.68 an hour.

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Ex-Corrie Actor Denies Child Sex Offences

Former Coronation Street actor Andrew Lancel has denied sexually assaulting a teenage boy.

The 42-year-old, who played Frank Foster in the ITV soap, was charged last November under his real name, Andrew Watkinson.

He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court where he pleaded not guilty to six counts of indecent assault of a child under the age of 15.

The charges relate to one alleged victim and the offending is said to have taken place between 1993 and 1994, the court heard.

Lancel's Coronation Street career began in November 2010 when he was cast as Foster, a business associate of Carla Connor.

His role ended in March 2012 when his character was found murdered.

Lancel, from Gateacre in Liverpool, also played DI Neil Manson in The Bill and starred alongside Helen Baxendale in Cardiac Arrest.

He was granted bail until the start of his five-day trial on June 3.

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Measles: Letters Sent To South Wales Schools

Schools in South Wales are sending out letters of consent to parents so their children can be vaccinated against measles.

So far there have been near 700 confirmed cases of the disease and that number is expected to rise - both in Wales and England. About 60 have been hospitalised.

According to experts, the peak of the epidemic will not be seen for nearly four weeks.

The rising number of people infected has prompted fears that a youngster may die from the disease. Experts say that in the developed world around one in 1,000 cases of measles results in a fatality.

About 2,000 pupils could be given the MMR jab this week in South Wales schools to try to slow down the spread of the epidemic, which is centred on Swansea.

Experts believe there are around 40,000 children across Wales who have yet to be vaccinated.

Dr Meirion Evans, of Public Health Wales, said that the number of cases could easily double and that low vaccination rates across the UK mean that no area in the country was safe from an outbreak.

He told the BBC: "Across Wales as a whole there are many, many children who have not had their MMR – we estimate over 40,000 children across Wales.

"Nowhere in Wales is safe from measles and I think that is true of the UK as a whole."

Another immunisation expert, Dr David Elliman, has warned that London and the north of England are most at risk.

Experts believe the epidemic has arisen as a result of an earlier low uptake of the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella.

Many people are thought to have refused the vaccination for their children because of now disproven fears that the MMR vaccine could cause autism.

Dr Andrew Wakefield, the doctor who sparked the scare, had tried to blame officials in Wales for the latest epidemic.

But over the weekend, the Government dismissed his claims, with a spokesman for the Department of Health saying: "Dr Andrew Wakefield's claims are completely incorrect."

More than 2,000 people were vaccinated in at special drop-in sessions set up in South Wales over the weekend to give residents free MMR jabs.

Clinics will be open again next weekend and schools will continue being targeted this week as officials try to prevent the epidemic spreading further.

Professor David Salisbury, director of immunisation at the Department of Health, said the problems in Wales were "historic".

"Our immunisation coverage rates, currently, are extremely high, 95% of children are being vaccinated in this country.

About the situation in Wales, he said: "That is a historic problem, the legacy of bizarre suggestions about vaccines and autism from 15 years ago, that's not the situation currently."

Typical symptoms of measles include fever, cough, conjunctivitis and a rash.

Complications are quite common even in healthy people. These can include ear infections, vomiting and diarrhoea, pneumonia, meningitis and serious eye disorders.

Before the introduction of the MMR jab in 1988, about half a million children caught measles each year in the UK. Approximately 100 of those died.

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