SSE to cut gas prices by 4.1%

26 January 2015 Last updated at 09:41

Energy company SSE has said it is cutting its domestic gas prices by 4.1% from 30 April, a move which will save the average household £28 a year.

SSE is now the fifth of the "big six" energy firms to have reduced gas prices, following cuts from E.On, British Gas, Scottish Power and Npower.

EDF is the only one of the big six yet to announce price cuts.

Wholesale gas prices have fallen sharply in recent months following the drop in oil prices.

SSE also said it would extend its guarantee not to increase its gas and electricity prices until July 2016.

Steve Forbes, SSE's director of GB Domestic, said: "We were the only supplier to freeze prices and we promised we would cut them if we could; now we're delivering on that promise with an average £28 reduction in gas bills."

SSE, which has 8.7 million electricity and gas customers, said its cut would benefit about three million customers who currently pay on variable dual-fuel and gas-only tariffs.

Explaining why the forthcoming cut would not be larger, the firm said that wholesale energy costs now make up "less than half of the typical household energy bill".

"There are significant other costs within energy bills, including those relating to government-sponsored environmental and social policies and the roll-out of smart meters."

Supplier	Change	Date of change
E.On	Gas: down 3.5%	13 January
British Gas	Gas: down 5%	27 February
Scottish Power	Gas: down 4.8%	20 February
Npower	Gas: down 5.1%	16 February
SSE	Gas: down 4.1%	30 April

Filtering through

In common with other big suppliers, SSE is not cutting its electricity prices.

In the past, all the UK's energy suppliers have argued when putting up electricity prices that they were intimately linked to rising wholesale gas prices.

But on Monday, SSE said: "They are very different with different underlying costs."

Explaining why the impending cut in gas prices was being delayed until the end of April, the firm said this reflected the fact that it had bought gas in the wholesale markets as much as two years ago, in order to make good on last year's promise to freeze its gas and electricity prices.

"It takes longer for wholesale costs to filter through than other products like petrol as we buy much further in advance to smooth out the rise and falls in wholesale prices," SSE said.

The UK's energy suppliers have been under intense pressure from politicians and consumer groups to respond more quickly to the recent large fall in oil prices and wholesale gas prices.

The industry is widely perceived as being quick to put prices up when costs rise, but very slow to reduce them when costs fall.

For that reason, the energy industry is undergoing a full scale inquiry from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) into the way it operates.

The CMA inquiry is expected to report its provisional findings in May or June.

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MPs: Ban fracking on carbon grounds

26 January 2015 Last updated at 00:09 By Helen Briggs Environment correspondent, BBC News

An influential committee of MPs has called for a moratorium on fracking on the grounds that it could derail efforts to tackle climate change.

The government's drive for shale gas should be put on hold because it would lead to more reliance on fossil fuels, the Environmental Audit Committee said.

The cross-party committee also warned there were "huge uncertainties" about the environmental impact of fracking.

Ministers said shale gas development did not detract from cutting emissions.

In their report, the MPs said shale fracking was incompatible with UK carbon targets and could pose environmental and health risks.

"Ultimately fracking cannot be compatible with our long-term commitments to cut climate-changing emissions unless full-scale carbon capture and storage technology is rolled out rapidly, which currently looks unlikely," said committee chair Joan Walley MP.

"There are also huge uncertainties around the impact that fracking could have on water supplies, air quality and public health."

Analysis

David Shukman, Science Editor

This report opens up a new argument over shale gas in the UK. Until now the main focus of environmental concern has been on the risks of pollution. And any worries about noise or the potential for contaminated drinking water have essentially been local. But highlighting the climate angle gives the debate a national perspective.

The MPs highlight the apparent contradiction of the UK being committed to massive cuts in carbon emissions under the Climate Change Act while at the same time also encouraging the search for new sources of fossil fuel.

At the heart of this question is how gas itself is viewed. Since it is cleaner than coal, some say gas can act as a "bridge" to a low-carbon future, buying more time for renewable energy to become more efficient.

Others argue that developing any kind of fossil fuel locks us into a high-carbon future and undermines or at least delays a switch to greener forms of power. And this comes at sensitive time: the government is preparing to take a leading role in a summit on climate change in Paris at the end of the year.

The report warned that only a fraction of UK shale reserves could be safely burned if global warming was to be kept below two degrees - the target of international climate negotiations.

And by the time shale gas is likely to be commercially viable, carbon budgets are likely to have been tightened under the Climate Change Act.

Regardless of any moratorium, there should be a ban on fracking in protected areas, the MPs added.

"We cannot allow Britain's national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty to be developed into oil and gas fields," said Ms Walley.

MPs on the committee will also attempt to amend a government bill on infrastructure on Monday to bar fracking of shale gas.

Responding to the report, the Department of Energy and Climate Change said it disagreed with the findings.

Continue reading the main story

Gas will be a significant part of the UK's energy mix for the foreseeable future and it is preferable that we are as self-sufficient as possible"

End Quote Prof Quentin Fisher University of Leeds

"UK shale development is compatible with our goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions and does not detract from our support for renewables, in fact it could support development of intermittent renewables. To meet our challenging climate targets we will need significant quantities of renewables, nuclear and gas in our energy mix."

Prof Martin Mayfield, of the University of Sheffield, said the big issue around fracking was whether the UK could afford to extract and burn more fossil fuel.

"In terms of the shale gas under our feet, all we should do is understand how much we have and then leave it in the ground until we have no option but to use it, or until carbon capture technology is viable at sufficient scale to deal with the emissions," he said.

However, Prof Quentin Fisher of the University of Leeds said the committee was putting the "ill-informed views of anti-fracking groups" ahead of evidence-based scientific studies.

"Gas will be a significant part of the UK's energy mix for the foreseeable future and it is preferable that we are as self-sufficient as possible," he said.

"Hopefully, MPs will reject the findings of this report and allow UK citizens to receive the economic and social benefits that shale gas extraction could bring."

Planning row

Last week, planning officers at Lancashire County Council said plans for fracking at two sites near Blackpool should be rejected owing to "unacceptable" increases in noise and heavy traffic.

Shale company Cuadrilla has asked the council to defer the final decision to allow new information on noise levels and traffic to be considered.

Prime Minister David Cameron has said the government is "going all out" for shale gas, claiming it could create jobs and reduce reliance on imported gas. Opponents have argued the high-pressure fracturing of rocks risks health and environmental impacts and drives climate change.

Follow Helen on Twitter.

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Heartburn 'could be sign of cancer'

26 January 2015 Last updated at 00:06

A health campaign is urging people not to ignore heartburn, because it could be a sign of stomach or oesophageal cancer.

According to Public Health England, people should go to their doctor if they have persistent heartburn or difficulty swallowing food for three weeks or more.

But it said most people were not aware of the symptoms.

Stomach and oesophageal cancers are the fifth most common cancers in England.

PHE figures show that around 12,900 people in England are diagnosed with these cancers each year and approximately 10,000 people die from the diseases annually.

Yet, around 950 lives could be saved each year if survival rates for oesophago-gastric cancers matched the best in Europe, it says.

Spotting the signs

At present, the UK has the highest rate of oesophageal cancer in men and women in the EU, which may be due to smoking, rising obesity levels, a lack of fruit and vegetables in our diet and regular alcohol consumption.

The earlier the cancers are diagnosed, the more likely the treatment is to be successful.

This is why Public Health England's "Be Clear on Cancer" campaign is focusing on how to spot the signs of oesophageal or stomach cancer.

These can include:

• indigestion on and off for three weeks or more
• feeling food sticking in your throat when you swallow
• losing weight for no obvious reason
• trapped wind and frequent burping
• feeling full very quickly when eating
• nausea or vomiting
• pain or discomfort in top of stomach

Sean Duffy, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, said early diagnosis of cancer was critical to improving survival.

"Patients with possible early signs and symptoms should visit their GP so where necessary they can be referred for tests, and treatment can start quickly."

Prof Michael Griffin, professor of surgery at the Northern oesophago-gastric unit, said people should not feel they are bothering their GP unnecessarily.

"You won't be wasting your doctor's time - you will either get reassurance that it isn't cancer, or if it is, you will have a better chance of successful treatment."

Stiff upper lip

Research published in the British Journal of General Practice, and funded by Cancer Research UK, looked at why people dismiss obvious cancer warning symptoms.

Sometimes it was because they feared a cancer diagnosis or they adopted a stiff upper lip approach to their health problems.

Others lacked confidence in their GP or just assumed the problem was down to ageing.

The good news for Public Health England, however, is that health campaigns appeared to encourage people to seek help.

Dr Katriina Whitaker, study author and senior research fellow at University College London, said: "Some people made the decision to get symptoms checked out after seeing a cancer awareness campaign or being encouraged to do so by family or friends - this seemed to almost legitimise their symptoms as important."

Sara Hiom, director of early diagnosis at Cancer Research UK, said the findings were a useful insight into the British psyche.

"International comparisons have already shown us that the British public are far more worried about being a burden on the health system or wasting the doctor's time than in other developed countries."

She said the study could help find ways to encourage everyone with worrying symptoms to seek help as early as possible.

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Clare's Law abuse disclosures made

26 January 2015 Last updated at 05:27

A scheme allowing people to find out if their partner has a history of domestic violence has been used more than 1,300 times in less than a year.

Clare's Law - named after Clare Wood, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 2009 - came into force across England and Wales in March 2014.

At least 1,335 disclosures have been made so far, police figures obtained by the Press Association show.

Miss Wood's father said he was "quietly delighted" the law was being used.

The figures, released following Freedom of Information requests, show there have been at least 3,760 applications under the law so far - resulting in the 1,335 disclosures. The true totals are likely to be higher, as three police forces did not release their statistics.

The figures include both "right to ask" cases - where information was requested - and "right to know" - where police warn potential victims without being asked to do so.

'Going to snowball'

Miss Wood was strangled and set on fire by her ex-boyfriend George Appleton at her home in Salford, Greater Manchester. Appleton had a history of domestic violence - but Miss Wood, 36, was unaware of it.

Her father, Michael Brown, said he thought the use of Clare's Law so far was the "tip of the iceberg".

"All these people know about Clare's Law, they're going to tell another five, another dozen, and next year this is going to snowball," he said.

The police figures show variation between forces in terms of the likelihood of requests being granted.

More than 60% of requests in Greater Manchester led to information being released, compared with 11% in Merseyside.

Hazel Blears, Labour MP for Salford and Eccles, said this suggested the law was being "applied in different ways".

"I will be writing to the home secretary to ask what is being done to review its use and ensure best practice is shared across the country and the right decisions are made," she said.

Ms Blears said the scheme had been of "great assistance" to those who had obtained information, empowering them to make a "potentially life-changing - or even life-saving - decision to end a relationship".

'Clearly concerned'

Under Clare's Law, otherwise known as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, men and women can request information about their partner, or third parties such as friends or relatives can make requests if they are "concerned".

Police and other agencies including social services then consider whether releasing information on someone's past is "necessary, lawful and proportionate" to protect someone from their partner.

Reasons for information not being released include a partner not having a record of abuse offences, or there being no "pressing need for disclosure" based on the information found.

Polly Neate, chief executive of charity Women's Aid, said: "Any woman asking for a disclosure under Clare's Law is clearly already concerned about her relationship, and should be referred to a specialist service so she can get support with her concerns, even if no disclosure can be made."

Clare's Law does not apply in Northern Ireland, while a pilot scheme is being run in Scotland.

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Hoax call made to David Cameron

26 January 2015 Last updated at 08:50

Downing Street says it is to review security procedures after a hoax caller was put through to Prime Minister David Cameron.

Number 10 said the caller claimed to be Robert Hannigan, director of government monitoring agency GCHQ.

Mr Cameron ended the call when it became clear it was a hoax and no sensitive information was disclosed.

GCHQ is also conducting a review after Mr Hannigan's mobile phone number was disclosed during an earlier hoax call.

The contact number given out for the GCHQ head is thought to have been for an unclassified phone rather than one of the secure lines used for sensitive communications.

And although the call to Mr Cameron was made to an official mobile, the conversation was understood to have been "quite brief".

The BBC's assistant political editor Norman Smith said the caller was put through to Mr Cameron by the Downing Street switchboard and the prime minister's phone number was not given out.

Analysis: BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith

Incredible as it may seem the prankster managed to obtain mobile numbers for both the head of the GCHQ surveillance centre and the prime minister by bluffing his way past both sets of switchboards.

Having been put through to the GCHQ boss Robert Hannigan, he then rang the Sun newspaper to boast of his exploits. According to The Sun he told them "he'd made monkeys" out of GCHQ despite being high on drink and drugs.

Not satisfied with all that, the hoaxer then succeeded in getting put through to the prime minister. No 10 say Mr Cameron realised "within a matter of seconds" it was a hoax call and put the phone down.

They also say no sensitive information was disclosed - and that they have no reason to believe the caller was anything other than a prankster. Nevertheless in an era of heightened terror alert and anxious political debate over increased surveillance - it would suggest simple human error can be a greater vulnerability.

A government spokeswoman said a notice has gone out to all departments to be on the alert for hoax calls following the incident.

She said: "The prime minister ended the call when it became clear it was a hoax. In neither instance was sensitive information disclosed.

"Both GCHQ and Number 10 take security seriously and both are currently reviewing procedures following these hoax calls to ensure that the government learns any lessons from this incident."

'Concerning'

Tony Porter, the Surveillance Camera Commissioner for England and Wales, told the BBC that hoax calls to GCHQ and Downing Street would cause "some embarrassment" and security procedures were likely to be reviewed.

"Anybody viewing that would have to say it is not only a concern but it must never happen again," he told 5 Live Breakfast.

"I would imagine there is an awful lot of work behind the scenes looking at where that gap was and I imagine there would be a lot of work to eradicate that error, that gap, to make sure it does not happen again."

It was not the first time Downing Street had fallen victim to hoax callers.

In 1998, radio DJ Steve Penk, pretending to be the then Conservative leader William Hague, managed to speak to Tony Blair.

Four years later, hoaxers overwhelmed the Downing Street switchboard by tricking thousands of people into calling Number 10 asking to speak to "Tony".

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First female bishop to be consecrated

26 January 2015 Last updated at 09:45

The Church of England will consecrate its first female bishop during a ceremony at York Minster later.

The Reverend Libby Lane, 48, will be ordained as the new Bishop of Stockport, in what she says will be a "profound and remarkable moment".

The Church formally adopted legislation last November to allow women bishops.

The move, which ends a centuries-old tradition of exclusively male bishops, has continued to prompt divisions between some Anglicans.

Mrs Lane has been vicar of St Peter's Hale and St Elizabeth's Ashley, in Greater Manchester, since April 2007.

Her appointment was announced last month and Monday will see the consecration, or the process of being made holy, take place.

The two-hour service - expected to be attended by more than 1,000 people - will be led by the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, during which he and other bishops will lay their hands on Mrs Lane and pray. Dr Sentamu tweeted that he was "thrilled" to be taking part.

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Reverend Georgina Watmore, friend: "The eyes of the world will be on her"

'Very emotional'

In an interview with BBC Radio Manchester, Mrs Lane said the consecration would be a very "emotional" moment.

She said: "It is a remarkable thing that this happens to me, and people have been very supportive of me personally, but actually this is about a moment in the Church's history."

It would be "a very profound, remarkable moment for me then and for my future ministry", she said.

Mrs Lane said more than 100 bishops were travelling to York for the service.

Who is Reverend Libby Lane?

• Vicar of St Peter's Hale and St Elizabeth's Ashley, in Greater Manchester, since April 2007
• Ordained as deacon in 1993 and as priest in 1994, serving her curacy at St James's Church, Blackburn
• Since January 2010, she has been Dean of Women in Ministry for the Diocese of Chester
• Her husband, George, is also a priest
• They were one of the first married couples in the Church of England to be ordained together
• She is a Manchester United supporter and is learning to play the saxophone, according to her church's website

Who is the Church of England's first female bishop?

Her consecration comes more than 20 years after women became priests in the Church of England.

And it comes after the general synod gave the final seal of approval to the legislation on women bishops following its passage through Parliament last year.

After the change was approved, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said that the Church was entering a "completely new phase of our existence".

But divisions still remain between Anglicans who feel the change is consistent with their faith and traditionalists who disagree.

Continue reading the main story

Opponents of women bishops include some Church of England evangelicals who believe scripture requires male headship in the Church.

A vicar from Blackburn used her service on Sunday to protest at changes being made to the ordination of the Bishop of Burnley next month who will not have the "laying of hands" performed by Dr Sentamu because he opposes women bishops.

Dr Sentamu said the arrangements were made "for prayer, not politics".

Gloucester, Oxford and Newcastle are among the dioceses where new bishops will also soon be appointed, while interviews for the vacancy as bishop for the Southwell and Nottingham diocese took place at the start of December.

Churches in Scotland and Wales already allow women as bishops, but have not appointed one yet.

Outside the Church of England, there are over 20 women bishops in the wider Anglican church, including the Reverend Pat Storey, who was appointed Bishop of Meath and Kildare in the Church of Ireland in September 2013.

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Greek poll winner vows to end 'pain'

26 January 2015 Last updated at 09:46

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Savouring victory: the leader of an anti-austerity revolution

Anti-austerity Syriza party leader Alexis Tsipras has vowed to end Greece's "five years of humiliation and pain" after his general election win.

Before cheering supporters, Mr Tsipras again pledged to renegotiate Greece's massive international bailout.

With nearly all of the votes counted in Sunday's poll, Syriza looks set to have 149 seats, just two short of an absolute majority.

Syriza's victory has raised fears about Greece's future in the euro.

The currency fell to $1.11 against the US dollar following the result - the lowest level in more than 11 years.

Greece has endured tough budget cuts in return for its 2010 bailout, worth €240bn (£179bn; $268bn) and negotiated with the so-called troika - the European Union, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and European Central Bank (ECB).

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Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras: "Today the people of Greece wrote history"

The economy has shrunk drastically since the 2008 global financial crisis, and increasing unemployment has thrown many Greeks into poverty.

Syriza's election result will send shockwaves through Europe, the BBC's Gavin Hewitt in Athens says.

A majority of voters in Greece have essentially rejected a core policy for dealing with the eurozone crisis as devised by Brussels and Germany, our correspondent adds.

Continue reading the main story

The election result is expected to be one of the main issues at Monday's meeting of 19 eurozone finance ministers.

In Germany, Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann said he hoped "the new Greek government will not make promises it cannot keep and the country cannot afford".

Belgian Finance Minister Johan Van Overtveld was quoted by VRT network as saying that Greece "must respect the rules of monetary union", although he added that there was room for some flexibility.

UK Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Minister) George Osborne told the BBC Syriza's promises would be "very difficult to deliver, and incompatible with what the eurozone currently demands".

In Italy, EU Affairs Minister Sandro Gozi said the vote offered "new opportunities to pursue change in Europe" to create growth and investment and fight against unemployment."

But the man tipped to become the new Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, told the BBC the austerity regime had been "kind of fiscal waterboarding policies that have turned Greece into a debt colony".

At the scene: BBC's Chris Morris, Athens

On Klathmonos Square, the flags were flying high, supporters of Syriza were singing and dancing, there were hugs and tears and broad beaming smiles.

This was an extraordinary victory for the radical left in Greece - probably beyond its own expectations.

Alexis Tsipras will now try to lead an anti-austerity revolution, backed by a strong democratic mandate.

He said in his victory speech that he is willing to negotiate with Greece's European partners. The question is: how much are they prepared to compromise with him?

There are some things during the eurozone crisis that we were told would never happen.

The European Central Bank would never flood the market with new money, and Greece would never take a gamble with the radical left.

The past few days have overturned those assumptions, making this week a potential turning point in the recent history of the European Union.

A turning point for the EU?

What next?

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Outgoing Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said he had been obliged "to take difficult steps" to bring security to his country

'Catastrophic austerity'

Results from Greece's election commission showed a clear Syriza lead.

With most votes counted, Syriza polled 36%, while the outgoing New Democracy won 28%.

Another five parties - including the far-right Golden Dawn and centrist The River - are expected to be represented in the 300-member parliament.

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Greek voters disagree on the path ahead

A right-wing party called the Independent Greeks has already agreed to join Syriza as part of the coalition.

Mr Tsipras will go to the president later on Monday to be given mandate to form a government.

Outgoing Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has admitted defeat.

Addressing his cheering supporters in Athens late on Sunday, Mr Tsipras said "the Greeks wrote history".

"Greece is leaving behind catastrophic austerity, it is leaving behind the fear and the autocracy, it is leaving behind five years of humiliation and pain".

"Your mandate is undoubtedly cancelling the bailouts of austerity and destruction.

"The troika for Greece is the thing of the past," he added.

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"Time to stop surviving and start living" - Syriza's Olga Athaniti talks to the BBC

Mr Tsipras promised to write off half of Greece's debt, but was ready to negotiate "a viable solution" and wants the country to stay in the eurozone.

For his part, Mr Samaras said: "The Greek people have spoken and I respect their decision," pointing out that he had inherited a "hot potato" on coming into office and that he and his party had done much to restore his country's finances.

Who are Syriza and what do they stand for?

• An acronym meaning the "Radical Coalition of the Left", Syriza was formed in 2004 as an umbrella group
• Led by 40-year-old Alexis Tsipras
• The party first came to prominence following the 2008 Greek riots
• It promises an end to Greece's painful austerity measures and wants to renegotiate its debt
• Markets worry about a Greek debt default and a possible exit from the eurozone, though Syriza says it wants to keep the euro

Who are Syriza?

Are you in Greece? What difference will the election result make? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. If you would be happy to speak further to a BBC journalist, please include a contact telephone number.

Have your say

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A&E waiting times in England improve

23 January 2015 Last updated at 09:36 By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News

Waiting times in A&E units in England have improved to their best level since November - but the target is still being missed, figures show.

A total of 92.4% of patients were seen in four hours in the seven days up until Sunday.

The target is 95% and has been missed on a weekly basis since the start of October.

But until this latest week performance had dropped to its lowest levels since 2010. That record low is now over.

In the first week of January performance was lower than 87% - the worst it has been since weekly records began in 2010.

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Cosmetic surgery rules proposed

23 January 2015 Last updated at 07:59 By James Gallagher Health editor, BBC News website

Doctors should be prevented from performing cosmetic surgery outside their speciality, according to the Royal College of Surgeons.

It told the BBC the current rules allowed "GPs to do nose jobs" and that was "a big problem" for patients.

The organisation wants a new system to certify surgeons for each procedure.

Bodies that represent aesthetic plastic surgeons say that they support the idea but it will only help patients if it is "mandatory and policed".

The whole industry has been under intense scrutiny since thousands of women were fitted with sub-standard breast implants made by Poly Implant Prothese (PIP).

Ministers described it as a "cowboy industry" of "murky practices".

The Royal College of Surgeons has launched a consultation on ways of cleaning up the industry.

One suggestion is a register of certified surgeons to help the public make an informed decision about the quality of their surgeon.

Doctors would have to be a proven specialist in their field and provide evidence about their success rates.

'Cowboy behaviour'

Stephen Cannon, the vice-president of the College, told the BBC News website: "Operating outside of speciality is a big problem in private practice as money is involved, so we hope to rectify that.

"There will be no concerns if you're already an established surgeon doing extremely well.

Continue reading the main story

We really need it to be mandatory; we need every plastic surgeon and cosmetic surgeon to be involved in it and be regulated and certified"

End Quote Gary Ross Consultant aesthetic and plastic surgeon

"But it'll stop the general practitioner doing the nose job, it'll stop the dermatologist lifting someone's breasts, it'll stop all that cowboy behaviour which goes on."

However, the certificate system will be voluntary.

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps) says the proposal is a step in the right direction, but does not go far enough.

Rajiv Grover, a Baaps spokesman and former president, said: "This will only protect the public if the recommendations are mandatory and policed.

"It is essential that the public know who to go to when seeking a qualified cosmetic surgeon, but also, to be assured that the quality of their outcome will meet accepted standards, and particularly to meet their own expectations."

'Recognising expertise'

Gary Ross, a consultant cosmetic and plastic surgeon, told the BBC the new regulations were "a start" but that more needed to be done:

"We really need it to be mandatory; we need every plastic surgeon and cosmetic surgeon to be involved in it and be regulated and certified.

"I think the public and the surgeons and the providers, everyone, must strive for that."

Nigel Mercer, the president of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons, said: "This tightening of existing regulations will go a long way to help prospective patients and employing clinics recognise high-quality surgical expertise, leading to improved patient safety."

The Royal College of Surgeons advised people to look beyond the bill when picking a surgeon.

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Li Ka-shing set to buy O2 for £10bn

23 January 2015 Last updated at 08:40

Asia's richest person Li Ka-shing is in talks to buy Britain's second-largest mobile provider O2 for up to £10.25bn ($15.4bn) from Spain's Telefonica.

His firm, Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa, already owns the Three mobile network, and combining it with O2 would create the UK's biggest mobile group.

However, the move could face tough scrutiny from competition regulators.

It would reduce the number of major operators in the UK from four to three, which might not benefit consumers.

Further consolidation within the telecommunications industry is already on the cards, with BT Group in talks to by rival operator EE.

Competition issue

If a deal is agreed it would have to be approved by competition regulators in Brussels.

Currently the UK mobile market is dominated by O2, EE, Vodafone and Three.

However, Hutchison Whampoa group finance director, Frank Sixt, pointed to deals in other countries, including Ireland, which were given the green light and which also reduced the number of competitors in the market from four to three.

"The European Commission has taken a positive view of four-to-three consolidations of mobile in three cases now...and we believe that the precedents that they have set in those transactions will apply for this transaction," he said.

Mark Newman, chief research officer at telecoms consultancy, Ovum, thinks there may still be grounds for concern.

"The big question we should be asking ourselves is whether the consolidation will result in prices going up," he said.

"Its worth looking at the Austrian market which has gone from five operators a few years ago to three today. It appears as though prices have gone up in the Austrian market."

Spending spree

Hutchison said in a statement that the exclusive negotiations with Telefonica will take a period of several weeks.

"Shareholders and potential investors of the company should note that such negotiations may or may not result in any transaction, and accordingly are advised to exercise caution when dealing in the shares of the company," it said in a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange.

Hutchison shares jumped 4% on the announcement after they resumed trading in Hong Kong. They had been suspended on Friday morning pending the statement.

Mr Li has spent more than £20bn on overseas acquisitions in recent years. Earlier this week, he agreed to buy the UK's Eversholt Rail Group for £1.1bn.

The 86-year old is also undertaking a major reorganisation of his business empire, which has interests in property, energy, ports and telecoms.

The conglomerates Cheung Kong Holdings and Hutchison Whampoa are both controlled by Mr Li. He plans to merge them and spin off their property assets into a new company, also to be listed in Hong Kong.

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