Domestic workers have taken to the streets of Hong Kong to demand a ban on them being asked to clean windows in high-rise buildings.

The demonstration came after the deaths of several helpers in recent months.
They also called for a pay rise, a limit on working hours and better accommodation.
Eman Villanueva, spokesman for the Asian Migrants Co-ordinating Body, told the South China Morning Post:  "We are hopeful that our demands will be met."
He added: "There are no reasons to reject them unless this is an anti-immigrant government."
Early last month, a 35-year-old Filipino domestic worker fell to her death as she was reportedly cleaning the windows of her employer's flat. At least four other helpers are reported to have died this year from work accidents or suicide.
"Cleaning windows from the outside is not a domestic worker's duty. It's a responsibility of the building management," said Mr Villanueva, himself a domestic worker from the Philippines.
"It's necessary to have proper training and safety equipment to do that sort of job."
The protest also called for a rise in the minimum wage for foreign domestic workers to HK$5,000 (US$645; Â£485) a month.
The minimum wage is currently HK$4,210 per month, and employers are required to provide "suitable accommodation" as well as free food or a food allowance.
The South China Morning Post quotes a study by the non-profit Justice Centre which suggests the average domestic worker in Hong Kong works nearly 12 hours a day, and nearly 40% did not have their own room.
Mr Villanueva said there were domestic workers living in "boxes" similar to "dog houses".


Stine Christiansen was in no doubt she wanted to go back to work after having children.

"I really enjoyed the time with the kids", she explains, "It gives you a special connection when you have time with your small babies. But after that I really needed to get out again and be around adults and do real things, not just baby stuff."
So with three children still all under the age of four, Stine has just started a job working four days a week as a fibre-optics analyst.
In many countries the price of sending three children to daycare would be toe-curlingly expensive, but for Stine and her husband Thomas it's affordable.
The family lives in Denmark, in the small town of Værløse, just outside the capital Copenhagen, and in total they pay around five thousand kroner a month - about $700 USD.
"I'm only working part time so it's not that I earn so much extra money for us", explains Tine, "but still it's definitely better than me not working."
This kind of affordable childcare is made possible because the Danish state subsidises it in a big way.
Local authorities are legally required to pay around three-quarters of childcare costs while parents make up the rest.
And the reason the state can afford to do this is because Denmark has one of the highest tax rates in the world, with the average Dane paying a total amount of 45% in income taxes.
And it's no accident that this system helps Stine get back into work. State-supported childcare was expanded rapidly during the 1960s in response to a sharp rise in women joining the labour market, creating the distinctive model that survives today.
The result now is a country where a child growing up in Denmark is unusual if they don't go to childcare.
It's a short drive for Stine to drop the children off at Børnehuset Solbjerg (in English, Soul Mountain) kindergarten on her way to work, leaving them in the capable hands of the team of 'pedagogues', led by the manager Anne Kofød.
Her institution looks after 86 kids aged between one and five years old and out of all the parents only two mothers don't go to work.
"Even if they did not go to work they all have their children here," says Anna. "All around us there are no kids at home in the day, they are in a day care centre."
And it doesn't end there. Stepping outside to look at the garden Anne points out the neighbours.
"There's another day care on the other side of the fence. That one is double the size of this one.
And past the roundabout five hundred metres away there's another one."
Childcare institutions are everywhere, so it seems fitting that 98% of pre-school children are part of the day care system.
But it's a system that's beginning to buckle under financial pressure.
Denmark, like many governments across Europe has experienced its share of government belt-tightening since the 2008 financial crisis. The budget-cut axe has fallen has fallen on the welfare system - particularly pre-school childcare.
Dorthe Boe Danbjerg is the president of FOLA, the Danish Parents' Association. She's had children in kindergarten since 2005.
"Over the last few years there has been a cut in the number of pedagogues there are to take care of the children," she explains. "We expect high quality. We take our kids to kindergarten so that we can go to work ourselves and I think one of the major threats is that parents are not certain about the quality of the system any more."
Stig Brostrom Professor of early childhood education at Aarhus University argues that the future of Denmark's much-coveted system now hangs in the balance.
In a small office full of shelves groaning with books on the topic of bringing up children, his friendly demeanour belies a more pressing concern.
"Without being too dramatic, I will say that if we continue on this track for the next ten years we will lose our pre-school early childhood education success. It will be wasted."
So is it simply that the Danish childcare model is too ambitious - promising more than it can deliver to the parents who entrust their offspring to the nation's pedagogues?
"It is ambitious", admits Stig. "But I mean the children are the future. So if we really want to have a generation of young people who have social competencies, who have skills for innovation then of course you have to pay."
Where that money is going to come from in the future is also being called into question.
There's now a political movement towards lowering taxes for Denmark's higher earners, as a way of promoting economic growth.
So could lower taxes mean even less money to spend on the childcare system?
The Danish minister for children, education and gender equality, Ellen Trane Nørby, is optimistic.  She argues that lower taxes will lead to more business activity, which in turn will expand the tax take.
"I see it as a possibility to have more people included into the labour market, having companies to earn more, having thereby to pay more tax," she argues.
"It's not only about sharing your small cupcake, it's about ensuring the economy will grow up as a big cake, because that will always allow a bigger percentage for reinvestment into the welfare system."
While Denmark's politicians wrangle over what policy direction will ensure a steady cash flow, back in Værløse it's evening bathtime for the Christiansen children.
Their dad, Thomas, is home from work, and he knows that despite everything, they've still got it good.
"I think we have a special system," he says, sleeves rolled up, trying to control the children's watery antics. "Taking things into consideration, having lived in the US for two years we are able to compare two quite opposite systems, where they have to pay for day care much more than we do here."
Stine agrees, that while not perfect, the Danish have a system worth sticking around for. "In fact we got the chance to go back again after having kids and definitely having the children was a big reason why we are still in Denmark and didn't go abroad again."


The result of the referendum means significant changes for farming in Northern Ireland.

But not immediately.
The focus now will be on the negotiations for leaving the EU, expected to take at least two years, and what domestic arrangements are arrived at to support agriculture.
Leave campaigners said EU subsidies would be replaced and possibly improved if there were a Brexit.
For Northern Ireland farmers, that would mean at least Â£260m a year coming from the exchequer in support payments.
Remain campaigners had cautioned that successive British governments had been no fans of subsidies.
They had also claimed agriculture would be well down the pecking order when it came to the re-allocation of the UK contribution to the EU budget.
The other big issue for our export orientated agri-food industry will be whether we would have unfettered access to the EU's single market.
If not, what tariffs and other non-tariff barriers might our exporters face to trade into Europe?
Part of that will be what the border with the Republic of Ireland will look like and how it will operate.
We sold them Â£560m worth of dairy, bakery, sheep and beef, animal feed, pig and poultry and other products in 2014.
Producers will want to keep their market share and will hope customs arrangements will not add cost or delay.


Luton Town have released five players, but Craig King and Dan Potts are to be offered new contracts.

Goalkeeper Liam Gooch, defender Stephen O'Donnell, midfielder Danny Green and forwards Zane Banton and Craig Mackail-Smith will leave the club on 30 June.
But keeper King, 19, and defender Potts, 23, are set to stay, while the club's option on Frank Musonda's contract will be taken up.
Luton were beaten by Blackpool in the League Two play-off semi-finals.
Youth team captain Kavan Cotter, who made his senior debut in the EFL Trophy last August, has been offered his first professional contract with the Hatters.


The Fife town of Lochgelly has been named Scotland's Most Improved Town 2016.

It beat off stiff competition from Linwood, Gourock and Auchterarder to scoop the title at the Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum awards ceremony in Glasgow on Tuesday.
Hazel Cross, from Fife Council, who helped make changes, accepted the award on behalf of the town.
Brian Schultz from Lochgelly Community Council said he was "overwhelmed".
Mr Schultz said: "I'm absolutely delighted that Lochgelly, and the hard work of all of the organisations and volunteers in Lochgelly, is finally getting the recognition it deserves as Lochgelly is a fantastic town that is always improving."
Ms Cross said: "Lochgelly has been on a journey of people and place and the collaborative working over a number of years has helped change the face of Lochgelly by improving the towns assets, creating new housing, leisure and business opportunities.
"The Lochgelly community is strong and determined and have delivered a range of community led projects throughout the town over the years and I know Lochgelly will continue to be successful."


The number of bodies recovered after a migrant boat capsized off the Egyptian coast on Wednesday has reached at least 162, as the search continues.

The boat was carrying between 450 and 600 migrants when it sank eight miles (12km) off the port city of Rosetta.
It was transporting Egyptian, Syrian, Sudanese, Eritrean and Somali migrants.
Authorities said at least 163 people have been rescued but survivors told the BBC that hundreds more may have drowned.
Speaking to the BBC's Orla Guerin in Rosetta, survivors said smugglers forced anyone who wanted a lifejacket to pay extra.
Four crew members have been arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter and human trafficking, Egyptian officials said.
The boat, which was kept off the coast for five days as more migrants were brought on board, is said to have capsized after a final group of some 150 people were crammed onto the vessel.
The incident came as the EU's border agency warned that increasing numbers of Europe-bound migrants are using Egypt as a departure point.
More than 10,000 people have died crossing the Mediterranean towards Europe since 2014, according to the UN.
A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.


Swansea boss Paul Clement says he was "surprised" not to receive any contact from referees' chief Mike Riley after the 1-1 draw with Manchester United.

United led from a disputed penalty after a challenge on Marcus Rashford, with Clement claiming the forward 'deceived' referee Neil Swarbrick.
"I have had no communication at all from anyone," he explained.
"It surprised me because of the nature of it and the position that we are in. I've not heard from Mike Riley."
He continued: "I chose not to put any call into the FA on this occasion I felt that I had made my point very clearly in the media afterwards.
"We've had our fair share [of poor decisions] and all these things, they've all potentially cost us.
"I can't blame Neil Swarbrick for the decision, only for giving it if there was doubt, which I feel there was.
"That's why he asked the linesman, who is on the wrong side and has his view obscured.
"For me, of course, I'm disappointed with the player [Rashford].
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"I think [the remainder of the season] will come down to small margins.
"But what I am really hoping is it doesn't come down to a refereeing decision, either for us or against us.
"I want our future to be [decided] from our own good play.
"You want it to be down to us and if it isn't, that will be disappointing."
Plans unveiled this week will see sin bins introduced to English football next season while after a weekend where Rashford, Manchester City's Leroy Sane and Tottenham's Harry Kane were all accused of diving, there have also been renewed calls for retrospective bans.
However, Clement is wary of the suggestion.
"As a preventative measure I would support it, but if it costs you a result, there is nothing you can do, it won't help," he explained.
"It could end up potentially helping another team [in the next game] and not your own.
"For me it has to be video replays, they will sort it out easily.
"Last weekend showed it is a major issue. It is not normally as bad as that, but ours was the worst one.
"The video replay on those decisions has got to happen.
"I could not support one of my players if he did something like he [Rashford] did."
The former Derby boss is hoping to avoid a historic Premier League relegation play-off with Hull.
The so-called "39th game" would happen if Hull and Swansea finished joint-18th, level on points, goal difference and goals scored.
Hull have a two-point advantage over Swansea with three games remaining, but the two clubs' goal difference and goals scored are close, with Swansea on -29 and Hull on -31. Swans having scored four more goals.
Should those records be identical come the end of the season, the Premier League would take the unprecedented step of organising a one-off match at a neutral venue, as per their own rules and regulations.
"It is a possibility, isn't it?" Swansea head coach Clement said. "We're two better on goal difference, four goals better. So it is tight.
"Obviously you want to try to avoid it, but at the same time I'd take it [rather than go down]."


UKIP would make working people better off through a "low-tax revolution", Nigel Farage has said as he launched his party's election manifesto.

It would keep workers on the minimum wage out of tax, raise the 40p tax rate threshold to £55,000, introduce a new 30p tax band and scrap inheritance tax.
He said UKIP was the only party with a "credible plan" for immigration and a positive vision for the country.
The Conservatives have said there is a "£37bn black hole" in UKIP's proposals.
But Mr Farage said his was the only party with fully costed plans, which have been verified by independent economic think tank, The Centre for Economic and Business Research.
Main pledges
Policy guide: Where UKIP stand
The party's proposals also include an increase of up to £3bn extra a year in NHS funding, a commitment to spend 2% of GDP on defence and a five-year ban on unskilled immigration.
UKIP, which wants to quit the EU, has said it will hold an in/out referendum "as soon as possible" in the next Parliament.
Mr Farage said his was the only party which had the "self confidence and belief in the nation" that the UK should govern itself, make its own laws and negotiate its own international trade deals.
Setting out the party's election offerings at a hotel in Thurrock, Essex, the UKIP leader said politics had become dominated by giant corporate business interests while ordinary people had been "left behind" with "nobody to speak for them".
But he added: "UKIP has a plan, we genuinely want to make working people better off. And we will do that by leading the charge and making the argument for a low tax revolution.
"We genuinely want to make work pay and for people to have incentives to do better. And we believe that will unleash a kind of economic dynamism that has not been seen in this country in a long time."
Mr Farage said he was proposing an £18bn "big tax giveaway", paid for by cutting £32bn a year from government spending.
This would including cutting foreign aid spending, leaving the EU, scrapping the HS2 rail link and changing the Barnett funding formula for the nations.
UKIP's policies also include:
On immigration, Mr Farage said the only way for the UK to control its borders was by leaving the European Union.
Dismissing the Conservatives' approach for a renegotiation of Britain's terms of membership of the 28-member bloc, Mr Farage said there was "no third way".
"We want our country back, and then and only then can we actually control our borders," he told the gathered media and party supporters.
There are some catchy phrases UKIP wants you to remember from the manifesto launch: their campaign slogan "believe in Britain".
Their new take on immigration, it's about "space not race".
But the big takeaway, as they say in marketing circles, is this: "fully costed".
The manifesto has been given the once over by the independent Centre for Economics and Business Research and it all adds up, apparently.
UKIP commissioned the CEBR to sign off on the sums because it believes credibility is the final link in the chain.
Trying to prove it's serious about cutting and spending is the final answer to years of one-trick-pony, one-man-band accusations.
It may matter to wavering voters - disillusioned Tories or disconnected Labour supporters - who are seriously thinking about going purple.
The irony is it's almost an irrelevance for UKIP devotees.
They don't like the party because of its broad range of "fully costed" policies.
They like it because of the man whose photo features on page three. To them, UKIP is Nigel Farage.
The first test of this manifesto is whether it does indeed add up. But after that it will be judged on whether it can take the party beyond the devotees who filled the upstairs room in an Essex hotel by the M25 this morning and persuade others to vote UKIP.
The party is proposing an Australian-style points-based immigration system, which the party leader said would be ethical, fair and in the interests of the UK.
Foreign criminals would not be allowed into the country and all migrants would need to have insurance to access the health system, Mr Farage said.
Migrants would not be allowed to claim benefits in the UK unless they had paid into the system for five years and obeyed the law, under UKIP's plans.
UKIP is also pledging to:
The resulting "big reduction in numbers" coming to the UK would relieve pressure on schools, hospitals and houses, said Mr Farage.
A Conservative spokesman said UKIP's numbers did not "add up", adding: "We all know that Nigel Farage doesn't have a credible plan for Britain - he just makes it up as he goes along."
Labour shadow minister Jon Trickett said: "UKIP have confirmed that they are a party which stands for a privileged few. UKIP are a party of Tory policies, Tory people and Tory money."
Green Party leader Natalie Bennett said UKIP's environmental policies were "an insult to the many people across the globe already suffering the effects of climate change".
Commenting on UKIP's commitment to spend 2% of national income on defence, former Army head Sir Richard Dannett said it was "the right thing to do" and made "a lot of sense".
Earlier, UKIP's campaign chief Suzanne Evans told BBC Radio 4's Today programme all of the figures had been independently verified by economic think tank, The Centre for Economic and Business Research.
The manifesto launch came as one of the party's senior figures, immigration and economic spokesman Steven Woolfe, admitted to disagreements with Ms Evans over the party's immigration policies.
Mr Woolfe confirmed to BBC Radio 5 live Breakfast reports in the Telegraph he said Ms Evans "didn't seem to understand" the policies were true, but that he had made the comments "weeks ago" and he was now "absolutely onboard" with his colleague.
Despite a slight dip in some recent polls, UKIP has been polling ahead of the Liberal Democrats and is hoping to add to the two MPs it gained in by-elections following defections from the Conservatives.
* Subscribe to the BBC Election 2015 newsletter to get a round-up of the day's campaign news sent to your inbox every weekday afternoon.


A financial crime database used by banks has been "leaked" on to the net.

World-Check Risk Screening contains details about people and organisations suspected of being involved in terrorism, organised crime and money laundering, among other offences.
Access is supposed to be restricted under European privacy laws.
The database's creator, Thomson Reuters, has confirmed an unnamed third-party exposed an "out of date" version online.
But it says the material has since been removed.
Security researcher Chris Vickery said he discovered the leak. He notified the Register, which reported that it contained more than two million records and was two years old.
"There was no protection at all. No username or password required to see the records," Mr Vickery told the BBC.
"I want to be clear that this unprotected database was not directly hosted by Thomson Reuters itself."
A spokesman for the financial data provider said it was trying to tackle the problem.
"We are grateful to Chris Vickery for bringing this to our attention, and immediately took steps to contact the third party responsible - as a result we can confirm that the third party has taken down the information. We have also spoken to the third party to ensure there will be no repetition of this unacceptable incident," David Crundwell said.
"World-Check aggregates financial crime data from the public domain, including official sanctions data, to help clients meet their regulatory responsibilities."
Other sources of information used to collate the database include :
Individuals' dates and places of birth are also listed, in order to help banks check they are looking into the right people.
"The worst possible situation that could arise is that someone who may be innocent, but accused of criminal activity in the database, could be permanently branded on a global scale if this database were to be spread publicly," said Mr Vickery.
A spokeswoman for the UK's Information Commissioner Officer said the Data Protection Act required personal information to be kept secure even if it had been collated from public sources.
"Organisations must take appropriate measures against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss, destruction or damage," she said.
"We'll be making enquiries."
In 2015, a BBC investigation by the called into question why World-Check had listed London's Finsbury Park Mosque within its terrorism category.


Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has had to gently tell a Twitter user that she is not the best person to approach for issues with appliances.

Her tweet to a disgruntled owner of a Samsung fridge has gone viral in India and generated a spate of responses.
"Brother I cannot help you in matters of a Refrigerator. I am very busy with human beings in distress," Ms Swaraj tweeted to user @M_VenkatM.
The minister often responds to users who reach out to her for help.
As the tweet gathered traction among people, many congratulated the minister for her response:
Others suggested their own innovative solutions to the problem - the user below offered the services of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who once protested against high electricity prices by reconnecting power lines of those who had been unable to pay their bills:
But a few more users jumped at the opportunity to ask the minister for help with other "pressing issues":
And as the debate raged on about why a foreign minister would be the best person to approach for refrigerator problems, a few users offered these insights:
Sushma Swaraj has a reputation for responding to Indians overseas who are in need of diplomatic assistance.
However, there has been at least one post accusing the minister of ignoring requests for help and trying to build social media popularity instead.
The minister has not tweeted again, despite the storm created by her initial response.
But then again, as she said, she is a busy woman.


Police investigating an alleged assault that left a two-year-old girl critically injured have been granted a further 24 hours to question a man.

The man, who is in his 20s, was arrested in connection with the incident in Bessbrook, County Armagh.
Police went to a house in Charlemont Square East on Sunday night after an altercation involving several people.
The toddler was taken from the house after apparently suffering serious head injuries.  She remains critically ill.
It is understood the man being questioned is not the child's father, but was in a relationship with the mother.
They had only met recently, apparently via the internet and neighbours said he had moved into the house three days ago.


United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has asked Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to rethink the country's border security policy.

Mr Ban voiced his concerns about Operation Sovereign Borders on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Nations (Asean) summit.
Australia sends asylum seekers to offshore detention centres and turns away boats carrying them.
A spokesperson for Mr Turnbull declined to comment.
According to a UN statement, Mr Ban and Mr Turnbull discussed several topics, including climate change and Syria.
Mr Ban addressed the topic of refugees using very direct language, expressing "concern" and asking that Mr Turnbull "reconsider" the policy.
"Noting Australia's longstanding commitment to refugee resettlement, the Secretary General appealed to the prime minister to share responsibilities," the statement said.
Australia asylum: Why is it controversial?
The comments followed reports the Australian Navy intercepted a suspected asylum-seeker boat near Christmas Island last Friday.
The immigration department did not comment on the incident.
The last documented asylum-seeker boat arrival to Australia was in 2014, when a group of 157 Tamil asylum seekers was intercepted north of Christmas Island.


Comic fans would have already been more than familiar with Black Panther ahead of Marvel announcing plans to release a big screen adaptation.

But what about the man who will bring the character to life?
Chadwick Boseman will first appear in Captain America: Civil War in 2016, before taking on the lead role in Black Panther the following year.
The 38-year-old's first major credit on screen was as a reporter called Reginald "Reggie" Porter Montgomery.
That was in long-running US soap opera All My Children in 2003.
From there, he went on to make appearances as an extra in a string of shows including Law & Order, CSI and - as many up and coming actors before him - ER.
The athleticism needed for his Marvel roles shouldn't be too much of an issue based on his experience in sport-based films The Express, Draft Day and 42.
His most recent role as James Brown in Get On Up also confirmed the man's got moves, as well as giving him a solid slab of critical acclaim and a taste of being on set with A-listers Dan Aykroyd and singer Jill Scott.
Taking on Black Panther will see him acting alongside Robert Downey Jr (Iron Man) and Chris Evans (Captain America).
Speaking at the Marvel launch in Hollywood, Boseman said: "I'm blessed to be a part of this Marvel Universe."
Although no details were given about the plot of Black Panther, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige suggested the character has the potential to become a large part of the Marvel franchise.
He said: "He's a bit of a prince, he may even become a bit of a king."
Real Name: T'Challa
Height: 6'
Weight: 200 lbs
Powers: T'Challa's senses and physical attributes have been enhanced to superhuman levels by the heart-shaped herb.
Abilities: Marvel describes Black Panther as "a brilliant tactician, strategist, scientist, tracker and a master of all forms of unarmed combat whose unique hybrid fighting style incorporates acrobatics and aspects of animal mimicry".
Back story: T'Challa is a royal descendent of a warrior race who "will go to extreme measures to achieve his goals and protect the kingdom of Wakanda".
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube


Egyptian authorities have arrested doctors, nurses and professors suspected of being involved in an international organ trafficking ring.

The arrests of at least 25 people on Tuesday also included organ buyers and middlemen, the country's Administrative Control Authority said.
Authorities also found "millions of dollars and gold bullion".
It is illegal to purchase organs in Egypt, but poverty drives some to sell their body parts.
The Administrative Control Authority, a powerful anti-corruption body, claimed the network targeted on Tuesday was "made up of Egyptians and Arabs taking advantage of some of the citizens' difficult economic conditions so that they buy their human organs and sell [them] for large sums of money".
The statement on the government website added that the group was "the largest international network for trading human organs".
It is said the investigation, which also involved the health ministry, focused on a group of private hospitals and health centres, both licensed and unlicensed, where transplants and organ-harvesting took place, according to the Reuters news agency.
Authorities have also seized computers and documents from the 10 centres.
The arrests follow years of concern over the illegal organ trade in Egypt.
In 2010, it was named as one of the top five countries for illegal organ trade by the World Health Organization's co-ordinator at the time, Luc Noel.
Egypt passed laws to try to curb the trade, but according to the United Nations, hundreds of poor Egyptians still sell kidneys and livers each year to be able to buy food or pay off debts.
There have also been concerns over the fate of migrants who come into contact with the traffickers.
In 2012, then UN refugee agency chief, Antonio Guterres, said some migrants in Egypt's Sinai peninsula were being "killed for the traffic of organs", while earlier this year a people smuggler told Italian prosecutors that those who could not pay their debt were sold to the organ traffickers.
The allegations have not been proven, however.


Australia have brought in two new props to try to shore up their scrum for Saturday's second Test against England in Melbourne.

In come James Slipper and Sekope Kepu in place of Greg Holmes and Scott Sio, with the latter not even making the bench.
Sean McMahon replaces the injured David Pocock in the back row.
And Sam Carter comes in for Rob Simmons, who has a back problem, in the second row.
READ MORE: Ford to start at 10 for England
Israel Folau; Dane Haylett-Petty, Tevita Kuridrani, Samu Kerevi, Rob Horne; Bernard Foley, Nick Phipps; James Slipper, Stephen Moore (capt), Sekope Kepu, Rory Arnold, Sam Carter, Scott Fardy, Michael Hooper, Sean McMahon.
Replacements (three to be omitted): Tatafu Polota-Nau, Toby Smith, Greg Holmes, James Horwill, Dean Mumm, Wycliff Palu, Ben McCalman, Liam Gill, Nick Frisby, Christian Leali'ifano, Luke Morahan


Britain's Fran Halsall finished fourth - just 0.06 seconds off gold and 0.02 off bronze - as Pernille Blume won the Olympic 50m freestyle title.

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It was the seventh time Britain have been fourth in a Rio swimming final.
"It was anyone's for the taking but I just couldn't get my hand on the wall quick enough," said Halsall, 26.
Denmark's Blume clocked 24.07 seconds to finish ahead of American Simone Manuel (24.09) and Aliaksandra Herasimenia of Belarus (24.11).
It is Denmark's first swimming gold medal since the London 1948 Games.
At 1.71 metres tall, Blume briefly gave up the sport after being told she was not tall enough to succeed in her favourite event.
"I enjoy swimming the 50m free, it's so much fun, but I'd always been told I'm too small and I should probably be a 200m swimmer," Blume said.
"So I had to take a break and just figure out how I wanted things to go."
Defending champion Ranomi Kromowidjojo finished sixth in 24.19.
"It's disappointing not to come away with the result I wanted but I've done everything I could this season to give myself the best shot," added Halsall.


A man obsessed with guns told a suicide helpline he was considering becoming another Raoul Moat, a court has heard.

Craig Michael Hughes, 33, said he hated police officers and planned to report a false crime about a number of people on marshes of the Dee Estuary.
Police would turn up in numbers and he would open fire, he said during a chat with an American crisis helpline.
Hughes, of Flint, Flintshire, admitted making threats to kill and was jailed for 12 months at Mold Crown Court.
David Mainstone, prosecuting, said Hughes told the online Hope Line Crisis Centre 20 August: "I am a suicidal gunman with a real passion for hating the police.
"Do you think you can talk me out of being the next Dale Cregan or Raoul Moat?"
He also wrote on an online helpline: "I am thinking of dropping off the planet, but I will have a lot of fun before I go and repay those who hate me and put me in this mindset."
Hughes said he wanted to commit suicide and take as many police officers as he could with him.
Staff were so concerned by his comments in two separate calls that they alerted the police.
Officers who went to his home recovered weapons which were lawfully held because they were antiques.
Andrew Green, defending, said Hughes made drunken empty threats and had no intention of carrying them out.
Judge Niclas Parry said: "To describe the level of public concern regarding so called headline attacks upon those tasked with protecting the public as high would be an understatement."


A river has turned yellow in Colorado in America after three million gallons of wastewater spilled out of an abandoned gold mine.

11 August 2015 Last updated at 14:29 BST
A "state of emergency " has been declared in the area and the water is being diverted into small ponds in an attempt to treat it.
People living nearby have been told to avoid drinking from wells or bathing in the river and the government is supplying clean water to homes and businesses.
The Environmental Protection Agency is investigating the health effects of the leak but says it does not believe any wildlife has been harmed.


A defective model of tumble dryer caused a house fire which killed a mother of two, a coroner has ruled.

The same type of Beko dryer that led to Mishell Moloney's death was responsible for 20 other fires, Birmingham Coroner's Court heard.
But none had the same defect thought to have caused the blaze that killed the 49-year-old in Rubery in February.
Beko said the "risk of injury was low" in other incidents. Coroner Emma Brown recorded a narrative verdict.
The company's director of quality, Andrew Mullen, was asked by the coroner why Beko had not decided to recall the 8kg DCS 85W model.
He said: "We looked at the number of incidents against sales, the severity of the incidents and circumstances, and in all those assessments they were all incidents that happened within 10 or 20 minutes of the tumble dryer being used.
"Nearly all those were when the tumble dryer was in unheated buildings such as a shed or outhouse. In those cases the risk of injury was low."
He added the model was discontinued last year "as part of a range change".
Ms Moloney was discovered at her home in Coriander Close, Rubery, after relatives found window blinds blackened with soot and forced their way in.
An investigation found the fire started in or around the area where the dryer's printed circuit board (PCB) was.
The coroner said it was her conclusion the death was due to smoke inhalation from a fire caused by the tumble dryer in her kitchen and the source within the dryer was the PCB.
But she said it was "not possible to identify the nature of the defect which caused the fire".
Beko said "in virtually all cases" the identified cause of blazes traced to the model had been "the run capacitor" and never the PCB.
Mr Mullen said a decision not to recall the model was taken after a risk assessment and consultation with trading standards.
He revealed two smaller models (the 6kg and 7kg) had been recalled because of 100 incidents of reported faults with the capacitor, "within the first three months".
After the hearing, Ms Moloney's daughter Jodie said: "My mum was quite simply the best mum my brother Joshua and I could have asked for."
The family's lawyer Paul Tapner, of Slater and Gordon, said the family "needs answers from the manufacturer".
After the inquest, Mr Mullen said safety was its "highest priority" and the product involved "remains completely safe for use, meeting and exceeding all European standards".


An independent review will take place into the death of a man who died while staying at a supported living unit.

Nico Reed, who had cerebral palsy and severe learning disabilities, was found dead at Barrantynes home in Chalgrove, Oxfordshire, in August 2012.
Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) confirmed it will carry out the investigation.
An inquest heard Nico may have been saved if checks were made on him more often.
Southern Health, which runs the unit, has previously said Nico's needs were met.
An inquest in December at Oxfordshire Coroner's Court heard that the 23-year-old died after inhaling his own vomit.
It was told on the night Nico died there was one member of staff caring for four profoundly disabled residents and it was likely there had been 45 minutes to an hour between the time Nico was last seen and found not breathing.
Guidelines suggested checks every 20 minutes.
After the inquest, Nico's parents Rosi and Ian Reed, from Bloxham, lobbied for an independent review into their son's death.
A blog written by his parents said an independent investigation was preferable to a serious case review as it had a "wider remit".
The family were told the investigation could take between six and 12 months.
They wrote in the blog: "What matters is that it's a far reaching, thorough investigation."
Southern Health took over the running of the unit from the now defunct Ridgeway Partnership after Nico's death in 2012.
The CCG said it will not comment while the review is taking place.


Britain failed to prosecute a member of the intelligence services who passed secrets to Russia in World War Two because it feared being embarrassed over what might come out in court, files in the National Archives have revealed.

MI5 also appeared to have failed to grasp the significance of former film critic Cedric Belfrage's activities.
The Briton worked for an arm of MI6 in New York after a career in Hollywood.
But his colleagues were unaware he had become increasingly left wing, probably after a trip to the Soviet Union.
Historians say his espionage could be ranked alongside that conducted by members of the Cambridge spy ring during the Cold War.
In November 1945, Elizabeth Bentley contacted the FBI and said she had been part of a Soviet spy ring operating in the US.
When the FBI approached those alleged to be involved, the only person to initially offer a partial confession was Belfrage.
Born in London in 1904, he studied at Cambridge University, but left before taking his finals. He was based in Hollywood in the 1920s, then became the film and theatre critic for the Daily and Sunday Express, before moving back to the US in the 1930s.
By 1941 Belfrage was working for British Security Co-ordination (BSC) in New York, which co-operated with the FBI and where he had access to secret information.
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Author Doris Lessing trailed by MI5
During his time at BSC he was introduced by American communists to top Russian spy Jacob Golos. And between 1941 and 1943, Belfrage - codenamed "Benjamin" by the Russians - passed on secret documents on subjects including British policy on Russia and the Middle East, reports on France and from British police.
The revelation worked its way back to MI6. An officer wrote back to MI5 saying "Belfrage's career since that date is well known to our New York office, by whom, in fact, he has been employed".
What is remarkable is the MI6 officer who wrote those lines was Kim Philby, himself a Soviet spy, and one of the Cambridge ring recruited at university in the 1930s.
It seems almost inevitable Philby would have told his Russian handlers of the US revelations including about Belfrage. This, in turn, may have allowed Belfrage to plan his response.
Belfrage had not broken any US laws because he had passed on British secrets.
But in 1953 he was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee - part of the McCarthy hearings into communism in America. Belfrage refused to answer questions, prompting the committee to suggest he should be deported.
He was detained in 1955 and deported. The grounds were not espionage but that he had been a member of the American Communist Party in the 1930s under a false name.
All this attracted considerable attention in the UK press and Parliament where some lauded Belfrage for standing up to the anti-communist fervour sweeping the US.
His return to the UK left MI5 with a headache. They had seen evidence he had been spying and some wanted him prosecuted.
Belfrage, however, had offered a defence in his secret partial confession to the FBI.
He had admitted passing files to Russian contacts during WW2 but claimed this was on the orders of his superiors in British intelligence in order to get material in return.
"My thought was to tell him certain things of a really trifling nature from the point of view of British and American interest, hoping in this way to get from him some more valuable information from the Communist side," said Belfrage, according to the files.
MI5 thought they could show the documents he handed over were of real value but knew they would need more evidence to rebut his defence in court.
This led to a request to MI6 to see if they could help - but it could not find any files or people who could disprove his defence. The files also make reference to the potential embarrassment of a prosecution in which Belfrage's role in British intelligence would come out in court.
And there was concern over public opinion which in some quarters supported him.
Belfrage was not prosecuted but was put under extensive surveillance when he returned to the UK. A few years later he moved to Latin America, where he died in 1990.
There is a further element to the story. The declassified National Archives files reveal MI5 was not able to establish much about his activities and never interrogated him.
Yet historians say other evidence points to Belfrage having been an important spy for the Soviets.
Prof Christopher Andrew, who has acted as official historian for MI5 and examined secrets taken from the KGB archive, said: "Soviet intelligence in the middle of World War Two actually ranked him ahead of Philby - only for a year or two, but nonetheless, it was an important year or two."
He says this was partly because Philby was mistrusted as a double agent and as Belfrage held an important position at the junction between Britain and the US.
"I think he was one of the most important spies the Soviet Union ever had," agrees Svetlana Lokhova, an expert on Russian intelligence.
The Soviets would have been desperate for intelligence on British and US policies at a key moment in WW2, she said.
She highlights decrypted communications mentioning Belfrage and the fact he was run directly by Jacob Golos. The Russians made repeated attempts to reconnect with him after their spy died.
Ms Lokhova and Prof Andrew both say the fact the KGB has never revealed anything about Belfrage suggests he was important.
But concerns over embarrassment and the failure of MI6 to unearth evidence for a prosecution meant he appears to have been a spy who got away.
More on this story in The Hollywood Spy on The Report on BBC Radio 4 at 20:00 BST on Thursday, 17 September.


Lower speed limits and measures to reduce alcohol abuse should be introduced by the next Scottish government, a medical college has said.

A "Vision for 2016" has been published by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).
It outlines the RCPCH's vision of how child health in Scotland could become comparable to the best in the world.
It claimed the country's record on child health is currently among the poorest in Western Europe.
In the run up to the 2016 Scottish election, the RCPCH said politicians should back a 20mph speed limit in built-up areas.
It claimed this would promote "safe play" and encourage children to walk, scoot or cycle to school.
Other policies promoted in the document include:
Dr Peter Fowlie, of the RCPCH, said: "Whilst our nation has much to be proud of when it comes to improving children's health, it still has some of the poorest health outcomes in Western Europe, particularly relating to child obesity and child mortality levels.
"Deprivation is often at the root of the problem with children living in poverty more likely to be overweight or obese, be born with low birth weight and have parents that smoke heavily or drink alcohol.
"It's clear we need to take action to reduce child health inequalities and a child health strategy which cuts across all government departments could do that. We call on government to work with us to develop this.
"In addition, we have today launched our Vision for Scotland and call on the next Scottish government to be bold and use its devolved powers to implement a minimum price for alcohol and develop education programmes for parents on the dangers of alcohol and drug use during pregnancy.
"I want Scotland to be the best place in the world to grow up. Only by targeting interventions at those most in need will we begin to achieve this."
The RCPCH argued that doctors can make a difference but only when supported by government.
Dr Fowlie added: "Clearly healthcare professionals have a key role to play in tackling some of these challenges but we will not be able to make inroads without political will and leadership."
A Scottish government spokesman said it had published guidance for local authorities to help reduce speeds in residential areas.
"The Good Practice Guide on 20mph speed restrictions produced in partnership with the Society of Chief Officers for Transportation in Scotland and published earlier this year - aims to ensure greater consistency on setting 20mph speed restrictions throughout Scotland, " the spokesman said.
"It encourages local authorities to introduce them near schools, in residential areas and in other areas of our towns and cities where there is a significant volume of pedestrian or cyclist activity."


A rail company's appeal for customers to rename its stations with festive monikers has met with a mixed response.

South West Trains asked passengers to suggest a yuletide twist for departure boards on its network using the hashtag SWTChristmas.
Some got into the Christmas spirit with ideas like Dorchestnut and Brack-Noel.
But others were more Scrooge-like, and used the opportunity to criticise the firm for running no trains on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.
Richard Banks tweeted: "Here's one for Boxing Day: Havant-any-trains-running."
Another traveller tweeted: "Any chance you can quit the #SWTChristmas nonsense and just provide a good service?"
Debbos added: "Anyone replying to this doesn't actually regularly travel on @SW_Trains #SWTChristmas"
But many passengers welcomed the temporary sign change.
Chandlers Ford becoming "Christmas Ford", Bracknell "Brack-Noel" and Dorchester "Dorchestnut" were among the submissions.
Other suggestions include "GoodwillFord" for Guildford, "Eggnog-Ham" replacing Egham, Micheldever could change to "Mistletoe-dever" and Raynes Park could become "Raynes-deer Park".
A South West Trains spokesman said: "We want to help our customers get into the Christmas spirit and what better way than travelling to a station with a new festive name?
"We'll be picking the best ones to use on our network."
The station names will be changed temporarily on Saturday 17 December.
The rail firm has previously given passengers a romantic send-off on Valentine's Day in 2015, with romantic departure board messages.
South West Trains operates services in Hampshire, Surrey, Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Devon, Somerset, and Greater London.


Three officials in Haiti's governing coalition announced their resignation on Wednesday in protest at a remark President Michel Martelly made at a campaign rally last week.

The remark was directed at a woman in the audience who had criticised Mr Martelly and his administration.
According to Haitian media, Mr Martelly told her to "go get a man and go into the bushes" at the rally in Miragoane.
A presidential adviser said Mr Martelly's words had been distorted.
Mr Martelly, who is in the final year of his five-year-term, is a former singer of Haitian dance music known for his flamboyant style and sometimes colourful language.
The row was triggered by President Martelly's reaction to a woman at a campaign rally in the port city of Miragoane on 29 July.
The woman complained about the failure of the government to provide electricity to her area, prompting Mr Martelly's hostile response, which in turn was greeted by cheers and clapping from the audience.
In response to the incident, Women's Affairs Minister Yves Rose Morquette, Social Affairs Minister Victor Benoit and Secretary of State for Alphabetisation Mozart Clerisson announced on Wednesday that they would step down from their posts.
They all belong to the Fusion of Haitian Social Democrats party, which is part of the governing coalition.
Party leader Edmonde Supplice Beauzile said Mr Martelly's behaviour was "unbecoming" to a head of state.
Ms Supplice Beauzile is running for president in the upcoming presidential election in October, in which Mr Martelly will not be able to stand again.
She said that "by insulting this woman, he has insulted all Haitian women".
"Such behaviour is a shame for the country," she added.
She also urged voters to "punish" candidates for Mr Martelly's party standing in Sunday's legislative election.


A logbook which represents a "Who's Who of the Dambusters" has made more than double its estimate at auction.

The volume, which every airman used to record missions, belonged to Leonard Sumpter, a bomb aimer in the attack.
The raid on 17 May 1943 saw experimental bouncing bombs used to break two important dams deep within Nazi Germany.
Flt Sgt Sumpter's book, which fetched Â£7,000, described the mission as "satisfactory".
Nineteen planes and 133 men took part in what was codenamed Operation Chastise, with eight planes lost and 53 crew killed.
The military impact is still hotly debated but it provided a huge morale boost to Britain and was later made into classic movie.
Flt Sgt Sumpter's aircraft - L for Leather - hit the target but did not break the dam.
The logbook was sold alongside a scrapbook containing cuttings and photographs about the raid and later missions. It sold for Â£3,000.
Carl Buck, from Nottingham-based International Autograph Auctions, said: "These kind of items come up very rarely and there is always a lot of interest.
"It had an estimate of around Â£3,000 and it is easy to see why it went for so much, as it had signatures from other airmen like Guy Gibson and David Maltby, making it a Who's Who of the Dambusters."


UKIP Wales' leader has said comments by a party assembly candidate linking rubbish problems in Cardiff to immigration were "not racist at all".

But Nathan Gill told BBC Wales he did not back Gareth Bennett's statements.
Mr Gill also said there were issues when a "huge amount of immigrants" came into an area and local councils could not cope with the "excessive rubbish".
UKIP's National Executive Committee (NEC) endorsed Mr Bennett's candidacy for South Wales Central on Monday.
The decision followed a vetting panel recommendation, despite calls for de-selection and 16 party candidates complaining.
UKIP is still yet to issue an official statement in response to the decision to endorse Mr Bennett, as lead candidate for South Wales Central.
Party leader Nigel Farage has said he was "less than impressed" with Mr Bennett.
Speaking on Radio Wales' Jason Mohammad programme on Friday, Mr Gill said he backed the candidate because "he was chosen by the membership of Wales".
"I don't back the statements he made, absolutely not, they were his own statements, that's something that he should answer," he said.
"It certainly isn't UKIP policy and it isn't something we acknowledge.
"What we do acknowledge is that there are issues and have been issues due to too much immigration too fast, which has not allowed the councils to catch up with that."
"So if you suddenly got an area where there are a huge amount of immigrants coming into it and the local council is unable to deal with the excessive rubbish and the extra school places that are needed, that is poor planning, isn't it?" he added.
Mr Gill said he would be "extremely happy" for UKIP to win "six or seven" seats in May's election.
"The Lib Democrats are pretty much in free-fall and have pretty much destroyed themselves as a party.
"In the last two major elections in a row we beat Plaid Cymru here in Wales, and absolutely it is our goal and it's our target to beat Plaid Cymru in this election."
Mr Gill told the programme he would consider resigning if UKIP only won one seat in the poll.
Asked if he would quit if the party failed to win any seats, he said: "If I won zero then yeah, I probably would actually."
Liberal Democrat Peter Black called Mr Gill's defence of Mr Bennett the "appalling true face of UKIP".
"In many regional seats the choice for the fourth seat is between UKIP and the Welsh Liberal Democrats, that is the clear choice that many people must make," Mr Black said.


Police are searching for a woman who has gone missing with a baby in Pembrokeshire.

Rebecca, 32, was last seen at about 08:30 BST on Saturday carrying a small baby in a back-harness and pushing a trolley.
She was wearing light jeans, a dark jacket and leather knee-high boots at the time.
Dyfed-Powys Police said it was "very concerned" about her and have launched an urgent appeal to try and find her.
"We have a number of leads across Pembrokeshire at this time, but really need the public's help in providing us with more specific information," said detectives on Tuesday evening.
"We are very concerned about her and need any information you think is relevant."
Police have not released more details about the missing woman, including her surname.


The lives of four brothers, who were among the most decorated soldiers in WWI, are to be marked after a charity secured a Â£50,000 lottery grant.

The "Fighting Bradfords", from County Durham, between them won two Victoria Crosses, two Military Crosses and a Distinguished Service Order.
Only one of the quartet returned alive from the conflict.
The charity Groundwork will use the cash to retell the brothers' story through a year-long series of events.
The brothers were born in Witton Park, near Bishop Auckland. Roland received the Victoria Cross and Military Cross, George the Victoria Cross, James the Military Cross and Thomas a Distinguished Service Order. Only Thomas survived the war.
At the age of 25, Roland also became the youngest Brigadier General in the history of the British Army.
A memorial garden and statue are already in place at Witton Park, but Groundwork North East and Cumbria, together with Durham County Council, want more people to know about the brothers' achievements.
The cash from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) will pay for a series of school workshops, public talks and the performance of a play based on their lives.
Neil Foster, Durham County Council's cabinet member for economic regeneration, arts and culture, said: "The bravery, heroism, service and sacrifice of the Bradford brothers is rightly still remembered today.
"We are proud to be involved in a project that will see a lasting memorial to them and that with the backing of the HLF will allow local people to discover more of their own personal histories and that of their community."
Ivor Crowther, head of Heritage Lottery Fund North East, said: "The story of the Bradford brothers provides an incredible and emotive perspective on the impact of the First World War.
"We're pleased to support this project which will see people in Witton Park come together to remember George, James, Roland and Thomas, share their own memories of the conflict and reflect on how it has shaped the place in which they live today."
Joanne Norman, Senior Project Officer at Groundwork, said "Over the next year we would like to involve as many residents of Witton Park, past and present, to build up a picture of the village during that time.
"Inspired by the Bradford family, local people will discover their own family's contribution to the Great War and experience what life was like for them."


A meeting of the world's leading oil exporters to discuss capping production has ended without agreement.

After hours of talks in Qatar, the country's energy minister Mohammed bin Saleh al-Sada said that the oil producers needed "more time".
Most members of the Opec producers' group, plus other oil exporters including Russia, attended the talks.
They wanted a deal that would freeze output and help stem the plunge in crude prices over the past 18 months.
"The general conclusion was that we need more time to consult among ourselves in Opec and non-Opec producers," Mr Sada said.
Oil prices tumbled in Asian trading as a result, with the price of both US and London crude oil down more than 5%.
Talks hit difficulties earlier on Sunday as reports emerged of tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Iran did not attend the meeting.
Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, appeared willing to only freeze output if all Opec members agreed, including Iran.
But Iran maintained it would continue the increase in oil production it has followed since economic sanctions were lifted earlier this year.
"As we're not going to sign anything, and as we're not part of the decision to freeze output, we ultimately decided it was not necessary to send a representative," the Iranian government said.
The failure to agree a freeze is not going to help oil exporters desperate to see the price of crude oil rise. They are hurting. Even Saudi Arabia - despite having significant financial buffers - is overhauling its public finances and trying to diversify its economy away from oil.
Other major oil producers are finding life even harder. One OPEC member, Angola, has even gone to the International Monetary Fund seeking to negotiate financial assistance.
There is, perhaps, some compensation for the countries at the Doha meeting in that their failure to agree to curtail supply increases is likely to renew the pressure on shale oil producers in the US, who were not and never would be represented at a gathering such as this.
The rise of the American shale industry in the last decade or so is one of the main reasons why global supplies are so plentiful and why prices are now less than half what they were in mid-2014.
Mr Sada told reporters after the meeting: "We of course respect [Iran's] position... The freeze could be more effective definitely if major producers, be it from Opec members like Iran and others, as well as non-Opec members, are included in the freeze."
Russia's oil minister Alexander Novak said Moscow had not closed the door on a global deal to freeze output. However, the Reuters news agency reported, Mr Novak said he was disappointed at the failure to reach a decision as he had travelled to Qatar expecting to sign a deal, not debate one.
The failure to agree a deal sent oil prices lower in trading on Asian markets. The uncertainty also hit share markets.
The next scheduled Opec meeting is in June.
Abhishek Deshpande, chief oil analyst at Natixis, described it as "the mother of all Opec meetings" which showed the nervousness among many oil producers.
It was not formally an Opec event, though most of the group's members were represented.
However, Opec has been slow to respond to the sharp fall in oil prices, which are still less than half the peak of $115 ($81) a barrel seen in June 2014.
The price of oil has risen in recent weeks largely due to traders considering the possibility that some major exporters will limit supply.
Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, finished last week at around $43 a barrel, having dipped as low as $27 earlier this year.
Opec members have been working on the deal since Saudi Arabia, Russia, Qatar and Venezuela agreed to freeze production in February if other countries followed suit.


In Westminster, political battle is being waged on two fronts.

David Cameron is engaged in what seems to be an increasingly successful campaign to persuade the House of Commons to expand British military air strikes into Syria.
He gave more details of what had been billed as a "comprehensive plan", not just for bombs to fall on the so-called Islamic State's stronghold in Syria, but a billion pounds for reconstruction; a perhaps optimistic assessment that there are 70,000 moderate forces on the ground with whom we could work; and an increasing confidence that the time is right to join America, France and even Russia in air strikes.
But the government is reliant on some support from the Labour Party to get its way. And Jeremy Corbyn's party is embroiled in an enormous row of its own tonight.
It's no secret that he is a longstanding opponent of military intervention in the Middle East. After the debate today he met with his shadow cabinet to try to hammer out a common position.
After a difficult couple of hours, it was plain, despite the leader being opposed, most of the shadow team is in favour of strikes. So they agreed to disagree, and to talk again after the weekend.
Then to the astonishment of some of Mr Corbyn's own team, just a couple of hours later, his office published a letter that made it abundantly clear there is no chance he will back air strikes, and his position is set.
Making that move has, in the words of one shadow minister, "lit the blue touch paper" in the shadow cabinet. Another said members were so angry they had to be "scraped off the ceiling".
Many Labour MPs are furious that he took a step like that without consulting them. For their part, sources close to Mr Corbyn insist that he is taking a lead, communicating his position to the wider party as he is perfectly entitled to do.
Indeed, his views against military intervention are part of what won him the leader's job in the first place.
But there's a risk of a massive political bust-up, and perhaps the collapse of his front bench.
The crunch now is whether or not Mr Corbyn will allow MPs to vote as they see fit next week, perhaps as early as Wednesday. Or whether he will try to force them to agree with his position.
If he is intent on doing that, it is highly likely that members of the shadow cabinet will resign.
I understand some of them told him they would potentially back air strikes in Syria when they took on their jobs in the shadow cabinet in September - they knew this dilemma might come.
If, as now seems "inevitable" as one senior member of the shadow cabinet suggested, Mr Corbyn allows a free vote, the team will be bruised by all of this but probably intact. But if he tries to force his will, the political consequences for his leadership could be grave.


Mauro Icardi scored twice as Inter Milan came from behind to beat Roma, who hit the post three times.

Aleksandar Kolarov hit the woodwork from distance before Edin Dzeko scored when he chested Radja Nainggolan's cross to volley home.
Nainggolan and Diego Perotti hit the post as Roma looked to seal the win.
But Icardi netted twice - from Antonio Candreva and Ivan Perisic passes - and summer signing Matias Vecino added a late third.
Inter manager Luciano Spalletti left Roma at the end of his contract in the summer before moving to the San Siro.
Match ends, Roma 1, Inter Milan 3.
Second Half ends, Roma 1, Inter Milan 3.
Attempt missed. João Mário (Inter Milan) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the left misses to the right from a direct free kick.
Dalbert (Inter Milan) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Kevin Strootman (Roma).
Corner,  Inter Milan. Conceded by Alisson.
Attempt saved. João Mário (Inter Milan) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Ivan Perisic.
Attempt blocked. Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Substitution, Roma. Marco Tumminello replaces Diego Perotti.
Foul by Danilo D'Ambrosio (Inter Milan).
Diego Perotti (Roma) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Matías Vecino (Inter Milan).
Kevin Strootman (Roma) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt blocked. Cengiz Ünder (Roma) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Kevin Strootman.
Goal!  Roma 1, Inter Milan 3. Matías Vecino (Inter Milan) left footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Ivan Perisic.
Corner,  Roma. Conceded by Matías Vecino.
Foul by João Mário (Inter Milan).
Kostas Manolas (Roma) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution, Inter Milan. João Cancelo replaces Antonio Candreva.
Offside, Inter Milan. Dalbert tries a through ball, but João Mário is caught offside.
Substitution, Roma. Cengiz Ünder replaces Daniele De Rossi.
Attempt missed. Radja Nainggolan (Roma) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
Attempt blocked. Radja Nainggolan (Roma) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Edin Dzeko.
Attempt saved. Mauro Icardi (Inter Milan) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Borja Valero with a through ball.
Antonio Candreva (Inter Milan) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Diego Perotti (Roma).
Goal!  Roma 1, Inter Milan 2. Mauro Icardi (Inter Milan) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Ivan Perisic with a cross.
Offside, Roma. Edin Dzeko tries a through ball, but Aleksandar Kolarov is caught offside.
Corner,  Roma. Conceded by João Mário.
Attempt blocked. Radja Nainggolan (Roma) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Diego Perotti.
Corner,  Inter Milan. Conceded by Federico Fazio.
Attempt missed. Matías Vecino (Inter Milan) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by João Mário.
Foul by Mauro Icardi (Inter Milan).
Kostas Manolas (Roma) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Diego Perotti with a through ball.
Goal!  Roma 1, Inter Milan 1. Mauro Icardi (Inter Milan) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Antonio Candreva.
Offside, Inter Milan. Ivan Perisic tries a through ball, but Matías Vecino is caught offside.
Attempt blocked. Ivan Perisic (Inter Milan) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Antonio Candreva.
Danilo D'Ambrosio (Inter Milan) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Diego Perotti (Roma).


Rising above the scene of the world’s worst nuclear accident is the spectacular sight of the largest moveable structure ever created on land.

The complex of nuclear power plants at Chernobyl has dominated this corner of northwest Ukraine for decades but the new construction towers over it all.
The project is to build what is called a New Safe Confinement – in effect, a giant cover, a kind of dome, to fit over the building that houses the reactor that exploded on 26 April, 1986.
The radiation immediately above the reactor is still far too intense for the new enclosure to be built exactly where it is needed – anyone working there can only stay very briefly.
So adjacent land has been cleared and then decontaminated – a massive task in itself – to allow the new structure to be assembled before being manoeuvred into position.
Large enough to accommodate a couple of Boeing 747s or the Stade de France in Paris, and almost tall enough to hold St Paul’s Cathedral in London, the giant cover stands on a system of massive rails.
When complete, it will weigh an extraordinary 31,000 tonnes.
Over several days, it will be rolled along its special track so as to just slide over the reactor building – a very tight fit – in order to seal it in.
The task is “of a complexity and uniqueness we have never faced before”, according to Vince Novak, who runs the nuclear safety department of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He has led the international drive to make Chernobyl less dangerous.
“Until this project is in place, we will not be safe,” he said during a media visit to the site.
“The ultimate objective is to protect the environment, contain the threat and deal with the radioactive material inside.”
This material is a nightmare mix of more than 100 tonnes of uranium, one tonne of plutonium, and other highly radioactive elements, formed into a previously-unseen lava-like mass.
Added to that are several thousand tonnes of sand and boron dropped on to the site by emergency workers at the time.
Vast quantities of radioactive liquids and dust are also present inside a reactor building that has itself long been in danger of collapse.
In the months following the accident – when the reactor exploded and burned for 10 days – the authorities attempted to smother the building in an emergency “sarcophagus” of concrete and steel.
But this was only ever intended to be a temporary fix and has needed urgent repairs to try to keep it stable and intact.
One of the shift managers working at the power station back in 1986 – though not on duty when the disaster struck – told me how that weakness of the building is a serious concern.
According to Lenar Sagidulin, the emergency concrete was “just stuck to the side of the building; it was not stable.
“All this structure could just collapse, suddenly. There are cracks and holes growing in size, so this new confinement is a good idea and will meet its intended functions.”
The confinement system involves some seriously challenging engineering – it’s designed to withstand a magnitude 6 earthquake, a Category 3 tornado and temperature extremes ranging from -43C to +45C.
A double skin creates a cavity between the inner and outer walls that helps regulate temperature and humidity, and a complex ventilation system uses a system of negative pressure to keep any radioactive dust trapped inside.
The goal is not merely to enclose the damaged reactor and isolate it from the corrosive effects of the weather - but also to create a space in which to start the job of dismantling the most hazardous components.
Suspended from the apex of the structure will be remotely operated cranes, designed to tackle tasks too hazardous for human beings.
During the assembly phase, the radiation risk has been minimised by the construction of a protective wall right beside the reactor building.
This means the workforce at the assembly site receive minimal doses of radiation.
The man in charge of the project’s management, Ron Hink, joked that he probably gets a higher dose while flying home to Kentucky.
But he acknowledges a greater risk during a crucial stage of the forthcoming operation to install the new structure.
Although the walls at each end have been shaped to fit over the contours of the reactor building’s roof, teams of workers will still need to be on hand to make sure of a tight seal.
Mr Hink said: “That’s probably the most hazardous job we have here. That work is inside the structure and that is fairly high-dose and will require a lot of workers to execute.
“They will work on a 15-on, 15-off  rotation so they will only work half the month.”
Coming up with the design has involved a long and difficult journey. Initially, Russian experts favoured smothering the whole building in a massive tomb of concrete – until the risks of corrosion and cracking were highlighted.
Then came the task of raising funds for such an expensive project – currently priced at 1.5bn euros for the confinement system, with a total bill for repair and safety work at the site of 2.15bn.
As things stand, the EBRD has committed 675m euros, with the European Commission providing 361m. The third largest donor is the United States with 241m. Ahead of a donors' conference next month, there are concerns about meeting a shortfall in funding. The hope is that existing pledges by the EBRD, the European Commission and G7 nations to cover most of a 615m euros shortfall will be confirmed, with a further 100m  euros  needed from non-G7 countries.
The intention is to have the new structure in place and fully commissioned by November 2017.
If that is achieved, it would be 31 years since the disaster itself – but should provide protection for at least a century.


Challenge Cup holders Hull FC powered their way into another Wembley final after running in seven tries against Leeds Rhinos at the Keepmoat Stadium.

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Callum Green's try put Hull 18-12 ahead at the break after they twice levelled, with Carlos Tuimavave and Albert Kelly responding to Ryan Hall's brace.
Tuimavave's second sparked a try blitz, with further scores coming from Liam Watts, Jamie Shaul and Scott Taylor.
Hull meet the winner of Sunday's semi-final between Wigan and Salford.
A drop goal by man of the match Marc Sneyd, taking the score to 25-12 after 55 minutes, left Leeds with a huge challenge to reach their sixth final in eight years.
Kallum Watkins' pace and power got him on the end of a deft kick from Danny McGuire five minutes later to give the Rhinos hope.
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But three tries in 10 minutes from Hull put the result beyond doubt, booking their return to Wembley on Saturday, 26 August.
Ashton Golding's try two minutes from time was mere consolation for Leeds.
At times both sides defended stubbornly, with the poise and class of Hall to finish two first-half tries the highlight of Leeds' attacking exploits.
Hull were spoiled for inspired contributors, with stand-off Kelly creating his try from nothing and then showing supreme patience to put Watts over in the second half.
Tuimavave's two tries were expertly taken, his first in particular as he rose highest to pluck a Sneyd high ball from the air under pressure, while Shaul showed explosive pace to dash 75 yards to help make it 37-18 after 71 minutes.
For Taylor, his try to cap a sensational team performance ensured he marked his 250th career appearance in style.
Hull FC head coach Lee Radford told BBC Sport: "It's special. What we've spoken about all season [is defending] that trophy.
"Special mention goes to conditioning and physio staff - I had a full pack of cards. To have that is a credit at this stage of the season.
"We stifled them of field position, fixed up in second period and credit to Marc Sneyd's kicking game."
Leeds Rhinos head coach Brian McDermott told BBC Sport: "They were very good. It was a good contest in the first half but, as Lee Radford said, they stifled us in the second half and their kicking game was outstanding.
"A couple of kick tries gave them a numerical advantage, which wasn't insurmountable, but with the lack of field position we didn't have in that second half, I thought they were really good.
"We weren't awful, but they were really good."
Hull FC: Shaul; Fonua, Griffin, Tuimavave, Talanoa; Kelly, Sneyd; Taylor, Houghton, Watts, Manu, Minichiello, Ellis
Replacements: Connor, Green, Bowden, Washbrook.
Leeds Rhinos: Golding; Briscoe, Watkins, Keinhorst, Hall; Moon, McGuire; Cuthbertson, Parcell, Singleton, Ward, Ablett, Jones-Buchanan
Replacements: Garbutt, Ferres, Mullally, Lilley.


Jamaica's reigning 100m world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will miss this summer's World Athletics Championships in London because she is pregnant.

The two-time 100m Olympic gold medallist and three-time world champion plans to return to action in 2018.
The 30-year-old sprinter said she had hoped to defend her title in London.
"But life is filled with many blessings with God. So here I am thinking about being the greatest mother I can be with my biggest blessing," she added.


At least 10 emergency calls failed to reach firefighters last week during the forest fires in which 64 people died, reports say.

Civil protection officials have already revealed that rescuers were let down by the Siresp emergency services network during the four-day disaster.
Now details have emerged of pleas for help that did not get through to commanders on the ground.
The government has ordered an investigation into the network.
The fire began in the Pedrógão Grande area during the afternoon on 17 June and within hours the failures of the emergency network, which relies on mobile antennas, were becoming clear.
The first failure came at 19:45 on 17 June. Three people dialled the 112 emergency number from an abandoned house in nearby Casalinho to report that the building was surrounded by flames. Emergency services tried to contact the local command post and the deputy commander but were unable to get through, according to a civil protection authority (ANPC) timeline, described by Portuguese media as a "black box".
Five minutes later, officials were unable to contact a command post to help a father and son in trouble a few kilometres away in Troviscais. These and several other cases are documented throughout the night by the Público and Jornal de Notícias websites.
At 01:02 on 18 June comes the most chilling entry on the civil protection authority's log, in a reference to the deaths of 47 people on a single stretch of the N-236 road. Thirty of the victims died in their cars. A district relief operations command appeals for help in tackling "breakdowns in the Siresp network" and for "lifting the dead victims who are in the road, making it impossible for combat means to get through".
The civil protection authority has already confirmed "failures in the Siresp network" that continued throughout the four-day emergency and on the Saturday evening, firefighters resorted to using their old radio network.
The government on Monday said it had asked for a study into Siresp's operation, particularly during serious accidents and disasters. Prime Minister Antonio Costa said last week that the network had suffered because cables and communication towers had been damaged by the fire. However, he said the mobile network had provided temporary mobile antennas.
The forest fires were the worst in Portugal's history, with 64 dead and 254 injured.
Portugal's Siresp (joint emergency and security network system) has had a chequered past. It was set up in 2006 as a partnership between the government and private sector.
The system stopped working during a rescue attempt in storms in January 2013 and it was linked to the deaths of two firefighters a few months later.


Four men have gone on trial accused of repeatedly raping a woman and filming sexual acts on their mobile phones.

The men are Justinas Gubinas and Ovidijus Kavaliauska, who are both 22 of Rosehearty, Aberdeenshire, Remigijus Bidva, 24, and Nerijus Radavicius, 29, of Longhaven.
They have been charged with raping the woman at a farmhouse while she was drunk and incapable of giving consent.
They all deny the charge and have lodged a special defence of consent.
The men are alleged to have forced the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to drink alcohol and induced her to carry out sex acts on 1 November 2014.
Giving evidence at the High Court in Aberdeen on Monday, the woman told the jury that the men took her to a house outside Fraserburgh in a car.
CCTV footage played to the court showed the woman chatting to a group of young men in a car park after leaving Deejays nightclub in Fraserburgh.
She described herself as being "beyond drunk" and claimed she was kicked in the back and slapped awake later that day.
The woman, who suffers from a borderline personality disorder, said video footage taken of sex acts made her feel "dirty".
The trial continues.


Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy star Gary Oldman and Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard have starring roles in the latest video from David Bowie.

The video is for The Next Day, taken from his comeback album of the same name.
It depicts Bowie as a messianic figure, dressed in a robe and fronting a band in a basement bar.
Oldman plays a priest who dances with Cotillard before she bleeds from stigmata marks on her palms.
Bowie's last video, for The Stars (Are Out Tonight), featured another Oscar-winner, Tilda Swinton.
The new film was directed by photographer Floria Sigismondi and features characters dressed as clergymen amid heavy religious imagery.
As it ends with the characters arranged in a tableau, Bowie says: "Thank you Gary, thank you Marion, thank you everybody."
Oldman previously worked with Bowie in the 1990s when they performed a duet on guitarist Reeves Gabrels' 1995 album The Sacred Squall of Now.


The body of a British man killed fighting in Syria has been recovered from so-called Islamic State territory, according to Kurdish activists.

Ryan Lock, who was 20 and from Chichester, West Sussex, was killed on 21 December during a battle for the IS stronghold of Raqqa.
After his death his body had been in the hands of Islamic State militants.
The BBC has been told it has now been recovered and taken to north-east Syria for an official autopsy.
Ryan Lock, who was a chef, had no military experience before travelling to join the Kurdish armed fighting forces known as the YPG in August.
He had told friends and family he was going on holiday to Turkey.
He became the third British man to die fighting with the Kurds against so-called Islamic State.
Mark Campbell, a pro-Kurdish rights activist from KurdishQuestion.com, said: "Ryan's remains are now awaiting repatriation to the UK."
He added: "It is hoped that with the support of the Kurdistan regional government authorities and the UK consulate in Erbil that the process will be able to proceed without delay, although due to the political complexities of the region we expect the process may take some time."
Ryan Lock's parents, who are from Chichester, West Sussex, and Havant, Hampshire, were said to be extremely concerned about the return of their son's remains to the UK.
The father of Konstandinos Erik Scurfield, the first British man to die fighting against IS with the Kurds, visited Ryan Lock's father.
Chris Scurfield told the BBC that his own son's repatriation was paid for by the Kurds and says that they will do the same for Ryan Lock.
"As the Lock family face their son's repatriation, they will experience the British government's kind assurances of help, but only the Syrian Kurds will truly honour their fallen son with practical help and logistical assistance."
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "The UK has advised for some time against all travel to Syria.
"Anyone who does travel to these areas, for whatever reason, is putting themselves in danger."


Alex Danson has been named England women's captain for this summer's major international hockey events.

Danson, 32, will lead the side for this weekend's international matches against Argentina and Holland in London.
She will also skipper the team at July's Hockey World League in South Africa and the EuroHockey Championships in Holland the following month where England will be defending champions.
Danson won gold with Great Britain at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
"It is a huge honour to be handed this captaincy for the summer and to lead a fantastic squad in some very important tournaments," said Danson, who has 99 goals and 272 caps for England.
"We have a team full of very good leaders so in many ways I will be undertaking the exact same role as normal, and each and every one of us will give our all for the cause."
Maddie Hinch (GK), Amy Tennant (GK), Zoe Shipperley, Laura Unsworth, Sarah Haycroft, Anna Toman, Hannah Martin, Susannah Townsend, Susie Gilbert, Joie Leigh, Alex Danson (C), Emily Defroand, Sophie Bray, Hollie Webb, Ellie Watton, Shona McCallin, Lily Owsley, Jo Hunter, Nicola White, Grace Balsdon.


The UK government is to contribute £5m towards plans for a £66m revamp of Glasgow's famous Burrell Collection.

The cash was announced in the Commons by Chancellor George Osborne in his Autumn Statement and Spending Review.
The redevelopment will see the building which houses the priceless collection refurbished and extra floor space added to quadruple the number of exhibits.
The Burrell Collection is due to close to the public early next year and reopen when work is complete in 2019.
The collection bears the name of shipping entrepreneur Sir William Burrell, who died in 1958, and left his thousands of paintings, sculptures, tapestries, ceramics and stained glass to Glasgow.
A specially-commissioned building to display a portion of the collection was opened in Pollok Park in 1983.
However, the A-listed structure is now in urgent need of repair and redevelopment plans, costing between £60m and £66m, have been drawn up.
Up to half of this will be met by Glasgow City Council.
The £5m announced by the chancellor adds to the £15m pledged earlier this year by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The remainder will come from a public fundraising campaign.
When complete, the project would open three floors of exhibition space - including the basement which is currently only used by staff.
It would also mean about 90% of the 9,000-piece collection could be put on display - about four times what is currently shown.
While work is being carried out, some of the exhibits will go on loan - against the wishes of Sir William Burrell.
He gifted the collection to Glasgow with a condition they were never loaned, apparently fearing that they may be damaged in transit.
MSPs voted last year to relax that restriction, paving the way for the famous collection to go on tour while redevelopment work is completed.
Loaning out items from the collection will also bring in much-needed revenue.


St Louis Cardinals won baseball's World Series after beating Texas Rangers 6-2 in the decisive seventh game.

Both sides drove in two runs in the first innings, but Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter then began to dominate as the runs dried up for Texas.
Allen Craig's solo home run in the third put the Cardinals ahead before the Rangers bullpen contrived to walk in two more runs in the fifth.
And the hosts added another run in the seventh as they cruised to victory.
(home team listed first)
It was heartbreaking for the Rangers, who were beaten by San Francisco Giants in last year's World Series - and had been one strike away from winning 2011's Fall Classic on two occasions in
"Someone has to win, someone has to lose and the Cardinals did it," admitted Texas manager Ron Washington. "They were the better team."
The night started badly for Texas when leadoff hitter Ian Kinsler was caught stealing, but Josh Hamilton and Michael Young drove in a pair of runs as Texas got after Carpenter early on.
But the Cardinals drew level in the bottom of the first innings after Rangers starter Matt Harrison walked Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman.
The stage was set for  who steered a double into left field to score both runners and level the score at 2-2.
While Carpenter, pitching on only three days' rest, threw five scoreless innings, the hosts took the lead for the first time when Craig smashed his homer over the right field fence.
Winning the World Series is all about how you play in October, not over the whole season - and nobody's played better in October than the Cardinals. They won the wild card on the final day of the regular season and battled their way into this World Series, and they never gave up. That is the hallmark of this club, and that is why they'll be remembered as a great champion.
Craig was only starting the game as regular left fielder Matt Holliday was ruled out with a sprained right wrist he sustained in Game Six.
The Cardinals threatened another rally in the bottom of the fifth when reliever Scott Feldman walked Craig and hit Pujols with a pitch.
Berkman grounded out, but Texas gambled by intentionally walking Freese to load the bases for Yadier Molina - and it backfired as Feldman walked in a run.
That prompted Washington to lift Feldman in favour of CJ Wilson - who had started Games One and Five but began his career as a closer - and the left-hander's first pitch hit Rafael Furcal to walk in another run and leave the Rangers trailing 5-2.
Craig made a great leaping catch in front of the left-field fence to deny Nelson Cruz a home run, while Carpenter was eventually pulled early in the seventh innings as manager Tony La Russa - the master of matching pitchers with specific batters - turned to his bullpen.
"I was hoping to have an opportunity to go ahead and pitch in this game and fortunately it worked out," said Carpenter.
"It started off a little rough in the first. But I was able to collect myself, make some pitches and our guys did an awesome job to battle back."
Berkman, a Texan who was a World Series runner-up with Houston Astros in 2005, hustled well to start another Cardinals rally in the seventh innings, and this time Mike Adams was the Rangers reliever to suffer as Molina drove in Berkman to make it 6-2.
With the record 47,399 crowd joined by thousands more surrounding Busch Stadium to share the Cardinals' moment of glory, Jason Motte was handed the chance to come in as closer and retired the side in style.
Fittingly, it was Craig in left field who caught a David Murphy fly ball for the final out as St Louis wrapped up their 11th Fall Classic triumph.


Funding for Lending (FLS), the Bank of England and Treasury scheme, initially to boost bank lending to households and companies, opened for business at the beginning of August 2012.

The aim of the scheme was to increase bank lending by up to £70bn.
The government changed the rules in January 2014, with this type of funding is no longer used to support mortgage lending.
The scheme aimed to bolster the economy, by halting a downward spiral of lending and borrowing that the UK had experienced since the onset of the credit crunch and international banking crisis.
Banks and building societies are able to access the funds until the end of January 2015.
How does it work?
In essence, the Bank of England is letting commercial banks borrow funds from it cheaply, so that the banks then pass this on in the form of cheap loans to firms.
What is the point?
The point is to encourage the UK's commercial banks to borrow more money, and more cheaply than at present, so they can then in turn lend it to companies who wish to borrow.
Is it working?
The debate is fierce. Some report banks are still unwilling to lend to business. Others say businesses are unwilling to take on new debt and are paying back loans. Either way, repayments are rising faster than borrowing, leaving the latest "net" lending figure (for the first quarter of 2014) down.
So what are the mechanics of FLS?
Banks and other lenders approach the Bank of England, if they want. They swap assets they already have, such as loans, with the Bank. It in turn provides them with pieces of paper known as Treasury bills, for a four-year period.
The commercial banks are then able to use these bits of paper as top quality backing with which to borrow cash in the wholesale financial markets, from other lenders. With the Treasury's backing, the idea is that they will be able to borrow funds at very cheap rates.
How will the taxpayer be protected in this arrangement?
The collateral pledged by commercial banks will have to be worth more than the high-grade paper being offered by the Bank of England.  So, for every £1 of Treasury bills they borrow, the assets being pledged will have to be worth, say, £1.10 or £1.20. Thus if the value of that asset subsequently falls, the Bank of England will not suffer from the top slice of any loss.
What about savers?
They have suffered an unforeseen knock-on effect of FLS. The availability of cheap funds from the Bank means that lenders do not need to try so hard to attract funds from the general public, to then lend on to borrowers. That is why it is now almost impossible to find a savings account offering more than 3% interest.


A senior Welsh Conservative AM has said the Tory general election campaign was "too personal" and focused too much on Jeremy Corbyn.

The Tories had hoped to make big gains in Wales but lost three seats instead.
Darren Millar said it would have been much better for the Conservatives to have presented a "positive vision" for the future.
But David Davies, re-elected as Tory MP for Monmouth, said it was too early to say what the reasons might be.
The UK now has a hung parliament following the 8 June snap election, with the Conservatives the largest party but unable to govern as a majority.
Clwyd West AM Mr Millar told BBC Wales' general election programme: "I think one of the other things which I think we've made an error with is focusing very much on the personality that is Jeremy Corbyn.
"I don't like that sort of campaigning.
"It would have been much better presenting a positive vision for the future."
He suggested that local campaigning was why the party had done well in Wales in the 2015 general election.
He added: "I take my hat off to Jeremy Corbyn. He got out and engaged and motivated people.
"I don't think it's a bad thing that all parts of the House Commons have to be listened to in the Brexit negotiation process."
Former Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb, who was re-elected in Preseli Pembrokeshire with a majority of 314, said: "The motivations for doing this election were entirely right and proper, to strengthen the position of the United Kingdom before going into what will prove to be the most difficult set of international negotiations we've faced since the Second World War.
"Clearly something has gone wrong because the country has wanted to talk about other issues at this election time.
"They wanted to raise other concerns and there are a whole lot of new voters who were less concerned about Brexit and more concerned about issues to do with quality of life and their economic security into the future."
It was a dreadful night for Conservatives in Wales.
The bitter recriminations will now begin everywhere, and the Tory HQ in Cardiff will be no exception.
They made great play of Theresa May campaigning in Labour-held target seats in Bridgend, Wrexham and Clwyd South, and in the end they did not seriously challenge in any of them.
With hindsight, Mrs May would have been better off shoring up support in Cardiff North, Gower and Vale of Clwyd.
More from Nick


An eyewitness to a woman's close encounter with a large male orca in Shetland believes the animal mistook her for a seal.

Catriona Barr was wild swimming in the sea near Lerwick when she spotted the bull orca underneath her.
Her attention was drawn to the mammal after she noticed people on the shore were watching her.
Erik Isbister, who was watching from the shoreline, believed the orca may have mistaken Ms Barr for a seal.
The encounter happened at Da Sletts at Breiwick on Wednesday and was filmed from shore.
Ms Barr swims in the sea almost every day and said she was used to seeing people walking along the nearby shore.
She also said she was aware of the risks of swimming in the sea, but had never before come across orcas on her swims.
Ms Barr told BBC Scotland: "I was a aware of a lot of people on the banks.
"I thought they were watching me swim, but then I thought - 'well, I swim every day'.
"Then I looked underwater and there was a huge orca about five feet away swimming underneath me."
Ms Barr swam to rocks and got out of the water. She said: "It circled around a bit and then it was as if it said 'show's over' and headed to the harbour at speed."
Mr Isbister said he had his head on his hands as he watched the orca "speed" towards Ms Barr before disappearing beneath the surface.
He said the animal may have initially mistaken Ms Barr, who was wearing a wetsuit, for a seal.
Scotland has a resident pod of older orcas, but these animals are usually seen off the west coast.
However, Scottish waters are frequently visited by orca from Iceland.
In May, a pod of orca from Iceland was photographed in the Moray Firth off Findhorn, the furthest south the group has been recorded.
They were the same animals previously seen off Caithness.
The group is known in Scotland as the Northern Isles community and moves between Iceland and Scotland to hunt and raise young.