The prime minister has defended Secretary of State Theresa Villiers who has said she will be campaigning for the UK to leave the European Union.

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has said Ms Villiers should resign.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood also said Ms Villiers should step down if Northern Ireland voted to remain in the EU.
But speaking on Monday, David Cameron said she was doing an excellent job and she had made a personal decision over the EU referendum.
"She is exercising her ability to reach a personal decision and to campaign for Britain to leave the EU and that's absolutely right she is able to do that," he said.
"I think the key thing is everybody in Northern Ireland should make up their own mind based on the evidence and I look forward to coming to try to help persuade them to remain in a reformed EU."
The secretary of state has said Northern Ireland will remain in a strong position financially if the UK decides to leave the European Union.
Her stance has been supported by the Democratic Union Party, but criticised by Sinn FÃ©in and the SDLP.
The referendum on whether the UK should remain in the EU is due to be held on Thursday 23 June.
Ms Villiers said: "Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK could flourish outside the European Union and indeed that's something that the prime minister also acknowledges.
"We give, at the moment - Â£19bn a year to the EU and so we could actually, if we left, we could still afford to fund every single one of those programmes and still have significant sums left over for other priorities in Northern Ireland."
She has argued that it is time for the UK to "take back control and restore the ability to make our own laws and control our own borders in this country".
However, a previous NI secretary, Peter Hain, said Northern Ireland could be "dragged back" if the UK left the EU.
Mr Hain, who was secretary of state from May 2005 until June 2007, said he was concerned about the impact on Irish border controls.
"We have a unique situation on the island of Ireland with a border that now exists constitutionally but, in practice, is invisible to the great benefit of people on the island of Ireland, north and south," he said.
"I do not think that the existing border arrangements would be sustainable if we left the EU and that would have all sorts of very serious consequences for the peace process."


At least two people have been killed and 17 injured in a crush at South Africa's biggest stadium, football officials say.

It took place during the Soweto derby between football clubs Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates in Johannesburg.
Orlando Pirates said the crush happened when people attempted to push their way through the gates into the 87,000-capacity FNB stadium.
Authorities allowed the pre-season cup game to continue.
Public safety official Michael Sun said on Twitter that all gates at the stadium had been opened to ensure crowd control and that the situation was later brought under control.
Of the 17 injured, one is in a critical condition, the stadium managers said.
End of Twitter post  by @Orlando_Pirates
Reuters said live television coverage of the match, which Kaizer Chiefs won 1-0, showed no obvious disturbance.
The stadium served as the venue for Nelson Mandela's first speech after his release from prison in 1990, and is where the memorial for Mr Mandela was held in 2013.
It was rebuilt for the 2010 football World Cup, where it was known as Soccer City and hosted the final between Spain and the Netherlands.
In April 2001, 43 supporters died in a crush during another match between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at the Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg.
And 10 years before that, 42 people died in a crush between the same two teams at the Oppenheimer Stadium in the city of Orkney.


The head girl of one of Australia's most prestigious girls' schools has sparked debate with a speech accusing it of putting profits before students.

Sarah Haynes used her year-end speech to accuse Ravenswood School of peddling an unrealistic image of perfection.
The speech was posted to YouTube and provoked strong responses, both positive and negative, on social media.
The school said the coverage was "unfortunate" but that a legal case meant it could not comment.
Ms Haynes' sister reportedly left the school mid-year after an alleged bullying incident. Ms Haynes, 18, referred to this in the speech she made last Wednesday, but denied her criticism was part of a "vendetta".
"For a large part of this year I was hurt, betrayed and very much began to hate certain things and people within the school," she said.
She said that her speeches were "censored" after she became school captain and complained that the school appeared to provide some students with more opportunities than others.
"Some people work hard and get noticed and good on them. But some people work hard, struggle, and get overlooked.
"It seems to me that today schools are being run more and more like businesses, where everything becomes financially motivated, where more value is placed on those who provide good publicity or financial benefits."
The school issued a statement saying elements of the speech were the subject of an ongoing court case. Local media reported this involved Ms Haynes' sister.
It called the speech and subsequent media attention "unfortunate" as it distracted from the celebrations of final-year students.
"As this relates to a matter before the Courts, it is not possible for us to comment on the specifics other than to say this relates to a disagreement about disciplinary action taken against a number of students following an incident of alleged bullying," the statement said.
"Ravenswood has an overriding obligation to provide a safe and respectful learning environment for every student - and all our girls have the right to feel valued.
"This applies not only to the way girls behave towards one another but also to allowing their freedom to express individual opinions in speeches or otherwise."
Debate over the merits of the speech spilled onto Ravenswood's Facebook page, where one commenter called the speech "disgusting" and urged people to "learn the back story".
But the majority of comments was positive and heaped praise on Ms Haynes.


Kell Brook wants an all-British world title bout with Amir Khan this summer.

Unbeaten Brook defended his IBF world welterweight title on Saturday with a fourth-round victory over Romanian-born Jo Jo Dan in his hometown of Sheffield.
Promoter Eddie Hearn then called for 28-year-old Brook to fight Bolton's Khan at Wembley in June.
"There's a venue available on 13 June," Hearn said at the Motorpoint Arena. "If Amir Khan is watching, give everyone what they want."
He added: "He doesn't have an opponent and he is talking about fighting boxers lower than Kell. It's the biggest pay-day available and it's for a world title."
Brook previously said a fight with Khan was "gone for the year" and was instead focusing on a meeting the winner of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, who fight on 2 May in Las Vegas.
But Brook, fighting for the first time since he was stabbed in the leg while on holiday in Tenerife, said on Saturday he wants to fight Khan, 28, who beat Devon Alexander in his last fight before Christmas.
"If you're watching, Amir Khan, then get in here with me. I know you're delicate around the whiskers," said Brook.
Referring to his recent injury, he added: "I didn't think I would walk again, never mind box again. Now I'm here defending my title.
"I've come from a council estate, now I'm world champion. I've come from the bottom and I'm at the top."


Welsh teenager Ethan Ampadu has joined Premier League champions Chelsea from League Two club Exeter City.

The 16-year-old defender has played for Wales at under-16 and under-19 level.
He was named in Wales boss Chris Coleman's senior squad for their World Cup qualifier against Serbia in May, but did not play and is uncapped.
Ampadu made 13 Exeter appearances in 2016-17 and they hope to earn a fee for the player who came through their academy.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


An Oxford University employee has appeared in a US court accused of murdering a 26-year-old man in Chicago.

Somerville College's Andrew Warren and US professor Wyndham Lathem, 42, are accused of fatally stabbing Trenton Cornell-Duranleau in Mr Lathem's flat.
The killing on 27 July led to a US-wide eight-day manhunt for the suspects.
In San Francisco's Hall of Justice, Mr Warren, 56, declined to fight his extradition to Chicago for questioning and was remanded in custody.
Neither of the suspects has been formally charged.
The Briton appeared in baggy, orange prison-issued sweatshirt and jogging bottoms. He was filmed and photographed by the press in court.
Listening to the judge's questions assisted by a hearing aid, Mr Warren agreed he would not oppose extradition and said he would accept a public lawyer as he could not afford his own.
Judge Edward Torpoco said: "Based on the nature of the charge, the defendant is remanded and no bail is set."
Filming was permitted by the judge as Mr Warren had already been subject to extensive publicity as the subject of a manhunt.
After the hearing, his lawyer, Ariel Boyce-Smith, said: "Mr Warren is agreeable to being transported to Chicago, he wants the process to be started.
"I just want to remind everyone that he is presumed innocent and his agreement to go there to start the process is where we are now."
Mr Warren, who says online that he lives in Swindon, Wiltshire, has since been suspended from his job at Somerville College as senior treasury assistant.
Prof Lathem was a microbiology professor at Northwestern University in Illinois and specialised in the bacteria that caused the bubonic plague. He has since been sacked.
He appeared in court earlier this week and will be returned to Chicago for questioning.
Prof Lathem's lawyer said he plans to plead not guilty and he described the academic as a "gentle soul".
Earlier this month, Mr Warren handed himself in San Francisco, nearly 2,000 miles from Chicago, while Prof Lathem gave himself up in Oakland, also in California, on 4 August.
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Warrington have signed England international stand-off Kevin Brown from Super League rivals Widnes for an undisclosed transfer fee.

Brown has agreed to a two-year deal at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
The 32-year-old made 97 appearances for Vikings after joining from Huddersfield ahead of the 2013 season.
"The quality of person he is will add a whole lot to our team both on and off the field," Wolves head coach Tony Smith told the club website.


There were mixed reactions in the Egyptian media after a court in Cairo dropped murder charges against former President Hosni Mubarak and seven of his senior police officials.

Channels supportive of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi and Mubarak supporters on social media celebrated the ruling.
Privately-owned Sada al-Balad TV carried a report on Mubarak's biography, focusing on his achievements during his military career and 30 years in office.
The channel aired live interviews with the former security officials who were on trial. One of them, Adli Fayid, praised the court for "enforcing justice" and thanked the "great Egyptian judiciary". Another, Usama al-Marasi, said he received the ruling with "great joy".
Both private al-Mihwar TV and ON TV Live showed footage of Mubarak supporters celebrating the ruling outside the court.
Mubarak's supporters on social media also congratulated him. "I am Sorry Mr President," a Facebook page, which has more than 1.6m likes, said: "He prayed to God to make him victorious after he was facing injustice."
State-run Mena news agency reported mixed scenes outside the court: While Mubarak's supporters celebrated the ruling and "raised flags joyfully", the relatives of those killed during the protests were in a "complete shock".
After the ruling, various media outlets wondered who was to blame for the protesters' deaths, if it was not Mubarak or his security chiefs. While the pro-Sisi channels tried to blame the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), channels supportive of the Islamist group still blamed Mubarak for the killings.
Interviewed in the studio of state Channel 1 TV, legal expert Ali Hasan wondered "who killed protesters in Tahrir Square" and hinted that the Muslim Brotherhood was involved.
In a live interview with Sada al-Balad TV, Umar al-Faramawi, one of the police officials who stood trial, blamed "infiltrators among the protesters" for carrying out the killings.
On the other hand, pro-Muslim Brotherhood media blamed Mubarak and his senior officials over the killing of demonstrators during the 25 January protests.
"Who killed the demonstrators of the 25 January revolution?" asked a presenter on pro-MB Mikamilin TV. Answering the question, pro-Morsi judge Muhammad Awad said: "It was Mubarak and his gang."
Opposition and MB activists described the entire trial as a "farce". They posted pictures on social media showing Mubarak laughing, as a sarcastic way of showing their rejection of the ruling.
"Acquittal of the killers of the January revolutionaries," read a news caption on Mikammilin TV.
Describing the entire trial as a "farce", Justice Muhammad Awad told Mikammilin TV that there were signs that charges against Mubarak would be dropped because none of the police officers facing similar charges had been convicted.
"Most of Egyptian judges will go to hell," said Mikammilin TV presenter as he criticised the judge for dropping charges against Mubarak and other defendants.
"Down with the rule of al-Sisi-Mubarak," read a wall post on the Facebook page of the 6 April Youth Movement, a pro-opposition activist group.
In a tweet, prominent liberal opposition figure Ayman Nur urged "January partners" to unite and offered "condolences to the martyrs' families and January revolutionaries".
BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.


Leeds Rhinos have signed Catalans Dragons half-back Richie Myler on a three-year deal, starting next season.

The 27-year-old has scored 10 tries in 19 Super League appearances this term for the struggling Dragons.
The England international said: "I am delighted to have signed for the Rhinos and can't wait to get started when I join up with the boys at the end of the season.
"Leeds is a big club and a club that is always fighting for silverware."


A poster campaign aimed at tackling harassment in the Army has been welcomed by the mother of a soldier who killed herself after being bullied.

Cpl Anne-Marie Ellement was bullied for two years after accusing two colleagues of rape. She took her life in 2011.
Her mother, Alexandra Barritt, said: "I don't want to feel like she's died in vain and she's wasted her life."
She now wants her daughter to feature on the posters, which the Army says it will consider when more are produced.
Cpl Ellement, from Bournemouth, endured two years of bullying and harassment by colleagues who accused her of being a liar.
She took her own life, aged 30, in October 2011 at Bulford Barracks in Wiltshire.
Ms Barritt said: "I hope that no-one else who reports sexual assault ever has to go through what she went through: calling her names, banging on her door, shouting out abuse."
Her mother secured a second inquest into her death in 2014, which found bullying was a factor in her suicide.
A court martial in April cleared former soldiers Jeremy Jones and Thomas Fulton of rape - which they had both denied - but they were told by the judge their behaviour was "disgraceful" and "extremely unpleasant".
The Army has now produced a series of posters featuring images of sexual assault, intimidation, inappropriate touching and bullying among soldiers.
"They're shocking images and I think anyone who's bullying and who looks at those photos might think, 'Is that me?' and what it would feel like to be the other person on the receiving end," added Ms Barritt.
Head of Army personal services, Brigadier John Donnelly, said: "I think the tragic death of Ann-Marie Ellement... has really made people far more aware of it and I think everyone is doing all that they possibly can to prevent a reoccurrence of it."
The posters all feature models dressed as soldiers but Cpl Ellement's mother wants her daughter on them.
"Not only would it be a tribute to her but it would hammer the message home to see a real person who's been through that on the posters."


Directors of the top 100 listed UK companies now earn 120 times the average sum earned by their employees, according to a report by Incomes Data Services (IDS).

Executive pay has escalated far faster than average pay. In 2000, bosses of top companies earned 47 times more.
IDS said a director now typically earns Â£2.43m a year. Official figures put the average annual salary at Â£27,000.
This year bosses' pay rose by more than a fifth, IDS said.
IDS said the rise was driven by a 44% rise in share awards, which were given as long-term incentives.
Bonuses were also up, by 12%, although basic salaries were Â£822,300, up by a far more muted 2.5%. That, though, is still some three times the size of average wage rises.
The latest official figures show that, excluding bonuses, average earnings in the May to July period rose by 0.7% from a year earlier; including bonuses, they rose by 0.6%.
The IDS report shows that the long-term impact of years of high earnings growth has widened the pay differential between FTSE 100 chief executives and the rest of the workforce.
It found that between 2000 and 2014 the median total earnings for FTSE 100 bosses rose by 278%, while the corresponding rise in total earnings for full-time employees was 48%.
Steve Tatton, editor of the IDS report, said: "The pattern of pay growth highlights the complex make-up of directors' remuneration.
"Salary rises may be modest but this can be more than made up for by the receipt of incentive payments. When such incentives pay out, they can pay out substantial sums, giving a significant boost to directors' earnings."
The best paid chief executives were in media, marketing and telecoms, while the lowest were in retail and distribution.


A veteran poet from Powys has won the prestigious Roland Mathias Prize.

The Â£3,000 prize has been awarded to Ruth Bidgood for her latest collection of poetry, Time Being.
Ms Bidgood, 88, who lives near Llanwrtyd Wells, has been publishing poetry more than five decades.
The Roland Mathias Prize has been awarded biennially in the fields of poetry, short stories, literary criticism and Welsh history.
In future years, it is to be incorporated into the Wales Book of the Year.
The chair of the judging panel, Glyn Mathias said: "We felt this was the crowning collection of her long career.
"It is so evocative of place and time, and she packs such an emotional punch. The quality of writing is sustained throughout, and yet she makes it look so easy."
Ms Bidgood was awarded the prize during a ceremony in Roland Mathias' home town of Brecon, supported by BBC Wales and hosted by Nicola Heywood Thomas, presenter of Radio Wales' Arts Show.
The Roland Mathias Prize was established in honour of the poet and author who died in 2007.


Scottish Labour will never support independence, the party is set to confirm in its manifesto.

The document, to be revealed in Edinburgh, stated the Labour movement "offers the hope and the contemporary solutions to society's problems".
Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale accused the SNP government at Holyrood of prioritising independence over day-to-day governance.
She called on the SNP to respect the verdict of the 2014 referendum.
In her manifesto foreword, Ms Dugdale wrote: "Labour is the only party which knows it is the power of the whole UK working in partnership which benefits the many, not the few - that is at the root of our belief that together we're stronger.
"That is why Labour opposes independence and a second divisive independence referendum. Independence is not the answer to dealing with Scotland's flagging economy or our pressured public services."
The manifesto states that another vote on independence is "unwanted and unnecessary", and with Labour pledging to "campaign tirelessly to ensure that Scotland remains part of the UK".
"The SNP needs to respect the verdict of the majority of Scots in 2014 and abandon its divisive plan to re-run the referendum," it says.
Scottish Labour's focus on its opposition to independence comes as both the SNP and the Scottish Conservatives have sought to define the election as a two-horse race between their parties.
The Tories, who have squeezed Ms Dugdale's party into third place, have repeatedly led their campaigning on a hardline message of opposing another referendum.
Scottish Labour's manifesto will also include a series of pledges aimed at delivering "transformative change" in Scotland.
These include commitments to bring forward Member's Bills on banning MSPs from holding paid second jobs, extending breakfast clubs into every primary school, banning onshore fracking, improving access to sanitary products to tackle "period poverty" and scrapping the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act.
Scottish Labour won one Scottish seat in the 2015 General Election.
Labour's UK manifesto also confirmed it opposed an independence referendum.
UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has previously said it would be wrong for Westminster to block a second referendum if the Scottish Parliament voted in favour of one.
Writing in the manifesto foreword, Mr Corbyn said: "In Scotland, child poverty is increasing, the number of those working but still classified as poor is at its highest level since devolution, and health inequalities stubbornly persist. Rather than tackle poverty, the SNP obsesses over another reckless referendum that threatens people's futures.
"Labour is opposed to independence because it would inflict turbo-charged austerity on the Scottish people. We will stand firm in our opposition to a second referendum because we know that together we're stronger and unity is still our strength.
"Historically, it has been the solidarity and common endeavour of our Labour and trade union movement that has transformed the lives of the many, not the few, in our great country.
"Just as it has always been the case, only our movement offers the hope and the contemporary solutions to society's problems. Nationalism, in whatever form, does not."
The Scottish Conservatives, who launched their manifesto last week, will be campaigning in the south of Scotland to promote the new Borderlands Growth Deal.
The SNP will launch its manifesto on Tuesday.


Owen Smith says he will carry on speaking out from the backbenches if he loses the party's leadership contest.

"I will continue to make these arguments - I am not going anywhere," said Mr Smith, saying he was determined to make Labour "electable".
He also said the leadership contest had been "bitter and bruising" for the participants and the party.
Labour announces its new leader on Saturday in Liverpool, with Mr Smith aiming to unseat leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Mr Smith told BBC Breakfast he would still be "fighting up until the last minute", saying he still believed "we have an opportunity to save the Labour Party".
If Mr Corbyn wins, he said it would be "Groundhog Day" and the party would still be divided. He said that he would not serve in Mr Corbyn's shadow cabinet but would speak up from the backbenches, adding that he was "absolutely determined that the Labour Party needs to have people fighting to unite the party but crucially people who are determined to make us electable".
Labour's divisions are likely to be highlighted at the party's ruling executive committee meeting, which is considering proposed rule changes that could alter the balance of power within the party.
The NEC is expected to consider a suggestion for MPs, not the leader, to elect the shadow cabinet, while deputy leader Tom Watson wants the leadership election rules changed, to exclude registered supporters who pay a one-off fee to vote.
Mr Corbyn is expected to call for a wider review of internal party democracy, which could include giving a stronger voice to members.


Nurses, pharmacists, dentists and midwives coming to Britain from the EU could face language skills checks to make sure they are fluent in English under plans being put out to consultation.

Currently, such tests apply only to overseas non-European applicants.
Language checks for doctors from Europe have already been introduced.
Health Minister Dan Poulter said the measures were aimed at protecting patient safety.
The risk of a healthcare professional not being fluent in English was highlighted by a lethal mistake made by Dr Daniel Ubani, a German doctor doing an out-of-hours shift who gave a lethal dose of a painkiller to patient David Gray in 2008.
At the time, as a German citizen, he was able to register to work in the UK without passing a language test.
The changes would mean the relevant regulatory bodies of each profession would be able to undertake language checks on all new applicants, as well as fitness-to-practise action if there were concerns about employees already working.
Dr Poulter said: "We greatly value the contributions that healthcare professionals from all over the world have contributed, and continue to contribute, to our NHS but it is essential that they have a sufficient knowledge of the English language in order to provide safe patient care.
"Ministers from the four UK health departments are firmly committed to improving public protection by preventing healthcare professionals who do not have sufficient knowledge of English from working in the UK."
The consultation will close on 15 December 2014.


Cuban President Raul Castro and US President Barack Obama sparred over human rights issues including the American prison at Guantanamo Bay and Cuba's political prisoners.

At a historic news conference, Mr Castro said if he was given a list of political prisoners, he would "release them tonight".
The White House has said it has given Cuba lists of dissidents in the past.
Mr Castro does not view the prisoners as dissidents, US officials said.
That disagreement is central to the conflict between US and Cuban officials.
More needs to be done to lift the US embargo on trade with Cuba, Mr Castro said, adding that the Guantanamo Bay detention camp must close.
Mr Obama, the first serving US president to visit Cuba since 1959, said the trade embargo would be fully lifted.
"Cuba's destiny will not be decided by the United States or any other nation... The future of Cuba will be decided by Cubans not by anybody else," Mr Obama said.
Mr Obama and first lady Michelle Obama were later welcomed at a state dinner, along with some members of US Congress and senior White House staff.
The Failde Youth Band entertained the guests, who dined on shrimp mousse, cream soup flavoured with rum, and traditional pork with rice and plantain chips. Waiters passed round Cuban cigars after dinner.
Earlier on Monday, Mr Castro defended Cuba's record on human rights and pointed to problems in the US.
"We defend human rights, in our view civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights are indivisible, inter-dependent and universal," Mr Castro said.
Mr Castro is not usually subject to any aggressive questioning from reporters and called the prisoners question "not polite", later ending the news conference by saying "I think this is enough".
"Actually we find it inconceivable that a government does not defend and ensure the right to healthcare, education, social security, food provision and development," he said.
Speaking to ABC News after the conference with Mr Castro, Mr Obama did not directly say he would be giving Mr Castro a list of political prisoners.
"We have given them a lists in the past and they have responded intermittently to our engagement," he said. "And this I think is an example of why it was my belief that this would be a more successful mechanism for us to advance the values that we care about than an embargo and silence and no communications."
President Obama and his aides hoped that the Cuban President, Raul Castro, would approach the news conference with an open mind.
The White House officials also hoped that Mr Castro would be receptive to new ideas and to new ways of doing things. Specifically, the US officials hoped that he'd take questions from reporters. Surprisingly enough, he did, marking a departure from his past.
The two men joked around during the question-and-answer period, and they worked out some of their differences. When one of Mr Castro's aides interrupted his boss during the conference, for example, Mr Obama looked annoyed. But he and Mr Castro moved on, talking about the future of Cuba.
In a similar way, Mr Obama and his aides hope they can overcome other issues, including difficult ones such as human rights, as they forge a new relationship between the two countries.
Mr Obama could not say exactly when the trade embargo would be lifted, but recognised it was necessary.
"The reason is what we did for 50 years did not serve our interests or the interests of the Cuban people," he said.
His administration has done what it can on lifting trade restrictions, he said, but further action will require Congress which is "not as productive in an election year".
He also said further easing of the trade embargo will depend on actions Cuba takes on human rights.
Six sticking points to better relations - Guantanamo Bay, human rights and media freedoms are among the unresolved issues
Cuba's DIY economy - A new generation of Cuban entrepreneurs are launching private businesses
Internet access still restricted in Cuba - Only about 5% of Cubans have web access at home
Mr Obama said it is not just Cuba that the US has "deep disagreements" about human rights with - it also has disagreements with China and Vietnam.
"I believe if I engage frankly, clearly, stating our beliefs but I can't force change on any country -  it ultimately has to come from within - that is a more useful strategy,"  he said. "I have faith in people".
Reporters described the press conference as "tense" and "remarkable".
Karla Olivares, an independent journalist from Cuba, told the BBC that Mr Castro "talked more than usual" and the claim that Cuba does not have any political prisoners was "complicated".
Before the speech, it was announced that Google was opening an online technology centre for free Internet access at much higher speeds than what is available on the island now.
Google hopes the centre will be part of a larger effort to improve Internet access in Cuba.


WBA world featherweight champion Carl Frampton is at the "pinnacle" of boxing going into a rematch with Leo Santa Cruz, says his manager Barry McGuigan.

Frampton, 29, faces former champion Santa Cruz in Las Vegas on Saturday, after claiming the Mexican's title in a thrilling fight in New York in July.
It will be the Northern Irishman's first fight at the MGM Grand Arena.
"I said Carl had the ability to go all the way, and certain people in the game laughed," McGuigan told Radio 5 live.
"It's childish and frivolous to now laugh at them because it's pointless. We just want to win."
Frampton's points victory in July was the first defeat of Santa Cruz's career, with several publications including Ring Magazine and ESPN naming Frampton as the fighter of 2016.
"The pinnacle of the fight game is headlining the strip and that's what Carl is doing," said McGuigan, whose son Shane is Frampton's trainer.
In the build-up to Frampton's first fight with Santa Cruz, the majority of US boxing pundits backed the Mexican to continue his undefeated career, only for the Belfast fighter to stun the three-weight world champion.
Frampton and McGuigan both expect Santa Cruz, 28, to be more aggressive this time but think that could work to Frampton's advantage.
"Although he's taller than me, I'm going to be the bigger man on the night and he can't bully me," said Frampton.
"That's where he gets his success, he bullies people, but he can't do that to me. I'm hurting him and making him think twice and he's never been in that position before."
McGuigan added: "If Santa Cruz wants to win this fight he's got to put pressure on Carl and he's got to overwhelm him.
"But by doing that he's putting himself in the firing zone and I really do think if he does that then Carl will knock him out."
BBC Radio 5 live boxing correspondent Mike Costello
Santa Cruz is a tricky old opponent. We saw him running Carl Frampton close in the first contest. We should remember one of the three judges scored the contest a draw and it was regarded by many as the fight of the year.
Santa Cruz showed in that fight the kind of mettle that had earned him world titles in three different weight divisions across his professional career.
He's won 11 of his 12 world title fights - the Frampton defeat his only one.
He's beaten seven world champions. He's got a typical Mexican style - all-out aggression is what it's based on.
This time around he's got his father very much part of the camp. He was in and out last time because he was receiving treatment for cancer. He says that will have a huge difference because his father will have a better game plan as opposed to his brother, who was in his corner last time.
Frampton says he expects about 5,000 fans to make the trip across the Atlantic to support him, with some fans resorting to extreme lengths to fund their journey.
"I know this guy Keith Dallas - he sold his car and bought his wife another car, which wasn't as good, to raise the funds for this trip," said Frampton.
"This is the stuff they're doing - there's a guy coming from Australia to watch the fight as well. It's not easy to get to Las Vegas, it's expensive and it makes me more appreciative of the effort people are putting in to get out here."
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live, boxing journalist Steve Bunce said the build-up to the rematch reminded him of the atmosphere surrounding the fights of British former light-welterweight world champion Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas.
Hatton fought three times at the MGM Grand in his career, beating Paulie Malignaggi there in 2008 and losing to Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao in 2007 and 2009 respectively.
Bunce said: "I did those Hatton fights. It's one thing having 2,000 or 3,000 people there like Frank Bruno had, like Lennox Lewis had, but to be there for Ricky, the big Ricky fights, everywhere you turned and looked there were British fans. And that's something Carl will get."
Explaining Frampton's decision to move up from super-bantamweight, where he had unified the IBF and WBA titles by beating Briton Scott Quigg, McGuigan said his fighter had reached a point where it was becoming "miserable" for him to make the 122lb weight limit.
"The comfort at which he makes the weight now and how he can rehydrate and get stronger, he's a beast at 126lbs," he added.
Frampton echoed his manager's view, stating he felt in "better spirits" at featherweight, having "hated" fight week at super-bantamweight.
"It was a slog but now I'm enjoying it more and you're going to see even better performances because of that," he said.
"I think I can go up another weight too - become a world champion at that weight and I go down as a three-weight world champion, the only ever Irishman to do that, and then you're talking about the hall of fame and that's a big deal."
Frampton said he has no plans "to go on forever" and that he "can't wait" to retire, to the consternation of his trainer and manager.
"When it's time to call it a day, I'll call it a day," he said.
"My close-knit team will say the same, if they see me sliding or not improving any more then it's time to get out and get out on top.
"When it's time to call it a day, I'll be happy to support the next big name coming through - hopefully it's another Belfast lad coming to Las Vegas and I'll be right behind him."


A new "family bus" to encourage children to visit family and friends behind bars at Polmont has been launched by the Church of Scotland.

The number of children visiting the young offenders institution near Falkirk has fallen by 20% since 2012.
Statistics suggest prisoners who are able to maintain good family bonds are far less likely to reoffend.
The interior and exterior of the renovated double-decker bus was designed by Polmont inmates.
The Church of Scotland is lead partner in the National Prison Visitor Centres Steering Group, and their support workers at Polmont drove forward the bus project.
The 16-year-old former rental vehicle has been customised to include a kitchen, toilet and baby changing area, with a wide-screen television and internet access for relatives.
Blackpool Design Company refurbished the bus and donated bean bags and games for visiting children.
Experts claim that prisoners who maintain their family bonds while incarcerated are almost six times less likely to re-offend.
Marie Cairns. manager of the family visitor centre at HMP Polmont, said visiting a relative in prison could be a frightening experience for children in particular.
She said: "The aim of the family hub and bus is to support families as they support their young family member in Polmont.
"We see first-hand the emotional upset which is caused to parents and family members when a young person is incarcerated.
"Families have to travel from all over Scotland to visit. They are often using public transport and bringing young children.
"We try and offer a warm welcome and provide a hand of friendship which will hopefully make their visit a little less stressful."
The number of young people aged 17 and under who visit prisons in Scotland has remained steady over the past three years, at about 50,000 visitors per year.
However, the number of juveniles visiting HMP Polmont has decreased by 20%, from 4,351 in 2012 to 3,481 in 2014.
* Data for 2014 runs from 1 January to 9 December


Late-night talks failed to break the deadlock over a landmark EU-Canada trade deal, as Belgium's Wallonia region reiterated its objections.

The 28 EU leaders will discuss the draft Ceta deal shortly in Brussels.
All of them, including Belgium's national government, back it. But Wallonia says Ceta is a threat to farmers and welfare standards.
That is blocking the signing of Ceta, which has put the EU's credibility at stake in trade negotiations.
Walloon PM Paul Magnette is to hold further talks with Canada's International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland on Friday, Belgian RTBF News reports.
Mr Magnette said: "We sense a willingness among our Canadian friends to make more concessions."
There are doubts about a planned signing ceremony on 27 October.
The European Commission, in charge of the EU's negotiations, has refused to unpick the text which was agreed with Canada in 2014.
Some EU leaders, including European Council President Donald Tusk, have voiced frustration that French-speaking Wallonia, with a population of just 3.6m, is delaying a deal that took seven years to negotiate.
European Parliament briefing on Ceta
There is much international interest in Ceta, the EU's most ambitious trade deal to date.
Some UK politicians see it as a potential model for a Brexit deal with the EU.
But Wallonia has echoed the fears of anti-globalisation activists who say Ceta and deals like it give too much power to multinational companies - power even to intimidate governments.
Meanwhile, the EU Council Summit is continuing in Brussels - but an EU official close to the talks said the summit was happening "very much in the shadow of Ceta".
EU leaders could only "facilitate" but not participate directly in Wallonia's discussions, he said.
In their talks on Friday the leaders are seeking to strike the right balance between free trade and preventing unfair competition.
A row about the scale of imported Chinese steel in the EU has heightened their concerns. European steel producers accuse China of unfair practices.
The European Commission, which steers trade policy, says the EU needs to tighten its anti-dumping rules. But the UK is part of a blocking minority opposed to the Commission's reform plan. The UK says tariffs must not be "disproportionate".
The Commission has urged the leaders to adopt its 2013 reform of "trade defence instruments" to allow higher tariffs to be imposed.
The European Parliament also says the EU needs "a modernised set of rules on par with other world powers" to make fair trade work.


Britain's Johanna Konta saw off former world number one Caroline Wozniacki with a stunning display to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open.

Konta, seeded ninth, won nine games in a row on her way to beating the Danish 17th seed 6-3 6-1 in 75 minutes.
It was an eighth successive victory for the Briton, who won the title in Sydney in the build-up to Melbourne.
Konta, 25, will face Ekaterina Makarova next after the Russian upset sixth seed Dominika Cibulkova 6-2 6-7 (3-7) 6-3.
"We played in the fourth round here last year and I think it was 8-6 in the third, so I am expecting a battle," Konta said.
"It will be tough, just like against anyone in any match, you don't have any easy matches any more."
Six-time champion Serena Williams - a potential quarter-final opponent for Konta - earlier beat fellow American Nicole Gibbs 6-1 6-3.
"I think if she keeps playing like this, then she has good chances against Serena," Wozniacki said of Konta.
"Serena has won so many Grand Slams and she's been in tough positions. But I think Johanna is playing on a very high level right now."
After a tight start to the contest on Margaret Court Arena, Konta took control midway through the first set and powered away from Wozniacki.
The British number one's consistent aggression on serve, return and off the ground left the Dane struggling to find an answer.
A thumping drive volley gave Konta the first break of serve in game seven and she got the better of the Wozniacki serve once again to clinch the set.
A bewildered Wozniacki double-faulted twice to fall behind in the second set and in the end she did well to get on the scoreboard at all after going 5-0 down.
There was the odd sign of nerves from Konta as she closed in on victory but after double-faulting on her first match point, she converted the second to end the day with 31 winners to Wozniacki's six.
"I definitely played at a high level today," Konta said.
"Caroline really makes you work for it and doesn't give you anything so I am happy with my level.
"I knew it would be incredibly tough and I wanted to assert myself from the get go and play the match I wanted to play. What an amazing crowd, you guys were incredible."
Russell Fuller, BBC tennis correspondent
Konta's Australian Open challenge is gathering some serious momentum. Always aggressive from the baseline, she hit 31 winners against an opponent who is very quick across the court and one of the best on tour at getting balls back in court.
Konta has now won eight matches and 16 sets in a row, and if she can get past Makarova in the fourth round, she is likely to face the ultimate test of Serena Williams after that.


A video has been posted online showing British man Abdul Waheed Majid, who is thought to have carried out a suicide bombing in Syria, the BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner has said.

The 41-year-old, from Crawley, West Sussex, is believed to have bombed a jail in Aleppo on 6 February.
The footage shows Majid next to a large armoured truck bomb that was driven into the walls of the prison.
His family said they believed he was in Syria for humanitarian purposes.
Anti-terror police searched Majid's house in Langley Green on Wednesday.
Officials have not confirmed his identity citing a lack of DNA evidence, although community sources in Crawley have confirmed to Mr Gardner that Majid is the man in the video.
Mr Gardner said: "The 43-minute video clearly shows Mr Majid from Crawley in Sussex, dressed in white next to the large armoured truck bomb, which he is believed to have driven into the walls of Aleppo prison on 6 February."
Majid is believed to have been responsible for the prison attack that resulted in inmates escaping.
By Frank GardnerBBC security correspondent
This video provides the final chilling proof that a Sussex man, loved by his family and friends, chose to blow himself up in Syria in the cause of jihad.
Abdul Waheed Majid told them he was going for humanitarian reasons.
But the video, apparently filmed in a wood in northern Syria last week, clearly shows him surrounded by armed jihadist fighters and next to the armoured truck bomb later rammed into the walls of Aleppo prison and detonated.
The suicide bombing has alarmed counter terrorism officials here in Britain as they fear that other jihadists who go out to Syria may come into contact with hardcore al-Qaeda operatives who may urge them to turn their attentions away from the Syrian regime and instead attack targets in the West.
The bombing, in the north of Syria, is thought to have been the first carried out in the country by a Briton.
People living near Majid's home told the BBC he left some weeks ago for Syria.
An al-Qaeda-linked rebel group, the al-Nusra Front, had named Majid by an alias - Abu Suleiman al-Britani.
Counter-terrorism police raided a second house in Crawley on Thursday, which was believed to have been occupied by one of Majid's close friends.
That house is also the former home of schoolgirl Sarah Payne's killer Roy Whiting, according to neighbours.
The South East Counter Terrorism Unit said there had been no arrests following the searches in Crawley.
The Manchester home of student Abu Layth has also been searched by police. He is believed to have been killed while fighting in Syria.
Inquiries are continuing into how Layth, whose family name is Khalid Raoufi, died. Greater Manchester Police have confirmed his family is not under investigation.


Ni ddylai Tŷ'r Arglwyddi oedi neu newid y Mesur Brexit, yn ôl cyn uwch-swyddog Seneddol.

Fe bleidleisiodd ASau'r wythnos ddiwethaf, o fwyafrif o bedwar i un, i roi'r pŵer i'r Prif Weinidog i danio Erthygl 50 gan ddechrau'r broses o adael yr UE.
Mae disgwyl i'r Arglwyddi drafod y mesur ddydd Llun.
Ond dywedodd un aelod o Dŷ'r Arglwyddi, Yr Arglwydd Llysfaen wrth raglen y Sunday Supplement ar BBC Radio Wales y byddai'n "hynod o annoeth" i fynd yn erbyn ewyllys Aelodau Seneddol.
Dywedodd: "Os bydd y tŷ etholedig wedi penderfynu peidio â diwygio'r mesur, yna ni ddylai'r tŷ sydd heb eu hethol wneud hynny."
Dywedodd Yr Arglwydd Llysfaen, sy'n hanu o Gaerdydd, fod y ddadl ar fesur Brexit yn Nhŷ'r Cyffredin wedi cyflawni'r hyn y dylai fod wedi gwneud, drwy amlygu materion sy'n codi yn y mesur gyda gweinidogion sy'n gorfod amddiffyn eu sefyllfa.
Fodd bynnag, dywedodd yr Arglwydd Llysfaen y gallai Arglwyddi gymryd y cyfle i ofyn i ASau i "feddwl eto" ar y sefyllfa ynglŷn â phobl o'r UE sy'n byw yn y DU.
Mae disgwyl i ddwsinau o aelodau Tŷ'r Arglwyddi siarad o blaid ac yn erbyn cynlluniau Llywodraeth y DU yn y ddadl.
Mae'r Prif Weinidog, Theresa May yn awyddus i ddechrau trafodaethau Brexit yn ffurfiol gyda'r UE erbyn diwedd mis Mawrth.
Mae modd gwrando i'r cyfweliad llawn ar raglen Sunday Supplement ar wefan iPlayer y BBC.


A Star Wars fan who walked to the tops of Snowdon and Ben Nevis while dressed as a stormtrooper plans to tackle England's tallest mountain.

Ashley Broomhall hopes to make the trek on Wednesday, the date of which - May the fourth- is often linked to the Star Wars phrase "May the force..."
He will wear his stormtrooper armour for the walk up 3,208ft (978m) Scafell Pike in the Lake District.
Mr Broomhall wore the costume for the treks up the two taller peaks.
It took him seven hours to walk up and down 4,406ft (1,344m) Ben Nevis near Fort William. On the way up he had a snowball fight with other walkers.
Before Ben Nevis, he tackled 3,560ft (1,085m) Snowdon in Snowdonia, Wales.
Mr Broomhall, from Whitchurch in Shropshire, has been doing the walks to raise money for Cancer Research UK and Lingen Davies Cancer Relief Fund.
He set himself the peaks challenge after his mother, Janet, was diagnosed with cancer.
The 28-year-old said: "My mum is now a year in remission and everything has gone brilliantly after her treatments.
"Unfortunately my auntie, Sue Toms, has also been diagnosed with breast cancer and, unlike my mum who just needed radiotherapy after her operation to remove the cancer, she has had to go through chemotherapy to shrink the lump down before her operation.
"Her operation is scheduled for next week and my mum will be going down to Cornwall to be with her and help."
He added: "We are all keeping our fingers crossed and because of my mum's experiences with her cancer she has been able to help my aunt and understand what she is going through."
Mr Broomhall has been a member of Star Wars costuming club the 501st UK Garrison for about six years.
Members attend events across the UK dressed in "movie-accurate" costumes to raise funds for charity.


A woman has appeared in court charged with attempted murder following an incident in Aberdeenshire.

Grace Wilson, or Fullerton, 59, made no plea when she appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and was remanded in custody.
A 63-year-old man was injured in the incident which happened at an address in the Brimmond Crescent area of Westhill last Tuesday.


The health of children in Scotland is among the worst in Europe, according to a major new study.

An "alarming" gap between rich and poor is risking the health of the youngest generation, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) report warns.
It calls for bold action on smoking, obesity and child poverty.
The Scottish government said it was committed to ensuring the best start in life for children.
And it hailed progress in changing relationships with tobacco and alcohol, with the report showing a decline in the number of young people smoking and drinking.
Critics said the report proved that "dramatic action" was needed to safeguard the health of children in Scotland.
The key findings of the study include:
The report looks at 25 health rates including asthma, diabetes and epilepsy, as well as obesity, breastfeeding and mortality, to provide a snapshot of health and wellbeing.
It says Scotland leads the way with high vaccination rates, few cases of tooth decay and a decline in suicide rates among young people.
But the report adds: "Child health in Scotland is amongst the poorest in western Europe."
It found that children who live in poverty in Scotland are more likely to be overweight or obese, have a mother who smoked during pregnancy, and be exposed to alcohol or drug misuse.
210,000
Children live in poverty in Scotland
400 Children and infants die each year - a "significant" number are potentially avoidable.
27% of all children in Scotland are overweight or obese.
29% of pregnant women in deprived areas are smokers.
15.4% of mothers in deprived areas were exclusively breastfeeding after six weeks.
Dr Steve Turner, RCPCH officer for Scotland, told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "We are making progress. Children are healthier now than they were 10, 20 years ago but compared to other countries in the EU, we're not doing so good.
"Our improvements are slower. And the focus here has to be on the inequalities. We live in a society where the health of children in the most affluent communities is remarkably good and comparable to the best levels of health anywhere else in the world.
"But if you look at the state of health of children in our poorest communities, the story is pretty rubbish. We have to do better for these children."
He highlighted Scotland's good vaccination rates and a falling number of suicides. But he added: "The overall picture is rather bleak and there's an awful lot the government needs to do."
Dr Turner said government should consider children every time they put a new policy in place and he called on ministers to implement more child health targets.
"I would encourage them to consider setting other targets which can be measured and have a deadline," he said.
"So for example, a target to reduce obesity by a certain proportion by 2020, a target to reduce child deaths by 2020. We can't just sit tight and watch these numbers going the wrong way."
He said government, health care services, social services and individuals needed to take responsibility for improving children's health.
"Doing nothing is not an option," he said. "We have to be passionate about our children. We have to look after them, we have to nurture them, we have to give them an environment that will be good for them."
The RCPCH report recommends extending the smoking ban to school grounds, sports fields and playgrounds, raising awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding, and measuring child health rates more regularly.
It suggests taking steps to implement 20mph zones in built up areas to create more safe places for children to walk, cycle and play, and to reduce the proximity of fast food outlets to schools, colleges and leisure centres.
John Dickie, the director of the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, suggested increasing child benefit payments by Â£5 a week.
That move would lift 30,000 children out of poverty and improve their health as a consequence, he told BBC Radio Scotland.
"The fundamental problem is poverty and the fundamental solution is about ensuring that fewer families in Scotland are living in poverty," he added.
Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell said she discussed the report with its authors last week.
Speaking on Good Morning Scotland, she defended the government's record, pointing to success in tackling smoking and in increasing early years childcare provision.
She said: "We're taking actions in all areas already but what we need to do is work out where more action is required.
"The first minister has also outlined in her programme for government that we'll be taking forward a child poverty bill, that's in stark contrast to the UK government's approach around repealing child poverty targets."
She said she was "refreshing" the government's strategy on obesity and it would shortly be put out to consultation.
Asked whether the government would consider topping up child benefit, she replied: "We are wanting to do what we can around the new powers that we're getting around welfare reform.
"We're already mitigating the impacts of the bedroom tax, we're already doing a number of things to soften the blow of welfare reforms in the UK.
"What we need to do with the new powers is make sure that those powers can maximise household budgets, can maximise the opportunities that our young people have in life and make sure we have a steely focus on ensuring that young people get their fair chance to flourish, and make improvements on the statistics that we see today"
However, the Scottish government came in for criticism from opposition parties.
Miles Briggs, of the Scottish Conservatives, said it was proof that the SNP was doing little to tackle key health issues across Scotland.
He added: "It can hit back with all the spin it wants, but the truth of the matter is that the SNP has been in charge for ten years now and these hugely concerning findings lie firmly at the Nationalists' door.
"It's evident the SNP is unable to create credible plans for improvement, but it must reflect very seriously upon the recommendations included in the RCPCH report."
Scottish Labour's inequalities spokeswoman Monica Lennon described the findings as "simply appalling".
"This report highlights the failings of the SNP's decade in power to halt the impact deprivation has on a raft of health and wellbeing issues from smoking to breastfeeding," she said.
"Another Â£327m of cuts to schools and social care departments across Scotland will only make this worse. We need to take a different path."


British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland says his side have to resolve their scrummaging issues, after Tuesday's loss to the Highlanders.

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The Lions pack conceded a couple of crucial penalties towards the end of the 23-22 defeat in Dunedin.
Gatland says Australian Angus Gardner refereed the game differently to how France's Mathieu Raynal handled the Lions' win over the Crusaders.
"Maybe we can get all the Frenchmen in charge of the games," Gatland joked.
"We've gone from single figures [penalties conceded] on Saturday to double figures.
"That really hurt us. We have to make sure we are better in those moments because that's the difference between sometimes winning and losing games."
The Lions led 22-13 in the second half before conceding 10 unanswered points to lose for the second time on tour.
The tourists were exposed in the final quarter at the set-piece, with Marty Banks kicking the match-winning penalty after the Highlanders made a mess of a Lions scrum six minutes from time.
"We've all got to learn from the interpretations of the referee at scrum time," Gatland said.
"I looked at those two penalties against Dan Cole, and I think the first one is a penalty to us.
"There is no doubt they got some ascendancy in the second scrum penalty, and they have got on top of us.
"We need to adapt to that and make sure we work really hard over the next couple of weeks to rectify an issue - if there is - at scrum time."
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The Lions next face the Maori All Blacks in Rotorua on Saturday, with Gatland likely to pick a similar team to the one that impressively beat the Crusaders.
But, while the midweek side have lost both their games, fly-half Dan Biggar insists there will be no splits in the camp.
"We're all in this together," Biggar said.
"If we win on the Saturday, it's a 41-man effort. If we lose on the Wednesday, or whatever, it's a team effort as well.
"That's been the mindset from day one, and it's certainly not going to change now. We have to stick together and try and build momentum with an incredibly tough game on Saturday."
Centre Robbie Henshaw, meanwhile, says he is "extremely frustrated" to have been involved in two defeats in a Lions shirt.
"To be in the red shirt is a privilege," the Irishman said.
"We want to win and we want to do ourselves proud and do the jersey proud."
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The prime minister still wants to engage with the Scottish government ahead of the UK's Brexit negotiations, the Scottish secretary has insisted.

But David Mundell warned against using Brexit as a pretext for a "rehash" of the independence referendum.
In a conference speech on Sunday, Theresa May referred to "divisive nationalists" who she accused of seeking to "undermine" the UK.
The reference was widely interpreted as being an attack on the SNP.
The Scottish government's Brexit minister, Mike Russell, said Mrs May's language had been "inflammatory" and designed to reject the involvement of the devolved administrations, including Scotland, in Brexit talks.
He added: "I think we have seen a very unfortunate performance both from Theresa May and David Mundell, and from others, and I think they should calm down and consider the implications of it."
Mr Russell and Mr Mundell were both speaking to the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme in the wake of Mrs May revealing that she would trigger Article 50 - which will formally start the process of the UK leaving the EU - by the end of March next year.
Mr Mundell told the programme: "I think Theresa May is still very clear that she wants to engage with all parts of the United Kingdom, including Scotland, as we move forward with the negotiations."
But he said the UK government would not be giving a running commentary on negotiations, which he acknowledged would "provide an opportunity for people who like to snipe from the sidelines".
Mr Mundell added: "What I am looking to do is to build a negotiating position within the overall UK negotiating position that gets us the deal that people want.
"What I absolutely don't want to do, and the prime minister is very clear, is she doesn't want people who support breaking up the United Kingdom to use Brexit as a pretext for rehashing the independence referendum."
Mr Mundell also said he had not seen any evidence to suggest the Scottish government or Scottish Parliament could veto any Brexit developments.
And he repeated Mrs May's insistence that Scotland cannot stay in the EU while the rest of the UK exits.
Mr Russell and Ms Sturgeon are only too well aware of the limits of a Legislative Consent Motion (LCM). Suppose it is eventually conceded that an LCM there must be. That Holyrood must vote upon the EU departure bill.
Holyrood may then decline to give consent, but, at the pinch, UK Ministers may then say: "So Holyrood declines to consent? These things. How sad. We had hoped to proceed by consensus but hey and, indeed, ho. Westminster is sovereign. Onwards and upwards."
Not, you will readily understand, particularly good politics. Mrs May and her colleagues will indeed wish to proceed via consensus if possible. But the issue of sovereignty remains there, in the background. If needed.
For now, we await the detail. In particular, we await the triggering of Article 50 in the spring and the introduction of the Bill in the subsequent Queen's Speech. But matters are moving.
Read more from Brian
Mr Mundell added: "There isn't anybody over the last few months who has suggested any realistic or credible basis on which Scotland could somehow remain in the EU while the rest of the UK left.
"But of course we want to look at any options that reflect Scotland's best interests in terms of getting the best possible deal for Scotland and the UK."
Mr Mundell also said he could not see any prospect of the European single market being closed to Scotland despite Mrs May suggesting the UK was heading for a so-called "hard Brexit".
In her speech to the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham on Sunday, Mrs May said she would consult and work with the devolved administrations.
But she said negotiations between the UK and the EU were "the responsibility of the government and nobody else".
She added: "There is no opt-out from Brexit. And I will never allow divisive nationalists to undermine the precious union between the four nations of our United Kingdom."
Mr Russell said her language had been "foolish" and "inflammatory" and questioned the prime minister's commitment to involving the devolved administrations in the Brexit process.
He added: "If the UK government is saying not only that we don't want you involved in the negotiations, but actually we're going to subvert the existing system of devolution in order to stop you saying anything, then that is heading towards a very, very serious situation.
"At the present moment what we are hearing is that we will not be part of the negotiations, yet there is some unspecified way in which the Scottish government, the Welsh assembly, the Northern Irish assembly, could be involved in some sort of discussion."
Mr Russell said meetings would be held later this month in which there would need to be a "structure established that can allow the full engagement and full involvement of the Scottish government and the people of Scotland, because that is what the prime minister promised".
He also repeated his suggestion that a legislative consent motion for Mrs May's proposed "Great Repeal Bill", which would remove the 1972 treaty but also enshrine all existing EU law into British law, would have "great difficulty" passing the Scottish Parliament.
Mr Russell added: "Let's just stop the noise from the Tory party conference and let's sit down and have the conversations about something that will have a profound effect on Scotland, and which, incidentally, the people of Scotland did not vote for."


Conor Sammon has agreed a three-year contract with Hearts as the striker prepares to leave Derby County.

The 29-year-old Irishman is expected to formally sign for the Scottish Premiership club next week on his return from holiday.
Sammon has negotiated an early release from his contract with the English Championship club.
His deal is due to expire on 30 June, but Hearts need to register players for the Europa League 10 days before that.
Sammon, who had a previous spell in Scotland's top flight with Kilmarnock, spent last season on loan to Sheffield United in League One, scoring six times in 33 appearances.
Having switched to Derby for £1.2m from Wigan Athletic in 2012, he was also farmed out to Championship rivals Ipswich Town and Rotherham United after falling out of favour in the last two years and has not been offered a new deal.
Sammon had joined Wigan, then in England's top flight, in 2011 after they had paid Kilmarnock about £600,000 for his services in January 2011.
He had spent two and a half years at Rugby Park after arriving from Derry City and scored 25 goals in 75 games for the Ayrshire outfit.
Sammon, who had also been linked with Aberdeen this summer, has been capped nine times by Republic of Ireland but failed to make their squad for the Euro 2016 finals.
Hearts had signed Abiola Dauda in January to replace Osman Sow, who was sold to Chinese club Henan Jianye, but the Nigerian has returned to Vitesse Arnhem after scoring five times in 15 appearances during his loan spell.


GP recruitment problems mean a surgery in Powys will close while another in Wrexham faces an uncertain future.

Coelbren in Powys will shut in May with patients moving to nearby Dulais Valley in Seven Sisters.
GPs at Borras Park Surgery in Wrexham will end their contract in September.
Currently, two GPs look after 6,000 patients at Coelbren and Dulais Valley surgeries and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University (ABMU) supported them for a year as it tried to recruit.
It has now decided to base both doctors at Dulais Valley permanently and plans to turn Coelbren into a wellness centre.
The two practices are about three miles (4.8km) apart and fears had been raised patients could be isolated after buses between the villages stopped.
But, after speaking to residents, the health board has decided to run a community transport service for anyone experiencing difficulties.
Meanwhile, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said the two GPs running Borras Park will terminate their NHS contract in October after trouble recruiting.
It is working with other surgeries to work out a plan for patients.
Last September, the British Medical Association warned of a crisis facing GP surgeries with doctors quitting because of increasing pressure.


A festival which attracted more than 110,000 visitors in 2015 has opened in Leeds.

The Chinese lantern festival was held in the UK for the first time in London in 2015 but has been taken to Yorkshire and Birmingham for the second year.
The displays in Roundhay Park feature more than 30 large handmade lanterns using more than 40,000 light bulbs.
The event, which will also raise funds for the Jane Tomlinson Appeal, runs until 2 January.
Read more about this and other stories from across Leeds and West Yorkshire
Ian Xiang, the festival's co-founder and creative director, said: "Lantern festivals have been running for more than 2,000 years across Asia, but they are still new to the West.
"After the success of our first in London last year we had to come to Yorkshire.
"Roundhay Park is an amazing place for us to illuminate and celebrate both Christmas and the upcoming Chinese New Year."
The company is also running a lantern festival in Birmingham Botanical Gardens and an event in London's Chiswick House Gardens in 2017.


Coach Bernard Jackman wants to see rival teams' shirts replaced by Dragons colours on the streets of the region.

Jackman has taken over the Dragons job in the summer and aims to restore pride in the struggling team.
"We want people to be proud to wear a Dragons jersey," said Jackman.
"There are too many Ospreys, Scarlets and Blues jerseys being worn in the region. That's our fault and we need to fix that."
Ex-Ireland international Jackman has been active on social media since taking the job to try to promote the region.
"We need to get the product right and it's how we interact with people," said Jackman. "We are not good enough to be stand-offish and when we are good enough, we shouldn't be stand-offish either.
"We should always be open and transparent. That's my vision for the region.
"We are starting at ground level. We have a chance to reunite the region and be proud of the Dragons."
Jackman admitted he faces a big task on the field to turn the Dragons' fortunes around.
"We have a lot of work to do," he said. "I don't want to mess around and say things are great. I have inherited a region and team needing a lot of work and support.
"I am excited by the potential, but we are starting off from 11th in the league and winning four games last year. That's not acceptable and there are reasons behind that record.
"We need significant change in how we prepare. There is probably not one area that's up to scratch."
The Dragons have suffered three heavy pre-season defeats to Montpellier (40-15), Northampton (71-21) and Exeter before their final pre-season match against Glasgow.
"We had a very tough fixture list," said Jackman. "I wanted to give everyone a chance and that's part of my mantra.
"Everyone gets a chance to play for the Dragons early doors to lay down a marker, after that you have to earn your game time.
"Some have taken a chance so far, some haven't."
Jackman is also hoping to learn some Welsh as he settles into his new home.
"I am going to start a course, but in pre-season I have not had much spare time," said Jackman.
"Welsh people are proud of their rugby and language. I had a decent level of Irish and picked up some fluent French.
"I am not saying I am going to be fluent in Welsh but would like to pick up some of the language.
"It's important to buy into the place you live. I want to do a course and then it's up to me to get my homework done."


The 30th anniversary of the CBBC 'Broom Cupboard' is to be marked later with an hour-long programme featuring 30 former Children's BBC presenters.

Phillip Schofield, Andi Peters and Zoe Ball will be among those looking back at their time on the BBC strand.
Schofield presented the first slot for the all-new 'Children's BBC' at 15:55 BST on 9 September 1985 on BBC One.
Gordon the Gopher and Edd the Duck are among the non-human characters to have made the Broom Cupboard their home.
Hacker's Birthday Bash: 30 Years of Children's BBC airs at 18:00 BST on CBBC and will be hosted by Cel Spellman, Katie Thistleton, Hacker T Dog and Dodge T Dog.
The live programme will include archive clips from the past 30 years and see past presenters share memories and play classic CBBC games.
Phillip Schofield, now the host of ITV's This Morning, was the first continuity announcer to broadcast from the tiny Children's BBC studio.
"I had great fun in the Broom Cupboard, learning the skills of live TV," he said. "If you can introduce Newsround with a fluffy Gopher squeaking next to you, you can handle anything."
Andy Crane, now a presenter on BBC Radio Manchester, followed Schofield into the Broom Cupboard, though he had to share it with Edd the Duck and Wilson the Butler.
"We had no idea how successful it would be," Crane told BBC Breakfast earlier. "Millions of people loved Gordon, Edd and all the other characters."
Andi Peters, pictured in 1992, spent four years in the Broom Cupboard before going on to produce and present Top of the Pops.
"When I last presented Children's BBC, Take That were topping the charts and Chris Evans was everywhere," he said. "Perhaps not that much has changed in the last 22 years after all."
Josie d'Arby and Simeon Courtie joined forces with Otis the Aardvark to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Children's BBC in 1995.
Michael Underwood, pictured at Wimbledon with Emlyn the Gremlyn, went on to marry fellow Children's BBC presenter Angellica Bell.
Zoe Ball is among those who will be joining Hacker T Dog on Wednesday's anniversary programme, which will see the newest recruit to the CBBC presenting team revealed live on air.
"Thirty years is a fantastic achievement," said the presenter, who now presents Strictly Come Dancing's sister show It Takes Two. "It's such a joy to have been part of."


A teenage boy has been arrested after a 93-year-old woman was found collapsed in her home in Swansea following a burglary.

The woman was found at the house in Killay at about 10:30 BST on Monday. She was taken to Morriston Hospital where she is said to be critically ill.
Officers arrested the boy early on Tuesday after it became clear the woman had been the victim of a burglary.
The 15-year-old is in custody at Swansea Central Police Station.
Det Insp Mark Kavanagh of Swansea CID said: "An investigation into the incident is ongoing and we are continuing to liaise with the victim's family at what is obviously a distressing time for them."


Andy Murray gave coach Ivan Lendl the perfect welcome back with a fine win over France's Nicolas Mahut at Queen's Club in London.

The Briton, 29, saved set points in both sets as he won 7-6 (10-8) 7-6 (7-1) to reach round two of the Aegon Championships.
Lendl was courtside for the first time since 2014, having agreed last week to resume their working relationship.
Murray goes on to face fellow Briton Aljaz Bedene or Frenchman Benoit Paire.
Asked about Lendl, Murray told BBC Sport: "He doesn't really give many signs during the match. He's got quite a straight face.
"I started working with Jamie Delgado a few months ago and that's worked extremely well, and obviously I had some of my best years with Ivan a few years ago.
"I think it's a very strong team and I'm hoping they can help me win more major events."
Swiss second seed Stan Wawrinka earlier lost 6-2 7-6 (7-3) to Spain's Fernando Verdasco.
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Lendl had resumed his coaching role on Tuesday morning, directing the drills as Murray went through their first practice together for over two years.
The session was cut to just an hour because of the rain which has blighted the first two days at Queen's Club, leaving Murray a little short of time on the grass.
Mahut, ranked 51st, won a title on the surface 24 hours earlier in the Netherlands and looked the more sure-footed when the pair finally got on court just after 17:00 BST.
The Frenchman broke serve first but could not convert the next game from 40-0, and Murray came through a tense tie-break on his third set point.
Mahut had an opportunity at 8-7, failing to make a return of serve, but he moved 4-1 up in the second set and a furious Murray went close to smashing his racquet.
The Scot complained to the umpire about the conditions underfoot, and Mahut would later slip over, but Murray fought back to 5-5 and saved three more set points before dominating the second tie-break.
"It was tough," said Murray, a four-time winner at Queen's.
"Nico's a very accomplished grass-court player and because of the weather the last few days, we haven't been able to get on the grass too much to hit.
"It was a tricky first round and I'm glad I managed to get through."
Wawrinka, 31, never looked comfortable on a greasy surface and struggled to cover the powerful forehand of his opponent.
Verdasco wrapped up the match - which was interrupted by rain - as Wawrinka's serve faltered during a tie-break.
"For sure conditions are difficult for everybody since a few days with the rain," said world number five Wawrinka.
"That's the same for everybody, but it was a tough match.
"Grass is always a challenging surface for my game. I need quite a lot of practice to play my best game."


Michele Morgan, the French screen star and glamour icon who won the first best actress prize at the Cannes film festival, has died at the age of 96.

Her best-known films include 1938's Quai des Brumes (Port of Shadows), in which she starred alongside Jean Gabin.
She also appeared in Carol Reed's The Fallen Idol and opposite Humphrey Bogart in Passage to Marseille.
In a statement, French president Francois Hollande said she "personified elegance and grace".
He said: "Michele Morgan was more than just a gaze. Her legend left its mark on many generations."
Morgan's Cannes award came in 1946 for her role as a blind woman in La Symphonie Pastorale (Pastoral Symphony).
In later life, she received lifetime achievement accolades at the Venice Film Festival and the Cesar Awards, as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Morgan was considered for the role of Ilsa Lund in Casablanca, but lost out to Ingrid Bergman when film studio RKO refused to loan her to Warner Bros.
Her film career faded with the arrival of the French New Wave in the 1960s, although she continued to work in television and on stage.
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Danny Swanson scored one and set up the other as St Johnstone plundered the points against Ross County in Dingwall.

Chris Kane also had a hand in both goals, being pulled down by Jay McEveley to give Swanson the chance to open the scoring with a penalty.
That came three minutes before the end of an otherwise uneventful first half.
County came back into the game after the break, but Kane fired the second from a fine Swanson through ball to secure Saints' victory.
The Perth side, who remain in fourth place in the Premiership, had arrived having gone four games unbeaten against their hosts last season.
And they left with County's run of games without a win being extended to five.
New signings Chris Burke and Ryan Dow got late run out for County, but there was more bad news for them when striker Liam Boyce was helped off near the end.
Manager Jim McIntyre had handed teenage striker Greg Morrison a first start as replacement for injured duo Craig Curran and Alex Schalk.
Then top marksman Boyce suffered what looked like a nasty injury with only five minutes of the game to go.
The striker was involved in an accidental collision in a packed penalty area and was helped from the field at a time when McIntyre had already committed all three substitutes.
To add to Boyce's pain, it seems certain he will now miss Northern Ireland's World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and defending champions Germany.
County's injury jinx had struck even before a ball was kicked in anger as they also lost key defender Andrew Davies, who was injured in the warm-up, with McEveley drafted in from the bench.
Of course, the former Scotland defender has bags of experience himself, which makes it all the more painful for Staggies supporters to see the summer arrival from Sheffield United concede a needless penalty to gift the visitors the lead.
It's doubtful if even McEveley knows why he bundled Kane over in the box when the striker seemed to be going nowhere, but the result was inevitable.
Swanson sent Scott Fox the wrong way to convert his fifth spot kick of the season and edge Saints in front after an opening period in which they carried more threat.
Not that there was a lot of goalmouth action in the first half, but St Johnstone always looked to have the edge in terms of what little was created at that point.
The home side carried more attacking threat in the second half, but it wasn't until late in the game that they finally caused goalkeeper Zander Clark any worries.
Burke came off the bench to test the goalkeeper in the incident that led to Boyce's injury, but by then they were two goals down and really out of contention for any points.
That saw St Johnstone sweep up field, cutting the defence open for Kane to finish in some style and take them on to the 14-point mark.
Ross County manager Jim McIntyre: "We will know more about Liam's injury later on, but we think it is a medial ligament injury and we are hoping he's not out too long.
"But there is no excuses as we should have done better than we did today. There's no doubt that first half was the worst 45 minutes of the season so far.
"It wasn't good enough, as simple as that. It was really disappointing and we got what we deserved and we just have to take it on the chin.
"We would have gone fourth today if we had won, but after watching that, it is clear that we still have a lot of hard work to do."
St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright: "Really satisfied with the performance as we were as good as we have been this year and I was really pleased with the first half in particular.
"Second half, we didn't start it as we should have and we put ourselves under a bit of pressure, but we got a great second goal.
"We had a few opportunities like that and we had some great link-up play between Danny Swanson and Murray Davidson leading to Chris Kane's goal.
"I'm really pleased for him because he has been playing well and I said to him before the game that he was due a goal for the way he has been going."
Substitution, St. Johnstone. Paul Paton replaces Danny Swanson.
Marcus Fraser (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Danny Swanson (St. Johnstone).
Liam Boyce went off injured after Ross County had used all subs.
Attempt saved. Paul Quinn (Ross County) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner.
Corner,  Ross County. Conceded by Liam Craig.
Delay in match Liam Boyce (Ross County) because of an injury.
Corner,  Ross County. Conceded by Liam Craig.
Attempt saved. Chris Burke (Ross County) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Corner,  Ross County. Conceded by Joe Shaughnessy.
Corner,  Ross County. Conceded by Danny Swanson.
Foul by Jay McEveley (Ross County).
Christopher Kane (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Chris Burke (Ross County).
Danny Swanson (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Chris Burke (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Danny Swanson (St. Johnstone).
Substitution, Ross County. Tim Chow replaces Christopher Routis.
Goal!  Ross County 0, St. Johnstone 2. Christopher Kane (St. Johnstone) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Danny Swanson.
Christopher Routis (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Christopher Kane (St. Johnstone).
Attempt missed. Liam Craig (St. Johnstone) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
Corner,  Ross County. Conceded by Zander Clark.
Attempt saved. Jay McEveley (Ross County) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Substitution, Ross County. Chris Burke replaces Jonathan Franks.
Substitution, Ross County. Ryan Dow replaces Greg Morrison.
Liam Boyce (Ross County) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Steven Anderson (St. Johnstone).
Substitution, St. Johnstone. David Wotherspoon replaces Blair Alston.
Attempt missed. Liam Boyce (Ross County) header from the centre of the box misses to the right.
Attempt saved. Marcus Fraser (Ross County) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Corner,  St. Johnstone. Conceded by Marcus Fraser.
Corner,  St. Johnstone. Conceded by Marcus Fraser.
Christopher Routis (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Murray Davidson (St. Johnstone).
Second Half begins Ross County 0, St. Johnstone 1.
First Half ends, Ross County 0, St. Johnstone 1.
Attempt missed. Michael Gardyne (Ross County) header from the left side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the left.
Michael Gardyne (Ross County) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Richard Foster (St. Johnstone).


The complete draws have been revealed for the FA People's Cup finals day on Sunday 20 March.

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There are 11 categories - all but one of which has been divided into two groups who will play a round-robin to decide the two finalists.
The female veterans will compete in one group of six in Sheffield.
BBC Sport's Jess Creighton conducted the draws with the assistance of a former QPR, West Ham, Manchester City and Cardiff player Trevor Sinclair.
You can find the under-14, under-16, pan-disability, adult male and females, walking football and male veterans draws below.
The semi-finals weekend was given the full FA Cup treatment with both Saturday and Sunday covered by live text commentaries and you can still watch a special highlights programme from the semis on the iPlayer.
You can also find out how you could become a better five-a-side player here.
We will have another live text commentary for finals day and you will be able to watch a highlights show will be available to watch on Saturday, 26 March.
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Harlequins improved their hopes of a top-six finish with a convincing victory over Newcastle at The Stoop.

Tane Takulua's try gave the visitors an early lead, but Rob Buchanan and Mike Brown crossed to put Quins in front.
Joe Marchant intercepted Joel Hodgson's pass to go over before the break, with Newcastle down to 14 men after Juan Pablo Socino was shown a yellow card.
Marland Yarde, Mat Luamanu, Danny Care and Tim Swiel added tries in the second half as the hosts earned a bonus point.
Nick Evans was perfect with his conversions and kicked two penalties to close to within seven points of Olly Barkley in fourth on the all-time Premiership points-scoring chart.
Quins were bolstered by the return of a number of international players from Six Nations duty, while former England captain Chris Robshaw also made his return after 12 weeks out with a shoulder injury.
Victory left the hosts sixth in the table, only one point behind fifth-placed Bath, but they face a challenging end to the season with games against all of the top three sides in their final four games.
Newcastle stay ninth in the table, having lost three consecutive games.
The Falcons also saw Rob Vickers taken off in the first half with a head injury, while Evan Olmstead became the second player to be sent to the sin-bin after the break on a miserable day for the visitors.
Harlequins director of rugby John Kingston: "For me the biggest thing today was about reintegrating the group back together from the injuries and the internationals.
"Mike Brown rightly gets the attention with the man of the match but there were several other players who could've taken that mantle."
Newcastle director of rugby Dean Richards:  "With the England boys coming back, they had a point to prove after the Ireland game - had they won it might've been different but they had a point to prove.
"The team they left behind had been faring very well and doing really well so it probably was the wrong time to catch Harlequins.
"But having said that we still gifted them so many points on the day and that's probably the most frustrating thing."
Harlequins: Brown; Yarde, Marchant, Roberts, Visser; Evans, Care; Marler, Buchanan, Collier, Merrick, Horwill, Robshaw, Ward (capt), Luamanu.
Replacements: Gray, Lambert, Sinckler, Matthews, Clifford, Mulchrone, Swiel, Alofa.
Newcastle: Tait; Goneva, Waldouck, Socino, Sinoti; Hodgson, Takulua; Vickers, Lawson, Welsh, Green, Wilson, Chick, Welch (capt.), Latu.
Replacements: Sowrey, Harris, Wilson, Olmstead, Hogg, Young, Delany, Harris.
For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.


A woman who was filmed allegedly eating a bowl of cereal while driving at a busy junction in south-west London has been interviewed by police.

The Surrey force said a 51-year-old woman from East Molesey voluntarily spoke to officers.
The incident at Hampton Court was filmed by cycling instructor David Williams, 47, who posted it on YouTube.
Officers said its traffic and process unit would consider whether to take further action.
The woman was given a referral notice of "driving whilst not in proper control of motor vehicle".
The police force said it would consider whether the woman should face penalties, including being required to attend a driver improvement course or receive a fixed penalty notice.
The alleged incident happened at the junction of Creek Road and the A309 Hampton Court Way in Molesey.


Zsa Zsa Gabor, famed for her nine marriages and her way with words, has died at the age of 99.

Here are some of her most memorable comments:


The Ministry of Justice must do more to stop reoffending in England and Wales including giving probation more importance, MPs have said in a report.

The Commons Justice Committee said the ministry, and specifically the National Offender Management Service, focused too much on jails to deliver justice.
But it said the ministry had improved on previous "woeful" inefficiency.
The government said it would publish its response to a consultation on the probation service later this year.
The Ministry of Justice was created five years ago when the Home Office was in crisis and took on some of its functions as well as those of the old Department of Constitutional Affairs.
The report said that, despite teething troubles, there had been improvements under the new set-up.
But it said the department was too "in thrall" to prisons and called for probation to be given the same status by the National Offender Management Service.
Source: Ministry of Justice
If the two were better integrated, costs and reoffending would be cut, the committee added.
And it said other departments should focus policies on stopping offenders returning to prison.
In 2011, a record number of offenders sentenced for serious crimes had committed previous offences.
Some 90% of those sentenced in England and Wales had offended before - and almost a third had committed or were linked to 15 or more crimes.
Reoffending rates were highest among serious offenders who had been jailed.
Last month, a report by prisons and probation inspectors for England and Wales found that serious criminals were leaving prison without having been on programmes designed to stop reoffending.
It found no plans to deliver treatment programmes to a third of sex offenders needing them with most of the 11 prisons examined lacking capacity to meet demand for courses.


The government in the Republic of Ireland is to acquire the site of the final headquarters of the 1916 Easter Rising leaders before their surrender.

Numbers 14 to 17 Moore Street in Dublin were declared a national monument by the Irish government in 2007.
One of the buildings - number 16 - was used by the leaders of the 1916 uprising in the Irish capital.
It saw republicans take over a number of buildings in Dublin as part of an insurrection against British rule.
British troops put down the uprising and many of the ringleaders were executed.
It is planned to develop the buildings as a commemorative centre.
The site was the location of the final council of war of the leaders of the 1916 uprising, and is where the decision to surrender was made.
The buildings were also used by 1916 rebels as they tried to break out through British lines.
The Irish minister for arts, heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys brought the proposal to cabinet this morning.
The site had been the subject of a proposed land swap deal, which was rejected by Dublin City Council last November.
Relatives of the 1916 leaders have said they want the site and surrounding area preserved as a battlefield site.


A plan to change the time of Norway's economic data releases has riled the country's currency and bond dealers.

They have complained that the 7am start could damage trade as well as making it tricky to get their children to kindergarten.
Statistics Norway plans to change the time, currently at 10am, next month.
Traders say that releasing growth and job numbers so early could lead to sharp swings in the Norwegian crown as there will be few around to trade it.
This is because it is very thinly traded outside the country.
"In different countries data is released when markets are open and there is strong liquidity," said Sindre Stoeer, chief executive officer of the Norwegian Securities Dealers Association.
He added that the move could ultimately lead to uncertainty about the currency and make it slightly weaker.
Torstein Arne Bye, director of economics, energy and the environment at Statistics Norway said: "We want to publish the statistics early so that people can make use of the data as early as possible when they start work."
But Erica Blomgren, chief strategist at SEB in Oslo investor interest in Norway's currency had been falling off recently and this move could serve to make trading even thinner.
She said the new time for the data would make it more likely to be overlooked by traders outside the region, making them even less inclined to trade in the currency and bond markets: "The Scandinavian banks will keep trading but certain speculative accounts [such as hedge funds] from other countries may be deterred."
Aside from such professional arguments, the statistics office said it had received complaints about its negative effect on family life, as it would interfere with taking children to kindergarten early in the morning.
Mr Bye said he had considered this argument - but it did not wash.
He said the office was giving thought to the other objections but was still planning to start releasing data from 7am from 23 September.


Entering the flat where Shannon Bancroft brought up her son Kayden with the help of her mother, Julie, it's clear the trauma Kayden's death has wrought on the family.

Having earlier agreed to sit down with us, Shannon has gone out. She is just 19, and is barely coping.
"She doesn't want to live here any more," says Julie. "It's all the memories of Kayden, this is where he lived."
Shannon is sometimes suicidal. "I listen to my daughter and I cry, because of what my daughter's going through. She'll ring me and say she's going to take her own life and things like that," Julie says, tears in her eyes.
'How many more children like Kayden must die?'
The living room is a shrine to Kayden. On the wall, in large letters, are painted the words: "Because someone we love is in heaven, there's a little bit of heaven in our home."
Photos of Kayden paper the walls, along with mementoes - the hat he used to wear, the 3D glasses he wore to watch his favourite film. Framed too is the Mr Men book his grandmother read to him as he lay dying in Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.
Julie tries to cling to the happy memories - Kayden chasing his cat around, or waiting excitedly for his beloved grandfather to come home from work.
But she has been deeply affected. "I work 24-7," she told us. "I go to work to block it out. I don't ever take a day off."
When Kayden fell on to a bed at home last April, banging his mouth on his bottle, Julie thought little of it, but his lips turned blue, so eventually she called an ambulance.
Staff at nearby Stepping Hill Hospital took a chest X-ray, and told Julie and Shannon that Kayden had a hole in his diaphragm, a hernia that he had probably had since birth.
They told her not to worry, but that he needed a simple operation to mend the hole.
They were, after an overnight delay, sent to Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, where they were admitted to a ward and, in Julie's words, "basically put in a room, and left".
Days passed, and with each one Kayden's operation was postponed.
Because his bowels and stomach had entered his chest through the hole in his diaphragm, he was in pain.
The family stayed by his bedside day and night, pushing the hospital staff to find an operation slot for him.
"I was just so angry with them because nobody would listen. Nobody would listen to how much pain he was in, and he was in a lot of pain," says Julie.
Finally, on Friday night, five days after Kayden first fell ill, Shannon rang Julie. "She told me he was grunting in his sleep," says Julie. "I told her to get a nurse."
Kayden was going into cardiac arrest - his eyes became fixed on the ceiling, and staff rushed to save him.
The internal call system for summoning help failed though, and there were delays.
It took almost 30 minutes to resuscitate him.
Finally, the hospital sprang into action, and Kayden was taken into surgery.
It took four hours of surgery to fix his hernia, and the family was taken to see him in intensive care.
Tragically, he had been starved of oxygen for too long, and his brain was irreparably injured.
After a weekend of saying their goodbyes, Shannon had to agree to turn off his life support. He died minutes later in her arms.
"I wanted to strangle somebody," says Julie. "You don't expect to take a baby to hospital and come away without one. Especially when you've got one hospital telling you that it's such a simple operation."
She says: "His care, up to him cardiac arresting, was appalling. He was basically put in a room, and left. And all we got, nearly every day, was, 'He's not having the operation today, he's not having the operation today.'
"They were coming up with excuses, 'There's no bed, or a car crash victim's come in, they've took his bed.' That's all we got, all the time we were there, was excuses, which resulted in Kayden cardiac arresting."
A hospital investigation has admitted failings in the run-up to Kayden's death, and senior staff have apologised to the family.
But, as Julie says: "He's gone, and nothing's going to bring him back. It doesn't matter how much they admit what they've done, it's not going to bring him back, is it?"