Hollywood has an "epidemic of invisibility" for women, minorities and LGBT people that runs across the whole industry, a new study has suggested.

The report by the University of Southern California stated that Hollywood has an "inclusion crisis" from CEOs to minor characters.
"Overall, the landscape of media content is still largely whitewashed," the study concluded.
It comes days ahead of the Oscars, which has been dubbed OscarsSoWhite.
The lack of diversity in the Oscar nominations led Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett Smith to boycott the ceremony and Oscars head Cheryl Boone Isaacs to pledge to double the number of female and minority members of the Academy.
"The prequel to OscarsSoWhite is HollywoodSoWhite," said associate professor Stacy Smith, one of the study's authors.
"We don't have a diversity problem. We have an inclusion crisis."
The report by the Media, Diversity and Social Change Initiative looked at those in front of the camera and behind the scenes in film and TV.
414
films and TV series were studied. They included
11,300
speaking characters, of which
33% were female
28% were minority ethnic
2% were LGBT-identified
74% of characters over 40 were male
The study examined:
Out of the 414 films and TV series they studied they found only a third of speaking characters were female.
About 50% did not feature one Asian or Asian-American character and 20% did not include one black character.
Of the characters that were aged 40 years or older 74.3% were male and 25.7% female.
Among the 11,306 speaking characters studied, only seven were transgendered (and four were from the same series).
Behind the scenes, 15.2% of directors, 28.9% of writers and 22.6% of series creators were female.
In film, the gender gap was the greatest, with only 3.4% of the films studied directed by women.
This reflects a report released in January by the Centre for the Study of Women in Television and Film that just 9% of Hollywood's highest grossing films last year were directed by women, the same level as 1998.
In May, the American Civil Liberties Union in Southern California sent letters asking federal and state civil rights agencies to investigate the systemic failure to hire women directors at all levels of the film and television industry.
And in October, it was reported that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in the US had begun contacting female directors to investigate gender discrimination in Hollywood.
This latest study found only two directors out of the 109 were black women, namely Ava DuVernay, who made Selma, and Amma Asante, who made Belle.
The study also included for the first time an "inclusivity index"' of 10 major media companies which rated their percentage of female, minority and LGBT characters and of female writers and directors.
None of the six major studios scored better than 20% overall but there were better ratings with companies that included TV and digital offerings, some of those such as Disney and Hulu reached 65% and above.
"When we turn to see where the problem is better or worse, the apex to this whole endeavour is: Everyone in film is failing, all of the companies investigated," said Smith.
"They're impervious to change. But there are pockets of promise in television. There is a focus that change is possible. The very companies that are inclusive - Disney, CW, Hulu, Amazon to some degree — those companies, if they're producing and distributing motion pictures, can do this.
"We now have evidence that they can, and they can thrive."


Yahya Jammeh, president of The Gambia, surprised his critics by accepting defeat after 22 years in power - though he now says he will contest the result.

Known for walking around with his trademark prayer beads and a stick, he was reputed to be one of the world's most eccentric and ruthless leaders.
Born in May 1965, he came to power in 1994 as a 29-year-old army lieutenant in a country portrayed in tourist brochures as an idyllic holiday destination.
He became a portly president who portrays himself as a devout Muslim with miraculous powers, such as the power to cure people of Aids and infertility. He also believes that homosexuality threatens human existence.
Mr Jammeh divorced his first wife Tuti Faal and subsequently married two other women, though his official website refers only to Zineb Yahya Jammeh, who holds the title of First Lady.
According to The Gambia's privately owned Point newspaper, he married his second wife, Alima Sallah, in 2010, but Mr Jammeh's office issued an instruction that she should not be referred to as First Lady - in contrast to South Africa where all four wives of President Jacob Zuma hold the title.
"She is not to be addressed as the First Lady because, according to protocol, there can only be one First Lady and, in this case, that is Madam Zineb Yahya Jammeh," the newspaper quoted the presidency as saying.
Mr Jammeh won four multi-party elections before he was finally defeated.
After his 2011 victory, in a sign that his credibility among African leaders had plummeted, the regional body, the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), refused to endorse his victory, saying voters and the opposition had been "cowed by repression and intimidation".
His decision to withdraw from the Commonwealth in 2013, which had been pushing for reforms in the tiny West African state, was a further sign of Mr Jammeh's growing isolation.
In an interview in 2011 with the BBC's Focus on Africa radio programme, Mr Jammeh said he did not fear a fate similar to Libya's killed leader Muammar Gaddafi or Egypt's ousted President Hosni Mubarak.
"My fate is in the hands of almighty Allah," he told the BBC.
"I will deliver to the Gambian people and if I have to rule this country for one billion years, I will, if Allah says so."
Mr Jammeh said he was not bothered by the criticism of human rights groups.
"I will not bow down before anybody, except the almighty Allah and if they don't like that they can go to hell," he said.
Mr Jammeh is known for expressing bizarre views. In 2007, he claimed that he could cure Aids with a herbal concoction - a view condemned by health experts.
Later, he also claimed that he could cure infertility among women.
Mr Jammeh is also known for his virulent opposition to gay rights, having once threatened to behead gay people.
In a 2014 address to the UN General Assembly, Mr Jammeh lamented that Western governments were pushing for homosexuality to be legalised.
"Homosexuality in all its forms and manifestations which, though very evil, anti-human as well as anti-Allah, is being promoted as a human right by some powers," he said.
The Gambian government's treatment of journalists and opposition parties has also caused huge concern among human rights groups.
Mr Jammeh's government has been under intense pressure to solve the murder of the editor of The Point newspaper, Deyda Hydara.
Gunned down in 2004, he has become a symbol of the campaign for press freedom in The Gambia.
The international media group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said there was "absolute intolerance of any form of criticism" in The Gambia, with death threats, surveillance and arbitrary night-time arrests of journalists "who do not sing the government's praises".
In the BBC interview, Mr Jammeh denied his security agents had killed Mr Hydara.
"Other people have also died in this country. So why is Deyda Hydara so special?" he said.
In August 2013, Mr Jammeh used a speech to celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid to announce that all prisoners on death row would be executed, effectively ending a moratorium that had been in place for 27 years.
"There is no way my government will allow 99% of the population to be held to ransom by criminals," Mr Jammeh said at the time.
Nine people were executed, including Alieu Bah, a former lieutenant in the army who was arrested and jailed in 1997 for plotting to oust Mr Jammeh.
He agreed to halt further executions, following unprecedented pressure from the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU).
His defeat came as a huge surprise, given that he ran one of the most feared intelligence agencies in Africa, with its tentacles spread across the country - so much so that until the election, people in cities and villages feared speaking ill of the man who is officially referred to as his "His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Doctor Yahya AJJ Jammeh Babili Mansa".
In 2015, he added the title "Babili Mansa" - a Mandinka-language honorific which can be translated as "chief bridge builder" or "conqueror of rivers".


Snapchat filters are normally used for playful interactions between friends, but in India they have been employed for a far more serious purpose - to help survivors of sexual abuse tell their stories.

Staring into the lens, the survivors have found themselves able to speak candidly, without fear of identification or repercussions.
Yusuf Omar, the mobile editor at the Hindustan Times has been using the filters to disguise the faces of women he interviews, while still allowing facial expressions to be visible.
"Eyes are the window to the soul," says Yusuf. "And because of the face-mapping technology that Snapchat uses to make these filters work you don't lose that.
"The dragon filter one of the girls used actually exaggerated them, so you can clearly see her expressions as she speaks."
Sexual abuse is a huge problem in India, with an estimated 27.5 million women in the country affected.
But it's also under-reported as many survivors don't come forward because they fear the impact being identified would have on their future.
It's illegal to identify victims of sexual abuse in India, as in many other countries. So using technology like this allows them to speak openly while safeguarding their privacy.
"I was five years old when it happened," said the girl who was disguised as a dragon.
"Someone kidnapped me from Hyderabad to Mysore and locked me in a room. They tortured me at home and never let me go out."
Yusuf said the women chose their own filters, "so they instantly had a feeling of control".
"They liked the fact that they could see the final image in front of them and did not have to rely on me to adequately hide their identities.
"Once the phone was set up each girl was left alone to record their story.
"The girls I spoke to were very comfortable using smartphones and apps like Snapchat," Yusuf said. "It's something they are familiar with because it's something they do with their friends.
"So doing it like this was like telling a friend - dignified and discreet - rather than having a huge camera shoved in their faces, which is intimidating.
"Using the inside camera, they felt like they were looking in a mirror.
"I hope that empowering survivors by giving them a voice will go some way to breaking down the stigma associated with suffering sexual abuse, not just in India but around the world."
Additional reporting by BBC UGC and Social News team


Hartlepool United boss Dave Jones believes there might not be a "British coach at the top end of football in this country or a British-owned club" in five to 10 years.

At present, there are seven British bosses out of 20 in the Premier League and 18 from 24 Championship clubs.
Jones said: "In five to 10 years, you'd be surprised if there's a British-owned club in the top two divisions.
"And, bringing in foreign owners, they're bringing foreign coaches."
Jones highlighted the number of Midlands clubs under foreign ownership, with Aston Villa, Birmingham City, West Brom and Wolves each having recently been taken over by Chinese investors.
"I'm not saying it's wrong, I'm not having a go - but it's a trend that's going on in our country at the moment and it's what I believe," Jones told BBC Radio 5 live.
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Chinese firm Trillion Trophy Asia (TTA) completed its acquisition of Championship side Birmingham in October and replaced Englishman Gary Rowett with Italian Gianfranco Zola.
Zola has since failed to win any of his 10 matches in charge and the Blues have dropped from seventh to 12 in the Championship.
"Gary was doing a good job but the owners decided they felt they would bring in another manager that wants to do it their way," said Jones.
"They do own the club and they are entitled to do whatever they want. It was just a bit harsh on Gary - a good manager, working hard, up-and-coming.
"There are a lot of good British managers out of work but if you look at all the top divisions around the world and see how many foreign coaches are in maybe Germany, France, Italy, more of their own nations are running the clubs."
Jones also mentioned Wolves and Aston Villa replacing Italians Walter Zenga and Roberto Di Matteo with Paul Lambert, of Scotland, and Englishman Steve Bruce respectively.
"Lambert knows the team, knows the league, is a good manager," he said. "The same with Steve Bruce - the manager they have had has failed and, all of a sudden, they bring in someone who knows the league and has done OK."
Jones took over at League Two Hartlepool in January in his first managerial job since 2013.
"I have a lot of friends who are foreign managers and they have brought a lot to us," added Jones.
"But being out of work as a manager and a coach I bumped into a lot of coaches who felt the same, that we weren't getting the opportunities that we used to and that might just be because there are a lot of foreign-owned clubs who want to go with what they know rather than people in this country."
Burnley boss Sean Dyche and Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce have both previously stated their belief that foreign managers are viewed as "sexier".
"Antonio Conte came in at Chelsea and he got commended for bringing a hard, fast, new leadership to Chelsea, which involved doing 800m runs, 400m runs and 200m runs," said Dyche in August last year.
"I thought that was interesting because if you see us doing that you'd say we're running them round in circles - 'a young English dinosaur manager. Doesn't know what he's doing'.
"At Chelsea under Conte everyone thinks it's amazing."
Former England manager Allardyce has also voiced his concern about this issue in May 2016, saying there could be no English managers in the Premier League "very shortly" if current trends continue.
"It always goes to what seems a sexier version than we are. That is, a foreign coach, which I think is a great shame," Allardyce told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek.
"Every time a job becomes available nobody goes down to League One.
"None of the foreign coaches are trained or equipped any better than we are but unless we get the opportunity to get interviewed, which is rare now, particularly for young managers, a manager getting into the Premier League now that is English or British would have to do it via getting promoted through the Championship."
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Glasgow Warriors trio Alex Dunbar, Henry Pyrgos and Fraser Brown have been called up to the Scotland squad, but Matt Scott is an injury doubt.

Centre Scott is to have a scan to assess an elbow injury picked up in Edinburgh's defeat by Connacht.
But there is no place for London Irish duo Blair Cowan and Sean Maitland, who both withdrew from the previous squad.
Dunbar comes in as cover for Scott after proving his fitness following a thigh strain suffered in January.
Hooker Brown has played twice since his return from injury, while scrum-half Pyrgos was back in action on Sunday.
Warriors head coach Gregor Townsend hailed the performance of Pyrgos in the 27-20 win over Cardiff Blues in the Pro12.
"I thought Henry Pyrgos was outstanding," he told BBC Scotland. "To be out of the game for four months and really add tempo to our game, make the right decisions of where to attack and the players followed him and we got a couple of cracking tries in there."
Cowan and Maitland will be notable absentees from the Scotland squad that will gather on Tuesday at Murrayfield ahead of Sunday's Six Nations game against France.
Loose forward Cowan missed the victory over Italy through concussion, while winger Maitland dropped out of the squad with a thigh injury.
Both returned to London Irish for treatment but were deemed fit enough to play in the 47-20 defeat by Leicester in the English Premiership, a game that took place 24 hours after Scotland's win in Rome.
However, Scotland coach Vern Cotter has decided against recalling either player after the likes Ryan Wilson and Tim Visser, who had returned to the squad after recovering from their own injuries, took their chance to impress.
Dunbar, Pyrgos and Brown had missed the start of the tournament through injury.
Pygos, who captained Scotland for the first time last year in the absence of Greig Laidlaw, had wrist surgery after picking up his injury in October.
Brown, who takes the place of Edinburgh hooker George Turner, suffered an ankle injury at the same time.
He returned to action along with Dunbar in matches against Dragons and Cardiff.
Forwards: John Barclay (Scarlets), Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), David Denton (Bath), Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Ross Ford (Edinburgh), Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Richie Gray (Castres), John Hardie (Edinburgh), Rob Harley (Glasgow Warriors), Moray Low (Exeter Chiefs), Stuart McInally, Willem Nel (Edinburgh), Gordon Reid, Josh Strauss (Glasgow Warriors), Rory Sutherland (Edinburgh), Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors), Ben Toolis, Hamish Watson (Edinburgh), Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors).
Backs: Mark Bennett, Alex Dunbar, Grayson Hart (Glasgow Warriors), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh), Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors), Ruaridh Jackson (Wasps), Peter Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Greig Laidlaw, captain (Gloucester), Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Taylor (Saracens), Henry Pyrgos, Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Scott (Edinburgh), Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), Tim Visser (Harlequins), Duncan Weir (Edinburgh).
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UK drugs manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline has said it will not file patents for its products in the world's poorest nations.

The step may make some important new medicines more affordable in the developing world, by leaving the way clear for generic companies to make cheap copies of GSK's drugs.
GSK said it would adopt a graduated approach linked to a country's wealth.
It said it would still seek full patent protection in richer nations.
The company says the changes it is making should help people who currently cannot afford life saving medicine.
In the world's poorest countries, it will allow other companies to make generics or cheaper copies of its medicine.
In what it calls lower middle income countries it will continue to file patents but will grant licences to generic manufacturers in exchange for a royalty.
Pharmaceutical firms are often criticised for not making their medicines affordable to people in developing countries, but the firms have argued that patenting their products is the only way to ensure research for new treatments can be funded.
One exception is HIV/AIDS, where the price of drugs for people in many poor nations who are living with the condition have been drastically reduced.
Sufferers of other serious illnesses though, for example, cancer, often cannot afford the drugs to treat them.
GSK says changes to the way it patents drugs will make its next generation of cancer drugs more affordable.
Recent figures showed GSK's sales rose 2% to £6.29bn in the quarter.
However, the company fell to a pre-tax loss of £416m compared with a profit of £531m for the same period in 2014.
New treatments for HIV, respiratory conditions and meningitis vaccines had sales of £682m in the quarter.


A photograph purporting to show the iceberg that sank the ill-fated Titanic is expected to fetch over Â£10,000 when it is sold at auction.

The image was captured the day after the luxury liner sank in the Atlantic, killing more than 1,500 people.
It comes with a previously unpublished statement from the photographer, who describes seeing scrapings of red paint on the side.
The estimated guide price is between Â£10,000 and Â£15,000.
The photograph was taken by the chief steward of steamer the Prinz Adalbert, who was at the time unaware of the tragedy that had occurred the previous day.
RMS Titanic had been four days into a week-long trans-Atlantic crossing from Southampton to New York when the supposedly "unsinkable" ship struck the iceberg on 14 April 1912.
A lookout in the crow's nest, who had not been given binoculars, spotted the hazard just 37 seconds before the impact at 23:40 on 14 April.
The ship sank less than three hours later at around 02:20 on 15 April.
A statement by the chief steward of the Prinz Adalbert reads:  "The Titanic disaster was not yet known by us.
"On one side red paint was plainly visible, which has the appearance of having been made by the scraping of a vessel on the iceberg."
The document is then signed by the chief steward and three other crewmen.
Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said: "The photograph was acquired not long after the Titanic's sinking by Burlingham, Montgomery & Beecher, attorneys for Titanic's owners, White Star Line.
"This photograph, regarded by generations of Burlingham maritime lawyers as "The Titanic Iceberg" hung on the firm's walls from 1913 until it closed its doors in 2002."
The lot will be auctioned by Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, Wiltshire on 24 October.


Second seed Andy Murray beat Lukas Rosol in the US Open night session to become the fifth British player to reach the second round in New York.

The Scot, 29, beat Rosol of the Czech Republic 6-3 6-2 6-2 and will play Spain's Marcel Granollers in round two.
Murray joined compatriots Dan Evans and Naomi Broady as a winner on day two, with Kyle Edmund and Johanna Konta already into the second round.
Heather Watson and Aljaz Bedene both suffered first-round losses on Tuesday.
Struggling with illness, Watson lost 6-2 7-5 to Dutch qualifier Richel Hogenkamp and has now failed to reach the second round at Flushing Meadows in six attempts.
Bedene was beaten 6-4 6-4 6-4 by Australian Nick Kyrgios.
Broady had earlier beaten compatriot Laura Robson 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 6-4 to claim only the second Grand Slam main-draw win of her career.
Evans began Tuesday's run of British success as he saw off American Rajeev Ram 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-1.
Murray has been labelled the tournament favourite in some quarters after a superb run, coupled with injury doubts over world number one Novak Djokovic.
The Briton confirmed against Rosol that he has retained the form which took him to Wimbledon and Olympic titles this summer.
A break of serve in the sixth game set Murray on his way and the match was as good as over when Rosol double-faulted three times to fall 3-0 down in the second set.
"I served very well," said Murray, who hit 11 aces and made just 17 unforced errors. "It was a tough start to the match and once I got the break up, I started to relax and play well."
"I don't think I had any break points against me, which was good, I had good variation on the second serve as well.
BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller said: "Rosol threw everything at Murray in the first half a dozen games, but once his defence was breached for the first time the Wimbledon and Olympic champion proved unstoppable.
"Murray was razor sharp. His serve, in particular, caught the eye. A routine, but high quality, win was completed in under two hours."
There was a lot on the line for both women in the all-British clash on court 13, and it was Broady who proved the stronger at the end of a tight contest.
The 26-year-old from Stockport fought back from a set down to claim her second victory at a major - the other coming at Wimbledon two years ago.
Robson, 22, had hoped to claim a first Grand Slam win since the US Open in 2013, since when her career has been derailed by a serious wrist injury.
"I will get over it and probably think that overall this was a pretty good tournament but right now it sucks," said Robson.
Broady served superbly under pressure, saving eight of nine break points and firing down 16 aces.
Asked about any possible ill-feeling on court, Broady said: "I think I was just getting annoyed because she was doing the ball tosses a lot of times.
"I am sure she is upset to lose. I don't expect that she is going to smile at me at the net when she has just lost in three sets, so I'm sure she'll be fine tomorrow."
Broady now faces fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in round two.
Leon Smith, GB Davis Cup captain, told BBC Radio 5 live sports extra: "Naomi is probably more match tight and confident, Laura is still getting the belief back.
"But it's good to have another Brit into the second round of a main draw, even if one has to go out. It's a great thrill having Brits getting through, it gives everyone momentum and plenty to talk about."
Watson was in tears after losing the first set against Hogenkamp in 32 minutes, before being massaged by a trainer and given pills by a doctor.
"I was very ill today," she said. "I've had a fever for the last three days, but playing in this heat is almost impossible when you feel that bad.
"I was struggling to breathe and then my back... I don't really know what it is. I'm going to get some blood tests done and figure out what it was."
Asked if the symptoms resembled her debilitating bout of glandular fever in 2013, Watson added: "I feel similar, yeah."
British number three Aljaz Bedene could not capitalise on an injury to Australian Nick Kyrgios as he lost 6-4 6-4 6-4 in a controversial encounter.
At 5-4 up in the first set, Kyrgios called for the trainer after straining his right hip but Bedene struggled to cope with the pace and power of the Australian.
At the start of the second set, he stumbled into a line judge while chasing a ball, before saying: "Why doesn't he move? He can see I'm running there."
Kyrgio, 21, caused further controversy when he refused to shake the hand of umpire Ali Nili at the end of the match.
It was Bedene's third first-round defeat in four major tournaments this year.
Evans continued the form that saw him rise to a career-high ranking of 60 earlier this month as he beat Ram in four sets.
"It was good to come through, I enjoyed it out there and started to play a bit better towards the end," Evans told BBC 5 live.
The 26-year-old, who reached round three in 2013, faces German Alexander Zverev, the 19-year-old touted by many as a future world number one.
"He's younger than me but I'd say he's more experienced on the ATP Tour, so I'd say I don't have much to lose," said Evans. "The pressure's on him."


The RMT union is staging a day of protests in support of "safer Scottish railways".

The rail union is calling on the Scottish government to set out an immediate timetable for Abellio to be stripped of its ScotRail franchise.
It has said making Scotland's railways safer can only be done with a publicly-owned service.
ScotRail said it had invested hundreds of millions of pounds on new trains and improved technology.
Protests are being held at railway stations across the country.
The RMT claims that Dutch firm Abellio is plundering a Â£1m-a-month profit which Scotland's railways desperately need.
A Scottish government spokesman said: "Any notion excessive profits are siphoned off is quite simply a fallacy."
Abellio was awarded the ScotRail franchise in 2015 for 10 years but could be stripped of the contract after five years if punctuality falls below 84.3%.
ScotRail said the union's comments bore no scrutiny.
It accepted that performance had dipped, but insisted it was still around 90%.
Almost 20,000 people have signed a petition calling on Transport Minister Humza Yousaf to "make ScotRail bosses improve Scotland's trains or strip them of their contract".
ScotRail was recently fined Â£483,000 for failing to meet required standards for trains and stations.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon last week indicated that stripping the company of its contract to run the railways was on the table if performance failed to improve.
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: "RMT is campaigning to make Scotland's trains safer, more secure and accessible.
"This can only be done with a publicly-owned service where profit isn't the main motive of the operator."
He added: "RMT calls on the Scottish government to set out a timetable for bringing ScotRail under public ownership, and with the current level of anger that's reinforced in the petition there can be no excuse for the dragging of heels.
"The union is available for talks with ministers to take the issues of safe staffing, investment and public ownership forwards."
A ScotRail spokesman said: "These comments bear no scrutiny whatsoever.
"Performance has dipped by around 1% - but is still tracking around the 90% mark - and we have a robust performance improvement plan to rectify that.
"At the same time, we are investing hundreds of millions of pounds on new trains, refurbishing our existing fleet and introducing queue-busting smart technology to keep people moving."
A Scottish government spokesman said: "This government has ensured profits are capped, that this cap is tighter than any previous franchise and that at least 50% of revenue above that cap is reinvested into our railways.
"A manifesto commitment was made to facilitate a public sector bid for our railways and ministers remain firmly committed to this.
"Currently, 89 trains out of 100 arrive within five minutes of the timetable - our contract demands 91.
"That is why we asked ScotRail to implement the improvement plan which looks at addressing service-quality issues and tackling congestion, while minimising 'skip stopping', until new train fleets arrive."
The spokesman added: "We fully expect ScotRail to hit their anticipated targets to lift performance.
"This contract will deliver very real improvements across the term - new and better trains, improvements at stations, initiatives on fares and a revolution in the end-to-end journey experience."


India's economy grew by 7.1% in the financial year to March, slower than the 8% recorded in the previous year.

In the first three months of 2017, the annualised rate was 6.1%, slowing from the previous quarter's 7% rate and lower than analysts had expected.
The economy took a hit from the government's decision to withdraw 500-rupee and 1,000-rupee banknotes in an anti-corruption drive.
The move last November took 86% of the currency out of circulation in one go.
Analysis: Sameer Hashmi, BBC News
The latest economic growth figures might have missed estimates, but doesn't come as a huge surprise. The ban on 86% of bank notes in circulation was expected to have a severe impact on the economy. But the data suggests that the recovery has been quicker than expected.
However, the latest figures do not tell the complete story. India's economic growth data does not take into account the performance of small businesses and the unorganised sector. Both put together constitute more than 50% of the total economic output. These segments were the worst-hit by the ban on banknotes, with many small enterprises still trying to recover.
"This is a sharper deterioration than what I expected," said Ashutosh Datar, economist at IIFL Institutional Equities. "The fourth quarter is a bit weaker than what I expected."
The so-called "unorganised sector" - made up of informal workers - is believed to account for about 40% of India's economy.


The leader of Egypt's Coptic Christians has accused the country's president of "negligence" following deadly clashes outside the main cathedral in Cairo.

Pope Tawadros II said Mohammed Morsi had failed to protect the building, where two people died after being attacked by an angry mob of Muslims.
The remarks were the strongest issued against President Morsi by Pope Tawadros since he took office in 2012.
The weekend clashes between Muslims and Copts were Egypt's worst in months.
The two people - at least one of whom was a Christian - were killed after attending a funeral for four Christians who died in sectarian violence in Khosous, about 10 miles (15km) north of Cairo, the previous day.
A Muslim was also killed in those clashes, which began after inflammatory symbols were drawn on an Islamic institute, provoking an argument.
The dispute escalated into a gun battle between Christian and Muslim residents, while Christian-owned shops were also attacked.
Coptic Christians, who make up about 10% of the population, have long complained of discrimination and have suffered an increase in attacks by Muslims since the fall of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
In a telephone interview on the private ONTV channel, Pope Tawadros said Mohammed Morsi had "promised to do everything to protect the cathedral but in reality we don't see this".
He said the failure to do so "comes under the category of negligence and poor assessment of events".
"We need action not only words... There is no action on the ground," he said, adding that "the Egyptian Church has never been subject to such [attacks] even in the worst ages".
The violence erupted on Sunday when mourners leaving St Mark's Cathedral clashed with local residents.
Police fired tear gas to break up the violence. More than 89 people were injured, the state news agency said.
Mourners inside the cathedral had earlier chanted slogans against President Morsi.
Witnesses told local TV stations that the violence started when a mob attacked the Copts as they left the cathedral, pelting them with stones and petrol bombs.
The Christians responded by throwing stones back, the witnesses said, until police arrived and attempted to quell the unrest, firing tear gas into the cathedral compound.
Afterwards, Mr Morsi denounced the violence in a phone call to Pope Tawadros.
"Any attack against the cathedral is like an attack against me personally," he was reported as saying. He also called for an immediate investigation.
The Islamist Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the political arm of Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood movement, posted a statement on its Facebook page stressing its "utter rejection and condemnation of violence".


Mothers are the "unseen force" behind so-called honour-based abuse, inflicting violence on their daughters, a study has found.

Research by Rachael Aplin, a criminologist from Leeds Beckett University, said this was often unrecognised by police.
Of the 100 "honour" crimes she studied, 49 involved mothers - but this was often not recorded in crime reports.
Cases included violence to daughters, sometimes to induce an abortion.
She said the focus on any action taken against perpetrators should be on both males and females.
Mrs Aplin, a senior lecturer in criminology at the university, is on a career break from her role as a police detective sergeant.
She said: "The level of involvement of mothers in these cases was a real surprise, as was the level to which this wasn't acknowledged in police reporting.
"As many victims are children, there is a risk that agencies place them back in their mothers' care, mistakenly believing that this will ensure their protection.
"Law enforcement and social services need to reassess their strategies for dealing with honour-based abuse, taking full account of the role of mothers, to ensure children and young women are not returned to, or remain in, dangerous situations."
"Sadir", who was born in Bradford to Afghan parents, was taken into care after being abused by her mother who tried to force her into marriage.
Speaking to the BBC, she described her mother as the main perpetrator, saying she was regularly beaten as a child.
From the age of nine she was told she could not play out, but had to learn how to cook in order to be "marriage material".
Now 35, she said: "I would get physically battered if I didn't cook chapatis or if the chapatis weren't round enough.
"My mum would get the rolling pin out and physically chastise me with it. So she'd punish me and then when Dad came home he'd punish me also because I didn't listen to my mum.
"I felt numb, sore. I was in shock; I couldn't believe she would hit me with a rolling pin, but then after a while you got used to it and it was a normal experience getting hit.
"You wouldn't dare tell anyone you were getting physically chastised at home, you'd just keep it to yourself and go to school and come back."
At 13 years old, she came home to her own surprise engagement party after her mother had planned for her to marry her adult cousin in Afghanistan, whom she had never met.
"We never used to have guests round so I asked my mum whose party is was and she said 'it's an engagement party'. I said 'well, who's getting married?'. I got a bit excited and she said, 'it's your engagement party, I want you to go upstairs and get dressed'.
"I was presented with a photo of a man, my mum's nephew in Afghanistan. I was supposed to marry this guy. I'd never met him; he was an adult and I was 13, a child.
"From that day onwards I knew I was going to run away."
"Honour" abuse is usually associated with women from Muslim, Sikh or Hindu backgrounds and happens when they are seen to have "shamed" their community. It can also affect men, with some charities saying male abuse is underreported.
In Mrs Aplin's research, the abuse perpetrated by mothers included hitting, kicking and slapping, assault with household objects, cutting off daughters' hair and deception in order to encourage a fleeing victim back home.
Other behaviours included threatening to kill the victim or throw them downstairs, bartering to sell them, false imprisonment, emotional blackmail, confiscation of passports, bank cards and mobile phones and emotional blackmail.
Mrs Alpin said: "The instinctive reaction from the public and from police officers and social workers is that mothers protect and nurture and love their children. But actually we need to rethink that.
"Mothers are the key perpetrators in abuse against daughters, and this is mostly abuse pre-marriage. So it's not necessarily abuse against wives once they've been forced into marriage."
Jasvinder Sanghera founded the charity Karma Nirvana to support victims of "honour" abuse and forced marriage, which currently receives about 850 calls a month.
She said: "What they need to acknowledge is that when they are risk assessing or investigating cases they have also got to consider women as suspects, so that they are investigating them, they are holding them to account.
"They need to be recognising that the victims are not safe with these females."


The government has removed its adverts from YouTube amid concerns they are appearing next to "inappropriate" material on the video-sharing site.

The Cabinet Office said it was seeking assurances from YouTube's owner Google that its messages would be displayed in a "safe and appropriate way" in future.
The Guardian, Channel 4 and the BBC have also pulled ads citing similar worries.
Google said it would review its controls.
The firm has been attacked by MPs in the past for not doing more to curb online hate speech.
The internet giant said it had "strict guidelines" about the placement of adverts but conceded "we don't always get it right".
A recent investigation by the Times found adverts were appearing alongside content from supporters of extremist groups, making them around Â£6 per 1,000 viewers, as well as making money for the company.
Ministers have summoned Google for talks at the Cabinet Office after imposing a temporary restriction on its own ads - including for military recruitment and blood donation campaigns - appearing on YouTube.
The Cabinet Office said digital platforms such as YouTube were a "cost-effective" way of reaching mass audiences but the taxpayer demanded high standards and it would be seeking action following recent negative media coverage.
"Google is responsible for ensuring the high standards applied to government advertising are adhered to and that adverts do not appear alongside inappropriate content," a spokesman said.
"We have placed a temporary restriction on our YouTube advertising pending reassurances from Google that government messages can be delivered in a safe and appropriate way."
Google acknowledged its record was not perfect and said it was committed to "doing better".
"We have strict guidelines that define where Google ads should appear," a spokesman said. "In the vast majority of cases, our policies work as intended, protecting users and advertisers from harmful or inappropriate content.
"We accept that we don't always get it right and that sometimes, ads appear where they should not...We will make changes to our policies and brand controls for advertisers."
But Channel 4 has questioned whether YouTube remains a "safe environment" for advertisers, saying it had removed all its promotions with immediate effect.
"We are extremely concerned about Channel 4 advertising being placed alongside highly offensive material on YouTube," said Dan Brooke, the broadcaster's chief marketing and communications officer.
"It is a direct contravention of assurances our media buying agency had received on our behalf from YouTube."
The Guardian has withdrawn all its advertising from both Google and YouTube after it said a promotion for a membership scheme had been inadvertently placed next to extremist material, including videos of American white nationalists, a hate preacher banned in the UK and a controversial Islamist preacher.
David Pemsel, the media group's chief executive, said the error had been "completely unacceptable."
During a recent appearance before the Commons Home Affairs Committee, executives from Facebook, Twitter and Google were told they had a "terrible reputation" for dealing with problems and should be policing their content more effectively, given the billions they made.


Scotland's first minister has paid a private visit to the Bataclan Concert Hall to pay her respects to victims of the Paris attacks.

Nicola Sturgeon left a message on behalf of the Scottish people expressing sympathy and solidarity with those affected by the tragedy.
A total of 89 people died at the venue when gunmen mounted a series of attacks on 13 November, killing 130 people.
Ms Sturgeon is in Paris to attend the UN climate change summit.
The first minister was accompanied by the British ambassador.
The message she left reads: "I would like to express, on behalf of the people of Scotland, my deepest sympathy and sincere feeling of solidarity towards the victims of this tragedy and towards their families."
Speaking afterwards, the first minister told BBC Radio Scotland that the array of flowers around the Bataclan was "deeply, deeply moving".
She said: "It's impossible for us to imagine the horror that unfolded in there that night but the way that the city of Paris has come together has been very impressive indeed.
"So, I was glad on behalf of Scotland to lay some flowers and pay my respects this morning."


A species of insect not previously recorded in Scotland has been found at an RSPB reserve in the Highlands.

Molanna angustata is a type of caddisfly that inhabits Wales and England up to the Lake District and Yorkshire.
RSPB Scotland trainee ecologist Genevieve Dalley discovered and identified two males caught in a moth trap at Insh Marshes near Kingussie.
The flies' larvae live in water and create protective cases.
These tubes are made from tiny particles of sand and stuck together with silk.
When they have grown to a winged adult they chew their way out of the case and swim up to the surface where they eventually fly away.
However, this journey has to be done quickly or predators, such as fish, will eat them.
Ms Dalley said: "It is fantastic to have discovered this new species, especially since it is the first ever record of its kind in Scotland.
"However, there is still a lot of work to be done if we want to fully understand this interesting little creature.
"We don't know why it's never been found in Scotland before - it could be that the species is starting to move north, or it could be that this type of caddisfly has simply gone unnoticed until now."


A High Court judge has quashed a ministerial decision to grant planning approval for the redevelopment of Casement Park stadium in west Belfast.

The Gaelic Athletic Association applied to build a new 38,000-seat stadium on the site and the plan was approved by Environment Minister Mark H Durkan.
Local residents objected and went to court, asking for a judicial review.
The judge, who has already ruled Mr Durkan acted unlawfully in approving the plan, has now quashed the decision.
A GAA spokesman said the organisation was disappointed with the ruling but added that it will submit a new planning application next year.
Mr Durkan said: "The judge found that in reaching my decision on this planning application there were errors in how aspects were processed thus rendering the decision unlawful.
"This is disappointing. I will now carefully consider the full judgement and the outcome of today's decision."
Northern Ireland Sports Minister Carál Nί Chuilίn said she was also disappointed with the ruling but remained "fully committed to ensuring that this project becomes a reality".
The legal challenge was brought by the Mooreland and Owenvarragh Residents Association (MORA).
They had objected to the size of the redevelopment.
They claimed the proposed stadium would be too big for the area, blocking out light in their homes and gardens, and compounding traffic congestion in west Belfast.
After the judge quashed planning approval on Thursday, the GAA released a statement through Tom Daly, chairman of the Casement Park Project Board.
"Whilst we are disappointed with today's judgment we are fully committed to transforming Casement Park and building a provincial stadium for Ulster which will provide a longstanding legacy for Gaelic Games as well as significant social and economic benefits.
"We welcome that the judgment found the siting, size and scale of the Casement Park development were not contrary to planning policy."
Mr Daly said there was a "strong resolve within the GAA to submit a new planning application in 2015, which will again follow the due process and scrutiny of the Department of the Environment".
The sports minister said:  "I am aware that the GAA offered a number of solutions which sought to address the issues raised in the judgment and I am disappointed that no accommodation was reached.
Ms Nί Chuilίn added: "The GAA have indicated that they will lodge a fresh planning application which will take account of the points raised in the judgment and I and my department will fully support them during the new planning process."
At a hearing on Monday, the judge ruled the environment minister had acted unlawfully in approving the plan and gave both parties more time to come up with new submissions.
Mr Justice Horner found the decision-making process had been fundamentally flawed.
He identified failures in the environmental impact assessment of the plan and also found that the effect of bigger crowds on the surrounding roads network had not been properly examined.
The judge also pointed to the minister never being told of police concerns about safety issues around having 38,000 people attending an event.
The proposed GAA sports facility was to be built with the help of £61.4m of public funding, provided by the Northern Ireland Executive.
To date, £5m of public money has already been spent on the Casement Park redevelopment.


Three Labour councillors have been suspended over social media posts about Israel.

Nottingham councillor Ilyas Aziz and ex-Blackburn mayor Salim Mulla are both said to have shared a post which suggested the state of Israel should be relocated to the US.
Burnley councillor Shah Hussain said he would "fight" his suspension for a tweet sent to an Israeli footballer.
Mr Aziz said he did not write the 2014 post, while Mr Mulla has not commented.
It comes after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn insisted the party was "united in opposing anti-Semitism".
The posts were highlighted on the Guido Fawkes website.
One, shared from Mr Aziz's account, was a comment stating: "Jews and Muslims lived together in the Middle East, in peace pre 1948.
"Perhaps it would have been wiser to create Israel in America it's big enough. They could relocate even now."
The Radford and Park ward councillor's account also features a series of re-posted comments and images criticising Israel.
A comment posted with an article about Nazi Germany in 2014, said: "A reminder of the treatment and suffering of Jews in Nazi Germany. ARE THERE ANY SIMILARITIES TO HOW ISRAEL IS TREATING PALESTINIANS."
Asked if he had been suggesting Israel should be relocated, Mr Aziz told the Press Association: "I didn't write that."
Blackburn with Darwen councillor Mr Mulla reportedly described "Zionist Jews" as a "disgrace to humanity" in a social media post.
Mr Hussain, who represents Burnley's Daneshouse with Stoneyholme ward, intervened in a Twitter conversation in 2014 between footballers Joey Barton and Yossi Benayoun over the conflict in Gaza.
In a message directed at Benayoun, he wrote: "You are an complete and utter plonker, you and your country doing the same thing that hitler did to ur race in ww2"
When approached by the Press Association, Mr Hussain said he would "most definitely" fight the suspension.
"If Jewish people find it offensive then I think they need to think about what the rest of the world thinks," he said.
The Guido Fawkes website reported Mr Mulla also shared a message suggesting Israel should be relocated to the US - the same post which led MP Naz Shah to apologise in the Commons and have the whip withdrawn.
Mr Aziz said politicians needed to be careful when commenting on the Middle East, but added: "The thing you have got to try and appreciate is that if a particular government - whether it's the Israeli government, whether it's the British government - if the government is actually doing something wrong they should be criticised.
"But not the population itself, it's got nothing to do with them, it's got nothing to do with the religion."
Mr Corbyn has announced an independent review into anti-Semitism and pledged to tighten party codes of conduct on this and other forms of racism in an attempt to put a lid on the furore.
A party spokesman confirmed that all three councillors had been suspended, but made no further comment.


About a third of ScotRail's trains have been cancelled due to a lack of drivers willing to work on a Sunday.

The rail operator has published an amended timetable which lists the services affected.
Several lines will see trains run on a reduced frequency, while buses will carry passengers on some other routes.
ScotRail has said that ongoing pay negotiations meant that not enough drivers were volunteering for Sunday shifts.
It has pledged to ensure trains that do run will have more carriages than would normally be the case on a Sunday.
The franchise was taken over earlier this year by Dutch firm Abellio, which said it had inherited a seven-day railway that only had a six-day rota system for drivers, with Sunday services dependent on volunteers.
On Wednesday, ScotRail said it had offered drivers a 2.5% pay rise and a one-off bonus, and would increase driver numbers.
But the Aslef union accused the operator of trying to push new terms and conditions through.
The union's Scottish organiser Kevin Lindsay said: "Abellio have come in with a disrespectful attitude towards staff, redundancies by stealth and an aggressive management style.
"Train drivers are not going to put up with that, they're going to stand up for themselves and their terms and conditions."
Rob Shorthouse, ScotRail's director of communications, advised people to check before travelling.
He added: "We have looked at where the capacity is, where the demand is, and we've strengthened those trains wherever we can with more carriages.
"Before they set off people should take a quick look at our website, have a look at the new timetables and see how the changes affect them."
Scotrail has pledged to do their best to protect travel to major sporting events such as the Open at St Andrews later this month if the dispute has not been resolved by then.
The Scottish government has called on both sides in the dispute to resolve the issue as quickly as possible in order to avoid further disruption.


Trips to the United States and the discovery of a man's body at Cavehill feature in Monday's newspapers.

The Belfast Telegraph leads with an interview with parents of Dean McIlwaine, who went missing on 13 July.
On Saturday, a search group discovered a body believed to be that of the 22-year-old at Cavehill in north Belfast.
There has yet to been a formal identification process.
The paper reports that Dean's mother, Karen McIlwaine, said: "I don't know how we are going on without him, because he was so close to us all."
She said that the discovery provided some closure about what had happened to her son.
"At least we have him home now.
"It would have been awful to live without any news, waiting and wondering," she added.
The Daily Mirror also leads with reaction to the discovery of Mr McIlwaine's body.
In a statement Dean's aunt, Kim Malone, wrote: "Dean was a loving, gorgeous and talented young man who had everything going for him.
"What a waste of his precious life. Our family will never be the same without you Dean."
The Irish News reports on what it says is a secret recording between two police officers and an alleged drug dealer. The PSNI say anyone with a complaint should go to the Police Ombudsman.
Gerry Adams's trip to the United States is the News Letter's lead story.
A teenager from Rathfriland whose grandfather was killed by the IRA told the paper that Mr Adams was being "glorified" in America "as a peacemaker".
Ellie Heenan, 16, is currently in America attending a conference set up after 9/11 for young people impacted by terrorism across the world.
Her grandfather was shot in 1985.
She told the paper: "It is very difficult to stomach because (Mr Adams) was very closely linked to the reason our loved ones were murdered in the first place, and so many people were hurt."
It is understood that during his visit, the Sinn FÃ©in president will attend a mass for Martin McGuinness in Washington.
He will also "update Irish America, the State Department and Capitol Hill on recent developments in the political process".
An award-winning ploughman and part-time farmer has told the Belfast Telegraph about his journey to recovery from cancer.
Twenty-four-year-old Andrew Gill was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia over a year ago.
He underwent intense treatment and has now been in recovery for seven months.
The cancer, which impacts blood cells, has made Andrew look towards a new career path.
"Before my diagnosis I was really fit - I used to rally, motorcross, play football and go running.
"Now I haven't anywhere near the energy levels I used to have.
"I have been looking at other career options and already have taken a course in health and safety and passed two exams," he said.
Funeral details of three Donegal women killed in a car crash in County Louth are included in the Irish News.
Margaret McGonagle, 69, her daughter Mairead Mundy, 37, and family friend Rachel Battles, 39, died in a three-car crash on Friday morning.
Rachel Battles' six-year-old daughter and a 31-year-old are being treated for serious injuries in hospital.
The funeral masses are due to take place on Monday at the Church of Saint Joseph and Saint Conal in Bruckless.
Northern Ireland's air ambulance has made its first flight during a emergency call-out, reports the News Letter.
The helicopter was used to airlift a boy who was injured in a tractor incident in Castlewellan in County Down on Saturday.
Crew were despatched to the rescue even though the service has not been officially launched.
In a statement, the Ambulance Service said: "It is exactly this sort of scenario where it is envisaged that it will make the biggest difference."


Britain have secured two places in the women's trampoline event at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio after two gymnasts made the world final in Denmark.

Bryony Page finished fifth and Kat Driscoll seventh at the Trampoline, Tumbling and Double-Mini Trampoline World Championships on Sunday.
It is the first time GB have earned two female trampoline spots at an Olympics.
Nicole Short then added to her team silver on Saturday with an individual double-mini trampoline silver medal.
"I wanted to carry on the pattern of three, two, one, but I'm thinking about retiring after this one so it's a little bit emotional," said the 21-year-old from Liverpool, who previously won bronze and silver medals at the Worlds.
Sheffield-based Page, 24, briefly led the women's individual trampoline on 55.295 points while team-mate Driscoll, 29, scored 52.935 as China's Li Dan took gold.


The bookmakers' trade body has reacted angrily to a report by MPs on fixed-odd betting terminals (FOBTs).

The Association of British Bookmakers said it was "deeply flawed" and called for an inquiry by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.
The MPs are recommending that the maximum stake for gambling on the electronic terminals in a bookmakers shop is cut to just £2.
Currently the maximum stake on the electronic terminals is £100.
The renewed call for a lower limit comes from the all-party parliamentary group on FOBTs which published its initial report last December.
The machines have been called the crack cocaine of gambling, but bookmaking firms refused to take part in the MPs' inquiry.
"We were disappointed that the bookmakers declined to participate and fear this is a reflection of their denial of the problems associated with FOBTs and a reluctance on their part to speak to policy makers about appropriate regulation," said the MPs' final report.
But that accusation prompted a furious reaction from the bookies.
They said the parliamentary group had no proper standing; that its report merely reflected the views of certain MPs with an axe to grind; and that the report had been funded by rivals in the gambling industry, such as those in the casino, arcade and pub industries.
"We strongly believe that the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards should urgently investigate this all-party parliamentary group," said Malcolm George, chief executive of the Association of British Bookmakers.
"This group of MPs has operated in secrecy, provided no transcripts of the evidence given to their meetings and operated throughout behind closed doors away from public scrutiny."
He added that betting shops were already closing at the rate of more than 100 a year and if the findings of this report were implemented, it "could spell the beginning of the end for the High Street bookmaker".
The MPs in their report said they had in fact given the bookmaking firms plenty of opportunity to submit evidence.
Despite the bookies' aggressive opposition, Carolyn Harris MP, chairwoman of the parliamentary group, said the time for prevaricating was over and the government should now take action.
"There is now a clear case for the government to substantially reduce the maximum stake which can be played on FOBTs," she said.
"These machines are easily accessed in the most deprived areas, sucking money out of the pockets of families.
"I support a responsible gambling industry, but there is nothing responsible about how FOBTs are currently being operated," she added.
The 35,000 machines, usually offering roulette, have become the biggest source of money for the bookmaking industry and now provide more than half its profits.
The report cited figures showing that in 2015 £1.7bn was lost by gamblers on the terminals, each of which took £48,724 from punters that year.
The industry's enthusiasm for the machines has seen it accused of spreading gambling addiction in some of the poorest parts of the country, especially where there are unusually high concentrations of bookies shops in local High Streets.
The Local Government Association (LGA) has been campaigning against the gambling machines, and its spokesman Simon Blackburn supported the report's call for urgent action.
"With rates of problem gambling higher among those who live near clusters of bookmakers, it is essential that, as the report also recommends, councils are given powers to stop further clusters of betting shops on our high streets," he said.
"A new cumulative impact test - which the LGA has previously called for and which government has introduced through the Police and Crime Act for alcohol licensing - would give them the power to veto new shops in areas already saturated by betting shops."
The report was also supported by Sir Robin Wales, Mayor of Newham council in east London.
"The gambling industry has consistently ignored our pleas to stop blighting our high streets with the clustering of betting shops, which bring anti-social behaviour and crime to the heart of our communities," he said.
The MPs repeated their previous call for the spin speeds of the electronic gambling machines to be reduced to slow down the speed of repetitive betting.
And they also said that the number of betting terminals in each shop should be cut from the current limit of four.
The MPs also took a swipe at the Gambling Commission, which regulates most betting in Great Britain, saying it had been slow off the mark and had failed to do its job properly.
"[We] urge the Gambling Commission to take an active role in advising the government to fully regulate FOBTs and to look into accusations of any malpractice by bookmakers or gambling premises more widely," the MPs said.


The FBI is seeking help from US firms as it investigates a nasty strain of ransomware, Reuters reports.

Ransomware encrypts data on infected machines and then asks for money before restoring access to information.
The FBI is analysing a strain of ransomware called MSIL/Samas that tries to encrypt data across entire networks rather than single computers.
The plea comes as security firms warn about other novel strains of the fast-growing, data-scrambling cyber-threats.
The FBI sent out the request for help after discovering that the group behind MSIL/Samas had stepped up its efforts to find victims.
In the confidential advisory obtained by Reuters, the FBI said the group used a publicly available security program called Jexboss to scan networks looking for vulnerable versions of the widely used JBoss software.
When a vulnerable system is found, the malware launches an attack that seeks to scramble data on servers. It also finds and deletes the back-up files firms could use to restore data scrambled by ransomware.
Cisco said it had seen a "widespread campaign" using Samas targeting firms involved in healthcare. Early versions of the malware charged a ransom of one bitcoin (£300) for every machine hit but later versions upped this to 1.5 bitcoins.
"It is likely the malware author is trying to see how much people will pay for their files," wrote Cisco security analyst Nick Biasini in an advisory. "They even added an option for bulk decryption of 22 bitcoin (£6,600) to decrypt all infected systems."
The FBI's request for aid comes as security firms warn about recently created ransomware variants that use different methods to lock up systems and force victims to pay.
The Petya malware targets a key Windows system file called the Master Boot Record that helps a PC get started. By overwriting this file, people are prevented from getting at any data on their PC unless they pay up.
Trend Micro said it had seen Petya distributed in email messages crafted to look like they are from someone looking for work. The CV attached to the message is a booby-trapped program that launches Petya, said Trend security engineer Jasen Sumalapao in a blogpost. Petya charges a ransom of 0.9 bitcoins (£265) to unlock infected machines.
Security firm Carbon Black has found another novel strain that goes after many firms that use Windows PowerShell - a scripting program widely used to administer machines running Windows.
Dubbed PowerWare, this strain hides malicious code in Word documents and calls on PowerShell to execute the attack code when the booby-trapped files are opened.
"Deceptively simple in code, 'PowerWare' is a novel approach to ransomware, reflecting a growing trend of malware authors thinking outside the box in delivering ransomware," said Rico Valdez from Carbon Black.


Fiji has deported an Iranian refugee back to Papua New Guinea, where he spent years detained under Australia's controversial immigration policies.

Loghman Sawari used fake documents to fly to Fiji to seek asylum, saying he did not feel safe in PNG.
But on Friday the 21-year-old was stopped by police as he went to meet immigration officials and deported.
Rights groups have condemned the move. Amnesty International said it had "grave concerns" about his wellbeing.
Loghman Sawari arrived in PNG in 2013. He was one of about 1,250 asylum seekers detained by Australia in two offshore camps, in PNG's Manus Island and on the Pacific island of Nauru.
Australia refuses to accept refugees who arrive by boat, and says they must resettle in Cambodia or PNG. Rights groups say the policy contradicts international obligations and that conditions in the camps are deplorable.
Mr Sawari was recognised as a refugee and released from the Manus Island camp into the community. But there have been many reports of tensions and violence between refugees and PNG residents.
In September 2015 he told Britain's Guardian newspaper he had been assaulted by a guard at the transit centre because he asked for more washing powder, and required hospital treatment.
He was later resettled in the city of Lae, but lost his job and became homeless.
In February 2016 he told the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper that he wanted to return to the detention centre because life in Lae left him scared, lonely and poor.
"I was never, not for one day, safe in PNG," he told the Guardian earlier this week.
He arrived in Fiji last week. His lawyer, Aman Ravindra Singh, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that a meeting had been arranged on Friday for his asylum application to be lodged.
But he said police stopped their vehicle as they drove there, shouted at Mr Sawari to get out and bundled him into a car bound for the airport. He said he hadn't been able to speak to him since.
"I am not aware of what grounds the Fijian government used to unleash their thuggish ways against this young, desperate victim of persecution," he said.
"The Fijian government has miserably failed in using its own domestic laws to deal with this situation."
Fiji says he was deported because he had not applied for asylum straight away and because he had entered on a false passport.
Describing his case as "extreme", rights group Amnesty said: "The Australian government forced him into this position, they've pushed him to his limits and now they must take responsibility to provide him with the protection he needs."
Australia had agreed a deal with the Obama administration under which refugees detained in its offshore camps could apply to be resettled in the US.
But the deal appears to be in doubt, after new US President Donald Trump described it as "dumb" and reportedly cut short a call with the Australian prime minister.


Some inmates are "living in fear" choosing to stay in their cells 24 hours a day at a prison where violence has increased, inspectors said.

Most of these "self-isolators" at HMP Featherstone, near Wolverhampton, felt at risk because of their debts.
Chief Inspector of Prisons, Peter Clarke, said there had been a "shocking worsening in standards", and violence against staff had increased.
The decline is not acceptable but reflects pressures, a spokesman said.
The unannounced October inspection was held two months after inmates started fires during a week-long disturbance.
Mr Clarke said the number of men who chose to self-isolate was a "symptoms of the lack of safety" at the prison.
For more on this and other Birmingham news
Inspectors said the abuse these prisoners suffered included other prisoners urinating under their cell doors.
"They could not access showers, exercise, food or work without fear of repercussion," the report said.
Inspectors said while some officers showed concern, others referred to them as "scaredy cats" and their predicament as "self-inflicted".
The Category C prison, in Staffordshire, which holds about 650 men, was last inspected by the HM Inspectorate of Prisons in 2013, when it received a positive report and scored highly in two out of three areas.
The latest report found a "sharp decline" in three out of four areas, with safety assessed as "poor".
Two thirds of prisoners said it was easy to obtain drugs, with a fifth admitting they had developed a drug problem while inside.
"The backdrop to the decline at Featherstone was clear evidence of poor industrial relations, staff shortages and some significant prisoner unrest," Mr Clarke said.
The report noted the quality of teaching inside the prison was good.
Michael Spurr, head of the National Offender Management Service, is convinced the Featherstone governor could turn its fortunes around.
"The deterioration in performance at Featherstone isn't acceptable, but reflects the real pressures which the system has faced over the last few years," he said.
"The government has set out a clear plan for reform in the Prison and Courts Bill laid before Parliament last week, including investing more than Â£100m to provide 2,500 additional prison staff."


A gang of 12 men attacked a football fan in a "carefully prepared ambush" which left him with permanent brain damage, a court has heard.

Cambridge United supporter Simon Dobbin has been unable to walk or talk since the attack in Southend in March 2015.
Basildon Crown Court heard the group of Southend United fans wanted to attack any Cambridge supporters in "revenge" for an earlier fight.
The men deny charges of conspiracy to commit violent disorder.
More on this and other news from Suffolk
Andrew Jackson, prosecuting, said Mr Dobbin was with a group of Cambridge fans who had stayed for a post-match drink in the Blue Boar pub after a 0-0 draw with Southend.
The court was told the defendants scouted out potential targets and attacked them as they walked past The Railway on their way to Prittlewell station.
"It was a carefully prepared ambush," Mr Jackson told the court.
He described it as a "ferocious attack" which lasted up to 90 seconds, and said bottles and glasses were thrown.
"Simon Dobbin was hit and stamped upon repeatedly and he sustained massive brain injuries as a result of it," he added.
"None of these defendants had any interest that day in enjoying watching a football match.
"Their only interest lay in causing terrible and frightening violence."
Thirteen Essex men deny conspiracy to commit violent disorder.
All except Mr Young are also charged with violent disorder.
All 12 men deny the second charge, except Pullen who has pleaded guilty.
Mr Young also faces a charge of assisting an offender by hiding the group while police were conducting a search.
The case continues.


Regulator Ofgem has told energy firms they must offer simpler tariffs to help consumers compare prices.

The regulator said that customers were "bamboozled" by a complex system of tariffs, which have increased from 180 to more than 300 since 2008.
The "big six" suppliers should also face more competition, Ofgem said.
However, industry body Energy UK said that the number of tariffs simply reflects consumer demand and competition within the industry.
Ofgem said it would force energy firms to auction off up to a fifth of the electricity they generate, making room for new companies.
Ofgem said it had also found evidence that the "big six" energy firms "have adjusted prices in response to rising costs more quickly than they reduced them when costs fell".
Competition in the UK energy market is being stifled through complicated tariffs and a lack of transparency, and energy firms had "failed to play it straight with consumers", it said.
Ofgem launched a review of the energy market after claims were made that suppliers were making excessive profits.
Earlier in the year, British Gas said operating profits had risen by 24% in 2010 to £742m.
In November, Ofgem said that energy supplier's net profit margin per typical customer rose from £65 in September to £90 in November, a 38% rise.
Consumer confidence
By Robert PestonBusiness editor, BBC News
Read Robert's blog
Energy firms could be referred to the Competition Commission if they do not comply with the new system, Ofgem said.
"Consumers must have confidence that energy companies are playing fair at a time when they are being asked to foot the £200bn bill to pay for the investment Britain needs to ensure secure and sustainable energy supplies," said chief executive Alistair Buchanan in a statement.
One supplier, Scottish Power, will face an investigation into its pricing regime, Ofgem said.
Analysis: What will review mean? Ofgem: Why radical change needed
That investigation is in addition to an ongoing Ofgem investigation into British Gas, EDF Energy and Npower into how they handle consumers' complaints.
Ofgem is also still investigating possible mis-selling by EDF Energy, Npower, Scottish Power, and Scottish and Southern Energy.
"In response to customer demand, there is now a wide range of energy products available - such as green tariffs and fixed tariffs - to meet the diverse needs of different customers," said Christine McGourty of the energy industry body Energy UK.
"If energy companies are not setting out these options clearly enough then this is something that should be addressed."
Long-term deals
Brian Snow worked for an energy company for his entire career and says that he does not understand his energy bill.
"I do not understand the tariff that I am on and cannot compare the different options and companies.
I do an annual check of my costs but I rely on one of the comparison companies to tell me which company and which tariff is best for me.
However, the 'best' tariff never seems to last for long and my bill always seems to increase.
I pity old or disadvantaged people who do not have a computer or the computer literacy to use the comparison sites.
If I, as an electrical engineer with a degree, cannot understand these tariffs - how can they?"
The regulator also wants to ban automatic rollovers of fixed contracts.
Some customers pay a set price each month for their energy over the period of a contract, irrespective of price changes for other customers.
Ofgem wants to ban suppliers automatically renewing these deals so customers are not repeatedly tied in to long-term deals.
A similar ban on automatic rollover contracts for land line telephone lines was proposed by communications regulator Ofcom earlier this month.
Instead, customers should default back to the standard tariff, unless they actively choose another fixed-term deal, it said.
Watchdog Consumer Focus welcomed Ofgem's review of the energy market.
"Companies are now on a very short leash," said chief executive Mike O'Connor.
"We welcome the explicit statement from Ofgem that the energy market is fundamentally failing consumers and that comprehensive and determined action is necessary to set it on the straight and narrow."
The "big six" energy firms are British Gas, E.On Energy, EDF Energy, Npower, Scottish and Southern Energy and Scottish Power.


League Two side Leyton Orient have signed defender Callum Kennedy following his release by AFC Wimbledon.

The 26-year-old left-back, who made 24 appearances for the Dons last season, has signed a one-year deal with Orient.
He was a member of the AFC Wimbledon side which won the League Two play-off final against Plymouth last month.
Kennedy, who spent three years in south-west London, becomes O's boss Andy Hessenthaler's fourth signing of the summer.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Motorists in Wales are "finally getting the message" about drink-driving as the number of people who failed or refused breath tests fell to its lowest levels.

Latest Home Office figures showed 4,800 people were caught in 2015.
It is the third straight fall from a 2012 high of 7,900 and the first time in 14 years of records that the figure was below 5,000.
Road safety charity Brake called for the drink-drive limit to be reduced further.
Brake spokeswoman Lucy Amos said: "These statistics appear to show that people are finally getting the message that they cannot get away with drinking any amount of alcohol before getting behind their wheel.
"However, despite the fall in drivers testing positive or refusing a breath test on Wales' road there is still more work to be done.
"With traffic police numbers on the decline, it's leaving those who enforce the law with very little resources to catch those who do break the law."
Between 2002 and 2012, the average number of people failing tests was 6,520.
Insp David Cust, from North Wales Police, said he believed the fall in numbers was down to a more targeted approach.
He said: "We are using our intelligence and information from the public to look at our patrols and put them in the right areas at the right time.
"The drink drive message is getting across and the figures are encouraging, however, we can't be complacent as the drug [driving] figures are going up."
Gwent Police Ch Insp Huw Jones said he was pleased the figures were falling.
"This shows that drivers are thinking before driving under the influence. Drink and drug driving ruins lives all year round, and our efforts to combat it continue throughout the year," he added.
A Dyfed-Powys Police spokeswoman said: "We're not resting on our laurels and we will continue to enforce drink driving all year round with heightened activity during our two major campaigns in the summer and winter."
The other two Welsh police forces have been asked to comment.
For a breath test in England and Wales, the limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, while in Scotland it is 22.
Ms Amos believes the rest of the UK should follow suit.
"Drink driving is still one of the biggest killers on our roads and while we welcome these reductions, Brake is calling on the UK government to bring England and Wales into line with Scotland's lower drink-drive limit," she added.


Five members of Cuba's national volleyball team have been convicted of raping a Finnish woman during a World League tournament in Tampere.

Four of the men, including the captain, were given five-year jail sentences while a fifth is facing a prison term of three and a half years.
They were detained in the southern Finnish city on 2 July after a woman said she had been raped at a hotel.
Eight men were originally held. Two were released soon afterwards.
Another of the players was released from detention at the end of August and acquitted by the court in Tampere.
The men given the longer sentences included 27-year-old captain Rolando Cepeda Abreu, Alfonso Gavilan, 21, Ricardo Calvo Manzano, 19, and Osmany Uriarte Mestre, who is also 21. Luis Sosa Sierra, 21, was given a shorter sentence.
The team had been taking part in a tournament ahead of the Rio Olympics when the rape took place at the hotel in which the players were staying.
The court heard that two of the players had met the woman in a nightclub in the hotel basement. She later went to the room of one of the men, Uriarte Mestre, and consented to sex.
However, Uriarte Mestre was then said to have texted the other men without the woman's knowledge. They entered the room and subjected the woman to a lengthy ordeal and held her by the hair to prevent her leaving.
When she was eventually allowed to leave, she complained to the hotel receptionist who called police.
The men had denied the accusation, insisting the woman had given consent.
However, the court ruled they were guilty of aggravated rape and ordered the men to pay €24,000 (£20,500; $27,000) in compensation to the victim.
As the allegations emerged, two of the team coaches were sacked.
Despite its depleted squad, Cuba fielded a team in Rio and lost all five of its matches.


Actor Benedict Cumberbatch has pleaded with fans outside the Barbican theatre in London not to film his stage performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet.

In a video shot outside the stage door, Sherlock star Cumberbatch told a crowd of supporters about "cameras and red lights" he spotted in the audience.
"It may not be any of you here but it's blindingly obvious," he continued, adding it was "mortifying".
The actor is starring in a 12-week run of the play.
Although on-the-day tickets have been made available, the 100,000 advance tickets were snapped up in minutes when they were released in August last year.
Some tickets are currently being offered for up to Â£650 on secondary-ticketing sites.
In the video clip, which was shot post-performance, Cumberbatch said: "I can't give you what I want to give you which is a live performance that you'll remember, hopefully, in your minds and brains whether it's good, bad or indifferent, rather than on your phones."
He added, "there's nothing that's less enjoyable or supportive as an actor on stage experiencing that."
The actor, 39, told the assembled fans that they could feel free to take pictures of him outside of the auditorium.
"What I really want to do is try and enlist you. I don't use social media and I'd really appreciate it if you did tweet, blog, and hashtag this."
Cumberbatch is not the first actor to have criticised fans for using mobile phones during a performance.
In 2013, James McAvoy scolded an audience member whom he caught filming his performance of Macbeth at Trafalgar Studios.
Last year, during a performance of Clarence Darrow, Kevin Spacey was distracted by a ringing phone at London's Old Vic theatre.
"If you don't answer that, I will," he said.


A businessman who supplied ambulances to an NHS patient transfer service says he was left with "thousands of pounds of debt" because he was not paid.

Dave Robins from Swanley, Kent, leased non-emergency ambulances to Coperforma, which was stripped of its Sussex patient transport contract on Tuesday.
He began providing them in July after two other suppliers went bust, but has said he has only received one payment.
Coperforma said all contractors were paid in full for services received.
"In line with our contractual policy we do not discuss with third parties details of the relationship we have with individual transport service providers," a spokesman said.
More news from Sussex
Mr Robins, of UK Ambulance Sales, said he lost almost Â£200,000 in the summer after two patient transport companies in Sussex went bust.
Coperforma stepped in to keep the service running and, he said, did a deal with him to lease ambulances for six months from 1 July.
"They made payments for 1 July, supposed to be a six-month basis, [and] haven't made payment since.
"Invoiced them for the full amount. Nothing at all, so I feel quite aggrieved about what's gone on," Mr Robins said.
Not for the first time Coperforma are having to deal with disgruntled contractors.
We saw it with VM Langfords, Docklands Medical Services, Dedicated Care in Eastbourne and now UK Ambulance Sales.
As the "managed" handover between Coperforma and South Central Ambulance Service begins, so people within the industry are telling me that confidence in the service and in Coperforma is fragile.
Indeed, "fragile" is how the boss of the Clinical Commissioning Group, Wendy Carberry, described the entire Sussex Patient Transport Service when I interviewed her this week.
It might be  that fragility leads to more problems in the months to come.
The spokesman for Coperforma said: "I can categorically state that our payments to our contractors are up to date for service received to support the Sussex patient transport service.
"I can also confirm that we are in different stages of negotiations with a small number of providers over invoice queries which we are trying to resolve as speedily as possible."
Coperforma is due to hand over its patient transport service for Sussex in a "managed transition" to South Central Ambulance Service by next April.


The thing about Emmanuel Macron is that, in the end, everyone gives way to the charm.

See him on campaign last week: he was talking to hardline CGT union members at a soon-to-close factory in the north. These guys hate everything he stands for. Their jobs are going to Poland.
And yet they weren't baying for his blood, they were listening.
A day later he could be talking to a symposium of stuffed-shirt bosses; or a raucous crowd of banlieue teenagers; or some funky young start-up types. And they would all be listening with the same intent.
As someone said in a recent documentary on France's new president: "The guy could seduce an office chair."
Whatever they may think of his politics, the French have had the sense to elect as their leader one of the most brilliant figures of his generation. Charming, of course. But also super-smart, energetic, uncorrupt, creative, young, optimistic.
And plausible. Hear Macron talking, and everything starts to slot into place. Of course! People slap their foreheads in disbelief. What he says is obvious! Why didn't we think of it before?
Live updates: France elects a new president
Aye, but there's the rub.
Usually when someone is described as "plausible", that is when the first alarm-bells start sounding. "Plausible" is only a short step from "too plausible". And suddenly we are in the land of snake-oil.
Emmanuel Macron's central brilliance is built on a self-belief which would be narcissistic were it not directed at public life.
From the earliest of ages he was singled out as exceptional. He was told over and over again what gifts he had, and this led him to prefer the company of his elders.
His beloved maternal grandmother, and later his teacher-cum-wife-to-be Brigitte Trogneux (24 years his senior), spun visions of the glory that was his to come.
Apart from on one occasion - his failure to get into the elite Ecole Normale Superieur - everything he has touched has turned to gold.
And now here he is at 39,  a political novice and yet head of state of the fifth biggest economy in the world!
Can anyone blame him if he feels like someone upstairs is keeping an eye out?
The election of a new leader is not a moment that invites cynicism - and most people will wish the best for a man who is palpably decent and wants to give his all for France.
But if there is a question over Emmanuel Macron, it is over this sense of specialness that surrounds him.
His gift for language and performance (remember it was in a theatre class that he and Brigitte fell for each other) has given him a power of persuasion that is second to none.  Allied to the force of conviction that is his, and it is almost irresistible.
But often with Macron one fears that (in a way that is very French) it is words that are doing his work.
Words that are bridging the divides;  words that are flattering his opponents; words that create the devotion that among some he inspires.
In the campaign,  it became a joke among journalists how often his answers included the words "au meme temps" (at the same time). It was his way of marrying everything and its opposite, of reconciling every contradiction.
He got away with it because he is who he is.
But in the real life of running a fractious, angry, divided country - will his words have the same effect? Will his solitary self-belief create the structures of political support which he needs in the rough-and-tumble of government? Will his charm still work?
Everyone hopes the amazing victory of Emmanuel Macron is the triumph of optimism over decline,  of energy over atrophy, of willpower over resignation.
Everyone hopes it is not the triumph of the salesman over the dupe.


The world's biggest sovereign wealth fund plans to target excessive executive pay.

Norges Bank is currently looking for a company that it considers to be overpaying executives, and will then use that firm as an example in a report to outline the fund's position on pay.
With stakes in more than 9,000 companies and worth $870bn (£595bn), Norway's fund has a powerful voice.
In the UK, there have recently been a series of shareholder revolts over pay.
Last week 72% of shareholders in engineering firm Weir Group rejected a proposed pay scheme. That vote was binding and the company will now have to come up with a fresh plan.
In the past Norway's wealth fund has not taken a position on executive pay, so its focus on the issue is being seen as significant by the fund management industry.
"The Norwegian state sovereign wealth fund has always been quite passive in how it has approached its shareholdings, if a company has done something it hasn't liked it's sold the shares and walked away," said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.
"I think now it is taking a more active stewardship approach, i.e. debating with the company," he added.
Last month 59% of BP shareholders voted against a 20% pay rise for chief executive Bob Dudley, that would have netted him £14m.
The vote against the increase was non-binding, but BP's chairman said at the annual meeting that the sentiment would be reflected in future pay deals.
That was a "remarkable" moment according to Stefan Stern, a director at the High Pay Centre, a think tank which monitors executive salaries.
"I do think there is a feeling that things have been getting out of hand," he said.
"Shareholders have signed off on pay structures they didn't understand and now we're seeing buyer's remorse," he added.
Three-year cycle
In the UK, every three years shareholders receive a chance to vote on the way the formula for executive pay is constructed.
That vote is binding, so the board needs the support of a majority of shareholders, to secure the deal.
Votes between these three-year cycles are not binding, but can create embarrassment for the executives involved.


Two men have appeared in court charged with murder following the death of a 39-year-old man in Fraserburgh.

Gary Clampett died after a disturbance in Fernie Place in the early hours of Sunday.
Barry Martin, 31, and Joseph Martin, 39, were charged with murder and two counts of attempted murder.
The Fraserburgh men no plea at Peterhead Sheriff Court and were remanded in custody. They are due to make a second appearance next week.
A Crown Office spokesman said: "The procurator fiscal also received a report concerning a 45-year-old male, in connection with an incident on 18 June.
"He was liberated from custody pending further inquiries and did not appear in court."


The future of Yorkshire's only child heart surgery unit has been secured following a long-running dispute about how surgery is provided in England.

NHS bosses have said the unit will be one of 10 hospitals nationally that can continue to provide congenital heart surgery for children and adults.
The Leeds General Infirmary unit first came under threat in 2011, prompting a huge campaign to keep it open.
City council leader Judith Blake said the news ended a long period of doubt.
Congenital heart disease services have been the subject of a number of reviews since a public inquiry at Bristol Royal Infirmary in 2001.
In 2011, the children's heart surgery unit in Leeds was earmarked for closure in an NHS review that was eventually declared flawed.
It was back under the spotlight in 2013 when surgery was suspended amid concerns about death rates. Later, an investigation found the decision was based on "invalidated and incomplete data".
Last year NHS England published updated standards for specialist heart care and has since been assessing which hospitals are meeting the new criteria.
It has now announced which trusts are not meeting the standards and which need to close services and transfer care elsewhere.
Units in in Leicester, Manchester and London have been told to halt complex surgery on patients born with heart problems by April 2017.
Five other hospitals providing treatments other than complex surgery will have to stop those services too.
NHS England said it would continue to support and monitor progress at Leeds' hospital trust.
Julian Hartley, chief executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, praised congenital heart disease staff who he said had done an "outstanding job" in complying with the "rigorous new national standards".
Sharon Coyle, chief executive of Leeds Children's Heart Surgery Fund, tweeted: "Delighted for Leeds heart unit, my thoughts are with Leicester patients and the Brompton."


The man who secured the future of the Cutty Sark is to become director of the Cornwall's National Maritime Museum.

Richard Doughty, who helped raise Â£55m towards the conservation of the tea clipper in Greenwich following a fire in 2007, will take over the role in September.
He succeeds Jonathon Griffin, who oversaw the museum's opening in 2003.
Mr Doughty said he was looking forward to living in the county after "many happy holidays in Cornwall".


Facebook has been criticised for its handling of reports about sexualised images of children on its platform.

The chairman of the Commons media committee, Damian Collins, said he had "grave doubts" about the effectiveness of its content moderation systems.
Mr Collins' comments come after the BBC reported dozens of photos to Facebook, but more than 80% were not removed.
They included images from groups where users were discussing swapping what appeared to be child abuse material.
When provided with examples of the images, Facebook reported the BBC journalists involved to the police and cancelled plans for an interview.
It subsequently issued a statement: "It is against the law for anyone to distribute images of child exploitation."
Mr Collins said it was extraordinary that the BBC had been reported to the authorities when it was trying to "help clean up the network".
On its welcome page, Facebook says it does remove obscene material.
"Nudity or other sexually suggestive content" it states are not allowed on the platform.
It encourages users to report inappropriate content via its "report button".
The US firm says it has improved this system since an investigation by the BBC last year.
That found "secret" groups were being used by paedophiles to meet and swap images.
Information the BBC provided to the police led to one man being sent to prison for four years.
To test Facebook's claim, the BBC used the report button to alert the company to 100 images which appeared to break its guidelines. They included:
Of the 100 images only 18 were removed.
According to Facebook's automated replies, the other 82 did not breach "community standards". They included the apparent freeze frame.
Facebook's rules forbid convicted sex offenders from having accounts.
But the BBC found five convicted paedophiles with profiles, and reported them to Facebook via its own system. None of them were taken down.
"I find it very disturbing, I find that content unacceptable," said Mr Collins in response.
"I think it raises the question of how can users make effective complaints to Facebook about content that is disturbing, shouldn't be on the site, and have confidence that that will be acted upon."
The BBC also showed what it had found to Anne Longfield, the Children's Commissioner for England.
"I have been very disturbed by what I have seen, very disappointed that one year on we are still seeing images that are very sexualised, totally in my view unacceptable," she said.
"The moderation clearly isn't being effective, I would question whether humans are moderating this, are looking at this, and also I think it is failing to take account of the context of these images."
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) also voiced concern.
"Facebook's failure to remove illegal content from its website is appalling and violates the agreements they have in place to protect children," said a spokeswoman.
"It also raises the question of what content they consider to be inappropriate and dangerous to children."
The BBC first asked Facebook for an interview about its moderation system in late-2015, and repeated the request following this follow-up investigation.
The social network's director of policy Simon Milner agreed to be interviewed last week, on condition the BBC provided examples of the material that it had reported, but had not been removed by moderators.
The BBC did so, but was reported to the UK's National Crime Agency as a consequence.
Mr Collins said this was "extraordinary - because you're trying to help them clean up their network, from material that shouldn't be there".
Facebook later provided a statement.
"We have carefully reviewed the content referred to us and have now removed all items that were illegal or against our standards," it said.
"This content is no longer on our platform. We take this matter extremely seriously and we continue to improve our reporting and take-down measures.
"It is against the law for anyone to distribute images of child exploitation.
"When the BBC sent us such images we followed our industry's standard practice and reported them to Ceop [Child Exploitation & Online Protection Centre].
"We also reported the child exploitation images that had been shared on our own platform. This matter is now in the hands of the authorities."
But the BBC's director of editorial policy, David Jordan, said the move was surprising.
"The fact that Facebook sent images that had been sent to them, that appear on their site, for their response about how Facebook deals with inappropriate imagesâ€¦the fact that they sent those on to the police seemed to me to be extraordinary," he said.
"One can only assume that the Facebook executives were unwilling or certainly reluctant to engage in an interview or a debate about why these images are available on the Facebook site."
A spokesman for the National Crime Agency said he could not confirm or deny an investigation was underway.


Germany's highest civil court has ordered two retrials after a judge was discovered arranging childcare via text message during court hearings.

It said mobile phones had no place in the courtroom, and banned judges from using them while hearing a case.
At the time, the judge was presiding over the trial of two men on stabbing charges at a court in Frankfurt.
Lawyers for the accused lodged a motion of bias against the defence after the judge was seen using a mobile phone.
Germany's Federal Court of Justice (BGH) threw out the convictions after the judge - who has not been identified - was found to have checked the phone several times during 10 minutes of witness testimony.
The judge also texted a babysitter twice when the hearing ran over longer than expected.
BGH judge Thomas Fischer said mobile phones "do not belong in the courtroom - that goes for onlookers, lawyers and of course also for judges".
He stressed that judges must be focused on the case at all times.