Former England full-back and 2003 World Cup winner Iain Balshaw has announced his retirement from rugby.

The 35-year-old, who won three Test caps for the Lions, has failed to recover from a knee injury sustained while playing for Biarritz in France.
His retirement means only one of England's 2003 World Cup-winning squad is still playing - Mike Tindall.
"After 16 months of unsuccessful rehab it is finally time to call it a day," Balshaw said on Twitter.
Balshaw, who played for Bath, Leeds, Gloucester and Biarritz Olympique, made a total of 35 appearances for England, coming on as a substitute in the 2003 World Cup final 20-17 victory over Australia.
"I would like to thank each and everyone of you, especially those at Bath, Leeds, Gloucester and Biarritz, who have played a part in the last 17 years," he said.
"Through you I have had some amazing experiences, travelled the world and made some life-long friends and for that I am truly grateful."
Blackburn-born Balshaw played for the British and Irish Lions on the 2001 tour of Australia.
He made his senior debut for Bath in 1997, going on to make 127 appearances at the club before moving to Leeds Tykes in 2004, where he won the Anglo-Welsh cup in 2005.
Following relegation from the Premiership in 2006 he switched to Gloucester, where he stayed for two seasons before moving to French Top 14 side Biarritz in the summer of 2009.


A new round of talks between Northern Ireland's parties will begin on Monday in an effort to strike a deal for the restoration of devolved government.

The parties missed last week's deadline for forming a power-sharing executive.
The UK and Irish governments have said they want the talks at Stormont Castle to have an agreed agenda and regular roundtable meetings.
The two governments have described it as "an intensive process to drive progress".
Secretary of State James Brokenshire has said he still believes there is a short window of opportunity to find agreement.
He has also said there is no appetite for another snap election.
Mr Brokenshire told MPs in Westminster that he does not want to see a return of direct rule from London, but that he has to keep all options open.
He added that he would legislate on Northern Ireland's future when Westminster returns after the Easter recess.
Northern Ireland's two biggest parties, the DUP and Sinn Féin, had blamed each other for the failure of initial talks.
Sinn Féin was "not in agreement-finding mode" during talks to save Northern Ireland's political institutions, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster said, while Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill said the DUP did not have "the right attitude".
Northern Ireland's other parties have underlined the importance of the new talks process.
SDLP MLA Colin McGrath said that the talks were crucial so that all the parties could "understand exactly what page everybody's on".
The UUP's Doug Beattie said the parties need to be given breathing room so they can come to agreement.
"What we need to create is the time and the space so political parties can manoeuvre, so they can actually change their positions, because right at this moment in time the trenches are being dug even deeper."
The last failed round of talks drew criticism from many participants who described them as shambolic.
Unlike last time, the parties do not face a precise deadline.
But the secretary of state has said that whether the talks make progress or not, he will need to bring legislation to Westminster after parliament returns from its Easter break later in April.
Stephen Farry, of the Alliance Party, warned that agreement was crucial so that devolved government could deal with the impact of Brexit.
"We have to have an executive in place and an executive with a proper Brexit plan if we're going to make any headway," he said. "There's a massive amount of work to be done."
Last week, Mr Brokenshire also said he believed talks were too advanced to introduce an individual not already involved to chair the discussions as an independent mediator.
It is understood that Sinn Féin has proposed an individual to chair the new talks process.
A number of politicians strongly criticised the handling of previous negotiations, which ended without success last weekend.


Teams of people have been competing in an ice dragon boat contest in Canada.

20 February 2017 Last updated at 09:12 GMT
It's the first time the sport has been held in the country, with 60 teams taking part.
It's based on the Chinese sport of dragon boat racing - but instead of taking place on water, it's on ice.
The game was invented so people from colder areas could still enjoy dragon boat races during the winter.


Billed as London's first "Grand Hotel", it is exactly 150 years since the Langham began serving the whims of the rich and famous.

The hotel, which claims to have invented the tradition of the afternoon tea, was opened by the Prince of Wales - later Edward VII - on 10 June 1865.
It became renowned for what were at the time luxury touches, such as electric lighting and hydraulic lifts.
Over the years, the Langham has played host to many notable guests, including the exiled French emperor Louis-Napoleon III, Charles Dickens, one of the "Cambridge Five" spies Guy Burgess and his wartime employer, the BBC.
The hotel sought to attract well-heeled guests and ensured staff members were immaculately dressed at all times. The five men pictured above were waiters.
During World War Two much of its regular clientele decamped to the countryside but the building in Regent Street remained open and served as a first-aid point and military post.
On 16 September 1940 it came under intense fire from Luftwaffe raiders who destroyed a large section of the west wing.
As the Langham was so close to the BBC's Broadcasting House, across the road at Portland Place, it was in constant danger from German bombers.
The BBC's wartime staff used to broadcast from the roof of the Langham, in particular the US correspondent Edward Murrow.
JB Priestley was also a guest in this period to be close to Broadcasting House for his frequent late-night transmissions of Britain Speaks to North America.
In 1941 the notorious Soviet spy Burgess was involved in what became known as the "Langham incident". An internal memo from his wartime employer the BBC revealed that he tried to break down the door of his room when he could not get in.
It was some time after the war was over before the Langham could be returned to its original splendour.
In 1965 the BBC took out a partial lease and made the bar the home of the BBC's private members club.
The royal suites were used for office printing and the grand ballroom became the registry.
The Langham was eventually returned to its original use after significant refurbishment.
Today, the hotel is still capable of attracting the well-heeled guests it could in its Victorian heyday when the likes of Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde would grace its corridors.
More recently, the hotel has played host to the England cricket team, with bowler Stuart Broad claiming the building was haunted.
Broad told the Mail on Sunday how the taps in the bathroom came on for no reason and turned themselves off, leaving him "really freaked out".


Plymouth Raiders have appointed Australian Jonathan White as their new head coach on a two-year contract.

The former Melbourne Tigers assistant will work with fellow countryman Daryl Corletto, who has signed a two-year extension as Raiders player-coach.
White will also manage the British Basketball League side's academy.
"Daryl and myself share many values - we are dedicated to the pursuit of excellence and the commitment to organisational culture," he said.
"We bring a commitment to the team above the individual, and open and honest communication to build relationships."
Corletto, 34, replaced former head coach Jay Marriott in October 2015 and guided Raiders to ninth last season, missing out on the play-offs.
The club say they will announce their first two player signings on Friday.
"Appointing Jonathan as the head coach allows Daryl to concentrate more on playing during games, which can only be a good thing for him and the team going forwards," said chairman Bob Widdecombe.
Corletto added: "I'm really looking forward to helping the club reach their goals on court, which it has been starved of in recent years."


A blind woman said she felt "mortified and humiliated" after being told to leave an Asda supermarket because of her guide dog.

Louise Cannon, 34, was shopping with her dog Harmony at the Stoneycroft store in Liverpool on Friday when a security guard told her to "get out".
Asda admitted how Ms Cannon was treated was "not acceptable" and said it was "genuinely sorry".
The guard was not familiar with rules over guide dogs in shops, it added.
Ms Cannon said she was "shocked" when the security guard asked her to leave because dogs were not allowed on the premises.
"He kept shouting at me, telling to me to go out," she added.
She said "other people started chipping in" to support her but the guard got "a bit irate" and she felt "incredibly humiliated".
Asda said the guard has since been retrained.
Ms Cannon told BBC Radio Merseyside she had not yet received a direct apology from Asda.
It is illegal for service providers to treat people with disabilities less favourably because they have a guide dog, according to the Equality Act.


A Bolivian journalist who made headlines when he alleged that Bolivian President Evo Morales had a son whose existence had been unknown until then, now says the child never existed.

Journalist Carlos Valverde reported in February that Mr Morales had a son with Gabriela Zapata, a woman detained over alleged influence peddling.
Mr Morales acknowledged he had had a two-year relationship with Ms Zapata.
But he said that Ms Zapata had told him their son had died shortly after birth.
In the latest twist in the confusing story, Mr Valverde now says that Mr Morales and Ms Zapata never had a child together.
Mr Valverde was conducting an investigation into alleged influence peddling involving a Chinese firm operating in Bolivia.
Ms Zapata was working as a senior manager at the firm, CAMC, which had been given lucrative state contracts.
Mr Valverde reported that she had had a relationship with Mr Morales from which a son was born.
Mr Morales, who is not married, acknowledged the relationship, which he said lasted from 2005 to 2007.
The president also said that Ms Zapata had told him she had given birth to his son in 2007 who, she told him, had died shortly after birth.
But Ms Zapata's aunt, questioned by reporters as she was entering the jail in La Paz where her niece was being held, said the boy was alive and called Fidel Ernesto.
Mr Morales said that if his son was indeed alive he would like to meet him.
When Ms Zapata refused, Mr Morales asked a court to order her to let him see the child within five days.
According to Mr Valverde, the child presented to the court was "neither the child of Gabriela Zapata nor that of Evo Morales, and even less so the joint child of the two".
The journalist also alleges that Ms Zapata "passed the child off as her son".
Mr Valverde did not give any further details as to where his new information came from but it matches the ruling of the family court judge asked by Mr Morales to investigate the case.
The judge ruled on 6 May that the "physical non-existence of the child" had been proven.
Judge Jacqueline Rada said Ms Zapata had refused to undergo DNA testing or let the child she presented at court as Mr Morales' son be tested.
Supporters of Mr Morales say Mr Valverde's allegations in early February hurt the president ahead of a referendum which aimed to change the constitution to allow him to run for another term.
Mr Morales narrowly lost the referendum.


A three-person panel has been appointed to carry out an investigation into De La Salle College in west Belfast.

There have been ongoing industrial problems in the school for months.
The panel consists of leading educationalist Prof Sir Robert Salisbury, trade unionist John Corey and Belfast Metropolitan College's principal Marie-ThÃ©rÃ¨se McGivern.
Education Minister John O'Dowd has said he wants them to complete the investigation by early summer.
The secondary school, in the Andersonstown area of west Belfast, has 1,100 pupils.
About a third of its 70-strong teaching staff were absent for a period prior to Easter, and, in an unusual move last month, an associate principal was appointed to the school.
A group representing some parents also held a number of protests to express their concern about how the disputes were affecting their children.
Mr O'Dowd said that he wanted the panel to investigate events in the school, and make recommendations "to ensure the school's future".
"I consider the panel members to be eminently well qualified and experienced," he said.
"My priority continues to be to the pupils at the school and this investigation will give pupils, parents, staff and their representatives, and all those involved with the governance of the school, the opportunity to express their view."
The investigation will look at staff relationships, the role of senior leadership, governance of the school and the impact of the ongoing disputes on pupils.
Mr Corey was general secretary of Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA) union from 2003-10 and is currently a member of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.
Prior to her role at Belfast Metropolitan College, Ms McGivern was director of development at Belfast City Council.
Sir Robert, meanwhile, recently chaired the literacy and numeracy task force in Northern Ireland and is a former professor of education at the University of Nottingham.
The National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), which represents almost half the teachers at De La Salle College, welcomed the appointments.
It said the move "should reassure all partners in the De La Salle community that Minister O'Dowd is committed to finding a robust resolution to the recent period of challenge".
However, it said the terms of reference would be "critical to the success or otherwise of the investigation".
The NASUWT also said it will "seek assurances from the panel that their work will not cause any further disruption".
Jim Clarke, chief executive of the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS), also welcomed the appointment of the panel.
"The background and experience of those who will be carrying out the investigation gives confidence to the process," he said.
"CCMS will continue with its ongoing work with the other interests through the agreed strategy. It remains focused on the needs and interests of the pupils at the school."


Author, critic and broadcaster Clive James is to be honoured at the Bafta TV awards in London later.

The tribute, to be led by writer and broadcaster Charlie Brooker, will include a short film highlighting some of the 75-year-old's best-known work.
James received a Bafta Special Award earlier this year.
In 2010 he was diagnosed with terminal leukaemia. Amanda Berry, Bafta chief executive, called him an "incredible talent".
James, she added, was "a great influence on many working in television today" and "a warm, witty and knowledgeable presenter whose programmes [have] left a vivid impression on so many viewers, myself included."
Born in Sydney, Australia, James was educated at Sydney University and Cambridge, where he was president of the Footlights dramatics club.
He began his career as a journalist with The Observer in 1972 and went on present countless television series and specials.
He wrote his first autobiography in 1979 and followed it with more essays, books and, more recently, poetry.
Last year the terminally ill author admitted he he had "started saying goodbye" through his work.
He wrote of having "lungs of dust" in the poem Sentenced to Life.
"Inevitably, you start saying goodbye," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
In 2014 he was awarded the President's Medal of the British Academy.
The British Academy Television Awards will be hosted by Graham Norton at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London.
The event will also see producer and writer Jeff Pope receive a special award and Channel 4 News journalist Jon Snow receive a Bafta Fellowship.
The ceremony will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC One HD from 20:00 BST.


Oscar-winning actress Joan Fontaine - the star of several psychological thrillers produced by Alfred Hitchcock - has died in California aged 96.

Fontaine - the sister of fellow Oscar-winner Olivia de Havilland - died in her sleep on Sunday in her home in Carmel, her friend Noel Beutel said.
Born in Japan to British parents, she and her older sister moved to the US as children.
She won an Oscar as a vulnerable wife in the movie Suspicion in 1942.
Hitchcock also cast Fontaine in the lead role in his first Hollywood work, Rebecca.
Her other films included The Constant Nymph, Jane Eyre and Letter from an Unknown Woman.
Fontaine won her Oscar over her sister, who was in the running for her role in Hold Back The Dawn.
The pair's constant and lifelong rivalry was legendary in Hollywood.
De Havilland is still alive at the age of 97 and lives in Paris.
Fontaine gained another two Academy Award nominations, including for her lead role in Rebecca in which she played opposite Laurence Olivier.
The actress later said it was a "bittersweet moment" beating De Havilland to the best actress prize. "I was appalled that I won over my sister," she added.
But De Havilland - who played a significant role in Gone With The Wind - won two statuettes later in the 1940s for To Each His Own and The Heiress.
When she won the Oscar for To Each His Own in 1947, it is said she snubbed her sister's congratulatory gesture.
The sisters' difficult relationship continued for decades.
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter in 1978, Fontaine said: "I married first, won the Oscar before Olivia did, and if I die first, she'll undoubtedly be livid because I beat her to it."
In her autobiography, the actress said: "I adore, respect and like my sister. But we don't seek out each other's company. We're such complete opposites."
The pair remain the only siblings to have both won Academy Awards for acting.
Fontaine - born Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland in Tokyo - had four marriages which ended in divorce. She held dual British-US citizenship.
She starred opposite many of the Hollywood greats, including as Joan Crawford's rival in her first major role in 1935's No More Ladies.
Fontaine also lined up with Katharine Hepburn, Fred Astaire and Cary Grant - her co-star in Suspicion.
The star was determined to play more wilful roles later in her career, gaining recognition for Tender is the Night in 1962.
Her final major screen appearance came four years later in The Witches, while her final screen credit was for the TV movie Good King Wenceslas in 1994.


South Korean singer Psy says he's unhappy with the "heavy pressure" of representing his country on a global scale.

"I don't want to live like that," the Gangnam Style singer confesses.
"I am not that responsible person. I hate the word responsibility. I wasn't responsible at all before Gangnam Style and now I gotta be good."
Psy, 34, says he was "bad ass" before the worldwide success of Gangnam Style.
The video has now been viewed more than 700 million times on YouTube.
In previous concerts, Psy has dressed in revealing PVC outfits and covered Lady Gaga songs.
In 2011 he performed Beyonce's Single Ladies on stage wearing a leotard.
Earlier this month Psy was awarded the Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit by South Korea's Culture Ministry, for increasing awareness of South Korean pop music and interest in South Korea.
When asked how he felt about being used politically, Psy admitted he was "not that kind of person".
He also recounted a tale of being photographed in Toronto recently standing by a no smoking sign which did not go down well at home.
"There was a public ashtray there," Psy protested. "That's why I smoked there and everybody smokes there so I thought it was all right.
"But in Korea that was kind of a bit of trouble so people say, 'Oh Psy, you are representing our country so don't do that.'
"That kind of thing happens these days."
At the weekend Psy won best video for Gangnam Style at the MTV Europe Music Awards and he says he is working on his first international album.
That will be recorded half in English, half in Korean and will be released in 2013.


Antidepressants may have contributed to a killer's loss of control when he shot his wife, a court has heard.

David Leeman, of Higher Cowley Farm, Parracombe, Devon, shot wife Jennie, 44, five times at close range last September.
The 60-year-old denies murder but admits manslaughter on the grounds of loss of control.
A pharmacologist told the court Mr Leeman's symptoms were consistent with an adverse reaction to antidepressants.
Dr Andrew Herzheimer said Mr Leeman' feelings of being out of control and his sense of confusion were probably caused by his medication.
Mr Leeman had been taking a sedative anti-anxiety drug called Lorazepam for many years and had more recently also been prescribed the antidepressant Citalopram.
Citalopram, Dr Herzheimer said, was a drug closely linked to the controversial medication Seroxat, which has been blamed for sudden changes in behaviour in some users.
He said Mr Leeman's medical notes showed his dosage of Citalopram had been increased from 40 to 60 mg just six days before the killing, when he complained of anxiety over his marriage break up.
"He described feeling as if he was splitting in two and that is what is known as de-realisation and is consistent with a reaction to medication," the pharmacologist said.
Both the drugs Mr Leeman was taking would have caused confusion, he said, acting "a bit like alcohol" by decreasing inhibitions and increasing impulsiveness, recklessness and allowing more primitive and uncontrolled feelings to emerge.
But prosecution expert Professor Robin Ferner told the jury the increase in Mr Leeman's dosage was not enough to lead to "drastic and sudden" behavioural changes.
He said the medication was designed to reduce his anxiety and tension and should have calmed him down and made him able to cope with his wife's departure.
Mr and Mrs Leeman, who had four children, separated after Mr Leeman admitted a historic affair.
Mrs Leeman then began an affair with 40-year-old Norman Laramy, whom Mr Leeman wrongly thought was a paedophile.
Devon and Cornwall Police investigated Mr Laramy, but found no evidence of sexual offending.
Six days after learning of the affair, Mr Leeman killed his wife using an illegal semi-automatic pistol at almost point-blank range.
Mr Leeman claimed he lost control and shot his wife after she refused to listen to his warnings about her new lover.
The trial continues.


Young people have been urged to have a new vaccine protecting them from potentially life-threatening meningitis.

The advice from Wales' chief medical officer Dr Ruth Hussey comes after a rise in meningococcal group W cases.
Available from Monday, it replaces the meningitis C vaccine and also offers protection from A and Y strains of the disease.
Children aged 13 to 18 and students are eligible.
Dr Hussey said secondary school-aged children were at an increased risk of getting the disease and said those who have already had the MenC vaccine should get the latest jab too.
All students under 25 who are attending university for the first time in the autumn are advised to get the vaccine from their GP surgery at least two weeks before they start.
People born between 1 September, 1996, and 31 August, 1997, can get it from their GP, while younger people will have it at their surgery or in school in the next two years.
•Meningitis is an infection of the meninges - the membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal cord
•Meningococcal bacteria are common and carried harmlessly in the nose or throat by about one in 10 people
•They are passed on through close contact
•Anyone can get meningitis but babies and young children are most vulnerable
•Symptoms include a high fever with cold hands and feet, agitation, confusion, vomiting and headaches.
Q&A: Meningitis B vaccine


Parents are being warned against buying pink, gender-stereotyped toys this Christmas, so as not to deter girls from getting into science.

The Institution of Engineering and Technology claims such stereotypes could be putting girls off engineering and technology.
Its analysis of top retailers and search engine results found 89% of toys aimed at girls were pink.
Only 11% of girls' toys focused on science, technology or engineering.
Conversely, nearly a third (31%) of toys aimed at boys had a such a focus.
Researchers for the Institute analysed a total of 360 toys and images across the top 10 toy retailer websites, as well as 594 results from top search engines, such as Google, Bing and Yahoo.
They then looked at which toys were labelled as boys' toys and girls' toys.
However, previous research by the Institution shows high levels of interest in science, maths and computing on primary age girls.
Spokeswoman for the IET, Mamta Singhal, said: "Research shows girls clearly do have an interest in science, technology and engineering subjects at school, so we need to find ways to help this to translate into a higher number of women entering the industry.
"The marketing of toys for girls is a great place to start to change perceptions of the opportunities within engineering, moving from toys specifically targeted at girls to Stem toys (toys with a focus on science, technology and engineering.)
"The toy options for girls should go beyond pink, dolls and dressing up so we can cultivate their enthusiasm and inspire them to grow up to become engineers."
She added: "As a child I had traditional "girls toys" but I loved playing with cars, building blocks and creative kits too.
"The toy industry is changing slowly and over the years more gender-neutral toys such as science kits have started appearing.
"Toys can really influence what a child does in later years; therefore Stem toys are a natural move for the industry."
Jess Day, from Let Toys Be Toys - a campaign encouraging retailers to stop categorising toys by gender, said: "Play is crucial to how children develop and learn, and children should feel free to enjoy a wide range of play.
"But all too often toy marketing pushes the idea of separate toys for girls and boys.
"Many retailers have made real progress over the last few years, dropping gender labels in stores and online - our new research shows a 70% decrease in the use of online gender navigation options since 2012 - but there's still work to do to challenge the stereotyped ways that toys are often packaged and promoted."
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Sale Sharks have signed England Under-20 hooker Curtis Langdon for the upcoming Premiership season.

The 19-year-old was at London Irish last season where he progressed through their academy, but he failed to make a first team appearance for the club.
He had agreed to join National League One side Darlington Mowden Park this summer but has now agreed a long-term deal with the Sharks.
"I definitely see this as a chance to play first-team rugby," he said.
"There aren't too many hookers here so I hope there will be opportunities to play for the first team and then I hope to kick on."


The living wage is based on the amount an individual needs to earn to cover the basic costs of living.

Because living costs vary in different parts of the country, there is a different rate for London and the rest of the UK.
It is promoted by the Living Wage Foundation.
It has received widespread political support, but limited endorsement by employers.
Prime Minister David Cameron has said he supports the idea in principle.
The Labour leader, Ed Miliband, favours making it part of his party's manifesto for the next general election.
Both London's former and current mayor, Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson, are supporters.
The Greater London Authority (GLA) is among the organisations that pay the living wage to their employees.
The living wage is an informal benchmark, not a legally enforceable minimum level of pay, like the national minimum wage.
The national minimum wage is set by the business secretary each year on the advice of the Low Pay Commission. It is enforced by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
The living wage is currently calculated by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University, while the London living wage has been calculated by the GLA since 2005.
The basic idea is that these are the minimum pay rates needed to let workers lead a decent life.
The living wage is now set at £9.15 an hour in London and £7.85 an hour in the rest of the UK.
By comparison, the national minimum wage is significantly lower. Since October 2014, the national minimum wage has been £6.50 an hour for adults aged 21 and over, and £5.13 for those aged 18 to 20.
The most authoritative data comes from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings compiled by the Office for National Statistics.
It shows that median weekly earnings before tax for full-time employees in April 2013 were £517, up 2.2% from £506 in 2012.
For men, full-time earnings were £556 per week, up 1.8%, compared with £459 for women, up 2.2%.
Median annual earnings were £27,000.
However, there was substantial variation across the UK. Median gross weekly earnings for full-time workers were highest in London, at £658, and lowest in Northern Ireland, at £460.
Figures for 2014 are expected later this month.
At present, more than 1,000 employers are accredited by the Living Wage Foundation, committing them to pay the living wage to employed and subcontracted staff.
They include some FTSE 100 companies such as SSE, Aviva, Barclays, Pearson, and Legal & General.
However, plenty of employers pay between the minimum wage and the living wage.
Some supporters of better pay for the low-paid argue that employers who pay their staff too little are in effect benefiting from taxpayers, who subsidise the low wages of their staff by paying their employees top-up state benefits such as tax credits.
But some companies argue that paying the living wage could lead to job losses, and others say that they have been hit by the financial crisis so could not increase staff costs to this level.
No. Some big local authorities have adopted the living wage, such as Cardiff, Birmingham and Newcastle.
Some workers have had to fight to have their employer adopt the living wage. Cleaners in the Houses of Parliament went on strike back in 2005 to demand pay rises that would bring them up to the living wage. They achieved their aim in 2006.
Some cleaners on the London Underground staged industrial action, including strikes, over two years before Transport for London (TFL) conceded a deal based on the living wage in 2010.
The Living Wage Commission is an independent inquiry into the future of the living wage.
It is chaired by Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu, and includes representatives from the TUC, the British Chambers of Commerce, and the voluntary sector.
It looked into the subject for a year, then recommended that the UK government should make it a goal to cut the number of low paid workers by one million by 2020.
It said that the government should pay its own workers the living wage, and that private sector companies that are capable should also pay.
However, it said that other firms should not be forced to do so, especially if this could put jobs at risk.


Golf officials have altered the controversial rule that cost Dustin Johnson a one stroke penalty during his US Open triumph this year.

As a result of the incident that significantly overshadowed the final day at Oakmont, the United States Golf Association (USGA) was heavily criticised.
Johnson was penalised after being judged to have been responsible for moving his ball a fraction of an inch on the fifth green during the final round. He had been initially absolved by the referee with his match.
But officials then examined video evidence and informed the eventual champion, seven holes later, that he may be subject to a penalty. As a result the climax of the year's second major was farcically completed without anyone knowing the leader's score.
Johnson finished four strokes clear of the field but after meeting USGA staff was told he must alter his score on the par-four fifth from a four to a five, cutting the margin of victory to three shots.
Now the USGA, in conjunction with fellow rule-makers The Royal and Ancient, have acted to prevent similar controversies in the future.
From 1 January, 2017, tournament officials at all levels can invoke a Local Rule which eliminates the penalty when a ball is accidentally moved on a putting green.
"We took the view that the rule was not working as well as it looks on paper and that we needed to try and address this," David Rickman, executive director of governance at the R&A, told BBC Sport.
"Oakmont was clearly a difficult time and much has been said about that, but it was one of a number of cases that triggered this action."
Norway's Marianne Skarpnord suffered a similar penalty during the women's event at the Rio Olympics and Justin Thomas was also penalised at this year's Tour Championship on the PGA Tour.
"In practical terms it means that any competition organiser can introduce this Local Rule and it would mean any accidental movement of the ball on the putting green will be exempt from penalty," added Rickman.
"So if the player causes the ball to move there is no penalty, they put it back and if the player causes the ball marker to move there is no penalty, just put it back."
This change applies only to balls accidentally moved by players or caddies.  If a ball changes position due to wind or some other outside agency it has to be played from its new position without penalty.
"We had talks with the professional tours at the time of the Olympics and we've been discussing it since then and all of the major professional tours and organisers of big events are expected to introduce this Local Rule straight away," Rickman added.
Standing over his ball on the fifth green, Johnson made two practice putts. As he prepared to address the ball to take his putt, it moved slightly.
Johnson stepped away, claiming he had not addressed the ball. He checked with a rules official, who was happy there had been no infringement, and playing partner Lee Westwood also absolved him of blame.
Johnson, who missed out on a play-off at the 2010 US PGA as a result of a rules violation, went on to par the hole.
A rules official approached Johnson on the 12th tee and, after a discussion, decided they needed to review the footage of the incident after he had completed his round because he could face a one-stroke penalty.
It meant there was some confusion out on the course among players as to how many shots Johnson was in the lead by.
The penalty stroke was eventually upheld. The USGA's director of rules Jeff Hall said he had watched video of the incident and decided Johnson's actions "could have caused the ball to move".
Hall added: "The first time we had the opportunity to speak to Dustin was the 12th hole. We asked if there was some other reason the ball could have moved. He didn't state a reason. We decided not to review it with Dustin at the media tent on the 13th hole and instead wait till the end."


A woman has been raped in a Wearside park, police say.

The 41-year-old was attacked in Sunderland's Mowbray Park on Wednesday between 01:00 BST and 02:00 BST.
Northumbria Police said officers were trying to trace a man who was with the victim beforehand.
He is described as 5ft 8ins tall, of medium build with short, dark receding hair. He was wearing a Miami skyline printed T-shirt, dark jeans and trainers.
He had a tattoo on his left forearm and upper arm.


A controversial new book about the last days of former South African President Nelson Mandela has been withdrawn by the publisher.

Mandela's family had complained that the book, written by his doctor of almost 10 years, contained personal details.
The publisher said it had pulled the book "out of respect" for the family.
It added that the author had told them Mr Mandela's family had asked for the book to be written.
The author, Dr Vejay Ramlakan, said he had received permission to write the book Mandela's Last Years, but did not say specifically from whom.
On Friday, Nelson Mandela's widow Graca Machel was considering legal action against the book, accusing Dr Ramlakan of breaching patient confidentiality.
The book is reported to expose "undignified" episodes at the end of his life, as well as family squabbles.
Milton Nkosi, BBC South Africa correspondent
The withdrawal of the book shows just how much weight the Mandela name still carries years after his demise.  Mandela's widow Graca Machel complained bitterly about aspects in the book. The outcry was supported by other Mandela family members.
This simply means that Mr Mandela's physician and author of the book Dr Vejay Ramlakan has been isolated. He was adamant that he consulted everyone who needed to be consulted from the family prior to writing the book. Clearly this has backfired now.
One of the details according to the book which did not sit well with Mrs Machel was the assertion that when Mr Mandela took his last breath it was in fact Winnie Mandela's hand he was holding and not hers.
Sello Hatang, the CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, welcomed the withdrawal and challenged the idea that Mrs Machel was doing some work for the foundation when Mr Mandela was on his death bed.
It is now left to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela to come out to set the record straight on whether some of these most intimate details about South Africa's first black president, already in the public domain through the book, are true.
But a statement from Penguin Random House South Africa said it was "meant to portray Nelson Mandela's courage and strength until the very end of his life and was in no way intended to be disrespectful".
"However, given the statements from family members we have decided to withdraw the book."
No further copies of the book are to be issued.
Billed as the "true story of Nelson Mandela's final journey", the book was released to coincide with Mandela Day on 18 July. Episodes related by Dr Ramlakan in the book include:


North Korea has executed its army chief of staff Ri Yong-gil, according to unconfirmed South Korean media reports.

Senior officials in North Korea have previously been absent from view for long periods only to reappear.
However, Gen Ri would be the latest of several high-ranking officials to be purged under leader Kim Jong-un.
South Korean media reported that Gen Ri had been executed earlier this month for corruption and "factional conspiracy".
Last week, a meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party attended by Mr Kim discussed how to deal with corruption.
While no individuals were mentioned, state news agency KCNA reported at the time that those at the meeting criticised "the practices of seeking privileges, misuse of authority... and bureaucratism manifested in the party".
Who was N Korea's 'executed' general?
North Korean leadership expert Mike Madden told the BBC rumours that Gen Ri had fallen from favour first surfaced late last year.
However, "when previous chiefs of staff have been removed, they have re-appeared in other positions or been demoted. The only exception was Gen Ri Yong-ho who was removed in 2012 and then put under house arrest," Mr Madden said.
"That being said, much of the information that South Korean intelligence sources have been giving to the media in the past year or so has turned out to be true," he added.
Mr Madden also pointed out that it already seemed as though Gen Ri had been replaced when another general, Ri Myong-su, appeared at a recent rally in Pyongyang and was mentioned in the slot normally reserved for the chief of staff.
If this is the case, he will be the fourth chief of staff since Kim Jong-un took over in 2011, as opposed to three during his father Kim Jong-il's 17 years in power.
The reports of Gen Ri's execution come days after the North launched a long-range rocket, which critics say is a test of banned missile technology.
In January the North carried out its fourth nuclear test.
Some observers say the regime's recent behaviour may be linked to Kim Jong-un wanting to shore up his position ahead of a rare congress of the Workers' Party due in May.
North Korea rarely confirms these reports of purges and executions though it did announce the death of Kim Jong-un's uncle and mentor, Chang Song-thaek, in 2013.
Sometimes reports become completely fanciful as they spin around the internet - reports that Mr Chang was devoured by ravenous dogs were false.
Knowing what to make of the executions and disappearances is also hard. Do they indicate the strength of the man at the top, because he can arbitrarily and brutally dispense with the people around him, or does it indicate weakness?
It may be both. It may be that Kim Jong-un fears alternative sources of power and (like Stalin) pre-empts their rise. But it may also be that Kim Jong-un (like Stalin) sees threats where they do not exist.  What is clear is that the leadership around Kim Jong-un is not stable.
In May 2015 South Korea's spy agency told parliament that the North's Defence Minister Hyon Yong-chol had been executed for showing disloyalty to Mr Kim.
The agency said Mr Hyon was killed by anti-aircraft fire in front of an audience of hundreds - it later said it was yet to verify the information. That news came weeks after the reported execution of 15 senior officials.
Also on Wednesday, South Korea announced it was suspending operations at the jointly-run Kaesong industrial park in North Korea following the North's recent rocket launch and nuclear test.
Seoul said all operations at the complex would halt, to stop the North using its investment "to fund its nuclear and missile development".
The suspension will mean North Korea will lose the income it currently gains from the site, which comes to $100m a year (Â£69m).


Lotus driver Pastor Maldonado endured an eventful Chinese Grand Prix, veering from the ridiculous to the sublime and back again.

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After running in the points early on, the Venezuelan's day began to unravel when an apparent brake problem saw him overshoot the pit-lane entrance.
The time lost dropped him down the order and as he attempted to make up ground he lost control and span.
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There followed a superb duel with McLaren's Jenson Button over 13th place, with Maldonado getting the upper hand before the Briton missed his braking and took both men off at Turn One.
Button tweeted an apology to Maldonado "for getting a little over excited".
The trio of incidents gave way to a slew of criticism on social media, with Twitter users branding the 30-year-old Lotus driver "shocking", "awful" and the "gift that keeps on giving".
And let's not forget the website that exists solely to inform the world whether Maldonado has suffered a crash on any given day.
Add into the mix the fact that he is one of the sport's wealthiest pay drivers - bringing a reported £30m a year to Lotus from the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA - and he is an easy target for ridicule.
But is Maldonado really all that bad?
Don't forget this is a man who won the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix from pole position in a Williams car that was nowhere near the class of the field that year, all except for that one weekend.
Talk about taking your chance when it's presented.
The previous season, his rookie year, he stacked up very well in qualifying against Rubens Barrichello, an 11-time grand prix winner who made 322 starts, so his pace is not in question.
No, the problem with Maldonado is, and always has been, his tendency to crash.
In the grands prix that followed his Barcelona victory in 2012 he suffered a number of collisions - three penalties were collected in just one weekend at Spa - and nine races would pass before he finished in the points again.
If ever a season summed up the yin and yang of Pastor Maldonado, it was 2012.
Both sides of Maldonado's temperament were very much on display in China.
For the first 34 laps he was driving well at the head of the entertaining Lotus-Sauber-Toro Rosso battle, and therefore leading team-mate Romain Grosjean.
He ruined it by completely overcooking his entry to the pits and running wide, and then spinning while trying to make up time on his return to the track.
Maldonado was blameless for his collision with Button but had displayed excellent race craft during the battle that preceded it, going wheel-to-wheel with the 2009 world champion, driving with precision and bravery.
Of course, without the two earlier errors Maldonado would have been nowhere near the uncompetitive McLaren on the road.
Nevertheless, Maldonado's had been a hugely entertaining performance in what was otherwise a largely uneventful grand prix.
Surely there is something to be said for that in a sport so often accused of lacking personalities and excitement?


Amid the doom and gloom of England's predicament in the second Test, the ongoing development of Ben Stokes provides a welcome chink of light.

His performances this summer have established him as a proper Test batsman. It was a great decision to move him up to number six and you can see the confidence that has given him.
Stokes was outstanding on Saturday. He was solid in defence but still positive and played good, well-controlled shots.
He deserved a hundred and looked utterly crestfallen when he played on off the bowling of Mitchell Marsh for 87.
When England took the field later in the day, Stokes was like a dynamo. He is whole-hearted and chases and dives after everything.
The one area where he is still a work in progress is his bowling.
He often gets compared to Andrew Flintoff, and he is probably already a better batsman than England's 2005 hero but he's some way off being the bowler Flintoff was.
At the moment he's a fourth seamer who still bowls a bad ball every over, but if he can work on his consistency without losing any pace, he could become a really top all-rounder.
If Stokes looked frustrated to miss out on a hundred, then Alastair Cook looked mortified when he chopped on for 96.
When he drove at a wide-ish ball from Marsh, he must have thought he'd struck a boundary, but instead the ball caught the inside edge and Cook was gone. That shows the tiny margins there are in this game.
It was an excellent innings nonetheless, compiled using precisely the cautious-but-confident approach Cook adopts when he's at his best.
We've heard all about England's new positive style, and there were signs in Cardiff that Cook was trying to follow the trend by being more attacking, but this was the old Cook, and that's the Cook England need.
From the horrors of 30-4, England could not have done much more than reaching 312 all out.
Australia stuck to their task well, bowled mostly full lengths to attacking fields, and gradually chipped away at the England innings.
Marsh now has a real opportunity to cement his place in this team for a long time. He ran in with much more purpose than Shane Watson has been doing and looked like a bowler who wanted to take wickets.
Watson used to bowl ball after ball outside the off stump, which was occasionally effective, but his body language was poor in Cardiff and Marsh looks much more sprightly.
I wasn't at all surprised that Australia didn't enforce the follow-on. They might have thought about it if they'd blown England out in an hour and a half this morning, but the pitch is slow and flat so Michael Clarke needed to give his bowlers a rest.
England are likely to have to survive the best part of five sessions to save the game, but I see no reason why they shouldn't be able to do it.
The ball is not doing anything at all. It hasn't spun and even if it does spin it will do so very slowly and without bounce.
It's a slow, true pitch and there's no real bounce to terrify the lower order so if England play every ball very carefully they can save this match.
The safety-first approach won't come naturally to a lot of the current England players. Modern batsmen like to see scoreboard ticking along. There aren't many Geoff Boycotts out there who are happy blocking ball after ball.
But this Test is there for the saving. With a healthy dose of luck, allied to discipline and concentration, England could yet be heading to Edgbaston with a 1-0 lead.
Jonathan Agnew was speaking to BBC Sport's Sam Sheringham.
Listen to Geoffrey Boycott and Jonathan Agnew review each day's play on the TMS podcast, and watch a summary of each day with our Pint-sized Ashes videos.


A NI assembly investigation into the conduct of Peter and Iris Robinson has resumed.

The Standards and Privileges Committee began its inquiry on 11 January, days after a BBC documentary about the couple was broadcast.
Mr Robinson denied any wrongdoing after the programme revealed details of his wife's financial and business affairs.
The assembly probe was suspended pending a police investigation, which later cleared Mrs Robinson.
The PSNI's organised crime branch, which specialises in financial investigations, launched an investigation in January 2010.
In March the Public Prosecution Service said the former DUP MP would not face charges over her role in helping her ex-lover Kirk McCambley, set up a business.
The DPP said it would not be bringing a case against the wife of NI's first minister.
The BBC's Spotlight programme alleged that Mrs Robinson obtained Â£50,000 from two property developers to help her teenage lover to run a cafe in south Belfast, and asked him for Â£5,000 for herself.
She failed to register the money with the authorities at Stormont and also failed to tell the Westminster authorities, as required by the law.
Spotlight also reported that Mr Robinson became aware of his wife's involvement in the business deal but failed to tell the proper authorities, despite being obliged to act in the public interest by the ministerial code.
Mr Robinson stepped aside as first minister of Northern Ireland temporarily to clear his name.
After the broadcast, Mrs Robinson resigned as an MP, MLA and Castlereagh councillor.
A few days later it was revealed that she was receiving "acute psychiatric treatment" at a clinic in London.
She returned to Northern Ireland in September 2010 where she continues to receive medical treatment.
She made her first public appearance in May of this year, attending a state banquet for the Queen at Dublin Castle.
An assembly spokesperson said, "After briefing the Assembly Committee on Standards & Privileges, it has been confirmed that the Interim Commissioner will now conclude his suspended investigation into the issues arising from the BBC Spotlight programme.
"The Interim Commissioner's investigation had been suspended while a PSNI investigation was being carried out.
"Now that the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) has decided not to prosecute in this case, the Interim Commissioner's investigation can resume.
"A report from the Interim Commissioner will follow in due course and will be considered by the committee.
"The committee will then decide whether a breach of the code has occurred."
Last month the DUP said an independent investigation has cleared Iris Robinson and Castlereagh council of any wrongdoing in the awarding of a contract to her former teenage lover.
The Robinsons were married in 1970 and have three grown-up children.


A man has died following a crash in the Highlands.

Scottish Fire and Rescue were called out to the accident on the A99, south of Keiss, at about 03:15.
The road was closed for several hours while an accident investigation took place. The stretch of road was later reopened.
Police Scotland said the man was the only occupant of the car in the single-vehicle accident.


English League One side MK Dons have appointed Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson as their new manager.

The 36-year-old leaves Hearts second in the Scottish Premiership, replacing Karl Robinson at a side currently 19th in England's third tier.
He will be joined at the Dons by Stevie Crawford, who has been Neilson's assistant since he took his first job in management at Tynecastle in 2014.
Neilson will take charge after Saturday's FA Cup tie with Charlton.
Caretaker Richie Barker will remain in charge against an Addicks side managed by Robinson, after his six-year reign at MK Dons ended in October following a poor start to the season having been relegated from the Championship last term.
Dons chairman Pete Winkelman said: "I'm hugely excited. Robbie has been on our list from day one - he's the most exciting young manager in the UK, by a country mile.
"Hearts are a good club. They didn't stand in Robbie's way and they made it possible. They worked with us to make sure it was as smooth as it could be, given that it's in the middle of the season."
Neilson's final match in charge of the Edinburgh side was a 2-0 victory over Rangers at Tynecastle, and afterwards he described his time at Hearts as "a phenomenal journey".
The former Scotland international full-back led his side to the Scottish Championship title and promotion in his first season in charge, and a third-placed finish in the top flight last term.
Neilson said of his appointment: "It's great to be here and I'm looking forward to developing the club, developing the players and moving the club forward.
"The most important thing for me was picking the right chairman and the right club, and this was the right match at the right time - it's a club that's going places.
"Hopefully the fans are ready for the ride. We want to create excitement but, most importantly, win football matches. With the squad that we've got here, we should be winning football matches - our job is to help them do that."
Neilson joins a side who had previously held talks with former England and Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard over the vacancy.
However, the 36-year-old said the role came "a bit too soon" for him after his exit from LA Galaxy.


Illustrator and author Chris Riddell, who created the Goth Girl series, has been named as the new Children's Laureate until 2017.

10 June 2015 Last updated at 14:14 BST
The Children's Laureate is a well known writer of children's books who promotes and encourage children's interest in books, reading and writing.
A new one is chosen every two years.
He takes over from author Malorie Blackman who held the post before.


An elderly couple have been left "very distressed" after a gang of men broke into their home.

Police said the men made off with a large sum of money.
The incident happened at house in Huntly Terrace, Paisley, at around 13:00 on Wednesday.
Det Con John Sharkey said: "This group of men broke into a house a stole a significant quantity of cash and the owners have been left very distressed by this incident."
He appealed for help from anyone who may have seen the men in the area.
They were aged between 20 and 30 and they were all wearing dark clothing.


Francis Ledwidge was an unusual war poet - a British soldier, an Irish nationalist and a man of peasant background.

He was friends with a leader of the 1916 Easter Rising, the Irish rebellion against British rule, but died fighting for Britain in Passchendaele.
Monday marks 100 years since his death.
He brought his words to war in a way that has not only endured a century since his death, but has inspired others to artistic creativity.
"Shortly after he died, Michael Head, who was a young musician, set four of his poems to music," said John Graham, chair of the Inniskillings Museum Trustees.
"Ivor Gurney, another war poet and musician, set one of them to music and down through the years, he has inspired poetry in others, not least of which is Seamus Heaney."
Heaney wrote In Memoriam Francis Ledwidge.
Ledwidge himself was known as the poet of the blackbirds, because of his love of nature.
He was born in Slane in County Meath, the eighth of nine children.
The family was poverty-stricken and their situation only became worse when Ledwidge's father died prematurely.
But their mother worked hard to keep her children in school, believing in the value of an education.
Eventually, the children went out to work, but the artistic flame burned bright in young Francis.
He wrote poems from the age of seven and became a published poet in his early teens.
He had the support and backing of Lord Dunsany, a well-known society and literary figure in Dublin.  With his support, the young man found himself living an almost double life.
"It's a story which has caught the imagination on so many levels," John said.
"The poor boy who could write poetry was picked up by the local lord and mentored, and introduced to the very smartest of Dublin society.
"He would be off cycling around Meath, working on the roads, then in the evening he would be in Slane Castle, reciting his poetry at very elegant soirÃ©es."
Lord Dunsany rated Ledwidge's work so highly he helped prepare and publish all three of the young poet's collections.
The first was published the year before he was killed, the last compiled after his death in Passchendaele on service with 5th Battalion, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
"He probably is one of our most famous soldiers," said Natasha Martin from the Inniskillings Museum in Enniskillen.
"For somebody who was not a commissioned officer, to have a name like Francis Ledwidge with the regiment of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers is a fantastic honour."
Inspired by Lord Dunsany's past as an Inniskilling, Ledwidge enlisted after war broke out in 1914.
He served in Gallipoli, the Balkans and in France on the Western Front.
During the Balkan campaign in 1915, he was invalided home with a back injury.
While he was still recovering, the Easter Rising took place.
Ledwidge was good friends with Thomas McDonagh, one of the leaders of the rebellion and a fellow poet.
When McDonagh was executed for his part, Ledwidge wrote what has become arguably his most famous poem, Lament for Thomas McDonagh.
Despite his background as an ardent patriot and nationalist, Ledwidge returned to the front when his recovery was complete.
He had to earn back his lance-corporal stripes, having been demoted when he overstayed his leave of absence.
"He was taken in by his friend Bob Christie, and his mother had said, 'I've a bed for you here, you're staying the night', as all good Irish mammies do," Natasha said.
"So that meant when he went back, he was court-martialled.
"He had also been a little disrespectful to his superior officer when the officer made a comment about the Easter Rising. What he said back to the officer wasn't taken very well."
Ledwidge regained his stripes in January 1917.  It was while preparing the road for an assault during the Battle of Ypres that a stray shell landed beside the mud hole where he and his crew were taking a break.
He was killed outright.
"A lot of his poetry was quite shocking and striking towards the end," said Natasha.
"It was almost like he knew, and his poetry takes a very pensive turn. He talks a lot about the fact that he won't make it, and should he make it, his poetry will not be the same."
The poet of the blackbirds sang for the last time when his final collection was published by Lord Dunsany the year after his death -  but his work continues to fascinate.


A former child migrant has called for an inquiry to "name the villains" responsible for the sexual abuse of British children sent overseas.

Thousands of children were relocated to Australia and parts of the British Empire up to 1974.
Many experienced "unacceptable depravity", the first hearing in the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse in England and Wales has heard.
One migrant, David Hill, called for perpetrators to be "named and shamed".
Meanwhile the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) has apologised and referred itself to the information commissioner after mistakenly sending out confidential information relating to abuse victims.
Mr Hill was 12 when he was sent with his two brothers to the Fairbridge Farm School in Western Australia.
He told the hearing: "We'll never be able to undo the great wrong that was done to these children.
"But what is important to the survivors of sexual abuse is where this inquiry is satisfied with the evidence - name the villains.
"Many of them are beyond the grave and therefore beyond the law.
"But it would bring a great deal of the comfort to the people who as children were victims of these people if they were named and shamed."
Inquiry counsel Henrietta Hill QC said claims of "systematic sexual abuse" in institutions and work environments would be heard throughout the inquiry.
The children, she said, were sent without consent of parents, wrongly told they were orphans, and denied basic details about their family backgrounds during their future lives.
For the government, Samantha Leek QC said: "Child migration is wrong. It should not have been sanctioned or facilitated...
"The lifelong consequences for those involved are a matter of deep and sincere regret."
In 2009, the Australian government apologised for the cruelty shown to the child migrants.
Britain also made an apology in 2010. The apology contained no specific mention of sexual abuse.
The abuse scandal of the British children sent abroad
By BBC home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds
One of the many criticisms levelled at the Independent Inquiry Into Child Sexual abuse centre on the view that it is too focused on the past.
This investigation dates back to 1945, but some of the child migrants are still alive, and their mistreatment as children is undeniable.
Perhaps, then, this is safe ground for a public inquiry hoping to demonstrate its value following two and a half years of controversy.
The hearings may well be able to establish the wider pattern of sexual abuse, which permeated the institutions abroad which received children.
This has never been attempted by a previous official investigation.
The inquiry panel will also be able to draw conclusions from the sheer length of time it has taken for some of those abused to disclose what happened, something that is likely to be a common theme in the inquiry's work.
However, on a day when this troubled project really started to be making progress, it managed to shoot itself in the foot by leaking sensitive data - not for the first time.
The first phase of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) inquiry is looking at the way organisations have protected children outside the UK.
Between 7,000 and 10,000 children were moved to Australia after World War Two.
They were recruited by religious institutions from both the Anglican and Catholic churches, or charities, including Barnardo's and the Fairbridge Society, with the aim of giving them a better life.
Many, however, went on to suffer physical and sexual abuse in homes and so-called farm schools run by religious orders and charities.
Aswini Weereratne QC, representing the Child Migrants Trust (CMT) support organisation, said this "long overdue inquiry" would hear of a "crushing catalogue of sexual abuse, deprivation, violence and abuse".
Ms Weereratne said the inquiry will hear from 22 former child migrants - their average age was nine when deported and one was aged only three or four years old.
The abuse that some of the children sent abroad were said to have suffered included "torture, rape and slavery", Ms Weereratne said.
Speaking on behalf of former child migrant Oliver Cosgrove, who was sent to Australia in 1941, Imran Khan said: "(It was) a scheme to populate the empire with good, white British stock and which led to the physical, emotional and sexual abuse of countless children, many thousands of miles away from their families."
A Â£6m family restoration fund was set up to allow the migrants to travel to the UK and ministers are now considering extending it.
The independent inquiry was set up after the death of DJ Jimmy Savile in 2011 when hundreds of people came forward to say he had abused them as children.
The IICSA has apologised after mistakenly sending out confidential information.
People who had registered an interest in attending victims' forums - which are being organised by the inquiry - were sent an email on Monday that revealed the email addresses of others who had registered.
The BBC understands that 90 people were affected.
Nigel O'Mara, an abuse survivor and core participant in the inquiry, told the BBC that "this breach of data is very concerning to survivors as these are the very people we are supposed to trust with the details of our abuse".
The hearings are taking place at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in central London, with the first phase concerning Australia expected to last 10 days.


The UK will have to reach a Brexit deal by October 2018, according to the EU's chief negotiator for Brexit.

Michel Barnier told reporters that "time will be short" for negotiations because the proposed deal needed to be ratified as part of the two year process set to be triggered in March.
He said the UK could not "cherry pick" on issues such as the single market.
Earlier, UK Prime Minister Theresa May told the BBC she was aiming for a "red, white and blue Brexit" for the UK.
Speaking at a press conference in Brussels, Mr Barnier said a taskforce of 30 people had been set up to make sure the EU would "be ready" when Article 50 was called.
"Time will be short," he said. "It is clear the period for actual negotiations will be shorter than two years.
"At the beginning, the two years included the time for the council to set guidelines and to authorise negotiations. At the end, the agreement must of course be approved by the Council and European Parliament. Finally the UK will have to approve the agreement - all within the two year period.
"All in all there will be less than 18 months to negotiate. That is short. Should the UK notify by the end of March as Prime Minister Theresa May said she would, it is safe to say negotiations could start a few weeks later and an Article 50 deal reached by October 2018."
Mr Barnier, making his first public speech on the issue, was appointed to the post of chief Brexit negotiator on 1 October this year by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who said he "wanted an experienced politician for this difficult job".
The chief negotiator said he had spent time speaking to European member governments and said the Brexit negotiations had been informed by four main principles.
These included the "determination for unity" and a pledge to not start negotiations before being officially notified by the UK of its desire to leave, via the triggering of Article 50.
He also said: "Being a member of EU comes with rights and benefits. Third countries (non members as the UK will be after Brexit) can never have the same rights and benefits since they are not subject to the same obligations.
"The single market and its four freedoms (which includes freedom of movement) are indivisible. Cherry picking is not an option."
The BBC's Europe correspondent Damian Grammaticas asked Mr Barnier if the UK "paying in" to stay in the single market was a possibility after Brexit Secretary David Davis said last week the government "would consider it".
"There is access to the single market, but this is accompanied by predetermined, very specific contribution to the EU budget," said the chief negotiator.
"That is one of the models that already exists and that is one of the closest models there is to the EU without being a member."
But Mr Barnier added there were various options and until Article 50 had been called, there was little more he could say.
"It is up to the UK to tell us what they have in mind, then it is up to us at the 27 [member states] to say what we are prepared to conceive of."
Mr Barnier said he "didn't like to speculate very much" on what the future relationship between the EU and the UK would be, but it was time to "keep calm and negotiate".
"The sooner, the better," he added. "We all have a common interest in not prolonging the lack of certainty and we for our part need to concentrate on the European agenda on this new page that we will be writing in the history in the construction of the EU.
"There will be rebalancing but my conviction remains the same. Europe has to be the bedrock on which European citizens can lean in order to push ahead and construct the EU further for their safety, security, defence and prosperity."
"It is much better to show solidarity than to stand alone."
Analysis - Damian Grammaticas, BBC Europe correspondent
The EU appears to be signalling loud and clear what is on offer to the UK - and what isn't.
This isn't the EU playing hardball. That's to misread the EU's cues. And it isn't new. EU leaders have reiterated the same principles ever since the UK referendum.
From their point of view, their position is logical and consistent. EU leaders believe they have built the world's most integrated single market. They don't want to unpick parts of it for one nation that is leaving. Preserving their union is their priority.
So, Michel Barnier made clear that the UK cannot expect better terms outside the EU than inside. UK talk of getting a special deal that privileges the car industry or the City of London may not to be acceptable to the EU. As for paying to get access to the Single Market, that's possible Mr Barnier hinted - if, like Norway, you accept the EU's rules.
But 'cherry-picking' won't happen, he said. Importantly too, he indicated, a Brexit deal will cover the exit terms.
The UK's future relationship with the EU will, in all likelihood, have to be settled later, once the UK is out of the EU and has the status of a third country. It's not about driving a hard bargain. The EU is signalling it has its rules and principles, and isn't offering to change them.
Downing Street said it was sticking to its timetable despite the speech from Mr Barnier.
The prime minister's official spokesman said: "In terms of how long the negotiations actually take place, clearly that is a matter that will resolve itself as a result of the negotiations."
He said that the position of the rest of the EU on the timetable was a "matter for them".
But on the 18-month timetable, he said: "It is the first I have heard of it."
Mrs May said getting the right deal for British people would benefit the EU.
Speaking to the BBC's deputy political editor John Pienaar - before Mr Barnier's comments - on her two-day trip to Bahrain, Theresa May said: "People talk about the sort of Brexit that there is going to be. Is it hard or soft? Is it grey or white?
"Actually we want a red, white and blue Brexit; that is the right Brexit for the UK, the right deal for the UK. I believe that a deal that is right for the UK will also be a deal that is right for the EU."
On the issue of revealing more of those plans to Parliament, the prime minister said she still wanted "to keep some cards close to my chest".
But Mrs May said regardless of the outcome of this week's Supreme Court case - on whether the government can trigger Article 50 alone or need parliamentary approval - she would "deliver on the vote of the British people."
Hilary Benn, chairman of the Brexit Select Committee and Labour MP, believes talk of an 18-month time limit will add extra pressure.
He told BBC News: "It means there is going to be a very short time from the triggering of Article 50 to negotiate the divorce arrangements and crucially what our new relationship with Europe is going to be once we have left, when it comes to trade and the single market.
"What I think he has said reinforces the argument that I have been making that we are going to need transitional arrangements [around the negotiations]."
Mr Barnier said a short term agreement "could have some point" in helping move towards a final deal.
But Boris Johnson said 18 months is "ample time" for the UK to negotiate with the EU.
Speaking as he arrived at a NATO meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels, the Foreign Secretary said: "With a fair wind and everybody acting in a positive and compromising mood, as I'm sure they will, we can get a great deal for the UK and for the rest of Europe".
When in charge of regional policy, Mr Barnier said he worked on a programme supporting Northern Ireland and the Good Friday agreement.
When asked by The Irish Times whether he would dismiss the idea of a hard border being put in place post-Brexit, he would not commit either way.
"The UK decision to leave the EU will have consequences, in particular perhaps for what are the EU's external borders today," he said.
"All I can say at this moment in time is I am personally extremely aware of this particular topic. We will throughout these negotiations with the UK and of course with Ireland, do our utmost to uphold the success of the Good Friday Agreement and of course retain the dialogue there."
A former EU commissioner, Mr Barnier led the EU's banking reforms and was dubbed "the most dangerous man in Europe" by some in the financial services industry.
But after he championed capping bankers' bonuses, he won respect as a tough but even-handed negotiator.
Mr Barnier has refused to take part in any pre-negotiations before Article 50 is triggered, but he did meet Brexit Secretary David Davis for coffee last month.
Speaking in November in Brussels, he said: "Don't ask me to tell you what will be at the end of the road, we haven't begun to walk yet."


A college student has been expelled after posting images of a dead animal on social media.

Several students at Hartpury College, in Gloucestershire, were suspended last week after posting a film of themselves killing an injured fox cub.
But the college said the expelled student "was told to leave" because of an "earlier incident involving the death of a cat".
It said it was working "with both the police and the RSPCA".
Gloucestershire Police said the fox cub killing had not been "an act of cruelty" as the cub had been badly injured by a car.
They said one of the students, training to be a gamekeeper, had killed the cub, after it was hit by a vehicle on Monday, to prevent it from suffering.
The college said it had disciplined the students involved because it was "concerned about the manner in which it was put onto the internet".
An open day which had been due to take place this weekend was also cancelled after worries about  security following comments posted on social media.


Twenty two people have been confirmed dead after a group of residential buildings collapsed in eastern China, state media reports.

The incident on Monday saw four buildings in Wenzhou in Zhejiang province reduced to rubble, reported the Xinhua news agency.
The buildings were reportedly built by villagers in the 1970s and were in a poor condition.
Most victims were migrant workers who had been renting cheap rooms.
"They lost their lives to take advantage of cheap rent. It is horrible," Guo Lin, a witness told news outlet China News Service.
Six people have been pulled out of the rubble alive.
One survivor was a young girl who was protected by the bodies of her dead parents, reported the Global Times.


World number one and defending champion Serena Williams has withdrawn with a thigh injury ahead of her Madrid Open quarter-final against Petra Kvitova.

Williams, 32, had played with heavy strapping on her left thigh throughout the week in Madrid, but aims to return at next week's Italian Open.
The American will then defend her title at the French Open, which gets under way in Paris on 25 May.
"I suffered [the injury] during my first-round match," said Williams.
"I started to feel better but it is important that I have enough time to rest and recover. It's very frustrating. This isn't the way I wanted to end the week."
Williams had won the title in Madrid for the last two years, and in 2013 she went on be crowned champion in Rome and then claimed her second title at Roland Garros.
"I am planning to play in Rome," she added. "Fortunately, I have a [first-round] bye next week so will have an extra day of rest."
Maria Sharapova, seeded eighth, made it through to the semi-finals in Madrid with a fine 2-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 win over second seed Li Na.
The Russian will play Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska on Saturday after the third seed battled past France's Caroline Garcia 6-4 4-6 6-4.
Kvitova will next face fourth seed Simona Halep of Romania, who saw off Serbia's 11th seed Ana Ivanovic 6-2 6-2.
In the men's event, world number one Rafael Nadal beat sixth seed Tomas Berdych for the 17th time in a row to reach the semi-finals.
The Spaniard, 27, extended his eight-year unbeaten run against Berdych with a comprehensive 6-4 6-2 victory.
Berdych has won three of their 21 matches but the Czech's last victory came at the same tournament in 2006.
"I brought great energy and intensity to it and that's the best news, that it's my best (on clay) yet," said Nadal, who arrived in Madrid on the back of quarter-final defeats in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.
"The things that, historically, I've done well on this surface I managed to do them again today."
Nadal will next face compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut, who beat Colombia's Santiago Giraldo -  - 6-3 6-4.


Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey is to ask state and territory governments to remove the consumption tax on tampons and other sanitary products.

Earlier this month, an online petition asking the government to stop taxing a "bodily function" attracted about 90,000 signatures.
Unlike products such as condoms and sunscreen, pads and tampons attract the 10% Goods and Services tax (GST).
Mr Hockey said he would lobby state and territory governments to exempt them.
However Prime Minister Tony Abbott later downplayed Mr Hockey's pledge.
He said he understood why many people wanted to see an end to the tax, but that it was "certainly not something that this government has a plan to do".
Mr Abbott said it was up to states to decide.
In May this year, ahead of a national tax review,  Sydney university student Subeta Vimalarajah started an online petition calling for an end to the tax on a "bodily function".
The petition questions the validity of taxing something most women are forced to buy every few weeks but which the government does not consider "necessary" enough to be GST-free.
"On the other hand, condoms, lubricants, sunscreen and nicotine patches are all tax-free because they are classed as important health goods," noted the petition.
"But isn't the reproductive health and hygiene of 10 million Australians important too?" it said.
Ms Vimalarajah has estimated the government raises A$25m ($20m; Â£13m) a year from the tax on sanitary products.
"The reason this has not been addressed already and why sanitary products were originally not exempt is either because politicians are too awkward to confront the reality of periods or they just want us to literally pay for them. Either way, it's sexist," she wrote on her blog.
During a post-budget discussion on ABC TV on Monday night, Ms Vimalarajah asked Mr Hockey if he thought sanitary products were an essential health product for half the population.
"Do I think sanitary products are essential? I think so, I think so," he replied, and said the tax "probably should" be taken off.
Mr Hockey said he would raise the issue with state treasurers at their next meeting in July.
Any changes to how GST is applied and how the revenue it raises is distributed must be supported by state and territory governments.
The tax was introduced by John Howard's conservative government in 2000, replacing various federal and state taxes.
After heated negotiation with the opposition and minor parties, most basic food items were exempted along with some education courses and medical products.
But calls for an exemption for tampons were dismissed by Mr Howard on the grounds that it would lead to too many other exemptions.


Children affected by the closure of a major steelworks in Redcar have been explaining about the impact its having on their lives.

13 October 2015 Last updated at 16:44 BST
It was announced that the site would shut down on Monday and it's estimated that around 2,200 jobs could be lost.
The steelworks has been part of the community there for almost a hundred years and lots of kids have parents and grandparents who work there.
Newsround reporter Martin Dougan spoke to children in Redcar to find out how they're being affected.


Norwich's northern bypass has been granted development consent from the government.

The road is planned to run from Postwick on the A47 and go around the east and north of the city, to connect with the A1067.
Norfolk Chamber said it was "delighted" by the news and that the road would "unlock jobs and new homes".
But campaigners say the road will not solve traffic problems and will "damage the quality of life" for local people.


Ladbrokes has reported a £25.2m profit for the first six months of the year compared with last year's £51.4m loss.

The bookmaker says this strong performance is in part due to "sporting gods" being on its side.
It cites a run of "bookie friendly" results, like that of the European Championship, where England and Northern Ireland exited early.
Ladbrokes, which plans to merge with rival Coral, says a run of "customer friendly" results will follow.
It says it is in talks with potential buyers for around 400 stores it has to sell for the merger to go through.
The results show that customers are responding positively to the company's new strategy "at a time when the sporting gods have generally been on our side and we've enjoyed some helpful bookmaker friendly results", said chief executive, Jim Mullen.
"History would strongly dictate that such a run of results in our favour would see customer staking suffer, but encouragingly these numbers firmly buck that trend and combine strong staking and a good margin."
"However, 130 years of experience in sports betting has shown us that we will endure a run of customer friendly results and margins will normalise," he added.
Ladbrokes, the UK's second-biggest bookmaker, announced its planned £2.3bm merger with Gala Coral, the third-biggest, in July last year.
The deal will make it the largest bookmaker in the country, but last month the Competition and Markets Authority said it had identified 642 local areas where the merger would hit competition.
It said the two companies must sell between 350 and 400 shops for the merger to be cleared.
Ladbrokes has about 2,150 outlets in Britain and 77 in Northern Ireland. Coral runs 1,850 shops in Britain.
In its results statement, Ladbrokes said it was "engaging" with potential buyers and remained hopeful that a competitive process could be completed by the end of September. It would then look to begin "significant" restructuring of the businesses before the end of the year.
Ladbrokes' shares were up 5% in morning trading.


Goals from Jack Marriott and Cameron McGeehan ensured Luton inflicted a second home defeat of the season on Blackpool.

Christian Walton was the busier of the two goalkeepers in the first half, saving early on from Danny Pugh before denying Kyle Vassell twice within the 27th minute, first diving low to hold a sharp effort before superbly tipping over a thunderous strike from 18 yards.
But it was Luton who took the lead after 31 minutes. The referee waved away what appeared to be a handball by McGeehan in the build-up, and Danny Hylton played in Marriott, who cut inside his defender to stroke home from eight yards.
And they doubled their lead three minutes after the break. Blackpool defenders backed off and the ball was worked wide to James Justin, who picked out McGeehan to nod past Sam Slocombe from six yards.
Luton, who remain in fifth place, had several chances to extend their lead, with Blackpool's best attempt at pulling one back from Eddie Nolan after 61 minutes, but his shot was easily held.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Blackpool 0, Luton Town 2.
Second Half ends, Blackpool 0, Luton Town 2.
Scott Cuthbert (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Armand Gnanduillet (Blackpool).
Corner,  Luton Town. Conceded by Tom Aldred.
Foul by Armand Gnanduillet (Blackpool).
James Justin (Luton Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Danny Pugh (Blackpool).
Pelly Ruddock (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Bright Samuel (Blackpool).
Scott Cuthbert (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Brad Potts (Blackpool) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Kyle Vassell (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Scott Cuthbert (Luton Town).
Attempt missed. Olly Lee (Luton Town) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Substitution, Luton Town. Jonathan Smith replaces Alex Gilliead.
Foul by Armand Gnanduillet (Blackpool).
Pelly Ruddock (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Blackpool. Armand Gnanduillet replaces Eddie Nolan.
Attempt missed. Kyle Vassell (Blackpool) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Attempt missed. Mark Cullen (Blackpool) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.
Substitution, Luton Town. Isaac Vassell replaces Jack Marriott.
Foul by Tom Aldred (Blackpool).
Danny Hylton (Luton Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Clark Robertson (Blackpool) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Danny Hylton (Luton Town).
Foul by Clark Robertson (Blackpool).
Danny Hylton (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution, Luton Town. Pelly Ruddock replaces Cameron McGeehan.
Attempt missed. Mark Cullen (Blackpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high.
Attempt missed. Alex Gilliead (Luton Town) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Foul by Mark Cullen (Blackpool).
Cameron McGeehan (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Brad Potts (Blackpool) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Hand ball by Jack Marriott (Luton Town).
Attempt saved. Eddie Nolan (Blackpool) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt missed. Cameron McGeehan (Luton Town) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Corner,  Luton Town. Conceded by Tom Aldred.
Corner,  Blackpool. Conceded by Scott Cuthbert.
Substitution, Blackpool. Bright Samuel replaces Danny Philliskirk.


The future of Scotland's fishing industry dominated first minister's questions at Holyrood.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson accused Nicola Sturgeon and SNP MPs of inconsistency on the EU's Common Fisheries Policy.
Ms Sturgeon said that Ms Davidson was "flip-flopping" on Brexit like a "landed fish" and the Tories were preparing to "sell out" the fishermen.
The dominant view of the fishing industry is for leaving the EU.
The European Union's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) sets quotas for fishing catches and seeks to give all European fleets equal access to fishing grounds.
Ms Davidson said SNP MPs such as Angus Robertson had claimed that if Scotland were to vote for independence then it would re-enter the EU and the "hated" CFP.
However, SNP MPs in fishing communities, including Banff and Buchan's Eilidh Whiteford, have signed a pledge to support the UK regaining control of its coastal waters after the country quits the European Union and the CFP.
The Tory leader said the SNP's positions were "absurd".
The first minister said the SNP had been consistent over many years in its criticisms of the Common Fisheries Policy, saying it should be "fundamentally reformed".
Ms Sturgeon said the White Paper for 2014's Independence referendum said it would give Scotland the opportunity to take a lead role in reforming the CFP.
She said: "The uncomfortable truth for Ruth Davidson is that it is successive Tory governments who have sold out the fishing industry."
Ms Sturgeon referred to an internal Scottish Office memo from 1970, when negotiations on entering the EU were being conducted by the then Conservative UK government.
It said: "In the wider UK context, they [the fishermen] must be regarded as expendable."
The first minister said: "We know the Tories are lining up to sell out fishing again because the Brexit White Paper makes it clear that fishing will just be a negotiating chip in the Brexit talks."
She referred to a line in the Brexit White Paper that says the UK government wants a deal that works for Scotland's and the EU's fishing communities.
Ms Sturgeon claimed that Ruth Davidson, who was against Brexit in the run-up to the EU referendum, had fallen into line with Prime Minister Theresa May and now "Brexit was the greatest thing since sliced bread".
Ms Davidson said the Scottish government's Brexit minister Mike Russell had said that after independence Scotland would go back into EU but not the CFP.
She told the chamber "This is utter nonsense.
"Right now we have SNP MPs in fishing communities saying the CFP is terrible and Scotland would pull out - and at the same time we have Nicola Sturgeon standing up in Edinburgh  trying to win the vote of Remainers, saying they would go straight back in."


Healthy women experiencing a "straightforward" pregnancy should be encouraged to give birth in a midwife-led unit rather than a traditional labour ward, draft advice says.

The guidelines from NICE - the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence - say a home birth may be just as safe for low-risk pregnancies.
Hospital labour wards with doctors should be for difficult cases, it says.
Otherwise there is a danger of over-intervention, according to NICE.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said it supported the recommendations, as long as issues around emergency back-up options and the assessment of pregnancy risk were ironed out.
The Royal College of Midwives said more investment in midwifery would be needed to implement the changes.
Currently, some women do not have this choice of where they give birth, says the RCM.
NICE said new evidence had come to light that meant it needed to update its recommendations for England and Wales.
Previously, it had said that women should be given the choice of where they wanted to give birth but urged caution about home births and deliveries in midwife-led units.
Now NICE says there is good evidence that, overall, birth is very safe wherever it happens.
The Birthplace study - the largest carried out into the safety of different maternity settings, involving almost 65,000 births in England - found midwife-led care was just as safe as doctor-led hospital care for low-risk deliveries.
A home birth carried a higher risk for first-time mothers the risk of harm was still small - less than one in every 100 deliveries.
Home births were just as safe as other settings for low-risk pregnant women who already had at least one child.
Christine Carson, clinical guideline programme director for NICE, said: "Every woman should ultimately have the freedom to choose where she wants to give birth and be supported in her choice.
"We're pleased we are now able to propose more definite advice to help pregnant women choose the best option for them. We now want to hear what others think so that we can ensure the final, updated guidance will promote the safest possible care for women and their babies."
Stakeholders have until the last week of June to submit comments.
The National Childbirth Trust said the draft guidance should be put into practice as soon as possible, but must be backed up by enough midwives with sufficient resources for women to have a real choice.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) said: "We support choice for low-risk women who have had successful previous births to give birth at home, provided transport arrangements are in place for hospital transfer in the event of an emergency or should there be a request for pain relief.
"Based on the findings from research, there are issues around the risk assessment of pregnant women and the RCOG is in favour of alongside midwifery units (AMUs) for women who may need multi-disciplinary care during delivery."
AMUs are located at a hospital that also has a labour ward.
Some 729,000 babies were born in England and Wales during 2012 - a rise of about 20% from 2002.
About 15 women in every 100 have an unplanned caesarean, although this varies around the country. Ten in every 100 births are planned caesareans.
About two in every 100 deliveries are home births.
Approximately 40 in every 100 deliveries are "normal" births - women who spontaneously go into labour and do not require any real intervention other than support and pain relief.


Unilever, the multinational firm behind brands including Magnum and Cornetto, is to make all its ice creams aimed at adults smaller.

Ben & Jerry's tubs and Feast ice creams are among those whose portion size will shrink, according to a report in trade journal The Grocer.
Unilever said the move was to help consumers "make healthier choices."
From the spring, "single serving" portions will contain no more than 250 calories.
Unilever's UK ice cream marketing director Noel Clarke said: "We have introduced this 250 calorie cap to help make it easier for our consumers to make informed and healthier choices when enjoying their favourite ice creams as part of a balanced lifestyle."
Some products, worth Â£5.4m in sales, will be dropped altogether, The Guardian reported.
Magnum Infinity Chocolate & Caramel, Magnum Infinity Chocolate, and Cornetto Choc 'N' Ball are some products that will melt away, the newspaper said.


Louis Dennis fired a stoppage-time winner as Bromley beat Sutton United 1-0 in the National League.

Both sides spurned plenty of good openings, before the former Dagenham winger struck decisively in the closing seconds.
Nicky Bailey headed over after five minutes for the visitors and Matt Tubbs fired wide following a scramble from a corner.
George Porter missed two good chances for the hosts in the closing stages of the first half, firing over Blair Turgott's pass and missing the target from David Martin's cross.
Adam Cunnington fired wide from Turgott's cross, and winger Turgott was then denied by Ross Worner.
Alan Julian made a good save at the other end and Bradley Goldberg missed a great chance late on as he fired wide.
The game appeared destined for a draw until Dennis struck in injury time.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Bromley 1, Sutton United 0.
Second Half ends, Bromley 1, Sutton United 0.
Goal!  Bromley 1, Sutton United 0. Louis Dennis (Bromley).
Adam Cunnington (Bromley) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Nicky Bailey (Sutton United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Substitution, Sutton United. Maxime Biamou replaces Bradley Hudson-Odoi.
Substitution, Sutton United. Dan Fitchett replaces Matt Tubbs.
Substitution, Bromley. Bradley Goldberg replaces George Porter.
Substitution, Sutton United. Gomis replaces Craig Dundas.
Simon Downer (Sutton United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Substitution, Bromley. Louis Dennis replaces Dave Martin.
Connor Dymond (Bromley) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Second Half begins Bromley 0, Sutton United 0.
First Half ends, Bromley 0, Sutton United 0.
Craig Dundas (Sutton United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
First Half begins.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up.