For three weeks the morning ritual for millions of people in France has been rudely interrupted by a strike at one of the country's great public sector institutions: Radio France.

Instead of the familiar 0700 jingle-and-bulletin that got us moving kettlewards, listeners to the news channel France-Info have had to endure 21 days of recorded messages and music.
Non-striking journalists periodically manage to put together short sequences on the station, but it is a pale shadow of the real thing.
Masses of listeners are defecting to private channels such as RMC and Europe 1.
And there is the same empty airtime on the six other channels that operate from Maison de la Radio in Paris (France Inter, France Bleu, France Culture, France Musique, FIP and Le Mouv').
No-one can remember a strike at Radio France lasting this long, because no strike ever has.
There is a reason for that.
For decades Radio France has enjoyed the status of a cosseted state asset.
Constantly lauded - its mission of public service placing it above reproach - the corporation never felt the stern hand of reform.
But now the country's coffers are empty.
There is no more buying off the protest with a sneaky handout from the culture ministry.
Today the years of accumulated waste and inefficiencies cry out for an overhaul.
A report a couple of weeks ago from the French treasury watchdog, the Cour des Comptes, showed the scale of the problem.
From 2004 to 2013, expenditure at Radio France went up 27.5% - with no increase in audience.
Salary costs went up by 47% because at a time of growing pressure on jobs everywhere else Radio France took on 20% more staff.
Because of the layers of accumulated privileges (often negotiated with unions after previous strikes), the 5,000 workers enjoy up to 68 working days off a year - more than 13 weeks.
There are 388 staff members who are paid union representatives - a whopping 8% of the workforce.
Renovation of Radio France's landmark Seine-side headquarters was supposed to cost 262m euros (Â£191m, $285m). Instead it is costing 575m euros.
Changing all this requires a mix of vision,  toughness and dialogue, but the man whose job it is might have been purpose-picked to antagonise the unions.
Radio France's new president Mathieu Gallet is handsome, young, energetic - and right-wing.
One of his previous jobs was in the culture ministry under President Nicholas Sarkozy.
Mr Gallet has warned that the corporation's annual deficit of 21m euros is unsustainable.
He wants a voluntary redundancy plan to shed 300 or so jobs.
He says that Radio France's two orchestras are one too many; that the separate news rooms at France Inter, France Info and France Culture need to be integrated; and that the network of local stations at France Bleu should commission shared material.
But all this has merely infuriated the unions at Radio France.
The hardliners there mainly represent technicians, although many journalists have also stopped work.
The strikers have made it quite clear that they want Mr Gallet to go.
And usefully they have discovered that even as he was advising drastic cuts at the corporation, he spent 100,000 euros doing up his personal office there.
It is the sort of gaffe that could easily have brought him down.
But so far Mr Gallet continues with the backing of the Socialist government,  which presumably sees as well as he does the inevitability of reform.
For those of us who depended on France-Info's round-the-clock news output,  it is an infuriating time.
Though the station has a discernible left-wing bias - the ratio of union leaders to company bosses interviewed must be about five to one - it is in general thorough and professional.
It is also, by comparison with private stations, mercifully light on adverts (though, for all its vaunted public sector ethos, Radio France does permit some).
The danger is that we news junkies will start looking elsewhere, and discovering the competition.


The first local TV channel to broadcast in Wales is taking to the airwaves.

Made in Cardiff will show daily news and magazine programmes about the city on Freeview channel 23.
Station manager Bryn Roberts said Cardiff was the ideal location for a successful local television service.
But deputy culture minister Ken Skates said he was concerned public funds were being diverted from traditional broadcasters to support "struggling" local TV stations across the UK.
Local television services were created after a move by the UK government to replicate the success of similar small broadcasters in the United States.
They are partly funded by the BBC licence fee.
Two other local TV stations in Wales - Bay TV Swansea and Bay TV Clwyd in Mold - are due to launch in 2015.
Mr Roberts said that while Made in Cardiff's budget was small, the "adrenaline" was helping his team of 12 people to produce 14 hours of programming a week.
He also predicted the new TV channel would fare better than others.
"I think Cardiff is an ideal size for this kind of venture," said Mr Roberts.
"London has tried it - and hasn't been particularly successful - because I think London is too big.
"Some of the smaller places like Norwich and Nottingham have been doing very well, and Glasgow in particular has been doing well."
But Ken Skates, the Welsh government's deputy minister for culture, said the funds should be used to support traditional public service broadcasters such as the BBC, S4C and ITV Wales.
"You only need to look at what's happening in London where, in theory, local TV could and should work with a potential audience of eight to 10 million," said Mr Skates.
"But it's not, it's struggling, and it's struggling across the UK."
Dr John Jewell, from Cardiff University's school of journalism, media and cultural studies, said: "Even (the media regulator) Ofcom has said it's very unlikely all of these local television stations will survive, but I wouldn't want to be too pessimistic.
"They (Made in Cardiff) have got some very good people working for them, they're in the third biggest media centre in Britain, and everybody knows about Cardiff's thriving media industries.
"In that sense, the basis for success is there."
Made in Cardiff will go live on Freeview channel 23 at 20:00 BST on Wednesday, and will also appear on Sky channel 134 and Virgin Media channel 159 in the city.


Former England batsman Jonathan Trott maintained his fine form this season as he helped to ease Warwickshire into a first-innings lead against Surrey.

Replying to Surrey's 273 at Guildford, the Bears moved their overnight score of 12-0 on to 345-6, Trott leading the way with 123, his third first-class century of the summer.
Trott shared a third-wicket stand of 116 with captain Ian Bell (66).
Tim Ambrose (53) and Varun Chopra (42) also weighed in with good knocks.
Unlike Surrey's first-day centurion, Aaron Finch, Trott was given strong support, enjoying century partnerships with both Bell and Ambrose.
Surrey, without a first-class win on this ground since 2002, worked through seven bowlers in an attempt to dismiss Trott.
Sam Curran, available again after completing his A levels, finally succeeded just after the second new ball had been taken. surprising Trott with one that kept low to trap him lbw.
Mark Footitt also bowled sharply on his return to action after two months out with injury.
Surrey pace bowler Mark Footitt told BBC Radio London:
"I think we stuck at it well against two very good batsmen, who put a good partnership on.
"All we can do is stick in there and hope that the wickets will come.
"Just to be out there with the lads and trying to win this game, it's great to be back.
"To keep them to just over 300 on this small ground, on a decent wicket, we're pretty happy with it."
Warwickshire's Jonathan Trott told BBC WM:
"If you bat second, you have got to try and bat big and there's perhaps the opportunity to get a few more and see where the game takes us.
"They bowled well in periods so we had to combat that on a wicket that offers a bit of nibble when you get it in the right areas.
"This is my first hundred against Surrey in four-day cricket. That's another one to tick off. Those are the things you play for at my age. The ones I have left are Leicester and Worcester.
"At this stage of my career, it is about trying to make sure Warwickshire are in a good place and I am contributing. You don't need guys of 35 hanging around."


A 500-year-old former private school has been told it "requires improvement" after its first Ofsted inspection.

Inspectors said some pupils' progress at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School (QEGS) in Blackburn was poor, not least in Key Stage 2 and the sixth form.
QEGS changed from a private fee-paying school to a free school in 2014, bringing it under Ofsted regulation.
However, inspectors highlighted effective leadership, which was welcomed by school bosses.
The school, founded in 1509, has about 1,200 pupils ranging in age from 4-19.
Inspectors said teaching was not consistently good across the school and policy on giving feedback to pupils was not being followed.
Pupil premium funding - provided by government to help disadvantaged pupils - was not being "evaluated thoroughly", the report added.
It also said governors were failing to "systematically check the impact of leaders' actions" to improve.
The inspection praised effective leadership from the "committed and passionate" acting head teacher and said leaders have "a clear vision" for the school.
The report also noted that "spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is a strength of the school."
David Peat, chairman of governors, said: "We are pleased that the inspectors have recognised so many good qualities in the school and we shall now work together to tackle what we need to do."


A man who launched an online search for his missing birth mother discovered she died years ago in Germany -  but bureaucratic errors led to the family never being informed.

Gina Hauenstein, who came from a small village in northern Switzerland, had been listed as officially missing since 2000.
In January this year her son Marco, who spent his childhood with foster parents in another part of the country, posted a Facebook appeal for information about the mother he last saw as an infant.
His story captured attention across Europe, prompting new enquiries - until Swiss police confirmed that the remains of Gina Hauenstein had actually been found just across the border in Germany in 2013.
Marco did not have an easy start in life.
He knew very little about his birth family, but he did know that his mother had been a drug addict, and is believed to have spent time during the 1990s in Zurich's then-notorious Platzspitz drugs scene, where addicts bought heroin in a city centre park and injected it openly.
When Marco was born in 1997, he was already addicted, and had to spend the first months of his life in hospital withdrawing and recovering.
Although his mother visited him from time to time, he never lived with her, and when Marco was just three, she disappeared.
Although Marco describes his childhood with foster parents as happy, he says questions about his birth family were "always on my mind".
His search first started when he was around 16, and he began by asking local town councils in the region of Switzerland his mother had come from. He also made enquiries with the police.
No information was forthcoming. Police told him that despite a search both within Switzerland and across Europe, no trace of her had ever been found.
Only when an appeal Marco made on Facebook began to attract attention - it was shared thousands of times in just a few days - did Swiss police look again at their records.
They discovered that in 2013 they had been contacted by German police, with news that human bones had been found in a village just across the border from Gina Hauenstein's home town in Switzerland.
The results of a forensic examination by Swiss investigators confirmed the bones were Gina's.
Local police in her home town were informed in 2015, but inexplicably that information never reached either Gina's family or the German authorities investigating the remains.
This week, Swiss police visited Marco and broke the news, apologising for a mistake they admit should never have happened.
Marco, who patiently gave many interviews when he first launched his Facebook appeal just four weeks ago, is now taking time for himself to digest the news.
He has not posted on Facebook since January. While not quite the happy end he had hoped for, there was at least one positive development.
"Danke! Thank you! Merci!" he wrote. "Thanks to your help, on 20 January, I was able to meet my uncle and my grandmother for the first time. It was a very emotional moment.
"At last, I have part of my family back."


Discussions with Nissan before the carmaker's decision to expand its UK operation were "open and honest", Downing Street has said.

There was "no deal, no compensation package, nothing about tariffs", a No 10 spokesman said.
The Times reported that ministers had given a "last-minute written promise" to protect Nissan from the consequences of Brexit to keep investment in the UK.
Labour has said the government should say what was promised.
Business Secretary Greg Clark is to be questioned on the subject by MPs.
Nissan announced on Thursday that it would build two new models at its Sunderland plant following talks with the government, securing 7,000 jobs.
The Japanese company's commitment to the UK's biggest car factory had been in doubt following the referendum decision to leave the European Union.
Downing Street has been asked to confirm the Times report that a written promise was made to protect the company from any consequences of Brexit, such as possible increased trade tariffs.
The prime minister's spokesman said there had been "numerous discussions" between Nissan and the government.
Pressed on whether a letter had been written to the company, he said there were "all forms of communication between Nissan and the government at various levels" and that it would get the "best deal" for all industry when the UK leaves the EU, which is expected to happen in 2019.
But Conservative MP and former business minister Anna Soubry said that "something has been put into this, effectively a sweetening of a deal, to keep Nissan in our country".
She told BBC Radio 4's The World at One: "The public will want to know if there's been some guarantee, some commitment that involves the spending of the public's money. I think taxpayers, the public, are entitled to know because it's their money."
Ms Soubry warned that the government might have "opened up a very difficult can of worms".
If it had decided to help car makers, it would have to do the same for all other sectors, such as aerospace and pharmaceuticals, she added.
MPs will question Mr Clark about the deal when he appears before the Business Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee within the next few weeks, chairman Iain Wright said.
The Labour MP said this should form "quite a large part" of the scheduled hearing, adding: "I want to really question him on: What are the terms of the deal? Is it cash? Is it indirect assistance? How long will that be on for and what other companies and sectors will be entitled to such reassurance and support?"
He said: "The prime minister and the business secretary say, 'Trust us on this one.' I'm not sure whether that would provide the reassurance Nissan would want. So what has been offered?"
But a senior Nissan Europe executive, Colin Lawther, said the company had received "no special deal".
"It's just a commitment from the government to work with the whole of the automotive industry to make sure the whole automotive industry in the UK remains competitive," he told the BBC.
"We would expect nothing for us that the rest of the industry wouldn't be able to have access to. We see this as a whole industry thing, not a Nissan thing."
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the government must disclose any deal struck with the firm, saying it could not hide it from the public.
The Sunderland plant produced 475,000 vehicles last year - 80% of which were exported.


A decision to approve a £12,000 pay rise for Avon Fire and Rescue's boss has angered union bosses.

The decision has seen chief fire officer Kevin Pearson's salary rise from £130,000 to £142,000.
Approval of the rise was inappropriate because 86 firefighter posts are being axed, Avon Fire Brigades' Union said.
But, Avon Fire Authority said it was not a rise but a "partial reinstatement" as Mr Pearson used to earn £167,000 in 2009/10.
Top management posts will also get pay rises, linked to Mr Pearson's salary.
Decisions were taken at private meetings held in January to debate the salary increases and confirmed at a meeting on 27 March.
Chris Taylor, secretary of the Avon Fire Brigades' Union, said: "The objection is in this time of austerity, the fire authority decides to give the top management a 10% pay rise when 86 frontline firefighters are longer with the establishment along with a third of support staff.
"We're talking about giving increases to the top end of management structure when they're looking after fewer people, fire stations and fire appliances."
However, Councillor Peter Abraham, vice chairman of the Avon Fire Authority, said: "The issue was, in 2009/10, the Chief Fire Officer was earning £167,000.
"From today, he will be earning £25,000 less than that... saving the authority £25,000 a year."
The BBC asked Mr Pearson for comment but he declined.


How much rubbish do you leave on the beach?

The Marine Conservation Society reckon that on some beaches in the UK for every step you take there are two pieces of litter.
Some of the waste is left by visitors but lots of other stuff gets washed ashore after falling off boats or even out of the sewers.
Leah chats to conservationists who are worried that all the junk is putting marine wildlife in danger.


Ireland centre Robbie Henshaw has been ruled out of the third and decisive Test against South Africa on Saturday because of a knee cartilage injury.

The Leinster-bound Connacht player, who came off late in the 32-16 weekend defeat in Johannesburg, has returned home and will see a specialist.
Ulster centre Luke Marshall is in line to be recalled as Henshaw's replacement in Port Elizabeth.
Ireland won the opening Test before the Springboks levelled the series.
Henshaw was forced off with three minutes remaining in Johannesburg as Ireland succumbed to a late onslaught from South Africa .
The tourists were on course to become the first home nation to secure a series victory in South Africa, leading 19-3 at the break and holding a 26-10 advantage in the second half.
However, South Africa stormed back to clinch a memorable comeback success and set up a decider on Saturday.


A troubled health trust has been ordered to improve its walk-in service after inspectors found it sometimes had no GPs available to see patients.

The Isle of Wight NHS Trust, which was placed in special measures in April, put walk-in patients at risk, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said.
The service, at St Mary's Hospital in Newport, has already been earmarked for closure during working hours from July.
Island NHS commissioners said it was "poor value for money".
More on this and other stories from across the south of England.
The CQC, which visited in March, said the service provided by the walk-in centre was "not effective, well led or as safe as it should be".
Inspector Ruth Rankine said: "In particular we found there were gaps in staffing;  on some occasions there were no GPs available to see patients who needed medical advice and there were not always enough reception staff.
"This placed a risk to patient care and the overall running of the service."
In October, the trust took over the service from a partnership with island GPs due to a shortage of doctors and "rising costs".
At the same time NHS commissioners advised patients to visit other services first for urgent care.
The CQC said as a result the number of daily patients had fallen to 18 in January compared with 54 a year previously.
Rating the service as "requiring improvement", it said the trust had breached regulations on staff numbers and training.
In March, commissioners approved the closure of the service from July between the hours of 08:00 and 18:30 BST, because of staffing and cost issues.
It advised patients to dial the non-urgent healthcare phone line, 111, which the CQC has rated as "good".
The trust has been approached for comment.


One in eight people work in farming and it is a bigger industry than the car and aerospace industry combined, Andrea Leadsom tells the Conservative Party Conference.

It's a point she made in the Northamptonshire MP's first speech as Secretary of State for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs.
She represents a rural constituency, which she praised: "I know from my own constituency of South Northamptonshire that the British countryside is some of the most beautiful in the world."
Mrs Leadsom also warned that rural communities should not be left behind: "I want people living in our market towns and villages to have the same life opportunities as those who live in our cities," she said.
Mrs Leadsom ended up in the job after this summer's bruising leadership contest and joked at her own expense that Jeremy Corbyn could have come to her for advice on how to ensure a short lived campaign.
That went down well with the audience who welcomed her warmly onto stage as one of the leading lights of the Leave campaign.
The grinning Secretary of State told the hall that we are selling naan bread to India, and coffee to Brazil  and received applause for the fact that the French voted British Lamb their product of the year.
She smiled purposefully before making pointed references to her joy at the chance "to plot a new course in the world" post Brexit.
Mrs Leadsom promised to lead on the environment "committing to being the first generation to leave it in a better state than when we found it.
Still smiling she announced that it was crucial to provide farmers with certainty and continuity. "It's important that we are able to confirm the same level of agricultural support until 2020."
"I am convinced that outside the EU they have an even brighter future."
The question is whether that will put a smile on the farmers' faces.


Thames Valley Police must improve how it records data on Gypsies, Roma and travellers "as a matter of urgency", an independent review has said.

It found the problem was compounded by the force's outdated and disjointed IT systems, one of which was at least 25 years old.
But it also praised the "high quality training" offered by the force.
The review was launched in response to a complaint of racial discrimination made by PC Jim Davies in 2014.
It also recorded another allegation of "racist language" used by an officer in the same year, which was reduced from gross misconduct to misconduct.
And it raised concerns over "potentially derogatory" Powerpoint slides used in training, which referred to "good breeding potential" and women who "expect to be hit".
The authors of the review highlighted the absence of an "ethnicity recording system" that could properly track people from the Gypsy, Roma and traveller (GRT) communities.
They said this problem was made worse by "elderly" IT programs, including a DOS-based system at least 25 years old, and a version of Windows that Microsoft no longer supported.
It said: "Without clear ways of tracking GRT populations it is impossible to effectively consider the equality impact on these populations."
The review was carried out between June 2014 and May 2015 and was led by Professor Margaret Greenfields of Buckinghamshire New University, as well as PC Davies who founded the the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Police Association.
Prof Greenfields said the force had "fully accepted" the review's recommendations and praised it for "seeking to go far beyond tokenism or minimum standards of community engagement".
A total of 40 crimes were identified in which members of the GRT community were involved.


The last full Westminster week before the summer break is a pretty busy one, with plenty of important action in both houses.

MPs have the conclusion of the Budget debate, what promises to be a highly-charged debate on EVEL - English Votes for English Laws - and a chance to revisit a golden oldie controversy, in the shape of hunting.
Over in the Lords, peers have a series of contentious report stage votes and two important statutory instruments to debate.
And - glory be - they're back! The Commons select committees will swing into action this week and practically all of them will manage a decent hearing or two before the summer recess.
The Home Affairs Committee will take its first evidence of the new Parliament on the immigration situation in Calais; Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee takes evidence on the touchy issue of government "purdah" in the EU Referendum campaign; Lord Chancellor Michael Gove is in front of the Justice Committee, and the Public Accounts Committee has an interesting session on the financial viability of police authorities.
Here's my rundown of the week ahead:
Monday
The Commons meets 2.30pm for defence questions - after which expect the usual collection of post-weekend ministerial statements and urgent questions. Next is a ten minute rule bill on protecting public parks and playing fields from being sold off, from Tory newcomer, Tom Pursglove.
The main event is the continuation of the Budget debate.
In the Lords (2.30pm), the main legislating is a report stage day on the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill - key issues, with some likely votes, include devolution-test, optionality of mayors for further devolution, devolution of health regulators, and an overview and scrutiny committee for a combined authority. One interesting strand to the debate will be the performance of the Communities Minister Baroness Williams of Trafford who had rather a torrid time during committee stage, when questions were raised over responsibility on the NHS in Manchester under the so-called 'devo-Manc' proposals.
Watch out, too, for a possible vote on the Universal Credit (Waiting Days) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 -  which introduces seven "waiting days" for new claims for Universal Credit, while exempting some vulnerable groups. They will mean that the first UC payment will be made six weeks after making the claim, in a change that will save Â£150m a year. The Social Security Advisory Committee is concerned this will lead to families having rent arrears. The political byplay is interesting; the Lib Dems have a fatal motion and Labour a "regret" motion down for debate. Is a pattern emerging of the Lib Dems going in harder against their former government partners than Labour?
Tuesday
The Commons meets at 11.30am for Foreign Office questions; the Conservative, Philip Hollobone, has a ten minute rule bill on Civil Enforcement Officers and Traffic Wardens (Integration of Duties and Powers) (England) after which MPs move on to the conclusion of the Budget debate. They will consider the resulting Finance Bill on Monday 20 July.
In Westminster Hall debates include the rent-to-own sector (9.30am) led by the Conservative Paul Maynard, and in the afternoon, Labour's Chi Onwurah raises the subject of diversity in public sector broadcasting (2.30pm).
In the Lords (2.30pm), the main business is the first report stage day on the Psychoactive Substances Bill  (a further half-day is scheduled). The key issues include the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, legal highs in prisons, public education, revised definitions, and  appeals.
During the dinner break there will be a short debate on the future of the BBC - led by Lord Fowler, the Conservative former Cabinet minister who chaired the Lords Communications Committee. Baroness Neville-Rolfe replies for the government.
Wednesday
The Commons sits at 11.30am for Scotland questions, followed at noon by prime minister's questions. Then the Green MP Caroline Lucas has a ten minute rule bill on Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education.
The next business is more technical fallout from the Budget - proceedings on the Supply and Appropriation (Main Estimates) Bill. But the day's big debates will follow. The first will be on a statutory instrument under the hunting laws. Depending on who's talking, this is either a modest adjustment, to bring English and Welsh law into line with that in Scotland, allowing more dogs to be used to flush out foxes -or it's an attempt to un-ban hunting with hounds by stealth. It should be lively.
Then comes EVEL: a consultative debate on standing order changes relating to English votes for English laws. The government has drawn back from holding a vote on this issue, and, instead, MPs will discuss the content of draft standing order changes, allowing the government to mull over their proposals during the summer. A further debate, and vote, will follow in the autumn.
In Westminster Hall, there is a series of important debates - highlights include housing supply in London (9.30am) with Rupa Huq - the average first time buyer would have to save for 16 years to afford a deposit for a home in her area. At 11am, Tom Blenkinsop raises the future of the UK steel industry and at 2.30pm Robert Jenrick discusses regional support for the arts.
In the Lords (3pm), questions to ministers are followed by the final half day of report stage consideration for the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill - where votes may be forced on some key issues. The day's issues include lines of accountability for health devolution, governance to reflect communities, votes at 16, PR for local government and the Bristol mayoral situation where the Lib-Dems may also press a technical amendment relating to mayoral referenda in Bristol.
And watch out for a Lib-Lab amendment to reduce the voting age for local elections to 16, where the government could well be defeated. There will also be a Lib Dem motion to switch the electoral system to the Single Transferable Vote (STV) - this is less likely to get anywhere, but will provide an interesting test of opinion among Labour peers. Has their debacle in Scotland changed views?
Then there's another interesting debate on a regret motion against a statutory instrument, this time the target is the Police Federation (Amendment) Regulations 2015 - which rather clobber the Fed. They give police officers a choice as to whether to be a member of the Police Federation and require the Federation to repay subscription fees if they fail to inform police of this choice, and they also insist the Police Federation must provide more information on its financial arrangements.
Thursday
The Commons opens (9.30am) with transport questions, followed by the final Business Statement of term, from the Leader of the House.
The main debate - unusually not on the final day of term - is the summer adjournment debate. This is a chance for any member to speak on any topic that takes their fancy. Most will use the opportunity to highlight some constituency issue. Threatened A&Es and badly needed by-passes are the stock in trade of these occasions, and speakers will be rewarded with a response from the relevant minister. The debate is being held early because the government will be using the final two Commons days of term to launch its Finance Bill (implementing the tax proposals in the Budget), and the Work and Welfare Bill (implementing the new National Living Wage and the benefits changes).
The summer adjournment will be followed by the day's adjournment debate, which will be an interesting one: Labour's Ann Clwyd raises the role of role of insurance companies in child abuse inquiries. The 1996 Jillings Report into child abuse in North Wales was not published for 17 years due to concerns from the council's insurers about compensation  - they commented that "every inquiry is a dress rehearsal for claimants and a further incentive to the bandwagon syndrome" - and warnings that councillors could find themselves personally liable if someone named in the report sued for libel. And Ann Clwyd fought a parliamentary campaign to raise the issue in the 1990s.
In Westminster Hall (1.30pm), the Conservative Mark Spencer raises the issue of sentencing for cruelty to domestic pets - this follows a spate of cat poisonings in the village of Calverton in the MP's Sherwood constituency.
In the Lords at 11am, there are debates led by backbench peers, starting with Labour's Lord McConnell on the Responsibility to Protect and its application by the UK and the UN; the second is on the worldwide violations of Article 18 of the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights and priority given by the UK and the international community to upholding freedom of religion and belief; Lord Alton of Liverpool leads.
A solution to the English votes for English laws conundrum will be proposed by the former Cabinet Secretary, Lord Butler of Brockwell, in a topical mini-debate, time-limited to a hour. He will point to an alternative version of EVEL mooted by Ken Clarke's Democracy Commission in 2008, under which detailed debate on a bill in the Commons (committee and report stages) would be limited to English MPs, but the whole House would vote at third reading, so there would be no national veto. The Leader of the Lords, Baroness Stowell, will respond for the government.
Incidentally, in the light of the Chancellor's announcements on planning policy the appearance of two top planning officials from the DCLG before the Lords Select Committee on the Built Environment (10.45am) might prove particularly well-timed.
Friday
The Lords (10am) have their second private members' bill sitting of the new Parliament. On the agenda: the second readings of Lord Faulkner of Worcester's  Accessible Sports Grounds Bill , Baroness Howe of Idlicote's Online Safety Bill and Lord Purvis of Tweed's increasingly topical-looking Constitutional Convention Bill.


An Air Canada flight bound for Toronto from Shanghai made an emergency landing after severe turbulence injured 21 passengers, including three children.

The plane was diverted to Calgary after turbulence hit and the injured are in a stable condition.
Turbulence injuries cannot always be prevented by passengers wearing seatbelts when instructed to do so, and turbulence cannot always be predicted.
So what causes plane turbulence in the skies?  The list is long.
According to to the Federal Aviation Administration, turbulence can be caused by:
In-air turbulence is the leading cause of injury to people on flights, according to the FAA, and on average 58 people in the US are injured during turbulent flights when not wearing seatbelts every year.
Most turbulence accidents happen at 30,000 ft (9144m) or above.
Passengers on the Air Canada flight said the turbulence happened suddenly, with blankets flying up to the ceiling, people screaming and the plane feeling "like a rollercoaster".
Turbulence can happen unexpectedly at any time, no matter the weather, Mark Weiss, a former American Airlines pilot of 23 years, told the BBC.
"It's just a natural phenomena of weather," he said. "You can't always predict it. It could be as clear as could be, and you could get caught in a jet stream."
Airlines are diligent about turning on the "fasten seatbelt" sign if turbulence is predicted, but sometimes it comes out of nowhere, and a seatbelt can only do so much, he said.
Pilots can be tipped off to upcoming turbulence by fellow pilots flying ahead, in some cases.
A passenger can be wearing a seatbelt too loosely and still be knocked out by severe turbulence-by horizontal or vertical lifting, even getting thrown to the ceiling.
People with children on their laps need to be especially careful. Those children are basically "flying objects," he said.
Turbulence can cause baggage bins to unlock and suitcases to fall on people, causing injury, or food and beverage carts can get loose.
Mr Weiss recalls flying from Puerto Rico and experiencing severe turbulence.
"There were broken glasses from dishes... one flight attendant hit the ceiling, landed on arm rest and detached a retina in her eye."
Mr Weiss has seen broken arms, broken noses and back and neck injuries from turbulence.
Despite warnings, some people are always going to stand up on a long flight to go to the restroom, retrieve water or stretch out, even if the seatbelt sign is on.
The best thing for passengers to do is listen to the crew when turbulence hits, he said.


Glenne Headly, the Emmy-nominated US actress who appeared in such films as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Dick Tracy, has died at the age of 62.

Her death was confirmed to the BBC "with deep sorrow" by her representatives.
Headly was an early member of Chicago's famed Steppenwolf Theatre Company, as was her first husband John Malkovich.
She was recently seen in HBO's The Night Of and had been filming comedy series Future Man.
Headly was nominated for an Emmy for 1989 miniseries Lonesome Dove and again for 1996's Bastard Out of Carolina.
She is survived by her second husband Byron McCulloch and their son Stirling.
Born in 1955 in New London, Connecticut, Headly bought a bubbly comic energy to such films as Woody Allen's The Purple Rose of Cairo and 2001's What's the Worst that Could Happen?.
Yet she was also seen in dramatic roles in such films as Mr Holland's Opus and this year's The Circle, in which she played Emma Watson's mother.
Michael McKean, who starred with her in a 2002 TV pilot, was among the first to pay tribute to her on Twitter, remembering her as "a fine actress and a good person".
It is not yet known how Headly died.
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A Denbighshire man involved in a paragliding accident on his first full day in Nepal suffered head and leg injuries, a Ruthin inquest has heard.

Michael Peter Blanchard, 67, was flying solo when he is believed to have lost control and crashed into a tree.
The retired management consultant, of Pwllglas, near Ruthin, arrived in Kathmandu on 21 January.
The accident occurred the following day in the picturesque Pokhara district, about 120 miles from the capital.
He was rushed to the Metro City Hospital in Pokhara where he died the same day. He was identified by his passport.
At a brief hearing in Ruthin, John Gittins, the coroner for north Wales east and central, said a post-mortem examination carried out in Nepal found the cause of death to be "blunt force injuries to the head and pelvis".
The British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association is carrying out an investigation.
The inquest was adjourned to a full hearing later in the year.


Labour's former culture secretary Tessa Jowell has announced she will run for the next mayor of London.

Ms Jowell said she would focus on providing affordable housing, transport and "opening up opportunities" for everyone in the city.
She said she would build on public sector land for the "first time since 1986" and create 2,000 homes per year, in the next 20 years.
Transport for London's (TfL) land could also  be used for the homes, she said.
The former Labour MP, who stood down at this year's general election, said she wanted "a London where everyone shares in our city's success - young and old; low and middle income as well as the better off".
Tessa Jowell's career
The city under her stewardship would also be "intolerant of poverty, of injustice, of hopelessness", she said.
She said she wanted to set up the housing equivalent of TfL, led by a commissioner to "get London building again".
Ms Jowell said; "It's not enough for the mayor to exhort others to build homes.  We've tried that - it hasn't worked.
"The next mayor needs to take the lead, building thousands of homes Londoners can afford, on the vast swathes of land that the mayor owns."
She added: "I've got a plan. Not just the same old empty boasts we always hear at election time - people are switching off and who can blame them?
"And I'll tell you this - I will deliver. I will see it through, that's what I've always done."
Ms Jowell joins fellow Labour candidates Hackney MP Diane Abbott and MP for Tottenham David Lammy, who said they would both stand for the May 2016 mayoral election.
Author and Journalist Christian Wolmar has said he too will join the race to succeed Tory Boris Johnson.
At Ms Jowell's announcement on Tuesday in Brixton, former transport secretary Lord Adonis described her as "inspirational" and ex-treasury minister Kitty Ussher said Ms Jowell would be "a fantastic mayor and exactly what London needs".
Her successor as MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, Helen Hayes, said: "She has an ability like very few politicians to relate and connect to people from all sorts of different backgrounds across the whole community in London."


The Rugby Football League's chief executive Nigel Wood may have his critics, but when he labels 2013 as "rugby league's most important year since Super League began" it is impossible to disagree.

A hugely popular sport with the converted, the battle continues to attract new fans and new sponsors against the backdrop of worrying financial unrest at a number of elite clubs.
After Crusaders, Wakefield and Bradford battled back from the brink, now Salford, in their brand new stadium, are fighting to stay alive.
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The opportunity to host the World Cup in Britain is one that the sport must wring every last drop out of to maximise exposure and showcase the best of the sport to a new audience.
A successful run from the home nations is key to creating the feel-good factor that surrounded minority sports in the Olympic Games.
Who would have dreamed of feeling rushes of adrenalin and passion supporting Team GB's handball or gymnastics teams before London 2012 came along? Now rugby league has the chance to get those success-hungry neutrals on board on home soil.
Gary Hetherington, chief executive of Super League champions Leeds says 2013 will be a "landmark" year for the sport.  Former Great Britain star Jonathan Davies, a man who excelled in both codes of the sport, agrees.
"If you look at Super League it is a great product, unfortunately beset by financial problems," he says.
"It remains a great sport to watch but the challenge for league worldwide is obvious.  They have to get the international game right and achieve what international rugby union has done.
"Get that media attention on to the international game as it is just not happening, and I do feel sometimes they have neglected that, which is going to be a huge problem. "
Easier said than done. An international game doesn't magically become more competitive just because you give it more media attention.
It is all very well hooking a new audience in, but you must keep them with a compelling product.  And key to this will be a successful run from Steve McNamara's young England side.
"England have great talent and really have to push Australia and New Zealand," says Davies. "If you want the maximum exposure you have to go and win the World Cup. That would be a fantastic achievement."
So what chance of success? Hetherington describes the current England team as the best for over 20 years. Davies says the 2012 efforts of the union side in toppling the All Blacks should give the league boys hope.
"It is tough. New Zealand are world champions but Australia, as always are the team to beat," he says.
"We have such talented youngsters coming through and for the first time we have players who can score tries out of nothing like Sam Tomkins and Ryan Hall.
"We need that game management at half-back, and the selection there will be interesting from McNamara. We do have the forwards who can push them. It is about belief more than anything.
"We always seem to look up at and follow the Australian game. We are maybe worrying about them more than ourselves, so if Steve can instil belief then why can't we replicate what the union boys did and beat them?"
The domestic game meanwhile remains as dazzling as it is concerning. Thrilling Super League and Challenge Cup games serve as a weekly reminder that this pulsating sport has a lot going for it. But as the fight for survival off the pitch continues, so questions persist about the sustainability of the current Super League format.
England back rower Gareth Ellis is returning from Australia to play for Hull FC next season
The 14-team top tier, the licensing system rather than promotion and relegation, the salary cap, expansion.  They are all issues that need looking at, and all issues that continue to split opinion when debating the financial health of rugby league.
The RFL insists all it can do is provide the best possible environment for clubs to flourish and then it is up to the clubs to keep their own houses in order.
Yet the ultimate responsibility for the health of the British game lies with its governing body. They will be as concerned by Bradford, and now Salford's travails, as they will be buoyed by the breathtaking sporting theatre that the top clubs continue to provide to a passionate and loyal fan base.
On the pitch Leeds will bid to maintain their remarkable modern stranglehold on the Grand Final. The champions will start as fourth favourites to retain their title, with Warrington the bookmakers pre-season choice to lift the Old Trafford silverware.
Wigan and St Helens will of course be fancying their chances, and look out for Hull FC this year.
The return to Super League of Gareth Ellis should give the Black and Whites a great shot at a successful season.


A council has withdrawn insolvency proceedings against Northampton Town Football Club, claiming it is in everyone's "best interests" now a deal has been struck with a new owner.

The town's Borough Council took action over an unpaid £10.25m loan, but it has also allowed more time for the club to be taken over by Kelvin Thomas.
The proceedings also stopped it being separately wound-up by the taxman.
The council told the High Court it had taken an "informed decision".
It has been agreed the club will have its debt to the taxpayer wiped out in return for the council acquiring land near the Sixfields Stadium for development.
The £10.25m was originally given to former owner David Cardoza to develop the stadium, but the local authority subsequently called in the police.
Counsel James Morgan told Mr Justice Mann an agreement had been reached which was not arrived at lightly or without taking into account the alternative scenario of the club going into administration.
He said: "The council has taken an informed decision that this will be in the best interests of the council, the ratepayers, the football club and the wider community."
The judge said it should be made clear that in granting the order sought by the council, the court was not giving its approval of the deal, which had only been presented in outline.
Mr Justice Mann said: "It [the council] has come to the conclusion that the deal is a proper one. That is ultimately a matter for the council and not for this court."
The judge was told that another debt owed to HM Revenue & Customs had been paid in full and its application for the League Two club to be wound-up was withdrawn last week.


A popular video blogger has hit out at cosmetics brand Lush after he lost control of a YouTube address he had been using since 2005.

Matthew Lush said fans seeking out his channel were now being redirected to the beauty brand instead.
The company told the BBC it had not requested the change but would not say if it would give the address back.
Google said it was "sympathetic" to Mr Lush's situation and that the decision was made by an algorithm.
Mr Lush, who has 10 times as many YouTube subscribers as the soap brand, told the BBC he felt "betrayed".
Mr Lush registered the username Lush in 2005, which was attached to the web address youtube.com/Lush.
Last year, Google started allowing YouTube creators to customise their channel addresses.
Google said its algorithm decided which address Lush Cosmetics was given, based on data from YouTube, Google+, its search engine and other sources.
Mr Lush told the BBC: "I've been doing YouTube for a long time, but they've stripped this from me."
"I have that address on thousands of bracelets that I've sold, and it's embedded in my videos. I can't remake those now," he said.
Google said Mr Lush was a "valued creator" and that it had offered to pay for new marketing materials for his channel.
The BBC understands it would be at the discretion of Lush Cosmetics to allow Mr Lush to use the address again.
Google told the BBC: "We continue to make every effort to work with creators to support their needs on YouTube."
Mr Lush's fans have set up a petition to ask the cosmetics company to hand over the web address.
One fan even posted pictures of herself burning Lush products on Twitter.
Like many YouTube stars, Mr Lush earns a living from advertisements displayed around his content.
He said: "My brand is very important to me too. A brand is how you grow."


With a hard pledge on peaking carbon emissions and with ever more ambitious targets on installing renewables, China has become one of the countries to watch at this week's Paris conference.

The Qinghai Tibet plateau is the heart and lungs of Asia. Here, the continent's weather is made and its great rivers are born.
The altitude and the cold make it one of the most extreme climates on earth.
When I visited, icy winds gusting at 50mph (80km/h) were whipping a sandstorm into Qie Qun Jia's face as he herded his flock of sheep home to safety.
The 28-year-old Tibetan nomad has only ever known this life.
But climate change is turning the grasslands that once supported his yak herd to desert, and now Qie Qun Jia has only a flock of sheep.
"When I was little the grass grew tall and the mountains were covered with flowers," he says.
"Summers were warmer and winters were much colder. But in recent years there've been so many sandstorms, the flowers are disappearing and the grazing gets worse year by year.
So our flocks of sheep are shrinking. We can't afford to buy grass to feed them."
China is both a victim and a perpetrator of climate change.
After three-and-a-half decades of headlong industrial growth powered by coal, China is the world's largest polluter, and now it is counting the cost in climate change and environmental damage.
In the north and west, it faces desertification. In the south and east, it battles flooding. Its population endures some of the world's most polluted air, soil and water.
Since the last global UN climate conference in 2009 when Beijing was unwilling to commit to hard targets on reducing carbon emissions, it has realised that its dependence on fossil fuels has to stop. It has become a climate convert.
This about-face is driven not just by the ever more alarming threats from devastating climate change and pollution, but also by opportunity.
China believes the world is on the brink of an energy revolution and it sees a chance to dominate, and profit from, the new technologies of a greener century.
After putting industrial growth above the environment for so long, the Chinese government now believes sustainable growth can only come from rescuing the environment. Tackling climate change is in the national interest.
The Huanghe solar farm on the Qinghai plateau claims to be the biggest of its kind in the world. Nearly four million solar panels tilt up towards a vast blue dome of sky.
As I walked between the rows with senior engineer Shen Youguo, tumble weed and sand blew into us and the wind was bitter, but he's excited. It's a big moment to be in solar energy in China.
"What we're doing right now is for the sky to be bluer and the water to be clearer. We want a better future for everybody. So we're committed to being a part of that push," he says.
The International Energy Agency predicts that solar power will be the world's leading source of electricity by the middle of this century.
China wants to dominate renewable technologies like this, and competition between its manufacturers is driving down costs not just in China but globally, as Mr Shen explains.
"As technology advances, the efficiency of our solar batteries improves and the costs come down. So there's bound to come a day when solar power becomes cheaper than traditional energy.
Personally I'm very optimistic about it," he says.
Even the environmental activists are impressed.
Yuan Ying of Greenpeace says there are still many challenges to integrate renewable energy fully on China's national grid, but that the overall trend is positive.
"China is now showing more willingness to lead the international effort to tackle climate change. We also hope China's efforts can inspire other countries to follow," says Yuan Ying.
Back on the Qinghai plateau, Qie Qun Jia puts his sheep to bed and the sandstorm drives him in from the cold to sit by the stove with a bowl of steaming milk tea.
In the old days he lived in a tent, but he now has a two room house with a solar panel just outside the door.
The light bulb hanging from the ceiling is solar powered as is the TV on which his children are watching cartoons. He worries about what will become of them in the future.
"We grew up so freely, raising our cattle on this vast grassland. Every day was fun. But our sons and daughters can't continue this herding life. There's no road ahead for them. I feel very sad," he says.
It will take generations to cure China's addiction to coal and embed renewable energy at the heart of its economy. And all the while, the grassland is shrinking.
Even with an agreement in Paris and even with stronger pledges in the years ahead, the self-inflicted scars of climate change in China may yet deepen before they heal.


The mysterious artist known as Banksy has created an art exhibition on the site of a old, abandoned theme park called Tropicana in Weston-super-Mare in the south-west of England.

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20 August 2015 Last updated at 09:01 BST
His exhibition is called Dismaland and features the work of lots of other famous artists.
The art works are all meant to look like the sorts of things you would normally expect from a theme park, but with a twist.
Banksy keeps his identity a secret and police and some local councils, think his work is graffiti and remove it.
But the owners of some of the buildings he has worked on make lots of money from selling it at auction.
This latest attraction by Banksy and his friends is his biggest event yet and is already attracting lots of people.
Watch Ricky's report to find out more.


A campaign against the building of a road tunnel past Stonehenge has been backed by a trio of historians.

A Â£2bn proposal, which includes a 1.8-mile (2.9km) tunnel, was announced by the government in December, aimed at easing congestion on the nearby A303.
Dan Snow, Ruth Scurr and Tom Holland have now united with Stonehenge Alliance to oppose the plans, which they say "endanger" the ancient site.
But, the Department for Transport (DfT) said safeguarding it was essential.
"Stonehenge is one of Britain's greatest treasures and it is important to note that English Heritage and National Trust support our plans," said a DfT spokesman.
"It is essential that we ensure this site of cultural and historical significance is safeguarded as we progress with the upgrade.
"As with any road scheme, we will consult with interested parties before any building begins on the A303."
A similar scheme for the route, which links London and the South West, was dropped several years ago because of the cost.
However, there are growing concerns over congestion on the A303 which has been described as "highly detrimental" by English Heritage, which manages the monument.
But Stonehenge Alliance campaigners want "no further damage" to the world heritage site, which totals around 25 sq km (9.6 sq m) of chalkland, according to UNESCO.
Joining with them, Mr Snow - president of the Council for British Archaeology - said: "Of all our many treasures on these islands, none is more internationally revered than Stonehenge.
"We have recently started to realise that the standing stones are just a beginning, they sit at the heart of the world's most significant and best preserved Stone Age landscape. The government's plans endanger this unique site."
Ms Scurr added the proposal to widen the A303 would have a "destructive effect on the surroundings", with Mr Holland suggesting the battle against the plans was "an unending one".
Both English Heritage and the National Trust have given their support to the option of "the longest tunnel possible".
The director of the National Trust, Dame Helen Ghosh, and chief executive of English Heritage, Dr Simon Thurley, said no decisions had been made yet on possible locations, road alignment or design.


Three police officers and a PCSO failed to act on complaints of a disabled man just two days before he was brutally murdered by a neighbour, a court heard.

Bijan Ebrahimi, 44, was killed in a vigilante attack in 2013 after he was falsely accused of being a paedophile.
Bristol Crown Court was told PCs Kevin Duffy, 52, Leanne Winter, 38, Helen Harris, 40, and PCSO Andrew Passmore 55, saw Mr Ebrahimi as "a nuisance".
They each deny a charge of misconduct in public office.
The trial follows an investigation by the police watchdog into his death.
Opening the case for the prosecution, Crispin Aylett QC described the events leading up to the murder.
Mr Ebrahimi called the police on 11 July 2013 to report he had been attacked by his neighbour Lee James, 26, who suspected him of being a paedophile.
James, who later admitted murder, was described at the time by PC Winter to be "foaming at the mouth" and vowed he would "do time to protect his children", the court learned.
Mr Aylett said James was with a crowd who all took his side and "vigilantism was in the air".
Following the episode, Mr Ebrahimi was arrested but James' threats were overlooked, the court heard.
Mr Ebrahimi was released by police the following day, 12 July, and after returning to his home on Capgrave Crescent, Brislington, Bristol, made 12 calls to the police in the hope PC Duffy, the local beat manager, would intervene.
The prosecution claimed the officer regarded Mr Ebrahimi as a "liar and a nuisance" and the defendants were "not interested" in his complaints.
The court heard PC Duffy asked PCSO Passmore to patrol the area and Mr Passmore claimed to have spent an hour in the area.
"The truth is that he can only have driven up and down the road," Mr Aylett said.
"Had something been done, Lee James would have at least known the police were keeping an eye.
"This was a toxic situation that required proactive policing," he added.
"Instead we allege that these individuals failed Mr Ebrahimi. It's not just incompetence - we suggest they disliked Mr Ebrahimi."
Two days later James attacked Mr Ebrahimi outside his flat then, with help, set fire to his body.
He pleaded guilty and is serving a life sentence. Accomplice Steven Morley was sentenced to four years in prison for assisting an offender.
Earlier, PC Duffy told the court Mr Ebrahimi's complaints about various neighbours were always met with counter-allegations.
After Mr Ebrahimi's death, the police watchdog interviewed PC Duffy. He told them his "experience" of dealing with Mr Ebrahimi "taught" him to "evaluate all information" and "seek other accounts" before filing a report.
Prosecuting, Mr Aylett added that PC Duffy's "starting point" was to "disbelieve" Mr Ebrahimi unless it was corroborated.
The trial continues.


Two street dogs in the south Indian city of Chennai (Madras) have become the unlikely heroes of a stabbing incident after helping apprehend the perpetrator.

The two chased down and bit a man accused of stabbing one of his former colleagues on the roadside in what police describe as a "revenge attack".
Locals were then able to catch the man, identified as R Raghunath.
The victim is currently receiving treatment for abdominal injuries.
Police say Mr Raghunath attacked the woman because he had lost his job after she accused him of sexual harassment.
The man who looks after 735 dogs
The spoilt stray dogs of Delhi
"When they bit him, he could not run because his focus was on the dogs. That is when I and other members of the public got hold of him until the police came and took him away,'' S Raman, a rickshaw driver who takes care of the dogs, told BBC Hindi's Imran Qureshi.
Mr Raman said that the dogs, both of whom are named "puppy", chased the man after the victim, who was stabbed in the stomach, started screaming.
Natasha Chandy, a Bangalore-based Canine Counsellor, told BBC Hindi that the dogs' behaviour was not surprising.
"Dogs on the streets are highly instinctive. They can sense stress and read body language very well. In this case, the dogs may have sensed something wrong, especially if the lady screamed when she was stabbed,'' she said.
She added that it was also not unusual for dogs to go to the rescue of those who are hurt. But, she said that it was also highly likely that the animals' "chase instinct" kicked in because the man ran away.


"Huge variations" in council spending on mental health are worrying, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have said.

While Monmouthshire spent 11.23% of its adult social care budget on mental health in 2014/15, Blaenau Gwent spent 2.35%, the party claimed.
Overall, councils spent 4.7% of those budgets on mental health in 2014/15, compared to 5.2% in 2012/13.
Council leaders said mental health spending was rising in cash terms, but not as much as other social services.
Welsh Lib Dem leader Kirsty Williams said:  "With demand in mental health services rising year after year, and mental health conditions becoming more understood and treatable, you would expect the proportion of social care money spent on these services to rise.
"To see the opposite happening across Wales is worrying.
"What's even more concerning is seeing the huge variation in council spend on mental health.
"Demand in different areas of Wales can't be as different as these figures make them out to be."
A spokesman for the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said:  "Councils are having to manage increased public demand for services at the same time that the funds available to run services have been subject to an unprecedented level of cuts."
But he also accused the Lib Dems of a "misleading interpretation" of the statistics, saying spending on mental health services was still rising in cash terms - up by £5m between 2011/12 to 2014/15 - but not increasing as much as spending on other social services.
A Welsh government spokesman said: "The mental health needs placed on social care budgets are demand led and the percentage breakdown would not be the same in every local authority area every year."
He added that the figures did not include mental health spending by the NHS, which was higher than any other part of the health service at more than £600m for 2015/16.


What is 35 metres underground, will be used by 200 million passengers a year and costs almost £15bn?

The answer is London's newest railway system, Crossrail or the Elizabeth Line as it will be known.
The 200 metre (650 ft) long trains will each carry up to 1,500 passengers on an east-west route taking in more than 60 miles (96 km) of track.
But why should anyone in Wales care about more investment in London transport?
That is a question I put to the project chairman Terry Morgan, originally from Cwmbran, and Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb as I joined them on a tour of the new Paddington station.


A woman who shouted, swore and acted aggressively on a flight from Glasgow to Tenerife has been fined £300.

Joanna Felvus, 25, from Newmains, North Lanarkshire, was warned twice about her behaviour as she argued with a male companion on the Jet2 plane on 9 July.
Both were separated and Felvus later told police she had too much to drink.
Paisley Sheriff Court heard Felvus and the man were banned from Jet2 aircraft and used another airline to return home at "significant cost".
Imposing a £300 fine, Sheriff Robert Fife told Felvus: "Behaviour such as this is completely and utterly unacceptable.
"You are right to feel deeply embarrassed - no wonder you do."


A TV and film actor has backed campaigners opposed to a large scale pig farm in Derbyshire.

Dominic West, who starred in US crime drama The Wire, said the facility near Foston would wreck the area, where he grew up.
He believed protesters needed support to fight the interests of big business.
Midlands Pigs Producers (MPP) said the premises would have 2,500 sows and 20,000 piglets and observe the highest welfare standards.
Mr West, who had roles in films such as 300 and Centurion, said: "My uncle was a small-scale pig farmer of the sort that would be put out of business by huge factory farms like this.
"I became interested in this through a film called Pig Business about the vast factory farms in eastern Europe, so I was quite concerned it was coming here to Derbyshire."
He added: "The protesters here are up against a very big business that is interested in not just pig farming but all sorts of money making ventures.
"So I hope to raise awareness of what is going on and create a bigger amount of support for the locals whose lives are going to be ruined by this."
MPP produces more than 100,000 pigs each year. It controls 30 farms in eight counties and employs more than 150 people.
A spokesman said they welcomed debate on the project but pointed out there was already a unit in the UK containing 3,500 sows.
The site would also use biogas from the slurry to produce electricity.
South Derbyshire District Council handed over duties for dealing with the application to the county council because of its waste implications.
The county council confirmed it had received the application but that no date had been set for it to be considered.


Oldham played out a goalless draw with Walsall in an entertaining contest at Boundary Park.

In new Latics manager Stephen Robinson's first home league game in charge, the hosts had the better of the first half, Billy McKay firing just over with a 20-yard shot.
But Walsall suffered a blow on 31 minutes when left-back Rico Henry was led off after dislocating his shoulder, having made a superb headed clearance from a Marc Klok free-kick.
Franck Moussa shot wide early in the second half for the Saddlers before teeing up Simeon Jackson for a near-post effort that was well saved by Connor Ripley.
Oldham's goalkeeper was again tested soon after by a fine effort from substitute Andreas Makris that he tipped aside.
But McKay had a chance with a header saved by Etheridge before Lee Erwin hit the post with a header after Ryan Flynn's shot was blocked by the Walsall goalkeeper.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Oldham Athletic 0, Walsall 0.
Second Half ends, Oldham Athletic 0, Walsall 0.
Corner,  Walsall. Conceded by Cameron Burgess.
Corner,  Oldham Athletic. Conceded by James O'Connor.
Peter Clarke (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Simeon Jackson (Walsall).
Isaiah Osbourne (Walsall) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Ryan Flynn (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Isaiah Osbourne (Walsall).
Josh Law (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Amadou Bakayoko (Walsall).
Josh Law (Oldham Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Josh Law (Oldham Athletic).
Franck Moussa (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Jason McCarthy (Walsall) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Substitution, Oldham Athletic. Darius Osei replaces Lee Erwin.
Substitution, Walsall. Amadou Bakayoko replaces Florent Cuvelier.
Foul by Paul Green (Oldham Athletic).
Simeon Jackson (Walsall) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Hand ball by Oliver Banks (Oldham Athletic).
Lee Erwin (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Joe Edwards (Walsall).
Attempt missed. Ryan Flynn (Oldham Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Corner,  Oldham Athletic. Conceded by Jason McCarthy.
Substitution, Oldham Athletic. Oliver Banks replaces Ousmane Fane.
Corner,  Oldham Athletic. Conceded by Jason McCarthy.
Attempt saved. Lee Erwin (Oldham Athletic) right footed shot from very close range is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Attempt saved. Ryan Flynn (Oldham Athletic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Foul by Jamie Reckord (Oldham Athletic).
Franck Moussa (Walsall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner,  Oldham Athletic. Conceded by James O'Connor.
Attempt blocked. Billy McKay (Oldham Athletic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Attempt saved. Billy McKay (Oldham Athletic) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Substitution, Oldham Athletic. Ryan McLaughlin replaces Marc Klok.
Andreas Makris (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Marc Klok (Oldham Athletic).
Corner,  Walsall. Conceded by Marc Klok.
Attempt missed. Simeon Jackson (Walsall) header from the centre of the box misses to the left.
Attempt saved. Andreas Makris (Walsall) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Corner,  Walsall. Conceded by Connor Ripley.


A man was caught with a sub-machine gun after police were called to a disturbance with his partner, a court has heard.

Darren McInally, 28, pleaded guilty at the High Court in Glasgow to possessing the gun and ammunition.
He also admitted assaulting his partner Hazel King, 22, at her cottage in Uplawmoor, Renfrewshire, last November.
McInally faces a minimum of five years in jail when he is sentenced next month.
The court heard that McInally had turned up at Ms King's home and started yelling abuse at her as well as accusing her of being unfaithful.
Prosecutor Angela Gray told the court the accused had refused to leave Ms King's home. He grabbed her, threw her onto a sofa, brandished a bottle at her and left her fearing she was going to be hit.
Police were called and traced McInally to his father's home in Neilston, Renfrewshire, where they found a loaded Scorpion sub-machine gun in the boot of his Audi car.
McInally's DNA was later found on the weapon and the ammunition.
He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on 8 April at the High Court in Edinburgh.


One month after the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal, the United Nations has said the world needs to provide more food aid and shelter for those left homeless.

A UN official said there was still a need to focus on providing relief rather than reconstruction.
More than 8,000 people died in the disaster and many remain homeless.
Nepal's government, which has been criticised for being slow to respond, has called for more direct aid funding.
Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat told the BBC less than 10% of the money spent on relief by his government came from overseas.
Dr Mahat said he hoped future international donations would be managed directly by his government.
On Monday evening, hundreds of Nepalis joined a candlelit vigil at the Brikutimandap grounds in Kathmandu to remember the dead and mark a month since the earthquake hit.
The earthquake that hit on 25 April, and a second major tremor on 12 May, killed more than 8,600 people and brought down buildings in Kathmandu and the country's central districts.
Shelter materials and food aid have been slow to reach some areas, and many Nepalese have complained that the government is not doing enough to help those affected.
As aftershocks continue to be felt, thousands of people are still living in make-shift tents and there are fears these will not survive the summer monsoon, which is due to start next month.
There are also fears the rainy season will bring further landslides and the threat of disease.
The World Food Programme described its response to the earthquake as "one of our most complex operations" due to Nepal's difficult terrain.
Richard Ragan, WFP Emergency Co-ordinator, said the organisation had provided food for 1.8 million people in the hardest-to-reach locations since the disaster struck.
For the government, Dr Mahat said he recognised there were complaints over the way it had handled the aid effort.
"People are still under tents in the open parade ground and they cannot go back home," he said.
"Some people have not received the relief materials they expected. You cannot satisfy everybody."
But, he said, his government's ability to act had been hampered by international aid agencies who are working independently of government structures.
He said much of the hundreds of millions of dollars being raised around the world for quake victims was being spent directly by organisations such as the United Nations and aid agencies.
The United Nations has appealed for $423m (Â£273m) to be able to provide up to two million survivors with basic relief such as tents or tarpaulin sheets, dry food rations, safe drinking water and toilets for the next three months.
The organisation's Financial Tracking System shows that $92.4m has been raised so far - only 22% of the required funds.
"The international community provided relief materials, the services and some goods but they didn't give money - they have their own institutions and agencies to deliver the services," said Dr Mahat.
"It would be better if it had come through the government - that way we would have equitably distributed the relief materials to all the people."
In the past, Nepal has been criticised by international donors for its poor governance and high-level of corruption. It ranks 126th out of 174 countries on the 2014 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index.
But international aid organisations, which have been working in Nepal for the past four decades, have also been criticised for wasting money on ineffectual projects.
As well as government and international relief efforts, much of the aid being provided in the earthquake-hit districts is coming from local volunteers who have banded together to provide food and help build shelters.


A daughter of murdered Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov has accused pro-Kremlin media of spreading hateful propaganda, and says she has left Russia to live in exile.

Zhanna Nemtsova told the BBC that she had received threats, and this was one of the reasons behind her departure.
In a newspaper column, she said Russian propaganda echoed the era of genocide in Nazi Germany and Rwanda.
Mr Nemtsov, a leading Kremlin critic, was shot dead in Moscow in February.
Five suspects have been arrested over the killing, all of them from the Russian republic of Chechnya. However, the investigation has not established who ordered the murder, and one of the suspects has said he was forced to make a confession.
Several critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin have left the country over the last few years, complaining of intimidation and authoritarianism.
A close friend of Mr Nemtsov, Vladimir Kara-Murza, was admitted to hospital with acute kidney failure last month. Doctors have not established a cause and his father told the BBC he suspected poisoning.
In a column for business daily Vedomosti, Ms Nemtsova said state-controlled media in Russia had contributed to her father's death by labelling him and other opposition leaders "traitors".
She accused pro-Kremlin journalists of spreading hatred and intolerance, and urged the West to impose sanctions against those involved.
"Many of the texts of Kremlin-controlled media recall the rhetoric of African propagandists," she wrote.
"Putin's information machine - similar to those in Nazi Germany and Rwanda - is using criminal methods of propaganda, and sowing hatred which generates violence and terror."


Brazilian prosecutors have filed homicide charges against 21 people a year after an iron ore mine disaster in the state of Minas Gerais.

They include several Brazilians, two Americans, a South African, an Australian, a Briton and a French man.
The accused were employed at the time by the companies involved - Brazil's Samarco and Vale, and BHP Billiton.
In November 2015 a mine dam burst, killing 19 people and polluting miles of Brazil's waterways.
According to the lead prosecutor in the case, Jose Leite Sampaio, the companies were aware there was a risk of collapse but ignored it. They immediately rejected the charges and said they would defend their staff.
Mr Sampaio accused Brazilian mining company Vale, Anglo-Australian giant BHP Billiton and iron ore producer Samarco, which they co-own, of pursuing profits rather than attending to safety.
"Security was always of secondary importance. The increase in production at Samarco sought to compensate for the falling value of the ore in order, not only to maintain, but also to boost profits and dividends,"  Mr Sampaio said in a televised news conference near the site of the disaster.
Vale said in a statement that it "vehemently rejects the charges" and that it would defend its staff members. It said the evidence showed there was no knowledge the dam could fail before the collapse.
BHP said it "rejects outright the charges against the company and the affected individuals. We will defend the charges against the company, and fully support each of the affected individuals in their defence."
Before the case can go to trial, the charges need to be approved by a judge.
Millions of tonnes of muddy mine waste were released on 5 November 2015 when a dam collapsed. A village was flattened and drinking water was affected for hundreds of thousands of people. The sludge eventually pooled out into the Atlantic Ocean.
The disaster drew comparisons with the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, as the Brazilian authorities sought redress for the environmental devastation from the companies it deemed responsible.
The mining companies have managed to reach a deal with Brazil's environmental authorities to set up an institute that will help clean up the pollution and rebuild some communities for the next 10 years.
But prosecutors tasked with finding the guilty parties are less willing to compromise.
In a 273-page document, they blamed top managers, accusing them of merely using "bandages" to deal with a serious threat.
Prosecutors also want the accused to respond to a popular jury, assuming these charges get the go-ahead from the judge.
The companies responded by accusing prosecutors of ignoring the evidence against those claims.
As the Samarco tragedy approaches its first anniversary, it seems that this case will still drag on for years to come.
The accused include Ricardo Vescovi, who was chief executive of Samarco at the time of the disaster.
Under Brazilian law qualified homicide is similar to, but more serious than, a manslaughter charge. The accused, if found guilty, could face sentences of up to 54 years.


The coroner leading the inquiry into the death of a Castlederg schoolgirl has criticised Irish police for failing to provide documents and witnesses.

Coroner Brian Sherrard had hoped to conclude hearing evidence in the Arlene Arkinson case on 19 September.
The 15-year-old schoolgirl vanished after a night out in County Donegal, in the Republic of Ireland, in August 1994.
Her body has never been found.
The court heard that, despite ongoing correspondence, Irish police had not yet nominated any witnesses.
Mr Sherrard said: "I am disappointed that we are still at this stage having been in correspondence with An Garda Siochana for quite some time."
He said there should be a redoubling of efforts aimed at concluding evidence on 19 September.
Miss Arkinson was last seen with child killer Robert Howard after leaving a disco in Bundoran in the Republic of Ireland.
Howard was acquitted of her murder in 2005, but the jury was not told about his conviction for killing another teenager in England.
The Arkinson family were disturbed by the continuing delay, said a lawyer for the family, but they also praised the work already carried out but the Coroner.


Parking charges and a six-hour maximum time limit are being introduced in Brighton's Preston Park to stop it being used by commuters.

Brighton and Hove City Council said the charge was to tackle the problem of commuters using Preston Park as a free all-day car park.
The move follows a petition signed by more than 2,000 people, protesting over the number of cars in the park.
It will cost 50p per hour, rising to Â£3 for between three and six hours.


A man who played an imam in a popular Christmas advert has been asked to work with the government to promote harmony between Islam and other faiths.

In the Amazon commercial, Zubeir Hassam and priest Gary Bradley buy each other kneepads to help with the discomfort of kneeling while praying.
Mr Hassam said it had turned him into a celebrity, with people stopping him in the street for selfies.
He is even set to meet the Queen when she visits Leicester in April.
Since the ad was released in the UK in November to promote the Amazon Prime delivery service, it has been viewed millions of times around the world.
More on this story and other news in Leicestershire
Mr Hassam, principal of the Muslim School, in Oadby, Leicestershire, said he was pleased with its positive message, which promotes friendship between Muslims and Christians.
"The message that went to the world and the community at large was of peace," he said.
But he said he never thought it would become so popular and he now gets stopped for selfies, including one occasion at an airport in Turkey, where he was recognised by a family travelling to Mecca.
"It was so amazing to see them all, the sisters and brothers in ihram [where men wear all white for the pilgrimage] and yet they wanted a picture with me," he said.
He was given a taste of celebrity life when he was invited to a world peace conference in Abu Dhabi and put up in a five-star hotel.
"I'm not royalty but I feel I've reached that level," he joked.
But there is a serious side to the attention the advert has garnered and the government has asked him to work with them on promoting harmony between faiths, he said.
Although he has met the Queen three times before the advert aired, he has been invited to dine with her when she visits Leicester on Maundy Thursday.
"I'm sure she'll [ask] me are you the Amazon imam? And I'll say, 'yes I am'," he said.


Chris and Gabby Adcock produced a stunning comeback to defeat the Olympic champions and reach the All England Badminton semi-finals in Birmingham.

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The married pair lost the first set 16-21 to Indonesia's Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir but levelled in a gruelling 21-19 second set win.
They then powered to a 21-12 success in the decider to reach the last-four.
"The crowd played a massive part in helping us turn that around," Gabby Adcock told BBC Sport.
Chris Adcock added: "They are the best pair in the world at making you feel like you're not playing well and it was a real struggle for us to begin with.
"We could have easily crumbled and been out of here, going home, so I'm really pleased with how we responded and how the crowd helped us."
The Adcocks, who are seeded seventh, will face fifth-seeds Kai Lu and Huang Yaqiong on Saturday.
The Chinese duo secured a surprise win over London Olympic bronze medallists Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen from Denmark.
"We've played the Chinese a few times and know what we're going to get from them, so we'll rest now and come out fighting again tomorrow," said Gabby Adcock.
"We reached the semi-finals last year and wanted to improve on that, so we're on course and have come here to win."
Find out how to get into badminton with our special guide.


North Wales Police are investigating after a brawl broke out at a football match.

The incident happened as Wrexham team Cefn Druids AFC were losing 7-0 at home to Caernarfon Town FC on Saturday.
Police said a number of people were involved in the incident. They want any supporters who filmed the incident on mobile phones to get in touch.
Both clubs, who play in the Huws Grays Alliance, said they would not comment while awaiting the referee's report.
The incident took place at the Cefn Druids home ground, The Rock.
Supt Gareth Evans said: "We share the disappointment of law abiding fans present at the match where violence broke out.
"An investigation is under way and I would like to thank the fans yesterday who assisted officers with establishing what had occurred.
"Anyone who directly witnessed or were the subject of any threats or violence should contact us on 101 if they have not already done so.
"Similarly, if you recorded what happened on a mobile phone please get in touch. It is clear there were a number of people involved.
"The investigation will look at all aspects of the incident and I ask for patience while officers work through this information, speak to witnesses and view CCTV and mobile phone footage."
The Football Association of Wales did not have any comment to make.


People who are genetically susceptible to heart disease can lower their risk by eating plenty of fruit and raw vegetables, a study suggests.

It says five or more daily portions should be enough to counteract culprit versions of a gene on chromosome 9, thought to be possessed by a fifth of people of European ancestry.
Healthy diets appeared to weaken its effect.
The Canadian researchers investigated more than 27,000 people for their work.
The findings were published in Plos Medicine journal.
These participants came from from around the globe, including Europe, China and Latin America.
The results suggest that individuals with high risk 9p21 gene versions who consumed a diet packed with raw vegetables, fruits and berries had a similar risk of heart attack as those with a low-risk variant of the same gene.
Foods that count:
Researcher Prof Sonia Anand, of McMaster University, said: "Our results support the public health recommendation to consume more than five servings of fruits or vegetables as a way to promote good health."
The scientists, who also included staff from McGill University, say they now need to do more work to establish how diet might have this effect on genes.
Judy O'Sullivan of the British Heart Foundation said the findings should serve as a reminder that while lifestyle and genes could increase heart risk, the way the two interacted with each other was also very important.
"The relationship between the two is often very complicated and we don't yet have all the answers,  but the message appears to be very simple - eating lots of fruit and vegetables is great news for our heart health."


Final work has started to replace the damaged structure that led to the closure of the Forth Road Bridge at the end of last year.

The busy crossing was shut to all traffic early in December when a crack in a truss end link was discovered during a routine inspection.
Temporary brackets were installed which allowed cars to use the bridge before Christmas last year.
Heavier vehicles were banned from the bridge until February.
The truss end links are now being replaced with a new permanent sliding bearing arrangement, contractors Amey said.
The strength of the temporary brackets means the work will be carried out with "minimal disruption to road users".
A small number of overnight contraflows will be in place, but Amey said they had been scheduled at the same time as other planned maintenance.
Mark Arndt, from the Forth Bridges Unit, said: "The repairs carried out last winter were necessary to get the bridge back open to traffic as quickly and safely as possible.
"Since then, we've been planning and preparing for this permanent replacement, and it's remarkable that the team has reached this point less than nine months since the original defect was discovered.
"We'll press on now to get the job done with minimum disruption to bridge users."
A Scottish Parliament committee investigated the closure of the bridge last year and concluded the crack "could not have been foreseen".
The new Queensferry Crossing is due to open next year and will ease the traffic burden over the Forth Bridge.
It was initially due for completion at the end of 2016 but "adverse weather conditions" in April and May hit construction, ministers said.


Monty Panesar is unavailable for selection because of off-field "issues", says Essex head coach Paul Grayson.

The 33-year-old spinner has not played a first-team match since April.
"He's got a few issues he needs to sort out himself before he's available," Grayson told BBC Essex.
"We're trying to help Monty along with the Professional Cricketers' Association to get him back to playing some cricket."
He added: "It's just a week-by-week thing and we'll see where we're at in two or three weeks with him."
Panesar, who has 50 Test caps and said in April that he still had England ambitions, has featured in three second-team games for Essex since his last Championship game.
He joined Essex in 2013, having been released by former club Sussex after urinating on a nightclub bouncer in Brighton.
Panesar was dropped before a County Championship game with Glamorgan last year for a "timekeeping" error, and Grayson says Essex have been working hard with Panesar to help him.
"It's not through a lack of trying on our behalf. He's been managed well by us, at some stage the truth will come out," he said.
"Anyone that plays county cricket, particularly those that play at Essex, we care about them and want to be getting them to play at the best of their ability.
"It's a delicate situation at the moment, we're trying to keep it in house and help Monty the best way we can."


Two former US special agents have been charged with stealing large amounts of digital currency while investigating the notorious Silk Road marketplace.

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) alleges that Shaun Bridges stole more than $800,000 (Â£540,000) in Bitcoin.
His colleague, Carl Force, has also been charged with money laundering and wire fraud.
Best known for selling illegal drugs, Silk Road was closed in 2013 following raids by the FBI and other agencies.
The man accused of running the site, Ross Ulbricht, was convicted in February, and prosecutors argued that he had earned about $18m in Bitcoin from the operation.
Mr Force, who worked for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), served as an undercover agent during the investigation into the Silk Road.
One of his tasks involved communicating with Ulbricht, known online as "Dread Pirate Roberts."
The DoJ alleges that "without authority", Mr Force "developed additional online personas and engaged in a broad range of illegal activities calculated to bring him personal financial gain".
"In doing so, the complaint alleges, Force used fake online personas, and engaged in complex Bitcoin transactions to steal from the government and the targets of the investigation.
"In one such transaction, Force allegedly sold information about the government's investigation to the target of the investigation."
The 46-year-old is charged with wire fraud, theft of government property, money laundering and conflict of interest.
Shaun Bridges, who worked for the US Secret Service, is charged with wire fraud and money laundering.
The DoJ alleges that he transferred more than $800,000 in Bitcoin into an account at MtGox, a Japanese digital currency exchange that filed for bankruptcy in February.
"He then allegedly wired funds into one of his personal investment accounts in the United States mere days before he sought a $2.1m seizure warrant for Mt. Gox's accounts," the DoJ says.
Both men appeared in a San Francisco court on Monday.


The trial has begun of a man accused of the homosexual rape of another man in an Edinburgh graveyard.

Rachid Lamrabet, who lives in London, denies sexually assaulting the 25-year-old at Greyfriars Kirk on 26 August 2015.
The Crown claims Mr Lamrabet, 42, engaged in consensual sexual activity with the younger man but ignored his victim when he told him to stop.
The High Court in Livingston trial is due to last five days.
The charge states that Mr Lamrabet seized the man by the body, pushed him to the ground and raped him to his injury.
Mr Lamrabet denies committing the offence, brought under Section 1 of the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009.
English is not Mr Lamrabet's native language, so a Spanish interpreter has been brought in to sit with him in the dock enabling him to understand the proceedings.
The jury was read a list of agreed evidence, including a compilation video of CCTV footage taken from seven camera systems at pubs, clubs and Edinburgh's public camera network.
The film records activity in Niddry Street, Cowgate, George IV Bridge and Candlemaker Row between 04:00 and 07:00 on the day of the alleged rape.
The jury was also informed that a recording and transcript of a 999 call made to the emergency services at 06:20 on 26 August 2015 will be led as agreed evidence.
In addition, detailed maps of the area and photographs of the scene and its surroundings have been prepared to assist them.
Judge Lord Woolman told jurors that the alleged victim would give evidence on Tuesday from behind a screen.


Cymerodd prif gorff amgylcheddol Cymru benderfyniad "hollol anhygoel" i werthu £39m o bren i gwmni melin lifio heb achos busnes priodol, yn ôl pwyllgor o ACau.

Nid oedd cyfle i gwmnïau eraill wneud cais am y gwaith gan Gyfoeth Naturiol Cymru (CNC), a hynny'n bosib yn groes i reolau cystadleuaeth yr UE.
Dywedodd Nick Ramsay, cadeirydd pwyllgor cyfrifon cyhoeddus y Cynulliad, fod y sefydliad yn euog o "gamfarn ddifrifol".
Yn ôl llefarydd ar ran CNC mae cynllun gweithredu mewn grym, a dywedodd bod y corff dan bwysau ar y pryd oherwydd bod y sefyllfa "yn ddifrifol iawn".
Mewn adroddiad hynod feirniadol, dywed y pwyllgor bod "pryderon difrifol" wrth ddysgu taw un swyddog yn CNC wnaeth drefnu'r cytundeb.
"O ystyried y symiau o arian cyhoeddus dan sylw, credwn ei bod hi'n gwbl annerbyniol na chynhaliwyd proses ail-dendro lawn, agored a theg," medd yr adroddiad.
Dyw enw'r cwmni ddim yn ymddangos yn yr adroddiad yma nag adroddiad blaenorol gan Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru ond mae BBC Cymru yn deall mai BSW Timber yw'r cwmni dan sylw.
Maent wedi ei lleoli ym Mhontnewydd ar Wy ym Mhowys.
Methodd y cwmni ag agor llinell lifio newydd yng Nghymru, oedd yn rhan o'r cytundeb 10 mlynedd â CNC.
Mae'r pwyllgor wedi argymell fod CNC yn adolygu'r ffordd mae'n darparu cytundebau, a'i bolisi tuag at reolau Ewropeaidd, sy'n atal ariannu'r sector breifat drwy'r pwrs cyhoeddus.
Dywedodd cyfreithwyr wrth CNC nad oedd y rheolau wedi'u torri, ond clywodd yr ACau nad oedd ymdrech i gymryd cyngor cyfreithiol tan dair blynedd wedi i'r cytundeb gael ei arwyddo.
Yn ôl CNC roedd angen cwblhau'r cytundeb yn gyflym i reoli'r clefyd coed Phytophthora Ramorum, oedd yn effeithio ar nifer fawr o goed llarwydd ar y pryd.
Fe wnaeth llefarydd ddweud bod CNC yn derbyn holl argymhellion yr adroddiad, a bod angen delio gyda materion gafodd eu hamlygu.
Ond ychwanegodd "nad oes unrhyw hunanfoddhad wedi bod gan CNC wrth ymateb i'r materion... roedden ni'n delio gyda sefyllfa ddifrifol iawn o haint llarwydd ar y pryd, ac roedd angen gweithredu ar frys".


The head of Russia's only independent polling agency, Levada Centre, has said it could be forced to close after a warning from officials that it had to obey a controversial new law.

Prosecutors said the centre had to register as a "foreign agent" because it was involved in political activity and received foreign funding.
Levada Centre is one of a string of NGOs to be investigated recently.
Critics say the law is meant to tarnish the image of civil society groups.
The BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Moscow says that despite pressure, Russia's most prominent human rights and civil society groups have all refused to register as foreign agents.
In a statement, Levada Centre head Lev Gudkov said prosecutors had not only threatened the organisation with sanctions but had undermined its authority.
"The warning puts the Yuri Levada Analytical Centre in an extremely difficult position, in effect forcing it to cease its activity as an independent sociological research organisation, carrying out systematic polls of public opinion in Russia," the statement said.
Mr Gudkov added that foreign funding amounted to only 1.5-3% of the centre's budget each year.
The law requires the phrase "foreign agents" to be included in all materials produced by all affected NGOs. They would also have to undergo financial audits and issue twice-yearly reports on their activities.
The Russian authorities say the law is needed to protect Russia from outside attempts to influence internal politics.
But critics say it could be used to prevent NGOs denouncing vote-rigging and other abuses.
The term "foreign agent" carries a Soviet-era negative taint in Russia, suggesting spying, correspondents say.
Failure to comply with the legislation is punishable by heavy fines or even a two-year prison sentence.
Last month the election watchdog NGO Golos became the first organisation to be fined under the new law.
Last September, USAID was expelled from Russia after being accused of attempting to "influence political processes through its grants", which had totalled $3bn (Â£2bn).


Forest Green Rovers reached the National League promotion final with a 2-1 aggregate win over Dover Athletic.

Ricky Miller's deflected goal had drawn an improved Dover level on aggregate.
But Keanu Marsh-Brown's curler for Forest Green, who sacked manager Ady Pennock on 27 April, sent them through.
Mark Cooper was at the New Lawn to watch Forest Green after resigning as Notts County boss earlier on Saturday and BBC Radio Nottingham reports he is set to become Rovers' new manager.
Caretaker boss Scott Bartlett has taken charge of the Gloucestershire's club's last three games - all against Dover - since Pennock was dismissed to "boost the club's chances in the play-offs".
A spirited Dover created enough chances on the night to at least force extra-time but Miller blazed wide from close range and Sam Magri struck the underside of the crossbar.
Marsh-Brown's goal was a near-replica of the quality, curling effort into the top corner from Brett Williams that had won the first leg for Forest Green, who finished second in the table in the regular season.
After the match, Rovers owner Dale Vince told BBC Radio Gloucestershire that Bartlett would take charge of the side for the final at Wembley on 15 May.
Braintree host Grimsby in the second leg of their semi-final on Sunday, leading the Mariners 1-0 from the first leg.
Forest Green Rovers caretaker boss Scott Bartlett: "The boys have been fantastic. Our preparation has been spot on all week.
"I'm calm because I know they are going to give me everything. It would take a good side to beat us.
"Dover pushed us and pushed us and pushed us. It was never comfortable. They've done well. Full credit to them."
Dover boss Chris Kinnear: "I thought we deserved something. We had so many chances. I'm just very, very disappointed, but you've got to look at the positives.
"The club is moving on steadily. I'm proud of the lads. You can't ask any more.
"Today they gave everything. But somebody has got to lose and good luck to Forest Green."