The continued rise of violent, anti-Western, Islamic fundamentalism is one of the defining challenges of our time.

There is no lack of emotive words and stirring phrases from politicians around the world - it is questionable if they have a coherent strategy to counter it.
The horror in Tunisia came a few days before the 10th anniversary of the London bombings, which killed 52 people and injured about 700.
This year, there have also been shootings at the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris and a cafe in Denmark.
But most of the victims of Islamist attacks are Muslims, in the Middle East.
Last week, 27 died in the bombing of a mosque in Kuwait, and about 140 civilians were murdered in the Kurdish Syrian town of Kobane.
Every year, the threat gets more serious, more brutal and, to some, more attractive.
The UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, says he believes this is "the struggle of our generation" and it can be beaten, over time, if we "show extraordinary resolve and strength".
Mr Cameron has also said that Islamic State (IS) is a "perversion of the religion of Islam" - a "poisonous death cult" that poses an "existential threat".
One has to have a fairly lurid imagination to envision that IS could snuff out the UK.
If it really were on the cards, if the flag of IS could one day flutter over Downing Street, if Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi poses the same level of threat to our nation as Hitler or Napoleon once did, you might expect some pretty dramatic, out-of-the-box thinking to be on display.
Mr Cameron's proposals for "a full spectrum response" are very familiar - this of course does not make them wrong, but the portentous pronouncements do not seem to be matched with radical policies.
We have heard about increased security, more intelligence, a pinch of military action, and a long-lasting battle of values before.
It is perhaps telling that Mr Cameron objects to the BBC using the phrase "Islamic State", he prefers Isil - which stands for Islamic State in the Levant - or the preface "so-called".
No doubt there will be a big debate about this, but personally I loathe that phrase.
It is only used in ordinary conversation in scorn: "Your so-called girlfriend."
And, it seems to me, once we start passing comment on the accuracy of the names people call their organisations, we will constantly be expected to make value judgements. Is China really a "People's Republic"?
After the Scottish referendum, is the UK only the "so-called United Kingdom"? With the Greek debacle, there is not much sign of "European Union".
But it also obscures an important truth.
Critically, IS has ambitions to rule, not just destroy.
It controls vast areas of Syria and Iraq and has more than mere footholds in Libya, Yemen and Nigeria.
However understandable the desire to hold the words "Islamic State" at arm's length, using the verbal rubber gloves of "so-called", the name itself is doubly appropriate.
An aspiration to be not simply a nation state but a supranational one - a worldwide caliphate, it is also a state of mind - an inspiration to lone wolves and those who want to travel to join the pack, from mad malcontents to the deeply disconnected.
And, paradoxically, the fact that "Islamic State" is a geographical and political entity makes it easier to imagine its collapse or destruction.
Mr Cameron talks of air strikes squeezing IS at source - although, of course, the Iraqi source, not the Syrian one.
The state of mind that allows IS to grow is potentially more problematic and could well flourish even if Islamic State were to be beaten in Syria and Iraq.
Mr Cameron has talked of taking on an extremist narrative that falls short of advocating violence at home.
If the effort is focused on Bradford that is one thing - if he is telling allies in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to abandon core beliefs, that is a far more serious attempt to deal with the roots of the problems.
Maj Gen Tim Cross, the most senior British solider to serve in the reconstruction of Iraq, sees IS as an organisation with imperial ambitions, a deliberate attempt to reconstruct the Ottoman Empire, growing against the background of a historic clash between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Sunnis and Shia.
He says regional powers have to engage more and rich individuals, if not governments, are "feeding the tiger" of  radicalism.
"They've got to take it seriously, got to get engaged - this is not a small number of nihilists, it is a deeply ingrained issue," he says.
He makes the point that this could be the Middle East's version of Europe's 30-year war - not just that it was a lengthy religious war that killed a quarter of the population, but that it eventually did end in a peace deal, which created modern Europe.
But there is a critical element that is often ignored, a Western aversion to what should be obvious and beyond debate - the appeal of IS is not just an increasingly violent and fundamentalist interpretation of a religion, not just a retreat into the values of the past in the face of the shock of modernity, but an explicitly political reaction to the actions of the West.
What is Islamic State?
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair rightly said that al-Qaeda had been around before the invasion of Iraq.
But it was not in that country and IS did not exist - nor was there the steady growth of lone wolves in the West.
Of course, this is not all about Iraq but a wider perception of Western policy that goes very much further back.
Radical, anti-colonial Islamic movements were around in the 19th Century - Gen Charles Gordon fell at Khartoum at the hands of one of them.
This is not to argue what is right or wrong or how policymakers should deal with this sentiment.
But to deny it is foolish.
The West's relationship with Islamic radicalism and the Middle East in general has some of the deep resonance of quantum entanglement and is about as easy to understand.
But learning some lessons may be critical for all our futures.


The US has now charged some 40 individuals and entities following an investigation into corruption in football's world governing body Fifa.

Sixteen new officials were charged by the US Department of Justice on 3 December.
This is in addition to the 14 people - nine Fifa officials and five corporate executives - indicted on corruption charges at the end of May, some of whom have now been convicted.
Several other individuals and entities have pleaded guilty and have been convicted.
Here we take a closer look at some of those who have faced charges that include racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies.
Seventy-two-year-old Jack Warner from Trinidad and Tobago was a member of Fifa's executive committee from 1983 to 2011, when he resigned amid allegations he had bribed Caribbean associates.
At the time he said he had been "hung out to dry", insisting that the giving of gifts had been part of Fifa culture during his 30 years in the organisation.
He was also president of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) until 2011.
After he resigned, Fifa dropped its inquiry into whether he was involved in any corruption. Mr Warner returned to Trinidad and Tobago, where he became minister of security.
He resigned from the post in 2013 when a Concacaf ethics panel accused him of enriching himself through fraud.
He was arrested at the request of the US authorities in Trinidad on 27 May and faces extradition proceedings. He was bailed after surrendering his passport.
Fifa's ethics committee has banned him from football activities for life.
Jeffrey Webb, 51, from the Cayman Islands, was a Concacaf president and one of seven Fifa vice-presidents.
He succeeded Jack Warner in both posts.
He is also a former member of Fifa's Transparency and Compliance Committee.
He enjoyed the backing of Fifa president Sepp Blatter, 77, who singled him out as his possible successor to head Fifa.
Webb was one of seven men arrested in Zurich, Switzerland, on 27 May.
He pleaded guilty in November to racketeering conspiracy, three counts of wire fraud conspiracy and three counts of money laundering conspiracy.
He has agreed to forfeit more than $6.7m (Â£4.4m).
Mr Li, a Costa Rican of Chinese origin, is the president of the Costa Rican Football Federation.
He was elected to Fifa's executive committee but was arrested and indicted in Switzerland in May, two days before he was due to take up the post.
Mr Li was voted Personality of the Year 2014 in Costa Rica after the national football team stunned its rivals by reaching the quarter-finals in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
On becoming president of the Costa Rican Football Federation, he said: "There's no Arab sheikh who can buy tickets to the kind of events us leaders of world football have access to."
He is charged with racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy and money laundering.
Mr Li agreed to extradition from Switzerland to the US in December.
He has pleaded not guilty in New York to 19 charges.
Jose Maria Marin, 83, was president of the Brazilian Football Confederation from March 2012 to April 2015. He is a former football player turned politician.
He has been at the centre of controversy before.
When he took over as president of the Brazilian Football Confederation in 2012, journalists questioned him about a video which had emerged from a medal ceremony at a youth football tournament in Sao Paulo.
The video appears to show Mr Marin pocketing a medal which should have been given to one of the winning players.
He dismissed the allegation as "a joke". "The medal was provided courtesy of the Paulista Football Federation," he added.
Mr Marin was arrested in Switzerland in May.
He was extradited to the United States and pleaded not guilty on 3 November to charges of racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy.
Eugenio Figueredo was born in Uruguay in 1932.
He is a former president of the South American Football Confederation and member of Fifa's executive committee.
He played for the Uruguayan club Huracan Buceo.
In 1997 he was named president of the Uruguayan Football Association.
He served for 10 years as vice-president of Conmebol, the highest authority in South American football.marin
In 2013, he replaced Nicolas Leoz as Conmebol president after Mr Leoz was accused of involvement in a bribery scandal.
Mr Figueredo held the post until August 2014.
He was arrested in Switzerland and contested attempts to extradite him to the US.
In December he agreed to be extradited to Uruguay, where he faces an investigation into alleged abuse of office.
Rafael Esquivel has been the president of the Venezuelan Football Federation since 1988.
He is also an executive member of Conmebol.
Born in Spain in 1946, his parents moved to Venezuela when he was four years old to escape the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.
Venezuelan players have described him as someone who is "pushy with a strong personality".
A former captain of the national squad said that there "was no friendship or camaraderie" between officials and players under Mr Esquivel's leadership.
Mr Esquivel was arrested in Switzerland and is contesting attempts to extradite him to the US.
Mr Rocha, 64, is currently a development officer with Fifa, tasked with introducing new football projects around the world.
Before taking up a position with Fifa in late 2012, he served for more than 20 years as president of the football federation in his native Nicaragua, and has acted as the president of the Central American Football Union.
He also served as the head of Nicaragua's Olympic committee, and took the team to the 2008 Games in Beijing.
Late last year, Mr Rocha denied meeting a company whose head was imprisoned for trying to fix matches in central America.
The company paid for Nicaragua's under-20 football team to travel to a tournament.
Mr Rocha was arrested in Switzerland and is contesting attempts to extradite him to the US.
A British citizen, Mr Takkas is closely linked to Jeffrey Webb, and worked as an attache to the Concacaf president.
Mr Takkas, 58, also worked alongside Webb in the Cayman Islands, as general secretary of its football association.
He was arrested in Switzerland and is contesting attempts to extradite him to the US.
Nicolas Leoz, 87, resigned from Fifa's powerful executive committee on "health and personal" grounds in 2013.
In November 2010, the Paraguayan official was accused by the BBC's Panorama programme of taking bribes in the 1990s from the now defunct sports rights agency ISL.
In 2011, former English Football Association chairman Lord Triesman alleged that Mr Leoz had asked for a knighthood in return for supporting England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup.
Mr Leoz denied both allegations and Fifa later cleared him of demanding a knighthood.
It was later reported that one of Mr Leoz's aides proposed to the England 2018 bid team that Mr Leoz could be tempted into visiting Britain if the FA Cup was renamed in his honour.
He is under house arrest in Paraguay.
Mr Hawit, 64, is interim president for North, Central America and Caribbean (Concacaf) football, succeeding Jeffrey Webb in May, and is a Fifa executive committee member and vice president.
He was arrested in a dawn raid on a luxury hotel in Zurich, Switzerland, on 3 December.
The Swiss justice ministry said Mr Hawit, a Honduran national, was suspected of taking millions of dollars in bribes in return for selling marketing rights for regional tournaments and World Cup qualifying matches.
In January 2016, he agreed to be extradited to the US.
Honduran ex-president Rafael Callejas, a member of Fifa's TV and marketing committee, said: "He assured and guaranteed that he was not involved in anything illicit."
Mr Callejas later also appeared on the list of those newly indicted. He has pleaded not guilty in New York to bribery charges.
Juan Angel Napout, 57, is a Fifa executive committee member, having succeeded Eugenio Figueredo. He is also a Fifa vice-president.
He was president of Conmebol, overseeing football in the South American confederation, until his resignation on 11 December 2015.
Mr Napout was president of the Paraguayan Football Association from 2007 to 2014.
He was arrested at the same time and location as Mr Hawit.
He was extradited from Switzerland, and in December pleaded not guilty in New York to charges of racketeering, conspiracy and wire fraud. He was released on $20m bail.
Born in 1964, Argentine Alejandro Burzaco is president of sports marketing company Torneos y Competencias.
The US Department of Justice alleged that Mr Burzaco conspired to win and keep hold of lucrative media rights contracts from regional football federations by paying up to $110m (Â£72m) in bribes.
Mr Burzaco, who also has Italian citizenship, gave himself up at a police station in Bolzano, near Italy's northern border with Switzerland, on 9 June.
He later pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy.
US prosecutors accuse Argentines Hugo Jinkis, 70, and his son Mariano, 40, of paying bribes to win and keep media rights contracts from regional football federations.
They own a sports company called Full Play, which is based in Argentina.
The US is seeking their extradition.
Born in 1971, Aaron Davidson is the president of Traffic Sports USA, a football event company that has previously managed Concacaf matches.
He is accused of paying bribes to secure marketing rights to football tournaments.
On paying bribes, he was allegedly recorded telling a co-conspirator: "Is it illegal? It is illegal. Within the big picture of things, a company that has worked in this industry for 30 years, is it bad? It is bad."
He pleaded not guilty in a New York court on 29 May on charges including racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering, and was released on bail.
Zorana Danis: Co-founder and owner of International Soccer Marketing. Pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and filing false tax returns
Fabio Tordin: Ex-CEO of Traffic Sports USA. Admitted wire fraud conspiracy and tax evasion
Luis Bedoya: A former member of the Fifa executive committee. Pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy. Agreed to forfeit all money deposited in his Swiss bank account
Sergio Jadue: Ex-president of the Chilean Soccer Federation. Pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy
Roger Huguet:  CEO of Media World and its parent company. Pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy
Jose Hawilla: Owner of Traffic Group, a Brazilian-based firm that handles marketing rights. Admitted racketeering, money laundering and wire fraud
Chuck Blazer: Ex-Fifa executive committee member, Concacaf general secretary and US Soccer Federation executive vice-president. Pleaded guilty in 2013 to conspiring with Fifa officials to accept bribes over Moroccan and South African bids to host the World Cup. Turned supergrass and gave evidence to the FBI
Daryll Warner: Son of Jack. Pleaded guilty in 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and the structuring of financial transactions. Reportedly became co-operative witness
Jose Margulies - 75-year-old Brazilian broadcasting executive also known as Jose Lazaro. Pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy and two counts of money laundering conspiracy
Jeffrey Webb, Alejandro Burzaco (see above)


Atletico Madrid made it two wins out of two in this season's Champions League and inflicted a first defeat of the campaign on Bayern Munich.

Both teams came into the game unbeaten in all competitions but Yannick Carrasco's low strike ensured the home side finished with their record intact.
Antoine Griezmann struck the bar with a penalty and Fernando Torres hit the post with a header for Atletico.
Franck Ribery and Robert Lewandowski missed good chances for Bayern.
The defeat is Carlo Ancelotti's first as manager of the German side.
It is also a repeat of the first-leg scoreline between the sides in last year's semi-final clash, which Atletico won on away goals.
Diego Simeone's side deserved their win, which would have been more comfortable but for Torres' inability to finish into a near empty net at the far post in the first half, and Griezmann's wastefulness from the spot after Luis Felipe had been fouled in the box in the second.
Bayern were under par, failing to get their chief attacking threat - Lewandowski - into the game often enough, with the Polish striker heading his only chance wide from an unmarked position near the penalty spot.
Atletico's win means they top Group D with six points, three ahead of Bayern and five ahead of both Rostov and PSV, who drew 2-2 in Russia on Wednesday.
Match ends, Atlético de Madrid 1, FC Bayern München 0.
Second Half ends, Atlético de Madrid 1, FC Bayern München 0.
Attempt saved. Arjen Robben (FC Bayern München) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Arturo Vidal with a cross.
Foul by Xabi Alonso (FC Bayern München).
Gabi (Atlético de Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Arturo Vidal (FC Bayern München).
Diego Godín (Atlético de Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Atlético de Madrid. Thomas Partey replaces Antoine Griezmann.
Attempt missed. Nicolás Gaitán (Atlético de Madrid) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Antoine Griezmann with a headed pass following a corner.
Corner,  Atlético de Madrid. Conceded by Javi Martínez.
Attempt blocked. Diego Godín (Atlético de Madrid) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Gabi.
Foul by Mats Hummels (FC Bayern München).
Nicolás Gaitán (Atlético de Madrid) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Arjen Robben (FC Bayern München) header from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by David Alaba with a cross.
Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Nicolás Gaitán (Atlético de Madrid).
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Arturo Vidal (FC Bayern München) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Delay in match Arturo Vidal (FC Bayern München) because of an injury.
Delay in match Saúl Ñíguez (Atlético de Madrid) because of an injury.
Foul by Arturo Vidal (FC Bayern München).
Saúl Ñíguez (Atlético de Madrid) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Penalty missed! Still  Atlético de Madrid 1, FC Bayern München 0. Antoine Griezmann (Atlético de Madrid) hits the bar with a right footed shot.
Penalty conceded by Arturo Vidal (FC Bayern München) after a foul in the penalty area.
Penalty Atlético de Madrid. Filipe Luis draws a foul in the penalty area.
Attempt blocked. Filipe Luis (Atlético de Madrid) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Koke.
Attempt missed. Arjen Robben (FC Bayern München) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Arturo Vidal.
Attempt saved. Filipe Luis (Atlético de Madrid) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Antoine Griezmann.
Substitution, Atlético de Madrid. Nicolás Gaitán replaces Fernando Torres.
Attempt missed. Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern München) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Xabi Alonso.
Corner,  FC Bayern München. Conceded by Saúl Ñíguez.
Attempt blocked. Franck Ribéry (FC Bayern München) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt blocked. Joshua Kimmich (FC Bayern München) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is blocked. Assisted by David Alaba with a cross.
Corner,  FC Bayern München. Conceded by Stefan Savic.
Attempt missed. Antoine Griezmann (Atlético de Madrid) header from the left side of the six yard box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Fernando Torres following a fast break.
Franck Ribéry (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Juanfran (Atlético de Madrid).
Substitution, Atlético de Madrid. Kevin Gameiro replaces Yannick Carrasco.
Attempt missed. Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern München) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by David Alaba with a cross.
Foul by Arjen Robben (FC Bayern München).


Emergency rooms around the world save lives every day with medical staff having just moments to make life-or-death decisions, but some of the treatments they rely on have never been rigorously tested.

In sub-Saharan Africa, 60% of blood transfusions are given to children, some of whom have severe anaemia.
One British scientist based in east Africa wanted to find out which children really needed the blood - and how much should be given.
Dr Kathryn Maitland, of Imperial College, London, has worked in Kenya for 15 years.
She knew she wanted to work in medicine when her mum took her to the doctor when she was growing up in the north-west of England.
"My mum said 'you won't be able to get the grades'," Dr Maitland recalls.
"I was quite good at sport so maybe I could be a physiotherapist. But I said 'No mum, I really want to do medicine, I want to make a difference.'"
The discovery of blood types in 1900 paved the way for transfusions to be carried out safely.
Donated blood can be given to a patient for various reasons: if someone has had an accident, or has cancer or is anaemic.
Many of the sickest children Dr Maitland and her colleagues see in hospital have a number of problems: malaria; bacterial infections; malnutrition and occasionally sickle cell disease or HIV.
She wanted to find out whether the practice of giving blood transfusions was an effective way of treating them.
"The most basic treatments that we give - fluid, blood transfusions, oxygen - none of those have been subjected to trials in emergency rooms," she says.
"We are asking a very simple question: which children need transfusions?"
Severe anaemia in children - where the haemoglobin level is less than six grams per decilitre of blood (the normal range is 11-13g/dL) - can kill.
Around 9% of children with these low levels will die in hospital, and a similar number perish in the six months after they leave hospital.
Current World Health Organization guidelines recommend transfusions in children with a haemoglobin level of 4g/dL or less - or 6g/dL if there are other medical complications - but these values haven't been tested in a clinical trial.
Dr Maitland's TRACT trial has so far recruited about a third of the 4,000 patients it needs in Malawi and Uganda, at a rate of around 200 children a month.
The trial has also been designed to test whether vitamin and mineral supplements, and antibiotics, can resolve the underlying issues behind a child's anaemia - instead of just using donated blood to "mask" the symptoms.
Emergency care doctors working in very different environments applaud efforts to improve the evidence base in their discipline.
"I think the situation is much better than 20 years ago," according to Dr Adrian Boyle, a consultant emergency physician based in Cambridge, UK.
"The Royal College [of Emergency Medicine] pushes for academic development for doctors, but many see themselves as pragmatic generalists, not as scientists," he added.
An earlier trial carried out by Dr Maitland looked at how intravenous fluids are given to children in shock - where the body starts to "shut down" because of an overwhelming infection.
It had been accepted that giving fluids rapidly in large amounts - known as a "bolus" - was the right thing to do.
But Dr Maitland's FEAST trial demonstrated that giving children fluids in this way meant that more of them died than if they were given the fluids more slowly.
Dr Richard Body is a consultant in emergency medicine at Manchester Royal Infirmary in the north of England.
He remembers hearing about the surprising results of the FEAST trial.
"Until then we gave large amounts of fluid boluses to patients, it was enshrined in practice," he says.
"When the trial came out it was earth-shattering and showed the importance of evidence-based medicine."
Although he recognises that his own patients don't have the same severe symptoms as those seen by Kathryn Maitland in east Africa, he says her work makes him stop and think about how accepted treatments - like large amounts of fluid - may not always be the best answer for individual patients.


Conservative Party claims unemployment in some areas fell by up to 60% are based on "wrong data", it is claimed.

Benefit claimant counts rather than official unemployment statistics have been used by some Tory candidates.
A research historian said the claims were based on "wrong information" and questioned the legitimacy of their use.
The Tories said data used was the best at a local level, but it is the only one of the main parties to make claims using Jobseekers' Allowance figures.
Both Robert Halfon, in Harlow, and John Baron, standing in Basildon and Billericay, claim unemployment has halved, while Rebecca Harris's literature in her Castle Point campaign claims unemployment has dropped by 60% over the past five years. These figures are based on the fall in the number claiming Job Seekers' Allowance (JSA).
However, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) figures show an unemployment drop of about 20% in those seats.
The ONS says online "the number of unemployed people in the UK is substantially higher than the claimant count".
Jonathan Portes, director of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, said: "The number of people on job seekers' allowance is not the same as the official definition of unemployment because many people who are unemployed don't claim JSA.
"But, JSA figures at the local level are accurate, but it is not correct to confuse JSA rates and unemployment."
"Ideally, politicians should be clear on the data they use.  JSA is meaningful but different from unemployment."
This week, addressing a crowd in Calder Valley, David Cameron referred to a poster saying "unemployment is down 61% here since 2010, that's a record we can be proud of and get out and sell".
The ONS figures show unemployment actually fell 28% between May 2010 - when unemployment was at 3,200  - and December 2014, when it stood at 2,300 in Calder Valley.
Prof Sir Deian Hopkins, a trustee of the Institute of Historical Research Development Trust, said: "The question you want to ask is whether this illegitimate, is this wrong in an election to give people the wrong information?
"Well, of course, this is what [those involved in] elections have always been doing."
While Treasury Minister and Witham MP Priti Patel hasn't used JSA figures, West Suffolk MP and fellow Treasury Minister Matthew Hancock claimed in a press release unemployment had fallen by about 60% in his seat since 2010.  The ONS figures suggest unemployment in his constituency has remained flat for the past five years.
In September 2010, 3,500 were unemployed in West Suffolk it was 3,400 in September last year according to the ONS.  Mr. Hancock did say he was using JSA figures.
A Conservative spokesman said: "This [questions surrounding the use of JSA figures] is nonsense. This unemployment measure is provided by the independent House of Commons Library - and for constituencies they are the most up to date and most reliable numbers to use.
"They are used by MPs and candidates across the country, regardless of political party."
In recent statements on unemployment issues, both Labour and the Liberal Democrats use the ONS unemployment figures.


The European Union has been negotiating a trade deal with Canada called Ceta for the past seven years.

The claim: Regional governments in Belgium have held up the EU's trade deal with Canada and would be likely to do the same to the UK.
Reality check verdict: Not all EU trade deals need to be approved by individual member states, but bigger ones do. If the UK were to agree a wide-ranging deal, including provisions on things like services, transport or investor protection, it would need to be ratified by every member state. In the case of Belgium, that would mean any of the five local parliaments could scupper it.
A Brussels signing ceremony was scheduled for Thursday, with Canadian ministers invited to attend. Now it looks unlikely.
The hitch is that Ceta requires ratification by all the 28 member states' national parliaments and 10 regional parliaments.
Under Belgian rules, the national government cannot sign the deal unless all five local governments agree to it.
The parliament of Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium, rejected the deal, as did the Brussels city parliament and that of the wider French-speaking community. The federal government and those representing the German community and Dutch-speaking Flanders approved the deal.
As a result, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has said the Belgian government cannot sign the deal off. Walloon leaders have asked for more time to study Ceta, suggesting a possible compromise may be found further down the line.
So what does this tell us about the Brexit negotiations?
EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said: "If we can't make it with Canada, I don't think we can make it with the UK."
Not all EU agreements need to be ratified by all member states. If agreements only cover areas that are the responsibility of the EU, such as tariffs, then they do not need to be ratified in this way.
Senior EU politicians have suggested that setting out the terms of the UK's withdrawal and a new trade relationship between the UK and the EU would require two separate agreements.
The first agreement, the divorce settlement under Article 50, could well be done without needing ratification by all the individual member states.
That's because they would be agreed by qualified majority voting, which means having the support of 20 out of 27 countries representing at least 65% of the EU's population.
But the second deal, covering the UK's future trade relationship with the EU, would be more difficult to conclude without the approval of all the members.
The more complex the trade deal is, the more likely it is that it would be a "mixed" trade deal.
A "mixed deal" is an EU deal that includes areas that the individual EU states take decisions on, for example services, transport or investor protection. The list of areas that the member states themselves have a say on can be found here.
"Far from having taken back control, we will have left ourselves at the whim of the internal politics of 27 other countries," said Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Tom Brake.
Ceta is a mixed deal, as was the EU's deal with South Korea. The customs union with Turkey was not a mixed deal, so did not need to be ratified by all member states.
It is important to stress that we know very little so far about what the UK's deal or deals to leave the EU will look like. We do not know what the UK's or the EU's starting positions are, let alone what the two sides would eventually agree on.
And if the trade deal is conducted outside the legal framework of Article 50, which envisages a two-year deadline, extendable only by a unanimous agreement of the other 27 EU countries, then we will not know any details of the deal for many years to come.


Almost 14,000 assaults have been carried out on NHS Scotland staff in the last nine months, new figures show.

There were 13,957 incidents of violence against staff in the nine months to December 2015, figures obtained by Scottish Labour reveal.
The previous full-year data, for 2014/15, show that 22,771 incidents of violence took place.
The Scottish government said "perpetrators must be dealt with in the strongest possible terms".
Scottish Labour has called on the Scottish government to ensure that those who attack staff are prosecuted and to do more to minimise violence against staff.
The party's public services spokesman Dr Richard Simpson said: "No-one should face the threat of violence for doing their job.
"Our NHS staff are Scotland's unsung heroes having dedicated their careers to helping others and saving lives.
"We learned this week that more working days are being lost due to staff stress, but these new figures should concern us all."
He added that people who attack NHS staff should face tough penalties.
"The SNP government must work with health boards, trades unions and staff to ensure that the conditions exist where such offences are minimised - and also to ensure that those who are violent are properly prosecuted," he said.
"Many people will question if a fine is the most appropriate way to deal with assaults on NHS staff."
Health Secretary Shona Robison said: "Attacks against our NHS staff are despicable and the perpetrators must be dealt with in the strongest possible terms.
"No-one should be the victim of abuse or violence while at work. We continue to encourage all NHS organisations to support criminal proceedings against anyone who assaults our staff."
She said the Emergency Workers Act includes a penalty of up to 12 months' imprisonment, a Â£10,000 fine, or both.
"In 2008 this government extended the act to include GPs and doctors, nurses and midwives working in the community," she added.
"Enforcing this extended law, and working with NHS boards, staff and trade union representatives has helped to bring down the number of attacks and improve workplace safety.
"The 2015 NHS Scotland staff survey found a 10 percentage point reduction in the number of staff who had experienced a physical attack since 2008.
"NHS staff care for the health of our country and that's why we must all be ready to stand up for them."


One of the world's deadliest - yet least reported - conflicts is marking its first anniversary.

Saturday marks one year since a Saudi-led coalition of Arab air forces began carrying out airstrikes on rebel forces in Yemen.
In the space of those 12 months, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights estimates, at least 3,200 civilians have been killed and 5,700 wounded, with 60% of the casualties inflicted by air strikes.
Talks have been under way in Riyadh to find an end to the war.
But even if it stopped tomorrow and did not resume, Yemen today is a shattered country with chronic problems and a traumatised population in need of aid for years to come.
So how did it start, who is fighting whom, and how could it end?
The conflict began six months before the air strikes, in September 2014.
Houthi rebels, angered by what they saw as a corrupt and discriminatory government, marched down from their mountain base in the north, seized the capital, Sanaa, and placed the UN-recognised President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi  under house arrest.
He later escaped and fled the country to neighbouring Saudi Arabia.
Within six months, the Houthis had taken over the whole of western Yemen while the retreating and demoralised government forces abandoned most of the east to al-Qaeda.
The Houthis, who represent only a minority of Yemenis, achieved their lightning success by allying with their former enemy, former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Ousted by the Arab Spring protests that began in 2011, Mr Saleh stayed on in Yemen and retained the loyalty of much of the army and security forces.
Despite fighting six inconclusive wars against the Houthis while he was in power, he saw them as his chance to wreck his successor's rule as president, so he effectively put his troops at their disposal.
The Saudis, already feeling a degree of paranoia at the growing influence across the Arab world of its arch-rival, Iran, became convinced this was all a bid to install an Iranian proxy militia in Yemen.
In March 2015, Saudi Arabia's young and as then untested defence minister convened a hastily put together coalition of Arab air forces. And, on 26 March, the air strikes began.
The Saudis and their principal allies, the United Arab Emirates, may have hoped their overwhelming firepower (the Houthis have no air force) would quickly bomb the rebels back to the negotiating table.
This has not happened. After 12 months of mounting casualties, the Saudi-led coalition has only a small bridgehead - and a temporary declared capital - in the southern port of Aden.
Yemeni soldiers loyal to President Hadi have been retrained and re-equipped by the Saudis and Emiratis and have been battling the Houthis in the key city of Taizz.
In much of the east of Yemen, law and order has collapsed to be replaced by armed militias, including violent jihadists.
There have been reports, denied by the Saudis, that some Sunni jihadists have joined forces with the Saudi-led coalition to fight the Houthis, who are Shias.
In Europe, there is a growing chorus of opposition to the air strikes, with the European Parliament voting overwhelmingly to call for an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia.
Both the US and UK supply aircraft and weaponry to Saudi Arabia, including the precision-guided Paveway 4 missile.
The Saudi military insists it chooses its targets carefully and that it goes to great lengths to abide by international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict.
But there have been numerous and well-documented reports of civilians being hit, including, this month, a crowded marketplace near the town of Hajjah, where more than 100 people were killed.
Yemeni government sources say the next round of peace talks will be held in Kuwait, starting on 17 April.
In March, there was a delegation of Houthis in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
Earlier attempts by Oman to broker a peace deal in Muscat and later talks in Geneva have failed to bridge the gap between the various sides.
There is currently "a cessation of hostilities" with UN-brokered talks on the horizon.
In the past these have quickly broken down and few are holding out high hopes at this stage.
It is often said that wars end when both sides are exhausted and can no longer see an advantage to be gained by fighting on. (This is how the eight-year Iran-Iraq war ended in 1988).
Sadly, Yemen's combatants do not appear to have reached that stage yet.
The Saudis have the money and the firepower to continue the air war, but they are sensitive to mounting international disapproval.
The Houthi rebels know any ground offensive to evict them from the capital, Sanaa, would result in a street-to-street bloodbath that would inflict intolerable casualties on any Saudi-led force.
So, for now, Yemen is in a state of semi-stalemate with neither side a clear victor.
Yemeni researcher Nawal Al-Maghafy, who has spent time on the ground witnessing the destruction of her country, believes the war has damaged Yemen beyond repair.
"Put simply," she says, the war is tearing Yemen's social fabric apart.
Today, children are putting down their school bags and picking up guns and rifles instead, in alarming numbers.
Faced with a future without prospects, many are opting to join extremist organisations such as al-Qaeda - or even so-called Islamic State.
Yemen, she adds, is likely to remain highly unstable for years, if not for decades.


A riot at HMP Bedford saw prison officers from across the country brought in to control hundreds of inmates who had taken over two wings.

Scores of prisoners reportedly flooded on to the prison's gangways in chaotic scenes at about 17:00 GMT on Sunday.
Police and specially-trained officers were called to the Category B prison amid reports of loud bangs or explosions coming from inside.
The prison service said no staff were hurt, but two prisoners were treated.
However, their injuries were not thought to be serious.
Live: Latest on HMP Bedford riot
How dangerous are our prisons?
The Prison Officers Association (POA) said about 230 inmates got out of their cells and seized keys, broke into medicine stores and started small fires.
Glyn Travis, a POA spokesman, said prison officers were brought in from across the country to deal with the situation, which is a common occurrence when dealing with disturbances.
However, he said the number of inmates involved was unusual.
"They'd taken control of two wings. The situation was dangerous and was sensitively and professionally managed to ensure no one was injured," he added.
The Prison Service said the situation was brought under control after an operation that lasted more than six hours.
A Prison Service spokesman said: "Specially trained prison officers and staff from the emergency services have successfully resolved an incident involving a number of prisoners at HMP Bedford.
"An investigation into this incident will take place. We are absolutely clear that prisoners who behave in this way will be punished and could spend significantly longer behind bars."
In a recent report on HMP Bedford, inmates claimed it was easier to get hold of drugs than clothes or bedding.
Steve Gillan, general secretary of the POA, said the incident at HMP Bedford involved "concerted ill-discipline".
He said some officers had retreated to a "safe place" and teams of riot-trained staff had been deployed.
Mobile phone footage apparently from inside the prison was posted online, revealing chaotic scenes, with scores of prisoners out of their cells and in the prison's gangways, shouting and bellowing.
One video showed what appeared to be paper and furniture strewn across an atrium floor, although the footage could not immediately be verified.
In a report on Bedford Prison published in September, almost twice the number of prisoners said it was "easy" to access drugs, compared to a previous inspection in February 2014.
The number saying they had developed a drug problem while at the prison increased from 4% to 14%.
The BBC understands the process of "safe unlocking" of HMP Bedford inmates by prison officers had been a "bone of contention" for some time, according to the POA.
Initial reports suggested staff had refused to unlock prisoners as they had concerns about what could happen. Prison sources told the BBC they were overruled by managers.
Last week, Justice Secretary Liz Truss unveiled a White Paper detailing Â£1.3bn investment in new prisons over the next five years, and plans for 2,100 extra officers, drug tests and more autonomy for governors.


Bydd cyllid a chyfrifoldebau Llenyddiaeth Cymru yn cael eu torri yn dilyn adroddiad beirniadol.

Yn yr adroddiad, dywedwyd nad oedd gan fwrdd y sefydliad y sgiliau na'r profiad sydd ei angen i wario arian cyhoeddus.
Cafodd adroddiad yr Athro Medwin Hughes ar y diwydiant cyhoeddi a llenyddiaeth yng Nghymru ei gomisiynu gan Lywodraeth Cymru.
Dywedodd Llenyddiaeth Cymru y byddai'n ystyried yr adroddiad yn "ofalus a thrylwyr".
Roedd darganfyddiadau'r adroddiad yn cynnwys:
Cafodd Llenyddiaeth Cymru ei greu yn 2011, ac roedd ganddo incwm o tua £1.2m y llynedd - £717,000 o hynny gan Lywodraeth Cymru trwy Gyngor Celfyddydau Cymru.
Yn dilyn cyhoeddiad yr adroddiad ddydd Mawrth fe wnaeth Ysgrifennydd Economi Cymru, Ken Skates gyhoeddi y bydd rhai o gyfrifoldebau Llenyddiaeth Cymru'n cael eu trosglwyddo i'r Cyngor Llyfrau.
Dywedodd Mr Skates: "Dwi'n deall fydd rhai yn synnu at sgôp y newidiadau yma.
"Fe ddylen ni danlinellu fod y newidiadau yn ymateb i angen penodol mewn maes penodol.
"Dydyn nhw ddim yn adlewyrchiad o waith ehangach y Cyngor Celfyddydau, ac rwy'n gwerthfawrogi'n fawr y gwaith gwych mae Llenyddiaeth Cymru yn cyflawni mewn amryw o feysydd."
Yn ymateb i'r newyddion, dywedodd Llenyddiaeth Cymru: "Mae adolygiad annibynnol Llywodraeth Cymru o gymorth ar gyfer cyhoeddi a llenyddiaeth yng Nghymru yn cyflwyno nifer o argymhellion sy'n mynnu ystyriaeth ofalus a thrylwyr.
"Edrychwn ymlaen at ddarllen yr adroddiad yn llawn, a chydweithio gyda Llywodraeth Cymru, Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru a Chyngor Llyfrau Cymru i sicrhau bod llenyddiaeth yn ei holl ffurfiau yn parhau i fod yn hygyrch i ystod eang o gymunedau ac unigolion trwy Gymru gyfan."
Dywedodd llefarydd ar ran Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru, sy'n darparu'r rhan fwyaf o gyllid Llenyddiaeth Cymru, bod yr awgrymiadau yn yr adroddiad yn "heriol a phellgyrhaeddol".
"Mae'r adroddiad yn awgrymu newid mewn safbwynt, ac mae'n rhaid i ni ystyried os yw strategaeth wahanol yn debygol o ddarparu canlyniadau gwell," meddai.


Buy-to-let landlords should face new limits on the amount they can borrow, the Bank of England has proposed.

It suggested that lenders should be much stricter when deciding whether or not to grant landlords a mortgage.
Instead of just taking their rental income into account, the Bank wants lenders to look at their wider financial situation as well.
If adopted, the new rules could reduce lending to landlords by up to 20% over the next three years.
The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) - an arm of the Bank - has recommended that banks and building societies take account of:
The PRA said the new standards would "curtail inappropriate lending, and the potential for excessive credit losses."
The Bank's Governor, Mark Carney, warned in December  that mass-selling by landlords could destabilise the economy.
The PRA has also suggested that lenders should apply a stricter interest rate "stress test", to measure affordability in the event of a rise in interest rates.
It said lenders should look at potential rate rises over a five year period from the start of a mortgage.
They should also consider whether a landlord could afford repayments in the event of a 2% rise in interest rates.
The PRA said that 75% of lenders already meet these stricter criteria. However it is thought that some of the major lenders do not.
Landlords already face a series of tax changes, which it is thought will limit the growth in the buy-to-let market.
These include a 3% stamp duty surcharge from next month. From 2017, landlords will only be able to claim tax relief on their mortgage payments at the basic rate of 20%.
From 2019 they will also have to pay any Capital Gains tax due within 30 days, rather than simply by the end of the tax year.
As a result some experts accused the Bank of acting too late to control the buy-to-let market.
"This is a classic case of slamming the stable door after the horse has bolted," said Jeremy Leaf, a former chairman of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
"The changes the Chancellor has made to mortgage interest tax relief and higher stamp duty for landlords will have enough of an impact on buy-to-let without the need for further interference from the Bank of England."
Before the PRA announcement lenders had expected the buy-to-let market to expand by 20% a year over the next few years, in spite of the tax changes.
If the measures are adopted, the PRA believes such growth will slow to 17% a year.
The PRA consultation will last until 29 June 2016.


A radar pioneer who helped give the allies a crucial advantage in World War Two will be recognised in his home city.

Technology developed by Edward Bowen was used in the Battle of Britain and Battle of the Atlantic.
A blue plaque will be placed outside the house in Cockett, Swansea, where the physicist lived as a child.
Born in 1911, Mr Bowen also helped develop radio astronomy in the United States and Australia. He died in 1991.


Sheffield United's great form continued as they won easily at bottom side Chesterfield.

Jon Nolan crashed the ball home early on for the hosts, but the Blades controlled much of the first half.
Kieron Freeman levelled with a powerful header and John Fleck put the Blades in front from outside the box.
Billy Sharp got the third a minute later with a far-post header before Leon Clarke rounded off the win with a low curling strike from 25 yards out.
United have scored 26 goals in their past seven games in all competitions, and move up to third place in League One, having gone 12 games without defeat in the third tier.
Danny Wilson's Chesterfield are seven points from safety and have lost eight of their past nine league games.
Match ends, Chesterfield 1, Sheffield United 4.
Second Half ends, Chesterfield 1, Sheffield United 4.
Substitution, Sheffield United. Caolan Lavery replaces Billy Sharp.
Corner,  Sheffield United. Conceded by Tom Anderson.
Corner,  Sheffield United. Conceded by Gary Liddle.
Connor Dimaio (Chesterfield) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by John Fleck (Sheffield United).
Goal!  Chesterfield 1, Sheffield United 4. Leon Clarke (Sheffield United) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Paul Coutts.
Foul by Liam O'Neil (Chesterfield).
Mark Duffy (Sheffield United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Corner,  Chesterfield. Conceded by John Fleck.
Substitution, Sheffield United. Jack O'Connell replaces Matt Done.
Attempt saved. Tom Anderson (Chesterfield) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner.
Ian Evatt (Chesterfield) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Leon Clarke (Sheffield United).
Goal!  Chesterfield 1, Sheffield United 3. Billy Sharp (Sheffield United) header from very close range to the top left corner. Assisted by Mark Duffy.
Goal!  Chesterfield 1, Sheffield United 2. John Fleck (Sheffield United) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Mark Duffy.
Substitution, Chesterfield. Ritchie Humphreys replaces Jon Nolan because of an injury.
Substitution, Sheffield United. Leon Clarke replaces Jake Wright.
Attempt missed. Matt Done (Sheffield United) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left.
Substitution, Chesterfield. Kristian Dennis replaces Ched Evans because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Daniel Lafferty (Sheffield United) header from the left side of the box misses to the left.
Foul by Gary Liddle (Chesterfield).
Billy Sharp (Sheffield United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt blocked. Ched Evans (Chesterfield) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Ched Evans (Chesterfield) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Paul Coutts (Sheffield United).
Billy Sharp (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Tom Anderson (Chesterfield).
Foul by Gboly Ariyibi (Chesterfield).
Jake Wright (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ched Evans (Chesterfield).
Paul Coutts (Sheffield United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Kieron Freeman (Sheffield United) is shown the yellow card for excessive celebration.
Goal!  Chesterfield 1, Sheffield United 1. Kieron Freeman (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by John Fleck.
Attempt saved. Billy Sharp (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt saved. Ched Evans (Chesterfield) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt blocked. Paul Coutts (Sheffield United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Liam O'Neil (Chesterfield) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Billy Sharp (Sheffield United).


A man on a business trip to the US says he was held for 13 hours "with little food or water" then thrown out of the country because of his skin colour.

Amreet Surana, who works for a UK security company, was held in Detroit while trying to catch a connecting flight to the firm's branch in Arizona.
He said officials treated him "like dirt" then concluded he was an "illegal immigrant denying a US citizen a job".
US Customs and Border Protection (CPB) denied racially profiling Mr Surana.
The 24-year-old, who resides in Thurmaston, Leicestershire, travelled to the US as a temporary business visitor, which allows citizens to stay in the country for "90 days or less" for tourism or business.
Updates on this story and more from Leicestershire
Travellers in this category must have valid clearance through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), which allows citizens of 38 countries, including most of Europe, to travel to the US without a visa.
Mr Surana estimates he spends "about three months a year" in the country while staying at his boss's house in Arizona.
He told the BBC his ESTA "has been revoked for five years" - something he intends to appeal against with his lawyers.
Mr Surana said he was stopped when he landed at Detroit Airport from London Heathrow on 17 January and then sent to be interviewed by immigration officials.
He said he told them he worked as an international business manager for Nottingham-based Octavian, and was visiting its US branch in Phoenix.
"In the space of 20 minutes they concluded that I was an illegal immigrant working in America, denying a US citizen a job," Mr Surana said.
"I was threatened with fraud, I was threatened with banishment from the USA and imprisonment. You feel dehumanised to the extent that you feel like a piece of dirt on the floor."
He said he was then held for 13 hours, during which time his photograph and fingerprints were taken, and his belongings searched.
He was allowed to sleep in an unused interview room, he said, but was given little food or water.
"The whole experience was traumatic, frightening, embarrassing, stressing and haunting for me and my family," he said.
"I have never had a criminal record. I have an education and an international executive job.
"I wish this on nobody. I believe I was profiled because of my appearance."
The CBP did not give the specific reason for deporting Mr Surana from the US, but said an approved ESTA visa did not guarantee a traveller would pass border checks.
"CBP firmly denies any claims that a traveller can be subject to an admissibility interview because of racial profiling," it said.
"CBP is charged with inspecting all travellers regardless of nationality, race, sex, religion, faith, or spiritual beliefs. Accusations of lengthy detentions by CBP are also incorrect.
"CBP officers offer food and water before boarding a return flight within eight hours of the traveller's arrival into the United States."


Jordon Mutch is looking forward to playing his part in a Reading promotion push after scoring on his debut.

The 25-year-old midfielder, on loan from Crystal Palace until the end of the season, scored in the Royals' 2-2 draw at Ipswich on Saturday.
"I haven't played regularly now for about two years and I'm looking forward to getting on and proving people wrong and myself right," Mutch said.
"There's plenty of games to go and I want to show people what I can do."
Mutch was one of three transfer deadline-day loan arrivals at the Madejski Stadium, along with striker Lewis Grabban and defender Reece Oxford.
The former QPR player is hoping to play a key role in Reading's push for the Premier League under the possession-based style of manager Jaap Stam.
"I'm so impressed with how well organised we are on the ball," Mutch told BBC Radio Berkshire. "It's a simple style with a lot of thought process going into it.
"The players are in sync with what the manager wants to do. It's been really easy to come into the team and I can't wait for it to continue."


Leyton Orient president Francesco Becchetti has admitted part of a Football Association misconduct charge.

Television pictures appeared to show him aiming a kick at O's assistant boss Andy Hessenthaler after Orient's 3-2 win against Portsmouth on Boxing Day.
A club statement said Becchetti accepted his actions on the touchline were 'improper conduct'.
However, it added Becchetti "strongly denied" it was violent conduct and had requested a personal FA hearing.
At the time of the incident, Orient described the exchange between Becchetti and Hessenthaler as being "in very good humour".


We all know that the price of something doesn't always indicate its true value, but prices can still be very revealing.

Two very different sets of prices demonstrate that in India this week.
One lays bare with ice-cold precision the profound prejudices that still exist here, the other is powerful evidence that the government's dramatic attempt to root out tax evasion by cancelling the nation's cash will not work.
Let's take the most shocking first, the price of babies.
Last week I travelled to Kolkata (Calcutta) to report on a child-trafficking ring the police in West Bengal have just cracked.
The illegal adoption racket included doctors, nurses and charity workers.
The gang would persuade young women with unwanted pregnancies to sell them their babies. They would then sell them on to childless couples.
Allegedly they also stole babies. We met one of a number of couples that say they gave birth to seemingly healthy children, only to be told later that their children had died.
Ananya Chakraborti, of the West Bengal Commission for Child Rights, the state body charged with child protection, is working with the police on the investigation.
She says the scam could have been running for as long as 20 years and may have involved as many as 2,000 babies.
But in amongst all the horrific details of the case, the prices the traffickers charged stood out, so eloquent are they of the deep prejudices that still exist in some parts of Indian society.
The full picture of what happened is still emerging and estimates of prices vary wildly, but what is clear is that there was a hierarchy.
Fair-skinned boys were most expensive.
Prospective parents might pay as much as Rs700,000 (£8,200), according to the police.
Meanwhile, a boy with a dark complexion would fetch maybe half that.
Press reports suggest that the gang would charge about Rs150,000 (£1,760) for a fair-skinned girl.
The price of a baby girl with a dark complexion was reportedly up to Rs100,000 (£1,170).
However, in a room above a small mental hospital in a scruffy Kolkata suburb, police found 10 infants aged between one month and 10 months.
Many had bedsores and terrible coughs. Most were malnourished.
All of them were dark-skinned and female.
"Those were the babies they couldn't sell," says Ananya Chakraborti.
The second price has less unpleasant implications, but carries an important message too: it is the price of money.
A month ago, the Indian prime minister gave four hours' notice that he was cancelling 86% of the country's cash.
Narendra Modi announced that from midnight on 8 November the two biggest notes in the country, the Rs500 (£6) and the Rs1000 (£12), would be worthless.
He issued a new Rs500 and a Rs2000 (£24) note and gave the country 50 days to change their old money, warning if you deposit more than Rs250,000 (£3,000) in your account you should expect a visit from the tax authorities.
His target is what Indians call "black money" - cash on which no tax has been paid.
I've argued that it is a bold attempt to tackle tax evasion, but now I'm not so sure it is going to work.
There is little doubt Mr Modi has been winning the political battle.
Last week, a few thousand protestors turned out for what the opposition had initially billed as a "bandh" - a shutdown of the entire country.
Whether he will make a substantial dent in India's stocks of black money is another matter.
According to most estimates, black money makes up about a fifth of the Indian economy.
The government has taken some Rs14.7trillion (£170bn) out of circulation and at first estimated that as much as Rs3trillion (£40bn) would not be returned.
That is now looking like a dramatic overestimate.
Which is where the price of money comes in.
The current cost of laundering black money to white is reckoned to be about Rs300 (£4) in every Rs1000 - 30% of face value.
It seems gangs have been recruiting people with "Jan Dhan" accounts - bank accounts designed for poor people - and getting them to change the cash.
The 30% charge represents a substantial "tax" on black money but implies that most people will find a way to launder their illegal cash.
And it suggests the bulk of the demonetised notes will be returned - as the country's revenue secretary conceded this week.
That is a real problem for Mr Modi because if that happens it will be hard to claim that much black money has been wiped out - the key objective of what has been an incredibly disruptive policy.
These two different prices tell us very different things about India, but they both confirm that markets can often deliver uncomfortable truths.


Australia overwhelmed New Zealand to win the World Cup for a fifth time at an ecstatic Melbourne Cricket Ground.

New Zealand lost influential captain Brendon McCullum to the fifth ball of the match and were bowled out for 183.
Grant Elliott resisted with 83, while Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson and James Faulkner shared eight wickets.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Australia rarely looked troubled, sealing a seven-wicket win in 33.1 overs, with captain Michael Clarke scoring 74 and Steve Smith 56 not out.
Clarke, in his final one-day international, was given a standing ovation by the record 93,000 crowd and welcomed by his team-mates on the boundary when he was bowled by Matt Henry with eight required.
He was part of the Australia team that last lifted the trophy in 2007, with this success extending their record for most World Cups won. No other team has more than two.
Australia's win was the second in as many tournaments by a host nation after India's triumph four years ago.
It provided a joyous end to an emotional Australian summer which saw batsman Phillip Hughes die after being struck on the neck by a ball in Sydney in November.
In their first final, after six previous semi-final defeats, New Zealand were blown away.
Their path to Melbourne came with eight successive wins, all on home soil, and most of the pre-match speculation was of how McCullum's men would deal with the change in conditions.
They won what was thought to be a crucial toss, but the life was sucked from their innings almost as soon as it began.
The talismanic McCullum, so often a slayer of new-ball attacks throughout the tournament, aimed two wild swings at Starc, missed with both, then was bowled by a brilliant yorker.
Far from the batting paradise predicted, the pitch was slightly two-paced and offered both turn and some uneven bounce.
But that is to take nothing away from the Australia pace attack, Starc in particular, who bowled with hostility and found movement both in the air and off the seam.
Media playback is not supported on this device
New Zealand clung on without progressing, but when Glenn Maxwell's off-spin got through a lazy Martin Guptill stroke and Kane Williamson patted back to Johnson, they seemed in disarray.
However, from 39-3, they painstakingly rebuilt through semi-final hero Elliott and Ross Taylor.
Elliott, who successfully overturned a Maxwell lbw decision on 15, scored almost exclusively through the off-side to become only the fifth man to register a half-century in the semi-final and final of the same World Cup.
Taylor made 40 in a stand of 111 provided a platform for the batting powerplay.
Yet it was the powerplay that began New Zealand's slide, as Faulkner returned to have Taylor athletically caught behind by Brad Haddin and bowl Corey Anderson two balls later.
When Luke Ronchi played an awful waft to be caught at slip off Starc, three wickets had been lost for one run in eight balls.
There was no support for Elliott, who was caught behind attempting to heave Faulkner and, when Maxwell superbly ran out non-striker Tim Southee with a direct hit for the final wicket, it was the perfect demonstration of Australia's dominance. In all, New Zealand lost seven wickets for 33 runs.
Though Aaron Finch inside-edged on to his pad to be caught and bowled by Trent Boult, David Warner's brisk 45 gave Australia's chase early momentum.
After he was caught hooking Henry, there began a period of pressure that Clarke and Smith battled to absorb, the latter needing the fortune of seeing the bails stay unmoved as a Henry delivery trickled on to the base of the stumps.
It would be New Zealand's last chance, as Clarke's cuts and drives down the ground accelerated Australia towards victory.
He could not see the job through, but Smith became the first man to score five successive World Cup half-centuries then pulled Henry for the winning runs.
Listen to highlights from Test Match Special's and 5 live Sport's 2015 Cricket World Cup coverage


Football supporters regularly go above and beyond in support of their team but a fan of a non-league side making an 8,500-mile trip from Taiwan to watch his side play a pre-season friendly may set a new standard.

And the game in question is not even against a famous name but at the home of North West Counties first division side Whitchurch Alport on Saturday.
Mark Buckton is the Altrincham fan in question and he has travelled from Taipei via Kuala Lumpar on his way to England with his wife.
He is in the United Kingdom for two weeks but says his "wife didn't know but I planned the schedule around the whole game".
He added: "It is my first visit in nine years and I'm going to show my wife England and north Wales, but essential to the trip was that game."
At the start of his journey, he tweeted a picture from the airport before finding his flight had been delayed.
"Hope I make the Kuala Lumpar connection to London Heathrow to make Saturday's game," he added.
Following a message from Shropshire side Whitchurch Alport, Buckton is now set to mark the occasion by sponsoring the game.
"I'm looking forward to it. I'm going with family and my wife, who has no choice."


The coastguard has called off a search for a kayaker after it declared the alarm an "elaborate hoax".

The search was launched after the coastguard received reports from an individual claiming to be in difficulty off the coast of County Down.
Two RNLI boats and a coastguard helicopter from Scotland were launched to assist in the search.
The kayaker was reported to be near Mew Island, one of the Copeland Islands near Donaghadee.
A coastguard spokesman said it received several calls from a person claiming to be in difficulty.
However, the alarm was declared to be a hoax following a thorough search.


Tottenham have signed Cameroon international striker Clinton N'Jie from French club Lyon.

The 22-year-old, who is on a five-year contract at White Hart Lane until 2020, said: "I'm ready to give my best to help the club achieve its aims."
N'Jie scored seven goals for the Ligue 1 side last season and has netted six in 10 appearances for Cameroon.
His arrival follows the departure of Spain striker Roberto Soldado to Villarreal.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


A charity will have to cut programmes for children caught up in domestic abuse after the loss of two donors who accounted for Â£250,000.

Survive has warned the number of people it helps could drop from 1,600 in 2015 to fewer than 200.
Four of the six services the charity provides for children are currently scheduled to close on 1 July.
South Gloucestershire Council said it was in talks with the charity about funding.
Helen Chignell, Survive's children and young people's services manager, said domestic abuse "really affects children on a profound level".
"These children will have seen everything in the family home - the violence and sensing it - and it will be affecting their emotional and mental wellbeing," said Ms Chignell.
The two programmes which will continue are funded by South Gloucestershire Council.
In a statement the authority said: "We are in discussion with the charity to see what support we can offer. These discussions are at an early stage. Our current funding arrangement with them still stands."
Survive has operated in South Gloucestershire for 40 years providing three refuges, one-to-one support, information sessions and support for domestic abuse victims and work in schools.


The mayor of London has proposed to scrap city-wide crime targets as part of a new Police and Crime Plan.

Sadiq Khan called the targets "crude" and said allowing local areas control of where they prioritise work would "restore real neighbourhood policing".
The draft plan also proposes that each ward will have two dedicated police officers and suggests measures to cut knife crime and improve victim support.
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said the plan would enable "the best police service".
The "MOPAC 7" targets were introduced by Boris Johnson and aimed to reduce crimes by at least 20% in seven categories: burglary, vandalism/criminal damage, theft from motor vehicles, theft of motor vehicles, violence with injury, robbery, and theft from the person.
But the policy was recently criticised by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary who said police efforts were too focussed on these crimes resulting in children being "put at risk".
Mr Khan said his police plan would "make sure local priorities reflect local concerns" and "build trust and confidence in policing".
Other proposals include:
Sir Bernard, the Met commissioner, said the force would "need to change the way it recruits, operates, and evolves".
"These changes will touch every element of our organisation, making us more diverse [and] more efficient," he said.
A public consultation will take place until 23 February with the final plan published by the end of March 2017.


Scientists are asking for the public's help to track the spread of a greedy slug species threatening to eat its way through British gardens and crops.

The Spanish slug was first reported in the UK in January by Dr Ian Bedford, head of entomology at the John Innes Centre, Norwich.
It can survive many slug pellets, eats crops spared by native species and tolerate drier conditions.
A red-brown colour, pale or rich, can identify a suspected Spanish slug.
Scientists fear it could breed with our native species to form a hybrid.
The Iberian invader, Arion vulgaris, can reproduce in greater numbers and has unappealing habits, including eating dead animals and excrement.
During the winter, many disappeared underground or died but their eggs survived and the species may have returned in greater numbers.
Scientists are asking people to look for the slugs under logs and plant pots in their gardens, and record and photograph their findings using a dedicated SlugWatch website.
"We want photos and sightings from members of the public to help build a picture of how widespread the Spanish slug has become," said Dr Bedford.
"The reports may also give us an idea of whether it is breeding with our native species to form a hybrid combining the worst of the Spanish slug with tolerance to frosts and cold from our own species."
Keith Norman, technical director of farming company Velcourt, said farmers were using up their entire allowance of slug pellets early in the season, leaving no other means of control.
"It is a disaster waiting to happen if the Spanish slug proliferates and establishes itself in the UK," said Mr Norman.
"The Spanish slug causes more eating damage and cannot be controlled with existing measures."
The Slugwatch website was designed by Rachel Ayers, 17, a sixth-former at at Notre Dame High School. Norwich.
She also designed cards identifying different species of slug for use in schools.
"We want people to survey their gardens, local areas and school grounds for slugs, or they can build a trap using instructions on the site," she said.
"One of the most interesting parts of the project was learning about slugs and how to identify them," said Rachel.
There are 30 native species in the UK, four of which are classed as pests: the netted or grey field slug, the garden slug, the keeled slug and the large black slug.
Slugs play an important role in the ecosystem. They are natural composters, breaking down vegetation, and provide food for hedgehogs, toads and some garden birds.
"We hope that as well as helping with research into the Spanish slug, people will learn a bit about the biology of these molluscs," said Dr Bedford.
"You never know, we may even help inspire someone to become a malacologist in the future."


The family of a black driver killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in Minnesota will receive $3m (Â£2.4m).

The shooting of Philando Castile last year made international headlines after his girlfriend broadcast the aftermath live on Facebook.
A civil lawsuit for wrongful death has concluded with the news that Valerie Castile, his mother, will receive the money from the city of St Anthony.
The Hispanic police officer who shot him was acquitted of manslaughter.
Mr Castile, a 32-year-old school cafeteria worker, was stopped by police last July and the encounter began cordially.
Police officer Jeronimo Yanez informed him his brake light was out and asked for his insurance and licence.
But when Mr Castile politely told the officer about the gun he was legally carrying, things became tense and seconds later the officer opened fire, after shouting "Don't reach for it!"
Last week, the family of a black man shot in Ferguson, Missouri, reached a $1.5m settlement over his death, which sparked riots and a national debate about police use of lethal force against African Americans.


Britain's most decorated female Winter Paralympian Jade Etherington says she quit skiing because the sport's governing body did not back her enough.

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The visually impaired 23-year-old won four medals at Sochi 2014, but retired earlier this month.
Former model and GB skier Heather Mills has labelled the programme a "joke".
"If there was support there - be it coach or management - then it definitely would have changed my decision," Etherington told BBC Sport.
UK Sport say they are happy with the progress the British Disabled Ski Team [BDST] has made towards becoming a fully professional setup.
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They rewarded BDST with £2.7m in funding as a result of Etherington's success and that of Kelly Gallagher, who won the country's first-ever Winter Paralympic gold.
The financial support only came into effect at the beginning of last month though, with the Paralympic head coach Tony McAllister and performance director, Andrew Lockerbie, both having departed over the summer.
"It was very difficult after the Games," added Etherington, who is based in Lincoln and hopes to qualify as a geography teacher. "I didn't even have a phone call saying what was going to happen and didn't know my coach had left.
"For me it's about the quality of my life.
"Even though they have this funding, if the support and the structure is not there then it's not worth it - I'd rather be happy and [have] no money."
Mills missed the Paralympics after a fall-out with the International Paralympic Committee but says she invested between £60,000-70,000 into the British team before the Sochi Games.
The former wife of ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney insists that with the right structure she would be happy to spend more, but is now considering setting up an alternative programme.
"It [the existing setup] is just a joke and as far as disabled sport is concerned in Britain it's a mess and needs a revamp," Mills told BBC Sport.
"I would like to set something up where disabled people are making the decisions, not people with two arms and two legs that don't particularly ski very well."
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Fiona Young, the chief executive for Disability Snowsport UK [DSUK], who help administer the British setup, refutes claims that they did not attempt regular contact with Etherington after the Sochi Paralympics.
She also insists the sport has done the best it can amid concerns over whether the DSUK charity - which has supported the skiers since the 2006 Turin Games - would go bankrupt.
"It almost went under at the end of last year because of the extent of the support going to the team," Young told BBC Sport.
"The athletes don't always see what is going on behind the scenes, but we've worked tirelessly to secure this funding and are really positive about the plans going forward."
Former international downhill skier Duncan Freshwater will join the programme as their new performance director in the New Year and will be tasked with recruiting new coaches and support staff.
"We are confident the governing body are making the right decisions," said UK Sport director of performance Simon Timson, who sees comparisons with British Cycling's setup.
"If you go back to where that started in the mid-1990s you'd have probably found a very similar situation to the one in British disability skiing at the moment."
The Para-alpine skiing World Cup season begins in La Molina, Spain, in early January.
However, the IPC World Championships in the Canadian resort of Panorama in March will be the main event from which UK Sport shall assess the team's performances ahead of a funding review later in 2015.
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Nigeria's sports minister Solomon Dalung has called for a "reputable audit" of the country's football federation.

It comes over claims of irregularities in the use of Fifa grants.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has denied claims by Dalung that there is $802,000 (£656,500) unaccounted for in its finances.
The discrepancy has led to world football's governing body halting its annual $1.1 million grant to Nigeria.
The federation insists there were no distortions during an earlier audit and that 'the minister was clearly misinformed about the activities of the NFF board'.
The audit report must be made public so as to promote transparency, build credibility and enhance your market value.
But Dalung, who was speaking at the NFF's Annual General Meeting in Lagos, wants a fresh audit of federation finances to examine how Fifa money was awarded and spent.
"According to a report, Fifa has withheld all development funds to Nigeria for lack of proper documentation of $802,000 out of the funds released to NFF," said Dalung.
"This is a very serious issue that must be given urgent attention to avoid another international embarrassment.
"Even more so that the present administration under the leadership of Mr. President, His Excellency, Mohammadu Buhari has zero tolerance for any act of misappropriation, misapplication, embezzlement or fraud in any guise.
"To this end, the NFF is directed to immediately provide my office with detail information of receipt, disbursement and application of the Fifa development grant accordingly.
"In addition, a reputable audit firm should be appointed urgently to check the account books of the federation to ensure that funds are judiciously expended.
"The audit report must be made public so as to promote transparency, build credibility and enhance your market value."
However, the NFF released a communiqué after the AGM saying its congress expressed satisfaction with the explanation provided by the NFF board on the issues raised by the minister.
It states that: "the audited account of the Federation for the year, as audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers, an internationally reputable audit firm, was presented and adopted at the General Assembly."
This is not the first time that Dalung has clashed with the NFF leadership saying that organisation, which receives state financial support, lacks professionalism.
"The NFF has formed the habit of requesting for funds for its program at very short notice and thereafter resort to blackmail to hasten the approval and release of such funds from government, " Dalung said.
"We cannot continue to administer our football in this manner any longer."


Just 100 days into his reign Saudi Arabia's new king has already launched air strikes in Yemen, promoted some conservatives, given away an estimated $32bn (Â£21bn) to his people and set his son on the path to the throne.

King Salman's decisive start, including the major cabinet reshuffle - which named his nephew, the powerful Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, as crown prince, and his son, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as deputy crown prince - marks a clear break with the deliberate caution of his predecessor, King Abdullah.
For a system used to gradual movement and elite consensus, King Salman is showing there is another way of conducting Saudi politics. And his early moves suggest he sees the need to confront not only a regional challenge from Iran but also political pressures at home.
In some respects, the demands for change in Saudi Arabia are more muted than they used to be. Having tried, and failed, to overthrow the existing order in Saudi Arabia, al-Qaeda is now far weaker in the country than it was a decade ago when it was able to mount regular, deadly attacks.
At the other end of the political spectrum, the liberals are also on the back foot. Having seen what the Arab Spring brought to Syria, Libya and Egypt, pro-democracy Saudis have concluded that what they see as corrupt, unaccountable royal rule is better than what might follow its collapse.
But for all the media coverage they attract, both al-Qaeda and the liberals can be seen as minority groups with limited support in Saudi society. The essential source of national stability is the understanding between the House of Saud and Wahhabi clerics.
There are tensions in the relationship. Many Wahhabis now view the royals with some disdain, seeing them as corrupted and secularised rulers with too close a relationship to the West.
In the past, the clerics were appeased by being allowed to spread their version of Islam abroad as long as they did not cause trouble at home. But with the growth of al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State the Saudi royals, and many in the population, are increasingly worried by the policy of exporting jihad.
In the 1980s, when many Saudis saw TV pictures of young compatriots wielding Kalashnikovs in Afghanistan they thought of them as heroes. Today when they see the same happening closer to home in Syria and Iraq they worry, wondering how long it will be before the jihadis extend their frontline to Saudi Arabia itself.
Saudi Arabia profile
Saudi Arabia timeline
Profile: King Salman
But for all the religious and ideological issues, the mainstream is most worried about the same thing that concerns people all over the world: the economy.
With a massive $700bn of foreign reserves it might seem as if the royals can easily afford to overcome any foreseeable political crises by extending financial largesse.
But the figures are not as rosy as they initially seem. When King Abdullah wanted to forestall Arab Spring-style protests spreading to Saudi Arabia he handed out no less than $130bn.
Even so, with a population of almost 30 million, most Saudis cannot expect to match the riches enjoyed by Qataris and Kuwaitis. Increasingly Saudis facing unemployment are accepting that they may have to take work as waiters rather than managers.
The state handouts depend on oil, which accounts for some 90% of Saudi government revenue. But with crude prices depressed, Riyadh is running a budget deficit of some $39bn.
There are competing views on Saudi oil. Some say a combination of sustained low prices and overestimated reserves mean Saudi Arabia needs to adjust to having less income. Others maintain that the Saudis will always be able to produce oil more cheaply than anyone else. As long as the West wants to buy oil, Saudi Arabia will be among those supplying it.
On that account, the only real threat to Saudi revenue is technological change providing an alternative to oil and gas. As Saudi Oil Minister Sheikh Yamani reportedly said in the 1970s: ''The Stone Age didn't end for lack of stone, and the oil age will end long before the world runs out of oil."
For more on this story, listen to Newshour Extra on the BBC iPlayer or download the podcast.


Mortgage lending suffered a "sluggish start" to the year but lending has picked up in recent weeks, according to a trade body.

Gross mortgage lending for the first quarter of this year was down 12% from the previous three months at £44.9bn, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said.
This marked a 3% decrease on the same period in 2014.
But the CML said that lending in March was much higher than February.
Total lending through home loans reached £16.5bn in March, some 21% higher than February and 7% higher than March last year.
"The underlying lending picture is stabilising," said Bob Pannell, chief economist of the CML.
"Sentiment and activity are showing early signs of improvement, and should be further supported by the effects of stamp duty reform. We expect to see lending strengthen over the next few months, albeit from a relatively sluggish start in 2015."
Lenders have been cutting their mortgage rates in recent weeks, with little prospect of the Bank of England's base rate rising during the rest of the year.
The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) said that stricter affordability checks were slowing down the process of home buying.
The changes, which came into force a year ago, require lenders to study mortgage applicants' incomings and outgoings, and test whether buyers can cover repayments if interest rates were to rise.
"A drop in the number of buyers is the direct result of a slow-down in acceptance of mortgages, with it now taking an average of 50 days to receive a mortgage offer," said Mark Hayward, managing director of the NAEA.
"This increases the risk that sales won't go through and puts unnecessary pressure on any chain transactions."
There are an estimated 11.1 million residential mortgages in the UK, with loans worth over £1.3 trillion


Steel firms in the UK could start to receive compensation for high energy costs within weeks.

The government has confirmed that the steel industry will be refunded the cost of green levies on energy bills as soon as the EU grants state-aid clearance.
The package could be worth about Â£50m a year for the struggling sector.
But the government has come under fire for failing to have a steel industry strategy.
Thousands of job losses have been announced in the sector in recent weeks, with the collapse of SSI in Redcar, Cleveland, and cutbacks at Tata Steel in North Lincolnshire and in Lanarkshire.
The industry blames what it says are unfair Chinese imports, as well as the higher energy costs it faces compared with rivals elsewhere in Europe.
The government wants to compensate intensive-energy industries, including steelmakers, for the green levies for renewable energy which add to the cost of our bills.
Speaking during Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, David Cameron said that the industry would have those costs refunded once the plan was approved at an EU level.
"We will refund the energy-intensive industries with the full amount of the policy costs they face as soon as we get the state aid judgment from Brussels," he said.
The compensation package was expected to be introduced from April 2016.
Industry body Steel UK said that starting it earlier would give give the sector breathing space in the current crisis.
"The steel sector had asked for a full commitment to help offset the cost of high energy costs and it now appears this will be given over the lifetime of the Parliament," said Gareth Stace, director of UK Steel.
"This will give much needed confidence to the sector in terms of future investment."
"It is now essential that we seek state aid as soon as possible, so that payments can begin immediately as promised," he added.
But the government has been criticised for failing to have a strategy for the industry.
Angela Eagle, the shadow business secretary, accused the government of sacrificing the UK's steel industry on the "altar of laissez-faire economics".
Speaking during an opposition day debate on the steel crisis, Ms Eagle accused the Government of lacking an industrial strategy.
"The problem that we are dealing with here is actually that this government don't have a strategy and they are living hand to mouth, trying to deal with a crisis that they should have seen coming," she said.
Ms Eagle also called for the government to do more to prevent unfair trade.
"China is currently responsible for a tsunami of cheap steel which is being dumped on European markets," she said. "The UK should be at the forefront of demanding rapid and effective action to stop it."
Cheap Chinese imports were high on the agenda of the Business Secretary, Sajid Javid, during a visit to Brussels on Wednesday.
The Luxembourg presidency of the EU has now granted his request for an emergency meeting of the European Council to discuss what can be done on the steel crisis.
"I have been lobbying member states and met European commissioners to drive up the importance of this issue," said Mr Javid.
"I have called for an urgent EU Council meeting on steel, and I am pleased the Luxembourg presidency has agreed that this will take place within the next 10 working days. I am determined this council leads to swift action, not just a talking shop."
Mr Javid said that he had spoken about the issue to his counterparts in France, Italy and Spain.
"When it comes to unfair trading practices, just as the US has taken action, we need to show that the EU can also take that type of action, but it can do it quickly," he said.
Follow John Moylan on Twitter @johnmoylanbbc


As Syria's civil war has become more difficult and dangerous to report, it has become a story told increasingly through the experiences of the refugees who left their country to save their lives.

The trouble is that in Jordan those Syrian families are joining previous generations of families who have been fleeing wars across the Middle East for the last 70 years.
So Jordan has welcomed Palestinian, Libyan, Iraqi, Lebanese and Yemeni refugees amongst others, and even has a Somali community in one suburb of the capital, Amman.
Many of them have been in camps for years waiting to go home - notably the Palestinians, who fled the fighting that surrounded the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. Syria was one of the countries in which they sought refuge.
In Jordan, traditionally receptive to desperate migrants, a historian can tell the story of the Middle East through the layers of refugees of different nationalities just as a geologist can tell the story of the earth through the different layers of rock.
Leila Tokhan Al-Houda from the Jordanian Red Crescent Society says simply: " We are the largest refugee hub in the area, if not the world… this is the price you pay when you're a safe country. If we weren't safe and secure, nobody would come."
Inside Syria the practical difficulties of reporting the war are making it harder and harder to be sure what is happening on the front lines.
Broadly, the forces of Bashar al-Assad and militias drawn from the ethnic and religious communities who support them are fighting a shifting constellation of rival Islamist groups and secular rebels who are also fighting each other.
Iran, Russia, Turkey, the Gulf monarchies and the United States are all trying - with varying degrees of intensity and varying degrees of success - to tilt the battlefield in favour of the groups they support. But it is a chaotic kaleidoscope from which it is hard to extract a clear narrative.
It is no bad thing though that we are forced to tell the story of the war through the voices of the refugees - their broken homes and broken hearts after all are the real measure of the cost of the fighting.
And the Syrian crisis will not really end when guns fall silent - it will end when the refugees feel that it is safe to go home.
As the prospect of Syria emerging the conflict as a single unitary state diminishes and the scale of the destruction continues to grow, most of the refugees are coming to realise that will not be for years - perhaps more than a decade.
In the Middle East, refugee crises are coped with and contained - but the underlying problems which created them never seem to be solved.
Nowhere do you see that more clearly than in Jordan, which has a population of about six-and-a-half million and within whose borders there are said to be more refugees than citizens.
The vast bulk of them are Palestinians, who fled in waves triggered by the wars of 1948 and 1967 and have been here ever since.
Some still live in camps, and Amman we found a Syrian family - the al-Hassans from Homs - living alongside Palestinians in the Hussein Camp.
It began as an encampment of canvas tents but has evolved over the years so that these days it looks like any other scruffy, bustling concrete suburb of the city.
It was depressing for the al-Hassans to come here. Imagine all the miseries of the refugee experience - the chaos and terror of fleeing your home and then the humiliations and uncertainties of life in a new country.
And then imagine that you arrive to find you are living alongside refugees who fled fighting nearly 70 years ago and who still cannot go home.
The al-Hassans have settled well - their children are doing well in the refugee schools - but the truth is that they do not find their Palestinian neighbours friendly.
The head of the family - Abu Ismail al-Hassan - understands that is about a deep-seated fear in the older refugee community that their needs might come to seem less important than the needs of newer migrants whose plight is still making headlines around the world.
Sadly the world's generosity - and its attention span for the sufferings of others - are not infinite.
Still Mr al-Hassan does not see why his family should bear the brunt of those anxieties.
"They're really not good to us, to tell you the truth," he said. "I don't know why. After all, the Palestinians have been refugees before in most of the other Arab countries so they should know our situation. They should feel for us. Some of them have treated us badly."
Still, even in the depths of all this uncertainty, Mr al-Hassan, sitting surrounded by his wife, four of his daughters and 10 of his grandchildren, does his best to be positive.
"We don't want to be refugees here," he told us. "We know Jordan is a poor country and we're very grateful. We'd like one day to go back to our own country and for the Palestinians to go back to theirs."
A young Syrian woman I met in a refugee training centre was less hopeful.
She said bluntly: "No issue will be resolved in the Middle East until Syria is resolved - not Palestine and not Iraq. And all the destruction in Syria will have to be fixed - we don't even have homes to go back to any more. It will take years to repair all the damage."
Jordan's record on the refugee issue is impressive and of course it relies on the money and know-how of international agencies like the UNHCR and Unwra to deal with the problems of managing the refugee populations and providing housing, healthcare and education - all this in a country which has few natural resources of its own and hardly enough water for its own people.
But while the world's record of coping with the needs of refugees in the Middle East is pretty good, its record at resolving the underlying political circumstances that forced them from their homes is dismal.
Plenty of Lebanese who fled the civil war never went home, and while Iraqis who fled the fighting in 1991 may have returned, you can still meet Iraqis who have arrived arrived in Jordan within the last few weeks, this time fleeing the threat posed by Islamic State militants.
Labib Qumhawi, a Palestinian who fled Nablus during the war of 1967, remains proud of his origins and his identity.
But he knows very well how difficult life as a refugee becomes in the long term.
When I asked what it would mean for the Syrians themselves if they were stuck in Jordan for many years, he said simply: "They'll be raised in Jordan, they'll get education in Jordan, they'll know nothing but Jordan.
"Their fathers and their grandfathers might talk about the good old days in Syria - the fruit, the wealth, the water and the beauty. But all they'll have is the dream that all refugees have - of one day returning to the homeland."
Unless something changes quickly for the Syrian refugees who now find themselves alongside all those previous generation of migrants in Jordan, it is sadly easy to imagine that poignant vision of the future coming true.
You can hear more about Kevin Connolly's Syrian refugee story on The World at One on Radio 4 at 13:00 GMT