Commonwealth games . It looks like an early Christmas Present for birmingham. They are set to be confirmed as the hosts for the 2022 games as long as they dont mind paying for it with a price tag of £750 million. I will have more at 2 30pm. Thanks, holly. And tomasz has all the weather unfestive weather. It is. Look at the gloomy picture behind me. As we go from Christmas Day into boxing day, it might turn colder but mild is the word. Thanks, tomasz. Also coming up prosecco and perfume for Pampered Pets owners spend more than ever before on Christmas Gifts for theirfurry friends. Hello, this is afternoon live. The metropolitan police is reviewing 30 Sexual Assault cases, and investigating scores of others. The announcement follows the collapse of a second rape trial in just a few days after vital evidence wasnt made available by the police. The met say the same officer worked on both cases. Disclosure, as its known, means that police have a duty to hand over any relevant evidence to defence lawyers. Last thursday, the trial of liam allan was halted after it emerged officers had failed to disclose phone messages where his accuser had pestered him for sex. Our Legal CorrespondentClive Coleman reports. It has been reported isaac itiary spent four months in jail awaiting trial on charges of Sexual Activity with a child to stop the case the case against him was dropped yesterday when Text Messages from his alleged teenage victims phone showed that she routinely lied about her age. A few days earlier the case against liam allen was stopped because Text Messages showed his alleged victim had enjoyed having sex with him. In the last two years i have just spent worrying and you know, not really concentrating on anything. So it has completely ripped apart my normal sort of personal life. The metropolitan police is now carrying out a review into what happened to liam allan. And of the evidence in all its current rape and sex abuse cases. That review is being conducted jointly with the cps, so with the lawyers in each case and are investigating officers, to make sure that those cases are safe to go to trial, our priority is those 30 something where trials are about to start. I have no reason to believe that there are any problems with any of those cases. It is a pragmatic step to conduct that check now. The police and Crown Prosecution Service have made huge efforts in recent years to right the wrongs of the past and ensure that alleged victims in rape and Sexual Assault cases are treated properly. But some fear that the process of disclosing evidence to the defence has been damaged as a result. The real issue here is giving the Public Confidence in the criminaljustice system. I do not see how an internal review by the police and the Crown Prosecution Service can give the public that confidence. Particularly if there has been a change in culture, swinging against believing people who come up with a reasonable explanation for their behaviour. This afternoon in the commons, the Prime Minister sought to reassure mps over the issue of disclosing evidence. My right honourable friend the attorney general had even before these cases came up, actually initiated a review into disclosure. I think it is important that we look at this again to make sure that we are truly providing justice. The prosecutions duty to pass evidence to the defence, which assists the defence, is a foundation of our justice system. That duty is now under scrutiny as never before. The European Unions chief brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has said the transition period after the uk leaves cannot continue beyond the end of 2020. The uk is due to leave in march 2019 and had asked for a longer transition of around two years. Ben brown is in westminster for us this afternoon. Thank you. Here at westminster, mps are completing the main stages of the brexit legislation this afternoon, the eu withdrawal bill. And the government have accepted a key amendment on that, a compromise amendment, that means the government and the Prime Minister went, it now seems, be facing a second rebellion on brexit in the chamber. They will not be facing a second embarrassing commons defeat. This is all about the date of brexit being enshrined in the legislation. A compromise on that has been agreed to by the government. Meanwhile, as you say, Michel Barnier, the chief brexit negotiator, has been talking about the transition period that follows brexit, saying it will not be more than 21 months. The government had talked about it being around two years but now it will end at the end of 2020. Translation another important point, which is also in the European Council decision, relates to the duration of the transition period, that should be of a short and specific duration. In florence, theresa may in her speech referred toa theresa may in her speech referred to a maximum of two years. Our position, the European Commissions position, the European Commissions position, is that this would run logically to the 31st of december 2020, because that is also the duration of the current multi annual framework. That was Michel Barnier. Meanwhile, we have also been hearing from the International Monetary fund, the imf, who have downgraded their growth forecast for britain to i. 6 . Christine lagarde from the imf said the brexit decision had weighed heavily on the british economy and created uncertainty. Our forecast for growth in 2017 this year, is 1. 6 , down from 1. 8 in 2016, and 2. 3 in 2015. And all of that, despite what i have just mentioned, which is a stronger global environment. Ourforecast for which is a stronger global environment. Our forecast for 2018 isi. 5 , environment. Our forecast for 2018 is1. 5 , as environment. Our forecast for 2018 is 1. 5 , as uncertainty about the shape of brexit persists most likely, and inflation remains above target. That was Christine Lagarde of the imf. Our chief Political Correspondent vicki young is in the house of commons for us now. Warnings from the imf, also a tough line from Michel Barnier in brussels, but at the end of this year, and in the last Prime Ministers questions in the commons, theresa may must be feeling pretty good about herself, i suppose . She survived in power and she is making headway with the brexit talks . Yes, the year has ended up may be slightly better than it began, given that she called that general election hoping for a sweeping mandate in order to deliver brexit, and of course lost the conservatives majority. It has been a pretty terrible year for her but right at the end she has had a bit of hope that things might be improving by getting through to that second phase of negotiations. But in the end, she is celebrating surviving, which is not a position she wanted to be in when she called that general election. Nonetheless, i think there are some in number ten who will be thinking, thank goodness it is christmas, she is still here, she is making progress. The other thing that has been against her last week was that first defeat on the eu legislation going through the house of commons. Another defeat was predicted tonight, over the idea of writing into law that departure date from the European Union. There were some conservative mps, very unhappy about it, could not understand why the government wanted to do that, because they felt it could tie the hands, that if you get to the point where you might want to extend the negotiations, you might not want to have that in there. A compromise has been found whereby now the government will keep that fixed date and there will also be amendments in there saying we can change it if we need to. A self inflicted wound here for the government. They did not need to do this. They had to row back slightly. Today, theresa may was asked by a leading brexiteer if that still meant the uk would be leaving the eu in march 2019 . The Prime Minister hasjust given assurance that amendment 400 would indeed only be used in extremists and fora indeed only be used in extremists and for a short period of time. Could i pressed her to be any more specific than that quest that if the powers are used at all, could she assure the house that it would only be used for a matter of weeks or months at the maximum, and no longer, because there is a concern that it could indefinitely extend out that it could indefinitely extend our stay within the eu . Could i thank my honourable friend for seeking further clarification on this particular point. Can ijust start by saying, as i did, to my friend the honourable memberfor the new forest, we will leave on the 29th of march 2019. That is what we are working to, but we do want to ensure that we have the same legal position as the European Union, and thatis position as the European Union, and that is why amendment 400, tabled by my right honourable friend has been accepted. But i can assure my honourable friend that we are talking, if it were the case that this would be used, it would only be in extremely exceptional circumstances, and it would be for the shortest possible time. After that, downing street insisting this is not a climb down by the government. They say ministers a lwa ys government. They say ministers always say they would listen to mp5, this is a very important piece of legislation, important to get it right, so they can deliver what they call a smooth and orderly brexit. Thank you. Vicki young there our chief Political Correspondent. Im joined at westminster by two members of parliament, mary creagh for labour and Maria Caulfield for the conservatives. Merry, you have a couple of amendments. My amendments are on the chemicals agency, britains second largest export to the eu with chemicals. Half a million direct and indirectjobs. When we leave an exit day, all our chemical exports and imports will freeze. My amendment is for us to stay in the European Chemicals Agency and protect that investment and thosejobs. Agency and protect that investment and those jobs. Maria caulfield, what sort of brexit are we going to have . We have had the cabinet discussing among themselves what kind of trade arrangement we will have with the eu. Some people will think it is a bit late in the day for discussing that . I think there is an agreement that we want the best possible trade deal so we can keep trading with the eu and we do not want to be in the Customs Union or Single Market and there are many other countries which averaged a Free Trade Agreement with the eu, and are optimistic we it can be done relatively quickly. Michel barnier said that cannot include wine and services. There cannot be ever spoke agreement for the uk . |j services. There cannot be ever spoke agreement for the uk . I think that is something that needs to be discussed and the Prime Minister has made it clear she wants Financial Services to be included. That is pa rt services to be included. That is part and parcel of the negotiations starting. People said we would not be in this position now trade talks, and they are just about to start. There is a lot of talk going on but until they start we will not know for sure. Mary, it is true that the Prime Minister and government are in the best position than many people have been anticipating and we are on the verge of trade talks . It is extraordinary that 18 months after the referendum the cabinet had its first discussion. 18 wasted months where we had a general election which wasted three valuable months of negotiating time. Talks on the transitional phase will not get going until march, and we will not have a substantive talks until we have a substantive talks until we have actually left. British business, britishjobs, british people are left up in the air, not clear about what is happening in 15 short months time. Clear about what is happening in 15 short months time. The Prime Minister can see she is on course and those people saying she would only survive a few days, they have been proved wrong. She is still here and she is negotiating with brussels. Shes still here. They wa nt brussels. Shes still here. They want her weak and stable. The hard brexiteers and the people who voted against leaving both the hair of the best option, but i think she will muddled year ahead. We will have a muddled brexit. She does a nod to one side, wink to the other, and we saw that with the amendment she put down, the net when amendment saying we can change it if we like, and then saying we might not leave when we say we leave. Honestly, she is going round in circles. A muddled brexit is what we are heading for . She is getting on and doing that job. Were not clear what labours position is. There are clear we are leaving in march 2019, we are leaving in march 2019, we are leaving the Customs Union and Single Market. Labour make it up every day. The Prime Minister is clear we want certainty for the people going forward. That is why she has worked so forward. That is why she has worked so hard to get the first phase of negotiations under way. People said we could not to deal Northern Ireland, we could not agree a payment mechanism and we could not ee, payment mechanism and we could not agree, the things we needed to to get onto trade talks. We have done that and we are in a very good position. That provide certainty for the country. Businesses are starting to react really positively to this. Only yesterday, forbes announced britain was the number one place to do business with. We are creating that certainty and i am looking forward to the talks starting next year. 0k, well a busy year ahead no doubt. Many thanks to both of you. That is it from here in westminster, back to you in the studio. Thank you very much. Some breaking news to bring you now. This is regarding a series of 24 hour strikes which are due to take place on well when lines injanuary. We are hearing from the rmt union that workers on southern, south western well way, greater anglia, merseyrail, Arriva Rail North and the isle of wights island line are all set to take part in a series of 24 hour stoppages. It is part of a long running dispute about the role of guards which the rmt union believes is potential to ensure the safety of the travelling public. The rmt union believes is essential. We have not got the dates for the strikes. We will bring you those when we have them. Two organisations are set to hold strikes this month. There could be quite a lot of difficulties in january. There could be quite a lot of difficulties injanuary. You are watching afternoon live. Youre watching afternoon live, these are our headlines more than 30 sex offence cases are under urgent review two rape trials collapsed. The International Monetary fund downgrades its forecast for britains Economic Growth this year, blaming brexit uncertainty. The eus chief brexit negotiator says the uks post brexit transition period should end by 2020. In sport, a boost for birmingham, set to be the host for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. They were the only city to bed before the end of the compliance period. To bid. A man who carried out a racist attack on Raheem Sterling has been jailed. And after being suspended by england earlier this month, batsman ben duckett has been left out of the lions squad to play in the west indies next year. I will be back with more on those stories on afternoon live at 2 30pm. Homelessness in england is a National Crisis according to a group of mps. More than 9,000 people are sleeping rough and a further 78,000 families are in temporary accomodation. The committee of mps says that government efforts to tackle the issue are an abject failure. The government says its providing more than a billion pounds, in the next two years, to reduce homelessness. Andy moore reports. Just go through this. When his dad was made homeless, seven year old billy lived part time with him in one room of this emergency shelter. Billy had his own bed, his dad used a folding bed. So how does it work, he has to fold it out every night . Yes, just like this. It is tough enough for an adult to be here, but to be here with a child and remain strong is difficult. He should not be here. He shouldnt be here at all. Im doing what i can do to be a parent to him, under these circumstances. This report says the problem of homelessness has been growing for years, with the number of people in short Term Accommodation up by 60 since 2010. The mps said there is an unacceptable shortage of realistic housing options. There are estimated to be 9000 people sleeping rough on the streets every night, more than double the number in 2011. There are a further 78,000 families living in temporary accommodation, often of a poor standard and that includes 120,000 children. The committee has described the situation as shameful. It has called on the government to focus on the supply and affordability of decent housing. You need to stop being complacen