Themselves at home on the course with the traditional photocall. Hello and welcome to the bbc news at one. Water companies in england and wales have been ordered to repay customers a total of £114 million, after failing to meet key targets. The industrys regulator, ofwat, said that firms arent performing well enough on issues including leaks and reducing pollution. The money will be returned by reducing household bills. Our environment correspondent jonah fisher has the details. This is the Water Companies� end of year report, written by regulator ofwat. It assesses their performance against a number of indicators such as plugging leaks, the quality of the water supply and whether they have managed to reduce the number of Pollution Incidents. For most of the 17 companies, it� s not pleasant reading. There is no top of the class this year, with none getting the highest score. Ten were rated as average, and seven told they are lagging behind. Poor performance comes with financial consequences. Tens, the uk� s biggest Water Company, is firmly bottom of the class thames. They reported an increase in serious Pollution Incidents and will have to hand back about £100 million next year. If shared out equally among its customers, it is pocket money, a bit more than a fiver, and will be swallowed up by other inflation linked rises. Water and sewage here in wales is a bit different to england. It is run by a not for profit company, but its performance still isn� t good. It has failed to hit its targets. In leaks and has been rated as lagging by 0fwat and told to pay back £24 million to its customers. Several Water Companies have beenjudged to be doing so well that they can charge customers more next year. Severn trent will get an extra 88 million, much to the disbelief of this wild swimmer in shrewsbury. I� m this wild swimmer in shrewsbury. Im re this wild swimmer in shrewsbury. In pretty surprised that they are being rewarded, yes, because there is still Sewage Spilling into the rivers. We are trying to swim in the rivers. We are trying to swim in the rivers and clean them up. 0bviously, rivers and clean them up. Obviously, it is notjust the sewage and not just the Water Companies that cause pollution problems, but has he any Water Company being rewarded while there are still Sewage Spilling into there are still Sewage Spilling into the river doesn� t seem right to me. Responding to 0fwat, the Water Companies� Trade Body Water Uk look for the positives. Companies Trade Body Water Uk look for the positives. For the positives. There has been im ortant for the positives. There has been important progress for the positives. There has been important progress in for the positives. There has been important progress in some for the positives. There has been i important progress in some areas. For leakage, that is down 7 since 2020, coming down every year since the start of the decade. Meat 2020, coming down every year since the start of the decade. The start of the decade. Next week, the start of the decade. Next week, the Water Company the start of the decade. Next week, the Water Company will the start of the decade. Next week, the Water Company will be the start of the decade. Next week, | the Water Company will be producing its plans for massive investment in infrastructure. If that is approved, bills will rise still further. Jonah fisher, bbc news, in cardiff. An nhs trust has apologised after it failed to send out 24,000 letters to patients and their gps because of a computer error. Newcastle hospitals said the problem which dates back to 2018 is significant, and the Health Care Regulator has asked for assurance that no one� s treatment has been delayed as a result of the mistake. Sharon barbour has the story. The unsent letters date back to 2018, when a new Computer System was introduced. Many are discharge summaries, which explain what the care was that the patient received in hospital and what medications the patients need to now take. But there are also a significant number of unsent letters from specialist clinics, which may spell out that urgent treatment is needed. All these letters are vital for a patient� s continuing care. It is patients continuing care. It is important patients continuing care. It is important because patients continuing care. It 3 important because one, we patients continuing care. It 1 important because one, we will have the results of the investigations, which are significant. And also, frequently there are tests which have been undertaken, blood tests and scans and so forth. So it� s important that we know the result of that. And once the patient has been to the outpatients, medication, tablets, what is going to be prescribed in future for the patient . 50 prescribed in future for the atient . 1, prescribed in future for the atient . ,. , prescribed in future for the atient . ,. , , patient . So how has this happened . It a ears patient . So how has this happened . It appears that patient . So how has this happened . It appears that when patient . So how has this happened . It appears that when it patient . So how has this happened . It appears that when it comes patient . So how has this happened . It appears that when it comes to it appears that when it comes to discharge summaries, at least, one person would draft it and prepare it for a second person to sign the top. That second person had to make sure that on their computer, they change their status to signing clinician. If they didn� t, the discharge summary wouldn� t leave the hospital as the consultant expected it to. Instead, it went into a separate folder that one consultant told me they didn� t know existed. It was hidden. An action plan now sent to the cqc says the trust will immediately deal with the 6000 letter backlog from the last year alone. More than 1200 of those relate to medicine and emergency care. Consultants have also been asked to record incidents of patient harm as a result of the backlog. In a statement, Newcastle Hospital trust said a review is under way. If any concerns are identified, we will inform patients and their gps directly. We are taking this issue seriously and we are working quickly to put things right. The cqc says after receiving concerns from staff, they took immediate action to understand the extent to which people may be at risk, and evidence of the steps being taken to review the impact on patients. So what happens now . Newcastle hospitals, who have hospitals here, will be urgently going through those 6000 letters from the last year alone will step they have to get through all 24,000. Gps across the region are bracing themselves for a real influx of care plans that they must put in place urgently as well to sort out their patients. The two key questions this lunchtime have any patients come to harm and secondly, have the problems here in newcastle been repeated at other trusts across the country . Sharon barbour there. The Home Secretary is to question whether being gay, or a woman, is a sufficient reason to claim asylum. Suella braverman is due to make a speech later today to a think tank in the us. It� s believed she� ll ask whether the un� s 1951 Refugee Convention is fit for the modern age arguing that there� s been a vast increase in the number of people defined as refugees. 0ur chief Political CorrespondentHenry Zeffman is in westminster. Henry, what more can we expect her to say . Ina in a couple of hours, Suella Braverman is going to be giving that speech in washington, dc. But it really goes to the heart of a Debate Thatis really goes to the heart of a debate that is happening here in westminster as well as around the world, which is that question of who should or should not be counted as a refugee. The International Rules governing that were set in 1951. That is called the un Refugee Convention. And while Suella Braverman will say that that was an excellent achievement by the world, six years as it was after the Second World War in 1951, she will say the world has simply changed too much and there should be new rules. She will specifically question how the un Refugee Convention gets applied. She will say it simply was not intended to cover cases where people who are gay or who are women might fear discrimination where they are, but not necessarily be experiencing persecution. Before the speech has been made, she is already coming under intense criticism, some of it from charities like the refugee council, who say the most important thing is not the definition of who is a refugee, it is establishing safe and legal routes for people seeking asylum to come to the uk. There is also criticism from the labour party, who say that Suella Braverman is grandstanding abroad because she has failed to fix what they call the asylum chaos here in they call the asylum chaos here in the uk. , a, sick leave has soared to its highest level in the uk in more than ten years. New Research Suggests the average employee took nearly eight days off ill in the last year compared to nearly six days before the pandemic. Covid 19 and minor illnesses were among the most common reasons for taking time off. 0ur Employment correspondent zoe conway has all the details. New Research Suggests uk workers are taking more sick days than at any point in the last decade. The survey spoke to 6. 5 million employees across more than 900 organisations, and found that staff took on average 7. 8 sick days in the past year. That is up from an average of 5. 8 days the year before the pandemic. The study found that minor illnesses such as having flu or a migraine were the main reason for short term absences, followed by Musculoskeletal Injuries and Mental Ill Health. This is the highest level of sickness this is the highest level of Sickness Illness absence in 15 years. Sickness illness absence in 15 years, and it is a significantjump in sickness years, and it is a significantjump in sickness absence. If we look at the context in sickness absence. If we look at the context of the last few years, there the context of the last few years, there has the context of the last few years, there has been a pandemic. We have had a there has been a pandemic. We have had a cost there has been a pandemic. We have had a cost of there has been a pandemic. We have had a cost of living crisis, so there had a cost of living crisis, so there has had a cost of living crisis, so there has been an awful lot of pressure there has been an awful lot of pressure is on people in terms of their pressure is on people in terms of their mental well being, and an awful their mental well being, and an awful lot their mental well being, and an awful lot of change and pressure in organisations as well. So we are not surprised organisations as well. So we are not surprised to organisations as well. So we are not surprised to see that Mental Ill Health surprised to see that Mental Ill Health and stress are two of the Biggest Health and stress are two of the biggest causes of long term absence. But it� s notjust short term leave that is affecting the Labour Market a record 2. 6 Million People of working age are not in work due to long term sickness, according to recent office for National Statistics data. Things like obesity, alcohol use, gambling things like obesity, alcohol use, gambling if we are thinking about Mentat Gambling if we are thinking about mental health, and a range of other factors mental health, and a range of other factors have contributed to this Decline Factors have contributed to this decline in factors have contributed to this decline in health. Today, we are reaping decline in health. Today, we are reaping what we have said ten to 15 years reaping what we have said ten to 15 years ago reaping what we have said ten to 15 years ago in reaping what we have said ten to 15 years ago in terms of the Economic Impact years ago in terms of the Economic Impact that years ago in terms of the Economic Impact that is having from sick leave impact that is having from sick leave through to people being unable to work leave through to people being unable to work at leave through to people being unable to work at all because of their Health PublicHealth Experts are calling this a crisis. The sicker the nation becomes, they warn, the weaker the job market, lower the tax take and lower the economic growth, while welfare and nhs bills climb ever higher. But, above all, people will suffer a much poorer quality of life. Thank you, zoe conway. There� s disruption for pupils and parents across much of scotland, with hundreds of schools closed because of strikes. Support staff, including Teaching Assistants and caterers, have walked out for three days. It� s after their union, unison, turned down a pay offer which would have meant annual incomes rising by about £2,000 for some of the lowest paid. Here� s our scotland correspondent, lorna gordon. What do we want . They are the nursery workers, what do we want . They are the nursery workers, the what do we want . They are the nursery workers, the janitors, l what do we want . They are the i nursery workers, the janitors, the canteen workers, the classroom assistants, walking out in a row over pay. I assistants, walking out in a row over a. ,. , assistants, walking out in a row over a. ,. , over pay. I would rather be in school with over pay. I would rather be in school with the over pay. I would rather be in school with the children. Over pay. I would rather be in school with the children. The | school with the children. The children are vulnerable and we want to be with them at school. We don� t want them stuck at home. But we want fair pay. We want to be valued in our work, and we are not. Some of us here have got fourjobs to keep ourselves afloat, to keep food on the table and to heat up our houses. Fourjobs, for this day and age . The disru tion fourjobs, for this day and age . The disruption from this track is significant, but the impact does depend on where you live. Here in glasgow, primary is like this one have shut their doors for the day, while secondaries here are keeping some classes going. In many Council Areas including edinburgh, all State Schools have had to close, while schools have had to close, while schools at a quarter of local authorities remain open. For many parents, it is more unwanted disruption. Parents, it is more unwanted disruption parents, it is more unwanted disrution. ,. ,. , disruption. Everybody has a right to strike, but being disruption. Everybody has a right to strike, but being a disruption. Everybody has a right to strike, but being a parent, disruption. Everybody has a right to strike, but being a parent, its disruption. Everybody has a right to strike, but being a parent, its a strike, but being a parent, it� s a pain having to get my wee one looked after. It pain having to get my wee one looked after. ,. ,. ,. ,. , after. It is hard going for us as arents. After. It is hard going for us as parents. Today after. It is hard going for us as parents. Today we after. It is hard going for us as parents. Today we have after. It is hard going for us as| parents. Today we have logged after. It is hard going for us as parents. Today we have logged into googte parents. Today we have logged into Google Classroom and they have tonnes Google Classroom and they have tonnes of Google Classroom and they have tonnes of work to do. You have not ot tonnes of work to do. You have not got the tonnes of work to do. You have not got the time tonnes of work to do. You have not got the time to do it sometimes. £2000 got the time to do it sometimes. £2000 increase is being offered to those on the minimum wage and councils in the Scottish Government insist no more money is to up the deal unison, though, say this is too little, too late, too vague and too low and that is significantly better offer is needed to end the industrial action. Lorna gordon, offer is needed to end the industrialaction. Lorna gordon, bbc news, glasgow. Five people have appeared in court in london accused of spying for russia. The bulgarian nationals are accused of conspiring to gather information that would be useful to an enemy. 0ur Correspondent Daniel De Simone is at westminster magistrates court. Defied bulgarian nationals appeared here at westminster magistrates� court this morning the five of them. They were arrested in february and charged last week with conspiracy to conduct espionage. The five have lived in th