Review of the Papers, Monday 06 August

Government  

• Royal Mail was yesterday embroiled in a new row over bonus payments to a senior executive amid continuing industrial action by postal workers over pay and working practices. Post office managing director Alan Cook was yesterday reported to be in line for a bonus of up to £1m if he brings the planned closure of 2,500 post offices in on schedule and restores the network to profit. Mr Cook would be entitled to receive a bonus of up to 80% of his £250,000 salary every year until 2011, if he reached the internal targets set for the business, according to the Sunday Times. http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2142238,00.html  
• Thousands of couples are being denied NHS fertility treatment despite a government pledge of a full IVF cycle for those eligible by April 2005, a Department of Health survey has found. The survey, the first monitoring by officials of how local NHS provision measures up to national guidelines, reveals that more than half of England's health authorities fail to provide the most basic treatment of a full IVF cycle, including freezing and replacement of embryos not transferred in the initial cycle. http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2142516,00.html  
• The minimum legal driving age is expected to rise to 18 as part of reforms to cut the number of deaths caused on Britain's roads by novice drivers. Ministers are to propose a 12-month training period for new drivers, in effect preventing 17-year-olds from holding a full licence. A consultation paper, to be published this autumn, will also suggest a zero alcohol limit for newly-qualified drivers of all ages for a year after they pass the test. Novice drivers found behind the wheel with alcohol in their blood would be forced to retake their test. Motorway driving may also be restricted to more experienced drivers. The Government is, however, to reject proposals to ban young drivers from ferrying their friends as unworkable. Nor are there plans to introduce an upper age limit. http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life-and-style/driving/article2204067.ece
• The examinations system was embroiled in a fresh row over "dumbing down" today following claims that A-levels are easier than they were 20 years ago. Academics said that pupils capable of getting a C in exams two decades ago can now expect an A grade. Researchers found that on average A-levels for pupils of the same ability improved by two grades between 1988 and 2006. In maths - one of the core subjects - scores increased by more than three grades, it is claimed. The findings, in a report written for the Office for National Statistics, come as thousands of students prepare to receive their examination results next week. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/05/nalevel105.xml
• Families may be forced to fit their rubbish into smaller wheelie bins or risk a £1,000 fine under Labour plans to tackle household waste. A government report calls for the introduction of European-style 140-litre bins instead of the current 240-litre models. The proposal is designed to encourage more recycling of waste, with householders facing criminal prosecution if they leave extra rubbish on the street in bags. The new move follows widespread discontent over the scrapping of weekly collections, with 180 local authorities now emptying bins once a fortnight. The plan is contained in a report by the Waste and Resources Action Programme, a quango set up by Labour to draw up guidelines for local councils. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/06/nbin106.xml

Other

• The environment group Friends of the Earth has been split by a bitter internal row after its directors approached the broadcaster BSkyB to set up a joint campaign on climate change which could be worth more than £1.7m. Executives at FoE received a barrage of complaints from senior campaigners after they decided to bid to become Sky's favoured charity in a three-year deal which would give the group direct access to Sky's 8.6 million subscribers and its satellite channels. The Guardian has learnt that 77 FoE staff - including most senior campaigners as well as the outgoing director of FoE Wales, Julian Rosser - signed a highly critical petition to FoE's board last month calling for the Sky bid to be withdrawn. FoE's directors say the tie-up would give the group an unparalleled opportunity to reach a mass audience with its campaign on climate change. Sky claims its programmes and news channel are seen in a third of British homes, while its customer magazine has the highest circulation in Britain. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/aug/06/conservation.broadcasting