Image source, Thinkstock

The way police and prosecutors deal with rape allegations varies widely across England and Wales, according to an Inspectorate of Constabulary report., external

The proportion of suspects charged with rape in 2014-15 has been falling - and is as low as 6% in one area, it shows.

One in four rape cases involving a child victim led to a prosecution, and one in eight involving an adult victim.

Officials said the data was a starting point to allow people to scrutinise how rape is dealt with in their area.

More here.

Brian Wheeler

Image source, PA

Yesterday morning's headlines were dominated by Theresa May's plan to force internet firms to hold browsing records of everyone in the UK so they can be accessed by the police and security services.

But in some respects that was the least interesting thing about the draft Investigatory Powers Bill, now that we have had time to study it in detail.

The bill officially acknowledges for the first time mass snooping of the kind exposed by US whistleblower Edward Snowden.

It also reveals that successive UK governments have secretly ordered internet and phone companies to hand over large amounts of communications data to MI5 and the other security services "in the interests of national security".

The bill would put all of this on a firmer legal footing. The legal basis and safeguards currently used to justify this "bulk" surveillance are set out in this supporting document., external

House of Commons
Parliament

House of Commons
Parliament

Moving on to rural broadbrand, Chris Matheson, Labour MP highlighted the inequality for rural residents having to pay more for broadband. 

Rory Stewart, minister for food and rural affairs, said that it seemed "an unjust situation" and said he would look in to the issue further.

The minister added the target set for end of this year wasn't "enough for the future" and other solutions need to be looked in order to deliver faster fibre optic broadband.

A 56-year-old woman has been arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command in north-west London on suspicion of disseminating a terrorist publication, the force said today.

House of Lords
Parliament

The House of Lords begins its business at 11:00 GMT, with the introduction of former Lib Dem leader Menzies Campbell and former Lib Dem Commons whip Don Foster as new peers.

That's followed by the usual half-hour question session to government ministers. UKIP peer Lord Pearson of Rannoch will be asking the government about "the nature of Islam".

A debate on the impact of pornography on society will also feature.

House of Commons
Parliament

Liz Truss, secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, said she was "incredibly proud" of what the government had done in the area including she said, extensions to national parks in the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District. She finished by saying "I wish the honourable gentleman would take more pride in it as well." 

After a documentary on the amount of food wasted in the UK, Rory Stewart the minister for food and rural affairs said he "absolutely agreed" retailers need to play a larger role in reducing food waste. But he said Tesco, Co-op, Morrisons had made "good progress" in reducing their waste.

Michael Fabricant, Conservative MP, said consumers also needed educating. He asked "what's wrong with an over-bent banana" adding that it tastes just as good.

Mr Stewart - possible referring to that famous David Miliband Labour conference banana picture - notes that being snapped with fruit hasn't always been such a good thing for politicians.

But he added that he would be "delighted to be seen eating a wobbly banana".

House of Commons
Parliament

"The English Christmas could not exist without Stilton cheese," begins Labour MP John Mann who criticises the government for "refusing to allow the name Stilton to be given to the only English cheese made in the traditional way" because of "bureaucracy". He asks farming minister George Eustice: 

Mr Eustice says the cheese the MP is referring to commands a premium over Stilton, and adds that "every single Stilton producer" has opposed any change to the protected food name status for Stilton. "We believe there should be a sense of consensus before you impose changes to recipes on producers," he concludes.

House of Commons
Parliament

Business in the House of Commons is under way, with ministers from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs taking questions from MPs.

Asked what the government is doing to support the fruit-farming industry, farming minister, George Eustice tells MPs that "as a former strawberry farmer", he can say that supermarkets pay a premium for English fruit because the quality is "superior".

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin will make a Commons statement on the suspension of UK-bound flights from Sharm el-Sheik, amid concerns the Russian plane crash was caused by a bomb.

He will address MPs at 12:30 GMT, as there are two urgent questions - on Burma and on human rights in Egypt - and the weekly business statement to see to first.

A Ministry of Defence source has confirmed that a small team of military personnel has been sent to Sharm el-Sheik to help Foreign Office officials and Department of Transport experts. The team will be advising on logistics and security.

BBC News Channel

BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith says it's "pretty clear" the government believes that - so-called Islamic State, or an affiliate, were behind the Russian plane crash - though he notes ministers have not confirmed this.

Apart from the intelligence, the other key issue likely to be raised at today's COBRA meeting - chaired by the prime minister - will be the logistics of how to beef up security at the airport in Egypt to bring British holidaymakers home. There's also the diplomatic ramifications of the UK's decision, he adds.

A report released today will urge the Chancellor George Osborne to abandon planned cuts to tax credits. 

The Resolution Foundation, external, a think tank that campaigns for low and middle-income families, says the cuts "would be expensive, leave millions of families worse off,  and produce perverse work incentives".

The report sets out alternative options the government could take in order to save £4.4 billion.