Government considers social media time limits for children

17 minutes ago Share Save Adam Hale BBC News Share Save

Getty Images Plans being discussed by ministers include limiting the time children can spend on social media apps

The government is considering introducing tougher online safety measures to limit the amount of time children can spend on social media, the BBC understands. Proposals include a two-hour cap on the use of individual social media apps and a 22:00 curfew, as first reported by the Sunday People and the Mirror. Appearing on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said he was looking at the "addictive nature of some of the apps and smartphones", when asked whether time limits would be considered. But an online safety campaigner has accused the government of delaying bringing in new laws to protect children.

Ian Russell, whose daughter, Molly, took her own life at 14 after seeing harmful content online, said: "Every day the government has delayed bringing in tougher online safety laws we've seen more young lives lost and damaged because of weak regulation and inaction by big tech." Mr Russell, who backed the previous government's Online Safety Act, said only "stronger and more effective" legislation would "finally change the dial on fundamentally unsafe products and business models that prioritise engagement over safety." "Parents up and down the country would be delighted to see the prime minister act decisively to quell the tsunami of harm children face online, but sticking plasters will not do the job." Kyle told the BBC he had not been able to speak publicly about the government's plans to toughen online safety laws because legislation passed by the previous Conservative government in 2023 had yet to be enacted. "This year we've had illegal content that needs to be taken down, but in July, age-appropriate material must be supplied by platforms, otherwise there'll be criminal sanctions against them," he told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme. He said that he had been looking carefully at what government needed to do next to "nail down harder" on safety, "understand what a healthy online life for children" looked like and "stop the barriers" towards achieving that.

Getty Images Peter Kyle has said previously that laws on internet safety are "very uneven" and "unsatisfactory"

'I burst into tears': How airline carry-on confusion triggered legal row

15 hours ago Share Save Mallory Moench & Imran Rahman-Jones BBC News Share Save

Getty Images

Determined to avoid baggage fees for his holiday to Pisa, Benjamin Till trawled several different shops armed with a tape measure in search of the right suitcase. Eventually, he found a case within the dimensions EasyJet allows for a free underseat bag - or so he thought. When Mr Till arrived at London Gatwick Airport in December 2023, he discovered those measurements included wheels, meaning his bag was deemed slightly too big. He protested, but eventually paid £48 to bring the bag on board. He says he was told to remove the wheels for the way back - which he did. But at the gate on his way home, he was told the suitcase was still too large, so he sat on the floor, unpacking his dirty underwear and souvenirs into a bin bag. "I don't mind admitting that I actually burst into tears because it was so humiliating," he says. An EasyJet spokesperson told the BBC its ground crew had to ensure non-checked bags were within maximum dimensions "to safely and securely fit", and that rules were made clear to customers when they booked.

Benjamin Till Benjamin Till's removed wheels on his trip back from Italy

Stories of passengers caught out by baggage rules they feel are inconsistent or confusing are common, with many customers complaining or seeking clarity from budget airlines on social media. Different airlines have varying rules on the acceptable size and weight of an underseat personal item or an overhead cabin bag, with some charging customers to bring the latter. For people who fall foul of these rules, some airlines charge hefty fees to upgrade a bag from a free personal item to an overhead cabin bag at the airport gate, or to stow an oversized cabin bag in the hold. Passenger confusion has prompted the European Union's largest consumer group to push for fairer and more consistent hand luggage rules, and caused one government to start cracking down on airlines over bag charges. The EU is now looking at changing its laws - changes which would also affect UK passengers who are travelling to or from an EU destination using an EU-based airline. On Thursday, EU transport ministers proposed standardised sizing for free underseat baggage on EU airlines, among other air travel and passenger rights' changes - meaning this could become EU law if their position is accepted by the European Parliament. Budget airlines say their baggage policies comply with the law while keeping fares low, but they have been facing mounting pressure and calls for change.

What could change, or not, for hand baggage?

EU transport ministers proposed that passengers should be guaranteed one free personal item, measuring up to 40x30x15cm (including wheels and handles) - or which could reasonably fit under a plane seat. These rules would apply to EU-based airlines (such as Ryanair, Wizz Air and EasyJet), including when they are carrying passengers from a non-EU country like the UK to an EU country and vice-versa, but not third-party airlines. New rules would add clarity to an EU court ruling from 11 years ago, which stated hand baggage should not be subject to an extra fee, provided it met "reasonable" weight and dimensions, but did not say what reasonable was. Currently, Ryanair allows a free carry-on bag of 40x20x25cm, while EasyJet's dimensions for a free bag are a more generous 45x36x20 cm, including wheels and handles. The ministers' proposal was silent, however, on the issue of whether airlines could charge for overhead cabin bags – meaning that if their proposal was adopted into law, the current situation would not change and airlines could keep charging for that kind of hand baggage, which some in Europe have lobbied to stop. The European Consumer Organisation, BEUC, an umbrella group for 45 independent consumer organisations from 32 countries, believes Thursday's proposals do not go far enough, and legitimise "charging for reasonably sized hand luggage". In November, five airlines were fined a total of €179m (£150m) in Spain for "abusive" practices, including charging for hand luggage. Spain's Consumer Rights Ministry said at the time that it planned to ban charging extra for carry-on luggage and other policies. The airlines had said they would appeal the decision.

Regarding charges for overheard cabin bags, Ryanair said it fully complied with EU law in its policy, which allows one small bag on board free of charge. "If airlines were forced to include additional carry-on bags as part of the basic fare, it would reduce choice and drive up air fares for all passengers, which would harm consumers," the airline said. Industry group Airlines For Europe said charging different amounts depending on baggage "allows passengers to choose the exact services that best suits their needs".

What do customers want?

Hand luggage dimensions should be universal, says Jane Hawkes, a consumer expert specialising in travel. "I don't really see why it can't be, and why they can't come to a voluntary agreement as to what those requirements should be for your baggage," she tells the BBC. "There have to be restrictions, obviously, but a one-size-fits-all kind of approach would make it a lot simpler for passengers," she says. BEUC said policymakers should define what "reasonable" size and weight was "to avoid surprises at the airport and ultimately reduce the number of disputes costing consumers and airlines time and money". Ms Hawkes suggests passengers make sure they measure their bag after it is packed, as it may expand when it is full and go over the limit. She adds that consumers should not just be swayed by the fare price, as "if you've got an airline that encompasses [baggage] without you having to pay extra costs to start with, then that might be more of a better option for you".

Tice denies Reform UK in chaos after Yusuf returns

Tice told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that chairing the party was "a tough, brutal job" and Yusuf was "essentially exhausted" after 11 months in the role.

However, two days later he said he would be coming back to lead the party's unit tasked with identifying spending cuts at councils, which is inspired by the US Department of Government Efficiency.

On Thursday, Yusuf dramatically quit, saying in a social media post that trying to get the party elected was not "a good use of my time".

Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice has insisted the party knows "exactly what it is doing" following a 48 hours in which its chairman Zia Yusuf resigned, before returning in a different role.

"I'm delighted that Zia is staying with the party and he's going to be focusing on our Doge unit."

"It's a massive job, and as we were growing incredibly fast - essentially that job was too much for one person, so we're reorganising.

Yusuf announced his initial decision to quit in a social media post but did not expand on his reasons for leaving.

However, it came shortly after he criticised Sarah Pochin - Reform's newest MP - who used her question at Prime Minister's Question to ask if the government would ban the burka, a veil worn by some Muslim women that covers their face and body.

Asked about Pochin's intervention on X, Yusuf - who is a Muslim - said: "Nothing to do with me. Had no idea about the question nor that it wasn't policy.

"Busy with other stuff. I do think it's dumb for a party to ask the PM if they would do something the party itself wouldn't do."

Announcing his decision to return to the party on Saturday, Yusuf said his initial resignation was "born of exhaustion" following "11 months [of] hard work and exhaustion".

Party leader Nigel Farage said Yusuf had been subject to "pretty vile abuse" adding: "He overreacted to it and he admits himself it was a mistake."

The Liberal Democrats said Reform UK were playing "musical chairman" while Labour characterised the events as a "humiliating hokey-cokey".

Asked if it made the party look chaotic, Tice said: "No, we know exactly what we're doing."

He continued: "Zia was essentially exhausted because he'd been working 24/7 for the last 10 or 11 months voluntarily.

"There's high pressure, it's a big, tough, brutal job chairing a fast growing political party. But it's great news he's with us, on we go."

The party is expected to appoint a new chairman and deputy chairman next week.

Hospital wedding for bride paralysed at hen party

1 day ago Share Save Asha Patel BBC News, Nottingham Share Save

NUH Craig had travelled three hours every day to visit his fiancee in hospital before deciding they could not wait any longer to be married

A couple held their wedding at a hospital after an attempted "party trick" at the hen do led to the bride being paralysed. Craig Bolton and Carla Horton were due to get married on 30 May at St Chad's church in Coseley, close to their home in Dudley. But at her hen weekend five weeks before, 44-year-old Carla "tried to do a stunt" resulting in her fracturing the top of her neck and being paralysed from the chest down. After Carla spent five weeks at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, the couple decided instead of postponing their wedding, they would get married in an intimate ceremony at the hospital's chapel.

Carla and her friends were getting ready to go out for the evening in Skegness when she decided to attempt the trick - which she did not detail - but was knocked unconscious for a moment. When she regained consciousness, she realised she could not move. "I made a silly misjudgement on my hen do and tried to do a stunt which I think I was just too old to do, and it resulted in me fracturing the top of my neck and being paralysed from the chest down," she said. Her friends called an ambulance and she was subsequently taken to Skegness and district general hospital before being moved to Pilgrim Hospital Boston for scans to assess the damage. She was then transferred to the Queen's Medical Centre for spinal surgery.

'World caved in'

"My first thought when this happened was to say to Craig 'if you want to walk away you can' and I would understand. "I think when something like this happens to someone you don't want to put them through the possibility that you might never walk again." But Craig, who says his "world caved in" when he found out from his sister-in-law what had happened, made a three-hour round trip from Dudley to Nottingham to be with his fiancee every day. "When I come in every day and see the fight in her, I do fall in love more each day," he said. "You do find your soulmate at some point and when you do, you know. And I've found mine." After five weeks of Carla being in hospital, she decided she could not wait any longer to marry Craig.

NUH The pair were married by Father Gary at the QMC chapel on 30 May

"I don't want to wait 18 months or two years until I am possibly walking again, or possibly not. I cannot wait that long." The pair stuck to their original date, with the support of Nottingham University Hospitals Charity which helped with the arrangements for the big day, including a food, decorations and even a hairdresser for the bride. They believed the speed of Carla's care was a key factor in the lucky position she was in to get the "best chance of recovery". Craig said: "It was all within a 20-hour window which, to be quite honest is probably the main reason why Carla is in the condition she is in now and able to fight." Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust's spinal cord injury lead Michelle Elmsley said: "It's been an honour to be part of Carla's journey. "It is a rare opportunity to be part of something special for acute patients under our care, and being able to go 'beyond the norm' has made me extremely proud to be part of team NUH."

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