? City regulator thrown into chaos as chief executive resigns
? Move casts doubt over future of the FSA

The City regulator was thrown into chaos this morning as chief executive Hector Sants resigned.

Sants, a former banker, is stepping down from the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in the summer. He has decided to tender his resignation ahead of the election, which has cast uncertainty over the future of the FSA because the Conservatives have a policy to disband the regulator.

Concerns will now be mounting about the willingness of chairman Lord Turner to remain in his post during a radical overhaul of financial regulation following the taxpayer bailout of the banking system.

While Sants had told friends that he intended to stay as chief executive for only three years, the timing of his departure so close to the election will raise speculation that he decided to announce his departure now because of the uncertainty facing the FSA.

The Conservatives have announced plans to disband the FSA and hand its powers for supervising banks to the Bank of England, effectively tearing up the system of regulation introduced by Labour when it was swept to power in 1997. The opposition has blamed the current tripartite system ? involving the FSA, the Bank of England and the Treasury ? for the current financial crisis.

Sants said: "When I was appointed I told the board that I planned to serve as chief executive for three years, and I intend to stick to that timetable. Of course, those three years have encompassed the most extraordinary circumstances for a financial regulator, and I am very proud of the manner in which the FSA rose to the challenge of dealing with such unprecedented turbulence across global financial markets.

"Moreover, I believe the FSA candidly examined the failings in financial regulation that contributed to the onset of the crisis, learned the lessons and has gone on to reform itself into a much stronger and better equipped organisation.

"I believe the FSA has made great strides in ensuring that such individuals are in place in the UK and I am sure that after I leave they will continue to do invaluable work to ensure financial stability and protect the interests of consumers."

He joined the regulator in May 2004 as the managing director responsible for wholesale and institutional markets which allowed him to avoid direct criticism of the supervision of Northern Rock, the first bank to endure a crisis of confidence in living memory.

The banking crisis erupted just as he became chief executive in July 2007, from which point he was embroiled in overseeing the nationalisation of Northern Rock and the bailout of Royal Bank of Scotland and HBOS.

Turner tried to present a picture of business as usual at the FSA and paid tribute to Sants. "Hector has given outstanding service and leadership through the turbulent last three years and has played a pivotal role in reforming the FSA into a truly effective organisation. He will leave behind an organisation with strong purpose and a clear strategy," said Turner.

"We will be immensely sorry to lose him, but understand his decision to move on in the summer and wish him well in whatever he chooses to do after his departure. In the meantime, we will continue to work together to deliver the FSA's reformed and intensive supervisory approach and drive forward the global regulatory reform agenda.".

What is the human cost of the war in Afghanistan for British forces? As British troops suffer more losses in 2010, these are the latest figures - including new wounded statistics
? Get the data
? Afghanistan civilian casualties
? Information is Beautiful analysis of the data

2009 was the bloodiest year so far for British troops in Afghanistan. As the number of British deaths in Afghanistan passes 250 - now much higher than Iraq and even the Falklands conflict - these are the numbers of British fatalities for Afghanistan - and Iraq, too - updated as they change. We've broken Afghanistan down month-by-month.

More complicated are the wounded numbers. Rather than one simple set of statistics, the MoD gives us three - all of which are included as a sheet in the dataset below (and summarised down the page).

? Firstly, you have the Noticas numbers. These are the most seriously wounded cases, where the family has been informed the wounded person has been "listed"
? Then there are the people registered at field hospitals - which go from the seriously to the lightly wounded, from all causes, violent and otherwise
? Lastly there are the personnel who've been evacuated by air, which could be serious combat injuries or illnesses such as dysentry

This is how the MoD defines it:

'"Very Seriously ill/ Injured/wounded" or VSI is the definition we use where the illness or injury is of such severity that life or reason is imminently endangered. "Seriously ill/Injured/Wounded" or SI is the definition we use where the patient's condition is of such severity that there is cause for immediate concern, but there is no imminent danger to life or reason. The VSI and SI categories are defined by Joint Casualty and Compassionate Policy and Procedures. They are not strictly medical categories but are designed to give an indication of the severity of the illness to inform what the individual's next of kin are told.'

What do you think? Can you do anything with the data?

? DATA: British dead and wounded, month by month as a spreadsheet - including names of dead
? DATA: US casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq
? DATA: how many troops does each country send to Afghanistan
? INTERACTIVE: rollcall of the British dead

? Our world government data gateway

Flickr Please post your visualisations and mash-ups on our Flickr group or mail us at datastore@guardian.co.uk

? Get the A-Z of data
? More at the Datastore directory
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Around 8,500 British Prius owners affected in recall of almost 0.5m vehicles by carmaker hit by string of recent safety scares

Toyota is to recall almost half a million hybrid cars worldwide, including 8,500 of its Prius model in the UK, in the latest blow to the carmaker's reputation following a string of safety scares.

The recall will begin immediately in Japan and similar measures are being prepared overseas, the firm said today. Toyota GB announced that the recall will apply to 8,500 owners of the third-generation Prius in the UK. It will send individual letters to all those owners explaining details of the recalls, which will involve a 40-minute software update to the car's braking system.

Today's announcement follows about 200 complaints in Japan and the US over a software glitch in its best-selling Prius petrol-electric hybrid that can cause temporary brake failure at low speeds on bumpy or icy roads.

"I apologise for causing trouble and worries for many customers over the quality and safety of Toyota," its embattled president, Akio Toyoda, told reporters in Tokyo today, his second public apology in less than a week.

"We sincerely acknowledge safety concerns from our customers. We have decided to recall as we regard safety for our customers as our foremost priority. We will redouble our commitment to quality as a lifeline of our company. We will do everything in our power to regain the confidence of our customers."

Toyota GB pointed out that so far there had been no reports of accidents linked to the problem in Europe.

Toyota's Japanese headquarters informed the country's transport ministry of the recall of 223,000 hybrid cars in Japan across four models: about 200,000 of the 2010 Prius model and much smaller numbers of the Prius plug-in hybrid, the SAI and the Lexus HS250h.

It said it would take remedial measures concerning a further 213,000 hybrid cars outside Japan, including the US and Europe, taking the total number of vehicles affected to around 437,000.

The new Prius is sold in about 60 countries, with sales totalling more than 300,000 vehicles since the first models were rolled out last spring.

Toyota, the world's biggest carmaker, is already faces criticism following the recent recall of more than 8m cars worldwide affected by potentially dangerous acceleration problems.

The Prius, the world's most popular hybrid, was Japan's top-selling car last year and hailed as the ultimate in green auto technology. But mounting fears over its safety could unravel Toyota's attempts to dominate the growing market in fuel-efficient vehicles.

In the US Toyota is battling to save its reputation in the face of lawsuits linked to accidents, an investigation by highway authorities and mounting criticism of its handling of the crisis by the Obama administration.

The brake defect has been responsible for four crashes in which two people were injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which has launched an investigation. There have been no reports of similar accidents in the UK.

The recall of the Prius represents a worst-case scenario for Toyota now that safety doubts surrounding its cars have spread to its hitherto fiercely loyal customers in Japan.

"Toyota has been, beyond any doubts, the top player in hybrid car segment, and the fact that Prius and other hybrid models will be part of this massive recall significantly dents its image," said Suh Sung-moon, an analyst at Korea Investment and Securities in Seoul.

Toyoda, the grandson of the company's founder, promised to work closely with US regulators following criticism that the company had only recalled cars with faulty accelerators under pressure from the US government.

"I have spoken with US transportation secretary, Ray LaHood, and given him my personal assurance that lines of communications with safety agencies and regulators will be kept open, that we will communicate more frequently and that we will be more vigilant in responding to those officials on all matters," Toyoda wrote in today's Washington Post.

He said the firm was working around the clock to fix the problem, but conceded that it needed to do more to regain the trust of American drivers. "We are taking responsibility for our mistakes, learning from them and acting immediately to address the concerns of consumers and independent government regulators."

Toyota said it had fixed the software glitch responsible for the braking problem in Prius models that went on sale from late last month, but had yet to repair models sold before then.

The admission that it had started fixing the brake glitch about a week before it went public with the problem has prompted allegations of a cover-up.

The firm will start informing Japan dealers immediately about the glitch, which takes about 40 minutes to repair.

Industry watchers said Toyota's handling of the recalls had seriously damaged its brand image. "Until the recent crisis, Toyota was the best performing and most valuable car brand in the world," said David Haigh, the chief executive of Brand Finance, a UK consultancy, adding that the Prius had "put Toyota right at the leading edge of the green car movement".

He added: "Sadly, the inept way Akio Toyoda and his management team have handled the recent crisis has massively damaged the brand."

The firm has been widely criticised for failing to deal more quickly with the defects. It took almost two weeks for Toyoda, who was made president last summer, to comment publicly after the accelerator recall was announced last month.

The company is also anticipating a flurry of lawsuits in the US over the brake problem, in addition to those already filed in connection with "sticky" accelerators.

Today it was reported that the owner of a 2010 Prius has sued Toyota in Los Angeles, claiming that the company had failed to fix the brake defect.

Toyota's North America chief executive, Yoshimi Inaba, is due to come under pressure to explain his firm's poor handling of the recall when he testifies in front of a congressional committee in Washington tomorrow.

Dizaei's corruption was all the more deplorable given his rank, says Crown Prosecution Service spokesman Gaon Hart outside court

More than 8 million Toyota cars made over the past five years, including seven British models, may have an accelerator fault. A separate braking problem has prompted the recall of four hybrid cars, including the latest Prius model

Toyota has issued two product recalls related to accelerator problems, and has announced a third recall due to a braking problem with its latest flagship hybrid Prius model.

The largest recall, covering 8 million vehicles worldwide, concerns an accelerator pedal design fault that could cause drivers to lose control of the vehicle.

The company believes 180,865 vehicles in Britain may suffer from the defect and nearly 2 million in Europe as a whole.

The second recall follows reports in the US of accelerator pedals getting stuck in the floor mat. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration believes five people have died in crashes in such circumstances.

A British driver was told by a Toyota dealer that supply of the mats in the UK was "frozen" and the company was improving the product. However, there is no British recall, and Toyota says the issue is unrelated to the pedal design fault.

This is how Toyota GB director Jon Williams explained the accelerator recall on YouTube:

Owners of the latest Prius, which went on sale in the UK in August 2009, reported feeling a change in the braking when travelling over bumpy or slippery ground.

Toyota says the issue relates to the car's anti-skid software. It is installing updated software in vehicles manufactured since last month.

It announced a global recall on the third generation Prius. This will involve 8,500 cars in the UK.

The recalled cars will be fitted with upgraded braking system software, which will take around 40 minutes to install. It insists that the cars are safe to drive and drivers are never without brakes.

Toyota admits it is looking into around 180 complaints about brake problems.

In the UK seven models are being recalled only over the accelerator pedal design fault. They are:

Aygo (February 2005 ? August 2009, only MMT version is affected)
iQ (November 2008 ? November 2009)
Yaris (November 2005 ? September 2009)
Auris (October 2006 ? 5 January 2010)
Corolla (October 2006 ? December 2009)
Verso (February 2009 ? 5 January 2010)
Avensis (November 2008 ? December 2009)

The braking problem relates to the third generation Prius (August 2009 - 27 January 2010)

There are no confirmed cases of injury in the UK; in the US, up to 19 crash deaths in the past decade may be linked to the accelerator-related problem, congressional officials have said.

Toyota insists that the braking problem on the Prius has not caused any accidents in Europe.

Toyota says British owners should contact the company, and warns people not to get the problem fixed independently.

While Toyota insists the cars are safe to drive, Nick Freeman, a UK lawyer who has made his name defending celebrities in speeding cases, says owners could be sued if they drive affected cars and are involved in accidents.

"The recall puts you on notice that there could be a fault, which means you assume responsibility. In the case of a fatal accident, you could be charged with causing death by dangerous driving."

The Association of Motor Offence Lawyers describes it as "a grey area". It said manufacturers could be held liable for "failing to ensure the recall was administered sufficiently quickly and efficiently to place individual owners on notice of the need to stop driving their vehicles".

Yes, according to Miguel Fonseca, the managing director of Toyota GB. "This is not a problem that develops suddenly. There are warning signs such as the accelerator pedal becoming harder to depress or slow to return to its normal position."

Toyota officials expect the recall to cost the firm $2bn (£1.26bn), including up to £560m in lost sales.

The firm admits it will need to rebuild customer trust. It lost 16% of sales last month in the US, and was overtaken in sales by Ford and GM. However, it remains the world's biggest carmaker and expects to make a £550m profit this year.

The EU has had its successes - not least 50 years of peace and widespread prosperity ? but it has also been too weak on the things that matter most

Hey there, Eurosceptic. Yes, I'm talking to you, the one with the loud voice and the scowl. Spare five minutes in the course of your busy day to read Ian Traynor's lengthy zeitgeist (sorry about the German) report in today's Guardian on the demoralised state of the European Union.

Smart chap and highly-experienced correspondent that he is, Traynor is right on the money. If anything, it's worse than he says. You can't pack everything into one article and Ian has concentrated on the EU's diplomatic disarray on the world stage.

He could have done the eurozone's woes and the urgent plight of Greece. Were Athens to default on its huge debts it could trigger a speculative domino effect across the union's southern flank ? as in today's page one lead in the FT ("Traders in record bet against the euro") or Elena Moya's report on the Guardian's City pages.

And don't think we can pull up the drawbridge at Dover or close the Channel Tunnel. A eurozone crisis would be very bad for us too. Our debts are a problem and lemming-like speculation on the financial markets is contagious. A fresh pummelling for sterling or a collapse in confidence in the British government's ability to fund its banker-driven debt mountain would be horrible.

What the crisis all about? Lots of things, including the mortifying discovery that the US president, Barack Obama, has better things to do with his time than attend the next EU/US summit in Madrid in May. Summit-itis is an EU foible, its leaders (they have so many) love to strut their stuff, even if no one is watching.

But, as Traynor points out, all Europe's virtuous efforts to lead the debate on climate change ? and implement reforms such as carbon trading ? didn't count for much at the UN's Copenhagen summit, where the new world order was clearly visible. China tried to humiliate Obama, both sidestepped Europe. That famous photo of EU leaders chatting with him over coffee was just that: a coffee break.

It's not all about us; that's always a mistake in public as well as private life. The Chinese and Indians ? plus other regions, notably in Asia ? are following Japan's lead towards modernisation after centuries in the doldrums. Clever, world-view Obama knows this and sees himself as the "Pacific President". After all, he was born in Hawaii.

But the Europeans have also shot themselves in both feet as they tried to build a new form of supranational state which respects national sovereignty most of the time ? concentrate on this bit, Mr Grumpy ? and has had its successes; not least 50 years of peace and widespread prosperity unknown on the continent.

But voters came to take it all for granted and leaders failed to lead and take voters with them on the journey towards "ever-closer union", an overblown phrase which could only have been invented by a Frenchman.

During some ridiculous crisis in what we used to call the "common market," then the EEC, in the 90s I recall writing that "centrifugal forces are already in the saddle". Eurosceptic fears of a federal Europe ? dominated by those wicked Germans ? were a fantasy, though it was fashionable at the time. The nation state had won: we knew it would.

Yes, I know the EU ? as it became ? interferes in all sorts of silly ways (it gets blamed unfairly for all sorts too), but on things which matter most ? war and peace, the plight of the Greeks ? it has usually been too weak.

The euro, now under potentially lethal threat because of the looming sovereign debt crisis in Greece, Spain and Portugal, was the main vehicle for rectifying Europe's collective inability to punch its weight.

Had Tony Blair persuaded Gordon Brown to stage that referendum on sterling's entry I would have voted no, though I wished ? still wish ? the zone well. Not right for us, not quite right for them. Currency unions are the product of political unions, not the other way around.

Hence the agonising in Brussels and Paris, Frankfurt and Berlin, about how best to rescue Greece and its feeble government from the country's folly: overburdened with euro-denominated debt, no domestic savings, poor productivity and an inability to devalue in response to the financial crisis, as Britain has.

Quite the reverse, the euro is over-valued. Sensing weakness and hesitation speculators are betting on a eurozone debt crisis and shorting the currency. We're doing you a favour, they say, to help you make your mind up. They always do. Let's hope they catch a bad cold because Brussels does act decisively. Don't bet on it.

It's not all bad, of course not. Thoughtful Americans look at Europe's social model ? greener, healthier, more grounded in so many ways ? and think it offers a better future than their own more individualistic society ? if we can afford it.

But indecision is evident across the policy board. Defence? 2 million men and women in uniform, yet Europe cannot put more than 30,000 into the field in support of UN actions ? and most of them are safe in their barracks when those Taliban bullets start flying. Congo? Rwanda? Don't even ask. Shared defence procurement? We all struggle to make progress.

The aborted EU constitution was another attempt to make progress. That I would have voted yes to, a tidying up operation intended to make an EU of 27 states ? including micro-states like Cyprus and Malta with equal veto rights to Germany's ? more effectively. And yes, I did read the text, hideously earth-bound though it was.

What Europe eventually got after the French and Dutch no votes was the Lisbon treaty complete with a president, Herman van Rompuy of Belgium, and a foreign minister, Cathy Ashton of Britain; not forgetting all the others whose vanities you can read in Traynor's article.

Here in Britain the scary bit is that David Cameron is poised to take power with an analysis of Anglo-European relations which stems from his and clever William Hague's impressionable youth, when their heroine, Margaret Thatcher was sliding off her trolley. Thatcher's bronze period, you might say.

So when they ? or Liam Fox ? go to Washington to talk up the special relationship, like little boys offering teacher an apple, American eyes roll skywards. What they want is Britain to use its influence make Europe work better. Don't these Brits get it?

In Thatcher's prime No 10 did not love Europe but she got it. Then Labour was the idiot party, seeking election on a platform that would have quit Europe and banned the bomb. Hague and Cameron's European policy is dictated by short-term party tactics ? a bit of red meat for the sceptics.

It has put them into alliance with a ragbag of east European rightwingers, oddballs, climate change hooligans. They must all be thrilled to have such a famous friend, the party of Winston Churchill and the Duke of Wellington, both of whom got it ? and could, incidentally, take an incisive decision for Europe.

Heaven help them, heaven help us all. Seat belts on.

Severin Carrell on test failure in Scotland of first amphibious bus

Cold weather and heavy snow forecast for parts of UK and conditions set to worsen later in the week

Bitterly cold weather has returned to the UK and forecasters warn that conditions will worsen later in the week with a warning of heavy snow for parts of the south-east.

Last night temperatures again plunged below zero in some parts of the country with biting winds and snow flurries adding to the chill. There are fears that grit supplies nationwide have not been replenished since the cold snap in January, raising the prospect of further difficulties for motorists.

The Met Office warned there could be heavy snow in the south-east England later in the week with as much as 15cm on high ground. It issued an early warning for heavy and possibly drifting snow for east Sussex, Kent and Medway for Thursday and Friday. There will also be a risk of widespread ice on the roads.

The chilly weather is forecast to last into the weekend, but conditions are not expected to be as bad as last month's big freeze.

John Hutchinson, forecaster with MeteoGroup, said snow showers in the east would be broken by sunny spells today and tomorrow before turning heavier towards the end of the week.

He said: "Most of the sleet and snow will be in eastern areas, and Kent will see the worst of it.

"Through today there will be sunny spells with the wintry showers in eastern parts and temperatures will rise to between 3C and 5C. That bit more sunshine will mean the snow will struggle to settle during the day, though it could settle over the hills in north-east England."

A spokeswoman for Kent police said drivers are being warned to take extra care while the wintry conditions persist and a Highways Agency spokesman said there are warnings for drivers to take care throughout southern and eastern England.

The Welsh Local Government Association warned at the weekend that councils across the UK had failed to stock up on enough grit since the January cold snap to withstand another bout of freezing weather.

Steve Thomas, the Welsh LGA chief executive, said: "We are not just talking about Wales here but the whole of the UK."

But David Sparks, chairman of the Local Government Association transport and regeneration board, said councils would continue to "work tirelessly" to keep roads and people safe and to make sure essential services could still function.

Sparks, a councillor on Dudley Metropolitan borough council, in the West Midlands, said local authorities would work together to share salt supplies and make sure it was available in the worst affected areas.

"Despite forecasts of a mild winter, many councils stockpiled more salt this year but after the longest cold snap in 30 years, systems are stretched but are holding up," he said.

"With more snow forecast for some parts of the UK, everyone, including central government and the Highways Agency, is going to have to carefully manage the way they use salt.

"Although in some areas, last month's snow and freezing weather went away, councils in many places have had to continue to grit the roads.

"Councils have been working hard to replenish their salt stocks with some authorities importing salt from abroad, but they can only restock as fast as salt suppliers can dig salt out of the ground.

The average temperature last month of 1.1C (34F) was colder than for any January since 1987 and it was the ninth lowest recorded in the past 100 years. Parts of Scotland and the north-east of England experienced snow as deep as 58cm, while the lowest temperature was -22.3C, recorded in Altnaharra in Sutherland, in the Highlands, on 7 January.

House buyers put their moving plans on hold in January as the market suffered a drop in inquiries for the first time in seven months, Rics says

The winter weather put a freeze on the housing market during January as buyers and sellers put their moving plans on hold, surveyors said today.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) recorded its first drop in inquiries from potential buyers for 14 months during January, while the number of new sellers fell for the first time in seven months.

Overall, 20% more surveyors reported a drop in new househunters than those who saw a rise, down from 18% more who reported a rise in inquiries in December.

At the same time, a balance of 5% of surveyors said the number of people putting their home on the market fell, down from 15% who had seen an increase in sellers during December.

Rics said the bad weather had had a dampening effect on the level of new sales agreed. The number fell to an average of 18 for chartered surveyor estate agents during the three months to the end of January ? down from 19 during the previous three-month period and the first drop for 10 months.

But despite the slowdown in activity, house prices continued to rise with 32% more surveyors reporting price increases in January than those who saw falls, up from 30% more in December.

Surveyors remain confident that the dip in activity is temporary, with the proportion who expect prices to continue rising doubling during the month from a balance of 12% to 24%.

There was an even bigger increase in the number of surveyors expecting sales to rise during the coming three months, rising from 7% in December to 24% in January.

Rics's spokesman Ian Perry said: "The cold snap in January clearly has a huge impact upon both supply and demand in the housing market with activity coming to a halt amidst the seasonal chaos.

"Activity and interest is likely to pick up in the coming months as the market experiences a spring bounce. House prices are likely to rise in the short term, but if more supply continues to come on to the market it is possible that it will run out of steam in the latter part of the year."

The housing market recovery continues to be strongest in London, the south-east and the south-west.

In Wales, Yorkshire and Humberside and the north, more surveyors are still reporting price falls than rises.

Last week, mortgage lender Halifax reported that a shortage of homes coming on to the market had continued to drive up prices in January.

Halifax's chief economist, Martin Ellis, said he expected to see more homes coming on to the market in the coming months, and this would curb further price rises in 2010.

Commenting on the Rics figures Howard Archer, chief UK economist at IHS Global Insight, said: "While housing market activity was clearly lifted through 2009 by more affordable house prices and low mortgage rates, the upside continues to be limited by unfavourable economic fundamentals.

"In particular, unemployment is high and full-time employment is still falling appreciably while earnings growth is low. Meanwhile, credit conditions are only easing gradually."

He added: "The threshold for having to pay stamp duty of 1% moved back down to £125,000 from £175,000 in January, while there are concerns that interest rates could start rising well before the end of 2010.

"We think this is unlikely, but fears of higher interest rates may well weigh down on housing market activity."

Fault which caused BA plane to crash at Heathrow two years ago was not covered by safety requirements, says report

The fault which caused a British Airways plane to crash land at Heathrow airport two years ago, narrowly missing the airport's perimeter road and nearby buildings, was not covered by aviation safety requirements at the time, an official report said today.

The Boeing 777 lost power due to a restricted fuel flow to both engines, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said. It concluded that the crash on 17 January 2008 was probably caused by a buildup of ice in the fuel system on the plane, which was carrying 136 passengers. No one was seriously injured.

The ice probably formed from water that occurred naturally in the fuel, and when fuel temperatures were at a "sticky range" when ice crystals were most likely to adhere to their surroundings, the report said. Safety regulations "did not take account of this phenomenon as the risk was unrecognised at that time".

Research in the 1950s had identified the problem of ice formation in fuel systems from dissolved or trapped water but did not identify the possibility of accumulated ice restricting fuel flow.

The AAIB concluded that the fuel oil heat exchanger on the plane was susceptible to restriction when presented with a high concentration of soft ice and a fuel temperature below -10C.

Having lost power, the BA flight, arriving from Beijing, came down within the airfield boundary at Heathrow but 330 metres short of the runway, sliding 372 metres before coming to rest.

The left main landing gear (MLG) collapsed and the right MLG separated from the plane. Everyone was safely evacuated. Thirty-four passengers and 12 cabin crew suffered minor injuries, mainly to the back and neck. One passenger broke a leg.

The report said the cabin crew, led by the captain, Peter Burkill, became aware of a possible engine thrust problem just 43 seconds before touchdown.

Losing speed, the crew, hailed as heroes after the crash, tried to increase engine thrust but there was no response from the engines. A mayday call was put out three seconds before touchdown.

There was not enough time for the flight crew to brief the cabin crew or issue a command for passengers to brace themselves, the report said.

There was a significant fuel leak, and an oxygen leak caused by damage to the passenger oxygen bottles from part of the MLG.

On 28 November 2008 a Delta Airlines Boeing 777 suffered a similar ice problem while flying over the US. This prompted an investigation by America's National Transportation Safety Board, with the AAIB having an accredited representative.

Nine safety recommendations were made following earlier AAIB reports into the BA incident and a further nine were made today, including some which address plane "crashworthiness" ? the ability of an aircraft to withstand an accident. Boeing and the aero engine company Rolls-Royce have taken steps to prevent the ice phenomenon from happening again.

A BA spokesman welcomed the report. He said that although there were no specific safety recommendations for the airline, it had worked with the relevant authorities and manufacturers "to ensure that the highest safety levels are maintained".

Minute-by-minute coverage as Labour's general election coordinator, Douglas Alexander, and Andy Burnham, the health secretary, outline the party's plans for the NHS

10.38am: That's it. Here are the main points.

? Burnham denied being in favour a £20,000 levy on estates to pay for a national care programme. He said that the government was still considering its options. And he attacked the Conservative alternative as "backward-looking".

? He reaffirmed Labour's commitment to giving suspect cancer patients the right to diagnosis within a week. He claimed this would save 10,000 lives and he said it would cost over £500m.

? Alexander announced a new online campaign attacking Tory health policy.

10.36am: Asked again about social care, Burnham says he set out three models in the green paper: a partnership model, a voluntary model and a compulsory model.

He says there is "no decision within government" as to which of those three models the government will promote.

The Tory proposal for people to pay an £8,000 insurance fee is "backward looking". It provides an incentive to put more older people in care.

10.32am: Q: Where does the money come from? And will Labour have a pledge card?

Burnham says Alistair Darling has promised to protect frontline services for the next three years.

Alexander says health will be a central feature of the campaign.

We want there to be a very clear choice in relation to policy.

That's why he wants to ensure "adequate scrutiny" of the Conservative party.

Q: So will there be a pledge card?

Alexander says we will have to see whether there are five pledges, 10 pledges or more.

10.29am: Q: What cancers will this target?

Burnham says it is particularly important to target lung cancer, bowel cancer and ovarian cancer.

Q: Where did the 10,000 lives saved figure come from? And won't faster diagnoses produce a bottleneck?

Burnham says GPs tell him they could do more tests more quickly if they have access to the right equipment.

Because patients aren't picked up quickly enough, they have to go into hospital for more invasive treatment.

By making this decisive shift towards a more preventative service, we can make better use of resources.

10.24am: Q: Is Labour planning a death tax on estates to pay for the national care service?

Burnham says there is a consensus that long-term care services need "fundamental reform".

The government published a green paper last year. It is consulting on options.

The story on this in the Guardian today is "inaccurate in a number of ways".

There is a "scurrilous campaign" being run by the Conservatives on this.

Q: Where is the Guardian story inaccurate?

Burnham says it talks about a £20,000 flat levy. Burnham says a flat levy of that kind is not his preferred option.

The Conservatives have set their face against reform ... I believe the biggest mistake this country could be would be to step back from reform.

If the government abandoned reform, it would leave an "inadequate" and "unfair" system in place.

People are paying from their own pockets "in large amounts" to fund the cost of care.

10.21am: Q: When does the target get rolled out? And how much does it cost?

Burnham says he is "confident" it can be introduced by 2015.

Hospital trusts would strike deals with GP practices to deliver this.

It would cost £180m a year for the first three years. That's the cost of new equipment.

10.18am: Q: Haven't we heard about this seven-day target before? And aren't the Tories right about cancer outcomes being very poor in the UK?

Burnham says:

And I was sitting here thinking you did not have memories that long.

He admits Gordon Brown announced that one-week pledge before Labour's conference.

On survival rates, Burnham says the NHS has reduced cancer mortality rates by 19%.

10.15am: We're onto questions.

Burnham says today's pledge is about creating new "testing capacity" within the NHS.

Q: How will the government achieve its plan to save £2.7bn by moving more care from hospital to home?

Burnham says the figures have been "carefully worked out" in the department of health. He can provide a full breakdown. (Cathy Newman from Channel 4 asked the question. On her factcheck blog, she suggested yesterday that these figures are bogus.)

10.14am: Alexander says voteNHS will build on the support of internet campaigns like Ed's Pledge and Back the Ban.

Labour is also launching a CameraON/CameraOFF campaign to highlight the difference between Tory rhetoric and Tory reality.

10.09am: Alexander and Burnham are here.

Burnham says he does not believe in over-claiming for the NHS. He's not complacent. There are many places where it could improve. But there have been real improvements over the last few years.

At the 2005 election Labour promised to bring down waiting times to a 18 week maximum and to half MRSA rates. People said it could not be done. But it was achieved, he says.

Today Labour is promising to ensure cancer patients get their results back within one week by 2015. Experts say this could save 10,000 lives.

Catching cancer early also saves on treatment cost further down the line, he says.

This will place cancer services in the UK "on a par with the best in the world".

Burnham says:

As we have seen in the past, the NHS can move mountains when it is given a very clear job to do.

Labour's national guarantees will be the "battleground" for the election.

The Tories would scrap the guarantees on day one of a David Cameron government, Burnham says.

Labour today puts its cards on the table.

10.07am: They've just handed out a news release. Burnham is launching a voteNHS.com website to support a key element of Labour's health manifesto. The release says:

The "target cancer" campaign aims to save up to 10,000 lives by backing a pledge to create a new NHS guarantee of cancer diagnosis within one week of GP referral, allowing patients to be tested and told their results in just seven days.

9.59am: I'm at Victoria Street now in the holding room, waiting for the press conference to begin. Coffee and biscuits are available.

Reading Gordon Brown's speech, I see that Labour's health policy has got more guarantees than a branch of Currys. There's a cancer guarantee, a waiting time guarantee, a GP access guarantee, a health check guarantee and a care guarantee.

8.58am: The Labour party is holding another campaign press conference this morning.

Douglas Alexander, the general election co-ordinator, and Andy Burnham, the health secretary, have invited journalists to their HQ at Victoria Street to hear them "outline Labour's campaign for the NHS and the threat posed by David Cameron and the Conservative party policy on the NHS".

I'm not sure how good it's going to be; Gordon Brown delivered a big speech on the NHS just yesterday. But if they don't have much new to say about the NHS, there are plenty of other topics to ask about. The press conference starts at 10am.