Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 14 Maret 2015 | 10.18
Footage has emerged apparently showing three British schoolgirls in Turkey, before they fled to Syria to join IS militants.
Shamima Begum, Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana all seem to appear in the footage and are talking to an Arab interpreter about a Syrian passport.
It is believed the footage was filmed by an individual arrested by Turkish officials yesterday and accused of being a "spy" from Canada.
The film was confiscated from the man after the girls were helped across the border into Syria to join militants, sources in Turkey said.
Sky's Ashish Joshi said it was unclear where or when the film was taken, though it is believed to be somewhere in Turkey.
Video:Agent Who Helped Missing Girls Held
"By releasing this footage, by holding it up, Turkey is saying to the rest of the world 'we are doing everything we can to stop people travelling through our country to join IS'," said Joshi.
Yesterday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu described the person who helped the girls cross into Syria as a "foreign spy".
He said that the individual was working for one of the states in the US-led coalition.
Mr Cavusoglu said the agent was not American, or from an EU state, but did not elaborate.
Video:Girls' Journey From London To Syria
Other reports said the suspect was working for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).
However, Canadian government sources said they would not comment on "operational matters of national security".
The three schoolgirls flew from Gatwick to Istanbul on 17 February and are feared to have continued to Syria to become so-called "jihadi brides".
The girls, who all attended Bethnal Green Academy in East London, are believed to be staying in a house in the IS militants' stronghold Raqqa.
Video:Girls 'Pictured On Way To Syria'
The teenagers are thought to have stolen family jewellery to fund their trip, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley told MPs.
They paid more than £1,000 in cash to a travel agent for their flights to Turkey, the Home Affairs Select Committee heard.
It also emerged the trio were among seven schoolgirls who were handed letters by the police about another 15-year-old from Bethnal Green Academy who ran away to Syria in December.
Relatives of the girls have demanded an apology from the Met for failing to send the crucial letter directly to their parents.
A letter has been sent to the Chancellor urging him to allocate funds in the Budget to support women struggling to cope before and after the birth of a baby.
More than one in 10 women suffer from ante or post-natal depression.
But research by the parenting charity NCT has found that only 26% of NHS trusts offer them any specialist mental health support.
Now 29 organisations have signed the NCT's letter to George Osborne on the weekend of Mother's Day calling for that to change.
The organisations include The Royal College of Midwives, the Mental Health Foundation and Netmums.
Video:Half Of Mums 'Not Getting Advice'
Elizabeth Duff, senior adviser at NCT, said: "One of the things mothers really need is better services when they are suffering poor mental health around having their baby.
"So that's what we're asking Osborne to do - make sure there are services for those women."
Marianne Ryan, from Peterborough, struggled after her daughter Jessica was born with a genetic condition that affected her breathing and feeding.
She was given anti-depressants but had to wait 10 months for counselling.
And it was no better when she became pregnant with Edward, now five months old.
Video:Depressed Mums-To-Be Support Call
"I felt let down," she said.
"Nobody asked me how I was feeling during the pregnancy and when I asked about counselling they said it was not available.
"I could apply for it, but it would take a long time so there wasn't much point. It took quite a lot for me to admit it first time around.
"I felt quite ashamed so I was quite brave doing it again - but there was no help and you feel ashamed again and go home and get on with it."
Last year the Government allocated extra funding for mental health services.
Video:Pressured Mums 'Suffer In Silence'
But the organisations behind the letter say money must be specifically allocated to help mothers.
The letter states: "More than one in 10 mothers in the UK experiences some form of ante-natal or post-natal depression, yet despite the prevalence of this condition and the current political focus on parity of esteem between mental and physical health, there are still huge gaps in the services available.
"A commitment in the Budget to dedicated funds for treating perinatal mental health problems would help to reduce financial burden by ensuring the health service is better equipped."
Of the quarter of trusts which do provide some kind of support, half have just one member of staff to do the work.
Marianne is delighted that action is being taken.
Video:Doing Motherhood For Themselves
"I think the letter is brilliant," she said. But she added: "I think it's a shame that it has to be done because it's pretty obvious that's what women need."
A Government spokesperson said: "It is vital that pregnant women and new mothers with mental health problems get the specialist care they need.
"This is why we have employed more than 2,300 more midwives and an extra 3,100 health visitors since 2010 to provide personalised care and support to women during pregnancy and the perinatal period.
"We are also ensuring that every birthing unit has trained specialist mental health staff available to support pregnant women and new mums by 2017."
Written By Unknown on Jumat, 13 Maret 2015 | 10.18
By Becky Johnson, Sky News Correspondent
Greater Manchester Police has admitted failing at to properly investigate child sexual exploitation in Rochdale.
The extent and gravity of crimes being committed was not recognised by officers, a report by the force's Professional Standards Branch has concluded.
But despite the damning findings, the report reveals no officers will be formally disciplined for their part in the failures.
In total, the conduct of 13 officers was examined. Of those, seven officers were formally investigated.
The force concluded that only one, an inspector, had a case to answer for misconduct.
The officer retired last year before the findings of the long-awaited report were made public, and hence no action was taken against him.
Simon Danczuk says the force has failed to protect vulnerable young girls
Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk told Sky News: "Whilst there were lots of failures there hasn't been any action taken against those responsible for those failures.
"This report shows that Greater Manchester Police are good at protecting the careers and pensions of senior officers but they aren't any good at protecting vulnerable young girls across Rochdale."
The report looked at the conduct of officers when victims first told police about the abuse in 2008.
It found that appropriate resources were not given to looking into the claims.
There were not enough officers and there was a lack of specialist training and experience among those tasked with carrying out the investigation.
When the CPS dropped the case due to concerns about the credibility of a witness, the police did not challenge the decision.
One victim recalls how she and other girls were made to feel by officers.
"I got called a prostitute by a uniformed copper," she told Sky News.
"It's like they were calling everyone liars because when you went and told them about something then they weren't listening to you."
The report found the force did not recognise how to respond to the crimes
It wasn't until 2010, when more resources were put into investigating child sexual exploitation in Rochdale, that the earlier reports from victims were reinvestigated.
Further girls came forward and in 2012 nine men who ran a child exploitation ring were jailed for offences including rape and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child.
Their trial heard in detail how they preyed on vulnerable girls and plied them with drugs and alcohol before passing them around for sex.
The report recommends that in future Greater Manchester Police needs to "focus more professionally on investigating the crime rather than investigating the victim".
It added that "there has been too great an emphasis on examining the credibility of the victim".
Assistant Chief Constable Dawn Copley said: "I want to start by saying we openly acknowledge that mistakes were made and victims were let down.
"For our part in that we apologise to the victims and we give them our assurance that lessons have been learned, changes have been made and we are determined to use this to continue making improvements.
"This matter was referred to the IPCC in December 2010. They decided to supervise the investigation which was then conducted by our Professional Standards Branch.
"It is clear that mistakes were made in this investigation. We have, and continue to make significant improvements because of the lessons we have learned.
"We urge victims to come forward knowing that we will take them seriously and thoroughly investigate what has happened to them. People who abuse children will be traced and brought to justice."
A British healthcare worker who contracted Ebola while working in Sierra Leone has arrived in the UK for specialist treatment.
The unnamed woman, who works for the British military in Kerry Town, is being treated at a special high-level isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in northwest London.
Two fellow military healthcare workers who came into contact with the woman returned to the UK on the same RAF plane, Public Health England (PHE) said.
An RAF plane transported the three healthcare workers to the UK
The pair will be assessed at the Royal Free, the hospital said.
"Neither is displaying symptoms of the disease," it said.
Video:Ebola Nurse To Be Flown Back To UK
Two other co-workers who also came into contact with the woman are still in Sierra Leone under observation, but will be flown to Newcastle on Friday on an EU Medevac flight.
They will be taken to the city's Royal Victoria Infirmary.
Rapid tracing was undertaken to identify anyone who had been in recent close contact with the worker after she tested positive to the disease, a PHE spokeswoman said.
Video:Jan: Inside The Sierra Leone Clinic
"This contact tracing identified four military healthcare workers requiring further assessment," she said.
An investigation has been launched into exactly how the woman fell ill, at the same British-run clinic where Scottish nurse Pauline Cafferkey contracted the virus.
Ms Cafferkey had volunteered with Save The Children at the Ebola Treatment Centre in January. She returned to the UK before making a full recovery.
Video:July 2014: Inside The Royal Free
Another British nurse, Will Pooley, also survived the highly-contagious disease after contracting it while working in Sierra Leone last year.
No British nationals have died from Ebola, but there have been more than 9,500 fatalities in West Africa since the outbreak began.
Ms Cafferkey and Mr Pooley were the only Britons to have tested positive for the disease until the latest case.
Video:How Ebola Attacks The Human Body
A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: "Despite there being stringent procedures and controls in place to safeguard UK service personnel, there is always a level of risk in deployments on operations of this type."
An estimated 700 British servicemen and women have been deployed to Sierra Leone to help in the response against Ebola, which swept through West Africa last year.
They have helped build and staff medical centres such as the Kerry Town Ebola Crisis Centre which opened in November last year, along with a number of volunteers from the NHS.
Video:Ebola: Busting The Myths
The 80-bed hospital is managed by Save the Children. It has several beds reserved for health workers who fall ill with the potentially deadly virus.
Written By Unknown on Kamis, 12 Maret 2015 | 10.18
France has overtaken Britain as the second biggest contributor to the air campaign against Islamic State, Sky News can reveal.
The UK government has long claimed that position but since the arrival of French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in the Gulf last month, the French are putting up more planes on more sorties over Iraq.
French warplanes now fly between 12 and 15 sorties a day, more than three times the amount of RAF jets.
There are more than four times as many French fighter jets involved in the campaign.
The Charles de Gaulle has 21 onboard:12 Rafale and nine Super Etendard; and a further 15 are based on land in Jordan and the UAE.
There are 12 Rafale aircraft on France's Charles de Gaulle carrier
The UK, in contrast, has eight Tornados based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. They fly an average of two sorties a day, in pairs.
The Tornados are supported by a Voyager refuelling aircraft, which also contributes to the French mission when needed.
Video:Sept: First RAF Airstrikes On IS
The French also have considerably more personnel assigned to the campaign: 3,200 compared to 500 from the UK.
Sky News research undermines David Cameron's repeated claim that Britain is the major partner to the United States in the air effort.
Only last week he told an audience "the second largest contributor in terms of airstrikes and air patrols is Britain by a very large margin. I think you have to add up several other countries to get to the scale of what we're doing".
French officials told Sky News they do not see it as a competition but consider their military to be the second biggest contributor, not the RAF.
In response, the Ministry of Defence said British planes had carried out a greater number of airstrikes.
"We have been focussing our military contribution where it can have the most impact - airstrikes in support of Iraqi forces, providing vital intelligence, surveillance and air-to-air refuelling capabilities to the coalition.
"We continue to fly daily Reaper and Tornado missions and our Voyagers routinely refuel coalition aircraft, including French."
The international coalition has been flying missions over Iraq and Syria for 31 weeks.
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Gallery: Iraq: British Jets Launch First Combat Mission
British jets armed with missiles have taken off on their maiden combat mission over northern Iraq
Two Tornado GR4 fighter jets left RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus on Saturday morning, the day after MPs approved airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq
A future coalition government would have to commit to maintaining defence spending if it wants DUP support, the party has told Sky News.
The Northern Ireland party has set the red line as part of its national strategy in the event of a hung parliament.
"We are very clear, whether it be Labour or Conservative, that we need to see a very clear commitment on 2% GDP on spending and that must be upheld. It's not just a NATO requirement, we need this for our defence," the party's defence spokesman Jeffrey Donaldson told Sky News.
Jeffrey Donaldson: 'We need this for our defence'
It is a significant announcement from a party that could potentially hold the balance of power on 8 May.
The Democratic Unionist Party is seen as a possible ally for the Conservatives in the event of a hung parliament. They are expected to win eight or nine seats at the election meaning their support could swing it for the Conservatives looking to form a government.
They also insist any new government must equip and deploy both of the two new aircraft carriers currently under construction.
The announcement comes on the same day politicians debate the defence budget in the House of Commons. The debate was called by backbenchers after repeated refusals by Downing Street to commit to the budget beyond the next spending review later this year.
One of those taking part in the debate is Conservative MP and member of the Defence Select Committee James Gray.
"The world is an incredibly dangerous place," he said. "We need defence spending, the Americans have made it plain we need defence spending and the Prime Minister is personally committed to doing it, so all we are saying is please live up to what you previously promised."
Tory backbenchers are cross their party is committed to protecting the International Aid budget - a Lib Dem policy - but will not give such commitments to the defence budget.
It is believed the Chancellor is in favour of further cuts to the military, but David Cameron would like to see the budget protected. The MPs hope to put pressure on him ahead of next week's Budget.
Currently Britain is only one of four NATO countries to spend 2% of its national wealth on defence. The others are Greece, Estonia and the United States.
At the NATO Summit in Wales last year, David Cameron forced other member states to pledge to meet the target. Later this year there will be another Defence and Security spending review. If the UK economy continues to grow but the defence budget is not increased, then the UK will slip below that 2%.
The military has already taken a huge hit after the last spending review in 2010.
The Army has shrunk from 102,000 personnel to 82,000 and pessimistic forecasts predict it might be cut further still, taking it beyond a credible force.
Washington is putting pressure on the government not to cut further. Barack Obama has spoken to the Prime Minister in private, but recently the US Army Chief of Staff, General Odierno, publicly warned against further cuts.
Nearly half of single parents have had to borrow money to pay for childcare, according to a report.
The campaign group Gingerbread said the increasing cost of childcare proved the idea that work was the best route out of poverty was "far from reality" for many single parent families.
A new report said a poll of 1,700 single parents showed that half have had to borrow money friends, family or banks to fund childcare in the last two years.
The charity is calling on the Government to raise the maximum amount of childcare costs that low-income families can claim, to reflect the actual costs they face.
It said a decade-old cap meant that, even with the extra help to be rolled out under Universal Credit which increased support from 70% to 85% of costs, for many single parents there is no financial benefit working longer.
Video:Childcare Costs Are Spiralling
Gingerbread chief executive Fiona Weir said: "Childcare costs are putting single parent families under severe financial strain.
"Childcare just isn't affordable for many and it is very worrying that single parents are having to turn to friends and family, banks and credit cards to try and cover costs.
"We welcome Government plans to increase the amount of support available, but the cap on costs means too many single parents will see little benefit.
"The Government must honour its commitment to make work pay and swiftly bring in extra financial support - parents can't afford to wait any longer."
On average in England, Scotland and Wales sending a child to nursery for 25 hours a week costs £115.45.
That is 5.1% more than last year and 32.8% more than in 2010.
Children aged between nine months and two years could get 15 hours of free childcare if the Liberal Democrats are still in government after the General Election in May.
The issue of childcare costs is likely to feature highly in the run up to the election, with politicians keen to use today's report to score political points.
Last month Nick Clegg pledged a major expansion of free childcare for toddlers, which could save an average family where both parents work £2,670 a year.
The three east London schoolgirls who fled to Syria to join Islamic State (IS) are believed to have stolen family jewellery to fund their trip, MPs have been told.
Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and 15-year-old Amira Abase flew from Gatwick to Istanbul on February 17 and are feared to have continued to Syria to become so-called "jihadi brides".
According to reports, they are now staying in a house in the IS militants' stronghold, Raqqa.
The three girls paid more than £1,000 in cash to a travel agent for their flights to Turkey, the Home Affairs Select Committee heard.
Asked how they raised the funds, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, the national police lead for counter-terrorism, said: "We think it's linked to taking jewellery from one of their family members."
Video:Amira's Father
Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe apologised for failing to communicate more directly with the families of the three girls - but insisted there was nothing more the force could have done to stop them leaving the UK.
It has emerged the three teenagers were among seven schoolgirls who were handed letters by the police about another 15-year-old from Bethnal Green Academy who ran away to Syria in December.
Earlier, relatives of the girls demanded an apology from the Met for failing to send the crucial letter directly to their parents.
Had they received them family solicitor Tasnime Akunjee said they would have been "on notice" for issues like radicalisation and foreign travel.
Video:Khadija's Cousin
In response, Sir Bernard said: "First of all we're sorry if the family feel like that, clearly it's a terrible situation they find themselves in, having lost their daughters in such a horrible way.
"You can only half imagine what a parent is going through at this time. In that sense, I'm sorry they're in that situation.
"Also sorry the letter we intended to get through, didn't get through. It's clear that failed. It was intended for them and failed and for that of course we're sorry.
"I don't think we would go as far as saying therefore that caused the girls to go.
Video:Shamima Begum's Sister
"There was nothing more we could have done to prevent that. Because at the beginning we were trying to get from these girls information about a further young woman who had actually left in December that was our principle reason for talking to that family.
"In hindsight, we now know that these girls were planning to go and neither the family, the police, the school nor anyone else realised that."
Amira's father Hussen Abase, Khadija's cousin Fahmida Aziz and Shamima's older sister Sahima Begum said there were no signs the girls had been radicalised.
Miss Begum told the committee: "My sister was into normal teenage things. She used to watch Keeping Up With The Kardashians."
Video:Girls 'Pictured On Way To Syria'
She said her family "did what they could" to monitor Shamima's activities, but they would have done more had they known the girl who was the subject of the undelivered letters - a friend of Shamima's - had gone to Syria.
Written By Unknown on Selasa, 10 Maret 2015 | 10.18
By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent
Police have lost track of almost 400 registered sex offenders they should be monitoring, include a child rapist who vanished two years ago, official figures have revealed.
Others have been off the police radar for much longer, one for 14 years.
Claude Knights, of the child protection charity Kidscape, said: "The horrifying prospect is that these offenders will have rebuilt their lives in communities who don't know them.
A government spokesman said more sex offenders are being imprisoned
"Re-offending is high and particularly among those who have left the support system that was designed to help them."
Everyone on the register - currently around 60,000 - is required to say where they are living. They are monitored by police, probation officers and the prison service under the multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA).
But a total of 396 registered sex offenders have vanished after moving home without telling the authorities their new address.
Some of those missing are foreign nationals who may have returned to their own countries. That could include failed asylum seeker Patrick Kanda, 36, who was convicted of child rape.
He was monitored for several years after he was released from prison, but vanished two years ago from his home in Dagenham, Essex.
He is one of 167 offenders who have stopped reporting to monitors at the Metropolitan Police.
West Midlands Police has "lost" 39 registered offenders, Greater Manchester Police is missing 25, and Essex and Sussex have no contact with 11 offenders.
There are offenders missing from their homes in most of the UK's 45 forces, but only Scotland says it knows where all its 4,775 sex offenders are living.
The figures were revealed in response to a Freedom of Information request by the Press Association news agency. The forces refused to name any of those missing.
Jim Gamble, who runs child protection consultancy Ineqe, said: "Offenders who have chosen to go off the radar should be pursued and punished.
"By disappearing they are removing the incentive for staying in the system for the many others who choose to comply."
A Home Office spokesperson said: "The UK has some of the toughest powers in the world to deal with sex offenders and we are committed to ensuring the system is as robust as possible.
"Under this government more adult sex offenders are being imprisoned, and they are being imprisoned for longer. The latest published figures show there are more than 11,000 sentenced adult sex offenders in prison - up by more than 2,500 since 2010.
"We have also reformed civil orders by introducing new measures that give police and the courts further powers to restrict and monitor the activities of sex offenders and those who pose a risk.
"It is for the police to manage offenders in their area, but we work closely with forces to ensure legislation is effective and that officers have all the tools they need."
The man who was in charge of policing on the day of the Hillsborough disaster will today give evidence to inquests into the deaths of 96 football fans.
David Duckenfield was match commander on 15 April, 1989, and has been heavily criticised for blaming Liverpool supporters for creating the incident.
David Duckenfield was match commander on the day of the tragedy
The inquests have already heard that Mr Duckenfield, a former chief superintendent, gave the order to open an exterior gate to ease congestion at the Leppings Lane end outside the Sheffield stadium, but is alleged to have told officials that Liverpool fans had forced it open.
For many relatives of those who died in the disaster Mr Duckenfield is the most important figure from South Yorkshire Police to give evidence.
At the opening of the hearings last year the coroner Lord Justice Goldring told the jury that Mr Duckenfield was in overall control of "F" Division, where the Hillsborough stadium is based.
The police officer had been promoted just weeks earlier and had never been in charge of a match at Hillsborough before the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
Lord Goldring told the jury: "Whether that was a sensible decision may be something for you to have to consider."
Members of the jury have been told that the then chief executive of the Football Association, Graham Kelly, went to the police control box after the match had been stopped and spoke to Mr Duckenfield.
Mr Kelly told an earlier hearing: "I said 'what has happened?' and Mr Duckenfield said 'the Liverpool fans have forced a gate'."
The officer in charge of the Leppings Lane turnstiles, Superintendent Roger Marshall, has already told the inquests that was a lie.
Michael Goddard, a former police sergeant who shared the control box with the match commander, told the inquests that Mr Duckenfield "did not step up to the plate" as the disaster unfolded and had made a "gross error" in failing to consider the effect of opening an exterior gate.
Although Mr Duckenfield was in charge of policing the Hillsborough match he was not the most senior South Yorkshire Police officer at the stadium. Assistant Chief Constable Walter Jackson was the senior officer on call for the day.
Asked during his evidence whether it had been right for Chief Supt Duckenfield to take control of the semi-final he said: "He had reached a senior rank in the service and you don't get to be a deputy divisional commander if you haven't got tremendous experience."
Mr Duckenfield is due to give evidence at the inquests for four days.
Written By Unknown on Senin, 09 Maret 2015 | 10.18
Former prime minister Margaret Thatcher knew about politicians sexually abusing children - but failed to act against them, an MP has told Sky News.
Simon Danczuk, who exposed Sir Cyril Smith as a prolific child abuser, said: "There is no doubt about it now, from what we know, that she turned a blind eye to people who were quite clearly paedophiles. That is absolutely clear.
"It is a real stain on Margaret Thatcher's legacy and I don't get any pleasure from saying that, but she turned a blind eye to it."
The Rochdale MP also claimed the Government is refusing to publish at least four other files on historic child abuse because it was worried about what information may come out before May's General Election.
He added: "(The Cabinet Office) have resisted publishing these documents for over 12 months - that's not acceptable.
Smith was not charged during his lifetime
"They refused to tell the public who nominated Cyril Smith for a knighthood. A journalist managed to get that out of them after going to the Information Commissioner. It was indeed David Steel.
"And we now know they are resisting publishing at least four other files relating to historic child sexual abuse.
Video:'Cabinet Files Should Be Published'
"We have to ask the question: Is the Cabinet Office fit for purpose?"
Asked whether Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg were colluding in a "cover-up", he said: "You can't really reach any other conclusion, can you.
"Cameron has spoken on this issue and said we'll leave no stone unturned. But his lack of action says otherwise.
"Nick Clegg has failed continually to really put any action in place. He's the Deputy Prime Minister. David Cameron is the Prime Minister.
"They are at the top of government. The buck stops with them. Why aren't they calling for all these documents to be published? Why aren't they insisting on more action?
"The reality of it is, this is the truth of the matter, we are approaching the General Election. This isn't party political, but they are concerned about what information is going to come out before the General Election, that's the truth of it.
"And the second point is they're more concerned about protecting legacies - the legacies of previous politicians. That's just not acceptable. We need less polishing of halos and more lifting of stones."
Video:2014: 'Cover-Up' To Be Investigated
The Cabinet Office has denied trying to cover up information about Downing Street's knowledge of Smith's abuse of young boys before he was knighted.
Documents show Mrs Thatcher was made aware of the claims about the Liberal MP before he was handed the honour in 1988.
The 19-page dossier of information on the decision to give Smith the knighthood contains several letters, including an undated one from a Political Honours Scrutiny Committee member to the then prime minister.
In the letter, marked secret, Lord Shackleton said police investigated Smith in 1970 for "indecent assault against teenage boys" between 1961 and 1966.
But, the letter noted, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) decided "there was no reasonable prospect of conviction".
The letter to Mrs Thatcher said the case was reported in the Rochdale Alternative Press and Private Eye, adding: "One may regret this kind of press reporting but it could be revived if an award to Mr Smith were made."
Lord Shackleton also said it would be "slightly unfortunate" if this "episode" stopped Smith, who died aged 82 in 2010, receiving the knighthood.
Video:2012: 'Smith Abused Me As A Child'
But he added: "We felt it right to warn the honours system would be at some risk if the award were to be made and announced."
The documents were released to the Mail on Sunday following repeated demands for disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act since April last year.
The documents were only made public on Friday after an intervention by the Information Commissioner, the paper said.
Home Office Minister Lynne Featherstone told Sky's Murnaghan programme: "Those Cabinet files, in my view, should without doubt be published.
"We have to get to the bottom of this, high or low, it doesn't matter. Wherever we find it, we have to root out sexual abuse, child sexual abuse, child sexual exploitation."
A Cabinet Office spokesman said: "There is no cover-up nor was the Cabinet Office forced to release this information by the Information Commissioner.
"This is a sensitive and complex case and it is right that we considered advice from a range of officials. After considering the advice, the Cabinet Office decided to disclose information."
The families of three teenagers who died in a two-car crash in Wales have paid tribute to the schoolchildren, saying they are devastated by their losses.
Rhodri Miller, Corey Price and Alesha O'Connor - from Barry in south Wales - died in the crash at Powys just before 10.15pm on Friday.
Police say the 17-year-olds were travelling in a convoy of several vehicles on the A470 near Storey Arms when the crash happened.
Margaret Elizabeth Challis, 68, also died in the crash
Margaret Elizabeth Challis, 68, was also killed. Two others remain in hospital.
Seven teenagers were arrested over the incident and have been released on bail.
Video:Crash Tragedy Teens 'Very Talented'
Rhodri, who was driving one of the vehicles, had only recently passed his driving test.
His parents described him as a "bright (and) talented" boy who had "so much to live for".
"He was studying for his A-levels at Bro Morgannwg School. He was a very popular boy inside and outside of school," they said.
"He loved his football, was a season ticket holder for Cardiff City Football Club, and loved going to the gym.
"He will be very sadly missed by family and friends, (and) all who knew him."
The parents of Alesha, who was Rhodri's girlfriend, described her as a "perfect daughter and friend".
"Alesha was beautiful, intelligent and artistic and had her whole life ahead of her," they said.
"We as a family would like to pass on our sympathy to the other families who have lost loved ones."
The parents of Corey Price said: "The family of Corey Price are devastated by the sudden and tragic loss of their wonderful gentle and caring son, brother, uncle and grandson.
"No words can explain how we are feeling but we are truly grateful of the support of our family and friends at this tragic time."
Rhodri and Corey were both pupils at Ysgol Bro Morgannwg School. Corey was a promising young footballer who had trained with the Cardiff City Football Academy.
Headteacher Dylan Jones told Sky News: "They were both very talented individuals.
"They were both full of fun, very sociable and part of a strong group of friends.
"It's been very shocking. As I understand it there were a number of friends from across a group of schools.
"It's such unexpected news and we heard it while we were having an eisteddfod here.
"Luckily we were all together but it was a shock nevertheless."
Superintendent Chris Curtis said: "This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with the families at this difficult time.
"We are working with South Wales Police in order to provide support to the families affected and also the communities they live within.
"We will work with partners to ensure that the incident is fully investigated."
:: Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact Dyfed Powys Police on 101.
Written By Unknown on Minggu, 08 Maret 2015 | 10.18
Thousands of large companies will be forced to share details of the difference between what they pay their male and female workers.
The Government has agreed to implement the Liberal Democrat measure despite years of Tory opposition to it.
The move will mean companies employing more than 250 people will be required to publish the gap between average pay for their male and female workers.
More than 10 million people across the UK are currently working at firms covered by the legislation.
The current approach, which is voluntary, has seen only five out of around 7,000 large companies publish their gender pay gap.
Video:Clegg On Gender Pay Gap
The new measure, which will come into force within 12 months, could result in fines of up to £5,000 for firms that do not reveal the details.
Equalities Minister Jo Swinson said she was "delighted" her party won the "argument in Government".
She said the move "will force companies to ask themselves difficult questions about how they are valuing the contribution of women in their workforce and act to address problems".
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: "These measures will shine a light on a company's policy so that women can rightly challenge their employer where they are not being properly valued and rewarded."
The legislation will be debated in the Lords on Wednesday, with the Government tabling an amendment to the Small Business Bill.
Video:Dec: Gender Pay Gap
A Government spokesman said: "Under this Government the gender pay gap is the lowest ever and has virtually been eliminated for those working full time under 40.
"However the pay gap persists, so we think it's time to move forward, so we can create the conditions to ensure that there is equality in workplaces across the country."
Shadow equalities minister Gloria De Piero said: "This is fantastic news for women but why have they waited so long?
"The reality is that it's only when the Government realised they would be defeated on this issue by Labour in the House of Lords that they saw the need to act."
The move comes as the head of the UN agency promoting equality for women said not a single country has reached gender parity.
Video:Dec: Gemma Arterton On Equal Pay
UN Women executive director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka made the comments 20 years after a groundbreaking conference in Beijing where 189 nations adopted a blueprint to achieve equality for women.
Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka said that although progress had been made since Beijing, there are still fewer than 20 female heads of state and government.
She said the number of female politicians increased from 11% to just 22% in the past 20 years.
Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka also said "the sheer scale of the use of rape that we've seen post-Beijing", especially in conflict situations, "tells us that the women's bodies are viewed not as something to respect, but as something that men have the right to control and to abuse."
