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Archives for December 2010

Supermarkets: What Price Cheap Food?

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Eamonn Walsh | 10:00 UK time, Wednesday, 22 December 2010

The Big Four supermarkets are expanding at a rate never seen before.

It's being dubbed the new "space race", with Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrison's fighting for dominance on high streets and shopping malls across the UK.

But how can they keep on expanding, and slashing our food prices, when we're in the ?

In a Panorama Special, reporter looks behind the cellophane wrappers and the "Buy-one-get-one-free's" to examine the true cost of our cheap food.

He visits the coming our way from the United States: cows kept indoors and milked on giant "dairy-go-rounds"; pigs in "sty-scrapers"; we already have space-age greenhouses where fruit grows without soil.

The Big Four's UK expansion has never really been charted, until now.

Panorama's pieced together the location of every new store currently being planned and built.

And as the production costs of our food are driven downwards, saving us pounds during the recession, Panorama carries out pioneering scientific research to discover whether "Made in Britain" always means what it says.

Join in the debate and let us know what you think about the programme. Please leave your comments on our blog forum here.

Carry on Banking! Join the debate

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Eamonn Walsh | 16:24 UK time, Friday, 17 December 2010

Within hours of the announcement of the new UK code to curb banking bonuses, the from politicians and the Bank of England for allowing smaller firms to escape the net.

These concerns about the strength of the new code was unlikely to have dampened the seasonal cheer in the industry as Britain's bankers prepare to receive their annual bonus.

As Christmas approaches, Panorama asks if anything has changed since the financial crisis of two years ago or whether it is a case of "Carry on Banking!"

Focusing on Britain's two largest bailed out banks; Royal Bank of Scotland and Halifax Bank of Scotland, reporter Mark Daly investigates what has happened in the world of banking since the bailout.

He traces what has happened to the bankers responsible for the mistakes that led to the crisis and asks if big bonus culture is back.

Join in the debate and let us know what you think about the programme. Please leave your comments on our blog forum here.

Baby P: In His Mother's Words - give us your thoughts

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Eamonn Walsh | 15:44 UK time, Monday, 13 December 2010

Panorama reveals the controversial video-taped interview with the mother of Baby P and asks whether crucial warning signs were missed.

Tracey Connelly tells clear lies in the training interview with a senior social worker. But she also gives some about what was going on in her son Peter's life.

Panorama investigates whether these clues were adequately followed up, and examines the ground-breaking research into child protection that is now a part of Baby P's legacy.

If you or someone you know is affected by the issues raised in Baby P: In His Mother's Words there is help available.

The organisations have information on dealing with child bereavement.

Please use the Panorama blog to leave your comments on this programme.

Computer Games - A Hard Habit to Break?

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Eamonn Walsh | 16:43 UK time, Friday, 3 December 2010

It's fair to say that Santa will need all of his little helpers' assistance in delivering all the computer games consoles and software on Christmas lists this year.

The computer games industry is thought to contribute over £1bn annually to the UK economy, with much of that spend coming in the festive season.

This season the market is expected to be dominated by the latest version of the multi-player online role-playing game

Clearly big business and undoubtedly lots of fun.

But amid all the fun, has been investigating a more worrisome side to the games industry - whether or not some people find video gaming - in its many forms - addictive.

The programme speaks to some young people who've dropped out of school and university to play games for anything up to 21 hours a day. They describe their obsessive gaming as an addiction.

It's not the first time the games industry has had accusations levelled at it. The usual charges included accusations that violence in the games can cause copycat behaviour in real life, but as the industry grows, experts are now concerned by the potential psychological harm of addiction.

The industry itself feels it is ; games are not addictive, just well-designed and engaging and Panorama's programme this week has already drawn

For most, playing games is simply a hobby, but have raised concerns and called for independent research into this virtual world that 'Addicted to Games?' highlights.

Addicted to Games? is not the first time Panorama has looked at the Christmas games market.

In rather more innocent times, Panorama reporter Max Robertson dressed as a slightly grumpy Father Christmas to discover what toys were must-haves for children in 1955.

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Back in the 21st century, join in the debate and let us know what you think about Addicted to Games? Please leave your comments on our blog forum here.

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