France Overtakes Britain In IS Air Campaign

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

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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1. 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

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DUP: Future Coalition Must Commit On Defence

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

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 Raymond Odierno, publicly warned against further cuts.

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Missing Schoolgirls May Have Stolen Jewellery

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.

"We would have questioned that," she said.

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Half Of Single Parents Borrow Money For Childcare

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.

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Hillsborough Police Chief To Face Inquests

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

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.

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Police Forces Lose Track Of 396 Sex Offenders

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."

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Defence Cuts Could Put 30,000 Jobs At Risk

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

Britain's Army could shrink to its smallest size in more than 250 years the UK has been warned.

A report published by the think tank Royal United Services Institute predicts the UK defence budget will fall to 1.95% of GDP - below the NATO minimum of 2%.

A 2010 review led to the army reducing in size to 82,000 personnel

It warned that up to 30,000 service personnel could go - with the Army likely to bear the heaviest cuts - leaving the armed forces with a combined strength of just 115,000 by the end of the decade.

In a worst case scenario the Ministry of Defence (MoD) might face a 10% cut over the next four years and would need an additional £3bn added to its budget after 2016 to remain at the same level of spending.

Video: Are Army Jobs At Risk?

Further increases would then be needed to keep pace with the growth of the economy.

The report's author Professor Malcolm Chalmers states: "By 2019/20 an extension of the commitment to the NATO target would require the MoD to be provided with an additional £5.9bn in annual spending, compared with current plans."

None of the major parties has guaranteed defence spending and the Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond wouldn't commit on the issue when pressed in an interview at the weekend. UKIP is the only party to suggest it will protect defence.

The US Army Chief of Staff recently warned Britain against making further cuts and Barack Obama has also spoken about the matter to David Cameron in private.

On Thursday MPs will debate defence spending in the House of Commons. It is becoming an increasingly important issue amongst backbench Conservative MPs who don't understand why the International Development budget is ring-fenced.

Video: Sept 2014: 'A Formidable Force'

Under the last security review in 2010 the Army reduced in size from 102,000 personnel to 82,000; the smallest since the Napoleonic wars.

Major equipment was also scrapped and not replaced, including the country's aircraft carriers and maritime patrol aircraft.

Those decisions have been exposed in recent months with the threat from Islamic State and growing aggression from Russia.

The paper's optimistic scenario envisages defence receiving an extra £4bn per annum from 2019/20, but recognises that would result in severe cuts for other departments or increased taxation.

The report states: "Even on the optimistic scenario, numbers of service personnel could fall from 145,000 to 130,000 by the end of the decade. Under the pessimistic scenario, they could fall to 115,000."

Video: Sept 2014: Danatt Criticises Cuts

It also warns than ships, fighter jets and armoured vehicles could be affected.

The report concludes: "In either scenario, the result will be a remarkably sharp reduction in the footprint of defence in UK society over a decade.

"Even in the optimistic scenario, defence's share of GDP will have fallen by a third, from 2.6% of GDP in 2010 to around 1.75% by 2019; and the MoD workforce (service and civilian) will have fallen by around 30% , from 265,740 to 184,000 by 2019."

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Cameron Pledges To Open 500 New Free Schools

By Jason Farrell, Political Correspondent

David Cameron says he wants to create 500 more free schools in the next parliament.

The Prime Minister will suggest at a speech in London later today that the controversial programme has been a great success, amid criticism from teachers' unions and the Labour Party.

"If you vote Conservative, you will see the continuation of the free schools programme at the rate you've seen in the last three years," he will say.

More than 400 free schools have been approved since 2010

"That means, over the next parliament, we hope to open at least 500 new free schools resulting in 270,000 new school places."

Under the free schools scheme parents and teachers can set up and design their own schools.

Video: Nick Clegg Takes On Free Schools

One institution expecting approval will be based at a "boxing boot camp" in Hackney which will use daily training sessions in the ring to help children deal with their anger.

Mr Cameron will also announce the approval of 49 new free schools, as a report by the right-wing think tank Policy Exchange concludes the innovation is driving up standards at primary and secondary level.

Free schools have been the big education experiment of this government so it is no surprise that, with an election coming, the Conservatives conclude it has been a huge success.

More than 400 have been approved since 2010 creating more than 230,000 places. According to Policy Exchange nearly three quarters (72%) of all open or approved mainstream free schools are in areas with a projected lack of places in the future.

But critics say the schools are unaccountable and the initial findings do not warrant expanding the programme.

Henry Stewart from the Local Schools Network said: "It you look at the data for both primaries and secondary schools free schools don't have any effect on the other schools in the area, but what they have done is they've used up a huge amount of resource.

"Some £1.7bn is the capital spend on free schools to date and the National Audit Office found that 52% of free school places are in areas that don't need new places."

Video: Gove Defends Free Schools

The Policy Exchange report also finds that free schools are not dominated by the middle class and are eight times more likely to be located in the most deprived areas of England than the most affluent.

Jonathan Simons, head of education at Policy Exchange, said: "Policymakers should make decisions based on evidence and the evidence clearly shows that free schools drive up standards of nearby schools in the local community, particularly the ones which are lower performing.

"Restricting new free schools solely to areas of basic need will deprive pupils - especially in some of the poorest performing schools - from achieving better results."

But Tristram Hunt MP, Labour's shadow education secretary, said: "The Tory plan is failing young people and their parents, with a third of all free schools found to be under-performing.

"Instead of focusing on the desperate need for more primary school places across the country and on spreading innovation right across the school system, David Cameron's government has spent at least £241m on free schools in areas that already have enough school places.

"The result is many more children forced into crowded classrooms - a 200% increase in the number of infants taught in classes of more than 30."

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UK Kurds Mixed About Britons Fighting IS

By Richard Suchet, Sky News Reporter

"You lost one son but you have earned thousands of other sons."

That is the message from the editor of the UK's only Kurdish newspaper, Aladdin Sinayic, to the family of the first British person to die fighting Islamic State extremists.

Ex-Royal Marine Konstandinos Erik Scurfield, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, travelled to Syria in December to fight alongside Kurdish forces but was killed on Monday.

Mr Scurfield died fighting alongside Kurdish forces

It is believed he quit his military career in order to join the fight against IS alongside Kurdish forces.

At the Kurdish Community Centre (KCC) in Haringey, north London, he is considered a hero.

Video: Brit Killed Fighting Islamic State

One visitor to the centre told Sky News: "We think that these people must be very, very sensitive about Kurds and very intellectual. They have a big heart for us."

Another said: "When Erik's body is returned to the UK, we would like to do something special for his family - we want to invite them here and have a ceremony for them."

London is home to thousands of Kurds - a community united not by statehood but by language and culture.

Haringey is more than 3,000 miles from the fight against IS but the suffering of their people in the geocultural region of Kurdistan is at the forefront of their minds.

The walls of the KCC are plastered with pictures of Kurdish martyrs, many of whom have family in London.

"As long as we are awake we talk about these issues," says one man.

"It is part of our lives. Our minds have never been free of thinking about what is going on in Kurdistan."

Video: 19 Feb: Ex-Public Schoolboy Fights

Another added: "We came here two hours ago together, we are having our tea but at the same time we are talking about what is going on in Kurdistan.

"What, for example, is going to happen tomorrow?"

Telegraf editor Mr Sinayic believes the country's Kurdish community would like to see more Westerners travel to the Middle East to take on IS.

"When you see Britons or other nationalities going there and being in the fight, this is something very very important for us," he says.

"They are honourable."

But one British Kurd who has fought IS does not want to see other Brits risking their lives.

Security guard Yasir Abdullah is originally from Iraq but lives in West Yorkshire with his wife and four children.

Video: Dec: Britons Reveal Fight In Syria

Twice he has gambled everything by returning to his village to fight alongside other Kurds.

"I see on the TV what they're doing to the Kurdish or Arabs, or executing, everything, the bad things they do and we thought, we have to stand up to fight against this enemy of humanity," he said.

"But we don't want anyone coming over there to help us.

"We thank everybody - if they want to come over we thank them to not come over there.

"If they want to help us, tell the British Government and American Government more weapons. This is what we want."

Authorities go to great lengths to prevent UK nationals travelling to join IS but those wanting to fight against Islamist extremists seem to be free to do so.

But people who succeed in reaching the battlefield are held in high regard by a community that until recently has felt largely abandoned by the West.

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Trespasser On Roof Of House Of Commons

Police have confirmed they are dealing with a man trespassing on the roof of the House of Commons.

Officers were made aware of the man on the roof at 9.15pm on Saturday.

Sky News Political Correspondent Jason Farrell, who is at the scene, says the man is on his own and wearing a grey top and dark trousers.

Police were called to the scene at 9.15pm. Pic: Jason Farrell

Farrell says he seems "quite young and quite relaxed".

The man can be seen walking around on the roof.

A police boat on the river side of Westminster. Pic: Jason Farrell

Police say they have not had much communication with him.

It is not yet known why he is on the roof.

He does not have a banner so it is not known if the incident is related to a protest, Farrell says.

The fire brigade and ambulance service are at the scene and a police boat is on the Thames side of Parliament.

Campaigners have used the roof for stunts in the past, including protesters in 2008 demonstrating against a third runway at Heathrow.

And a year later dozens of Greenpeace protesters climbed on to the roof to call for action on climate change.

During that protest, they unfurled banners which read: "Change the politics, save the climate."

Earlier on Saturday, more than 5,000 protesters gathered outside Parliament for a climate change demonstration.

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