MATTHEW BANNISTER yesterday became the strongest internal contender to be the next director-general of the BBC, with the announcement that he is to move from director of radio to become chief executive of BBC Production. Pupils aged seven to 11 should: be able to reflect and hypothesise on issues of social, moral and political concern; take part in a question and answer session with an expert; understand there can be different types of government, and understand terms such as mayor, election, MP and Member of the European Parliament. Pupils aged 11 to 14 should: express plausibly and reflect on viewpoints contrary to their own; demonstrate an understanding of the use of statistics; know about the work of Parliament, the Government and the Executive in making and changing the law, and understand the economic system: the market, the concept of price, poverty and unemployment.Pupils aged 14 to 16 should: investigate, analyse, discuss and reflect on major challenges faced by communities; take part in formal debates and have structured opportunities to vote, and know about the values, interests and policies of the main political parties.. Pupils aged five to seven should: be able to justify a personal opinion; take part in a simple debate and vote; recognise how the concept of fairness can be applied in a reasoned and reflective way, and understand terms such as respect, disrespect, question, comment, compare and contrast. Two weeks ago the police announced the ending of routine army patrols in Belfast.. He said he was pleased to announce that an "improving security situation" allowed police to operate increasingly widely with a reduced military presence.Dr Mo Mowlam, the Northern Ireland Secretary, said: "It's a process of normalisation which was part of the Good Friday agreement."Although the new moves were presented as being purely the result of security considerations, the authorities will be hoping that they will facilitate movement on arms de-commissioning by republicans.Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein yesterday welcomed the moves as "a positive step in the right direction". Some of these have already returned to base, although they remain technically under the command of the army in Northern Ireland and can be returned immediately if needed.The members of 39 Regiment (Royal Artillery) and the 1st Battalion the Highlanders will return to their bases in Britain over the next two weeks. He went on to call for "the dismantling of the huge military installations dotted across the six counties".The troops returning to Britain are the remaining elements of two full battalions which were drafted into Northern Ireland as reinforcements in advance of the Drumcree parade disorder in early July.

Up to 400 troops are to be shipped out of Northern Ireland while routine army patrolling will be ended in the south Londonderry area from the weekend. The police and army are also to review the disposition of Northern Ireland's numerous military bases.Meanwhile, police in both Northern Ireland and the Republic yesterday continued to question twelve people about the Omagh bombing. Six were arrested on each side of the border on Monday in a combined operation aimed at breaking up the Real IRA which planted the bomb.Ronnie Flanagan, the Chief Constable of the RUC, said the troop reductions were being made as a result of an ongoing review of the security situation in which he has been engaged with the army. At yesterday's meeting Sinn Fein raised concerns about by Mr Trimble's suggestion that other political parties in Northern Ireland could press ahead without Sinn Fein if IRA disarmament did not take place.The authorities yesterday announced a further relaxation of security measures, easing back on the use of the army in the light of reduced violence since last month's Omagh bombing. DAVID TRIMBLE, the Northern Ireland First Minister-elect, yesterday had a second private meeting with Gerry Adams, the Sinn Fein president, for talks which republicans described as "useful and serious''. The second encounter involving the two leaders came as verbal sparring continued on the related issues of IRA arms decommissioning and the formation of a new executive which would include Sinn Fein ministers. Mr Adams's position is that the Good Friday agreement allows Sinn Fein automatic entry into the executive, but Mr Trimble is pressing for prior movement on the decommissioning issue first. Arms have continued to be exported to countries guilty of human rights abuses, and the Government is still sending the message that asylum seekers should "keep out of the UK". Amnesty published an audit of how far Mr Cook had kept his pledge - made only weeks after the general election - to operate an ethical foreign policy.The group said the human rights policy pursued by the Foreign Office had "marked an important step forward" from the approach of previous governments and had resulted in "concrete measures which may improve human rights in the world".But the report warned that the Government had taken "insufficient action" to close "serious loopholes" on arms exports which continued to be allowed to countries with poor human rights records.Tony Lloyd, Foreign Office Minister, said the report's "central and welcome message" was its praise for the FO and that attempts to draw other conclusions were a "grotesque misrepresentation"..

Their colonisation continues at the rate of about six miles a year.. THE FOREIGN Secretary Robin Cook's promise to put human rights at the heart of government policy has been undermined by other Whitehall departments, the human rights group Amnesty International said yesterday. However, the report debunks the common belief that greys attack reds and drive them away They simply eat them out of house and home. Greys also carry a virus called parapox to which they are resistant but which the reds find fatal.Grey squirrels were first introduced to Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire in 1867 They have increased to more than 2.5 million. The continuing success of its woodland rival, the introduced grey squirrel, is driving the native red from more and more of its remaining habitats in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the report says. Apart from populations on the Isle of Wight and on Brownsea Island in Dorset, and a few individuals in Thetford Forest, Norfolk, the native red has virtually gone from England south of Lancashire.Although there are still good numbers in Northumberland, Durham and Cumbria, these too are at risk. Northumberland was invaded by greys five years ago, and the report's assessment is that the estimated 30,000 red squirrels remaining could be lost from mainland England by 2010.The red squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris, is no ecological match for its North American cousin the grey, Sciurus carolinensis. It said no such donation had been made nationally, but it could not rule out a local payment because officials had been unable to contact former treasurers..

THE RED squirrel faces extinction in England in the next decade and spiralling decline elsewhere in the UK unless further measures are taken to protect it, a report from The Wildlife Trusts warns today. The figure is included with "membership donations" of pounds 515,000 in its 1997 report.The Tories received pounds 750,000 in donations from constituency parties last year, but do not name donors to local branches.Labour has moved to rebut allegations that Tommy Adams, a London gangster jailed last week, gave money to the party. SECRET POLITICAL donations channelled through local parties will be banned under new rules drawn up by Lord Neill's party funding enquiry, The Independent has learnt. The revelation follows allegations that one of Britain's most powerful crime families gave pounds 2,000 to Labour, possibly to the Islington constituency, before the last election. The Neill committee on standards in public life, which will publish its report next month, will recommend limits above which donations must be declared, and which are almost certain to be legally enforced by the Government. They may well be lower than the pounds 5,000 limit already set by the parties.Although all three parties have promised to disclose national donations over pounds 5,000, local payments do not have to be disclosed.Labour, which has published national figures for two years, told the committee the loophole should be closed. It provides a means by which donors who do not want to be named can keep their identities secret.A spokesman for the Neill committee said it did not intend to see it recommendations "blown out of the water" by letting the loophole continue.Labour says the sums given to the national party by constituencies are "negligible" but cannot give an exact amount.

"The Summer of 69", "Discover your erogenous zone", and "Girls. Can we interest you in a package holiday?" Banned by the ASA.. Who knows? In 20 years more men may feel that way," a spokesman said.CLUB 18-30Launched a range of magazine ads and posters, devised by Saatchi and Saatchi, which the men loved, but the girls didn't - and it was rumoured they were put off going on the legendary raunchy holidays as a result The slogans may give a clue to the problem: "Beaver Espana". "It caused problems for parents trying to explain to their children what it was about," said the ASA, which seemed confused by how to react to the campaign. It was deemed offensive, but all right when commas were used - as in f,c,u and k It also sanctioned "French Connection Me". Profits went up, but the advertisements backfired among those who thought them plain silly.LEE JEANSA poster showing a man's bottom lying vulnerably under a woman's stiletto was launched at the height of girl-power this spring, but apparently made some chaps feel "belittled and humiliated" Eighty-nine people complained, but the ASA didn't ban it However, alienating men was considered a bad idea. "Women feel they have been victimised for years and take offence readily.