A dangerous hobby
Three men from Greater Manchester were arrested and held in the UAE after being seen writing down the numbers of aircraft.
— Plane-spotting can be risky. In 2001 14 Britons were arrested in Greece after allegedly taking photos at an air base in Kalamata. Eight were sentenced to three years; imprisonment for spying and the other six were given suspended sentences. (All were overturned on appeal.)
— In 2010 two British men were arrested at Delhi airport after being seen taking photos of planes from a hotel room.
— Trainspotters have had problems too. In 2008 a 15-year-old boy was held under terror legislation after taking photographs of Wimbledon station for a school project.
— In 2009 a holidaymaker was raided at a campsite after being seen on CCTV photographing a shunting engine in Wales.
Who gets in?
Britain was reported to be spending £726,000 a day on bed and board for asylum-seekers. Is Britain a soft touch?
| Applications decided in past 12 months | |
| Canada | 2,790 |
| Germany | 20,700 |
| France | 16,200 |
| Sweden | 9,810 |
| Italy | 9,410 |
| UK | 8,130 |
| Netherlands | 5,550 |
Source: Eurostat
| Applications granted in past 12 months | |
| Canada | 8% |
| Germany | 46% |
| France | 20% |
| Sweden | 78% |
| Italy | 58% |
| UK | 37% |
| Netherlands | 77% |
Source: Eurostat
Speeding and driving
New rules on drug-driving came into force. How big a problem is drug-driving? There were 1,037 driver fatalities on British roads in 2010. Samples of drug use were compiled in 219 cases. Here’s the breakdown:
| Drug | No. of cases |
| Cannabis | 26 |
| Opioids | 15 |
| Cocaine | 10 |
| Amphetamines | 3 |
Starter homes
David Cameron promised to build 200,000 starter homes for first-time buyers at a 20% discount. How much does it cost to build a new home in Britain and other countries, and what percentage goes on preliminaries such as planning fees?
| Cost per sq. m. (US$) | |
| Germany | 1,316 |
| UK | 1,646 |
| Australia | 1,500 |
| Ireland | 1,392 |
| US | 1,476 |
| Canada | 2,786 |
Source: Turner and Townsend
| Preliminaries | |
| Germany | 15% |
| UK | 12% |
| Australia | 12% |
| Ireland | 10% |
| US | 9% |
| Canada | 8% |
Source: Turner and Townsend
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