New series of current affairs reports, beginning with an investigation into food companies which target children in their advertising campaigns, and have started approaching cash-strapped head teachers with lucrative sponsorship deals. Nick Cohen reveals that by the year 2020, one child in three will be clinically obese, putting an intolerable strain on the NHS. He assesses how a lack of Government intervention and regulation today could lead to a health crisis in the near future as serious as smoking.
In an age where people are living longer and financial crises can hit the market at any moment, economics correspondent Liam Halligan examines the popularity of final salary pensions. Regarded as the most secure of methods, he reveals an alarming, little-known fact - those who pay money into these schemes have no legal right to the cash.
Sam Kiley reports on the true value of degree qualifications in the eyes of employers, and considers claims that Government pressure to educate the highest possible number of students has prompted a sharp drop in standards. He reveals how many companies no longer see graduate employees as the cream of the crop, and reveals why the downturn has prompted many educational establishments to offer more unorthodox courses.
Former BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan reports on the effectiveness of the British spy network in an age where intelligence has become crucial. He reveals that, despite failing to predict every major international event in 25 years, the service is shielded from in-depth public scrutiny.
Martin Lewis investigates the boom in insurance such as critical illness cover and asks whether consumers are being sold financial services they don't need. He reveals that an estimated 6.5 million Britons are paying out £2.4billion in annual premiums on policies that are not necessarily suitable. To test the theory, a journalist goes undercover as a first-time buyer to discover how financial advisers sell these complex products.
Reporter Dea Birkett meets parents wrongly accused of abusing their children, and talks to them about the trauma of seeing their youngsters being taken into care. She reveals how this often happens on the basis of a single doctor's opinion, and confronts one of the men at the centre of a GMC investigation.
In the last episode of the series, Zaiba Malik reports on why waiting lists of more than two years have given rise to the new British trend of fertility tourism, in which would-be mothers travel the world in search of donated eggs. One in six women in this country suffers problems with conception, and in light of this, Malik assesses the system that drives such vulnerable people to risk their health and finances on a desperate quest.
An examination of the conflicts still taking place between ethnic groups despite the introduction of many policies brought in to solve the problem. Kenan Malik explores the reasons for their lack of success and suggests they have actually raised tension in certain areas of Britain.
Kevin Maguire investigates Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ian Blair's record in office in the wake of the Forest Gate anti-terror raid, exploring the reality behind his reforms.
New Statesman political editor Martin Bright explores claims that the Government is appeasing radical Islam by failing to address the ideology that breeds extremism. In so doing, he alleges, they are ignoring the vast majority of moderate Muslims.
Journalist Alasdair Palmer questions the Government's policy of releasing convicts into the community under the supervision of the probation service. He argues that as some have been gone on to commit abductions, rapes and murders after release, the scheme self-evidently fails to prevent re-offending.
An investigation into why Britain can't seem to manage its water supply, revealing how regulatory systems fail to penalize waste and suggesting the Government's house-building program will only add to the problem.
Former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy shares his experiences of politicians, and discusses what he sees as their tendency to sacrifice their principles in pursuit of power. He suggests MPs can often actively shrink from public speeches to avoid openly addressing serious issues.
Former police officer Nina Hobson reports on the number of rapes that occur in Britain, discussing how the authorities deal with sex crimes, and the varying standards of victim support through the country.
Two years after Poland joined the EU, Digby Jones examines the impact of employers using Polish migrants to plug the gaps in industries crying out for skilled personnel and do jobs that British people seem unwilling to take on. He explores the reasons why Poles have been received into the country with open arms.
Sarah Smith reports on the collection of personal information on children by the Government that will be made available to thousands of civil servants across the country. By 2008, a database will hold a file on every youngster in the country for spotting potential trouble-makers of the future.
Former Whitehall advisor Dr Ros Altmann argues the Government could afford to be more generous with the basic state pension, but additional money risks being squandered through means testing and outsourcing. Financial advisers suggest that under new proposals outlined in a White Paper on the issue, few people would actually be better off.
Newspaper columnist, writer and mother Jane Moore discusses the rising numbers of women who are obese during pregnancy. She argues that whereas the risks of alcohol and smoking at this time are widely known, the increased medical problems associated with obesity are not. Last in series.