Today - 03/12/2008

Presented by James Naughtie and Sarah Montague. Garry Richardson considers whether England will return to India for the Test series. Chief exec of the King's Fund Niall Dixon discusses whether negative stories from patients contradict the positive impression given by many hospitals' annual reports. Angela Knight, of the British Bankers Association, says it is vital that small businesses receive assistance. Hamish Laing, of The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons, discusses the risks of having surgery overseas. Dr Sylvia Cremer discusses the risks to wildlife from an invasion of ants. Lord Foulkes and MP David Davis debate the House of Commons Speaker's role in the arrest of Damian Green. Nicola Stanbridge listens to the unusual sound effects used in the music of Matthew Herbert. Thought for the day with the Right Rev Lord Harries of Pentregarth. Robotics experts Prof Colin Allen and Prof Noel Sharkey discuss the idea of replacing human soldiers with robots. Prof Jane Barlow says the UK welfare system is too legalistic in the face of widespread abuse. Lord Mandelson and Nick Robinson discuss the Queen's speech. Surgeon David Nott describes how he performed a life-saving operation in the Congo by using text message instructions from a colleague in London. French philosopher Bernard Henri Levy says the free market was corrupted by the decline in moral values. Zubeida Malik reports on the initiative by The British Film Industry to crack down on illegal DVD sellers. Barack Obama is said to highly recommend the book Team of Rivals - the Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, by Doris Kearns Goodwin. She discusses how much she is looking forward to a president who enjoys reading about the past.