Today - 21/10/2009

Presented by James Naughtie and Sarah Montague The first swine flu vaccinations are to be carried out. The first people to get the vaccination will be those deemed most at risk such as pregnant women, babies and the elderly. Sir Liam Donaldson, chief medical officer for England, discusses the vaccination programme. The government's tax receipts are falling. They dropped by 15.5 billion pounds in the three months to September, compared with the same period last year. Tax accountants BDO say this means the government's budget estimate of a deficit of 175 billion pounds at the end of this fiscal year will be exceeded, and that spending cuts alone will not cut the deficit. Stephen Herring, senior tax partner at BDO, examines the implications on taxes. A new report by the Royal Society states that genetically modified (GM) foods could be the solution to global food security. The report calls for two billion pounds to fund a 'Grand Challenge' to help feed the world over the next ten years. Correspondent Tom Feilden looks back on the history of the GM revolution. There is to be a run-off in Afghanistan's presidential election on 7 November. A UN panel found that the first election was marred by fraud and has provoked allegations that the British army is propping up a corrupt regime. Correspondent Huw Williams has been talking to people in one of the army's key recruiting grounds along the Fife coast. The debate over secret inquests is being raised today as the Coroner's Bill goes to report stage in parliament. Clauses within the Bill include provisions for secret inquiries to replace secret inquests, which critics say could have even tighter restrictions on attendance for family and the press. It will also lead to the disclosure and publication of any documents. Baroness Miller, home affairs spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, examines the public interest issues around the new Bill. The Pope is setting up a new legal structure within the Catholic church which could allow entire parishes or even dioceses to leave the Church of England and become Catholics. Christina Rees, a member of the Church of England's general synod, and Rev Dr Giles Fraser of St Paul's Cathedral discuss the move. A new version of George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess is beginning its national tour in Cardiff. The classic story of racism, abuse and drugs in the American south has been translated to contemporary South Africa, with a cast from that country. Reporter Wyre Davies joined one of the rehearsals. Thought for the day with Akhandadhi Das, a Vaishnav Hindu teacher and theologian. The Royal Society is urging the government to spend two billion pounds on crop research to combat global food shortages. A report from the society warns that current agricultural methods will not provide enough food for the world's rising population. Professor Sir David Baulcombe of Cambridge University, who chaired the panel which undertook the study, explains how GM technology can aid global food shortages. Afghanistan will hold a deciding round of its presidential poll on 7 November, pitting Hamid Karzai against his rival Abdullah Abdullah. News of the run-off vote came a day after a UN-backed panel said it had clear evidence of fraud in August's first round, lowering Mr Karzai's vote share below 50 per cent. Mr Karzai told a news conference that he accepted the findings, adding they were a 'step forward' for democracy. Foreign Secretary David Miliband discusses whether a second election will be more democratic than the first. Residents in Barnet, north London, could be given the option of lower council tax, if their bins are collected less often. The blueprint could be rolled out across other councils. Barnet councillor Mike Freer and chief executive of the Royal Society of Arts Mathew Taylor discuss the move to "local choice". The governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, says plans to reform UK banking are not enough. He wants to see a fundamental rethink of how banks are structured and says that some banks should be broken up to protect the taxpayer from a future dominated by institutions which are "too big to fail". Terry Smith, chief executive of specialist broker Tullett Prebon, and Steven Bell, chief economist at hedge fund GLC, analyse whether Mr King's recommendations could improve the banking sector. One of the most extraordinary books ever written about relations between the races is being published to mark Black History Month. Black Like Me tells the story of how the white American writer John Howard Griffin took drugs to darken his skin and then embarked on a dangerous journey through the then-segregated deep south of the United States, exactly 50 years ago. Correspondent Kevin Connolly has been reflecting on the book's impact. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been warning other countries of a catastrophe if there is no agreement on climate change at Copenhagen. But, here in the UK, one of the government's key prog