You and Yours - 30/03/2009

Presented by Julian Worricker. Listener Dave Pope recounts his battle for NatWest to accept that his wife was no longer alive after she disappeared while back-packing in South America. The Land Registry is insufficiently secure to stop ownership details of properties being changed without the knowledge of the genuine owners. Police are investigating 13 cases on Merseyside. The Environment Agency is unveiling its 40-year strategy for water provision in England and Wales. It wants households to pay according to use, providing special tariffs for poorer customers are offered. But not all homes are suitable to have water meters installed. The Nationwide takes over the failed mutual Dunfermline Building Society. Branches, good loans and deposits will be sold off, but the Treasury says it will take on one billion pounds of commercial property lending and acquired mortgage debt. Organisers of the premier sailing event Cowes Week say it will take place - though costs will have to be cut - even if a sponsor can't be found. Previous sponsors Skandia have ended their association. Nexus, operators of the Tyneside Metro, have decided to overturn a ban on mobility scooters on their trains, provided drivers agree to take a test. The ban followed incidents in which drivers had fallen on to the tracks at Metro stations. Newspapers are cutting back on court reporting, which many Magistrates feel leads to widespread ignorance of the justice system.