File on 4

BBC Radio 4
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  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
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File on 4

Award-winning current affairs documentary series investigating major issues at home and abroad

  1. 20 HR AGO

    The Asylum Business

    The government has pledged to stop using hotels to house asylum seekers. But in early November nearly three hundred people were moved into a hotel in Altrincham in Greater Manchester. The decision has provoked widespread concerns from the community and there are fears that far right protestors could target the premises. It follows violent demonstrations outside hotels in Rotherham, Hull, Tamworth, Manchester, Aldershot and Bristol in the summer. Hotel accommodation is often provided in some of the UK’s poorest communities where residents are already facing difficulties in accessing vital services. So what is the government’s plan to stop the use of hotel accommodation? And when will it end? File on 4 hears from some of those who live in the hotels – and from the communities who live nearby – and discovers who’s profiting from the asylum business. Reporter: Datshiane Navanayagam Producer: Vicky Carter Technical Producer: Craig Boardman Production Coordinators: Tim Fernley and Ellie Dover Editor: Carl Johnston This programme contains descriptions of graphic violence. Details of organisations offering information and support are available at: www.bbc.co.uk/actionline

    43 min

  2. 19 NOV

    The Labour Market: Women who have babies outside the NHS

    A series of scandals involving babies and mothers being harmed in hospital have shaken some people’s confidence in NHS maternity care. As a result, many women are looking for alternatives when they give birth. Some are seeking help from outside of the NHS; including paying independent midwives, and even ‘freebirthing’, where they receive no medical support at all. But how safe is this, and is more regulation needed? Presenters: Rachel Stonehouse and Matthew Hill Producer: Fergus Hewison Production co-ordinator: Tim Fernley Technical producer: Richard Hannaford Editor: Carl Johnson

    43 min

  3. 5 NOV

    Back Street Beauty

    File on 4 investigates the cosmetic beauty trade after the first death in the UK following a liquid BBL procedure. Jane Deith meets women who have been disfigured by this and other cosmetic procedures, and considers why existing regulation is struggling to keep up with a growing industry. A beauty salon in Clapham, London is exposed for the first time in this programme by a trainee who is horrified by what she witnesses. Several women have complained, claiming they were injured and disfigured by the treatment they received there. . Reporter: Jane Deith Producer: Kate West Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford Production Coordinator: Tim Fernley Editor: Clare Fordham

    43 min

  4. 28 OCT

    Gig Economy: The Ticketing Business

    When the rock band Oasis announced they were reuniting, 10 million fans from all over the world joined the queue for tickets. It was the UK’s biggest ever concert launch. Tickets quickly sold out and within hours, many were being offered for sale on secondary ticketing sites at vastly inflated prices. File on 4 investigates the online ticketing market to discover who's ahead of you in the queue - and how they're getting there. Reporter: Adrian Goldberg Producer: Hayley Mortimer Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford Production Coordinator: Tim Fernley Editor: Carl Johnston

    43 min

  5. 22 OCT

    The rise in prison recalls

    The number of people being recalled to prison after they’ve been released has nearly doubled in recent years. It has come at a significant cost to the public – but has it made the public significantly safer? Most recalls aren’t for further offending. Could the gains made by the early release scheme be undermined by the huge number of people being recalled to prison? Former prisoner and filmmaker Chris Atkins investigates the opaque world of prison recalls. He speaks to prison reform charities who say arbitrary recalls drag many further into a cycle of crisis and crime and follows one troubled prisoner over five years, who is recalled four times despite never being charged with any new crimes. Reporter: Chris Atkins Producer: Alys Harte Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford Production Coordinator: Tim Fernley Editor: Clare Fordham

    38 min
  6. Lucy Letby: The Killer Questions

    1 OCT

    Lucy Letby: The Killer Questions

    File on 4 examines some of the most contentious statistical, scientific and medical evidence in the Lucy Letby trial. The programme reveals new concerns involving medical evidence presented in court where Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others. Reporter: Stephanie Hegarty Producers: Fay Nurse, Ben Robinson and Hayley Mortimer Technical Producers: Richard Hannaford and Nicky Edwards Production Coordinator: Tim Fernley Editor: Carl Johnston

    38 min

  7. 27 AUG

    After the Riots

    Mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers came under attack during the riots that swept across the country earlier this month. The courts have been tough on violent disorder, but File on 4 examines how tackling the possible root causes may require an even stronger effort. Tensions over immigration are still simmering, particularly in areas that have long been in economic decline. Paul Kenyon reports. Producer: Hayley Mortimer Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Production Coordinator: Tim Fernley Editor: Alys Harte

    38 min
  8. Invisible Souls

    18 AUG

    Invisible Souls

    Fishermen from the Philippines, Ghana and Sri Lanka speak out about how badly, they say, they were treated by a Scottish fishing company that hired them. Most of the fishermen have been waiting in the UK for more than 10 years for their case to be heard. Despite two extensive police investigations, no convictions have been secured for human trafficking or modern slavery. This is the first time the fishermen have spoken out. Reporter and Producer Monica Whitlock. Music by Jon Nicholls. Mix and Sound Design by Tom Brignell. Production Coordinator: Tim Fernley. Editor Alys Harte. Image: Fishermen from the Philippines and Ghana who worked on scallop boats.

    42 min
See All (441)

About

Award-winning current affairs documentary series investigating major issues at home and abroad

Information

  • Creator
    BBC Radio 4
  • Years Active
    2005 - 2024
  • Episodes
    441
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2024
  • Show Website
    File on 4

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