PS3 'master key' leaked online

24 October 2012 Last updated at 07:59 ET

Crucial security information about the Sony PlayStation 3 has been leaked online, making it easier for users to play pirated games on the machine.

Unlocking games consoles is a common way for users to open up the system, but in the past, such efforts have been quickly thwarted.

This hack is equivalent to stealing a master key, say experts.

It comes as Sony heard that one of the mass lawsuits brought against it in the US had been dismissed by the judge.

Access to the inner workings of a games console means people can utilise its huge computing power in novel ways.

For example, the United States Air Force has networked 1,700 PS3s to create a powerful supercomputer.

But often the unlocking - called jailbreaking - is seen as a means to allow users to play pirated games.

The hackers behind the publication of the so-called LV0 decryption keys call themselves The Three Musketeers.

They say that they decided to release the information after it was leaked and fell into the hands of hackers who had planned to charge a fee for the code.

In a statement published on The Hacker News, the group said: "You can be sure that if it wouldn't have been for this leak, this key would never have seen the light of day, only the fear of our work being used to make money out of it has forced said us to release this now."

Writing about the hack, Eurogamer said: "Options Sony has in battling this leak are limited - every PS3 out there needs to be able to decrypt any firmware download package in order for the console to be updated.

"The reveal of the LV0 key basically means that any system update released by Sony going forward can be decrypted with little or no effort whatsoever."

'Perfect security'

In the past efforts to jailbreak the PS3 have been countered with the release of firmware able to resecure the console.

Source close to the firm say they are not convinced that the latest hack is any more serious that past ones. An official statement from the console maker is due shortly.

In better news for Sony, a US judge has thrown out a mass lawsuit brought by users of the PlayStation Network, following a huge security breach in May 2011 which saw the user information of 69 million customers exposed.

The suit accused Sony of failing to adequately protect information and exposing users to identity theft.

Judge Battaglia from the US District Court of Southern California pointed to a clause in the user agreement which noted that "there was no such thing as perfect security" and said that the disclaimers meant there were no grounds for the lawsuits.

The plaintiffs have until 9 November to appeal against the decision.

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Irish ISP in Pirate Bay mystery

24 October 2012 Last updated at 12:41 ET By Jane Wakefield Technology reporter

Confused customers of Irish internet service provider (ISP) UPC are asking whether it is planning to block access to The Pirate Bay file-sharing website.

UPC users linking to the BitTorrent site on Monday and Tuesday saw a notice saying it had been blocked as the result of a court order from the Irish Recorded Music Association (Irma).

That notice has since been removed and UPC insists no such court order exists.

The message had been the result of routine network testing, it said.

UPC won a court victory over Irma in 2010 after refusing to implement a three-strikes scheme that required ISPs to send warning letters threatening disconnection to those identified as illegal downloaders.

But on Monday and Tuesday UPC users saw the following warning: "The Pirate Bay has been blocked. The website you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Further to a request from Irma, the Irish courts have ordered UPC to block access to The Pirate Bay website."

A later statement from UPC contradicted its own notice.

"UPC Ireland's position has not changed. UPC is not required by any court or authority to block The Pirate Bay and does not intend to voluntarily block The Pirate Bay," it said.

"Periodically testing is carried out across our European network, which may have been observed by Irish customers."

The BBC also contacted the Irma, but it would not say whether or not it had begun court proceedings against UPC.

"You will have to speak to UPC," a spokeswoman said.

Mixed evidence

Copyright holders around the world are moving the fight against piracy away from letter-writing campaigns to individual users in favour of website blocking.

In the UK, the major ISPs have already blocked access to The Pirate Bay.

The body representing British record labels, the BPI, is planning to ask UK ISPs to block three more file-sharing websites - Fenopy, H33t and Kickass Torrents.

Evidence about the success of such web blocks is mixed. According to figures from measurement firm Nielsen, traffic to The Pirate bay has dropped by three-quarters since courts ordered blocks in the UK.

But an ISP, which did not want to be named, told the BBC that overall illegal download traffic on its network recovered quickly within a week of its block.

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US trade judge sides with Apple

24 October 2012 Last updated at 23:59 ET

A US International Trade Commission judge, in a preliminary ruling, said Samsung infringed four of Apple's intellectual property patents.

The patents include one that relates to the front face of the iPhone and one for touch-screen technology.

It is another win for Apple, after it was awarded $1.05bn (£652m) in damages by a jury in a separate case in August.

The ITC can block the import of products into the US.

The judge's ruling will go in front of a full commission, which is scheduled to conclude its investigation in February.

Legal battles

Judge Thomas Pender agreed that Samsung violated four of Apple's patents, but was not in violation of two others listed by Apple in the complaint.

Three of the patents are related to software features, while one covers Apple's hardware.

However, the Samsung products in this case do not include its latest devices, limiting the impact of a potential import ban into the US.

Samsung has repeatedly argued that any sales ban would limit choice and raise prices for consumers in the US.

Apple and Samsung have bought legal cases against each other in more than 10 countries, each accusing the other of violating patents, as the two battle for market share in the hugely lucrative mobile industry.

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Help scheme runs out of TV boxes

25 October 2012 Last updated at 06:19 ET

A scheme to help the elderly with the switchover to digital television has been inundated with requests for high definition set-top boxes.

The Switchover Help Scheme was set up to help older and disabled people with the change.

However, there has been an unexpectedly high number of requests for HD Freeview boxes in Northern Ireland.

The HD box can pick up RTE's digital service while the standard box will not.

A help scheme spokeswoman said the applications had continued right up to the switchover and this had affected appointment dates for people who are applying now.

"The Switchover Help Scheme is sorry that many customers in Northern Ireland are waiting for installations," the spokeswoman said.

"The Freeview HD box which gives access to RTE channels and TG4, has been even more popular than we expected and we ran out of stock in the summer."

'New supplies'

However, all was not entirely doom and gloom for those waiting to have their digital box installed.

"New supplies of the Freeview HD box arrive in the next two weeks and people with existing orders will start getting them shortly," the spokeswoman said.

"The Switchover Help Scheme is working very hard to install everyone's equipment as soon as we can and we are aiming to serve nearly everyone who has already applied by the end of the year."

The Republic of Ireland has also moved to a digital platform, with its free-to-air service Saorview.

Brian Geraghty, RTE's Digital Reception Manager, said that 60% of Northern Ireland's population was covered with Saorview overspill and another 35% would be able to see RTE programs through an HD Freeview box.

"The simplest solution is if you have a Freeview HD box or Freeview HD television you will get the Irish channels one way or another," he said.

He said there had been shortages of HD set top boxes in the Republic as well, which turned off its analogue signal on Wednesday.

"A lot of stores had run out of set top boxes in the days running up to it (the switch off), the smaller stores, the bigger stores were still carrying stock, but a lot of people had left it very late to make the switch."

People in Northern Ireland who previously received RTE analogue signals will pick up the Saorview overspill signal.

The programmes available to them will be the same as those in the Republic, including football matches.

However, those receiving RTE on an HD Freeview box may have some of those programmes, with rights for the Irish Republic only, blocked.

Belfast and Enniskillen are the areas most likely to need an HD Freeview box to pick up Soarview.

"It's down to where the service originates, so the sports rights management companies and their negotiations with the broadcasters depends on the jurisdiction," Mr Geraghty said.

Eligible older and disabled people in Northern Ireland can still get help from the Switchover Help Scheme.

They have been offered practical help to convert one TV in their homes, including digital TV equipment, installation and 12 months aftercare.

Most people will be asked to pay £40 towards the help, but it is free for eligible people who are also on certain income-related benefits.

In Northern Ireland, eligible people can choose between a standard Freeview set-top box, or a Freeview HD set-top box which can receive the UK public service channel and also TG4, RTE One and RTE Two, subject to coverage in their area.

Other options are also available, some at higher cost.

Applications to the help scheme can be made until 24 November.

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Big Issue magazine goes digital

25 October 2012 Last updated at 07:50 ET

The Big Issue magazine, now a traditional feature of the High Street in many of the UK's major cities, is going digital.

It will not mean the end of the vendors - homeless people who rely on the income they make from sales.

Instead they will sell a token offering online access to the magazine alongside the hard copies.

The idea is the brainchild of the Big Issue in the North and will be piloted in Manchester from Monday 29 October.

If the pilot is a success, it will be rolled out across north-west England and Yorkshire.

More choice

Users opting for the digital version will be sold a £2 card with a unique code which, when typed into a web browser or scanned with a mobile phone, will download the digital edition of the magazine.

In the week before it goes on sale, the public will be able to sample the digital version for free via a barcode found on flyers and posters.

Caroline Price, director of the Big Issue in the North, said: "This is not about replacing our traditional print magazine. It is about moving with the times and giving people a choice in how they read the magazine."

"The Big Issue in the North's primary aim is to provide homeless people with the opportunity to earn an income. In order to continue to do this, we need to ensure we appeal to a broad range of readers, including people who choose to read newspapers and magazines online," she added.

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Video game to help angry children

25 October 2012 Last updated at 09:55 ET By Dave Lee Technology reporter, BBC News

A video game designed to help children with serious anger management problems has been produced by a US hospital.

Rage Control uses a device placed on a child's finger to monitor heart rate - if it gets too high, they lose the ability to shoot at enemy spaceships.

The player must learn to keep calm in order to play the game successfully.

Researchers said the game led to "significant decreases" in anger in the children studied.

ScienceBlog.com reported that the results appeared as part of a study set to be published in the journal Adolescent Psychiatry.

"The connections between the brain's executive control centres and emotional centres are weak in people with severe anger problems," said senior investigator on the study, Dr Joseph Gonzalez-Heydrich.

"However, to succeed at Rage Control, players have to learn to use these centres at the same time to score points."

Anger intensity

The study, led by Boston Children's Hospital, compared two groups of nine- to 17-year-olds.

Both groups received standard anger management treatments - but the second group also spent 15 minutes playing Rage Control at the end of their session.

The study said that after five sessions, the children who had played the game were better at keeping their heart rate down - and showed lower scores on a recognised rating scale for severity of anger issues in children.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

I think the key to engaging young people is working at their level."

End Quote Dr Simone Fox Royal Hollway

The study's lead author, Peter Ducharme, said it was hoped that children playing the game would be able to apply the same calming techniques to other areas of life.

"Kids reported feeling better control of their emotions when encountering day-to-day frustrations on the unit," he said.

"While this was a pilot study, and we weren't able to follow the kids after they were discharged, we think the game will help them control their emotions in other environments."

Next steps in the study include producing toys made with similar principles for children too young to be suitable for the video game.

These may include racing cars that stop if a child gets too excited and a cooperative building block game that becomes more wobbly if the child's heart rate goes up.

Mind control

Using computer games, or other interactive tools, to aid in treatment or recovery is becoming more common - but is rooted in science first discovered in the early 1900s.

Electroencephalography feedback (known as EEG) is a technology that monitors the level of brain activity.

Other examples of EEG's use is in a game called Mindball, in which players must move a ball with their thoughts, using brain-wave detectors.

Competing players must become more relaxed than their opponent in order to move the ball and win the game.

In a study similar to that carried out by Boston Children's Hospital, researchers found that encouraging children to engage in activities that made use of EEG led to an improvement in overall focus and concentration.

Continue reading the main story

Understanding anger

Video games aside, simple anger management strategies include:

• Trying a non-contact competitive sport
• Learning relaxation or meditation
• Shouting and screaming in a private, quiet place
• Banging your fists into a pillow
• Going running

Dr Simone Fox, a clinical and forensic psychologist, and a senior lecturer at Royal Holloway, University of London, said it was important to use this type of technology to demonstrate to children why their body reacted in certain ways.

"It's creating an awareness of how your body might be reacting when you're feeling angry," she told the BBC.

"I guess the video games are developing an awareness that they're linked - that you get sweaty, your muscles get tense and so on."

The approach had benefits over traditional methods, Dr Fox said, by presenting an alternative environment for children who may find it difficult to engage with psychologists.

"I think the key to engaging young people is working at their level.

"A lot of children with anger management problems just don't want to talk [about the issue] that way. Being creative and having alternative ways of addressing this is going to be key."

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UK store leaks Google Nexus phone

25 October 2012 Last updated at 11:17 ET

Carphone Warehouse has leaked the details of the next Google-branded smartphone days before it was supposed to have been announced.

The UK retailer posted pictures and full specifications of the Nexus 4 on its website.

A spokeswoman for LG - the device's South Korean manufacturer - was not aware of the issue when contacted by the BBC.

The pages were taken off the store's site shortly afterwards.

Carphone Warehouse later issued a statement saying: "Unfortunately a pre-order page for a new handset that we plan to range went live prematurely. We've now rectified this and apologise for any confusion caused."

The leak came ahead of a press event in New York on Monday which Google had said would be Android-themed.

Tech firms often use the element of surprise to build anticipation for their product launches.

Although unverified images of devices often appear on blogs in the run-up to such events, it is unusual for a large retailer to publish the full specifications of a product days in advance.

Neither Google nor LG were able to provide a comment.

Big screen

The deleted pages revealed that the Android-powered handset featured a 4.7in (10.2cm) display with a resolution of 320 pixels per inch.

That makes it roughly the same size as the best-selling Samsung Galaxy S3 and HTC One X handsets, but with a slightly higher pixel density. That should, in theory, mean more detail when watching films or other high-resolution content.

It also includes an 8-megapixel camera on its rear, is powered by a quadcore Snapdragon processor made by Qualcomm and boasts a feature that lets it take "360-degree panoramic photos".

Although the pages are now offline, they can still be viewed using Google's own webpage cache feature on its search tool.

More to come?

Google may still have a few surprises left. There is speculation that it will also unveil tablets by other manufacturers next week. It already sells a tablet made by Taiwanese firm Asus.

The strategy to outsource production of devices has attracted attention since its own Motorola hardware unit, which does not make Nexus products, posted a $527m (£327m) operating loss in its third-quarter results.

The Carphone Warehouse incident is Google's second premature release in a week.

On 18 October, its shares were suspended after its profit figures were accidentally released during the New York trading day.

Its shares dived as a result, wiping $19bn off its share price before action was taken.

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Torrent host 'liable for damages'

25 October 2012 Last updated at 11:51 ET

An anti-piracy group in the Netherlands, Brein, has won a landmark case, making a file-sharing site's former web host liable for damages.

A court in The Hague has found XS Networks guilty of facilitating copyright infringement by refusing to shut down a site it knew to be illegal.

The firm, which has ceased operations, used to rent its computer servers to the SumoTorrent website.

The ruling could create a "dangerous precedent", said the TorrentFreak blog.

SumoTorrent is unlikely to be affected because it moved its data to Ukraine before the case came to court, and continues to operate.

But Brein, which is the Dutch acronym for Protection Rights Entertainment Industry Netherlands, said it was still worth pursuing the case.

"We take down more than 600 sites a year - these are sites which give access to illegal content," Tim Kuik, the head of Brein, told the BBC.

Continue reading the main story

In this case it might have been clear, but there are a lot of grey areas where it's not so clear"

End Quote Ernesto van der Sar TorrentFreak

"If the sites are unco-operative, we go to the hosting provider that has to take them down according to a Dutch law, which states that if a site [falls into the category of] 'evidently illegal sites', the hosting provider has to take it offline.

"What is new now is that the court has ruled that a hosting provider that doesn't act promptly becomes liable for damages."

Mr Kuik said that the case could serve as an example to other countries in the European Union and elsewhere.

"The most important issue was to get this principle established, to show that there are consequences for hosting providers.

"It is important throughout the EU, because even though this case is about law in the Netherlands, this law has direct implementation of the EU directive on these issues."

'Grey areas'

But file-sharing news site TorrentFreak warned that it was not always very clear whether a site had copyright-infringing content.

"The ruling is quite far-reaching because I don't think companies are supposed to make decisions about copyright," said TorrentFreak's editor Ernesto van der Sar.

"In this case it might have been clear, but there are a lot of grey areas where it's not so clear."

For example, he said, if someone uploaded a copyrighted video to a site such as YouTube, it should not be up to the hosting company to decide whether or not this video should be removed; it should be up to the court.

And even if the damages were not very high, he added, "web hosts won't be able to fight it now because if they lose a battle they will have to pay damages".

"It's probably not that big but it's not something you want your company to be involved in."

Before it closed in February, XS Networks put out a statement on its website, protesting its innocence.

"As you may know, the Dutch anti-piracy organisation Brein has sued us for alleged copyright intrusions of one of our clients," said the statement, which TorrentFreak provided to the BBC.

"We regret that they have chosen to make a spectacle of our last month in business.

"In our opinion there is nothing illegal about the websites that were hosted with XS Networks and are thankful for the warm messages from other webhosters and appreciation of our clients."

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Microsoft to make more hardware

25 October 2012 Last updated at 11:52 ET

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Steve Ballmer: 'This is one of two or three big moments in Microsoft's history'

Microsoft's chief boss has confirmed he plans to release more devices.

Steve Ballmer told the BBC: "Is it fair to say we're going to do more hardware? Obviously we are... Where we see important opportunities to set a new standard, yeah we'll dive in."

The chief executive's comments came ahead of a Windows 8 launch event in New York, following which Microsoft's Surface tablet will go on sale.

News other devices are likely to follow may worry other PC manufacturers.

Mr Ballmer caused a stir when he revealed in June that his company was making its own family of tablet computers - one offering extended battery-life powered by an Arm-based chip, the other using Intel's technology to offer a deeper Windows experience.

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A look at Microsoft's Surface tablet

Until now Microsoft had focused on software and relied on third-parties to make hardware, with a few exceptions such as its Xbox games consoles and Kinect gesture sensors.

The chief executive of Taiwanese PC-maker Acer told the Financial Times in August that the Surface would have "a huge negative impact for the [PC] ecosystem and other brands" adding that he had been in touch with Microsoft to discuss his concerns.

But Dell - the world's third largest computer maker - was less bothered by the move.

"The announcement of Surface was necessary to have a proof of concept and to get people excited about what was coming to push application development and create some buzz out there," Kirk Schell, vice president of Dell's client and consumer product group, recently told the BBC.

"They've invested so much in Windows 8 it was important to make it work, so I felt Surface was the logical thing to do."

Much of Microsoft's launch event was later dedicated to promoting Windows 8 certified computers from the firm's "partners" including Sony, Dell, Lenovo and Acer.

Touch-controlled tiles

Windows 8 is a radical update to Microsoft's core product. The operating system introduces a touchscreen-controlled interface featuring tiles.

As well as acting as buttons to launch individual apps, the tiles allow installed software to provide status updates on a computer's home screen. These can include details about the latest emails received, news headlines or social network posts created by friends.

Users can also switch into a more traditional desktop mode.

Devices running the Windows RT version of the new software will only be allowed to install third-party software from Microsoft's curated Windows Store. But other machines will give users the ability to launch programs sourced from elsewhere.

Windows RT is designed to run on machines powered by CPUs (central processing units) based on designs by the British firm ARM, while more fully-featured versions of Windows 8 will run on the x86-based architecture chips used by Intel and AMD.

The strategy allows Windows to compete against both iPads and Android-based tablets as well as higher-end laptops and desktop computers.

Analysts warn the move carries both risks and rewards.

"Buyers craving a Windows tablet, touch laptop, or a touch all-in-one PC will jump for Windows 8, once they work through the processor choice confusion," said Frank Gillett from consultants Forrester Research.

"[But] for some the prospect of learning a new interface will cause them to consider alternatives, most likely Apple's Mac; although some will also check out Google's Chrome OS offerings."

Other Linux-based competitors are also hoping to gain ground including free-to-use alternatives Ubuntu and Debian. Research In Motion may also attempt to revitalise its own tablet sales when it launches Blackberry 10 next year.

Surface phone?

Before smartphones arrived Microsoft dominated the market, powering about 95% of personal computing device sales, according to Forrester. It says that figure has now shrunk to 30%.

Surface addresses the software's firm's need to jumpstart demand for Windows-powered tablets.

There is growing speculation that Mr Ballmer's next step could be to order the launch of Microsoft's own mobile phone.

Continue reading the main story

Reminding the Microsoft CEO that he has presided over a period which has seen its stock market valuation eclipsed by Apple is maybe untactful.

He comes back fighting though, insisting that he is proud of what his company has delivered to investors.

It all makes for a slightly testy encounter.

Despite positive reviews, devices running the Windows Phone 7 operating system captured less than a 4% share of global shipments in the July-to-September quarter, according to a study by IDC.

Chris Green, principal technology analyst at Davies Murphy Group Europe, is convinced work is already underway on a Surface Phone but added that it might never go on sale.

"Microsoft is hedging its bets," he said.

"The firm is heavily invested in Nokia succeeding with its Windows Phone handsets but can't allow for its failure to torpedo the platform."

Nokia, HTC and Samsung have announced they will sell new handsets based on Microsoft's upcoming Windows Phone 8 operating system which launches next week.

The product resembles and is based on the same kernel - or software core - as its PC equivalent.

"At the very least Microsoft will be developing its own handset to go to market in case Nokia and others don't do better," Mr Green added.

'Whatever is required'

Nokia's own chief executive Stephen Elop appears fairly relaxed about the prospect of competing with his former employer.

"[It would be] a stimulant to the ecosystem," he told analysts on a recent conference call transcribed by news site Seeking Alpha.

"We're encouraging HTC, and Samsung, and Microsoft or whomever, to have devices in the market and to be making whatever investments that help spur the ecosystem on."

Mr Ballmer would not be drawn on the exact nature of his future plans.

"We have committed ourselves on a path where we will do whatever is required from both a hardware and a software innovation perspective and the cloud innovation perspective in order to propel the vision that we have," was all he would tell the BBC.

For now the only confirmed hardware on the horizon is a Pro version of the Surface tablet, set to go on sale in January.

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Use fake birthdate, official says

25 October 2012 Last updated at 12:20 ET By Brian Wheeler Political reporter, BBC News

A senior government official has sparked anger by advising internet users to give fake details to websites to protect their security.

Andy Smith, an internet security chief at the Cabinet Office, said people should only give accurate details to trusted sites such as government ones.

He said names and addresses posted on social networking sites "can be used against you" by criminals.

His advice was described by Labour MP Helen Goodman as "totally outrageous".

Ms Goodman, shadow culture minister, told BBC News: "This is the kind of behaviour that, in the end, promotes crime.

"It is exactly what we don't want. We want more security online. It's anonymity which facilitates cyber-bullying, the abuse of children.

"I was genuinely shocked that a public official could say such a thing."

'Sensible'

Mrs Goodman, MP for Bishop Auckland, in the North-East of England, said she had been contacted by constituents who have been the victims of cyber-bullying on major social networking sites by people hiding behind fake names.

Mr Smith, who is in charge of security for what he described as the "largest public services network in Europe", which will eventually be accessed by millions of people in the UK, said giving fake details to social networking sites was "a very sensible thing to do".

Continue reading the main story

Don't put all your information on websites you don't trust"

End Quote Andy Smith Cabinet Office

"When you put information on the internet do not use your real name, your real date of birth," he told a Parliament and the Internet Conference in Portcullis House, Westminster.

"When you are putting information on social networking sites don't put real combinations of information, because it can be used against you."

But he stressed that internet users should always give accurate information when they were filling in government forms on the internet, such as tax returns.

"When you are interacting with government, or professional organisations - people who you know are going to protect your information - then obviously you are going to use the right stuff.

But he said that fraudsters gather a lot of personal information "from Google, social networking sites, from email footers, all sorts of places".

He added that they were "bringing this information together and cross-correlating information and then they are using it against you".

'Be cautious'

Mr Smith's comments were backed by Lord Erroll, chairman of the Digital Policy Alliance, a not-for-profit policy studies group which claims to speak for industry and charities, who was chairing the panel. He said he had always given his date of birth as "1 April 1900".

Asked by BBC News to clarify his remarks, Mr Smith, who is head of security at the Public Sector Technical Services Authority, said there was a "balancing act" to be struck between giving details to reputable sites and posting them on websites where the need to confirm identity was not so vital.

He said: "Don't put all your information on websites you don't trust.

"If it's somewhere you trust - and obviously with government you really do need to put accurate information. Large commercial sites you are going to put the right information.

"If you are not sure about something then just be very, very cautious of what you put up, what you expose if you really don't want to be used against you."

'Educating consumers'

Culture minister Ed Vaizey said he had not seen Mr Smith's remarks but told the BBC that he "wouldn't encourage people to put false identities on the internet".

"The way of viewing this issue is that we should work with Facebook to ensure people feel secure using those sites and that there is not a threat of identity theft," he said.

"It's also important for the government to work with consumers, to educate consumers about the threat of identity theft and what kind of details we should and shouldn't put online."

Citing an anecdote about novelist Salman Rushdie - who won a battle last year to use his commonly used middle name rather than his actual first name Ahmed on his profile page - he said: "Facebook doesn't allow you to put on false details and they will take you off if they discover you have."

Simon Milner, Facebook's head of policy in the UK and Ireland, who was at the conference, also took issue with Mr Smith's comment.

He told the audience of industry experts and MPs he had a "vigorous chat" with the Cabinet Office official afterwards to persuade him to revise his view.

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