Trump’s rivals
More than 1.7m people signed a petition on Parliament’s website demanding that Donald Trump’s state visit be cancelled, and more than 200,000 one calling for it to go ahead. What are the most and least signed of the 2,500 or so other live petitions?
Most signed
| Repeal new surveillance laws | 209,000 |
| Ban firework sales to public | 150,000 |
| Set £1,200 maximum price on car insurance for 18- to 25-year-olds | 148,000 |
Least signed
| Offer discounted counselling to housing professionals | 6 |
| Plain bottles for alcoholic drinks | 6 |
| Scrap juries | 6 |
Visiting rites
Which countries have been awarded the most state visits to Britain? 64 countries have had a state visit during the Queen’s reign, of which 25 had more than one:
| France | 6 |
| US, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Norway, Italy, Germany/West Germany | 4 |
| China, Turkey, South Africa, India, Brazil, Portugal, Nigeria | 3 |
| South Korea, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Poland, Jordan, Denmark, Japan, Finland, Malaysia, Netherlands, Nepal, USA | 2 |
Since de Gaulle in 1960, every French President has had one except Pompidou and Hollande.
Particular problem
A warning of ‘very high’ air pollution was issued in London, with especially high levels of the small soot particles known as PM2.5s. Main sources of the 59,000 tonnes of these particles emitted in the UK in 2009, in tonnes:
| Road vehicle exhausts | 12,000 |
| Combustion in homes | 10,000 |
| Aircraft | 8,000 |
| Road abrasion/brake or tyre wear | 7,000 |
| Waste treatment/disposal | 6,000 |
| Combustion in industry | 3,000 |
| Natural | 2,000 |
| Source: Defra |
Many happy returns
The deadline for filing self-assessment tax returns passed on Tuesday 31 January. How many were filed on time last year?
— 11.3m tax returns were due.
— 10.4m (92%) were received on time.
— 870,000 people were late, making them liable for a £100 fine.
— 43% of returns reached HMRC in January, and 18% arrived on deadline day or the day before.
Source: HMRC
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in