Barometer | 7 December 2017

Border skirmishes

What did the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic used to look like?

— In 1923 a Common Travel Area between the UK and what was then the Irish Free State established free movement. Passport checks began in the second world war and ended in 1952, though some customs checks continued. The first attempt to control the border came in 1970, when 51 back roads were closed with spikes. But people kept stealing the spikes. Thereafter, there was no official barrier on most of the 200 cross-border roads but patrols were in place and people were expected to cross at 20 crossing points. These were removed after the Good Friday agreement in 1998.  

Leftovers

The East of England Co-op is to trial selling some food past its sell-by date more cheaply. Where does most food get thrown away in Britain (once past the farm gate)?

Quantity of waste per year

Household waste	7.3m tonnes
Processing factories	1.7m tonnes
Catering trade	0.9m tonnes
Retailers	0.25m tonnes
Street litter	0.1m tonnes
Wholesalers	0.04m tonnes

Source: WRAP  

Cash flow

A dispute over fees threatens ATM machines. How many are there in Britain?

— As of 2015 there were 70,270: 27 per cent attached to bank branches, 46 per cent retail outlets, 10 per cent leisure centres and 8 per cent garages or service stations.

— Of these, 52,717 (75 per cent) are free to use. These are more heavily used, so only 2 per cent of withdrawals incur a fee.

— The average machine dispenses £7,576 per day. Individual withdrawals average out at £69.

Source: Payments UK  

Perilous pets

An Oldham family were reported to have adopted a three-stone African wildcat as a pet. How many dangerous wild animals are licensed to be kept on private property in the UK (excluding zoos open to the public)? Figures are from Freedom of Information requests and not all councils responded:

Poisonous snakes	300
Tigers	13
Alligators	10
Pumas	9
Crocodiles	9
Leopards	8
Cheetahs	7
Lions	2

Source:Press Association