Anyone who wants to work with children, including those who regularly transport children to sports matches, will soon have to be vetted for a criminal record.
John O'Brien, the civil servant who will run the scheme, reacted to critics who have branded it "insulting" and say it could deter volunteers .
Any parent regularly in "frequent" or "intensive" contact with children will have to undergo criminal record checks or face fines of up to £5,000. Home editor Mark Easton considered what this says about adults' relationships with children.
The Children's Minister, Delyth Morgan, explained who will be obliged to join the new scheme and Bob Reitemeier, chief executive of the Children's Society, discussed whether this legislation infringes on privacy .
The BBC has uncovered evidence of fraud in Helmand province during Afghanistan's presidential elections. Correspondent Chris Morris outlined the evidence he has uncovered while the Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, discussed whether the elections will provide a satisfactory outcome.
A report into the collapse of carmaker MG Rover will say that five executives took £42m in pay and pensions from the troubled firm, the BBC has learned.
Business editor Robert Peston considered whether men behind the takeover and the executive they appointed enriched themselves as Rover headed for insolvency .
Are child composers taken as seriously as their older counterparts? Barry Cooper, professor of music at Manchester University, and Richard Causton, who began composing as a child, reflected on some of the best works written by children .
And John paid tribute to Ed on his last day as a Today presenter.
One-Minute World News 
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