With the Rev Derek Boden.

With Anna Hill.

With John Humphrys and James Naughtie.
6.25, 7.25, 8.25 Sports News
6.45 Yesterday in Parliament
7.48 Thought for the Day
With the Rt Rev Richard Harries
8.32 Yesterday in Parliament

Melvyn Bragg and his guests explore the history of ideas as they discuss the events and inspirations that have influenced our age.
Shortened repeat 9.30pm

Melvyn Bragg discusses how humans have understood and fought disease throughout history, and examines the social consequences of diseases such as smallpox, bubonic plague, cholera, TB and AIDS. Show more

Presented from Manchester by Jenni Murray.
10.45 Mary Hays in Love Part 4. Drama repeated at 7.45pm

Afghanistan. NasirSaberi faces an uphill struggle-he's in charge of planning the reconstruction of Kabul, a city reduced to rubble by more than 20 years of civil war. His problems, as he explains to reporter Tim Whewell , are compounded by the huge influx of refugees who have returned to the city since the defeat of the Taliban a year ago. Things have improved since he started work at the beginning of the yearwithout a desk, a computer, or even paper and pens. But the scale of his task is daunting and already he is becoming worn down by red tape and the lack of funds available to him.
Editor Maria Balinska Repeated Monday 8.30pm

Why does Mozart's music create as much excitement in the laboratory as it does in the concert hall? In 1993, researchers found that students who were played Mozart temporarily increased their spatial IQ scores. A media frenzy over what they had christened the "Mozart Effect" led to countless claims for its beneficial effects on health, behaviour and child development- everything from epilepsy to improving children's ability at maths. Mozart's own mind has been described as neurologically perfect, so does this give clues to the therapeutic properties of his music? Paul Robertson explores the evidence. Producer Paul Evans
A classical education?: page 40

With Liz Barclay and Winifred Robinson.

With Nick Clarke.

Extended repeat of Saturday at 6.10am

Repeated from yesterday at 7pm

By David Britton. 1812: Tremadoc in North Wales isn't ready for the arrival of the young, radical poet who preaches free love and atheism. And the authorities want him silenced too.
Director Alison Hindell

A columnist advances a controversial view on a topical subject, then listeners can take issue by telephone. Presented by David Jessel. PHONE: [number removed] LINES OPEN from 1.30pm Producer Nick Utechin

The Rev Nicholas Holtam , vicar of St Martin in the Fields, London, makes the traditional Radio
Christmas appeal on behalf of the church's social work in the capital and around the country.
DONATIONS: [address removed] or via the website: www.[address removed] Credit-card donations: [number removed] 7.55am

4: GossipingDays by Elizabeth Wilson. In a great city you can live in the next street to an old lover or a once-close friend and not even know it. Read by Jacqueline Tong. For details see Monday

For over 75 years BBC Radio has broadcast a Christmas appeal. The money raised is used by St Martin in the Fields to help the homeless in London and across the country. John Waite hears from some of the many thousands of people who are helped by this money.

(9.45am)

Repeated from Sunday at 4pm

Archaeologists looking at remains of intensive farming on two sites in Roman Libya and Jordan are piecing together the clues to build up a picture of farming life 2,000 years ago. The contrasting way the two sites were managed by Roman powers gives a fascinating insight into how different farming techniques can help us to understand desertification in the past and, in turn, how deserts are created today. Quentin Cooper meets the researchers who are bringing together archaeological and geographical Science.
Email: [email address removed]

With Eddie Mair and Carolyn Quinn.

More management consultant comedy from the Sony Award-winning sitcom. With Marcus Brigstocke , Catherine Shepherd , Emma Kennedy and David Mitchell. Written by James Cary. Producer Adam Bromley

Clowning around at Lower Loxley. Rptd tomorrow at2pm

Francine Stock speaks to Stephen Frears about his newfilm Dirty Pretty Things. Producer Nicki Paxman

4: Mary and John dare to hope for the future but their plans depend on securing financial support. For details see Monday Repeated from 10.45am

In the 1980s, two men in a London flat devised a secret communication system linking the banned ANC in Lusaka, Zambia, with underground terrorists in South Africa. Their task was twofold: to smuggle ANC military leaders and vast amounts of weapons and explosives into South Africa for a violent and bloody revolution - and to make secret contact with Nelson Mandela in his prison cell.
Nigel Wrench presents the history of this operation.

Eurotest. How close is Britain to passing the five economic tests the Government has set before calling a referendum on joining the Euro?
Margaret Doyle assesses our progress and asks whether they are the right tests anyway. Editor Nicola Meyrick

in the last of the series, Geoff Watts reports on the latest pioneering stories in the world of science. Producer Beth Eastwood EMAIL: radioscience@bbc.co.uk

9: The Tiger has slipped through the police's net again - but the Canon has a private plan. For details see Monday

Spend a few minutes with master storyteller Smug Roberts for some true-ish tales with a band fronted by Martin Coogan of the Mock Turtles, plus Sean de Burca (keyboards), Andrew Stewardson (bass) and Tony Thompson (drums). 2: Smug goes out for a highly unusual night on the town.

By Grant Cathro and Alex Bartlette. A comedy series for all of us facing life's dilemmas and having our behinds thoroughly horsewhipped by them.
2: Adrenalin? Creative expression? Chemical escapism? How about some other drug?
Producer Graham Frost

Part 4. Repeated from 9.45am