12/03/2014 Reporting Scotland

Tonight, on Reporting Scotland: The growing gulf between public spending

and taxation in this country. The gap between what's spent and taken

in, rises to ?12bn - amid a sharp fall in oil and Gas revenue. We'll

examine the effect on the independence debate. Also tonight -

we're behind the scenes as Hampden prepares for Commonwealth athletics.

It does not look that out of the ordinary until you see below. The

surface I was standing on has been raised almost two metres, supported

by a Forest of these steel columns. And later in the programme, guilty

of fraud and money laundering. Barry Hughes - one of Scotland's best

known boxing promoters - is jailed for more than three and a half

years. Find out why Scottish rugby have named just half a team for

their final six nations match in Wales. And - forget special effects.

Why filmgoers have the chance to enjoy movies from the pre-sound era.

Good Evening. There's a growing gap between state spending in Scotland -

and the money raised here in tax. In the last financial year, the deficit

here became larger than the UK's as a whole. Those in favour of

independence say the Scottish government report shows Scotland is

one of the world's wealthiest countries. But those against say the

figures make the case for maintaining the union. Here's our

Business and Economy Editor Douglas Fraser. This is a health check on

Scotland's public finances. Every year, statisticians estimate how

much is spent in Scotland, for Scots, raised in taxation, and how

it compares to the United Kingdom as a whole. It shows the average Scot

handed over more in tobacco tax band down south. It is also true of

gambling and alcohol. They hand over a lower share in stamp duty, and

inherited stacks. In this reckoning, it is the totals that matter. Last

financial year, spending ran to ?65 billion. Tax was ?53 billion. So

there is a deficit of ?12 billion, up from ?8.5 billion previous year.

The GDP comes to 8.3%. The figure used to be lower. It is now higher.

What has made the big difference this year is lower receipts from oil

and Gas production. The Scottish era that has fallen. The revenue helped

fuel the independence debate. We had a 40% decline in oil revenues.

Mainly it was for good reasons, because of a surge in investment in

the North Sea. That is tax deductible. Why is that a good

thing? It means that in three years time you will get the benefit from

that, the new production, the new fields, the greater revenue coming

on stream. The oil and Gas reserves which remain are hugely important,

but almost twice as expensive as they used to be. As a result, the

tax which is paid on that oil is declining. That is why we have seen

a 44% drop. These annual figures have been important in establishing

that Scotland could be viable. In recent years they have shown that

Scottish finances could have been in a better state. As of today, that is

not as clear. Well, our political editor, Brian Taylor, is at Holyrood

tonight. How are these figures going down there, Brian? Look at it this

way, you're looking at figures on the principle of expenditure and

income being balanced, where you are seeing oil revenues down, and the

deficit is against trend compared to the UK. Is this good news for Alex

Salmond? Are these the figures he would want to take into the

referendum? They are not. His opponents claim this is a calamity

for the yes campaign. Look at the wider analysis but Alex Salmond has

made, you says in countering that, the underlying strength of the

Scottish economy has been there, has countered this one-year drop. He

also says, that point about investment, that was

tax-deductible, that is going to produce productive investment which

will produce better revenues in years to come. He believes that

would be an opportunity for Scotland. A review into the case of

a nursery worker jailed for sex offences against children has said

parents need greater understanding of how potential abusers work. Alex

Mortimer was jailed for almost six years in 2012, after assaulting

Young Boys and taking indecent photographs of children. The review

by South Lanarkshire Council found he had "groomed" parents to gain

access to their children. Our Home Affairs Correspondent, Reevel

Alderson, is at the council's headquarters tonight. What are the

council saying tonight, Reevel? Tonight, the council are saying they

are very pleased with the review which has been carried out into the

case of Alex Mortimer because, effectively, it shows that

procedures they had in place for working. Mortimer was found guilty,

pled guilty in 2012 to abusing two young boys age two and three and

having 18,000 indecent images on his computer and 600 indecent videos.

Because he was a nursery worker, a serious case review was cold,

carried out by the Independent Child protection committee of South

Lanarkshire. The main finding is he was working very hard over a period

of a number of years to gain the trust of parents, grooming them, in

fact, to gain access to their children. The chairman of that

review commission has been saying what sort of lessons parents should

take from this. I think the message it gives to parents is to be alert,

and in this situation, some parents were alert and did resist the

overtures this guy was making. But he was a determined individual,

effectively grooming parents. Effectively, yes. Actually, for some

parents, they had called his behaviour into question. That has

been reviewed, but it turns out it was matters of him breaking the

rules at the nursery and being unclean and unkempt. Whether he

would have gone on to abuse if he had been picked up on this, we will

never know. The organisers of Glasgow 2014 have revealed how

Hampden Park is being transformed to stage this summer's athletics

events. The floor of the national stadium has been raised and the new

track now sits on hundreds of metal stilts. Here's our Commonwealth

Games reporter, Jane Lewis. A big transformation and two big-name

athletes on hand to give hand in the thumbs up. -- Hampden. It has taken

three months to transform the national football stadium into the

Commonwealth arena. The construction work has been carried out in a

unique manner. If you don't know Hamdan Stadium particularly well,

you might been wondering what the fuss is all about. It does not look

back out of the ordinary until you see below. The surface has been

raised almost two metres, supported by a forest of steel columns. 6000

of them. It is really good, having the crowd almost on top of you means

there will be an excellent atmosphere, they will be supporting

you and cheering you on. It will make a huge difference. Jessica

Ennis-Hill was the golden girl of London 2012, but will not be

competing in Glasgow as sheet is due to give birth in July. -- she. I

would have loved to be here, that was my plan, unfortunately, as a

female athlete, there is always going to be something that you will

miss if you go away and have a child. I think it is going to be

fantastic, anyway. We have lost about eight rows of seats, it has

reduced the capacity a bit, but for what we expect it is going to be

absolutely fool and absolutely magic. After giving Hampden Park

seal of approval, they had a tour around the Athletes' Village in the

East End of Glasgow. The village covers 35 acres, the same as London

2012. With 700 homes in a variety of styles, housing around 6500 athletes

and support staff. After the games, the accommodation will go on public

sale, but not before some famous names have slept in these beds.

You're watching Reporting Scotland from the BBC. Still to come on

tonight's programme: He brought the realities of the front line to those

back home - reviving the reputation of Scotland's "forgotten" war poet.

In sport: Ahead of this season's Six Nations finale, Scotland's head

rugby coach names his team - well, half a team. Find out why a former

Celtic star expects a bad return to Celtic Park. One of Scotland's best

known boxing promoters has been jailed for more than three and a

half years after pleading guilty to fraud and money laundering charges.

The charges relate to two mortgage frauds totalling ?1.2m. Aileen

Clarke was in court. July 2010. The police raid Barry Hughes's home. His

neighbours were given a very good hint about why they were removing

electrical goods from the house. At the time he gave this interview,

claiming he was being victimised. If the justice system was a sphere as

it should be, all I want is to be treated fairly. Everyone else who

has been charged should be getting treated the same. Why am I the only

person that is getting treated like this? I've not done anything wrong.

It is innocent until proven guilty. Today, he appeared for sentence,

having admitted two charges of mortgage fraud and laundering the

money from the sale of one of those houses. He had been caught lying

about his wife's earnings. Back together now, but when she filed for

divorce, she stated she was financially dependent on her

husband. The sheriff took around 30 minutes to decide on sentence. When

he returned, Barry Hughes stood in the dock and the sheriff said to

him, the deception you engaged in was not just mendacious but

repeated. He took into account the gravity and catalogue of offences

and decided no other option than custody was appropriate. He jailed

him for three years and seven months. Barry Hughes first came to

attention as a promising boxer. He turned promoter and managed Scott

Harrison for a time. Here he is whisking him away from Glasgow

airport after his client spent time in jail in Spain. He was fined in

2000 for carrying a knife and was believed to escape jail the

following year for an assault in a Glasgow nightclub. His wife will

give birth to their fifth title in eight months. The husband will not

be released and still much later. -- and till. The other stories around

the country: Police say two people have been arrested after the

discovery of a body on Friday. Ian Carruthers had been missing from his

home in Annan for several weeks. At 26-year-old man has been charged

with drug supply and 25-year-old woman is of wasting police time. The

Aberdeen City Council has told staff it is likely they will receive a

number of complaints about letters endorsing a No vote in the

referendum. The Labour council decided 100,000 notes would be sent

in bills going out to council tax payers. The climber survived the

1000 foot fall down Ben Nevis. Lochaber Mountain rescue team went

to his aid. He was airlifted to hospital with cuts and bruises. A

new report claims up to 350 jobs will be created with the arrival of

the Borders railway line in 2015. Many of the jobs will be created

over the next five years in industrial estates like this one. It

is also stressed that the Borders will face stiff competition from

further up the line in Midlothian. There has been a sharp increase in

the value of salmon exports to the USA. They hit ?200 million in 2014.

We are looking at market around the world. We export to 55 countries, we

are spreading our reputation worldwide and it is growing every

year. The proposed star of -- sculpture going to Gretna could be

worth ?16 million in the first year in terms of construction, tourism

and publicity according to an economic impact study. Developers

hope to start construction next year. He's been described as

Scotland's "forgotten" war poet. Joseph Lee's poems gave readers back

home a sense of life on the front line in World War One. Now, the

university which holds his archive wants to revive his reputation. Our

arts correspondent Pauline McLean reports. My mother rose from her

grave last night, and bent above my bed, and laid a warm kiss on my

legs... Joseph Lee was one of Dundee's fighter writers. He sent

poems home while serving in the trenches during the First World

War. Enormously popular. In 1916, he was named one of the UK's top three

poets. He was popular because he had this sense of humanity, he could

reflect the grim reality of war but also the humour and camaraderie they

had in the trenches. That struck a chord with people at home. There is

the poetry and the letters from when he was taken prisoner. Over the

century, his poetry has fallen out of fashion. Even his family struggle

to keep his legacy alive. He wrote in a journalistic kind of way,

writing quickly, they have the feel about them that they have been

written in the trenches, as they were, they have an authenticity

about them. Unfortunately, the house no longer survive... Dundee

University is keen to introduce him to a new generation. Sometimes you

can get a little emotional, because it is that hard-hitting. It draws

you back. I don't have anyone in my family who knows much about the

First World War anymore. It is great to learn about someone like this and

have these resources. There are plans to republish his poetry and

letters, as well as staging an exhibition. Scotland's for Croft and

war poet is at last remembered. -- forgotten war poet. For more details

on this year's centenary, log onto the website. Time for the latest

sport. Scotland's head rugby coach was hoping to announce his starting

line up for Saturday's match against Wales today. But he could only name

half of it, because so many players are carrying injuries. As our rugby

reporter Phil Goodlad explains, that's not the team's biggest

concern. Spring has sprung at Elvis but ahead of the final match in

Cardiff, a cloud is hanging over the Scotland team. It is uncertainty

surrounding why Scotland are being penalised more than any other team

in the six Nations. All we want is the same rules applied to both

sides. What frustrates coaches like myself is the consistency with the

referees is not applied in both parties. Scotland have conceded over

50 penalties, it is costing them dear. The Mac we are disappointed

and I think a little bit naive. Looking back, decisions were made at

the time that would not happen in that situation again. It is fine

lines in International Rugby Board Cardiff would be a good point at

which to put things right. Until then, there are more pressing

matters. What did you think of my dinner? Good chicken pie, I am

getting bored of it, though. It is just chicken pie or a roast. It is

good. This is so difficult. Domestic bliss is not easy, neither is

getting to the bottom of Scotland's penalty problem. He was a star man

at Celtic Park but expects to be roundly booed on his next visit.

Aiden McGeady has no regrets about representing the Republic of Ireland

rather than Scotland. The nations will meet in the European

qualifiers, probably at Parkhead. Former old firm rivals, no

team-mates at Everton, launching an award ceremony. Next time they are

in Glasgow, they will be at opposite sides in the qualifiers. It will be

strange playing Scotland at Celtic Park with a lot of the stadium

booing you. Aiden McGeady was born and raised in Scotland but has no

regrets playing for Ireland, having started for them. The main reason I

don't regret it as I played at a major finals. We had a difficult

group and did not cover ourselves and glory, but to say you've done

that is something every player wants to do. An integral part of the

Scotland team, Steven Naismith has an idea about how to keep Aiden

McGeady quiet. We need to keep most of the tickets for the Tartan Army.

It will be better for us. It will be strange to play against some

team-mates. It will be a strange experience. Hopefully we will have

the bragging rights for it. With that in mind, they will not be too

friendly when they face each other in November. Now, a look at what

else is happening across Scottish sport: After their Scottish Cup win

over Inverness, Dundee United are playing at home against St Johnstone

in the Premiership. Inverness will play the burning -- Hibernian. If we

can get into the top six, that is our goal. Rangers could wrap up the

league one title tonight if they beat Airdrie at Ibrox. They would be

26 points clear of Dunfermline with eight games to play. Coverage of all

the matches is on radio Scotland. Peter Pawlett is likely to be fit

for the league cup final against Inverness. He is back in training

after missing the game on Saturday against Dumbarton. Alan Archibald is

in bother with the SFA. He was sent off for using foul and abusive

language whilst turning out as an overage player for the under 20

team. More on the Scott Johnson selection issues and lots more on

the website. That is all from the four now. Cinema-going has become a

digital experience with 3D, surround sound and special effects. But an

event starting today gives audiences the chance to enjoy something rather

different. The Festival of Silent Cinema in Bo'ness will be showing

classic films from the pre-sound era. Musicians will accompany the

movies, and a special score has been commissioned to give a 21st-century

slant on a 1930's film. Making music to tell a story.

Composer Jane Gardner has been commissioned to write a new score to

accompany the 1930 Japanese film Dragnet Girl. It will be screened in

Scotland's oldest purpose-built picture house. When I watch the film

I go with my instincts. This is a Japanese film so I played about with

the pentatonic scale. We have eastern sides. -- sounds. One of the

highlights is a pioneering Scottish film about heron fishing. Other

forgotten treasures will be run, accompanied by live music. Film has

sustained for so long because of that powerful story telling, not

having that reliance on dialogue often make the film experience and

the storytelling experience stronger. In the digital age, the

films. Retreat for enthusiasts. It is great to get hands-on with it,

because it is very tactile, satisfying to work with. You can see

it, you would give the machine, you can see what it is doing. The other

stuff is a black box. The festival aims to give a modern audience the

taste of a bygone era. You can even get into selected screenings by

bringing along a jar. Now the forecast. It was a superb day. Will

it last? You don't need to be a weatherman to know the answer to

that. It was a very lovely day. It will not last. Tonight, cloudy, not

as cold as last night. The high pressure is slipping away from us,

with these weather fronts drifting towards the North and the wind

increasing. Overnight, some clear skies to the east of the country,

temperatures falling away. Some mist and fog through the Borders.

Temperatures overnight are still reasonably low. Where it is wet, it

will be milder than that. That is how we start tomorrow morning. It

will be wet. Some cloudy skies with mist and fog gradual lifting. It

will improve food through the afternoon but it will be fairly

cloudy. It is not too bad in the south, some brighter skies,

temperatures around 14 degrees. Some rain in towards part of Kintyre.

Further east, generally drive but cloudy. Maybe the risk of patchy

outbreaks of rain. To the far north, improving through the afternoon,

sunshine coming through. A lovely afternoon across Shetland. As we

head through tomorrow night, fairly cloudy, some extensive mist and fog,

outbreaks of rain. We say goodbye to the high pressure, it goes towards

South. These weather fronts will work their way in across the North.

The further south east you are, generally it will be dry, but

cloudy. Outbreaks of rain continuing. A quick look towards the

weekend, the high-pressure is away from us, it will be windy to start

the day in the far north. It will be cloudy conditions, damp at times.

The further east you are, it will be brighter. Fairly cloudy.

Temperatures will not be far off where they should be. 10 degrees. We

have seen the best of the sunshine, but at least tomorrow will be dry. A

reminder of the top stories: The public spending deficit has risen,

according to the latest government estimates. It is largely because of

a drop in oil revenues. Those in favour of independence say this

shows Scotland's economic strength. Ed Miliband says a referendum on

Britain's membership of the EU is unlikely if Labour wins the next

election unless Europe the man's transference of power. -- the man's

-- demands. He said only the Conservatives And that's Reporting

Scotland. Will guarantee I referendum. I'll be back with the

headlines at eight - and the late bulletin just after the 10pm news.

Until then, from everyone on the team, right across the country, have

a very good evening.