24/02/2016 Reporting Scotland

MSPs have tonight voted to endorse the Scottish Government's

The Finance Secretary John Swinney announced extra cash for pupils

from disadvantaged backgrounds and argued that his overall package

But opponants said the new money was "window dressing" in the face

From Holyrood, here's our political editor Brian Taylor.

And this is a protest outside parliament claiming that spending

cuts will cost thousands of jobs. John Swinney disagrees. I frankly

think the claims about public sector employment are exaggerated. Mr

Swinney said only 500 devolves public sector jobs had gone in the

last year. Employment was up by 20,000. Facing opposition pressure,

he announced new cash for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. I

can confirm that I intend to double the funding that we will allocate to

the attainment Scotland fund, taking that from ?80 million to a total of

?160 million. To help cities and towns across Scotland, he announced

?160 million. To help cities and a scheme for empty industrial

properties. He said the budget defended hard-working families. His

claim about public sector jobs angered the Labour leader. 170 jobs

were lost in Lanarkshire this week. Highland 282 possible Sunni posts.

Across Scotland thousands of workers are losing their jobs. The Labour

leader at SNP 's... Mr Swinney said cash for education felt far short. I

welcome the decision by John Swinney today. Over his attainment fund.

That is welcome. I think it is window dressing with a budget that

is slashing public services to the quarter. The Tories warned cuts to

budgets would be damaging. We should not forget that for a lot of working

people, returning to work, such as women who have taken time out to

raise children, these part-time courses are essential. Yes, 64.

Nope, 57. John Swinney's budget has gone through. A rehearsal of the

arguments for the coming elections. Meanwhile at Westminster

the Prime Minister has praised settlement which will underpin

the new Scotland Bill - saying it is fair for Scotland

and the rest of the UK. The SNP welcomed the agreement -

but said it had been the action of ministers in Edinburgh that had

stopped the Treasury cutting Here's our Westminster

Correspondent David Porter. After months of hard pounding on the

financial nitty-gritty of more devolution, more tax powers for

Holyrood, and agreement of what it will mean. For all sides, a sense of

satisfaction and relief. I am happy that the negotiations went as the

dead. I am happy that Lord Smith, who is responsible for so much of

this, says it delivers both in fool. No more grievance, no more fussing

about process, no more arguments about the arrangements. Now it's

time to get on and got burned. Statement, the Secretary of State

for Scotland. Later he held it as a truly historic deal. Others agreed.

The transfer of significant powers to Scotland. As Lord Smith has said

himself, it sees the recommendation of the Smith commission delivered in

himself, it sees the recommendation fool. Despite the overall welcome,

being Scotland there will always be a political edge. When the

negotiations first began, the budget faced the threat from the Treasury.

This week it was ?3 billion, yesterday morning it was 2.5 billion

pounds. Last night my colleagues secured a deal that Scotland will

not be a pound or a penny worse off in the new powers that will promised

will be delivered. What has been agreed? The Scottish Government will

get to keep all taxes such as income tax and VAT. The controversial

Barnett funding formula continues. Signs tonight that that will cause

tensions. As long as we maintain the outmoded Barnett formula, it is

disadvantage in the English, we will stoke up resentment on both sides of

the border. The field details will emerge shortly. Exactly how Holyrood

uses its new powers, look set to loom large in the upcoming

elections. A study of Ebola survivors

in West Africa has found that most of them

have experienced some form of brain problem,

after being infected with the virus. The work by American researchers has

been presented a day after the South Lanarkshire nurse,

Pauline Cafferkey, was admitted to hospital for a third time,

since contracting Police say a teenager died

when the van he was driving collided with a private school coach bus

in North Lanarkshire earlier. The crash happened on the A803

Stirling Road at Banton, near Kilsyth, at around

8 o'clock in the morning. The 19-year-old driver -

named as Kieran Swinton from East Lothian -

was pronounced dead at the scene. The one child on the school coach

was shaken but unhurt. One person has been airlifted

to hospital following a serious The accident happened just

after 4 o'clock on the A96 Three more people

were seriously injured. If you go to the doctor

with a mental health problem, should you be treated with the same

urgency as if you had Currently that's not the case

as target times for treatment for pychological

therapies are longer. Not surprisingly Scotland's largest

mental health charity thinks Michelle has had depression for six

years. She tried to get counselling from her doctor but the wait was too

long. It's a big black cloud over a year. You do not know what is wrong.

You know something is not right. I'm waiting to have that help and

support to treat it and deal with it and learn how to cope with it, it

makes it worse. To the point where I actually thought, what is the point

in going on any more? She feels if an illness is not visible people do

not take it seriously. People do not accept it as readily. I have been

told, what have you got to be depressed about? Get over it. You

don't look depressed. You do not look ill. Because my arm is not in

plaster, I am not ill. One of the largest mental health charities in

Scotland says conditions like anxiety should have waiting times of

12 weeks, instead of 18. This is urgent. People are becoming more

mentally unwell. These are too long and people at our charity have

spoken to people who are concerned. The treatment should be available at

the earliest opportunity. The Government welcomes

The Government welcomes the recommendations.

Police are examining claims from a prisoner in Northern Ireland

that the Scottish serial child killer

Robert Black confessed to several more killings.

Detectives questioned Barry McCarney last week.

He was housed with Black, and it's understood he told prison

officers that Black had admitted to murdering more children.

Families in a street in Bathgate got a shock

when they looked our of their windows this morning.

A large water main had burst flooding the road

and then their homes - and it's not the first

Cars up to the roof in water, cars submerged. This was more like a

small lake. People here this morning were just getting ready for work

when water from the burst main came rushing down here and a huge torrent

headed down the street, engulfing the houses and cars. The first job

for fire crews was to rescue some families from their homes before the

job of pumping away the water could begin. 24 properties in the street

alone were affected. Some cars were flooded beyond the roof and some of

these properties, the brickwork, you can see were covered in for feet of

water. The flood this morning is all the more concerning the residents

here is the same thing happened four years ago when the water main burst.

Once again, they are counting the cost. That is my company car. It is

completely ruined. It's a right. This has happened before and the

second time it happened to me. I came down the stairs to try and pick

as much dust out of my doctor's room. I saved her make up and so she

was quite happy with that. I left stuff on my floor. I've lost a lot

of shoes, clothes. All the small things that you don't think you need

but you do. Scottish water say they are investigating why the burst

happened and they have to replace a section of the water main. The last

time this happened this family had to move out for six months. They

wait to see how long it will be this time.

A man has appeared in private at Jedburgh Sheriff Court charged

with the murder of 75-year-old David Farish.

Richard Cassidy, who's 68, is accused

of stabbing Mr Farish to death at the victim's

home in Tweedbank last Tuesday.

Mr Cassidy, of no fixed abode, made no plea or declaration

The chief executive of Scotland's health service has

Paul Gray was giving evidence to Holyrood's Audit Committee,

as MSPs investigate a potential fifty million pounds it overspent

on call handling by the health advice line.

Committee members expressed their frustration so much money had

been wasted on a badly drawn-up contract.

Well, It's over to Christopher for the weather.

It is cold tonight. A lovely picture from one of our weather watchers.

Those clear conditions mean frost and some snow showers, the risk of

ice. A yellow weather warning from the Met office. Snow most frequent

across Shetland tonight. Some showers around the coastline as

well. Anywhere around the coasts we could see showers. Temperature is

subsea rose in town. In the countryside below. Some part of

minor Scotland will see minus eight Celsius. Some showers pushing in

across Shetland. For many it is a cold, dry frosty start but hopefully

a sunny one. Here are the temperature for tomorrow morning,

still freezing across most of the country but hopefully some sunshine.

Some cloud up north into Harris. Those snow showers continue across

Shetland. The snow and the winds here will ease. Across most of the

country, bright and sunny. Some bright showers pushing through the

north. Plenty of sunshine, crisp conditions. Average temperatures

cooler three degrees Celsius. It should feel pleasant. Low nearby but

it should not trouble us to map should. Dry as we heard towards

bursty evening. Wintry at times in the hills. For many, another cold

and dry night. There is that low-pressure. For us, affecting some

parts of the south west in tyrants of more cloud. Many on Friday, a

cold and bright day. Highs of three to five Celsius. That is the

forecast for now. Our next update is during Breakfast

at 6.25 tomorrow morning. But from everyone on the

late team, goodnight.