09/03/2016 Reporting Scotland

The huge drop in oil revenues has contributed to Scotland's budget

deficit reaching almost ?15 billion, according to the latest figures.

The slump in the oil price means the country's overall tax take

per head lags marginally behind the UK, for the first time

Ministers insist Scotland's economy remains fundamentally strong.

But the opposition says that, if Scots had opted for independence

last year, there would have been big spending cuts.

Our Political Editor Brian Taylor reports.

The slump in oil prices means lower tax revenues and has now worked

In that financial year, it's reckoned that Scotland's share

of North Sea revenues was ?1.8 billion, that's down

from nearly ?4 billion in the previous year,

Scottish ministers visit a high-tech site in Edinburgh and stressed that

Scotland's wider economy is growing, compensating for the problems

But they admit the figures are challenging.

There is still getting away from the fact that,

yes, this is a difficult time for the North Sea oil and gas sector

and that is reflected in these figures, but Scotland's economy

is strong and, if you look over the medium term,

that strength is obvious and, if you look today in terms of higher

employment and productivity growth, that strength is very obvious too.

That's twice the UK level as a share of the economy.

Total Scottish spending remains ?1400 per person higher

But Scotland's overall tax take their head,

-- But Scotland's overall tax take per head, including oil,

is now fractionally lower than the UK for

According to the Prime Minister, it didn't add up.

I dread to think what taxation would be had to be levied,

not just on whisky, but on petrol, on work, on incomes, on homes,

that's the prospect of life outside the United Kingdom, that's why I'm

The oil revenue figures may well be worse in the current financial year.

I think Nicola Sturgeon's economic credibility has been

It's not that she got the projection is wrong,

It's the fact that she recklessly recommended that Scotland should

These are devastating figures, which show the impact of leaving

the United Kingdom would have had Scotland.

In reality, it means cuts five times as deep as what the Tories

But Scottish ministers say North Sea oil has sent a total of ?300 billion

to the Treasury without any oil fund being established in Scotland.

They've urged the Chancellor to assist the industry

Ministers have agreed to grant legal aid to bereaved families

who are trying to stage a private prosecution over

Six people died when the lorry ran out of control in the city centre

Among them were Jack and Lorraine Sweeney

and their granddaughter Erin McQuade.

Their families want the driver Harry Clarke to be prosecuted,

after an inquiry found the crash could have been avoided if he hadn't

Mr Clarke will also to receive legal aid.

Judges at the High Court in Edinburgh are still to decide

whether the prosecution can go ahead.

one of Police Scotland's most senior officers of making

"outrageous and completely false" claims about him.

Detective Inspector David Moran says the Deputy Chief Constable,

Neil Richardson, is guilty of "misconduct" for wrongly

identifying him as the source of a newspaper leak.

Police Scotland says the complaint's been referred

Here's our political correspondent, Glenn Campbell.

The unsolved murder of Emma Caldwell in South Lanarkshire

When the Sunday Mail revealed details of the investigation

on the 10th anniversary of the case, Police Scotland suspected a leak.

They tried to identify the source by monitoring the team

They tried to identify the source by monitoring the communications

of four serving and retired officers,

MSPs asked one of Police Scotland's most senior officers

There was a breach from a murder enquiry involving a police officer

to a retired police officer and the focus was on the serving

Detective Chief Inspector David Moran thinks that comment

points the finger at him, because he believes he's the only

officer the murder squad to have been targeted by

So, in a letter to the Justice Committee, DI Moran says

he's been falsely exposed, his reputation severely scarred,

may be guilty of misconduct as a result.

Mr Moran's lawyer is pursuing his complaint.

He has 32 years reputation as an outstanding officer at stake.

And, if there is a basis for suspicion, which there isn't,

he's asking for that to be declared. There is no basis for suspicion.

Tonight, Police Scotland said the matter's been referred

to the Scottish Police Authority, which it said is normal

The family of teenager, Bailey Gwynne, who was stabbed

to death at Cults Academy last October, have released a statement

Bailey died after a fight with another 16-year-old boy,

who was found guilty of culpable homicide at the High Court

Earlier, I spoke to reporter Steven Duff at Cults Academy

This statement came 48 hours family had been saying.

This statement came 48 hours after the culpable homicide verdict at the

High Court in Aberdeen, quite a lengthy statement paying tribute to

Bailey. It ends, we will always be immensely proud he was a son and

will need time and space to come to terms with what has happened. It was

a true blessing and privilege to have Bailey and to raise and love

him, not something that time or a parting will ever change. It ends,

my true gent, with love we hold you in our hearts. What Paul, Bailey

Gwynne Reed boy. That was his mother. -- wok told. Have we heard

from the council about the circumstances? -- walk tall.

Well, they haven't answered questions or been giving any

interviews about the circumstances of what happened here last October.

They did put a statement on their website last night,

with questions that they say they've been asked, and some answers.

But they say they don't want to go any further,

because it could infringe an independent review

The one big question this statement didn't answer and still hasn't been

answered is why, as we heard in court, did the headteacher

at Cults Academy, Anna Muirhead, have to warn

the killer of Bailey Gwynne about the danger of

That was while he was in first or second year.

We still haven't had an answer to that or the importance

The UK government has been defeated in the House of Commons

over its plans to extend Sunday opening hours in England and Wales.

The SNP joined Tory rebels to vote against the proposals,

which would have allowed local authorities to decide

whether larger stores in their areas can trade for longer

MPs voted by 317 to 286 for an amendment rejecting the plans.

The friend of a man who died following an incident

while they were both camping in Renfrewshire has appeared

William Cameron, who's 37, is charged with killing 43-year-old

Darryl Fitch at Locher Water near Bridge of Weir

At Paisley Sheriff Court, Mr Cameron made no plea

The Culture Secretary confirmed details of the project this morning.

It would build on existing studio space

Our arts correspondent Pauline McLean reports.

Scotland has always offered good locations for film-makers.

This was Sunset Song in Aberdeen. But a studio has taken longer.

The latest plan would build on an existing complex

for the American TV series Outlander.

We bought the facility in 2013, with a view to manufacturing parts

for trucks and buses, but within two weeks,

I had an approach from Creative Scotland, would I be

interested in talking to Sony Pictures?

We did and, from then, the rest is history.

Two seasons of the show have been made there so far.

A decision on a third season is yet to be taken.

But whether they stay or go, the plan is to expand

on the existing facilities, adding a further two soundstages

What's exciting about the proposed development is that we would add

some fantastic infrastructure of 30,000 square feet,

50 feet high, a new studio which would be able to house

just about any global production here in Scotland.

For those who have long argued that Scotland needs to offer film-makers

studio facilities, as well as locations,

it's a welcome start. But more is needed.

The Ward Park project will support Outlander and will probably be used

for the next ten years by Sony and by Leftbank and the other film

productions that want to come in are not going to see that.

We need other studio space that is going to serve

high-end television getting made, is going to serve the big budgets.

Plans like the Pentland Studios, an entirely private development,

which the government insists is still under consideration.

It hopes the Ward Park plans, which will be submitted

to planning this week, are just part

of a wider studio development. Pauline McLean, Reporting Scotland.

One football result in the Scottish Premiership tonight

with St Johnstone beating Inverness Caley Thistle 1-0.

A late goal by Chris Kane gave the Perth side only their second

Premiership win in the last 12 games.

Just time to get the forecast now for tonight and tomorrow

Thank you, good evening, we've had a lovely day of weather across much of

Scotland and tonight for the vast majority it stays dry and there will

be widespread frost. More cloud along be extreme east coast with one

or two showers. That is how we start tomorrow. More especially across the

borders. Otherwise dry, bright, plenty of sunshine from the word go.

Temperature is around 1-3dC, maybe freezing for patches around the

North, is somewhat hazy sunshine across the western Isles with

temperatures around five Celsius and light wind. Through tomorrow, some

subtle changes in the weather, we hold on to this stubborn cloud

across the South East with some showers, thicker cloud across the

western Isles, producing some spots of rain tomorrow afternoon, sunshine

to remain hazy across western of rain tomorrow afternoon, sunshine

coasts. Across the rest of the UK tomorrow afternoon, across Northern

Ireland, spells of brightness and sunshine developing, similar across

Wales and the South west, but the central swathes of England rather

cloudy, perhaps with one or two showers and brightness and sunshine

cloudy, perhaps with one or two into the extreme South East. In the

sunshine, highs of 10 Celsius and with light wind that will not feel

too bad. Into the evening across Scotland, Rather cloudy conditions

pushing into much of western and central areas with some light and

patchy rain across the North west and wind beginning to freshen.

Further south and east, dry with clear spells, perhaps even frost,

and into Friday, overall it will be cloudy, perhaps some brightness and

especially across the Murray coast, especially across the Murray coast,

-- across the muddy coast. That is all from reporting Scotland

tonight, the next up date is from 6.25 tomorrow morning. From Glasgow

and around the country, good night.