21/10/2016 Reporting Scotland

and on BBC One we now join the BBC's news teams where you are.

A minimum price for alcohol gets the go-ahead

after judges reject an appeal by whisky makers.

A drink driver is jailed for seven and a half years

as she returned from her son's wedding.

You always remember your wedding day, it is the highlight of your

life and to lose your mum the next day in tragic circumstances is top.

Everyone who was there have seen the happiness, then the sadness.

after making what are described as homophobic comments at a dinner.

The Scottish Green Party urges the people of Scotland

to back holding another independence referendum in the wake

as Morton take on Aberdeen in their first Hampden

Scottish Government plans to set a minimum price for alcohol have

The Court of Session in Edinburgh has ruled against a challenge

to the legislation from the Scotch Whisky Association.

It claimed the plans were a breach of European Law.

The ruling now paves the way for the Scottish Government

It's four years since it was passed in Holyrood,

where ministers argued it would save lives and reduce crime.

Steven Godden reports from the Court of Session.

In a country with a complicated, often troubled relationship with

alcohol, ?5 is enough to drink more in a week than doctors would

recommend. Those who deal with the consequences of problem drinking

believe minimum pricing is the best way to tackle it. What minimum

pricing targets is the cheapest, strongest alcohol, which is

precisely the alcohol that is drunk by the people who end up in our

hospitals and who end up dying from alcohol-related causes. It is a

very, very targeted policy. It is not about your bottles of wine, it

is about cheap cider, cheap supermarket vodka. A minimum price

of 50p per unit would ensure a bottle of spirits cost at least ?14,

or cheap, strong side could double in price. MSPs approved the policy

in 2012, but a court challenge, led by the Scotch Whisky Association,

stopped it in its tracks. After four years of legal argument, here at the

Court of Session in Edinburgh and at the European Court of Justice, the

ruling boiled down to one key question- would encasing the tax on

alcohol be as effective as minimum pricing -- increasing the tax on

alcohol be as effective as minimum pricing when it came to protecting

people's help? Today, the panel of three judges ruled it wouldn't and

rejected the appeal. Obviously, we regret the ruling today, we believe

it is a barrier to trade and not the most effective way to deal with

alcohol related problems. But we will decide on it before the next

steps. Now it has that report, it has the overwhelming backing up

Parliament and we need to move forward with this policy because it

will save lives and the evidence points us in that direction, so I

would hope it does now spell the end of the legal delay. An appeal to the

UK Supreme Court could be launched within the next month, but the

Scottish Government said today's judgment should be respected. Their

aim, to make minimum pricing a reality as quickly as possible.

A drink-driver who crashed into a taxi

as she returned from her son's wedding has been jailed

21-year-old Steven Bennie was being chased by police

at the time and had been driving at speeds of up to 80mph.

Marie Laurie was getting into the taxi with her husband

when the crash happened in the Easterhouse area of Glasgow

Aileen Clarke reports from the High Court in Glasgow.

This family have lost a mother, wife, a grandmother, because Marie

Laurie was all of these things and more. They came to court hoping for

a sentence which might begin to reflect their loss. It is never

enough, compared to what we have lost, but we got enough for us to be

happy today. Marie Laurie was killed and her husband seriously injured

when Steven Bennie crashed his car into the taxi they had just got into

last November. Steven Bennie, 20 at the time, was being followed by the

police and driving at high speed when he drove through a red light

and then hit the taxi. The judge jailed him for seven and a half

years. On sentencing, Lord Boyd said to Steven Bennie that Marie Laurie

had been returning home with her husband from her son's wedding, one

of the happiest days of her life, he said, and in an instant, that life

was gone. He said it was difficult to imagine a more serious level of

dangerous driving. You had no licence, he said, you weren't

insured, you had taken alcohol, he didn't stop when the police

signalled to you to do so and you reached 80 mph in a 30 mph zone. You

had even turned your headlights off, he said. It was the wedding of her

son Martin that Marie Laurie was on her way home from and although the

two events are now intertwined, he says he can't dwell on Steven Bennie

and his reckless actions last night. He is just a boy that had a bad

experience and he has caused the death. To be honest with you, he

could be regretting for his life as well, so let's hope he takes that. I

have no hatred. As I say, I do not want to be filled with anger. The

first anniversary comes next month. A difficult time for the family. I

will never forget those two days of my life. You always remember your

wedding day, it's the highlight of your life and to lose your mum the

next day in such tragic circumstances is going to be tough,

it's going to be tough for the whole family, you know? Everybody was

there, they had seen the happiness, they've seen the sadness. The man

accused of murdering an Inverness born policeman may have cooked and

eaten parts of his body, a court has heard. The remains of 59-year-old

Gordon Semple were found when investigators searched a south

London flat. They found his DNA on cooking utensils in the kitchen

belonging to Stefano Fritz Lee, who denies murder but admits

dismembering and disposing of his body. The UK Brexit

secretary David Davis has been hearing a range of Scottish opinions

on negotiations for leaving the European Union. He met his opposite

number in the Scottish Government as well as business leaders during a

meeting in Glasgow. And he heard a call for more clarity about the

shape that Brexit is going to take. Here is Douglas Fraser.

Protective headgear may be required for the man with a challenging new

job. Secretary of State for exiting the European Union. Tell me what

you're doing. David Davis was in listening mode at Clydeside today at

this business start-up centre, a new fruit from the Glasgow deal. Across

the North Sea, his boss was at her first Brussels summit as Prime

Minister, emphasising that Britain is fully in until it is fully aired.

Yet other governments think the British will eventually change their

minds and remain in the European club. That's not going to happen,

the Prime Minister has made clear that the now infamous phrase "Brexit

means Brexit" is going to happen, the people have given us an

instruction, we have to carry it out. The UK Government has to

negotiate with 27 governments across Europe and devolved administrations

around the UK. The trickiest one is probably with Scotland's Brexit

minister. After they met today, they Holyrood minister was looking for

clarity other than the hints of what we might expect. This is a matter of

enormous significance to Scotland, to our economy, to the way we live

in the European citizens that live here and citizens of Scotland but

live elsewhere. Hints are not good enough, there must be meaningful

open discussion about what happens next and that is the message I gave

to David Davis. This is about tone, attitude, the human component. Next,

meeting business representatives at Strathclyde University, they raised

concerns about foreign recruitment and access to markets and while

rebuffing calls for devolved power over immigration, David Davies

insists this is more than just listening to pressure groups. These

are not just lobby groups, these are the people of Scotland, they

represent various groups of the people of Scotland and it will have

an influence on things like fisheries policy, on farming and our

approach to negotiations there, it'll have an influence on our

approach to things like data, the single issue that came today raised

by one of the financial services people here, management of data.

Every time we have one of these meetings, some important new issues

up. There are many Scottish voices around the table at the meeting here

today, from fisheries to universities, all looking for risks

as well as opportunities in these extremely complex Brexit

as well as opportunities in these negotiations ahead. They are not

your talking about outcomes, they're talking about the inputs and the

process that will decide which voices dominate.

Two people have charged with human trafficking

for the purposes of prostitution, the arrests took place

A 40-year-old man and 32-year-old woman will appear at

The charges follow a day of action by police to target

A well-known Aberdeen hotel owner has apologised after making

what were described as homophobic comments at a fundraising dinner.

Stewart Spence used the term - regarded as highly derogatory

and which will be mentioned in Steven Duff's report

Steven joins us now from outside the five-star Marcliffe Hotel now.

Well, Stewart Spence and the Marcliffe Hotel here in the west End

of Aberdeen, the city's only 5-star hotel. He is a well-known

businessman, entrepreneurial, awarded the MBE for his services to

the tourist industry. At a fundraising dinner last night, he

was speaking and he used the term "poofs" a number of times when he

was claiming the hotel industry had a history of employing homosexuals

and he said himself he had never employed a homosexual. Now, today,

he apologise sincerely for what he described as ill-advised comments,

saying he was mortified and he said as far as he was concerned, the

Marcliffe Hotel was inclusive for staff and guests, whatever their

sexual orientation. You say he has apologised, what has

the reaction been to his remarks? Well, the event last night was for

the hospitality industry trust, which helps find funding for young

people who want careers in hospitality. We were told by one

guessed that the chief executive quickly disassociated himself and

the Organisation from the comments, getting a round of applause in

response. Today, it put out a statement saying it was shocked and

distressed by what Stewart Spence had to say, saying the hospitality

industry is known for being inclusive and diverse. Stonewall

Scotland says the comment shows how far there is to go before LGBT staff

can feel safe and included in the workplace. It says if there is one

positive from what Mr Spence had to say, it is the strong reaction and

strong criticism he has received. Thank you very much. The Scottish

Government says it will carefully consider proposals to introduce

measures to pardon gay men who were convicted of historical offences

which have since been abolished. The SNP MP John Nicolson failed

earlier in a bid to have automatic pardons introduced

in England and Wales. The UK Government has said it

will grant pardons to those still living who apply

and meet criteria. The operators of the Fort William

aluminium smelter have confirmed they are in negotiations

to sell the plant. The operation employs around 170

people and is one of the largest There have been local fears that

a review by owners Rio Tinto could lead to the closure

of the factory but it's believed the discussions

could lead to its being sold You're watching BBC

Reporting Scotland. A minimum price

for alcohol is given the go-ahead after judges rejected an appeal

by whisky makers. Greenock Morton prepare

for their first Hampden semi-final The Scottish Green Party is urging

the people of Scotland to back holding another independence

referendum in the wake Speaking at his party's autumn

conference, the co-convener Patrick Harvie pledged his support

for the Scottish Government's stance - but he said he would also

push the SNP to make Our political correspondent Andrew

Kerr is in Perth this evening. Independence and Brexit dominating

yet another party Yes, that's right, Sally. Like all

the conferences, I suppose, Brexit has been the big issue and it was

the big issue here today on the first day of the Green Party

conference. This is the final conference of the autumn conference

season and as the green leaves turn golden at this time of year, I

suppose, the Green Party here think they are entering perhaps a golden

phase, because at Holyrood, they entered... At the Holyrood election,

they managed to treble their representation, they overtook the

Liberal Democrats and they are now very powerful in a way, because the

SNP is a minority Government, so their votes do matter. They are very

important. So it looks like the Greens are going to push the SNP

when it comes to issues like fracking, proposed cuts to air

passenger duty and local authority taxation. They'll really giving the

SNP a push in the way they want them to go, they are claiming, and now

their co-convenor Patrick Harvie spoke to the conference this

afternoon, he addressed the members there and it also looks like he

wants to push the SNP, the Scottish Government, left wing when it comes

to the Scottish Government's budget. So the SNP must make significant

moves from their manifesto position in the direction of progressive tax

if they expect to see Green support for their budget plans in the coming

months. Now, back to Brexit and the

Constitution. Patrick Harvie essentially spoke at his disgust at

Brexiteers, the vote that has taken the UK out of the European Union. He

wants to, as he says, protect Scotland's place in the EU, so he

was fully supportive of the Scottish Government's plans to launch the

consultation on the draft Referendum Bill, because he says the people of

Scotland, their voice must be heard. This is what he told the conference

when it came to independence. Scotland's mandate, that 62% remain

vote, is being utterly ignored by Theresa May's Government. Well, we

will respect that mandate. We will commit to keeping Scotland's place

in Europe, because that's what the people living here voted for.

APPLAUSE. One of the consequences of this vote

is that the Scottish Government must be supported in their decision to

publish a consultation on a bill for an independence referendum.

So, as I said, the Greens supporting the Scottish Government when it

comes to another referendum, but it's interesting, they are not

looking for a quid pro quo when it comes to that, they are not looking

for something in return. As I mentioned, votes are really vital to

the Scottish Government. More on Brexit tomorrow, the Green

conference here in path. They will hear from the German Green MEP

outlining Scotland's connections with the rest of Europe, and the

co-leader from the Scottish Green Party will be pushing the green

message when it comes to the local authority elections next year.

Andrew, thank you very much indeed. A look at other stories

from across the country. A 12 year old boy has

died, after falling Lachlan MacKenzie from Muir

of Fowlis in Aberdeenshire was visiting relatives in Troon,

when the accident Police in Suffolk have released

new CCTV footage of the missing Scots RAF serviceman

Corrie McKeague. He vanished after a night

out in Bury St Edmunds Aberdeen Harbour is playing host

to a flotilla of NATO ships The vessels from countries including

Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Finland are part

of a mine-sweeping group that's been A councillor is calling for more

central government investment in roads in the Argyll islands,

to help cope with the large Much of the surge is down

to the introduction of the Road Equivalent Tariff -

which has seen a significant All the infrastructure is done by

the council, said the council has to get more funding for the

infrastructure, for the increase of traffic. It's great that all that

traffic is coming, but I'm afraid the infrastructure is not going to

cope. The highest red phone box

in the UK has been saved, after a local campaign to keep it

in place.It sits two thousand feet above sea level at the base

of the ski-slope in the Cairngorms. Almost a third of public payphones

in Scotland have been earmarked for removal by BT,

because of under-use. Pink and orange clouds

appeared in the sky The phenomenon was captured

in photographs taken by BBC Scotland website readers and BBC

WeatherWatchers around The clouds are believed to have come

from the Ineos petrochemical It's believed they were caused

by heat from cooling towers, which created

instability in the air. It's the Scottish League Cup

semi-final weekend. Celtic and Rangers meet on Sunday,

but tomorrow the action kicks off The Dons are heavy favourites

to progress against the side But as our Senior Football Reporter

Chris McLaughlin reports, the underdogs, who haven't enjoyed

Cup success since 1922, On the banks of the River Clyde you

don't have to look far for reminders of its industrial maritime past. But

this is no misty eyed tale of long forgotten shipyards and days gone

by, because for over 140 years here in Greenock, as the industry has

ebbed and flowed like this great river, there has been one great

constant. Morton's success can be enjoyed

mostly in black and white, but things could be about to change.

That's ?15 altogether... Merchandise tills ringing to the sound of

optimism. We haven't had an easy tills ringing to the sound of

time at Greenock, there have been ups and downs, but it is an

incredible community with an incredible community spirit. Just

ask the kit man who has been at the club 41 years. Would it be going too

far to say this club has been your life? It's cost me about a dozen

girlfriends in the past! I'm still single. I've been here since I was

nine, a ball boy, then I got too old for doing that. I was 16 and I

started on the kit and full-time 16 or 17 years. You can feel a buzz

around this place and not just from the Longmore, the fan to make the

pilgrimage here every other week has been starved of success for so long.

In fact, you have to go back to 1979 to find footage of Morton in a

League Cup semifinal. That was also against Aberdeen, and the Reds

progressed with help from this goal. These days the dons are led by a

former Morton midfielder, back in the days when short work short and

strips were interesting. My job is to get Aberdeen to a cup final and

hopefully go and win it. We're looking forward to the game. I think

the players have done well to put themselves in this position. So the

dons versus the tonne, two sides with plenty of history on one side

with nothing to lose. The Commonwealth Games gold

medallist Ross Murdoch has lost his top Podium level of funding

for the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020. Instead he drops to "podium

potential" after missing out on a place in the 100m

Rio Olympic final. There are four Scots named

in the elite Podium category. They are the Olympic relay silver

medallists Stephen Milne, Duncan Scott and Dan Wallace along

with the three times Olympian and multiple international medallist

Hannah Miley. Scotland's men and women take

on representatives from Ireland tomorrow in the annual

shinty/hurling The Scots ladies were emphatic

winners last year but will expect their toughest challenge of recent

years as they face With the men's competition only over

one leg this year, Ireland has met senior men's under

the most of home advantage. Ireland has met senior men's under

21 and Dublin women's hurling teams arrived at Inverness today ahead of

their clash with their Scottish shindig counterparts tomorrow in

Inverness. The Irish are under no illusions that a tough challenge

awaits them. You have two Celtic nations who enjoy the physical

contact. We're looking forward to the contest tomorrow. Scotland won

outlast year before losing the return leg in Dublin. This year

Scotland's manager thinks playing just one leg will be a benefit.

Normally when it is a two legged affair, the next leg we struggle,

and get turned over having had a nine or ten point lead. Last year

there was nothing between the teams. We could have. Both games are there.

Points scoring specialist Kevin Bartlett has set the Mac as a

priority. The last two years we have read from the first half, which has

gone on to help us win those games. They come back better in the second

half. Scotland's women have been honing their skills this league and

are hoping to keep the winning run from 2010 running, despite recent

opposition in recent years. The whole of the women's game has

progressed quite a bit but we are expecting a hard, fast, physical

game, as always, with the Irish. Scotland's teams will hope to build

on last year's successes at home. Let's see what we can expect

from the weekend weather. Good evening. Fairly settled

conditions this weekend. Much like today. There was a fair amount of

cloud around. Sunshine and a few showers and we hold onto a lot of

black cloud as we had overnight. Nothing desperately cold. Reasonably

dry for many. The exceptions, a few showers in the North Sea. Those are

likely to edge inland overnight, some patchy rain perhaps in the

Western Isles, but for most it is dry. With that cloud, nothing too

cold, temperatures in towns and cities around 6-8dC, but some clear

conditions in the Highlands leading to a touch of Frost. Perhaps in

western fog to start the day tomorrow. Quite a busy pressure

chart this week but the low pressure and rain staying away from us. We

are under the influence of a ridge of high pressure and there is an

easterly flow coming in off the North Sea, so that means a bit of an

east-west split weather-wise. In eastern parts the country, more

likely some cloudier skies. Further west, more likely to and brighter

weather. When we have that cloud there will be a few showers at

times. Not a wash-out by any means, but cater

for one or two coming in. In the West, sunshine more likely. We

generally light winds, reasonably pleasant, temperatures 11-13. But on

the East Coast with the breeze coming in off the coast, pressure at

times, something just a touch cooler. Around the Northwest, plenty

of sunshine, a pleasant afternoon in store will stop also in the Northern

Isles comedies and spells of sunshine. If you are thinking of

walking or climbing across the north-west, plenty of sunshine on

offer. Temperatures good and winds moderate light. Across the eastern

areas, little more in the way of cloud, a few showers but not a

wash-out, but cater for one or two coming through. Temperatures are on

the summit. The rest of the coming through. Temperatures are on

afternoon into the evening, generally dry for many, still a few

showers and eastern parts of the country. Into Sunday and little in

the way of change. Still an easterly flow. There could be a little fog

around to start the day on Sunday but plenty of sunshine went it comes

up in western parts. Further ease, likely to have more cloud than some

showers. The wind backing north-easterly, so shades down

temperature wise perhaps. On Monday we do it all again. A bit of an

east-west split. In the West plenty of sunshine and dry, further east

are little more cloudy. Temperatures 10-11.

Thank you, Chris. Now, a reminder of

tonight's main news: Scottish Government plans to set

a minimum price for alcohol have been backed by the Court

of Session in Edinburgh. The Scotch Whisky Association

claimed the plans were The people of Aberfan in Wales have

been marking the 50th anniversary of the day a coal slurry avalanche

buried at school. 26 people are being treated at the scene for

breathing difficulties and two taken to hospital. I will be back with a

headline that eight and the late bulletin just after the ten o'clock

News. See you then, goodbye.