:00:19. > :00:24.Welcome to Reporting Scotland. Tonight on your national news...
:00:24. > :00:27.Rangers on the brink. The administrators say they have failed
:00:27. > :00:32.to agree cost-cutting measures with the players and are now looking for
:00:32. > :00:37.a quick sale of the club. Tonight, they have warned that Rangers may
:00:37. > :00:41.not see out the end of the season. Also in the programme...
:00:41. > :00:43.Better than the UK as a whole, but still �10.7 billion in the red -
:00:43. > :00:47.the latest figures for Scotland's economy fuel the independence
:00:47. > :00:52.debate. How Scotland's smoking ban has led
:00:52. > :00:55.to a reduction in the number of premature and underweight babies.
:00:55. > :00:57.And later in the programme, the Aberdeenshire swimmer Hannah Miley
:00:57. > :01:07.secures a place in a second Olympic event, becoming Scotland's best
:01:07. > :01:11.Rangers will not be able to see out the football season without a huge
:01:11. > :01:14.injection of cash. That is the stunning admission from the
:01:14. > :01:16.administrators running the club. Duff & Phelps described Rangers'
:01:16. > :01:20.finances as "perilous" and said they have failed to agree cost-
:01:20. > :01:30.cutting measures with the players. They are now speeding up the sale
:01:30. > :01:32.
:01:32. > :01:37.of the club. In the morning, all the focus was on the goings-on at
:01:37. > :01:41.Murray Park. Would there be a resolution between administration
:01:41. > :01:48.and players? The answer was No all, but there are more pressing matters
:01:48. > :01:58.that court. What followed in the afternoon was the statement from
:01:58. > :02:15.
:02:15. > :02:21.the administrators which showed the The it in effect, they were calling
:02:21. > :02:31.all potential investors to put up cash or the club could go under. As
:02:31. > :02:33.
:02:33. > :02:37.the club fought for its life, three major figures stepped into the fray.
:02:37. > :02:45.Director Dave King said that liquidation would forelock,
:02:45. > :02:55.attacking white. Then Craig Whyte said he was going to sue Sir David
:02:55. > :02:57.
:02:57. > :03:00.Murray. David Murray fired back, saying he was going to vigorously
:03:00. > :03:08.defend any action and that Dave King was well aware of the
:03:08. > :03:14.situation. A the administrators are now getting desperate. Tonight, the
:03:14. > :03:22.club is on the edge of oblivion. Chris is at Ibrox for us now. Chris,
:03:22. > :03:28.just how worried should Rangers fans be toniight? The scissor grave
:03:28. > :03:32.situation. Rangers are due to play their next home game on the 25th of
:03:32. > :03:37.this month against Celtic. Administrators are saying tonight,
:03:37. > :03:41.after been very ghoulish till now, they are now seeing if there is not
:03:42. > :03:50.a severe injection of cash, they could then not even be able to
:03:50. > :03:55.fulfil their fixtures. That game against Celtic may not even happen.
:03:55. > :03:59.They are saying that there is a perilous financial situation and
:04:00. > :04:04.the serious injection of cash is required. Basically, if you have
:04:04. > :04:08.cash and are interested in buying Rangers, today is the day you have
:04:08. > :04:10.to come for work. And more bad football news, which
:04:10. > :04:18.could have bad business consequences, even if Rangers do
:04:18. > :04:21.get bought. The yes, the administrators said that there was
:04:22. > :04:27.be selling no chance of them playing football in Europe next
:04:27. > :04:31.season, because they would have to be out job and administration by
:04:31. > :04:35.March 31st. It looks very unlikely that they will fulfil that deadline
:04:35. > :04:42.and that would be bad news for any potential investor because of the
:04:42. > :04:48.loss of revenue. Tonight, they are also seeing that as far as they're
:04:48. > :04:53.concerned, they have to find money. Be under no illusion, Rangers are
:04:53. > :04:56.fighting for their very existence. So why have the administrators not
:04:57. > :05:00.been able to cut the costs that would secure the club's future?
:05:00. > :05:03.They said early on in the process that they need to make savings of
:05:03. > :05:06.�1 million per month, but more than three weeks on, only two executives
:05:06. > :05:09.and two squad players have left Ibrox. Our business correspondent
:05:09. > :05:19.David Henderson has been looking at the difficult job facing the
:05:19. > :05:23.administrators and the options now open to them. It is now 10 months
:05:23. > :05:28.since Craig Whyte walked into a vibrant as the new owner of Rangers.
:05:28. > :05:31.Now the club is mired in debt with no easy way out. The administrators
:05:32. > :05:36.are in day-to-day control but are now warning of the financial crisis
:05:36. > :05:41.and very little time to sort it. Even now, the are still struggling
:05:41. > :05:46.to get a full picture of the finances of the club. Will take
:05:46. > :05:54.quite get first claim on millions of pounds of assets? Will Rangers
:05:54. > :06:00.lose its �45 million tax case? And we'll meet Again agency get a key
:06:00. > :06:03.�24 million worth of season-ticket money? What Rangers actually ought
:06:03. > :06:10.and what they actually owned is proving to be a bit of a task for
:06:10. > :06:14.the administrators to find out. After in the wall money chain is
:06:14. > :06:19.very complicated. The administrators have to try and work
:06:20. > :06:24.out exactly why I much cash the order has. But at the moment, if
:06:24. > :06:31.you cut too many players too early, the value of the squad is depleted,
:06:31. > :06:35.so therefore it is not such an attractive buying proposition.
:06:35. > :06:41.explains why just two players have left so far, but the massive wage
:06:41. > :06:46.bill for those who remain has to be paid. So what lies ahead? Unless a
:06:46. > :06:51.deal can be met with creditors to pay some or all of the debts, the
:06:51. > :07:00.administrators have one choice - liquidation. Rangers football club
:07:00. > :07:02.would cease to exist and its assets would be sold off. Given the
:07:02. > :07:07.uncertainty over the debts and the uncertainty over it, from a
:07:07. > :07:14.business point of view, it becomes the more attractive possibility
:07:14. > :07:19.than trying to rescue the club in its present state. The threat of
:07:19. > :07:24.liquidation hat hangs heavy and if that happens, Rangers football club,
:07:24. > :07:29.with the story coming back to the 1870s, will come to an end and a
:07:29. > :07:31.new club will have to rise up in its place.
:07:31. > :07:37.How would Scotland's public finances look if it were
:07:37. > :07:40.independent? Can it afford to leave the UK? It is a big question at the
:07:40. > :07:43.heart of the debate now underway on Scotland's future. Today, we got
:07:43. > :07:46.the best-guess figures and they show �10 billion more was spent
:07:46. > :07:49.here than was raised in taxes. But the gap in the UK's finances was
:07:49. > :07:52.even bigger. Our business and economy editor Douglas Fraser has
:07:52. > :07:55.been looking at the numbers and is here now.
:07:55. > :07:59.We are talking GERS again, though it is nothing to do with the Ibrox
:07:59. > :08:01.club. This is the annual reckoning of
:08:01. > :08:06.Government Expenditure & Revenue Scotland.
:08:06. > :08:10.It shows what was raised last year in tax. More than �10 billion in
:08:10. > :08:13.income tax and �8.5 billion in VAT. We pay, on average, less than the
:08:13. > :08:17.rest of the UK in inheritance tax and stamp duty, but a bigger share
:08:17. > :08:20.per head more for tobacco, alcohol and gambling.
:08:20. > :08:26.The figures also estimate what has been spent - �21 billion in state
:08:26. > :08:30.pensions and welfare and nearly �11 billion on health.
:08:30. > :08:36.And when you tot all that up, we have spent a lot more than we have
:08:36. > :08:46.raised - a gap of �10.7 billion. So is this proof that Scotland
:08:46. > :08:47.
:08:47. > :08:53.cannot go it alone? These big numbers depend on oil and gas.
:08:53. > :09:01.Without it, Scotland would have more than double that number as
:09:01. > :09:08.regards debt. It is not as bad as the United Kingdom as a whole. You
:09:08. > :09:14.can take different lessons from these numbers. A audit is a lot
:09:14. > :09:20.less than the United Kingdom as a whole or the G7 average. He have to
:09:20. > :09:25.look up what we contribute to the United Kingdom and that is 9.6 % of
:09:25. > :09:33.United Kingdom revenues, and with only half a percentage of the
:09:33. > :09:39.population. You have to remember the volatility in the likes of all
:09:39. > :09:43.oil revenues. The bottom line is that Scotland has struggled within
:09:43. > :09:53.part of the United Kingdom. We have been able to spend on things like
:09:53. > :09:56.social welfare without the risks attached which would be part of
:09:56. > :09:58.being independent. As you can see, these numbers
:09:58. > :10:01.matter a lot to the referendum debate on Scottish independence.
:10:01. > :10:04.The deficits for Scotland and for the UK are both sobering.
:10:04. > :10:07.And while oil revenue would put Scotland in a better position than
:10:07. > :10:10.the UK as a whole, one academic assessment of these figures today
:10:10. > :10:12.suggests that gap is closing. You are watching Reporting Scotland
:10:12. > :10:14.from the BBC. Still to come on the programme...
:10:14. > :10:16.Fewer babies are being born prematurely since the ban on
:10:16. > :10:19.smoking in public places was introduced.
:10:19. > :10:23.And parents of disabled children in Inverness say they are faced with
:10:23. > :10:27.having to send them to homes for the elderly for respite.
:10:27. > :10:30.And in sport, we will bring you any breaking news from Rangers, if and
:10:30. > :10:33.when that happens. And she is the Scots swimmer some
:10:33. > :10:42.say is most likely to succeed at the London Olympics. So what is so
:10:42. > :10:45.special about Hannah Miley? Find out later.
:10:45. > :10:48.Scotland's ban on smoking in public places has led to a fall in the
:10:48. > :10:51.number of premature and small babies, according to new research.
:10:51. > :11:01.It found that even mothers who have never smoked had fewer early births
:11:01. > :11:05.
:11:05. > :11:09.after the smoking ban. Little palaces just five days old. New
:11:09. > :11:15.evidence suggests you bet babies are being born prematurely since
:11:15. > :11:23.the smoking ban came in. I knew about the link between smoking and
:11:23. > :11:28.premature birth, but not where passive smoking was concerned.
:11:28. > :11:34.Scotland has more smokers per head of population than anywhere else in
:11:34. > :11:43.the United Kingdom. Here at one of the biggest maternity hospitals,
:11:43. > :11:46.nearly half of the women are smoker's at the time of pregnancy.
:11:46. > :11:54.About one in three of the women here will be smoking during
:11:54. > :12:04.pregnancy. But that is a lot less than we were seen before the
:12:04. > :12:08.smoking ban. When researchers looked at every single berth in
:12:08. > :12:15.Scotland between 1996 and 2009, the notice the change around the time
:12:15. > :12:21.of the smoking ban. Premature bus dropped by eleven % and the number
:12:21. > :12:28.of unusually small babies also fell, by five %. Even mothers should
:12:28. > :12:32.never smoke are having healthier babies. His an ugly there are two
:12:32. > :12:38.different things going on - people who do not smoke are not being
:12:38. > :12:43.exposed to passive smoking so much had those who do smoke a smoking
:12:43. > :12:46.either less and not smoking at all now.
:12:47. > :12:51.A man accused of murdering his wife, then smashing his car into a lorry,
:12:51. > :12:56.is to stand trial in June. Neil Cumming is currently being held in
:12:56. > :13:01.the State Hospital at Carstairs. His wife Barbara died in their home
:13:01. > :13:10.in Longforgan in Tayside last July. He is alleged to have repeatedly
:13:10. > :13:20.struck her with a knife or similar instrument. The Cezanne Pilley
:13:20. > :13:22.
:13:22. > :13:26.murder trial has heard that he had injuries consistent with an
:13:26. > :13:31.attacker. It was two days after she went missing that her former lover
:13:31. > :13:38.was photographed by police. David Gilroy had cuts and his hands and
:13:38. > :13:42.arms. He had cuts on his face and bruises on his chest. The jury
:13:42. > :13:47.heard that some of these could have been caused by fingernails during a
:13:47. > :13:54.struggle. They were told the injuries could also have happened
:13:54. > :14:04.just about the time she went missing. The forensic pathologist
:14:04. > :14:16.
:14:16. > :14:21.Under questioning their doctor admitted that it was impossible to
:14:21. > :14:27.be certain about how and when the injuries were inflicted. The jury
:14:27. > :14:32.then held evidence about the silver Vauxhall Vectra parked by David
:14:32. > :14:37.Gilroy here in the basement garage the day that Susan went missing.
:14:37. > :14:41.The following day he drove it to a day off. A police expert said that
:14:41. > :14:45.three of the car suspension springs were broken, which was highly
:14:45. > :14:50.unusual. He said that he was certain the car had been driven
:14:50. > :14:56.off-road. The body has never been found. He denies murder and the
:14:56. > :15:02.trial continues. A pensioner who shot a bird of prey
:15:02. > :15:09.has been ordered to pay for its replacement and training. Thus
:15:09. > :15:14.Peregrine Falcon was killed with an air rifle last April at the home of
:15:14. > :15:19.Michael Hutchison in Fife. He was ordered to pay �1,800 in fines and
:15:19. > :15:25.compensation to its owners. A look at what else has been
:15:25. > :15:30.happening across the country: Shetland teenager, Jake Davies,
:15:30. > :15:35.faces two fresh American charges of computer hacking conspiracy on top
:15:35. > :15:41.of five UK charges. He was arrested in May for alleged involvement with
:15:42. > :15:48.a hacking group. A food company has denied buying a
:15:48. > :15:53.factory at longer needs just to stop the community using it. The
:15:53. > :15:58.farm say that they cannot simply go our way the plant.
:15:58. > :16:02.How can they make a business viable that we could not? And why would we
:16:02. > :16:07.give away the very thing that we have worked all these years towards,
:16:07. > :16:10.just for the sake of it? Almost one quarter of children in
:16:10. > :16:15.Dumfries and Galloway are officially overweight - the highest
:16:15. > :16:23.of any region in Scotland. Health bosses here are now planning new
:16:23. > :16:29.ways to tackle obesity. Work has started on a revamp of
:16:29. > :16:34.Dougherty Park in Aberdeen. More than �5 million will be spent to
:16:34. > :16:41.restore the gardens to the original Victorian design.
:16:41. > :16:45.The facilities will be far better and aims to get more people and.
:16:45. > :16:49.MSPs say they want to take evidence from billionaire property developer
:16:50. > :16:59.Donald Trump on wind turbines full stops your pose as a development
:17:00. > :17:01.
:17:01. > :17:11.near his Aberdeen Golf Course. -- he or poses.
:17:11. > :17:13.
:17:13. > :17:17.-- opposes. More on those and other stories on the BBC Scotland website.
:17:17. > :17:20.Parents of disabled children in in a messy it is a disgrace that they
:17:21. > :17:28.are faced with sending him to homes of their elderly for respite. The
:17:28. > :17:38.nudist respite centre for young adults is miles away in Keith nest.
:17:38. > :17:42.
:17:42. > :17:48.Can -- the neediest. -- nearest. She may be an adult at the age of
:17:48. > :17:53.18 but develop mentally ill people are still a young girl.
:17:53. > :17:58.She has cerebral palsy and autism. But she is making more progress
:17:58. > :18:01.than we ever expected. That progress is made possible by
:18:01. > :18:05.highly specialised support at a state of the art school in
:18:06. > :18:11.Inverness, but that will come to an end when she leaves school this
:18:11. > :18:16.year and her day care will be provided at adult centres used
:18:16. > :18:19.historically by their elderly. The staff are fantastic but because
:18:19. > :18:25.there has been no for planning the building is inadequate and training
:18:25. > :18:30.has not been put in place. All they can do is troubleshooter.
:18:30. > :18:34.After leaving this special schoolchildren also lose their
:18:34. > :18:38.right to regular residential respite at this centre in Inverness.
:18:38. > :18:46.That is a serious force for many families, some of whom have gone
:18:46. > :18:50.without respite for years. It is a disgrace. They are well
:18:50. > :18:57.catered for in the residential centres. They're built up to become
:18:57. > :19:01.the best a can be in then when they get to 19, it basically stops.
:19:01. > :19:05.Parents want a dedicated centre and say the use of unsuitable care
:19:05. > :19:11.homes must stop but the Highland Council say that they must cater
:19:11. > :19:14.for all needs. We need to provide the diversity
:19:15. > :19:18.most families want. Now we can keep that under review and I do
:19:18. > :19:22.appreciate many families one presidential model. We can provide
:19:22. > :19:27.and purchase that in some places but it is not what all families
:19:27. > :19:35.want. That does not bring any comfort to
:19:35. > :19:38.this family who feel that this year's holiday may be their last.
:19:38. > :19:41.K they say you cannot strike gold twice but the company setting up
:19:41. > :19:47.the only gold mine in Scotland said they are also finding other
:19:47. > :19:51.precious metals on their hillside mind. Scotgold Resources has struck
:19:51. > :20:01.platinum near Stirling Show. They have also come across copper and
:20:01. > :20:06.
:20:06. > :20:09.And now the sports news. A quick recap of the main story - a Rangers
:20:09. > :20:15.will not be able to see out the football season without a
:20:15. > :20:20.substantial cash injection. That is from the administrators. Duff and
:20:20. > :20:24.Phelps described the club's finances as perilous. They say they
:20:24. > :20:27.have failed to agree cost-cutting measures with the players.
:20:27. > :20:33.Administrators are now speeding up the sale of the club and have ruled
:20:33. > :20:39.out the possibility of European football next season, whether there
:20:39. > :20:44.is a buyout or not. She is one of Scotland's best hopes
:20:44. > :20:51.of a London Olympics medal. Aberdeen swimmer, Hannah Miley. She
:20:51. > :20:55.has qualified for two events in the Games. Not only that but the last
:20:55. > :21:05.Scot to win a gold and the pull says that she has a real chance to
:21:05. > :21:07.
:21:07. > :21:13.become an Olympic champion. -- in the pool. Hanna and Islay had
:21:13. > :21:20.plenty to talk about, like winning the 200 metres medley. -- Hannah
:21:20. > :21:24.Miley. She also recorded the fastest time of the year.
:21:25. > :21:30.Every time I am in the pool I want to raise hard and fast. I leave
:21:30. > :21:35.nothing behind. Nothing on the block.
:21:35. > :21:40.There is something special about Hannah Miley.
:21:40. > :21:50.What separates her from most competitors as her 247 approach to
:21:50. > :21:55.the sport. She is meticulous and looks at every detail. -- 24/7. She
:21:55. > :22:02.has the strongest of their epic I have at a scene in a swimmer. --
:22:02. > :22:08.the strongest work ethic. What does the man who swam to glory
:22:09. > :22:14.in Montreal make of her chances? She has one heart and is extremely
:22:14. > :22:19.fit. She will be competing in what may be her last Olympics. Although
:22:19. > :22:23.she would probably kill me if she heard me say that! She has an ideal
:22:23. > :22:28.opportunity and probably the best when she will have to win Olympic
:22:28. > :22:32.gold. Regardless of my times and my
:22:33. > :22:38.expectations I am looking for to it. All I can do is get my preparation
:22:38. > :22:42.right. Sports minister, Shona Robison,
:22:42. > :22:49.says plans for the Commonwealth Games are on track. She was at the
:22:49. > :22:59.new Commonwealth Arena Vella from which is due to open later this
:22:59. > :23:01.
:23:01. > :23:05.year. -- Velda wrong. -- velodrome. The new facilities are nearly ready
:23:05. > :23:10.and the focus is on how they will benefit the local and the local
:23:10. > :23:14.people. The regeneration behind the scenes
:23:14. > :23:18.is what is important. The athletes village will become social housing.
:23:18. > :23:23.Many of the locals will be that people are moving into these
:23:23. > :23:30.fantastic new houses. There is a catalytic effect which will help
:23:30. > :23:33.regenerate the area. These new facilities will host top-
:23:33. > :23:36.class international sport and two to years time but what about the
:23:36. > :23:41.effect there have been right now when it comes to regenerating the
:23:41. > :23:45.East End? We are seeing sports facilities,
:23:45. > :23:49.new housing, new transport infrastructure, really a whole new
:23:49. > :23:53.community in the East End of the city. The number of people who
:23:53. > :23:58.passed this facility and say, how wonderful, the work the council is
:23:58. > :24:03.doing in this part of the city. It is just amazing, an amazing level
:24:04. > :24:06.of enthusiasm in the City for what we're trying to achieve here.
:24:06. > :24:12.When this have been open so that towbar it will immediately be put
:24:12. > :24:19.to the test by high profile events. -- opens in October. But if asked
:24:19. > :24:23.people to benefit will be locals, well before any athletes.
:24:23. > :24:29.With no wins in the Six Nations the pressure is building on Andy
:24:29. > :24:33.Robinson and his players according to the team captain. Ross thought
:24:33. > :24:38.will be detained to Dublin, the scene of the last gap still victory
:24:38. > :24:46.two years ago. He says that despite poor results the players have faith
:24:46. > :24:50.in themselves and their coaches. Andy is coaching us in a way that
:24:50. > :24:55.tries to move forward. Obviously there is pressure to get results,
:24:55. > :25:00.he says that himself. Results are what matters. But for me personally
:25:00. > :25:07.I think the team is going in the correct direction. It is about
:25:07. > :25:14.making the chances on the patch. Any breaking news on the situation
:25:14. > :25:19.at the Rangers you will get on line, or on our radio bulletins.
:25:19. > :25:24.If you are thinking about buying your first home you might have a
:25:24. > :25:27.question for hour money man. He will be back on lunchtime Reporting
:25:27. > :25:33.Scotland one week today. He will look at impending changes to stamp
:25:33. > :25:43.duty and how they are likely to impact on the first time buyers.
:25:43. > :25:54.
:25:54. > :25:59.A wintry next to come this evening but it will be short lived. -- next.
:25:59. > :26:04.We have seen the show was coming and going all day. The Met Office
:26:04. > :26:08.have a yellow warning for the Western and Central Park of the
:26:08. > :26:14.country. That should affect how I are area is mainly north of the
:26:14. > :26:20.central belt. Places like the A nine have already seen quite
:26:20. > :26:24.significant snowfall already. Now they will die away but in their
:26:24. > :26:31.wake they will leave a legacy of ice running up a central swath of
:26:31. > :26:37.the country. Be aware of that. Temperatures above freezing further
:26:37. > :26:40.west where there is still at brisk wind. Tomorrow morning will be
:26:40. > :26:46.predominantly dry and bright for southern Scotland, sunshine in the
:26:46. > :26:53.east, however cloud will start to increase in the south. A dull
:26:53. > :26:57.picture by afternoon. Some drizzle here and there, especially across
:26:57. > :27:07.the southern uplands. The main focus of the aim will be North
:27:07. > :27:09.
:27:09. > :27:13.Argyll, will cover. -- Lochaber. But it looks like staying dry for
:27:13. > :27:18.Aberdeen, holding on to brightness in the north-east corner. Across
:27:18. > :27:23.eastern Scotland, try, a bit of brightness towards eastern coastal
:27:23. > :27:28.areas. During the rest of the day at the rain will stay put. Largely
:27:28. > :27:36.dry elsewhere. A fresh, strong south-westerly wind which will
:27:36. > :27:41.reach gale force by evening. This weather front will push south on
:27:41. > :27:45.Thursday. Dryer in the east. Ben and area of high pressure will
:27:45. > :27:55.produce dry and settled weather for the weekend, so not looking too bad
:27:55. > :27:58.
:27:58. > :28:00.A reminder of the top stories: administrators at Rangers have said
:28:01. > :28:06.that they have failed to agree cost-cutting measures with players
:28:06. > :28:13.and will now seek an immediate sale. They have warned that the club may
:28:13. > :28:16.not see out the end of the season. Six British soldiers were killed
:28:16. > :28:21.when their armoured vehicle was caught in an explosion in
:28:21. > :28:31.Afghanistan. It is the single biggest British loss of life in the
:28:31. > :28:35.
:28:35. > :28:41.Afghan invasion for 60 years. -- 6. With public finances in crisis
:28:41. > :28:44.Scotland has reported a smaller deficit than the UK as a whole. A