:00:17. > :00:21.Welcome to Reporting Scotland. Tonight: The owners of the
:00:21. > :00:26.abandoned Elgin North Sea platform save the flare burning on board may
:00:26. > :00:30.take days to go out. A warning from bus companies over
:00:30. > :00:38.the cost of concessionary travel for the over-sixties. The elderly
:00:38. > :00:43.say they depend on it to get about. Sterling, Falkirk, Glasgow. I have
:00:43. > :00:47.been to Aberdeen and I am going to Inverness next week. Bus operators
:00:47. > :00:55.say they may have to increase costs for the passengers that to play.
:00:56. > :00:59.Also tonight: Gone fishing. The hot weather keeps on coming, especially
:00:59. > :01:04.in the South East. From Rochdale to Greenock. We
:01:04. > :01:09.report from the new set of the BBC soap Waterloo Road as it moves
:01:09. > :01:13.North. And flare burning on the abandoned
:01:13. > :01:17.Elgin oil platform in the North Sea is not reducing in intensity and
:01:17. > :01:26.may continue to burn for days. However the club macro formed by
:01:26. > :01:33.leaking glass is blowing away from the open frame. -- cloud formed by
:01:33. > :01:36.a leaking gas. Total say that the flare is reducing in intensity. The
:01:36. > :01:41.company's handling of this situation is coming under
:01:41. > :01:48.examination. That is right. After last night, having to forcibly
:01:48. > :01:54.admit that the flare was still burning brightly days after the
:01:55. > :01:57.platform was abandoned because of a serious gas leak, today Total were
:01:57. > :02:01.basically clarify in. Originally they said it would take a couple of
:02:01. > :02:05.hours to burn itself out and their latest estimate is a couple of days.
:02:05. > :02:10.They also said that the flare had been deliberately left on to vent
:02:10. > :02:15.some gas. They later said it had been left on because such was the
:02:15. > :02:21.urgency to get workers off that there was no chance to turn it off.
:02:21. > :02:25.This has called for Total to be much more open. These pictures,
:02:25. > :02:29.taken some time ago, show the flare burning brightly above the Elgin
:02:29. > :02:34.platform. Tonight it is still burning. Despite the serious gas
:02:34. > :02:39.leak forcing the abandonment of the installation at the weekend,
:02:39. > :02:43.despite an air exclusion zone to reduce the risk of an explosion,
:02:43. > :02:48.operated Total only last night was forced into admitting that the
:02:48. > :02:56.flare was still alight. On Monday a spokesman said this. There is no
:02:56. > :03:02.danger of explosion. The platform, when people left it, the power
:03:02. > :03:06.generation was isolated so there is no source of ignition. I cannot
:03:06. > :03:10.promise that it will not ignite but we have done everything possible to
:03:11. > :03:14.minimise the risk. Total says that flare is much higher up than the
:03:14. > :03:20.gas cloud and the wind is in the other direction. They maintain the
:03:20. > :03:23.risk of explosion is low. Total are trying to expend their efforts on
:03:23. > :03:27.fixing the problem. They also have to put all the information that
:03:27. > :03:31.they have available into the public domain. They need a principle of
:03:31. > :03:37.openness and transparency. believe that we have been opened.
:03:37. > :03:43.We have been discussing issues and releasing information to the media.
:03:43. > :03:48.In Aberdeen today around 100 senior oil and gas safety experts met.
:03:48. > :03:52.There was praise for the way Total was handling things. The operator
:03:52. > :03:57.has conducted itself in an exemplary fashion as far as safety
:03:57. > :04:04.is concerned. 230 people evacuated from a pretty dangerous situation.
:04:04. > :04:09.Total believes the flare will burn itself out but nobody knows when.
:04:09. > :04:12.Put aside the row over the flare, the basic fact is that tonight, for
:04:12. > :04:17.for flight, there is an and controlled gas leak on the Elgin
:04:17. > :04:21.platform. Total said that as well as the gas cloud being visible, you
:04:21. > :04:23.can now hear from a distance the gas escaping.
:04:23. > :04:26.Thank you. Detectives investigating the murder
:04:26. > :04:30.of Perthshire pensioner Jenny Methven have detained a man. The 80
:04:30. > :04:33.year old was found dead by her son David five weeks ago at the home
:04:33. > :04:36.they shared near the village of Forteviot. Tayside Police say a 46
:04:36. > :04:45.year old from the Perthshire area is currently assisting with their
:04:45. > :04:49.enquiries. Nearly 60% of secondary pupils in
:04:49. > :04:52.Scottish schools are struggling with basic arithmetic. The finding
:04:52. > :04:58.was revealed in their late survey of numeracy across the school
:04:58. > :05:02.system. -- the latest survey. But primary four pupils were mostly
:05:02. > :05:10.doing well and very well. So what happens between primary and
:05:10. > :05:15.secondary? It used to be called arithmetic.
:05:15. > :05:20.Now it is numeracy. Scottish kids have a problem with it. Look at
:05:20. > :05:26.this simple task. In a survey, more than 40% of second years could not
:05:26. > :05:31.fill in the box correctly. In fact, overall, only 42% of second years
:05:31. > :05:36.were classed as doing well innumeracy. Compare that to 76% of
:05:36. > :05:43.primary fours doing well. Hopes are pinned on the new curriculum of
:05:43. > :05:46.excellence. It puts the focus on teaching subjects like maths in a
:05:46. > :05:50.way that applies to the real world instead of just being in a textbook.
:05:50. > :05:55.Going into the real world for timing, counting and measuring are
:05:55. > :06:02.meant to see that numeracy Matters. Going up tenfold in the loosest
:06:02. > :06:06.sense. The Scottish Government says that the lessons are making a
:06:06. > :06:10.difference. The results no longer dip as children move up from
:06:10. > :06:13.primary. It shows us that excellence is working well within
:06:13. > :06:17.our primary sector and beginning to work well in the secondary sector.
:06:17. > :06:22.But is it the curriculum that counts? Let's ask the experts.
:06:22. > :06:26.have got a good teacher, Miss Smith. She collaborates and does not make
:06:26. > :06:31.you feel left alone in the class. She gets too involved in everything.
:06:31. > :06:35.I feel it is down to a good teacher a lot of the time, making maths fun
:06:35. > :06:38.but making you realise the real life elements of it. It is also the
:06:38. > :06:44.influence of the family as well. Difficult to say for sure what the
:06:44. > :06:49.reason is and if results are being turned around. Lessons and this
:06:49. > :06:53.format have changed since the last report two years ago.
:06:53. > :06:57.We will have some news from the fictitious school Waterloo Road
:06:57. > :07:01.later in the programme. Plus: Another scorcher as temperatures
:07:01. > :07:06.soar once more. This time the South East is a hot spot.
:07:06. > :07:10.And in sport, there could be more trouble than Neil Lennon from the
:07:10. > :07:14.Scottish Football Association. We will have the details later and we
:07:14. > :07:18.also catch up with one of the all- time greats of world athletics.
:07:18. > :07:22.Find out what he is doing in Scotland.
:07:22. > :07:25.Bus companies are warning that the concessionary travel scheme for the
:07:25. > :07:29.over-sixties is not sustainable. They argue that the money they
:07:29. > :07:33.receive from Government is not keeping pace with actual costs. The
:07:33. > :07:40.company says they may have to increase fares for paying
:07:40. > :07:45.passengers and cut services to cover the shortfall.
:07:45. > :07:49.It was not just the children making the most of a ride on a bus today.
:07:50. > :07:54.Benton has poured off the buses arriving at the seafront, set for
:07:54. > :07:57.sunshine and ice-cream. -- pensioners. For many this was just
:07:58. > :08:07.the latest of their regular outings around Scotland for free on their
:08:08. > :08:08.
:08:08. > :08:16.travel pass. On Friday we went into Glasgow. On Monday I went into town
:08:16. > :08:23.on my own. I would not get out as often if I did not have free travel.
:08:23. > :08:26.And where have you been? We go to sterling, Falkirk, Glasgow. I have
:08:26. > :08:31.been to Aberdeen and I am going to Inverness next week. The pensioners
:08:31. > :08:33.here might be enjoying free bus travel to lovely days out like this
:08:34. > :08:38.in the sunshine, but the bus operators cannot share their
:08:38. > :08:41.enthusiasm. Bus companies say that the money they receive from the
:08:41. > :08:47.Scottish Government is just not keeping pace with the real costs of
:08:47. > :08:54.free passage for pensioners all over Scotland. We think the scheme
:08:54. > :08:58.cannot be sustained in its current format. This year we are expecting
:08:58. > :09:00.�7 million-�9 million overshoot in the Budget. That means that
:09:00. > :09:04.operators in Scotland will be carrying people for a totally free
:09:04. > :09:08.in the last few weeks of the financial year. The Scottish
:09:08. > :09:11.Government does not seem to be climbing aboard with more money.
:09:11. > :09:14.The concessionary travel scheme, the biggest part of the Budget,
:09:14. > :09:18.goes directly to support passengers and not to subsidise the bus
:09:18. > :09:22.industry. We do have a subsidy to make sure we can cover as many
:09:22. > :09:26.routes as possible, but beyond that, the operators have to set the fares
:09:26. > :09:36.and decide the roads. The bus companies say they may have to rise
:09:36. > :09:36.
:09:36. > :09:41.fares for the people that do play and cut some routes. -- that do pay.
:09:41. > :09:51.As the debate rages on, concessionary travellers will
:09:51. > :09:55.
:09:55. > :09:58.continue on their free buses. A Fife property developer has been
:09:58. > :10:00.jailed for life at the High Court in Edinburgh for ordering the
:10:00. > :10:03.killing of his millionaire brother over a business dispute. Mo
:10:03. > :10:06.Siddique will have to serve a minimum of 25 years before he can
:10:06. > :10:09.be considered for parole. Businessman Toby Siddique, who was
:10:09. > :10:12.38, was shot dead in Glenrothes two years ago. The man who carried out
:10:12. > :10:15.the killing, Tencho Andonov, and another man, Deyan Nikolov, were
:10:15. > :10:20.also given life sentences and were ordered to serve at least 29 and 18
:10:20. > :10:22.years respectively. The cost of Government plans to
:10:22. > :10:27.upgrade the central Scotland motorway network has risen by �95
:10:27. > :10:30.million to 415 million. The A8 between Baillieston and Newhouse
:10:30. > :10:37.will become a motorway, the Raith Interchange in Lanarkshire is to be
:10:37. > :10:39.improved, and sections of the M8, M73 and M74 are to be widened.
:10:39. > :10:48.Transport Scotland says the scheme is more ambitious than originally
:10:48. > :10:53.planned. Well, it has been another cracker
:10:53. > :10:57.of a day. They did not quite match yesterday's record-breaking
:10:57. > :11:01.temperatures but most of us were basking in beautiful sunshine.
:11:01. > :11:05.Temperatures were well into the 70s. Today it was the turn of the South
:11:05. > :11:09.East to get the best of it. Christopher will join me in a
:11:09. > :11:14.moment to explain why it is happening.
:11:14. > :11:21.They say that even a bad day's fishing beats a good day at the
:11:21. > :11:26.office and this was a very, very nice day to go fishing. No weather
:11:26. > :11:29.records were beaten in the Borders today but nobody really care.
:11:29. > :11:33.Across Scotland, millions of pounds were spent to get ready for winter.
:11:33. > :11:43.This time last year the gritting depot was nearly empty. This time
:11:43. > :11:50.last year you were down to your last reserves. Yes, 500 tons of
:11:50. > :11:54.salt was one day's spreading from this depot. We were very short.
:11:54. > :11:57.unusual is this weather? Well, think back to last year. This time
:11:57. > :12:03.last year the temperatures were about half what they are today,
:12:03. > :12:07.about 10 degrees. Go back to 2010, they were down to three degrees. In
:12:07. > :12:11.fact there were snowdrifts in the Highlands and blizzards. Do you
:12:11. > :12:16.feel happier in a good weather? Absolutely. It is perfect for
:12:16. > :12:20.getting a tan. It makes you happy when it is sunny. It makes you feel
:12:20. > :12:25.great. It makes me feel happier to be able to get out of the house and
:12:25. > :12:29.to get up when it is not dark and dreary. Does a few days in the sun
:12:29. > :12:33.really put a spring in our step? Unfortunately, if you look at the
:12:33. > :12:38.population as a whole, it does not. It may do for one individual at any
:12:38. > :12:42.one time but overall there is no correlation between weather and
:12:42. > :12:49.mood, if you define it as something that lasts for 15 minutes and
:12:49. > :12:54.longer. Regrettably, it does not. Next week, spare a thought for
:12:55. > :12:59.others. Not everybody has been enjoying warm temperatures today.
:12:59. > :13:05.It is already decidedly cooler in Shetland and that weather is
:13:05. > :13:09.heading South soon. They had to go and spoil it! Now
:13:09. > :13:19.the science. What has happened to give us the wonderful weather in
:13:19. > :13:20.
:13:20. > :13:24.March? Christopher joins us now. We have had an area of high
:13:25. > :13:31.pressure sitting overhead. It has been dreamt up the from the
:13:31. > :13:34.Mediterranean or Africa, delivering dry, warm air to us in Scotland. It
:13:35. > :13:38.has also been generating its own heat because it is a very strong
:13:38. > :13:44.area of high pressure and within areas of high pressure, it
:13:44. > :13:50.naturally decent within antique cyclones. As it descends, it warms
:13:50. > :13:55.up. It does it add about three Celsius per 1000 feet. Let me put
:13:55. > :13:59.it into context. At 5,000 ft, if it was ten Celsius, by the time it
:13:59. > :14:06.reached sea level, it could be up to 25 Celsius and that is what has
:14:06. > :14:10.been happening in the last few days. The record holder yesterday was
:14:10. > :14:14.23.6 Celsius, beating the Scottish record for the third day in a row.
:14:14. > :14:20.But it does take all these factors combined for us to break these
:14:20. > :14:25.records. Until yesterday, the temperature record had not been
:14:25. > :14:29.broken for about 50 years. where is it going? Yes, the weather
:14:30. > :14:34.is already changing. Much cooler conditions are coming down from the
:14:35. > :14:39.Arctic. If you follow the isobars down, introducing cloud and
:14:39. > :14:44.moisture laden air as well. So about average for March. The falls
:14:44. > :14:48.forecast is at the end of the programme. -- the grit forecast.
:14:48. > :14:53.What else has been happening across the country?
:14:53. > :14:56.A public inquiry will be held this summer into controversial plans for
:14:56. > :15:00.a �43 million waste incinerator in Invergordon.
:15:00. > :15:04.There will be four extra police officers at the Cairnryan ferry
:15:04. > :15:09.port. The Scottish Government will fund the jobs after budget cuts by
:15:09. > :15:13.the UK Border Agency. And MSP wants a ban on
:15:13. > :15:16.irresponsible parking. He is consulting on proposals to stop
:15:16. > :15:20.vehicles being left beside curbs which have been lowered for
:15:20. > :15:24.wheelchair users. We are trying to tackle double parking which can be
:15:24. > :15:28.a real danger when it comes to it for emergency vehicles needing
:15:28. > :15:34.access. Fire engines are much bigger vehicles and cars or vans.
:15:34. > :15:39.It can be a problem. The Russian skipper of a cargo
:15:39. > :15:48.vessel that ran aground last week of the Western Isles has been fined
:15:48. > :15:51.�3.5000. The captain pleaded guilty to failing to alter course, causing
:15:52. > :15:57.the boat to crash on rocks. Campaigners against the Aberdeen
:15:57. > :16:04.bypass say they have to reduce pledges of �100,000 within days --
:16:04. > :16:08.raise pledges to bring a new legal challenge.
:16:08. > :16:11.Workers at Dundee airport are to be balloted next week on strike action.
:16:11. > :16:18.Staff including air traffic controllers and firefighters are
:16:18. > :16:23.involved in apron -- long-running pay dispute.
:16:23. > :16:27.The mountains animal sanctuary in four FA had its first baby donkey
:16:27. > :16:35.delivery this morning. Her mother is a rescued derby from Ireland.
:16:35. > :16:39.More on those and other stories on the BBC Scotland website.
:16:39. > :16:47.Filming of the BBC TV series Waterloo Road begins in Scotland
:16:47. > :16:51.next week. The show, previously based in a school in Rochdale, is
:16:51. > :16:56.relocating to Greenock. The set is being constructed in the old
:16:56. > :17:00.Greenock Academy. The entire assembly hall, where
:17:00. > :17:06.later on we will have the cast and crew from the first two episodes
:17:06. > :17:16.participating. Their first glimpse of the sect for Waterloo Road.
:17:16. > :17:18.
:17:18. > :17:26.Props have been brought in from the current set in Rochdale.
:17:26. > :17:31.We had an ambition for a long- running drama for a Scotland. Once
:17:31. > :17:40.you have the long running security of jobs for people, it changes the
:17:40. > :17:47.landscape for protection. Rank lesson. I need that!
:17:48. > :17:56.230 cast and crew will be here, including the Scots actor who plays
:17:56. > :18:01.the headmaster. Arriving here there is stuffed to
:18:01. > :18:06.mind in terms of the man's past and family and that will be exciting
:18:06. > :18:12.but the reason that the score moved is not entirely to do with his
:18:13. > :18:21.background. The big gamble is whether fans followed the show
:18:21. > :18:25.north. Too many people it is still a quintessentially English drama.
:18:25. > :18:29.But the show is confident its fans can handle the change, and will
:18:29. > :18:37.soon adapt to its Scottish setting, not to mention the impact of having
:18:37. > :18:42.a show the scale made on your own doorstep. It will generate a full-
:18:42. > :18:49.time jobs and a lot of investment and other employment opportunities
:18:49. > :18:53.in terms of extras, and in terms of generating business opportunities
:18:53. > :18:57.in the local community. While most Scottish schools are
:18:57. > :19:05.closing up for the holidays, Waterloo Road is open for business,
:19:05. > :19:09.with filming beginning on Monday. David, stand up straight at the
:19:09. > :19:13.back! Neil Lennon could be in bother with
:19:13. > :19:15.the football authorities again, this time over alleged pre-match
:19:15. > :19:19.comments about referees. The Scottish Football Association has
:19:19. > :19:25.written to the Celtic manager for the third time in over a week. It
:19:25. > :19:28.comes as European football's governing body find Neil Lennon's
:19:28. > :19:33.club. Some recent refereeing decisions
:19:33. > :19:39.have not been to Celtic's liking, particularly this one. The manager
:19:39. > :19:41.was later removed from the dug-out. He had an appearance before the
:19:41. > :19:46.football authorities. He was already in trouble for his reaction
:19:46. > :19:55.to this, and now he has been written to take their time in
:19:55. > :20:02.little over a week. He was quoted looking ahead to the weekend game
:20:02. > :20:08.with St Johnstone. The should be a positive time for Celtic, on the
:20:08. > :20:12.verge of their first title for four years. But now European vines and
:20:12. > :20:19.defeats are dampening the mood. The club has been fined �21,000 by UEFA
:20:19. > :20:24.over an offensive banner at a Europa League match in December.
:20:24. > :20:29.On the track, they did not come much more successful than Ed Moses.
:20:29. > :20:32.The double Olympic champion is in Scotland to pass on his experience
:20:32. > :20:39.in high performance to the Scottish Institute of Sport. Not only that
:20:39. > :20:45.but we have been to meet him. Ed Moses was not just one of the
:20:45. > :20:49.best. For a large part of the 1970s and 1980s, he was the best. I was
:20:49. > :20:53.not interested in just beating everyone else. At one point I was
:20:53. > :20:57.so far ahead that it would have been disastrous to my improvement,
:20:57. > :21:02.to any concentrate on the other athletes. It is hard to believe we
:21:03. > :21:07.will see his like again. A two-time European -- Olympic champion who
:21:07. > :21:16.revolutionised the sport. He took 13 steps between hurdles when
:21:16. > :21:20.others took 14. His nine nine-iron record is the most famous -- his
:21:20. > :21:26.999 record, where he did not lose for nine months, nine days and nine
:21:26. > :21:31.hours. We have a lot here to work with, more than most countries in
:21:31. > :21:38.the world. Do we have the hunger Within athletes, they? I do not
:21:38. > :21:42.know. That is up to the athletes. With the Olympics and Glasgow 2014
:21:42. > :21:51.to come, Moses plans to return to Scotland breaching his winning
:21:51. > :21:56.mount threat to our medal chasing stars. -- preaching his winning
:21:56. > :22:02.mantra. Those who stick with the sport for longer become better.
:22:02. > :22:05.I wonder what he would make of this. Not quite an Olympic final but to
:22:05. > :22:11.celebrate the Scottish Football League's extended deal with
:22:11. > :22:19.sponsors Ramsdens, they decided to find out who is the fastest runner
:22:19. > :22:22.in the lower leagues. The final was today and I had to be there.
:22:23. > :22:32.Welcome. You are about to witness something that comes as close as
:22:33. > :22:36.
:22:37. > :22:42.you're going to get to Scottish One of these flying machines will
:22:42. > :22:52.hightail it with �500 in his pocket while his team will be �2,500
:22:52. > :22:53.
:22:53. > :22:57.better off. Let's meet the men about to run for money. Grant
:22:57. > :23:07.Plenderleith from Stenhousemuir. I'm from Queens Park. What will you
:23:07. > :23:18.
:23:18. > :23:24.do if you win? John Robinson, A false start, there. And bear.
:23:24. > :23:34.Third time lucky, then. There, it is the quiet man, Grant
:23:34. > :23:40.
:23:40. > :23:47.I was in the Falkirk harriers in the under 15. By better let you go
:23:47. > :23:56.because there is a man over there with a novelty check for you. Well
:23:56. > :24:02.done, Craig. Grant, Surrey. -- sorry!
:24:02. > :24:05.High quality stuff from bent. A few false starts from me and not just
:24:05. > :24:09.from them. You do what they do in the
:24:09. > :24:12.athletics coverage, you spoke to them when they have just finished
:24:12. > :24:16.and have no breath. We went for a fish supper straight
:24:16. > :24:19.afterwards! Our financial adviser, Fergus
:24:19. > :24:22.Muirhead, will be joining us on lunch time Reporting Scotland a
:24:22. > :24:32.fortnight today, talking about general financial problems, so if
:24:32. > :24:42.Christopher broke up it to us earlier. The great weather will not
:24:42. > :24:56.
:24:56. > :25:01.It was still respectably warmth We are back to a average
:25:01. > :25:05.temperature in the northern areas. Dry and fine this evening. More
:25:05. > :25:14.cloud in the North. Quite breezy there, too. A strong north-westerly
:25:14. > :25:22.wind. But lighter wind. Another dry start to tomorrow morning. Plenty
:25:22. > :25:27.of sunshine from the well at -- from the word go for many areas.
:25:27. > :25:36.But by the time we reach the afternoon, the cloudier, cooler
:25:36. > :25:44.conditions will be across the Hebrides and further south. Inland
:25:44. > :25:48.the temperatures should be better, Glasgow faring well. Potentially
:25:48. > :25:55.some spits on spots of rain for Shetland. Back to some sunshine,
:25:55. > :26:01.too, for the likes of Inverness, Moray, at Aberdeen. The further
:26:01. > :26:04.South widow, Wiki the sunshine but we also see the high temperatures.
:26:05. > :26:08.Very little changes as far as the rest of the day is concerned. Still
:26:08. > :26:12.quite a strong north-westerly wind across more northern areas and
:26:12. > :26:16.lighter wind further south. The high pressure is starting to
:26:16. > :26:21.move away in the outlook but it is still influencing our weather,
:26:21. > :26:23.keeping dry conditions across the country. We are looking at
:26:23. > :26:29.guerrilla air coming across Scotland and temperatures returning
:26:29. > :26:33.to normal values by the weekend. Friday looks many dry. Some fine
:26:33. > :26:42.sunshine in the East. Temperature still above average, with quite a
:26:42. > :26:45.The headlines: There are warnings tonight that motorists are panic
:26:45. > :26:49.buying fuel after David Cameron suggested topping up in case tanker
:26:49. > :26:55.drivers went on strike. Another minister advised motorists
:26:55. > :26:59.to keep a jury can in the garage. We are just getting the first
:26:59. > :27:05.pictures in off a flair that is burning on the abandoned Elgin oil
:27:05. > :27:09.platform in the North Sea. You can see the deserted platform there.
:27:09. > :27:16.That was taken yesterday. It is difficult to get any footage
:27:16. > :27:20.because the platform is 150 miles off the coast at Aberdeen. The
:27:20. > :27:24.intensity of the frame does not seem to be dying down. The back
:27:24. > :27:28.four was a back to readied on Sunday after the gas leak began.
:27:28. > :27:31.Us companies are warning that the concessionary travel scheme for the