:00:17. > :00:20.Tonight on Reporting Scotland. "Not given a chance." One of the
:00:20. > :00:28.rejected bidders for Hall's of Broxburn says his plan to take-over
:00:28. > :00:32.the meat processors would have saved over 1,000 people's jobs.
:00:33. > :00:36.is incredible that Vion would say we would rather put 1700 people on
:00:36. > :00:42.the dole queue than to give another does as an opportunity to save
:00:42. > :00:52.those jobs. It does not make sense and it is not fair. Tonight on
:00:52. > :00:55.Reporting Scotland. "Not given a chance." Halls' Dutch owners are
:00:55. > :00:59.denying claims they didn't want to sell - or save - the business. Also
:00:59. > :01:01.on the programme, taking the high road - or the low road. Work gets
:01:01. > :01:04.underway on an alternative route for drivers on the landslide-
:01:04. > :01:06.plagued Rest and Be Thankful in Argyll. I am in Brussels, where
:01:06. > :01:16.Scotland desperately need a victory to ease the pressure on their
:01:16. > :01:20.
:01:20. > :01:22.manager, Craig Levine. Oh, that's my cake. But despite some slip-ups
:01:22. > :01:28.Scotland are through to the finals in tonight's other big competition,
:01:28. > :01:30.the Great British Bake-off. One of the companies which bid to save
:01:30. > :01:34.Halls of Broxburn says the factory closure was "completely avoidable".
:01:34. > :01:37.Graf Capitals says it put together a seven figure bid to buy the meat
:01:37. > :01:40.plant and save three quarters of the jobs at the West Lothian site.
:01:40. > :01:43.It claims the Dutch owners, Vion, never had any intention of keeping
:01:43. > :01:48.the factory going - a claim the company strongly rejects. Morag
:01:48. > :01:53.Kinniburgh joins us from the factory. There is real anger here
:01:53. > :01:59.this evening not only over job losses but over the bidding process
:01:59. > :02:03.for Hall's. The Scottish private equity company Graf Capitals has
:02:03. > :02:07.said it made a realistic bid to keep the factory as a going concern
:02:07. > :02:10.but that that was rejected by the Dutch owners, who said was not
:02:10. > :02:15.being anything more than lip- service to the process of finding a
:02:15. > :02:22.buyer. By John, hours Park, rejected the accusations, saying
:02:22. > :02:27.that in his opinion, Graf Capitals was not a credible bidder. It was a
:02:27. > :02:32.depressing day in Boston, 1700 jobs are going, and there is little
:02:32. > :02:35.prospect of other work locally. But one company insists it could up but
:02:35. > :02:41.Hall's and transformed into a viable business, if it had only
:02:41. > :02:44.been given a chance. It is incredible that Vion would say
:02:44. > :02:47.would rather put want 1700 people on the dole queue than to go
:02:47. > :02:52.another company a chance to save those jobs. It does not make sense
:02:52. > :02:55.and it is not fair, and what is quick to happen is that a large
:02:56. > :03:00.percentage of those jobs will be transferred to factories elsewhere
:03:01. > :03:10.in the country, and that is very unfair. The meat factory owners,
:03:11. > :03:16.
:03:16. > :03:24.Vion, said that Graf Capitals were But, boardroom arguments are all
:03:24. > :03:30.little comfort on the streets of Brixton. We get plenty of business
:03:30. > :03:33.from them, so it is hard for us. do not have much hope for a work
:03:33. > :03:41.living around here. Just very angry and upset about people losing their
:03:41. > :03:46.jobs. Many of the other shops, the money. Coming into them and a lot
:03:46. > :03:50.of people will be affected. closure begins with the butchery
:03:50. > :03:54.and abattoir and the first jobs could go in the next few weeks, the
:03:54. > :03:58.next in the year. It is unlikely anything could be sold on. Some
:03:58. > :04:05.small parts of the business could be sold later, but my understanding
:04:05. > :04:10.is most of the employees will not be employed at all. Bayern have not
:04:10. > :04:17.been persuaded back to the negotiating table. The wrangling
:04:17. > :04:22.gives little prospect of a reprieve for Hall's. Despite the anger and
:04:22. > :04:25.accusations there seems little to no chance of saving the jobs. The
:04:25. > :04:35.Scottish government has issued a statement saying that it is happy
:04:35. > :04:39.
:04:40. > :04:42.to speak to any viable commercial buyer for the plant. Meanwhile, 176
:04:42. > :04:45.jobs that were under threat at the Barrie Knitwear Factory in Hawick
:04:45. > :04:48.have been saved tonight. The luxury goods company Chanel has agreed a
:04:48. > :04:51.deal to buy the cashmere knitwear manufacturers, which is part of the
:04:51. > :04:53.Dawson group. The plant was put into administration in August. A
:04:53. > :04:58.spokesman said there was no exclusivity deal and Barrie will
:04:58. > :05:01.continue to work with other luxury brands worldwide. The day after
:05:01. > :05:04.David Cameron and Alex Salmond signed a deal ensuring a referendum
:05:04. > :05:09.on independence the Scottish Liberal democrats have come up with
:05:09. > :05:11.a plan should voters vote no. They say their blueprint for "Scottish
:05:11. > :05:15.Home Rule" would see the Scottish Government raising around two-
:05:15. > :05:18.thirds of all the money it spends. Our correspondent Tim Reid is at
:05:18. > :05:22.Westminster tonight. What do the proposals say, Tim? All mill has
:05:22. > :05:26.been a long-held ambition of the Liberal Democrats ever since the
:05:26. > :05:30.days of William Gladstone, or 100 years ago. Devolution has come a
:05:30. > :05:35.long way since then but the Liberal Democrats would like it to go
:05:35. > :05:38.further, not quite as far as independence, but contained within
:05:38. > :05:44.this report are proposals which would allow the Scottish parliament
:05:44. > :05:51.to have control and power over things like all the income tax
:05:51. > :05:55.raised, inheritance tax, capital gains tax, and passenger duty. It
:05:55. > :06:00.does not give it control over VAT and North Sea oil revenues, but
:06:00. > :06:06.what it would allow his for some councils to have no financial otter
:06:06. > :06:11.and any, raising part of what they spend, and perhaps surprisingly for
:06:11. > :06:13.what is a Unionist Party, the party also says that the Act of Union
:06:13. > :06:19.which binds the union together should be scrapped in favour of
:06:19. > :06:26.what it calls a declaration of federal union. What has been the
:06:26. > :06:32.reaction to this? This is a late their son of the o'clock. The
:06:32. > :06:37.nationalists have dismissed it as a half-baked plan. It will give the
:06:37. > :06:40.Liberal Democrats a platform to fight the independence campaign
:06:40. > :06:43.with. Labour is considering what new potential powers at the
:06:43. > :06:48.Scottish parliament could have. The Tories are not considering further
:06:49. > :06:56.powers at the moment, but of course they could change their minds at
:06:56. > :07:00.some point in the future. You're watching Reporting Scotland from
:07:00. > :07:04.the BBC. Still to come: Honours for services to golf - Ivor Robson
:07:04. > :07:09.celebrates his many decades as the European Tour's official starter.
:07:09. > :07:14.And in sport, all eyes on Brussels as Scotland take on Belgium in a
:07:14. > :07:18.must-win match. The Tartan Army, as you would expect, have made it
:07:18. > :07:25.Ripper this one, it is a World Cup qualifier, but walk for the future
:07:25. > :07:35.of the Scotland manager if they lose? And Russell will have some
:07:35. > :07:36.
:07:36. > :07:38.broke the news for you, too. -- Rugby News. Work is under way to
:07:38. > :07:42.try to ease a notorious and recurring problem in Scotland's
:07:42. > :07:45.road network - the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful in Argyll. It's
:07:45. > :07:48.been blocked by landslides several times over the past few years and
:07:48. > :07:51.drivers have been forced onto an hour long detour. But now an old
:07:51. > :07:54.military road is to be used to reduce the disruption should there
:07:54. > :07:57.be more landslides. Here's our correspondent, Jamie McIvor. The
:07:57. > :08:03.Rest And Be Thankful has been blocked five times in five years by
:08:03. > :08:09.lines likes. This was the last one in August. Each time drivers have
:08:09. > :08:15.faced a 50 mild diversion. It has been an all-too-familiar story.
:08:15. > :08:19.huge Lansley has closed the A83 at the Rest And Be Thankful. 600 tons
:08:19. > :08:26.of rock and soil but did up the Rest And Be Thankful remains
:08:26. > :08:30.closed... The book remains open again but the risk of further
:08:30. > :08:36.landslides remains. At the bottom of the valley lies the old military
:08:36. > :08:42.road. Its twists and turns once made it popular with rally drivers.
:08:42. > :08:47.Today, much of it is barely usable. The plan is to stop -- start using
:08:47. > :08:50.this the military road as a diversion saving motorists from
:08:50. > :08:57.using an hour long detour, but first, a lot of work needs to be
:08:57. > :09:04.done. Work is now well under way, but it is a technical challenge.
:09:04. > :09:06.The works are programmed to take around 12 weeks. Some of the
:09:06. > :09:10.challenges are getting the structures on site, and bridges,
:09:10. > :09:17.which need to be repaired, and the weather in this area is very
:09:17. > :09:21.unpredictable. At nearby Loch fine oysters, they know what problems
:09:21. > :09:27.the long detour has cost. It has a massive impact on the business.
:09:27. > :09:33.Customers cannot get to the facility. We have problems with
:09:33. > :09:38.staff getting to and from work. It has had a huge impact. Finding
:09:38. > :09:43.better ways of coping with Lansleys is only a short-term solution. A
:09:43. > :09:48.task force is trying to find a long-term answer. People have
:09:48. > :09:55.suggested the old Corus revolt, a completely new road, or upgrading
:09:55. > :10:01.further the existing road. All these things have been looked at --
:10:01. > :10:06.the old forestry road. For now, people are keeping their fingers
:10:06. > :10:16.crossed that there will not be another bad lines laid until the
:10:16. > :10:19.
:10:19. > :10:21.old military road is ready for new service -- bad landslide. High
:10:21. > :10:23.Court judges have rejected proposals to abolish the centuries-
:10:23. > :10:26.old requirement for corroboration in criminal prosecutions. In a
:10:26. > :10:29.review of Scots criminal law the judge Lord Carloway said the rule,
:10:29. > :10:33.which ensures key evidence is backed by two sources, no longer
:10:33. > :10:35.had a place in a modern legal system. But today as part of the
:10:35. > :10:37.government's consultation exercise, all other judges said they
:10:37. > :10:44.disagreed and said the rule provided a "major safeguard"
:10:44. > :10:47.against miscarriages of justice. The comedian, Frankie Boyle has
:10:47. > :10:50.told a libel trial that he was shocked to be labelled a racist in
:10:50. > :10:54.a newspaper article because it went against everything he'd tried to do
:10:54. > :10:57.in his life and work. He was giving evidence at the High court in
:10:57. > :10:59.London where he's suing Mirror Group Newspapers. From there, Kevin
:10:59. > :11:03.Keane reports. Frankie Boyle is suing were Group Newspapers over an
:11:03. > :11:08.article he published last week -- it published last week about 10
:11:08. > :11:11.been in talks with Channel 4 about a new television series. The
:11:12. > :11:16.article began with the words, racist comedian Frankie Boyle could
:11:16. > :11:20.soon be returning to TV. He describes the moment when he first
:11:20. > :11:26.heard about that article. He received a text from his manager
:11:26. > :11:29.and he looked it up online, and the talk about being shocked at that
:11:29. > :11:35.description, saying that he can take most comments about ill-luck
:11:35. > :11:40.or on the chin, for example being described as "bile", but he said
:11:40. > :11:47.not this, because being cold and racist is very serious, it is a
:11:47. > :11:52.very serious crime. Much of our Frankie Boyle's comedy is political
:11:52. > :11:56.and it is often about politics. He said in court that it goes against
:11:56. > :12:01.everything he has tried to do in his work. He said, "I was
:12:01. > :12:06.completely shocked by this and I always thought people would have
:12:06. > :12:09.considered me to be the most anti- racist comedian in the country." he
:12:09. > :12:15.said if you were to take this on the chin, it sets a very serious
:12:15. > :12:21.precedent. He added that he thought the idea of taking racism done to
:12:21. > :12:29.this casual level is also very serious. The case continues. Let's
:12:29. > :12:35.take a look at what else has been happening across the country. A
:12:35. > :12:39.wild at and then on his hospital has been closed to patients and
:12:39. > :12:43.visitors after the spread of limiting but also up 14 patients
:12:43. > :12:48.have been affected with nine still suffering symptoms. A paramedic who
:12:48. > :12:53.knocked down and killed a picture at a pedestrian crossing in air has
:12:53. > :12:59.been sentenced to 150 hours' community service. He admitted
:12:59. > :13:04.causing death by careless driving. A teenager has died while in
:13:04. > :13:06.custody at Inverness prison. Brian McNeill was a demand after a
:13:06. > :13:10.hearing at El Leger at Corpus of Scottish Prison Service said he
:13:11. > :13:14.died and Saturday and a report will be sent to the procurator fiscal.
:13:14. > :13:18.For the work to determine the source of radioactive particles at
:13:18. > :13:24.a Fife beach will begin next week. Calls will be dug along the
:13:24. > :13:28.shoreline at Dalgety Bay, to find out whether radioactivity emerged.
:13:28. > :13:33.Donald Trump's lawyers have called for a public inquiry into plans for
:13:33. > :13:37.an offshore wind farm close to his Aberdeenshire golf-course. In a
:13:37. > :13:41.letter to marine Scotland they said no stone should be left unturned to
:13:41. > :13:45.establish if there is in the economic risk to the resort on the
:13:46. > :13:53.proposed 11 turbine development. BBC Scotland's ready Shepherd will
:13:53. > :14:03.appear in his first pantomime as the voice of a dragon. He will star
:14:03. > :14:04.
:14:04. > :14:09.alongside pantomime veteran Elaine Smith. Every year, they take the
:14:09. > :14:19.mickey out of me and get the year they stop doing that, I am finished.
:14:19. > :14:27.
:14:27. > :14:34.Four or more stories from your area, It has become the biggest hit on TV.
:14:34. > :14:41.Tonight is the final of the Great British Bake Off. One hoping to win
:14:41. > :14:50.his it sheds learned medical student, James Morton. Eleanor
:14:50. > :14:56.Bradford tracks him down. It mixes polite competition...
:14:56. > :15:02.can hear a penny drop. With it tips on technique. You have to have the
:15:02. > :15:05.better at the right temperature. And a dollop of history.
:15:06. > :15:12.transforms home baking. However thought baking could be this
:15:12. > :15:15.exciting. Tonight is the final. Scotland's hopes rest on the
:15:15. > :15:22.shoulders of experimental Cork, James Morton. His final bake
:15:22. > :15:32.doesn't quite go according to plan. This is the mixture. He can only
:15:32. > :15:35.
:15:35. > :15:42.As tension Mack -- as tension mounts, I get him to sample some
:15:42. > :15:47.BBC baking. I thought you should try BBC Scotland's signature bake.
:15:47. > :15:55.That is great. Dropping a cake on the floor is the least of my
:15:55. > :16:00.worries. It is fun. His sterile tank-tops have also become a hit,
:16:00. > :16:06.leading to him of having a crests to take part in fashion shoots.
:16:06. > :16:12.have turned down the fashion shoots. Many factors like this one have
:16:12. > :16:17.noticed a definite surge in sales. They have taken off all across the
:16:17. > :16:22.country. A lot of young people are wearing them. The girls like the
:16:22. > :16:29.cardigans. Only a clip -- few close friends know the results of the
:16:29. > :16:34.show tonight. Are you going to become a baker or a doctor? I am
:16:34. > :16:40.definitely going to become a doctor. Baking is great fun but I want to
:16:40. > :16:48.be a doctor. You can see the final of the Great
:16:48. > :16:51.British Bake Off on BBC2 Scotland at 8pm.
:16:51. > :16:56.Our BBC East cons are truly fantastic! It will kiss and a
:16:56. > :17:03.weighty transfer and 11 -- 11,000 tonne section of aircraft carrier
:17:03. > :17:08.from its construction site on the Clyde to the Fife.
:17:08. > :17:17.The Queen Elizabeth was moved out on Sunday. It is being loaded on to
:17:17. > :17:22.a huge sea-going bars for a 600 mile journey to Rosyth. -- barge.
:17:22. > :17:26.It is a crucial night for the Scotland football team. Is it any
:17:26. > :17:29.anything else? We could do with that barge to park
:17:29. > :17:35.in front of the goal. Craig Levein has made one change to
:17:35. > :17:40.his team for tonight's World Cup qualifier against Belgium. Here is
:17:40. > :17:43.qualifier against Belgium. Here is the starting 11. Only one change
:17:43. > :17:47.and it comes in midfield. James and it comes in midfield. James
:17:47. > :17:57.McArthur comes in for Scott Brown. Tonight is an important game for
:17:57. > :17:59.
:17:59. > :18:05.Scotland and the results could have It is the same side that started
:18:05. > :18:11.against Wales virtually. Tonight's task it is all the more daunting.
:18:11. > :18:16.Beat the Belgians or the door closes on World Cup 2014.
:18:16. > :18:23.The ever faithful Tartan Army are in Brussels hoping for something of
:18:23. > :18:27.a miracle. Scotland come here desperate for a win. They have two
:18:27. > :18:32.points from a possible nine. Their manager is not far from getting it
:18:32. > :18:41.right. It takes time for the team to gel and the manager to get his
:18:41. > :18:45.ideas across and the big players to mature. It comes slowly. If the
:18:45. > :18:55.plan is good and the players of good, hopefully we will have a long
:18:55. > :19:00.period of being a property. Belgian put in place a generation ago
:19:00. > :19:08.something that is now bearing fruit. Craig Levein is hoping to do the
:19:08. > :19:13.same with Scotland. It goes to the grass roots, decades, the whole
:19:14. > :19:18.structure. Everything involved in the SFA, the managers coming in
:19:18. > :19:22.have a positive impact on the squad. We have had some good performances
:19:22. > :19:27.but have not managed to turn them into results. The fans' patience
:19:27. > :19:33.seems to be at an end. Some of his decisions and choices have been
:19:33. > :19:38.shocking. His man-management skills at need a lot to be desired.
:19:38. > :19:42.don't think he will walk away. He will have to be forced out, which I
:19:42. > :19:49.hope does happen. If they get a result tonight, I was still back
:19:49. > :19:54.them. Even during the good old days, Scotland found positive results in
:19:55. > :19:58.Belgium hard to come by. Craig Levein has to back that trend to
:19:58. > :20:03.convince the supporters he is still the man for the job.
:20:03. > :20:07.I am joined by the former Scotland striker, Billy Dodds. He played in
:20:07. > :20:11.one of those seven defeats in Brussels. Looking at the team line-
:20:11. > :20:16.up scum had difficult is it going to be for Scotland to get anything
:20:16. > :20:20.from this match tonight? situation we are in with the
:20:20. > :20:26.pressure and the players we have and their substitutes, it is going
:20:26. > :20:31.to be a tough night. We have to be realistic. We heard from the fans
:20:31. > :20:36.and their view of Craig Levein. The players seemed to back him. If they
:20:36. > :20:41.lose tonight, does Craig Levein have to go? I think they have to be
:20:41. > :20:47.honest. I don't see us getting the results where we will see him keep
:20:47. > :20:51.his job. Whether he goes at the end of this game or the end of the
:20:51. > :20:55.campaign, I don't think he can carry on. To finish off, a
:20:55. > :21:02.prediction for this evening? think we will do OK but it might
:21:02. > :21:07.lose it by the odd goal. 2-1. A bit of optimism their bets
:21:07. > :21:10.certainly, it is going to be an uphill task. Back to yourselves in
:21:10. > :21:13.the studio. the studio.
:21:13. > :21:20.BBC Scotland is the place to be to watch and hear all the action from
:21:20. > :21:28.Belgium. The match is live on BBC 1 at 7:30pm. There is also online
:21:28. > :21:32.Six Hearts players have not received their October salaries
:21:32. > :21:36.averaging route today. It is the second time in as many months that
:21:36. > :21:42.some players and management have been paid late. They have informed
:21:42. > :21:46.the SPL about this latest delay. They introduced new rules regarding
:21:46. > :21:50.players' being paid on time. The SPL board will be discussing the
:21:50. > :21:54.matter on Monday. Winning our home games is a must if
:21:54. > :21:59.we are to progress in the Heineken Cup. That is the message from the
:21:59. > :22:04.Glasgow Warriors players. The Scot who were hard at it earlier in the
:22:04. > :22:09.gym prepare to face Ulster on Friday. They lost to Northampton on
:22:09. > :22:13.Sunday in their opening match. The Warriors insist they can't afford
:22:13. > :22:18.to lose. You can't expect to progress unless
:22:19. > :22:24.you win your home games. We were gutted not to win the game and even
:22:24. > :22:29.more gutted not to get a bonus point. To get anywhere past group
:22:29. > :22:35.stage, we have to win the home games. That is the sport.
:22:35. > :22:43.Everything crossed for Scotland this evening.
:22:43. > :22:47.He is the borderer who became one of the Wells -- the world of Golfs
:22:47. > :22:55.leading personality without hitting a ball in anger. Ivor Robson has
:22:55. > :23:02.been the European Torus -- European Tour's official starter. Today he
:23:02. > :23:06.was honoured by his services to golf -- for his services to golf by
:23:07. > :23:13.his local club. He has been the face of the
:23:13. > :23:18.European Tour since 1975. Ivor Robson, a first fixture for keeping
:23:18. > :23:27.everyone in order from superstars to rookies. You have to make sure
:23:27. > :23:33.the player gets to beTeachta Dala. -- gets to the starting position.
:23:33. > :23:38.They have a role to play. I don't have any messing about but still
:23:38. > :23:48.have a few laughs with them. He has treated everyone the same, from
:23:48. > :23:49.
:23:49. > :23:55.Jack Nicklaus to others. He is always a wonderful man and a
:23:55. > :24:03.professional starter. He shook my hand extra tight and said, "good
:24:03. > :24:11.luck, Darren.". When he is not jet- setting, his home is in more fat.
:24:11. > :24:17.He was once club master and lived above the shop. Today he was
:24:17. > :24:23.recognised with a life membership of the golf club. Presented by his
:24:23. > :24:26.friend, Peter Alliss. By he has built himself into a marvellous
:24:26. > :24:32.character that is part of professional golf on the European
:24:32. > :24:36.Tour. He never changes, he never wears an overcoat, he never takes a
:24:36. > :24:42.break to go to the toilet. He stands there from 7am until 4pm in
:24:42. > :24:48.the afternoon. He is a nice man and he epitomises everything that is
:24:48. > :24:58.good about golf. When he retires, the void he leaves behind will be
:24:58. > :25:01.
:25:01. > :25:11.hard to fill but that is a few years away. From BBC Scotland, I am
:25:11. > :25:12.
:25:12. > :25:16.signing off. If Now a look at the We have clear skies tonight that it
:25:16. > :25:21.will be a rather cold. We have this low-pressure that is pushing
:25:21. > :25:31.towards the North Sea. In its wake, we have called conditions. Four
:25:31. > :25:32.
:25:32. > :25:39.areas north of the central belt, to matters around minus four Celsius.
:25:39. > :25:45.Cloud and rain is working its way in. Tomorrow morning, the story is
:25:45. > :25:53.all about the rain. A band of it is crossing towards the far north. We
:25:53. > :25:57.have a Met Office yellow warning for rain. Be aware across Argyll,
:25:57. > :26:07.Dumfries and Galloway. That range travels up towards Aberdeenshire.
:26:07. > :26:08.
:26:08. > :26:14.In its wake, they would be showers. There is a strong easterly wind and
:26:14. > :26:20.it will not be a pleasant day at all. He is that rain band. The
:26:20. > :26:24.showers are the order of the day for you. Temperatures around ten
:26:24. > :26:29.Celsius for you. In the south-west, we have concern because that rain
:26:29. > :26:32.continues as we head towards this time tomorrow night. It is part of
:26:32. > :26:37.another area of low pressure working his way in from the south-
:26:37. > :26:42.west and that will stay with us towards the end of the week. The
:26:42. > :26:48.outlook is unsettled. Looking at the detail for Thursday, it is
:26:48. > :26:53.cloudy. Either side of it, showers are possible. The winds will be
:26:53. > :27:01.lighter and feeling warmer. Cloudy skies with outbreaks of rain and
:27:01. > :27:11.temperatures up to 12 Celsius. temperatures up to 12 Celsius.
:27:11. > :27:12.
:27:12. > :27:16.The headlines: Gary McKinnon has won his ten-year battle against
:27:16. > :27:20.extradition to America on charges of hacking into military computers.
:27:20. > :27:23.The Home Secretary blocked the move saying he was seriously ill and
:27:23. > :27:30.might take his own life if he was sent to the US.
:27:30. > :27:39.One of the companies which bid to sell Halls said the merger was