23/01/2013 Reporting Scotland

Tonight on Reporting Scotland: David Cameron's referendum pledge

on Europe. Alex Salmond says it completely changes the debate on

Scottish independence. A big fall in the number of jobless

here, but still signs of weakness in the economy.

The health secretary apologises after this 84-year-old man is left

in a hospital corridor for eight hours. I am very angry, not only

for my own father but also for the other patients in the corridor.

And also in the programme, a caravan parked on a yellow line in

Edinburgh at just yards from the traffic wardens' headquarters. But

there is nothing they can do about And Andy Murray is through to the

semifinals of the Australian Open. Next it is Roger Federer.

David Cameron's argument for a referendum on Europe has blown a

huge hole in one of the key arguments against an independence

referendum here. So says Alex Salmond. The First Minister was

reacting to the Prime Minister's call for a vote by the end of 2017

on whether Britain should stay in the European Union.

Could he be the Prime Minister who loses Scotland and the European

Union? For David Cameron, those are now real risks. His decision to

halt and in-out referendum on EU membership, and some of the

greatest constitutional questions we face could be asked and answered.

Give people the choice. I passionately believe that it should,

and I hope that it will stay in the EU. You can put your head in the

sand, pretend that somehow this issue will go away, and that

somehow a events will turn out all right. I think that is simply

incredible. It blows a huge hole in the Unionist parties' arguments.

They were arguing that the referendum was delayed. It is next

year. Sir Mr Salmond believes one line of attack has now been

neutralised. But what is left behind is two competing visions.

The SNP believing that Scotland should be independent at the very

heart of Europe and the Conservatives saying the EU needs

to radically reform will face being left behind. So which vision will

Scots back? In Shetland, bedsides have some support. For ID the UK or

Scotland, -- either the UK or Scotland, being in Europe is of

extreme benefit, especially for the fishing industry. We have free

access to the trading bloc. There have been a lot of complaints about

the European Union so David Cameron is quite right to let the people

decide. And if the Prime Minister gets his way, the people will

decide. Suddenly holding referendums is very fashionable.

Our political editor is in Holyrood. In terms of the independence debate,

does any side gained an advantage as a result of the speech? Here at

Holyrood there is a parliamentary Burns supper tonight. I wonder if

nationalists will change the running order and have a toast to

David Cameron. Now the SNP... David Cameron's response is to say now,

it is right to trust the people, trust them on the EU entrance them

on the future of the UK. And Nicola Sturgeon has had dealings with

Brussels today? She was looking for talks with the European Commission

on the status of Scotland in the EU post independence. She has had a

rebuff from the EU on that. They say this is an issue to be

determined when there is a precise scenario and to be determined with

the member states. At least the European Commission is staying

neutral now. She has sought a joint approach with the UK Government.

Well-told it is up to the SNP to spell out precisely what

independence will mean for Scotland's relationship with the EU.

Unemployment in Scotland has fallen again. The number of Scots seeking

work was down by 14,000 during autumn but overall there are signs

of continued weakness in the economy. Our business editor has

been looking at the figures. There is good and not so good news.

The number of Scots seeking work between September and November

continued to fall. Down by 40,000 to 207,000. But the number of

people in what was also down by 24,000. That suggests a number -- a

fall in the number of people in the labour market for due to retirement

and people giving up the search, for example, students. The overall

outlook is not that rosy. Freshly trained for work with

Beatles for the job, Glaswegians qualifying today to take on a tough

job. Few will start in a film like Paul Brannigan of the Angels' Share.

Others will have to use their skills. It is so hard to find a job.

It gives you a lot more confidence and helps you get the skills and

give you more options. A sign of the times? Bosses at the Bank of

Scotland today announced nearly 100 branch managers are going, while

McDonald's are recruiting twice as many for jobs this year. The

ambitious are still shooting for the stars. This Edinburgh firm is a

leader in Scottish space technology. The First Minister today underlined

the export growth. The figures are up 7% on last year. America remains

the biggest market. Exports to the European Union, a topical issue

today, rose 15 %. Any technology business now has to work on a

global scale. We have always had a fairly big export part of our

business. In recent years, it has probably increased. We are

exporting about 70 % of what we do. It has to be an export-led recovery

and we are seeing fantastic examples of that, for example in

food and drink and textiles. However, more recent evidence from

business is less positive. The Scottish Chambers of Commerce today

confirmed other findings that orders towards the end of last year

were weak, and with some exceptions, the outlook this year does not look

brighter. There is modest optimism in

manufacturing, but retailers are very gloomy about the sea. The

squeezed buying power of salaries holds back the return of shoppers'

conference. With so much in doubt, today also brought more uncertainty

for business. This time that question of whether those very

important exports who are going to be from within the European Union's

single market. Still to come: He is the artist

responsible for this famous painting? It might not be who you

think. In sport, Andy Murray is one match

away from a place in the final of the Australian Open tennis, but it

could be a tough one. The news from Melbourne, and a bold prediction

from Scotland's rugby coach. The Scottish Health Secretary has

apologised after an 84-year-old man was left lying on a hospital

trolley for eight hours. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have also

apologised and admitted it was a very busy time. The man's family

said in look like a disaster zone. This is John McGarrity. He was

admitted to Accident and Emergency at the Glasgow's Western Infirmary

on Monday afternoon, suffering chest pains. After a recent stroke,

his family thought he would be a priority. Instead, they say he was

left on a hospital trolley for eight hours in a freezing cold

corridor. I am very angry, not just for my own father but for the other

patients because some of them had been lying there longer than my

father. I thought eight hours was back. It is not something I would

expect to see in 2013. It is something I would have expected to

see on a television news rail -- news reel off a disaster area.

Greater Glasgow and Clyde issued The family are rightly very upset

at the way their father has been treated so I apologise and my

message to the Health Board and indeed every Health Board in

Scotland is that this is not an acceptable level of service and we

must make sure it does not happen again. Tonight, Mr McGarrity's

family say he is still awaiting a diagnosis.

A Catholic adoption agency is facing the loss of its charitable

status because it refuses to place children with same-sex couples. The

Scottish Charity Regulator says that St Margaret's Children and

Family Care provides a valuable service but it believes its

policies are an awful. All this began after a single complaint?

it was a complaint to the office got the Scottish Charity Regulator

from the secular society. It is about say Margaret's policy that it

would place children with parents who have been married at least two

years. The agency says it discriminates against same-sex

couples and is therefore in contravention of the equality act.

It does say that St Margaret's, based in Glasgow, he is doing a

very valuable job, but the insistence on this marital test

means it fails the charity test. It has given St Margaret's three

months to change its procedures and assessment criteria and if it does

not do that, it could lose its charitable status. And there has

been reaction already? The Catholic Church has issued a statement. A

spokesman said it would foley consider the determination from the

regulator with its adviser before making any further comment, but it

does understand it hopes that some rider -- my neck changing in

wording can get round the problem. -- mine are changing in wording.

The Scottish Government has said it is disappointed. Alex Salmond said

four years ago that he wanted a way to save the country's Catholic

adoption agencies from closure. They 15-year-old girl he was -- his

body was found on the M9 has been named as Anna Johnson, from the

Stirling area. The police found the body under a bridge close to the

Bannockburn Interchange. Police want to hear from anyone travelling

in the area yesterday between 6.15am and 7.00am, who may have

seen what happened to her. Dozens of schools remained closed

today, mainly in the North East, West no continued to cause problems.

There were delays for passengers at Aberdeen airport.

These motorists had a lucky escape on the A90 south of Stonehaven. Two

were taken to hospital. It was one of a series of crashes today. Many

roads were closed, others passable only with care. This route was

definitely shut. Yes, that is a car underneath. In Aberdeenshire and

Aberdeen, more than 60 schools were closed or partially closed.

roads around here are really bad with drifting. A number of staff

have been stuck or caught in accidents. We are unable to open,

for health and safety reasons. Aberdeen International Airport was

closed for an hour and a half to allow room ways to be clear. Some

flights were cancelled or delayed. Others found their path to Glenshee

temporarily closed at Braemar, on the way to the slopes. We got here

in plenty of time and we are looking forward to it. As motorists

make their way home, they are being warned of the threat of more ice

tonight and tomorrow morning, and there is the prospect of more snow

on Friday. A full weather forecast at the end of the programme.

A caravan has been parked on a single yellow line for four months

without being find. Not only that but it is on the doorstep of the

Do you can see it is quite clearly pot on a single yellow line and yet

the owner has never been issued with a fine and there are no

tickets on the windscreen. Because the Karen Viney is a halt, it is

not classed as a vehicle and because the council is in touch

with the bone as it is not considered abandoned. But if you

knock on the door you can see there is nobody here in residence, so it

is not technically breaking any laws. It is causing quite a few

problems. It is quite a quiet street, it is not causing anybody

any trouble. I think if he is part they he should get the fine,

because anybody else would get fined. If he gets away Rivett,

somebody else might think I will part there as well. The caravan is

parked on the same street as the headquarters for the traffic

wardens, prompting suggestions that this is some sort of protest. Now,

let's get a round up of some other stories from across Scotland.

Police officers have been back to the area in Dundee where a man was

found dying in the street last August. John McMurchie had been

involved in a fight in the city's Whitfield area. Detectives have

already taken more than 1,000 witness statements.

It is important if anyone has any information to come forward to

allow us to bring this conclusion and allow the family to have

closure. The Solway Harvester - the boat which sank off the Isle of Man,

killing all seven crew - is to be scrapped. For the past 13 years,

the rusting scallop dredger has been moored in Douglas Harbour

because of ongoing legal action. Contractors who built the problem-

plagued DG-1 Leisure Centre in Dumfries are being sued to meet the

cost of putting it right. Dumfries and Galloway Council is taking

construction firm Keir Northern to court to recover up to �6 million.

We have had experts in and look at it and they have put port and

report which identify his in the region of �3.7 million of building

works that are required. The Scottish Open at Castle Stuart

near Inverness is set to be shown live on network TV in the United

States this summer. A sponsorship deal means the Scottish Government

will advertise Scotland as a tourist destination during coverage

on NBC. Woodlands and grasslands in the

Highlands supporting rabbits and small rodents should be protected

to save the Scottish Wildcat, according to a group of scientists.

Researchers have used data from the Scottish Wildcat Survey to identify

the cats' favoured habitat. And there's more stories from

around Scotland - 24 hours a day - on our website.

The sport now and the task ahead for Andy Murray.

Andy Murray will have to beat a man who's won 17 grand slam titles to

reach the final of this year's Australian Open tennis. Murray

plays World number two Roger Federer in the semi-finals on

Friday. It will be the biggest test for the Scot so far in the

tournament, in which he's yet to lose a set. From Melbourne, here's

our tennis reporter, David McDaid. The French back at Melbourne Park,

hoping that Jeremy Chardy could succeed where his compatriot had

failed. Very quickly, that looked unlikely, as Andy Murray took the

first four game for that reply. The Frenchman tried to offer up more

resistance with some powerful groundstrokes. But Andy Murray but

that that brief storm to claim the first set. Little more than half an

hour later, the Scot had one foot in the semi-finals as the game of

Jeremy Chardy faltered. He notched up another straight sets win.

thought I started the match well and did a pretty good job all right.

He is a tough guy to play games and I thought I did a good job.

much improved performance by Andy Murray as you make yet another

Australian Open semi-final. But he will have to adapt to different

conditions as he plays his first night match of this tournament.

Normally the run these are little bit quicker and the courts of

slower, and certain shots went better than others. And going to go

and practise again this evening and the other show court, and hit under

the lights to be as ready as possible. It is a familiar foe he

will be up against, 17 grand-slam champion Roger Federer.

The man in charge of Scotland's rugby team predicts things are

about to get a whole lot better for the national side. Last season, the

Scots were the biggest losers in the Six Nations tournament - losing

all five matches and finishing last. But Scott Johnson, whose first game

as coach is against England next weekend, is confident this year

they can be winners. Our Six Nations reporter, Phil Goodlad,

spoke to him at the official launch of the tournament in London.

What do you see, organised chaos, or one of the big estates in

Europe's rugby calendar? This is not so much a media scrum, more

than media circus. It is a case of Grabarz ever captain you can,

whatever Kate you can, and grill them about what he expects from the

tournament. This man expects, if we all think a little more positively.

I do not want to hear about what we can't do, let's focus on what we

can do, and there are some really good things in Scottish rugby.

course, many will find it difficult to be upbeat following Scotland

just now. Defeated Tonga to us that, at let alone last season's Six

Nations whitewash. The chance to improve things begins next Saturday

at Twickenham. Three home matches followed before rounding up the

campaign with the trip to Paris. is about making sure we get the

skills right, we get intensity right, our concentration right. If

we can do that, anything can happen. For Scotland's newest recruit, he

is a little more expectant. wind will come. We need to allow

part right and then the wind will come. The odd victory or two would

be well received. The Celtic manager, Neil Lennon,

says he's confident their top scorer, Gary Hooper, will be with

the club when the January transfer The funeral's taken place of the

former Celtic player and assistant manager Sean Fallon. He died last

week at the age of 90. Fallon was Jock Stein's assistant when the

club won the European Cup in 1967. Among the mourners attending were

members of the team that won the trophy, including captain Billy

McNeil, current manager Neil Lennon and the Manchester United manager,

Sir Alex Ferguson. Do you know who painted this

picture? It is, of course, the iconic image of the Skating

Minister, which hangs in the National Galleries of Scotland, and

Scot Sir Henry Raeburn is credited as being the artist. But a book

launched in Edinburgh tonight supports a theory that Raeburn may

NOT have painted it after all, and it could even be the work of an

obscure French artist. Joanne Macaulay reports. He pops up all

over the place, The Skating Minister painted in the 18 Nineties

has become something of a symbol of Scottish art. But the book released

today says that X-rays suggest it may not be by the famous Scottish

painter of Port Alan Taylor. It is a much smaller painting and a very

unusual subject, this skating minister, as opposed to the much

more formal sitters that we see in Raeburn. And there is this evidence

that we do not have the white and a painting for the face that we might

expect. This is Duddingston loch, frozen as in the painting. The

picture was unusual for the time because it showed a minister having

fun. The book suggests that it was a little-known French artist called

Henri-Pierre Danloux, who was responsible for the picture. But

there is no hurry to change the name on the painting. It is not

signed but Raeburn very often did not sign his paintings. The format

is unusual for Raeburn, but the provenance is fairly well

established. They are like all the other previous claims and they are

based on circumstantial evidence and somebody's opinion. There is no

real source for them at all. Somebody says I think this is not

by Raeburn therefore believe it is not by Raeburn. The National

Galleries of Scotland said that if it ever turned out not to be by

Raeburn, The Skating Minister would soon -- continue to be an iconic

painting which pulled in the crowds. From the Skating Minister took the

Ice is could be the main focus of the weather tonight. There is a

yellow warning for widespread ice. The main focus of the warning will

be eastern Scotland but it think anywhere will be at risk. The frost

will be so dear in places and we could see one not two wintry

showers towards more eastern areas. Some freezing fog patches forming,

especially up towards in finesse and through the central belt. Very

cold for central areas. Tomorrow, a cold frosty start. Ice is a ring --

risk this thing. We will see more in the way uprightness and sun

chide and generally a lot of dry weather. Some good spells of

sunshine tours the south-west corner. And some bright and as for

the borders and towards Edinburgh. But were depressed lingers in land,

temperatures struggled to get above freezing. -- Wed the frost lingers.

Some winter showers coming into Orkney and then Shetland for a time.

As we head towards dusk, we start to see the change taking place.

Thicker cloud towards the west coast is the first signed of rain

coming in by the end of the afternoon. The Atlantic weather

front pushes in. As it hits the cold air it will turn readily to

snow. The Met Office have an early yellow warning for snow across much

of Scotland. On Friday, it rained on the west coast, as it moose

David Cameron has called poor of boat by 2017 on whether Britain

should state in the European Union, which Alex Salmond says has blown a

hole in the campaign against Scottish independence.

Britain's biggest construction firms have admitted using an

illegal secret list to put potential employees, including

those working on other big projects. The practice was condemned as a

national scandal in parliament today.

Unemployment in Scotland has fallen again, with the number seeking work

down by 14 %, but overall there are signs of continuing weakness in the

economy. Prince Harry has a right back in

Britain after completing his tour of duty in Afghanistan. He faced