21/01/2014 Reporting Scotland

rain from the east. That's all from the BBC News At Six.

On BBC Tonight on Reporting Scotland: Power

company chiefs are fiercely criticised by MPs for failing to

respond swiftly enough to blackouts from the December storms. An inquiry

hears of confusion over the condition of this helicopter's

gearbox the week before it crashed, killing 16 men. Intelligence

whistle-blower Edward Snowden is to stand for the post of student rector

at Glasgow University. Putting the fit in fitba - how these men slimmed

down with the help of their favourite teams. It was a bit of a

shock, actually, when my weight was measured and they told me I was

verging on obese. And also tonight: His first big test. We'll preview

Andy Murray's quarterfinal showdown against Roger Federer at the

Australian Open. Power company bosses have been fiercely criticised

for failing to respond quickly enough to the blackouts which

followed December's storms. A committee of MPs accused them of

utter complacency and of showing no real concern for their customers.

Hundreds of thousands of UK homes lost power last month with more than

26,000 in Scotland, as our Environment Correspondent, David

Miller, reports. It came crashing down and struck that part of the

building. Retired police officer Roland MacGowan book in December to

discover the storms have got an electricity pole crashing down,

punching his home into darkness. You could just see the race of it.

750,000 homes lost electricity across the UK and one, like most

Scottish customers, had his supply restored within 24 hours. Elsewhere,

many families had no power for five days over Christmas. Today, MPs had

harsh words for the power companies. The reason you are here is simply

that too many of your customers lost power for too long at a very

important time of the year. And the compensation they have received is,

in my judgement, too small. But the power companies say they are already

raising their game with helicopter crews playing their part. Using the

latest thermal imaging, they will identify faults in power lines in

remote areas. Wide you need a helicopter? Being in the chopper is

really helpful to get a better view of the pylons. And the thermal

imaging is very useful. The power companies are investing heavily to

ensure their transmission lines can cope with almost anything the

Scottish Winter throws at them but from the air it is clear to see that

the challenges are huge and there can be no guarantees. Bosses say

that power cuts. Happen but response times are improving sharply. In the

past, 15 years ago, those weights would have been longer and that is

down to the investment we have blood on the network. Went is not over and

there might be more cuts ahead but the industry insists it is working

hard to avoid them. Scotland would have to take radical measures if it

is going to tackle income inequality. That's the finding of

research showing that only raising taxes or benefits would have a very

limited impact - even if Scotland votes for independence and has new

powers. Our Economy Editor, Douglas Fraser, can tell us more. Douglas?

Thank you. Partly because many are on lower pay and because London has

so many high earners, the UK is seventh out of 34 on this table of

major nations. Scotland is near the mid-point. The most unequal is Chile

then Mexico. The United States is not far behind. In the bottom six

you'll find our northern neighbours. Finland, Denmark, Norway and

Iceland, fairest of them all. So if it's a priority to close the gap

between high earners and low income, how do you go about it? Scotland

already has power to raise income tax. If you raise it by only one

pence per pound, the Stirling economists behind today's report say

some people could be expected to work fewer hours. Big earners might

leave to pay lower tax bills elsewhere. The impact of that is it

would close only around 4% of the gap with those Scandinavians. What

if Scotland had new powers with independence and used them to pay

more Jobseeker's Allowance? With a 10% increase, we're told it would

close only 10% of the gap and it might reduce the incentive to work.

Simply raising taxes and increasing spending on benefits in Scotland

will not be enough for us to reduce the level of inequality to levels in

Nordic countries. The issue is the level of income inequality before

tax and benefits is also much higher in Scotland than in Nordic countries

and that is the real issue we need to address. No surprise, then, that

this is a hot topic for the campaign on independence: it is a very

interesting report but the ultimate conclusion is that we juicing taxes

or simply taking fiscal measures is not the way to deal with any

quality. We are much better staying within the UK. We must remember that

the massive gap between rich and poor that exists and right now one

of the biggest in the developed world has been created by the

current Westminster system so this is not a reason to keep that system,

it is a reason to do things differently in the future. What

could an independent Scotland do instead of tax and welfare? It may

require more radical government intervention in the jobs market -

raising the minimum wage or raising the skill levels at which we compete

internationally for jobs. That, of course, is already being tried,

here, and everywhere else. Thank you. And with details of the first

in a new series of BBC Scotland referendum debates, here's James

Cook. Tonight, we will discuss the future of Scotland with a panel of

politicians from both sides of the debate, a journalist and a comedian.

Join me at 9pm tonight on BBC Two Scotland for the referendum debate.

You're watching Reporting Scotland from the BBC. Still to come: Less

wine, please. How our bars and pubs are being urged to adopt smaller

measures. In sport, the highs and lows of Andy Murray v Roger Federer.

They meet again tomorrow morning in the quarter finals of the Australian

Open. It's been tears of defeat and then more tears for the Scot. But

then Olympic victory. Will it be tears of joy again tomorrow? A fatal

accident inquiry has heard of confusion over the condition of a

helicopter gearbox the week before 16 men died when the aircraft

crashed into the sea. Our reporter, Steven Duff, joins us now from

Aberdeen Townhouse, where the inquiry into the 2009 tragedy off

Peterhead is being held. Tell us more about this apparent confusion.

Confusion over where in the gearbox of the helicopter, metal particles

were found and these particles are important because accident

investigators later said they were fundamental to the cause of the

catastrophic gearbox failure. Dunnock Boer was a specialist with

the Super Puma manufacturer in France and he told of a discussion

he and colleagues had with helicopter engineers about the

particles and he said they were on the understanding that they were in

a completely different part of the gearbox and had he known that, he

said he would have given completely different advice on maintenance

which would have involved a more extensive examination of that

gearbox. And news of a separate enquiry into the same subject of

helicopter safety? That is right and next Monday in Aberdeen, MPs from

the Select Committee will question helicopter operators, manufacturers,

trade unions and gas officials in an enquiry set up in the wake of last

August's disaster. The remit will also look at the tragedy in Alaska

or in November when a police helicopter crashed into a pub. Since

2009, the team people in Scotland have died in crashes and incidents

involving Eurocopter aircraft. Thank you very much. Police investigating

claims of an email plot to rig votes in the selection of Labour's general

election candidate in Falkirk say they have found no evidence of

criminality. Officers examined the computer of former Unite union

official Stevie Dean after a newspaper claimed emails proved

influence had been exerted. Unite says it proves a witch-hunt has been

exposed to be without foundation. The Burrell art collection is to be

loaned abroad, overturning the wishes of the shipping merchant, Sir

William Burrell. Members of the Scottish Parliament passed the

legislation earlier this evening. Sir William donated the collection

to the city of Glasgow under the condition it wouldn't travel

overseas. MSPs hope touring the works will raise funds. We've all

been there. You go into a bar, ask for a glass of wine and more often

than not the response is, a large one? That's if you're asked at all

before a large glass is served. Well, now Scotland's bars and pubs

are being urged to promote smaller measures of wine to encourage more

responsible drinking. But health campaigners say but others say that

simply encouraging isn't enough, as Morag Kinniburgh reports. This

Edinburgh wine bar already offers an hundred and 25 millilitres glasses

and the thinking is enjoying good quality wine without getting drunk.

That is smaller measures going to make a difference? Sometimes it is

nice to have a smaller glass. If you want a drink, you still will. It is

a good idea but whether or not it will make any long-term difference,

I doubt that. Any opportunity to have less alcohol will be good. One

large glass can contain over three units of alcohol, more than the

recommended daily intake for women and campaigners argue that people

can drink more than they realise. Scotland is renowned for its

unhealthy drink culture and making smaller measures of wine were

available is designed to help people control their drinking better.

People end up going into a pub for a glass of wine only offered medium or

large number introducing smaller sizes, it lets people make a more

informed choice about their alcohol consumption. Offering smaller

measures will not necessarily mean lower income for republicans so they

support this. It will make for a much nicer environment with people

enjoying their drink so instead of having one or two large glasses,

they can have three smaller glasses. Health campaigners welcomed the move

but argue it should be compulsory and not optional and more needs to

be done. This is a step forward but if you do not tackle cheap alcohol

and widespread than ability, it will be ineffective. All sides except

this is a small move toward solving Scotland's alcohol problems and the

issue of pricing remains tied up in the courts. To some he's a

whistle-blower and a hero. To others, especially the American

government, he's a traitor, a fugitive guilty of espionage. But

the US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden could be the next rector of

Glasgow University. From his temporary asylum in Moscow, he's

agreed to run in next month's elections. Our reporter, Julie

Peacock, is at the university now. Julie, how did his name come to be

in the frame? Well, Ed Snowden was at the centre of the international

manhunt last year after he licked details of the United States

security documents and they showed that the US had effectively been

spying not just on its own citizens and also listening to the phone

calls of the leaders of countries it considers allies, like Germany. As a

result, Edward Snowden went on the run and he is one of America's most

wanted but Russia has granted him temporary asylum. But a group of

university students here at Glasgow say they want to see him standing as

the rector in the forthcoming elections so over the past few weeks

there have been speaking to his lawyers and last night they got the

word that he would agree to stand in these elections and already the

students are telling me that there is a lot of support for his

campaign. Anyone who has ever used any kind of computer or telephone,

we have a responsibility to show Edward Snowden that not only do we

appreciate what he has done for us by informing us to the extent of US

surveillance but also that we were standing behind him in solidarity

with him and his situation. Surely just a publicity stunt? How can he

be of use to students thousands of miles away? It is fair to say that

Edward Snowden is not likely to pay many visits to Glasgow University if

he is elected by the students say that this is all about making a

political point and a say that Glasgow University has a long

tradition of doing this. Previous rectors have included people like

Winnie Mandela and also the Israeli whistle-blower. They say it is

important to make a stand and show that the UK and US government that

they value privacy. Thank you. Other stories from across Scotland

this Tuesday evening. Strike action looks likely to put a

stop to building work on Total's new multi-million pound gas terminal at

Sullom Voe. Friday's proposed stoppage is the first in a series of

planned walk-outs. It follows the Unite Union's rejection of a

proposed deal by construction firm Petrofac for workers who have to

share accommodation. More than 30 firefighters tackled a

fierce blaze at a garage in the Moray town of Keith. The alarm was

raised just before nine o'clock this morning. No-one was injured. The

main A96 had to be closed during the incident.

Health inspectors have called for improved standards of cleanliness at

the State Hospital at Carstairs. The health care Environment Inspectorate

found that despite some progress since the last inspection there were

still concerns over cleanliness of patient equipment and the

availability of hand washing facilities.

Entrants for this year's Monte Carlo rally are getting ready for the

British leg of the race, which leaves from Paisley on Thursday. Up

to 100 classic cars will assemble at Paisley Abbey, then drive to the

French Riviera. Since I was a child, my father was very keen on the rally

in the 1960s and used to follow it on television and radio.

And there are more stories from your area and all the latest news, 24

hours a day, on BBC Scotland's website.

How do you get overweight middle-aged Scottish men to get fit?

Well, forget counting calories, it seems you put a football at their

feet and recruit the services of their favourite team. A scheme which

did that has been nine times more effective than dietary advice alone,

according to research in the medical journal The Lancet. There is a group

of people who are more likely to be overweight and unlikely to tackle it

-middle-aged men. But many of them like football and that gave expects

the idea. Universities study showed we had to be very keen to tackle

obesity in middle-aged men. William was one of those who signed up. It

was a bit of a shock when I wait had me officially verging on obese. This

was no ordinary gym. As good a chance to train with professional

coaches. They also get a chance to see behind the scenes of their

favourite club. It is a club that they love, a sport that they love

and I think that helps their involvement. For 12 months, the

tract the progress of the fans. The average loss was five kilograms.

They also lost blood pressure, as well as losing inches across the

waste. Will you not only lost weight, but kept it off. I have

managed to keep off the weight and at the 12 month recall, that had

dinner in one stone and a half. It has delivered remarkable results.

One day, the hope every club will help their fans ditch the bones. --

the poems. Let us stay with sport and get the

latest from Rhona. Andy Murray plays one of the

all-time greats of tennis Roger Federer tomorrow for a place in the

last four of the Australian Open. Both men are coached by former

winners of the tournament. Federer by Stefan Edberg and Murray by Ivan

Lendl. And Lendl is confident his man will come out on top. He signed

up for his first quarterfinal here. It is the third time he has faced

Roger Federer in the Australia open. The man who has helped Andy Murray

become a grand slam champion is confident his charge can go all the

way. You never know what is going to happen. He could lose the match.

Andy has had a very good warm up now in Miami and has played enough

matches to get back in. I can try like Roger, it is just a shame I

cannot play like him. There was a time when most of the tiers where

Andes. All that changed when he beat Roger Federer to win the Olympic

gold medal in London. If you are after more encouragement, he has a

better head-to-head record against Roger Federer. He has an 11-9 record

against him. When multiple grand slam winner thinks that Andy Murray

could win. It will be a physical match and I think he knows he could

win. I think in many ways, it is better for him to play Roger

Federer. It is Ivan Lendl against Stefan Edberg.

Golf returns to the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016 for the first time since

the Paris Games of 1904, but one young golfer from Blairgowrie can

already claim to have won gold in an Olympic event. As one of Scotland's

best young golfers, practice is key for Bradley. There are guys in

America who are just as good at the same age who are practising all day.

Bradley is backed of the Scottish golf union squad heading for one

weather training. What is like the Ryder Cup course? It is great to

think that soon, the professionals will be hitting the same shots that

you are doing. He has already actually won a gold at Olympic golf.

The fact I was a part of the team representing golf at an Olympic

event for the best part of 100 years was picked tackle. It was amazing to

do that. And it was certainly better than pre-and it was certainly better

than prayer we are, weather-wise. Now, a look at what else is

happening across Scottish sport. In life after F1, Paul Di Resta will

return to the German Touring Car Championship. The Scot had a

disappointing season in Formula One and lost his Force India seat at the

end of last year. An exclusive sneak peak at the

competitive kit of Team GB for the Sochi Olympic Games. Modelled by

pre-selected Scot Elise Christie, the official team selection

announcement comes tomorrow. Rangers stretched their lead at the

top of League One to 20 points last night, with a 2-0 win at Forfar.

Mosni headed the first, before Templeton added an unstoppable

second. Partick Thistle are the only side in

Scotland without a league win at home this season. New loan signing

Chris Erskine will try to help them put that right against St Johnstone

tonight. I do not know what it is. They are still playing good food

all. Maybe it is just a sign of inexperience and the top flight.

Hopefully, that will change tonight. And for the whole match live

tonight, you can tune into Sportsound on Radio Scotland 810

medium wave and there is live text commentary on BBC Sport Scotland's

website. No, another tale of achievement.

An RAF sergeant who became the first double amputee to walk to the South

Pole has been speaking about the experience. Duncan Slater, from Muir

of Ord, lost both his legs in an explosion in Afghanistan four years

ago, but last month, with a little bit of help from team mate Prince

Harry, he confounded the medics, raising funds for wounded soldiers

in the process. Sally McNair's report includes some flash

photography. Temperatures of -35 degrees. According to Duncan Slater,

it was a privilege to be on the coldest place on here. Last month,

he was part of a team of wounded personnel who beat the odds to make

the 200 meal trick to the South Pole. His mother was thrilled, but

not surprised. To be the first to reach the South Pole with no legs, I

think it is up there. Duncan followed his father into the Royal

Air Force. His vehicle in hell man province was blown up. His legs were

amputated and he was told he would never walk again. I wanted to still

physically do something to show that I had made it back. The charity

challenge was finally went up in London today. He described the

achievement as an inspiration, according to since Harry. -- Prince

Harry. There was no way I was not going to complete it. I would have

gone on my own. I would not have got off the without getting to the South

Pole. He has no training for the London Marathon in April.

Astonishing. Letters get the weather and I hope there are no similarities

to the South Paul! This is the rainfall radar. A band

of rain has come to the rescue in the last few hours. Rain for some,

but the wind easing. A Met office yell warning for some localised

flooding tomorrow morning. Across the high ground, the rain may follow

snow. Largely dry but mailed this evening and two tomorrow in the

West. A largely cloudy and dry start for the West tomorrow. As we head

through the afternoon, the rain in the East cleaving away. I made after

the, reasonably dry for many, with sunny intervals, but this band of

rain, we cannot take the exact position of it for granted, but

somewhere around the Central Belt will be affected. Across Orkney and

Shetland, the showery rain continues. This time tomorrow night,

that band of showers begin to fragment and push away to the East.

It will be a cold night. We do it all again, with this band of rain

pushing in on Thursday. The good news about this one is a bold move

quicker. It will be across the East caused by mid-morning and cleared

away before the morning is out. Still one of two light showers on

Thursday, but much more pleasant. On Friday, a lot of rain, heavy and

persistent at times, but especially across the West. Thank you.

Now, a reminder of tonight's main news.

As international diplomats gather in Switzerland for a conference aimed

at ending the conflict in Syria, a report by three former war crimes

prosecutors claims that Syrian government forces are guilty of

torturing and executing prisoners. Power company bosses have been

fiercely criticised for failing to respond quickly enough to the

blackouts which followed December's storms. A committee of MPs accused

them of utter complacency and of showing no real concern for their

customers. Scotland would have to take radical

measures if it is going to tackle income inequality. That is the

finding of research showing that only raising taxes or benefits would

have a very limited impact, even if Scotland votes for independence and

has new powers. . And that is Reporting Scotland.