16/03/2016 Reporting Scotland

Here, on BBC One, it's time for the news where you are.

The Chancellor has announced major tax cuts for the struggling oil

and gas industry which has been badly hit by plunging oil prices.

Delivering his budget at Westminster, George Osborne,

said it demonstrated that Scotland was better as part of the UK.

But Scotland's finance Secretary John Swinney said

he wasn't persuaded of Mr Osborne's plans to reduce income tax

Holyrood takes control of setting tax rates and bands from next April.

Here's our Westminster correspondent, David Porter.

Aberdeen harbour this morning and business as usual.

They are still servicing the brakes but everyone

They are still servicing the rigs but everyone

here has noticed the downturn in oil.

This industry and those who work in it are hurting.

At Westminster, the message today was

We hear what you're saying, and we want to help.

I call the Right Honourable George Osborne,

The oil price continues to fall, so we need

I am today cutting in half, the supplementary charge on oil

and gas from 20% down to 10% and effectively

abolishing petroleum revenue tax as well.

Backing this key Scottish industry and supporting jobs...

Official figures show just how bad the downturn has been.

Two years ago oil was around $100 a barrel.

It is now a third of that and shows little

From the Chancellor, a renewed commitment to freeze fuel

duty and with one eye on Scotland, no extra

What we have got is predictability, stability, that should boost the UK

market, should boost the UK public finances as well.

In the aftermath of a universal welcome for the new

sugar tax but criticism from political opponents at the UK

Again balancing his budget on the backs of the poor,

Mates rates for corporation tax but cutting money

He is more intent on getting into number ten

than delivering a budget for the country.

People in Scotland will suffer cuts to their disability

The only good news is cuts and reforms.

aside, this was an historic day. George Osborne is the last

Chancellor to set income tax for the whole of the UK. Next year,

ministers in Holyrood will be making six decisions for Scotland. An

indication of different priorities. We're not persuaded this is the

moment to reduce taxes for people on higher incomes. Tonight, the initial

headlines have been written, but there will be more to be said about

the Chancellor's handiwork. Our reporter John MacManus

was in Aberdeen earlier to gauge As we have heard, big changes to the

tax regime for North Sea oil. One tax the petroleum revenue tax,

scrapped. The supplementary charge cut from 20, to 10%. But will it

make a difference to in industry in crisis? To answer that question, I

am joined by Sir Ian Wood. We have seen thousands of jobs lost in this

industry, will these tax changes turn it around? There is nothing the

Chancellor could have announced which would have had an immediate

impact. But the Chancellor said a couple of beers ago he would follow

a fiscal road map, which would reduce taxation. Now we have a

serious price downturn, he is sticking to his word. Message of

confidence both the operators and the banks. I think it will

confidence both the operators and job losses. So much now depends on

the oil prices over 12 months. If it shows signs of recovery later this

year and next year, we will see the stopping of the job losses and a

slow L. What about the exploration of new fields, can we encourage that

now? The government has spent up to ?40 million on seismic and

unexplored areas. Hopefully, the tax ?40 million on seismic and

increases will also encourage more exploration towards producing new

fields. Thank you very much. The industry body, Oil And Gas Uk

welcome these industry body, Oil And Gas Uk

government cannot deliver and that is a

The Conservatives voted against, saying the plans were "rooted

as health managers plan to close the Edinburgh unit and move

Protesters argue the Edinburgh centre has better results

than the clinic in Glasgow, a claim the NHS rejects.

What have you done at school this morning? Home from school for lunch.

Later uses sign language. He was born with cleft lip and palate and

has had several operations. Plans to close one of Scotland's two centres

have been met with opposition. I don't think they are listening to

our concerns and it is not just about travel. We have concerns about

getting the best surgical outcome for our kids. They used to be three

centres for cleft surgery in Scotland. The one in Aberdeen close

to Kabul beers ago. Another plan is to shut the one here in Edinburgh

and move all of Scotland's cleft surgery to the new in Glasgow. This

retired specialist surgery to the new in Glasgow. This

big mistake, arguing Glasgow has 44% normal speech for five years old,

while Edinburgh achieves 77%. It is about what is best to try and make

sure we can get 70% of about what is best to try and make

normal at five years of age. The NHS insist it is not a cost-cutting

exercise, arguing the changes needed because the

exercise, arguing the changes needed Edinburgh is not sustainable. The

evidence Edinburgh is not sustainable. The

Scotland is safe and in line Edinburgh is not sustainable. The

differences when you look at the different measures. In some of the

outcome measures, the Edinburgh service is better and in others, the

Glasgow service has better outcomes. Nearly 100 babies are born every

year with a cleft can transform their lives. The

decision of whether to close Edinburgh specialist centre will be

taken by the Health Secretary this summer.

Just two weeks ago, Para-cyclist David Smith had life

saving surgery to remove a tumour from his spine,

but he's already talking about getting back on a bike and how

he dreams of one day again wearing a British Team jersey.

The 37 year-old from Aviemore has allowed our cameras

in to the hospital where he's starting his recovery,

The scar from his life-saving surgery is starting to heal,

but David Smith knows he is facing a long road to recovery.

Two weeks on from his nine-hour operation, he cannot move the left

side of his body, but in his hospital room in Oxford, some gentle

reminders of the past, for motivation. I would love to be able

to move the left side of my body. I can move my hand a little bit and

get my fingers going. So my goal is to get the left side moving, get out

into the rehab, get back onto a bike and just get back into full fitness,

good health. The 37-year-old was diagnosed with the tumour in 2010

and two out, one man has been by his side. When you stand, you are still

wobbling around. His consultants performed David's first surgery and

the other three that followed. He even delayed his retirement so he

could carry out this month's operation. He just takes this in his

stride. He comes back with more determination, a new plan. He has

fantastic support by the physio and the coaching teams around him. And

he responds to that and he delivers. That is what is quite amazing about

him. His fighting spirit has been well documented. As a rower he won

gold medal at the London paramedics. The two years later, medical issues

saw him switch to cycling, where he pushed himself to the limit. Last

year, his tumour returned. And despite initial plans to delay

surgery until after Rio, the tumour grew and surgery was essential.

Sometimes through the day I will have a little thought and said,

nothing is really moving. What if it doesn't. As soon as that thought

comes in, I don't get angry. I just go, you know what? It is OK.

Acknowledge it. If you have something you can hold onto it will

stop it if she is the strength to channel your energy in. His doctor

talks of a big journey ahead and it is one this athlete is starting to

take. Albeit, slowly. Football and there

were two games tonight. In the Scottish Cup

quarter final replay, it's Hibs who go

through to the semifinals after beating Inverness

2-1 in the replay. Hibs will play Dundee United

in a month's time. And in the Scottish Premiership St

Johnstone and the new League Cup Now, let's get a look

at the weather. Mixed fortunes with the weather. If

you had the sunshine, a beautiful day. If you had the cloud, it was

great at times. High pressure is the culprit. Firmly in charge overhead,

keeping things dry and saddled. But denying the sunshine the many. As we

look tomorrow morning, it'll be a dry, cloudy start Ansah mist and fog

around North Sea coasts. Try and brighter towards the south with

early sunshine. Central, southern Scotland, probably a grey start. It

should improve later on. The cloud big enough for light rain or

drizzle. Generally it is dry. Further north, a bright start but

around the coast it will be cloudy, cool and murky at times. Through the

course of Thursday, it should improve for many, particularly if

you had the grey skies today. More in the way of sunshine. As we head

towards the afternoon, the central belt starting to improve. Across the

UK as a whole, plenty of sunshine for England and Wales and

double-digit temperatures. Northern Ireland in proving as well and

inland, we could see temperatures up to the low, maybe mid-teens. Towards

Thursday evening, the cloud and low cloud reforms and moves inland. The

high pressure is still in charge, but slowly it is moving west. It is

important because the wind direction changes coming in from the which

will bring light rain but the Northern as, the north and

north-east. Rest of the brighter weather in the West to Wales and the

south-west of England. The south-western England, light rain or

drizzle. Into the weekend, the high pressure is still with us moving

west. Fairly cloudy conditions in the north. Generally dry but the

further south you are, the best of the brightness. That is the forecast

for now. Our next update is at

6:25am tomorrow morning.