16/06/2016 Reporting Scotland

The number of full-time armed police officers in

Police Scotland say there is no specific

threat but the move is

needed to strengthen their response to major incidents, including

The announcement was made before this afternoon's fatal attack

on the Labour MP Jo Cox in Yorkshire.

Police Scotland has been working on increasing its armed capability

since the beginning/ year. This exercise shows counter-terrorism is

a top priority. I review following the terrorist attacks in Paris and

Brussels raised worries about their response capability. At that time we

had a motor which was based on a much lower threat level and since

that time world has changed and the capabilities of organised crime

groups which reside in Scotland and travel to the country. 275 officers

are dedicated to armed response vehicles, that will increase to 365.

We say that is 3% of the total of Scottish police officers. The news

was cautiously welcomed. The fight against terror does not just start

and finish with our officers, it is very much in our communities.

Arguably we could be seen to be working against ourselves which is

why it is so important that the officers reappoint happy capability

and ability to undertake routine duties when needed. -- reappoint

happy capability. The attacks in Orlando cost grief throughout the

world. This was a measured response to global circumstances the Minister

said. Some MSPs wanted more reassurances. The Scottish police

authorities said there would be no repeat. It was around some of the

way those officers were deployed in communities, step was taken back

from that. Are those officers patrol now is acceptable to the public. It

is about the ability of Police Scotland to respond. The police say

though that is no specific terrorist threat, we regularly host major

international and cultural sporting events in Scotland with thousands of

people gathering in public freely so they have to be able to respond

appropriately to any terrorist incidents.

Two Lanarkshire steel plants, which were mothballed last October

are to resume production, with a contract

to produce heavy duty steel for wind towers.

The new owners of Liberty House say the former Tata plants at

Dalzell and Clydebridge will begin making plates for the

Secondary school teachers are set to take industrial action

Members of the EIS union have voted overwhelmingly for a work

to rule, over concerns related to the new qualifications that

The action would target the exams body, the SQA.

The Scottish Government says it's disappointed

and is working to address teachers' concerns.

Tributes have been paid from across Scottish politics

to the Labour MP Jo Cox who was shot and killed near

Police have arrested a 52-year-old local man.

Jo Cox had served as chair of the

Labour Women's network and was an adviser to Gordon Brown's wife,

She was such a lively, bright and bubbly person. I very infectious

sense of humour, always very positive and would always put such

huge energy behind everything she did. Really committed to helping the

most marginalised, poorest people around the world. She was a

41-year-old woman with a young family and devoted her life to

public service fighting poverty not just in the UK but around the world.

She went to do her job today, representing her constituents in a

library and faced a violent act which took her life, we are utterly

devastated. The First Minister added to those

tributes describing Jo Cox as a brilliant young women, who has

already contributed a huge amount in Earlier, Nicola Sturgeon

confirmed that the Scottish government is preparing

contingency plans, in case Britain votes to leave the European Union

in the referendum next week. She told MSPs it was sensible

to prepare for every eventuality and that

included the prospect of a second Scottish Independence

Referendum Bill. Ms Sturgeon insisted that Scotland

benefits from membership of the EU. There are right now in Scotland more

than 300,000 jobs that are associated directly or indirectly

with Scotland's access to the single In addition, more than 40%

of Scotland's international exports go to countries within

the single market. Of the more than 2000 foreign owned

companies in Scotland, 40% are owned by firms that

are based in other European people will deeply damage

the economy and our public services. To point out, as the fifth largest

economy in the world, and the talented and innovative people,

the UK is more than capable Well that prompted a row

about those exchanges during First Minister's Questions

this lunchtime - before news emerged And earlier I spoke to our political

Editor Brian Taylor at Holyrood. Strictly speaking it means that

public money and resources should not be spent on campaigning one way

or the other. Kezia Dugdale push the boat out by asking a question about

the current state of Scottish relations with the European union.

Nicola Sturgeon said it was adding pages to Scotland's but both were

very careful not to mention the referendum and the specific question

so it was ruled an of -- in order by the Presiding Officer which is why

Margaret Mitchell got up to make our point. That was also why there were

some bad king of her during her comments. How serious are the

contingency plans the Scottish Government ancient? It is a big

decision, if Britain leads the European union there will be up to

two years of negotiation. The Scottish government would have to

prepare for that. Nicola Sturgeon confirming what is common sense,

Scottish civil servants and Whitehall civil servants will have

to prepare for that contingency. She also stressed that every eventuality

would be considered. I asked a Scottish Government adviser if that

would include a Scottish Independence Referendum Bill and the

reply was, you bet. I Nicola Sturgeon is still saying it is one

eventuality to be looked at but it Sturgeon is still saying it is one

is significant that she chose to stress every eventuality. That could

be the prospect of a second independence referendum. Brian

The Bank of England has issued a warning

that the prospect of Britain leaving the EU is the "largest

immediate risk to global financial markets".

The UK's export and import links to the rest of the world form a key

part of the referendum debate, with the EU accounting for around

Our Economy Editor Douglas Fraser has been to Grangemouth

to take a closer look at our business links

Scotland's busiest port, Grangemouth, handles 9 million

From all over the world, goods are coming in

to Scotland from these containers, through a hub at Rotterdam.

Through that Dutch port Scottish goods are

Also further field to North America and

W, seafood, lamb and cheese for the three of the top

five destinations are in the European Union.

A single open European market means goods,

services and people can cross boundaries

with limited hassles and

That makes it easier for us to buy German cars.

The free trade ought to benefit everyone, each

For individual companies the openness to low-cost competition can

be painful. If Britain votes to come out

of the European Union open market, it is back to

the trade negotiating table. There they want to expand sales

across the It is a difficult

trading time for all businesses within

the textiles industry. more difficult for ourselves

if we can help it. Up the Tweed Valley, at Ballantines,

the boss does not think We export to military units

across Europe and we also export to military units

in the Commonwealth. The whole way we used to trade

through middlemen, distributors, wholesalers,

has disappeared. We can now trade as a small

company right around the It seems to fit really big

companies, multinationals, people with lobby groups who push hard

and speak to Brussels directly. For little guys like us,

they seem Will Britain be better

off as a member of the open market club

or looking to a future

across the oceans? The Scots studio star,

Stephanie Inglis, has spoken for the first time

since she was badly injured in The 27-year-old's

parents, Allison and Robert described the latest step

in her recovery is absolutely Stephanie is now being treated

in an Edinburgh hospital after being flown back

from Thailand earlier this week. Time now for the weather

with Christopher. Good evening. It has been another

cloudy and damp day for most. Here is the latest satellite. You will

notice outbreaks of rain affecting the north-east. Tonight will be a

cloudy night, damp for some, mild but missed and Mark around the East

Coast. Low pressure in charge. This is where the front heading

southwards, bringing rain in the East overnight and tomorrow.

Elsewhere a cloudy start, the further west you are either drive it

will be. Some drizzle. Towards the Borders, the capital and

Aberdeenshire, a cloudy and wet start. Winds will be fresh around

the north coast. Dryer towards the West, the odd wet moment across

Argyll. That weather continues across eastern regions. It is

heading southwards but another dull and dismal day for eastern parts of

the country. Further south, a rash of thunderstorms across England and

parts of Wales. Edging further south. Some sunshine coming through

elsewhere cloudy for Northern Ireland and northern England the

further west you are, the best chance of brightness. In the east,

the rain clears away. An improvement for the weekend, thankfully. This

ridge of high pressure on Saturday means largely dry unsettled

conditions with some sunshine as well. The winds are still coming

from the north but lighter and therefore milder. It will be dry.

The rate is still with us on Sunday, keeping this weather system at B. A

few light showers in the West, the further east you are more sunshine,

at last. That the forecast. Our next update is during Breakfast

at 6.25 tomorrow morning. But, from everyone on the late team

here in Glasgow and around