13/10/2016 Reporting Scotland

that's all from us. On BBC One we join the teams where

Nicola Sturgeon puts a second independence

referendum on the table, warning she'll consider calling

a vote if Scotland's interests in Europe aren't protected.

To protect the open, progressive, international Scotland that most

people want us to be, at that point, perhaps there is a duty to allow

A big increase in the number of calls about children who're

victims of serious neglect and abuse.

Rail chiefs say they're committed to services north of

Inverness, despite fears that these are under threat.

Potholes do millions of pounds worth of damage each year,

but it's been revealed that councils are only paying a fraction

And, Gordon Strachan considers his future as Scotland manager

after a poor start to the World Cup qualifying campaign.

The First Minister has told BBC Scotland she feels she may

have a "duty" to call a second independence referendum.

Nicola Sturgeon said the UK which Scots endorsed

in 2014 no longer existed because of the vote to leave

On the opening day of the SNP conference in Glasgow,

Ms Sturgeon challenged the Prime Minister to produce

a Brexit deal which protected Scottish interests.

This from our political editor, Brian Taylor.

Among friends. Nicola Sturgeon at her party conference in Glasgow, the

city she represents. What's not to like? She's got the numbers, as the

party's business convenor confirmed. It's the biggest party political

conference in the UK. APPLAUSE Tommy Shepherd,

conference in the UK. Angus Robertson, 52.5%. She's got a

trusted new deputy, Angus Robertson MP won outright in the first round

of voting. We have very, very close to independence. But are they?

Scotland voted to remain in the EU while the wider UK voted leave. That

might trigger an independence referendum, but does it push the

button for a yes victory. Nicola Sturgeon remains torn. She accused

right-wing Tories of distorting the Brexit vote. The ramp ant right-wing

of the party is using it as a licence for the xenophobe ya that

has long lain under the surface, but which is now in full view.

APPLAUSE. The Passion is very. There. She delighted delegates with

this strictly limited pledge. I can confirm today that the independence

Referendum Bill will be published for consultation next week.

APPLAUSE The real substance came when he she

promise to produce proposals to maintain Scotland's EU links while

within the UK. She challenged the Prime Minister to back that

approach? Hear this. If you think, for one single second, that I am not

serious about doing what it takes to protect Scotland's interests - then

think again. APPLAUSE.

Early referendum or not? Around the hall there is no shortage of advice.

I think in actual fact we are probably over the line in terms of

the percentage we need already. I could see it happening. It depends

on when we are likely to win it. I don't think we're ready for another

referendum. It won't be tomorrow, but as soon as possible. As soon as

possible. For Nicola Sturgeon, there are political, strategic

calculations. She told me there was more to it than that. It was about

an obligation to serve. To protect the open progressive, international

Scotland that I think most people want us to be, then, at that point,

perhaps there is a duty to allow want us to be, then, at that point,

people to make that choice. A sense of duty which may yet prompt a

second independence referendum. But Nicola Sturgeon is not there yet.

Brian joins me now from the conference.

Do you think this means we're actually any closer to a second

It's a good question. We have to divide the rhetoric in the speech

from the real politics in the speech. Even the one that got the

big applause, the announcement of a Referendum Bill next week to be

published for consultation that is heavily caveated. It was known for

example there was going to be a bill. Next week it's being published

in draft form. That was expected. In a way, if you like, it's on a shelve

ready to be used. It doesn't mean there is a decision on the

referendum or a date on the referendum. It doesn't mean action,

it means precious little in practical terms. What I'm more

interested in what I thoughts with a strong powerful speech by the First

Minister. She tried to set forward proposals for ways of maintaining

Scotland's links with the European Union within the ambit of the UK.

One senior SNP strategist said to me One senior SNP strategist said to me

- that would be a measure rabl test for the Prime Minister. It would be

a detailed proposal a set of proposals going forward to the UK

Government to include in their negotiations over Brexit. The

Scottish people, the Scottish party and the Scottish Government will be

able to measure the Prime Minister's willingness to make concessions to

Scotland against those proposals. In terms of a referendum, will it be in

2017? I don't think so. We wouldn't have the shape of Brexit to act as a

counter point against the offer of what independence would be. 2018,

that's another topic. Thanks Brian, at the SNP conference in Glasgow.

A leading children's charity has reported a significant increase

in the number of calls it's receiving about neglect or abuse

which are serious enough to be referred to police

The Nspcc says calls to its helpline from Scotland show the public

is increasingly unwilling to turn a blind eye when it comes

Our social affairs correspondent, Reevel Alderson, joins me.

The Nspcc has a 24-hour helpline for people who have concerns about

children being either neglected or abused. They can talk then to a

counsellor. If the cases are deemed to be serious enough, they are then

passed either to the police or to social workers. We've seen an

increase in the number of these cases. Just three are years ago

there were just under 1100 serious calls. Now it's more than 1,700.

That's a rise of 58%. If we look into these figures, we can see

almost 400 referrals about physical abuse, we can see almost 200

concerns about sexual abuse and 800 referrals because people are

concerned the children are being neglected. That's a 61% increase

over the past three years. You might think that the charity would be

concerned about these rises. Actually, that's not the case. Calls

to our helpline have increased by 58% from 2012-13. That might sound

like the incidents of child abuse and neglect have increased. What it

shows is that members of the public are more aware of the signs of abuse

and are less willing to tolerate and know that they can call us to talk

about it and to decide what to do. That's interesting. Is that the

reason for the increase in calls to the helpline? It is, yes. The

earlier figures I gave you were from the 2012-2013. That was the time

that the revelations came out about the Jimmy Savile case. We had a

number of other high-profile cases involving the abuse of children,

particularly with celebrities. Now people have the confidence that

their calls, if they make them, will be taken seriously. Before the

charity says people might not have phoned because they might have

thought - what if I'm wrong? Now they're thinking - what if I'm

right? Thank you very much. Rail chiefs have insisted they're

fully committed to the future of rail services north of Inverness,

after campaigners voiced Critics say poor reliability has

meant dwindling passenger numbers. But Scotrail argue that they're

pouring millions into the far north Craig Anderson has been

investigating. The train leaves Inverness,

passengers going all the way facing a journey of more than four hours.

That's twice as long as it would take by road. Break downs and delays

can make the trip even more frustrating for passengers. The

journey times on this line are now exactly the same as they were in the

Victorian era. That, clearly, doesn't meet our modern needs.

Critics condemn the reliability of the rolling stock. The trains are

the most unreliable diesel units in Scotland. When they came in 25 years

ago they were poor trains then. They are poorer trains now. ScotRail

takes the criticism on the chin. In the depot trains are being

overhauled and a modern signalling system is rev Lewesing the service.

Speeding up journey times is a key ambition. We are looking to increase

the line speeds on level crossings. Those actions are happening now and

for the next timetable. We are improving the signalling changing to

digital. This is an unstaffed station. There is a help point here

to allow customers to find out just what is going on. Unfortunately,

it's either not working or there is no reply. It's just another example

about how shortcomings in the infrastructure are putting potential

passengers off. People have been voting with their feet. Fewer people

are using the line now. That is at a time when most rail routes in

Scotland are seeing growth. The North line is seeing decline. That

is a big worry. What we need in place are relatively small

improvements to a number of points on the line, costing a relatively

small amount of money, that would transform the journey times and

probably knock anything up to half an hour to 40 minutes off the time

from Wick to Inverness. This route isn't under any immediate threat and

the rail operators are spending millions of pounds on improvements.

Campaigners welcome that, but say more investment is vital to secure

its long-term future. An investigation has said

the Royal Navy endangered the lives of the crew of a fishing trawler

in the Irish Sea in April last year. A submarine from Faslane snagged

the nets of the trawler The Royal Navy has apologised

and says it is reviewing Along the County Down coast there

are villages where fishing is an important industry, but also a

dangerous job. Last year a trawler was damaged in the Irish Sea in an

accident that initially couldn't be explained. It's now clear. The lives

of all four of the crew on board were put in danger by a submarine

based in Scotland. What did it feel like? I can remember the jaws being

pulled back. It was like an elastic band affect. It dragged it backwards

at speed snagging the nets. There was a violent stop to the boat. My

heart started racing. Something caught us. I thought it must have

been a submarine. From then on it was a white knuckle ride. If the

crew hadn't released the fishing net and this metal structure that holds

them hadn't of broken, the report concludes it's more than likely the

trawler would have capsized. It wasn't until five months after the

accident that the Royal Navy accepted that their submarine had

been involved in this collision. The investigators are very critical of

the MoD for not providing them with all the evidence they need to

conclude why this accident actually happened. If you look at the traffic

density of fishing vessels in the area at the time of the accident.

There is no reason why the submarine should have been proceeding at the

speed and depth she was. In a statement the Royal Navy apologised

for the accident, which involved a submarine based at Faslane. It says

its reviewing its safety procedures and the authors of the investigation

report say that is important if trust is to be built again with

those who fish in the Irish Sea. Military contractor Babcocks has

secured an ?80 million order to make part of the missile launch

silos for the next generation of Royal Navy

nuclear-armed submarines. The 22 tube assemblies will require

150 workers at Rosyth in Fife and Bristol,

through to the next decade. A compensation claim for damage

caused by potholes is lodged That's according to research

by the RAC Foundation. Off more than 31,000 claims last

year, nearly 5,000 were against Scottish councils -

just over a quarter resulting Potholes, the road user's curse. Hit

them hard and unexpectedly in the dark or when they are filled with

water, and tyres, wheels and suspension are all liable to suffer.

If you are on a bike, be it motor or pedal, the risks include personal

injury. I had to replace tyres on two cars. One was my fault. One was

not my fault. A pothole. Along our cycle path is quite safe. I have hit

potholes on the roads. It's avoiding cycle path is quite safe. I have hit

them, not hitting them. Two years ago, the potholes nearly a couple

thousand pound of damage. Horrendous. No-one I spoke to had

tried for compensation. The chances are today's claims figures could

under report the damage being caused. Potholes like this gave rise

to 4,700 claims last year. 49 were successful. 27%. The total payout,

nearly ?163,000. Glasgow City topped the claims league table well nearly

800 but paid out on 57. Edinburgh, in second place, settled 54% of its

512 claims. They parted with nearly ?30,000. It is's fair to say that

local authorities in Scotland as in the rest of the country have been

feeling the pinch recently. Certainly there are other pressures

on their budgets. We all depend on the roads to get around. We depend

on the roads to get to services and to retail on the other hand to work.

This really matters. We think it does need to be a priority. Claims

were made against all of Scotland's 32 councils. In Orkney, only one.

Maybe good road maintenance, a scarcity of cars or maybe pot luck!

You're watching BBC Reporting Scotland.

independence referendum on the table, warning she'll call

a vote unless Scotland's interests in Europe are protected.

Gordon Strachan considers his future as Scotland manager

after a poor start to the World Cup qualifying campaign.

The company that runs the port in Troon has launched a bid

to attract the Arran ferry service, pledging to spend several million

pounds of its own money, Associated British Ports say Troon

would offer a more reliable service than the current route to Ardrossan.

North Ayrshire council say they'll fight hard to keep the ferry

going to Ardrossan, as it's a lynchpin of the local economy.

The ferry arriving in Ardrosson this afternoon but if a rival port

operator has its way, the future could see it instead arrive at

Troon. A service to Larne in Northern Ireland used to run from

here but stopped earlier this year. Port operators are touting for new

business and say they're willing to invest ?8 million of their own money

to improve facilities to secure the Arran contract. Over the last two or

three years, Caledonia Brain Krchl almac who operate that service have

already been sheltering in Troon when the weather has been

particularly bad. We know it works. It is well-located for the motorway

links to Glasgow and has good train connections. We think it is a real

opportunity to give better conditions for the people of Arran

Arran. Back in Ardrossan it was worth considering. Tired of

cancellations in the winter when bad weathers means the ferry can't get

into Ardrossan. It might be good but they would definitely need to put on

transport for foot passengers. There is nothing there, no bus no, rail

line to there, so it really isn't satisfactory as it stands just now.

If it was a good service, I boo probably be quite happy to go to

Troon, accepting that, you know, it is going to be a longer journey. To

be honest, it is only an extra ten minutes. Being able to get over to

the mainland as opposed to not being able to get over to the mainland,

ten minutes doesn't make a difference. Ak 3 harbour is of huge

importance to the economy of the area - Ardrossan harbour. They say

they'll fight hard to protect this route in the best interests of Arran

residents as with as those on the mainland. There is no evidence to

say that is port would be more reliable than the port here at

Ardrossan. They have the same weather as we do. It is only ten

miles down the road. We have been working with the ministerial task

force at Ardrossan harbour looking at the new boat coming on and the

evidence will be that the new boat will be able to come into the port

and be more reliable. This will be a decision for the local Scottish

Government but it has been said that they are looking at ...

A look at other stories from across the country.

Four more men have been arrested in connection with disorder

at the end of the Scottish Cup Final.

The men, aged between 25 and 46, are expected to appear

Police have now made a total of 85 arrests after violent scenes

followed a pitch invasion at Hampden in May, when Hibs defeated Rangers.

A metal barrier has blocked a bus from ending up in a river

after a crash in the Scottish Borders.

The incident happened after the vehicle left the A68

Police said a "small number of passengers" on board had been

left shaken and were checked over by paramedics at the scene.

The opening of a new high school in Edinburgh has been delayed

until August next year - a year later than

Building progress on Boroughmuir High School in Fountainbridge has

been slower than expected due to bad weather and difficult

The Council plans to seek compensation from the contractors.

Hogmanay revellers in Edinburgh will be allowed back

on to Calton Hill after a ban over safety fears was lifted.

Council officials decided to shut the city landmark for six hours over

the bells last year, as the hill was unlit

However, councillors have changed their minds following

Sea eagle numbers in Scotland could more than double

in less than 10 years, according to a new report.

There were 106 pairs across the country last year and now

researchers expect around 220 pairs by 2025.

Edinburgh's Botanic Light event opens this evening.

This year visitors can follow in the footsteps of plant

hunters of the past, as the show takes them on a virtual

Ten original pieces of music have been written for the event.

Last year it attracted more than 28,000 visitors.

Gordon Strachan's future as the manager of Scotland

should become clearer over the next few days.

The national football boss is to have talks

recent results and is understood to be considering his position.

It follows the World Cup qualifying defeat to Slovakia earlier

Here's our senior football reporter, Chris McLaughlin.

Is this a man on the verge of quitting what he once described as

his "dream job." It is for Gordon, not me. He has his own thoughts. My

only thought I'll give you is that there is still a great chance of

qualification. You know. Obviously the results have to improve but I

think there's potential for that to happen. So I think it is all still

to play for. But it's the second time in a year the manager's

considered walking away. He signed a two-year deal in the summer when

many thought he'd quit, following the failed euro 2016 qualifying

campaign. COMMENTATOR: Onside. Scott

MacDonald. Step forward a man who has played under him at three

different clubs. He knows him well and rates him highly. What will have

led him to consider his future? I think more than anything, it is

probably the disappointment of relaying what he wants to get across

to the players and it doesn't look, you know, to be coming across. When

you see him on the touchline, he seems a frustrated figure.

Especially in that last game. This is the venue for Scotland's next

World Cup qualifier. England play hosts in less than four weeks' time.

They, too, have their issues but the Scotland situation hasn't gone

unnoticed. I think he was catapulted to the nagssal job without having a

strong background in terms of success. I accept his players aren't

as good as he might want to hope but I think they fall short and

continually fall short and he also has to decide, is he a pundit or

manager? For now, it is manager. But for how long? Despite all the

opinions, the decision will be his, and his alone.

Chris, does it look like Gordon Strachan will go?

Well, we have breaking news and that is that Gordon Strachan will stay on

as the Scotland manager. He was absolutely considering his future as

Scotland boss. I'm told he is over the shock of the Slovakia defeat and

wants it stay on as Scotland manager. What can we read in a that?

Two things. The Scottish FA was happy with their man, there was

never really an appetite to sack Gordon Strachan anyway. But also, we

can safely say that Gordon Strachan firmly believes that Scotland can

qualify for the next World Cup. He thinks perhaps we can get something

at that game in Wembley against England next month. What will the

happy, others want him to G at the happy, others want him to G at the

-- him to G at the very least we have some clarity.

Now, here's Graham Stewart with details of Scotland 2016.

So Nicola Sturegon says she may have a doubty to call a independence

referendum but with a hard Brexit looking increasingly likely, what's

stopping her from setting the date now, I'll be speaking to Angus

Robertson. Let's see how the weather

forecast is looking. Well, autumn has been kind of us so

far but the other side coming our way as things turn increasingly

unsettled and the wind strengthening. We are seeing that

with showers across eastern Scotland, some heavy, brought on by

a brisk south-easterly or easterly wind. Dry across the west coasts and

clear skies. Shetland on the whole staying dry with lighter winds.

Temperatures around about 8 or 9. First thing tomorrow, a mreted radio

of showers across the - a mret - a plethra of showers. The showers

becoming less frequent, more scattered. Come the afternoon

southern Scotland should brighten up. Fairly good spells of sunshine

for the likes of sum frees and Galloway. Still feeling cool. Across

kin tire and Hebrides, the weather improving, bright sunny spells.

Still showers across the Western Isles but sunshine for the likes of

Skye and the North West. Strong winds for Caithness, possibly

touching galeforce. Orkney still holding on to the dry conditions.

The showers less frequent across north-east and in towards Angus.

That cool wind really taking the edge off the temperatures. Into the

evening, well, the showers will start to become less frequent, if

you like for a time before PEPPing pepping up.

Heading into tomorrow night, there is aern with aing for heavy rain. It

is actually not so much the heaviness of the rain, the fact it

is going to continue here right through Saturday. So here we are,

here is the pressure the Choo. We have the strong winds from the

south-east. Then a weather front introducing rain. So add those

together and we'll get a wet and windy start for Saturday. The rain

clears away from the south. It'll continue in the north and stay windy

but certainly improving for south and west. A re

Now, a reminder of tonight's main A re news.

The First Minister has told BBC Scotland she feels she may

have a "duty" to call a second independence referendum.

Nicola Sturgeon said the UK which Scots endorsed in 2014 no

longer existed because of the vote to leave the European Union.

She challenged the Prime Minister to produce a Brexit deal

I'll be back with the headlines at 8.00pm and the late bulletin just

Until then, from everyone on the team - right

across the country - have a very good evening.