:00:00. > :00:21.Exactly a year ago Crown Office announced it was seeking
:00:22. > :00:23.the extradition from Australia of a former Catholic monk
:00:24. > :00:26.at the centre of child sex allegations at a Highland school.
:00:27. > :00:30.It followed a BBC investigation into multiple allegations of abuse
:00:31. > :00:36.Now, one of his alleged victims says the case is no further forward
:00:37. > :00:38.and has accused prosecutors here of dragging their heels.
:00:39. > :00:47.Here's our investigations correspondent Mark Daly.
:00:48. > :00:56.After the BBC uncovered allegations of decades of child sex abuse
:00:57. > :00:58.at Fort Augustus Abbey in 2013, I confronted one of the alleged
:00:59. > :01:09.It was around the same time, three and a half years ago,
:01:10. > :01:12.that Hugh Kennedy first told police about the abuse he says
:01:13. > :01:17.he suffered at the hands of Fr Alexander in the 1970s.
:01:18. > :01:21.He has become frustrated at the delays in prosecuting his case.
:01:22. > :01:31.The reality of this situation is we were placated.
:01:32. > :01:33.You were written to in derogatory terms with non-answers
:01:34. > :01:37.And after a period of time, you were expected to just disappear.
:01:38. > :01:40.The Crown Office received the police report on Fr Alexander more
:01:41. > :01:46.And a year ago announced plans to extradite him.
:01:47. > :01:57.My expectations really around whether we will ever see
:01:58. > :02:00.Denis Alexander in court have been managed down to virtually zero.
:02:01. > :02:07.I really don't know if there is much more I can do.
:02:08. > :02:14.Neither the Crown Office in Scotland nor the attorney general office
:02:15. > :02:17.in Australia will give details about what stage the process is at.
:02:18. > :02:19.But this Australian MP has taken up the case.
:02:20. > :02:22.I want to know why after a year, this man has not been
:02:23. > :02:27.He has written to the government asking what's taken so long.
:02:28. > :02:35.At the same time we have a commission going on in Australia
:02:36. > :02:41.into institutional cover-ups and institutional responses to child
:02:42. > :02:44.sex abuse, that we wouldn't be acting with great haste in Australia
:02:45. > :02:51.to bring our citizens to justice in a foreign jurisdiction
:02:52. > :02:53.if the charge has been made against them.
:02:54. > :02:54.But concerns over the extradition intensified yesterday
:02:55. > :02:56.after Fr Alexander, visited by a BBC colleague, denied
:02:57. > :03:02.Can you tell me what you know about the extradition?
:03:03. > :03:07.I don't know anything about any extradition.
:03:08. > :03:13.Would you ever go back to Scotland to put your side of the story?
:03:14. > :03:15.I'm not prepared to do any such thing.
:03:16. > :03:19.It has already been gone into by the church.
:03:20. > :03:22.Fr Alexander, stripped of his priestly duties in 2013,
:03:23. > :03:43.Today, the Crown Office issued a statement.
:03:44. > :03:46.Meanwhile, as another year passes, Fr Alexander is another year older.
:03:47. > :03:53.Hugh Kennedy knows he might never see his alleged abuser in court.
:03:54. > :03:56.The First Minister has published plans showing how she believes
:03:57. > :03:58.Scotland could stay in the single market after the UK
:03:59. > :04:02.Theresa May said she would carefully consider proposals put forward
:04:03. > :04:04.by the Scottish Government but warned that some plans
:04:05. > :04:10.Our political editor Brian Taylor told us why she'd
:04:11. > :04:23.Nicola Sturgeon promised that before Christmas she would set out details
:04:24. > :04:27.that it would be a substantial policy package aimed at focusing UK
:04:28. > :04:34.mines upon the Scottish dimension of Brexit. If you like, a Christmas
:04:35. > :04:37.parcel to Downing Street. This West Lothian firm sells pizza ovens
:04:38. > :04:42.worldwide, including two big European market. The Finnish born
:04:43. > :04:50.boss is optimistic book anxious. We are needing to know where we can
:04:51. > :04:55.find employees. I need to know if I can stay in the UK myself. Nicola
:04:56. > :05:00.Sturgeon reckons Brexit undiluted... The plan is to ease the pain. We
:05:01. > :05:03.want the UK comments to make it clear when it trickles article 50
:05:04. > :05:07.that it intends to stay in the single market and the customs union.
:05:08. > :05:12.If it will not do so, we want the UK Government to seek a differentiated
:05:13. > :05:18.solution for Scotland as set out here. Two areas of focus. The
:05:19. > :05:23.customs union, the single market. Under a customs union, members
:05:24. > :05:27.apply, agreed tariffs to countries outside the EU. If the UK quips that
:05:28. > :05:32.arrangement, Scotland were brief, too, but might arguably impede some
:05:33. > :05:35.trade, but the First Minister insisted it would also remove any
:05:36. > :05:42.need for a Customs border between Scotland and England. On power is
:05:43. > :05:46.shared with the EU, Nicola Sturgeon want full control of devolved issues
:05:47. > :05:49.like fisheries and agriculture, plus employment law and powers needed to
:05:50. > :05:55.strike international bargains, including immigration. Here is the
:05:56. > :06:00.main idea. The European economic area consists of EU member states
:06:01. > :06:05.plus Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein. Scotland would join
:06:06. > :06:09.that is, retaining single market freedoms, trade, services capital
:06:10. > :06:13.and the movement of people. But if people could travel freely from
:06:14. > :06:17.Europe to, say, Gretna in Scotland, what is to stop them hopping over
:06:18. > :06:20.the border to Carlisle? Nicola Sturgeon says England could tackle
:06:21. > :06:29.that with checks on employment housing. Others retain doubts. It is
:06:30. > :06:32.a proposal that is trying to keep Scotland in both markets as far as
:06:33. > :06:36.possible. It creates all pairs of difficulties as to whether you can
:06:37. > :06:40.really do that. For the plan, the chair of the expert panel advising
:06:41. > :06:44.the First Minister. There are issues that have to be addressed in terms
:06:45. > :06:47.of additional powers to be devolved to Scotland to manage the markets,
:06:48. > :06:52.to adhere to single market rules, but I think it is possible and these
:06:53. > :06:57.are important proposals to address these issues in practical terms.
:06:58. > :07:01.This is about political strategy, too. Nicola Sturgeon is challenging
:07:02. > :07:04.the Prime Minister. To the Westminster government I say this.
:07:05. > :07:11.Your response to these proposals will tell us much, perhaps
:07:12. > :07:18.everything, about whether the UK is in reality a partnership of equals
:07:19. > :07:22.that you claim it to be. We are negotiating a UK approach and a UK
:07:23. > :07:27.relationship with the EU. I think you have assumed an accepted
:07:28. > :07:34.differential relationships which I don't think is right to accept. I
:07:35. > :07:36.said when I first met the First Minister after becoming Prime
:07:37. > :07:40.Minister that we would look very seriously at any proposals that come
:07:41. > :07:44.forward from the devolved administrations, and there may be
:07:45. > :07:48.proposals that are impractical. Critics say the First Minister is in
:07:49. > :07:52.denial about the problems her plan would bring. Nicola Sturgeon admits
:07:53. > :07:56.it is challenging but insists it is workable if the will is there. There
:07:57. > :08:00.will be serious consideration of this by the UK Government. There may
:08:01. > :08:03.be some concessions. I would be astonished if the UK Government
:08:04. > :08:09.conceded all of this, consider the transfer of powers, conceded that
:08:10. > :08:13.point about membership or access to European single market for Scotland.
:08:14. > :08:16.I would be astonished given the Commons from conservatives in the
:08:17. > :08:21.run-up to this. There is a strategic question here. Nicola Sturgeon
:08:22. > :08:26.insists she is genuinely advancing this as a policy solution within the
:08:27. > :08:30.UK. Within the ambit of the UK. If she puts forward a referendum again
:08:31. > :08:35.on Scottish independence, at least you will be able to argue that she
:08:36. > :08:39.seriously and thoroughly considered all options, alternatives, before
:08:40. > :08:42.going to that prospect being put before the Scottish people.
:08:43. > :08:45.An investigation is under way after a man was found dead in a van,
:08:46. > :08:47.days after police were reportedly contacted over concerns
:08:48. > :08:50.David Penman's body was found in the van by police
:08:51. > :08:53.in Dunipace in Stirlingshire, on December the 15th.
:08:54. > :08:56.It is understood calls had been made to police two days earlier.
:08:57. > :09:00.The vehicle is not thought to have been involved in an accident.
:09:01. > :09:03.The number of indoor tennis courts in Scotland is to double under plans
:09:04. > :09:06.to build a legacy on our successes in the sport.
:09:07. > :09:09.?15 million has been pledged over the next decade.
:09:10. > :09:13.The Wimbledon and Paralympic champion Gordon Reid says
:09:14. > :09:17.all of the country should benefit - including less privileged areas.
:09:18. > :09:20.And to football - there's only one Premiership game tonight.
:09:21. > :09:26.Celtic beat Patrick Thistle 1-0 at Parkhead.
:09:27. > :09:29.Scott Sinclair scored the winner to give Celtic a 14-point lead
:09:30. > :09:33.And predictably enough - with five days to go till Christmas,
:09:34. > :09:36.the weather is turning and travel plans for the next few days
:09:37. > :09:39.But as Steven Godden reports, there is some good news
:09:40. > :09:56.Stornoway this morning. Ferries cancelled, roads closed, buildings
:09:57. > :10:00.damaged. A sign of things to come as the weather deteriorates in the
:10:01. > :10:04.run-up to the holidays. High winds over the rest of the week, peaking
:10:05. > :10:08.on Friday and Saturday, will lead to a lot of very destruction to the
:10:09. > :10:13.Northern Isles and the Western Isles, so that will be one area of
:10:14. > :10:16.concern. Also a lot of delivery vehicles on the road, high sided
:10:17. > :10:21.vehicles might be drawn to these high gusts of wind. Generally for
:10:22. > :10:27.motorists, heavy rain, high winds combined isn't pleasant. Arriving on
:10:28. > :10:29.Friday, storm Barbara will coincide with the busiest days for Christmas
:10:30. > :10:34.Friday, storm Barbara will coincide travel and when it comes to bad
:10:35. > :10:38.weather, history teaches transport ministers to be wary. I want people
:10:39. > :10:42.to see their family, spend time with their friends on Christmas and
:10:43. > :10:45.Christmas eve, but in order to do so they will have to plan ahead. We
:10:46. > :10:49.will get that information out across our network as early as we can so
:10:50. > :10:53.that people can plan. Fare air passengers, the threat of man-made
:10:54. > :10:56.destruction has been left tonight after a planned strike by baggage
:10:57. > :11:00.handlers that would have affected several Scottish airports was called
:11:01. > :11:04.off. Those Christmas continues this can now be shelved. Elsewhere,
:11:05. > :11:07.challenging few lie ahead. Well, It's over to Kawser now
:11:08. > :11:19.with the weather outlook A spell of wet and windy weather
:11:20. > :11:22.still as we head through the rest of the night, but then some clearer
:11:23. > :11:25.spells developing especially across the East later and some blustery
:11:26. > :11:31.showers by the end of the night across the North West. Tonight, as
:11:32. > :11:34.the rain clears, those clearer skies allowed to bridge as default,
:11:35. > :11:37.especially for inland areas, down to freezing. By the end of the night
:11:38. > :11:42.and morning, some blustery showers coming in across the far north and
:11:43. > :11:46.the north-west with snow down to maybe 100-200 metres. Sleet and
:11:47. > :11:50.lower levels. Some damp weather for a time across central and lower
:11:51. > :11:55.belt. There will be showers, but improving through the afternoon. The
:11:56. > :12:00.rest of the UK tomorrow, and we expect some strong winds across very
:12:01. > :12:03.far north. Some frequently true showers, and we expect some frequent
:12:04. > :12:07.lightning by the afternoon and a Met Office yellow be aware warning is in
:12:08. > :12:11.lightning by the afternoon and a Met force throughout the day. The rest
:12:12. > :12:14.of the UK, some drier weather for the central swathe, but across the
:12:15. > :12:19.south of England, some rain and milder conditions for a time. Highs
:12:20. > :12:24.of ten or 11 degrees. Across the North, eyes of four or 5 degrees.
:12:25. > :12:28.With the wind chill, bitterly cold. Thursday is similar. Blustery
:12:29. > :12:32.showers, sleazy conditions down to lower levels, strong winds were very
:12:33. > :12:36.far north. Thursday, in comparison to what's to come, is the better day
:12:37. > :12:40.for any travel plans if you're heading out for the weekend. As we
:12:41. > :12:44.look ahead to Friday, storm Barbara is heading towards us. A deep area
:12:45. > :12:48.of low pressure. With its heavy rain but very strong winds and that is
:12:49. > :12:54.the main concern as we look ahead to Friday. Those gusts reaching 50 to
:12:55. > :12:57.70 mph widely across Scotland, a Met Office yellow be aware weather
:12:58. > :13:01.warning is in force. An amber be prepared warning is in fourth for
:13:02. > :13:06.the -- in force for the Northwest and the Northern Isles. Some storm
:13:07. > :13:10.force gusts reaching up to 90 mph across the Western Isles during the
:13:11. > :13:13.middle part of the day on Friday and this is transposed to Orkney and
:13:14. > :13:14.Shetland by the end of the evening. Some very destructive weather to
:13:15. > :13:16.come. That is your forecast. Our next update is during Breakfast
:13:17. > :13:20.at 6.25 tomorrow morning. But from everyone on the late team
:13:21. > :13:24.here in Glasgow and around