06/01/2017 Reporting Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon says she would put on hold plans for a second

independence referendum if the UK government pursues

The First Minister wants Scotland to remain in the European

single market and if that happens she's made clear

she would not call for another vote on Scotland leaving the UK,

while Brexit negotiations are under way.

The Conservatives are urging her to rule out another

Here's our political correspondent, Glenn Campbell.

Within hours of the EU referendum result, Nicola Sturgeon said

it was highly likely that Brexit would trigger another

I am pleased today to publish Scotland's Place in Europe.

Six months on, she proposed a compromise, to accept

that leave means leave, if Scotland, either on its own,

or with the UK as a whole, is able to remain inside the European single

market, in a Norway-style arrangement.

On Radio Scotland this morning, the First Minister confirmed that

accepting her single market proposal would put independence on hold.

If we can find a way of protecting Scotland's economic interests,

protecting our democratic interests within the UK, I am up for that.

In terms of the timescale of Brexit, that is what I

Am I going to stop believing in or arguing for independence?

I am putting this forward in good faith, deliberately saying

I will put my preferred option to one side and asking people

if we can look at a consensus and compromise option.

So Nicola Sturgeon will not push for another vote on Scottish

independence within the next couple of years if Scotland

or the wider UK is able to stay inside the European single market.

That is what she means by soft Brexit.

The snag is that that kind of arrangement does not seem very

Unlikely, because the UK Government wants to curb the freedom of EU

And that is not compatible with keeping full access

Separately, the Chancellor has appeared to rule out a special

Officially, Theresa May has said she will seriously consider

Nicola Sturgeon's suggestions, even though some of them

At Holyrood, the Scottish Conservatives called on the SNP

Nicola Sturgeon has spent the last six months trying everything to make

Brexit a reason to increase support for independence,

Today was her giving herself an escape route.

She should not be just taking an independence referendum off

the table for the short-term, but altogether, so we can

get on with growing business in Scotland.

In the 2014 vote on independence, the No side won by 55% to 45%,

and opinion polls suggest not much has changed.

A manager at a plant hire firm has been jailed for two years,

after a cherry-picker collapsed in the centre of Glasgow,

killing one worker and seriously injuring another.

Donald Craig, of Craig Services, was convicted of breaching

health and safety rules following the incident,

Craig Services was also fined ?61,000 and another

39-year-old Gary Currie died and 38-year-old

Doctors' leaders are urging the Scottish Government

to target funding towards tackling health inequalities.

The Royal College of General Practitioners says

there should be a "sharper focus" on

supporting GPs who work in the most deprived parts

Here's our health correspondent, Lisa Summers.

In our poorest communities, life expectancy is lower,

and on average, people become ill younger.

Health inequalities are stark, which is why the Royal College

of GPs wants funding targeted at those working in

The practices with most need not getting the resources they need,

which means that patients are having to be seen more often.

Rather than getting a longer time which they need,

they are getting less time, and that seems wrong.

Figures showed GPs in the most deprived areas only receive an extra

?3.79 per patient to those in the most well-off

They need greater support and funding is a crucial

The Greens want to see this addressed.

There is not enough of a differential.

In less affluent parts of towns and cities are not

receiving a great deal more funding, in some cases less, than those

In Scotland there is a huge inequality in life expectancy

and we can start addressing if we look at GP funding.

For most of us, our first contact with the health

Some experts argue that more investment is vital

It is not just resources, it is about restoring the balance

in the health service between general and

At the moment, it is unbalanced after a decade of preferential

The ship is in danger of capsizing because there is too much

The Government says it is taking steps to tackle health inequalities,

funding deprived areas to support GPs and patients, but setting

up GP hubs like this, where people should be able

to access a range of health and social services in one stop.

It is part of a ?500 million investment that they have

The proportion of funding in primary care is rising to 11%

who can develop and address these underlying problems is the most

In the changing landscape of the NHS, the government wants

more of us to access health services in the community.

The call from doctors is for equal funding,

A consultation on whether to give more powers

The Scottish Government wants to give more powers

to schools and parents - but some critics fear the changes

risk reducing the role of councils in the education system.

Firm plans are likely to be announced in the coming months.

It's a new year, but the same story for tennis and Sir Andy Murray.

Murray is in Doha, for the Qatar Open, where he beat

the Czech Tomas Berdych in straight sets earlier this evening,

It means the new world number one faces Djokovic in tomorrow's final,

with the Australian Open just ten days away.

Football now and Hibernian open up a four-point lead at the top

of the Scottish Championship after beating closest

rivals Dundee United at Easter Road tonight.

Two first half goals from Jason Cummings put the home

side in a strong position, and substitute John McGinn killed

off a lacklustre United with a solo effort with nine minutes left

in front of a crowd of just under 20,000.

Over to Christopher now for the weather outlook

It was fairly cloudy and for some wet day. Most of that rain has gone.

The legacy is missed, Merck and low cloud particularly on the south and

West coasts. For most it is a dry start. I cloudy start. Slowly

brightening up. The best of the sunshine will be across the

north-east tomorrow. Scotland are feeling quite well weather-wise

tomorrow because south of the border it is grey, dismal, and cloud will

stay for most of the day. Miles, yes, but a draughty. We will have

something a touch brighter by the afternoon. But further north across

Stirlingshire, Perthshire, towards Fife, Aberdeenshire, the Highlands,

that this with the base of The Sun will be. Cooler but sunny. Towards

the West Coast thicker cloud. Similar for the far north and the

Northern Isles. Winds light from the south-west. The rest of the

afternoon into the evening, little in the way of change. If you spot of

light rain or drizzle in the West and north-west. High pressure in

charge. It holds on into Sunday. Another drive but cloudy day. Low

pressure is waiting in the wings, coming our way on Monday. Sunday,

and other settles, largely dry day. Outbreaks of rain in the Highlands

and other settles, largely dry day. and Islands. Patches in the West

central belt but for many cloudy and dry.

But, from everyone on the late team here in Glasgow