:00:33. > :00:36.The First Minister has signed a letter requesting the powers
:00:37. > :00:37.for another referendum on Scottish independence.
:00:38. > :00:39.Nicola Sturgeon argues Scotland deserves the right to choose
:00:40. > :00:42.what path to follow in the wake of the Brexit vote.
:00:43. > :00:44.The UK Government has already said it will block a referendum,
:00:45. > :00:46.until after the Brexit process has been completed.
:00:47. > :00:48.Here's our Scotland editor, Sarah Smith.
:00:49. > :00:51.Nicola Sturgeon is signing the letter that she will send to Downing
:00:52. > :00:53.Street. There's been a picture released tonight by the Scottish
:00:54. > :00:57.government when you can see Nicola Sturgeon with her shoes kicked off,
:00:58. > :01:00.her legs tucked up working on the letter. It's a much more informal
:01:01. > :01:04.image than we saw of Theresa May in Downing Street where she was
:01:05. > :01:08.starting -- signing the Article 50 letter. The contrast? That's no
:01:09. > :01:14.accidents, believe me. Whilst she might look casual, the contents of
:01:15. > :01:19.the letter couldn't be more serious. In it, she repeats she has a clear
:01:20. > :01:22.mandate for an independence referendum, not just because of what
:01:23. > :01:27.was in the manifesto last but because she's got the backing of the
:01:28. > :01:31.Scottish Parliament. She repeats she thinks the boat should be held in
:01:32. > :01:37.18-24 months' time because she says the shape of the Brexit deal will be
:01:38. > :01:41.clear that and Scottish voters could make a decision. She knows what the
:01:42. > :01:45.answer is going to be. Downing Street have been very clear. They
:01:46. > :01:49.say now is not the time to talk about another independence
:01:50. > :01:50.referendum and they don't even want to enter discussions about this
:01:51. > :01:55.until the UK has left the EU and to enter discussions about this
:01:56. > :01:57.they are suggesting maybe for even several years after that.
:01:58. > :01:59.Earlier the First Minister accused the Westminster government
:02:00. > :02:01.of planning a "power grab", with its plans to move thousands
:02:02. > :02:04.of pieces of European Union law onto the UK statute book,
:02:05. > :02:08.UK ministers say the changes will include significant new powers
:02:09. > :02:12.Our political correspondent Nick Eardley reports
:02:13. > :02:15.on what the bill might mean for Scotland.
:02:16. > :02:18.A quieter Westminster today, parliament moving on from
:02:19. > :02:25.Focus switching to how Brexit woodwork.
:02:26. > :02:27.Deconstructing the media village is swift, but dismantling the rule
:02:28. > :02:38.Today, part of the plan was published.
:02:39. > :02:39.A bill converting European law into domestic legislation.
:02:40. > :02:43.Now is the time to come together in ensuring the UK as a whole
:02:44. > :02:44.is prepared for challenges and opportunities presented
:02:45. > :02:54.Under the bill, thousands of laws would be created,
:02:55. > :02:59.Scottish ministers get power to amend the bold legislation,
:03:00. > :03:02.the UK Government says a number of powers will come to Holyrood
:03:03. > :03:04.from Brussels, but some may go to Westminster.
:03:05. > :03:08.Ministers say that it is necessary to protect stability.
:03:09. > :04:45.My preference is more devolution rather than less.
:04:46. > :04:47.There will also be a review of provision in schools.
:04:48. > :04:49.But some organisations say it lacks ambition, and funds.
:04:50. > :04:51.Here's our health correspondent, Lisa Summers.
:04:52. > :04:54.Overall, what did you make of the strategy?
:04:55. > :04:56.I thought there were a couple of things missing.
:04:57. > :04:59.First, there was no mention of black and minority ethnic people in terms
:05:00. > :05:04.This woman began to experience mental health
:05:05. > :05:12.Half of all mental health problems begin in childhood.
:05:13. > :05:14.It was a long wait for NHS counselling, so found
:05:15. > :05:18.I had a lot of anxiety, which I think I've always had.
:05:19. > :05:22.I cannot remember not having it, I still have it.
:05:23. > :05:32.What I now know is depression, but at the time didn't know that.
:05:33. > :05:36.The government says it wants parity between mental and physical health.
:05:37. > :05:38.But the mental health Minister acknowledges that only one in three
:05:39. > :05:40.people who would benefit from treatment is actually
:05:41. > :05:45.There has also been a great deal of criticism about missed
:05:46. > :05:49.For children and young people getting access
:05:50. > :05:58.We want to create a Scotland where stigma related to mental
:05:59. > :06:01.The strategy was presented to Parliament this afternoon.
:06:02. > :06:04.The mental health Minister said that she would implement 40 actions,
:06:05. > :06:06.including employing 800 specially trained staff, a review
:06:07. > :06:11.of counselling services in schools, and a clinical framework
:06:12. > :06:35.This is the sort of thing the government is investing in.
:06:36. > :06:38.Earlier today, the Minister visited a weekly drop-in centre, a hub
:06:39. > :06:41.Prevention and early intervention are the priorities.
:06:42. > :06:44.You see for the first time over ?1 billion being spent
:06:45. > :06:48.There is already 150 million in place, and the First Minister
:06:49. > :06:50.recently announced an extra ?35 million.
:06:51. > :06:52.What we have committed to today is making sure that spending
:06:53. > :06:54.on mental health will increase above what is spent
:06:55. > :06:57.Opposition parties and charities are concerned the strategy lacks
:06:58. > :07:04.Psychiatrists say that they are pleased with the vision to equate
:07:05. > :07:10.mental and physical health but are concerned about funding.
:07:11. > :07:21.23% of the work done in health services surrounds mental health,
:07:22. > :07:25.yet just under 8% of the budget goes to mental health services.
:07:26. > :07:28.With 300 million, that brings us up to about 8%.
:07:29. > :07:30.So, we are still looking at a significant gap
:07:31. > :07:32.between the size of the problem and the size of the
:07:33. > :07:36.This woman has her own worries about how far the strategy will go,
:07:37. > :07:38.but she says early intervention is key.
:07:39. > :07:46.It has been a lot easier for me to know understanding when I'm
:07:47. > :07:51.I genuinely think if I did not get that help at the age of 16,
:07:52. > :08:00.Lisa Summers, reporting Scotland, Edinburgh.
:08:01. > :08:02.A dr who misled other medics about Pauline Cafferkey,
:08:03. > :08:05.a nurse who developed the Ebola virus, has been suspended
:08:06. > :08:08.Dr Hannah Ryan took Ms Cafferkey's temperature at Heathrow airport,
:08:09. > :08:11.as they returned from West Africa, where they'd been volunteering.
:08:12. > :08:13.Although the Scottish nurse was running a high temperature,
:08:14. > :08:18.a warning sign of the virus, Dr Ryan, pictured here
:08:19. > :08:20.agreed to a lower value being recorded.
:08:21. > :08:22.The Medical Practitioners Tribunal said she'd been guilty
:08:23. > :08:27.The way victims of sexual assault are treated by the NHS
:08:28. > :08:29.and the police after making a complaint, has been
:08:30. > :08:32.strongly criticised by an independent watchdog.
:08:33. > :08:34.The Inspector of Constabulary says services offered to some victims
:08:35. > :08:38.are "unacceptable," and lag behind the rest of the UK.
:08:39. > :08:43.Our home affairs correspondent, Reevel Alderson reports.
:08:44. > :08:46.This clinic in Glasgow is regarded as a model for the treatment
:08:47. > :08:54.They receive professional care here while forensic medical
:08:55. > :08:56.examiners gather evidence to put before a court.
:08:57. > :09:00.But it's the only one of its kind in Scotland and is not always
:09:01. > :09:07.The Inspector of Constabulary says this gives a two tier system whilst
:09:08. > :09:10.elsewhere in Scotland the service offered is described
:09:11. > :09:20.There should be one examination able to address any immediate clinical
:09:21. > :09:24.needs and retrieve any forensic evidence but more importantly that
:09:25. > :09:27.care pathway and actually intervene to meet the wider counselling
:09:28. > :09:31.and follow-up care that an individual might need.
:09:32. > :09:35.The report says the priority in medical forensic examinations
:09:36. > :09:39.should be to address the immediate medical needs of patients
:09:40. > :09:44.The gathering of evidence for future criminal proceedings should be
:09:45. > :09:51.But the report also says most forensic medical examinations
:09:52. > :09:54.in Scotland take place in police stations which it says rarely
:09:55. > :09:58.have discreet access and are much more difficult
:09:59. > :10:05.It goes on to say that Scotland is lagging behind the rest
:10:06. > :10:08.of the UK in dealing with sexual assault victims.
:10:09. > :10:13.In England there are 43 sexual assault referral centres.
:10:14. > :10:17.In Wales four where victims are treated what evidence is retrieved.
:10:18. > :10:20.But in Scotland only one, the report says the government
:10:21. > :10:27.This former senior detective wrote a report four years ago making
:10:28. > :10:35.Victims need to have faith in the process from end to end
:10:36. > :10:38.and if that includes a medical examination it should be done
:10:39. > :10:43.sensitively and a appropriately and with specialist,
:10:44. > :10:46.highly trained and skilled professionals.
:10:47. > :10:49.The Scottish Government says it is committed to improving
:10:50. > :10:52.services to meet the needs of victims, it has announced
:10:53. > :10:54.an expert group to do that with new standards being published
:10:55. > :11:06.Now, before we go, it's time to find out what the weather's going to be
:11:07. > :11:08.like for tonight and the end of the week.
:11:09. > :11:18.Good evening. Fairly wet conditions tonight, here's the latest rainfall,
:11:19. > :11:23.slowly starting to turn heavy. Pretty much tonight, it's cloudy,
:11:24. > :11:28.turning wet, but it will be mild with temperatures 8-10. Tomorrow
:11:29. > :11:36.morning, it is wet, but the heaviest and most persistent of the rain in
:11:37. > :11:44.the West. East of here, the Borders into the Lothians, cloudy, with a
:11:45. > :11:52.spot of drizzle. Similar into parts of eastern five, Angus,
:11:53. > :11:57.Aberdeenshire, perhaps even some morning sunshine. Although it is a
:11:58. > :12:03.dry start for the Northern Isles, there it is, marching northwards, so
:12:04. > :12:08.if you start the day dry, expect a few spots of rain through the
:12:09. > :12:13.morning as that wet weather journeys north. Across the UK, we have most
:12:14. > :12:27.of the wet weather tomorrow. South of the border, a case of some
:12:28. > :12:34.showers. Temperatures into the mid, maybe high teens. Some sunshine and
:12:35. > :12:39.showers in Northern Ireland. For the weekend, we welcome in April, and we
:12:40. > :12:44.welcome the April showers. This Saturday, the showers are
:12:45. > :12:48.everywhere. As we head through to Sunday, a ridge of high pressure
:12:49. > :12:52.builds which means the second half of the weekend, Sunday, will be
:12:53. > :12:57.better weather-wise because it is drier, brighter, with spells of
:12:58. > :13:01.sunshine. It is fresher, with winds from the south-west. Then a sneaky
:13:02. > :13:06.look at next week because we have weather fronts Monday and Tuesday
:13:07. > :13:10.threatening some wet weather. High pressure in the Atlantic muscles its
:13:11. > :13:15.way in from mid week onwards settling things down, meaning it
:13:16. > :13:16.will be largely dry and bright, likely to last with us for a few
:13:17. > :13:20.days. That is the forecast for now. There are regular updates
:13:21. > :13:24.from 6:25am during Breakfast. But, from everyone on the late team
:13:25. > :13:28.here in Glasgow and around Explore the speed of life with
:13:29. > :13:29.Radio 3's Free Thinking Festival.