28/01/2016 Scotland 2016

Half ?1 billion of investment to tackle the jobs crisis in the

north-east. Joint investment from Holyrood

and Westminster to bring new jobs Underpaid, unemployed

and under-represented The reality for people

in Scotland who're not white. And the row over Google's tax bill

moves to Europe as the SNP calls After months of relentlessly bad

news for the North Sea oil and gas sector, which has lost nearly one

in seven of its workforce since 2014, today,

some room for optimism. More than half a billion pounds

pledged from Holyrood and Westminster, to invest in jobs

and infrastructure in the north-east It's far less than the ?2.9 billion

city leaders asked for but the hope is it will kick start up to ?2

billion of additional funds to the region

from the private sector. Our Political Editor

Brian Taylor has more. The UK and Scottish governments have

squabbled over the cause, extent and the jubilation of the decline in

North Sea oil and gas. It seems they are both now collaborating and

competing over the remedies. 1975, her Majesty the Queen starts oil

flowing from the giant 40s field in the North Sea. If we use it right,

this energy can, without doubt, much improve our economic well-being. For

decades after that, oil and Aberdeen help to bankroll Britain. Drink

those decades, Aberdeen's economy boomed but passing time, falling oil

prices have left the people of Aberdeen anxious. And it's not just

oil. This life sciences company says the city needs help. Staff face high

property prices while the boss says she has to count her perceptions,

remote, and poorly served by transport. There is a perception we

are out in the north and not very connected to the rest of the

country. Today's city deal signed in Aberdeen combines council investment

with funding from the Scottish and UK governments. The cash will

improve infrastructure to boost private investment. The great thing

about this deal as it can leveraging lots of other money which might

total about ?2 billion coming from other public sector sources and the

private sector so I believe it'll make a real difference to the

economy here in Aberdeen in the north-east. The deal includes

expanding Aberdeen Harbour to help the city compete for oil

decommissioning work but the package extends beyond the city into

Aberdeenshire. SMP backbenchers have criticised the city deal as

inadequate and short of expectations. Aberdeen deserves more

from the UK Government than the ?125 million they have allocated,

particularly considering that the Treasury has benefited from over

300,000 million pounds of North Sea oil revenues that have flowed from

Aberdeen to London. And, so, in addition, the Scottish government

announced that new investment in rail will form part of a ?254

million package over 5-10 years. The First Minister was concerned we

should go further than the city deal. These projects identified by

the councils in the area, so they are rooted in what the local

community says is important to it. It takes us beyond the city deal. We

are contributing half of the money as a deal between ourselves and the

UK Government and councils and we think it is important to go further.

Glasgow already benefits from a larger city deal involving eight

local authorities. One beneficiary is this life sciences company in

Lanarkshire. 20 acres, 130,000 square feet of labs and offices.

This building wasn't being used at the current time and without the

funding it would not have come alive for another couple of years so for

us it has been transformational, I think. Glasgow and Aberdeen might

follow with a city deal for the Inverness city area. ?20 million has

been pledged. As he met apprentices, the prime ministers said this city

deal added to attack us in centres could kick-start the economy. How

about all the money that Aberdeen has generated? In the last budget,

we had a tax cut for the oil industry worth ?1.3 billion, when

you take into account all the things we were putting on the table. And

this city deal comes on top of that. I would make the point that this

demonstrates the broad shoulders of the United Kingdom can get behind

the oil industry, including the oil industry here in Scotland, when it

faces difficulties. Generally, it's hoped private growth will follow

this public investment and that, in future, Aberdeen's oil links remain

more than a memory. A little earlier from Aberdeen,

I spoke to Edel Harris, who's president of Aberdeen

Grampian Chamber of Commerce. It's not nearly as much investment

as city leaders were hoping for but presumably welcome nonetheless. What

are your members hoping to get from this? Well, all the members of

Aberdeen Grampian Chamber of Commerce welcomed the announcement

today of the investment in this region from both the UK and Scottish

governments. And you're quite correct, it wasn't the full amount

that was requested as part of the city region deal, but it is a

significant investment, and what we're really hoping is that, while

it demonstrates that this is a vibrant economy and one that is

worth an investment and an economy that a future, a region that has a

bright future, and the money will be used to leveraged further investment

into the region, and all the initiatives that are part of this

city region deal. What are the priorities? Transport links?

Affordable housing? What our members tell us is the biggest weakness in

terms of business competitiveness is our infrastructure here in the

north-east of Scotland. Our members, I know, will be particularly pleased

about the investment being both the physical infrastructure, the rail

line between us and the Central belt, the road network, but also the

digital connectivity which our businesses in the north-east have

been crying out for for some time. That I know will be hugely welcomed.

Alongside the investment in housing, and many of the businesses in the

north-east of Scotland have problems with recruitment. There is very low

unemployment here, despite the economic climate. And living here,

the cost of living, when the average salary is so high, creates problems

for some businesses that are not in the oil and gas sector, so the

investment in affordable housing will be welcomed by many members. A

lot of people that are employed in the oil and gas sector need help

now. This investment is for the next ten years. What are the effects you

are seeing in the here and now in smaller businesses who might be part

of the supply chain affected by all of this? Well, of course, this is

good news today but we cannot deny the difficult economic environment

we find ourselves in because of the low oil price and the announcements

we've heard recently about hundreds of job losses in the industry, and

many of the oil and gas sector businesses are member of the

Chamber, but there is also a hall network of businesses that are

direct or indirect suppliers to the industry, and some of them are also

feeling the pinch at the moment. So businesses such as hotels, legal

firms, training companies, recruitment agencies, and it is

inevitable that if there is less disposable income, then businesses

such as retail and taxis, all those types of businesses will inevitably

start to feel challenged. As I said at the big inning of this interview,

it is good news. I think it demonstrates confidence in the

economy in the north-east, it sent out a clear message that we have a

future, and, of course, we are continuing to invest in the oil and

gas industry. Some of the money will be used for an oil and gas

technology Centre, and what we are hoping to do, although there might

be less operational activity in the next ten years to really harness all

the expertise that we have in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire that goes

alongside the oil and gas industry, and make sure it is a hub of

innovation and make sure it is recognised internationally as a

place to go to for that expertise and skills. Thank you.

If you're not white in Scotland, you're more likely to be unemployed

or in low-paid work than someone who is, and you're less likely

That's even though people from ethnic minorities largely do

better in education than white Scots.

In a moment, I'll be talking to two young Scots about their experience,

If you come from an ethnic minority, you're more likely to be low paid.

You're also more likely to be unemployed. No surprise, then, that

you're also highly unlikely to be a senior manager. Those are just a

couple of the findings of a six-month investigation by

Holyrood's equal opportunities committee into the buyers faced by

ethnic minorities in accessing training and employment in Scotland,

even for those lucky enough to be in the work the hurdles can be pretty

steep. In the week we celebrate Robbie Burns, how do others see us,

and how do we see them? With an Asian person here, they thought they

can work with people of her kind. They just thought all Asian

landlords were rogue landlords, crooks. It is just an assumption

made all the time. In ploy is would look positively at me, being Polish.

Having said that, the very same employer also assumed I'd be able to

work for less and didn't want to pay minimum wage. It's just small

everyday comments. How long will you be here? When you go back to Poland?

There's so many of you, why don't you go back home? The equal

opportunities committee at the Scottish Parliament says there is an

ethnic penalty on some young Scots which needs to be challenged. It

urges the Scottish government to use public sector judgment open up jobs

to get public what is to offer more work experience and to raise

awareness on racial equality and diversity in public organisations.

Joining me now from our London studio is the model, and with me

here is a criminal defence lawyer. Welcome to you both. You have a good

job as a criminal defence lawyer but this report says people from ethnic

minorities are underrepresented in senior roles. Do you see that? I do.

I was lucky in the sense that when I graduated I ended up in a firm with

senior partners that value diversity so I was very lucky but I have many

friends and colleagues and people that I studied with who faced

faculties. And they advised me that when they were out looking for work,

their white friends at university would have the same type of CV and

in certain situations, they would have better academic qualifications

and experience, yet they wouldn't find themselves in a job their white

friends would. So they felt confident enough it must boil down

to race? I know that no firm is going to say were not giving you the

job because of the colour of your skin, but they felt that was the

reason based on their experience. In terms of my observations, on a daily

basis, I travel the country up and down and I go into Sheriff Courts

and I feel like there is something I am concerned about. When I walk into

a court, that aren't many criminal defence lawyers from an ethnic

background. And I think out of the 142 sheriffs, only four or five of

them are from an ethnic background. Out of the 34 senators of Justice,

none of them from an ethnic background which is very concerning.

Let me bring in Eunice in London. As a model, do you find your race plays

a part in the sorts of jobs that you get don't get? Yes, I do,

unfortunately. I think it is an issue. It isn't just an issue in

Scotland or UK, but in wider Europe. What I tend to find is that women,

particularly women of darker complexion, seem to have a much more

difficult... It is more difficult for us to get certain jobs. There

does seem to be a preference for a lighter skin, which is used to

represent the black community. And, I mean, if I talk with my friends

who are perhaps soft mixed background, they like to identify

with the two different parts of their identity, not just one side.

So it isn't quite right to represent in this way. I'd do think this is

part of wider social economic environmental issues that go back

quite far in history. Is it more of a problem in Scotland, do you think?

In Scotland, I think the way... The ideology of Scotland, the way that

Scotland is seen, it is still very much a Caucasian country, but it is

a huge ethnic diversity in Scotland. Certainly in the main cities of

Glasgow and Edinburgh. For some reason, that's just not represented.

And I do think that might be to do with the fact that perhaps the

people who are in positions of power have been the same for a long time.

You can find all of the UK it is different. In the southern part of

the UK, you see a lot more black and ethnic minorities in front of the

camera, in magazines and so on, but not much more. And I do think

they're just does need to be a bit of a change in Scotland. And for

those that do talk about a out loud, they shouldn't be seen in a negative

way, but they should be seen as people trying to bring committees

together. This report says that ethnic

minorities largely perform better academically -- academically than

white Scots, but it says the still significant barriers. Why do you

think that is? I think a lot is to do with in the

last ten years we have become very complacent, and deviously we have

had acts of Parliament passed, and I think the attitude has been we have

done what we have to do and that's that. -- previously. But in the last

few years the perception from ethnic minorities is the bad press has

contributed towards them not now getting so jobs in certain

positions. I also think that you can have

situations where ethnic minorities come to the UK, they do not

necessarily have those family roots long-standing to build upon, so they

are coming into positions where buyer in some cases they might have

the qualifications but they don't have those infrastructures or

necessarily be coming through the typical route. So I think that in

combination with the lack of role models is really quite difficult

because you are coming into a situation whereby you might be the

only person and you might genuinely feel quite alienated, not able to

communicate what your issues are. I think in the UK we have much more of

an issue, and in Scotland, with discussing the cultural and

significant events that have led us to this: moment in time. Because

what happens in the past does influence in the future, so I think

this is important in education. I think we need to discuss these

matters, and I think there is a wider problem. And in my experience

what I see genuinely is in cities like Edmund -- Edinburgh and Glasgow

we have growing groups of ethnic minorities. I am an ad Boro boy,

there is no a big community -- Edinburgh. I would like to see

solicitors of all different ethnic minorities representing clients. And

sadly, it is a tragedy, and embarrassing that when I go into

Edinburgh Sheriff Court IC may be one or two macro criminal defence

lawyers from an ethnic background and that needs to be sorted.

Thank you both for coming in and talking about this tonight.

The controversy about Google's tax bill refuses to go away.

Today the EU's Competition Commissioner confirmed she's

considering how to respond to a letter of complaint

from the SNP about the company's ?170 million tax deal

Google denies it's a "sweetheart deal", saying it is paying the full

amount of tax HMRC agrees it should pay.

As Andrew Black reports, this has all reopened the debate

into what the UK economy needs more - the Big Business

Google is one of today's most recognised brands, a multi-billion

pound company whose services are used by people all over the world.

But the amount commissioner said she is willing to

investigate Google's tax arrangements.

If we find there is something to be concerned about, if someone writes

to us and says this is maybe not as it should be, we will take a look.

And someone did write to her, the SNP Deputy Leader.

I are Katherine Trebeck

31 countries signed an agreement in and Peter Geoghegan.

31 countries signed an agreement in Paris yesterday to stop companies

like Google using complex tax arrangements to avoid paying

corporate tax. Do you think will make a difference?

What was signed was basically country by country reporting and

sharing, it is saying if you make of it in a company or do business in a

country you have to declare it and say how much tax you pay.

And the fact that this deal is being heralded as something that will have

a big black shows how broken our global tax system is.

There is still so much more to do, and lots of people are saying what

is coming out of Google at the moment is a paltry amount. Even

Rupert Murdoch has been tweeting, this is a paltry amount. Google's:

investors say they should pay a decent rate of tax. He has linked it

to the benefits from state services that Google gets, saying that tax is

not something to be shirked or planned a way, this is the price of

citizenship. Google's put out a robust defence

today of its position, saying it is paying everything it is being asked

to pay, that most of their corporate tax is paid in the US, over $3

billion last year. Is that not fair enough, Peter, we would pay more

than we were at to pay? -- asked. George Osborne said we've

done this great thing, we never got so much tax out of them before, this

will be ?130 billion. And then you look and said that as 30 million a

year, look at the revenue Google generates in the UK, and people will

say, look at all the infrastructure Google uses, the state aid it gets,

is it paying its way forward? Look at the revenue they are generating

here. This has been rumbling on for a few

days, is for the Government? For the Government and for the

company. If somebody opens you crumbs, it

means somewhere they have a low. -- offers you.

-- loaf of bread. I think people will start to make the connection

between the enormity of Google and is really fairly paltry amounts of

tax they are paying. And people are increasingly

concerned about an equality, and we cannot make a dent in that if we do

not take a robust stance against the extent of tax evasion and avoidance.

More criticism of the offensive behaviour that food all. This

article Ady's player was charged with allegedly posting a sectarian

remark about a Rangers fan. -- a Celtic Lady's.

You have been critical of this law in the past. What is your problem

with it? What is the point of this law, is it

to get rid of sectarianism in Scotland, which by most academic

assessment is dwindling, is an attitudinal thing. It is not -- the

parity has been reached in employment, there is not the same

sense that Catholics in employment have been done down. If this is to

get rid of the last vestiges of sectarianism, how is that going to

work? You are creating a law that punishes football fans for singing

songs that is unenforceable, but it is also failing in its own job

because it is not getting rid of sectarianism, if anything it is

inflaming fans. In my own experience, sometimes people are

more likely to sing the songs because they are seen as

inflammatory. This trial ongoing, talk about it,

but in general are a bit too easily offended.

If you believe in freedom of speech should you be allowed to post what

you like on Facebook? There is an almost fetish around

free speech sometimes. But the reality is we do not have free

speech in this country, quite appropriately we have laws that

protect against racial vilification or hatred, but also social norms

that constrain people from needless and out right hatred or inciting

people to anger. The tricky bit is knowing where to

draw the line, and that is the job of politicians, not somebody like

me. Barbie has had a makeover. Her

manufacturer has announced that she will now be available in a range of

sizes and designs to reflect diversity.

We are saying there is not this narrow standard of what a beautiful

body looks like. When I look at the line now, one is

taller than original Barbie, one is more petite, and one is curvier.

What do you think, is this progress or just clever marketing?

I didn't grow up with Barbie, I thick it is a bit of both. A

recognition that we live in a world where body shape and racial

diversity has been recognised, but obviously the manufacturers seem to

think there is money to be made. We are still kind of in the

21st-century with these really gender oriented toys. Maybe that is

the next phase, they can create a gender neutral ploy.

I was proud of my own daughter's reaction, she threw her Barbie are

in disgust. Our parents becoming more conscious

of gender stereotype toys? Eyed and have Barbie growing up, I

had cricket bats and a Barbie doll. -- I didn't have. It is good there

is now a petite blonde, and she can wear flat shoes and not high heels.

I have now reached that age. We leave you tonight with remarkable

footage of a fox and an eagle fighting over a deer

carcass in the Trossachs, captured by the BBC's

Winterwatch programme. about things that make you

uncomfortable.