11/04/2016 Scotland 2016

7,000 pupils still with no school to go to tomorrow.

So what's gone wrong in Edinburgh, and why?

Edinburgh has found faults in at least four of its schools.

The Chief Executive tells us he doesn't know why

they were signed off by the council's building control.

Two we will be making a full enquiry into what has gone wrong here in

order to understand it and we admit that.

He was called "Dodgy Dave" in Parliament today.

So has the Prime Minister been damaged by revelations

It couldn't have come at a worse time for senior pupils

Construction faults first discovered last week mean that every

school in Edinburgh will - again - remain closed tomorrow.

Edinburgh City Council has promised all primary and special schools

will reopen next week but uncertainty continues for some

high school pupils in the middle of exam time.

In a moment we'll discuss how this could have happened and the massive

Schools are supposed to be a safe place for children. But that was

called into question back in January after this primary in Edinburgh

suffered serious damage during harsh weather. Today, further work was

underway at the school after it emerged that it was just the tip of

the iceberg. Safety concerns have forced the closure of a list of

Edinburgh schools are affecting thousands of pupils. And for

hundreds of families, that means major disruption. Even if they found

somewhere else apart from schools to put the children, I think how the

logistics of that will work, I think it is really going to be disruptive

to learning, I don't think they will learn as much there as they suddenly

without school. Quite concerned about it. And, with exams coming up,

problems are putting extra pressure on pupils. I think it is important

to go back to school so teachers can prompt you to study and so you have

time in school to get help, and it is important to go to school. So how

could this have happened? The affected schools were built in 2001

by Miller construction, which was later can taken over by Gallup first

try. Questions are asked about being the method under which the product

was taken forward. We have a build-up, a partnership group that

manages the schools, and the counsellor that has the response

relative well-being of pupils and staff. That raises questions about

whether this is the best way to managed the education system. There

is the question of whether the schools were built properly in the

first place? There should be safeguarded ways to make sure that

happens. Those who are contracted to design and build the buildings have

to satisfy the building control procedures first and formats, so

there are some checks and balances within that process. They ought to

have professional engineers involved, of course, several, and

structural engineers to validate the structural stability and the safety

of the buildings before they are used by the general public. And when

it comes to PPP schemes, he added that the incentive to get it right

was even greater. Logically you would expect that we would provide

an additionally financial incentives to building a proper school, Brett

Lee, from the start. Liability and accountability still lies with the

organisation that built these buildings in the first place. Today,

the boss of Edinburgh Council tries to offer an initial excavation.

These faults are internal faults, so they would sometimes pass visual

inspection and they were OK, and there have been standing for ten, 15

years in most cases. However we have found faults. Edinburgh Council is

aiming to ensure primary and special school pupils are back in school by

next Monday. But how far might this problem go's right now, every

council in Scotland is involved in carrying out surveys of schools

which could also be affected. Andrew Black there.

Just before we came on air, from Edinburgh I spoke

to the Chief Executive of Edinburgh City Council

who you saw at the end of that report, Andrew Kerr.

And a local parent and Chair of the Royal High Schools parent

And just for clarity, in his day job Luke works for the BBC.

Good evening to you both. Andrew Kerr, you are blaming shoddy

workmanship on behalf of the contractor, but you can't really

keep this problem at arms length can you? How did the councils building

control inspectors missed the serious faults? Well, we aren't

attempting to keep this at arms length, but we are actually saying

is that the most important thing is first of all we look after the

health and safety of our pupils, and secondly that we get them back into

school as quickly as possible. And then a full investigation can be

undertaken as to what happened, as long ago as ten or 15 years. The

priority is however the peoples, making sure they can set their

exams, but they can be educated and that they are safe. People will want

to try and understand this though because it raises serious questions

about how public projects are actually brought to actuality. Hammy

fault and families also be found? Well, we have studied four or five

schools we have found similar faults in each of those schools, so what we

are making sure we do is fully survey all schools. To make sure

that we discover any faults that are there in the building construction,

and that we can remediate them and make them safe for the job and go

back in. Four or five schools so far. Why then were the buildings

ever signed off? Well, as I have explained, I don't know the answer

just yet, but what I do know is that we are doing everything we can to

swiftly and accurately mediate the problems. What would be the normal

process, then, what would you expect the building control inspectors

involvement to be question mark throughout the project? There would

be some expectation building control to be involved in schools such as

this. However, the rules and regulations have changed in the last

ten, 15 years, so it may be that what we do now is not exactly the

same as what was done ten or 15 years ago, and we have to

investigate that properly to ensure that we get the right answers before

we make any jumps to conclusions. Luke, you are a parent one of the

schools affected. You reassured by that? I think that the council are

trying to do the right thing here, but I know that parents across the

scarcity will be raising lots of questions about how the council got

is offered to be situated in the first case, particularly because

many of these goods have been so long ago. We have to us what these

problems were detected earlier. What about in the schools were built?

What about these inspections that Andrew Kerr carried out was the

schools were actually operating? Our regular inspections are carried out

every year, and we try and ensure that where it is possible we can

pick up any faults as possible, but a number of the faults that we are

discovering now are internal to walls, and internal to the fabric of

the building, so they wouldn't be picked up by visual inspection.

Look, how are your children affected by this? It is obviously exam time,

a difficult time it takes a leap for older children. That is right,

Shelley. As children are praying for higher level exams, and from the end

of the Easter holiday, to the point where they go on study leave for the

exams, they have 12 and based teaching, and study time remaining

in school, and obviously at least of those two days ago at least two of

those days have now gone, so that is ten and a half, and they had to get

finished the course, said there was a number of centres where senior

pupils haven't yet finished, they haven't been taught all of the stuff

that could come about unit assessments, as they call them,

number four being allowed to sit the exams can and some of them haven't

been carried out yet. People this week have also been expecting to do

actual assessable work for the part of their exams. Assessments in

German and French and Spanish, other modern languages, they won't be able

to take praise because the schools are shut, but those battles take

account for a third of that mark. Being ready to set those exams, the

run-in has been quite disrupted, and we welcome getting the pupils back

in on Wednesday, for most schools heavily that will be the case, but

only half the schools will be open, and a number of the battle areas of

the school will be off-limits because they are in the new part as

opposed to the old part of our building. What reassurances can you

give them Andrew Kerr, to particularly to parents of the more

senior schoolchildren? I have much sympathy with the concerns

expressed. I am a father myself of a 14-year-old and I and perfectly well

aware of the anxiety preceding exams. What we are trying to do as I

have pointed out is get people back into school as quickly as possible,

and certainly for the pupils of Fernhill, Drummond, and Royal high

we should have them back into school on Wednesday. For the pupils of the

other schools, we should help them back into alternate accommodation by

the end of the week at the very latest. We are prioritising these

pupils before any others alongside those with special measures for

obvious reasons. What we have been lucky enough to be able to do is we

are lucky enough to be able to put some measures in place that allow

us, we think, subject to final health and safety measures, to put

some of our primary school pupils back into school on Wednesday,

starting on Wednesday, and the whole of the primary school card by

Monday. So we are moving as quickly as we can. We found out the problem

on Friday afternoon. We have worked all weekend, and a number of teams

of engineers are checking schools right now. Health and serve the

people are checking the schools, and both teachers and head teachers are

working all hours to try and make sure that we get pupils back in as

soon as we can. Very briefly, would you support calls for a full enquiry

into what is wrong here? What I can say is that we will be making a full

enquiry as to what has gone on here because we are to understand it, and

we have to admit that. However, we don't think it is the priority right

now, we think the priority is the safety of the peoples and making

sure that they can do their exams, making sure they can be educated,

and that is of a major concern right now. Luke, very briefly? I think

parents would surly support calls for an enquiry. Not just in the

schools, but a range of other buildings passed by contractors in

Edinburgh into the school estate very quickly, concerns going on for

years, parents would look forward to the chance to the building in

Edinburgh and what it is doing for the children of the future.

Now, from financial secrecy to tax transparency.

What a difference a few days can make.

When the Prime Minister published details from his tax

return at the weekend he called it "unprecedented".

Now senior politicians are falling over themselves to publish theirs.

All the party leaders in Scotland, George Osborne, Boris Johnson

and - slightly later than planned -

Earlier today David Cameron appeared before MPs and defended his own

financial arrangements and his government's record

The speaker, I accept all of the criticisms for not responding more

quickly to these issues last week. But as I have said I was angry about

it when my father's memory was being produced. I know he was a

hard-working man and a wonderful dad, and I'm proud of everything he

did to build a business and provide for his family. Mr Speaker, this is

a government and this should be a country that believes in aspiration

and wealth creation. So we should defend the right of every British

citizen to make money lawfully. Aspiration and wealth creation are

not somehow dirty words. They are the key engines of growth and

prosperity in our country and we must always support those who want

to own shares and make investments to support their families. I

suggest, Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister's record particularly over

the past week shows the public no longer has trust in him to do with

these matters. Does he realise why people are so angry? Does he realise

that members opposite don't realise why people are so angry? We have

gone through six years, six years of crushing austerity. Families lining

up at food banks to feed their children. Disabled people losing

their benefits. Elderly care cut and slashed. Living standards going

down. Much of this could have been avoided if our country hadn't been

ripped off by the super-rich refusing to pay their taxes.

From our Westminster studio, I 'm joined by Isabel Hardman

from The Spectator and the Political Commentator - James Cusick.

Good evening to both of you. Fiery stuff, there, James, and the promise

to very much on the offensive. Has he done enough to shut this down? I

think it was an open goal for Jeremy Corbyn. It was by this time the

seventh exhalation of what had happened by the Prime Minister, and

the strategy shouldn't have been what the Prime Minister was doing,

but one what excuses the Prime Minister was offering. As you just

heard Jeremy Corbyn went off on almost a massive class war rant,

bringing in everything from the rich, poor, austerity, house and has

not, the Tory party debated and the Ritz party, the Labour Party at the

party of justice, and I think at the end of the day to be honest the

opportunity I think the week in the Prime Minister that didn't happen,

and I think it was an open goal and a mistake.

An own goal? If the objective was to weaken the Prime Minister and expose

what he was doing. Then at the end of that, I think there were seven

points that Jeremy Corbyn made and the Prime Minister answered them all

and the debate afterwards disappeared and I have no idea how

effective the opposition is supposed to be but whoever was advising

Jeremy Corbyn on how you take down someone, the strategy is weak and at

times pathetic and if that is all there is, the Prime Minister does

not need to worry. What do you think about the choice of words from the

Prime Minister, talking about wealth creation not been dirty words? He

tried to turn the debate on something that is uncomfortable for

the Labour Party which is about its approach to wealth creation and what

parents want to do about their wealth when they die. This has been

a difficult few weeks for the Conservatives and they have not

handled it well. I thought it was striking that Parliament which is a

place where ministers face pressure and heat and where rows can become

serious, it was a place where the row calmed down and David Cameron

emerge from it having at least stopped it from going further which

is not an achievement on the part of Jeremy Corbyn at all. There was a

bit of a class war going on, not just by Jeremy Corbyn, we heard a

Tory MP talk about whether we want a Parliament of under achievers with

this transparency, how do you think that talk goes down with voters? You

are probably too young to remember the 1992 election but I remember

John Smith produced a budget where he talked about raising income tax

to 50p and John Smith was widely credited with being one of the

reasons why it Labour lost. Aspiration is a key point of any

political strategy, the Labour Party have to figure out a way of

appealing to core supporters, it has to go wider and if Jeremy Corbyn is

only a mean his criticism at Tory votes, middle-class votes then the

Labour Party have nowhere to go. If they are talking about limiting

inheritance tax, the Labour Party are missing that common ground and

if that is all Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party have over the next

couple of years, then I am struggling to think what is the

point. They have to do more than just appealed to core support and

that is who Jeremy Corbyn was talking to. It is not enough. What

are Tory backbenchers making of this? They are relieved that the

Prime Minister cut off the idea of them having to publish their tax

returns. He said the publication should be

limited to the leaders of the main parties and Chancellor and Shadow

Chancellor. That is something that Conservative MPs were agitated

about. The only unhelpful question came from Alan Duncan. He ended up

making snide comments at about underachievers which did not help

the Conservatives. It was not as if they had piled into the chamber to

beat up David Cameron verbally. A lot of them are angry with him about

the European referendum campaign. Can we expect more revelations? I

think we can. I have spoken to some investigated journalists in Germany

about it. They got the documents and one of them said, previous

generations of politicians in London, even down to ministers,

should be wary that there is plenty more stuff out there. This could be

chapter one and I am looking to further chapters coming up as soon

as possible. We will see what the future holds. Thank you.

Education was in the spotlight tonight on the Holyrood campaign

trail, as the main parties made their case to the

Nicola Sturgeon announced a future SNP Government would seek

to "equalise" financial support for students

Strathclyde University in Glasgow for the leaders, a place to learn

more about what the party think about education. The event was

organised by the National Union about education. The event was

priorities ahead of May the 5th. Support first you'd is in college,

students and later stages and better mental health provision. We are

expecting 400 students to come and hear what they have to say and what

their plans are for education. Four of the main parties and their

leaders, the Conservatives opted for Adam Tomkins, a professor at Glasgow

university. A number of different issues are under discussion from

mental health to gender issues are under discussion from

we would reinstate bursaries back to the 2012 level and said that we

would give the right to student support for further education

students. At the moment, when the bursary part runs out, that is it.

We would make sure the system guaranteed that for the full

academic year. A pledge from Nicola Sturgeon. She said she would look at

offering more help to students in further education. Access to student

support should be based on your particular circumstances as a

student and I think we should be looking at having an equaliser

system of student support across further education and higher

education so that it is you and your circumstances that drives the level

of support not where you choose to study. Answers to more questions in

the weeks to come. And with me this evening to talk

about some of the day's news - is the journalist -

Peter Geoghagan and from Oxfam UK - Welcome to both of you. Let us

return to the Prime Minister 's troubles over tax, Dennis Skinner

was kicked out of the Commons Forex pressing his view of David Cameron.

This man has done more to divide this -- divide this nation than

anyone else! Eyes still refer to him as dodgy days! Do what you like! Is

that a name that you think we'll stick as a result of this whole

affair, Dodgy Dave? He will always call him Dodgy Dave. He has released

his tax returns, so has George Osborne and it is supposed to be OK,

but you will not get all that much from those tax returns and it suits

the Prime Minister, suits his narrative, I think for the Prime

Minister, the question is not going to go away in terms of what we do

about tax. None of these things will come up in a tax return. His trust

ownership, none of that will come up, this will not make the issue go

away and it will not make a huge difference if the Leader of the

Opposition and the Shadow Chancellor all publish their tax returns. It

will not make much of a difference. Is it time for a total transparency

from all MPs? It is not just about the individuals, we need

transparency from countries and companies and I agree with Peter,

there is a risk this can become to individualised and it takes are gaze

away from these massive systemic problems, it is not just a case of

the few bad apples, it is a whole apple cart that is broken. There is

lots the Prime Minister can do, he will host an anti-corruption Summit

and he will show the leadership he can provide and get his hands on

this issue and turn his attention to the British Virgin Islands, lab --

most of the Company is on the Panama papers are registered there. It is

very risky if we individualise this. We saw all the Scottish party

leaders publish their tax returns without any hesitation, what does

that say about them? There was not that much interest. If you Google

them, you will see what they get paid. If you look at Boris Johnson,

he released his, he is taking in a quarter of ?1 million a year from

the Daily Telegraph, Kezia Dugdale 's columns is a fraction of that. Is

a noble not burn as burn as much as someone like Boris Johnson? It is

interesting. Some voters feel, Donald Trump is saying I cannot be

bought because I earn more than anyone, for some there is an

element, but by looking at what someone is declaring, we are not

really seeing... If someone was corrupt, they will not put it in

their returns. The kind of corruption that involves giving jobs

to friends, involves more systemic corruption, that is not on a tax

return. We could get fixated on what is on what line and we will comb

over the tax returns and see how many thousands did he get back from

shareholdings, David Cameron had around 140,000 in shareholdings that

he's sold in 2010. We will see that coming out, but I think we are on

the same hymn sheet, the worry is that they will focus on the issue

and forget the rest. I would like to move on, to Barack Obama. This is

what he said to the Fox news anchor. Biggest achievement. Saving the

economy. Worst mistake. Probably failing to plan for the day after,

what I think was the right thing to do in intervening in Libya. Was that

a fairer self-assessment? I think it is widely accepted that there was

not enough planning for a Libya and the whole region has become so

destabilised, we saw the situation in Yemen and Syria and the

consequent humanitarian crisis with the flood of refugees moving out

because the situation there is so desperate. I think that is a fair

shout. Let us look at the situation he came into. He came into office as

the global financial crisis started, he is now facing a Congress that is

held and tied up by the Republicans and he has been able to get a few

things through, particularly things like putting planet before people

with the keystone or oil pipeline. His take on gay rights, let us not

undermine the significance of the first black President. Do you think

he has fulfilled expectations? Expectations were sky high, it was

always going to be difficult to fulfil and it will be a long time

before he can see what his legacy is. It will depend what happens in

November, whether it is Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump.

I'm back with a special hour-long election debate on health

A studio audience will get the chance to grill senior

politicians so please do join us if you can.