:00:45. > :00:50.Good afternoon and welcome to the Sunday politics. Our top story
:00:50. > :00:53.called a blind agreement to promote jobs and growth and keep a Greece
:00:53. > :01:01.Andy Euro zone. Was anything decided by D G eight which will
:01:01. > :01:07.make the slightest difference? �1,200 per year and rising. What
:01:07. > :01:11.will the Government do about household fuel bills? The police
:01:11. > :01:21.federation accuses the Theresa May of been on the precipice of
:01:21. > :01:28.
:01:28. > :01:31.destroying the police service. The RAF's toxic legacy in Scotland.
:01:31. > :01:36.First, radioactive contamination, now we discover concerns about
:01:36. > :01:40.chemical weapons dumped on public land. And we are live in Washington
:01:40. > :01:50.to assess the potential fall-out from the Euro zone crisis and what
:01:50. > :01:50.
:01:50. > :28:32.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1602 seconds
:28:32. > :28:38.Air is a complete red herring. You're talking about fairness, yet
:28:38. > :28:48.some officers will lose 30% up their spending power. A wiry been
:28:48. > :28:50.
:28:50. > :28:54.treated differently? -- why are we? These reforms do not change the
:28:54. > :29:00.overall pay bill. It is a system recognising that officers doing the
:29:00. > :29:06.most important jobs are paid accordingly. The system right now
:29:06. > :29:09.increases pay every year regardless of skills.
:29:09. > :29:16.Even if these reforms are implemented in full will the police
:29:16. > :29:24.still not have one of the best deals on pay and pensions?
:29:24. > :29:34.You have to look at their job but we do.
:29:34. > :29:35.
:29:35. > :29:38.But is that true? Or yes, but we are astonished at the low priority.
:29:38. > :29:43.Social services and education have been hit as well and we're having
:29:43. > :29:52.to pick up the pieces. Public safety is being put at risk. That
:29:52. > :30:02.is the bottom line. That is not true. You will continue
:30:02. > :30:12.to earn 15% more than other emergency services. An average of
:30:12. > :30:15.
:30:15. > :30:23.two-and-a-half �1,000 pair here. -- �2,500 pair here.
:30:23. > :30:26.People will be worried that you are cutting the numbers.
:30:27. > :30:31.The question is what is happening on the frontline. All the parties
:30:31. > :30:36.admit that we have to make savings and that numbers would go down. But
:30:36. > :30:42.at the moment we have 6,000 officers on restricted duties, the
:30:42. > :30:47.number doubling in the last eight years.
:30:47. > :30:52.I need to make a final point that the Government knows it has been
:30:53. > :31:01.caught out. Overseas Development has been increased by 34%, why are
:31:01. > :31:11.you putting British public safety at risk?
:31:11. > :31:12.
:31:12. > :31:15.We have to leave at there. What about as bows?
:31:16. > :31:24.We will replace the system with a better one that enables injunctions
:31:24. > :31:28.to be obtained earlier. Better tools for the police.
:31:28. > :31:35.Things like that have been lost because of what is going on
:31:35. > :31:40.elsewhere. Welcome to Sunday politics Scotland.
:31:40. > :31:46.Coming up: chemical weapons and radioactive waste. Has the public
:31:46. > :31:49.been kept in the dark about radiation at an RAF Kinloss. What
:31:50. > :31:54.will the effect of the Euro zone crisis be when it washes up in
:31:54. > :31:57.Scotland? And affordable housing shortages put an end to the
:31:57. > :32:04.purchasing of council houses introduced by Margaret Thatcher.
:32:04. > :32:12.But is it about to make a comeback? And an alternative treatment for
:32:12. > :32:18.alcoholics from Canada. It is a difficult concept to wrap
:32:18. > :32:22.your brain around. What is going on with care in our
:32:22. > :32:30.communities? And well the torch relay get you excited about the
:32:30. > :32:34.Documents obtained by BBC Scotland show that the authorities knew that
:32:34. > :32:39.the public could be at risk from chemical weapons buried near the
:32:39. > :32:47.RAF base at Kinross. It is already the focus of an investigation by
:32:48. > :32:53.the Scottish Environment Agency. Our Environment Correspondent has
:32:53. > :32:57.been investigating and joins me now. You reported the risk of
:32:57. > :33:05.radioactive contamination outside the base. That is now being
:33:05. > :33:10.investigated. Yet you have discovered another toxic legacy.
:33:10. > :33:13.Yes, potential radioactive contamination inside and outside
:33:13. > :33:17.the base is under investigation but we can also reveal that the
:33:17. > :33:23.authorities at the base knew about the dangers posed by chemical
:33:23. > :33:28.weapons on public land. We have obtained a land quality assessment
:33:29. > :33:38.dating back to 2004. It was carried out ahead of construction more for
:33:39. > :33:55.
:33:55. > :34:01.a new water treatment project. It The land quality assessment goes on
:34:01. > :34:04.to say that the authorities at Kinross believe there was a
:34:04. > :34:08.potential for radioactive contamination to be present in the
:34:08. > :34:15.ground and warns any personnel involved in the investigation work
:34:15. > :34:20.that it had the potential to put them at risk. I have been told that
:34:20. > :34:28.staff War nuclear, chemical, and biological protection suits.
:34:28. > :34:38.Clearly the threat was taken This mustard agent could be buried
:34:38. > :34:48.Yes, a colourless, or Islay agent which creates Severe Barnes and
:34:48. > :34:54.
:34:54. > :35:00.destroys body tissue. -- severe burns. It can release active
:35:00. > :35:10.sulphur mustard. It is worth noting that the UK abandoned its offensive
:35:10. > :35:16.chemical weapons programmes in 1956. In 2004, based test pits where up
:35:16. > :35:26.duck and there was no traces of contamination found - was that
:35:26. > :35:26.
:35:26. > :35:31.conclusive? No trace of chemical weapons was
:35:31. > :35:35.bound but the authors of the report believe that anomalies were not
:35:35. > :35:40.investigated and admits that in some areas it was not possible to
:35:41. > :35:45.conduct the geophysical Survey, as they called it. That statement, I
:35:45. > :35:49.suspect, will not reassure the public. It is worth pointing out
:35:49. > :35:58.there we have been told that material contaminated with radium
:35:58. > :36:03.was removed from the site during the work in 2004.
:36:03. > :36:11.There is legitimate public interest here of - how forthcoming have the
:36:11. > :36:21.MoD been? They are released a statement
:36:21. > :36:42.
:36:42. > :36:47.Two key questions remain. How do management systems remain in place
:36:47. > :36:51.if land is sold and the new owners are unaware of potential dangers?
:36:51. > :36:56.And where the relevant authorities in Scotland informed of the
:36:56. > :37:01.situation at the base by the Ministry of Defence back in 2004?
:37:01. > :37:04.The Scottish Government has already written to the Ministry of Defence
:37:04. > :37:08.demanding full disclosure. Pressure is mounting on the ministry to
:37:08. > :37:15.release more information about potential environmental threats at
:37:15. > :37:25.base is not just Team Scotland but across the United Kingdom. -- bases
:37:25. > :37:27.not just here in Scotland. I have joined now by a representative of
:37:27. > :37:35.the defence select committee at Westminster. How does to commit --
:37:35. > :37:39.how much does the committee know about what is going on?
:37:39. > :37:43.We know and absolutely nothing about these deeply worrying
:37:43. > :37:50.revelations. There is an arrogance about the Ministry of Defence that
:37:50. > :37:55.is not new but must be tackled once and for all.
:37:55. > :37:59.A report came out in 1958 informing the Government Act that time that
:37:59. > :38:04.there was a problem with radium in the ground and that records must be
:38:04. > :38:07.kept and passed on to subsequent landowners, do you think there is a
:38:07. > :38:13.due diligence as you or do you think the Ministry of Defence has
:38:13. > :38:17.been an act of like obstructive? There is a culture in the Ministry
:38:17. > :38:25.of Defence of withholding information from the public and
:38:25. > :38:35.successive governments. That must end.
:38:35. > :38:37.
:38:37. > :38:42.Issue of concern about potential liability? -- as you're?
:38:42. > :38:46.There is a culture, that somehow the Ministry of Defence knows
:38:46. > :38:54.better than its regulators. We need an option statement from the
:38:54. > :38:59.Government that spells out who knew what and when. When did they inform
:38:59. > :39:03.the Scottish regulators? When did gain formal authorities? When did
:39:03. > :39:12.the informed Scottish ministers? That must be done as soon as
:39:12. > :39:22.possible. What kind of confidence can the
:39:22. > :39:22.
:39:22. > :39:26.public have given how this has been handled so far?
:39:26. > :39:31.The only way trust can be restored as if the Ministry of Defence gets
:39:31. > :39:34.in front of this and spells out what it believes are the
:39:35. > :39:44.liabilities on the site and the realistic health risks. Rather than
:39:45. > :39:46.
:39:46. > :39:49.the BBC doing the job for them of digging up information.
:39:49. > :39:59.You mention the BBC, could Parliament have been more vigilant
:39:59. > :39:59.
:39:59. > :40:02.here? With the best will in the world
:40:02. > :40:07.Committee members were not around when the 1958 reports were coming
:40:07. > :40:11.out. It is not practical for ministers and politicians to
:40:11. > :40:20.perform that level of due diligence. The Ministry of Defence has a
:40:20. > :40:26.culture of secrecy and that must end.
:40:26. > :40:30.The G8 summit ended with apparently conflicting objectives. The
:40:30. > :40:39.Americans call for growth whilst German said that austerity measures
:40:39. > :40:43.must remain in place. How safe can you be from the fall-out? One of
:40:43. > :40:48.the jewels in the crown of the Scottish tourist industry here on
:40:48. > :40:58.the Aberdeen coast. It may be the weather for these fellows but last
:40:58. > :41:08.year 72,000 people visited. They came from all over Europe,
:41:08. > :41:08.
:41:08. > :41:11.everywhere, really. If the euro currency continues to
:41:11. > :41:17.devalue that is good news for foreign holidaymakers who will get
:41:17. > :41:23.more bang from the account. But the downside of a strong, expensive
:41:23. > :41:29.pound, is that visitors are put off coming here from Europe. To this
:41:29. > :41:35.spend an estimated �4 billion in Scotland every year. -- to wrists.
:41:35. > :41:40.It would not just be this industry which would be affected by the Euro
:41:40. > :41:46.zone crisis, exports would also suffer. Scottish salmon has a
:41:46. > :41:52.lucrative market in Europe. The whisky industry might fare better,
:41:52. > :41:57.it has a huge market outside the euro-zone. Oil and gas is also a
:41:57. > :42:06.global business. But a dip in oil prices is being put down to
:42:06. > :42:12.concerns about a drop in demand for -- from Europe. Perhaps the biggest
:42:12. > :42:22.danger for the United Kingdom and Scottish economy as a volatility.
:42:22. > :42:24.
:42:24. > :42:29.Uncertainty in the markets is always expensive.
:42:29. > :42:39.Barry Porter has got a very early from Washington to join us. We are
:42:39. > :42:41.
:42:41. > :42:46.outside the euro, but how concerned There are two scenarios. One is
:42:46. > :42:51.that the Greeks remain inside the euro. Even with that scenario, the
:42:51. > :42:58.pressure is on the euro, as your correspondent said, and it will
:42:58. > :43:05.make it a fairly depressed currency. It lowered demand in the UK and in
:43:05. > :43:09.Scotland in particular. There is then the possibility the Greeks are
:43:10. > :43:14.forced out of the euro and then the situation will become worse. That
:43:14. > :43:18.will remove uncertainty about the future of the euro and Greece but
:43:18. > :43:24.it transfers the uncertainty to the situations in Spain and Portugal
:43:24. > :43:30.and so on. Under either scenario, I think the prospects are for a rough
:43:30. > :43:36.period ahead. Which areas in Scotland are most vulnerable?
:43:36. > :43:46.are obviously some that are more are linked into the value of the
:43:46. > :43:49.
:43:49. > :43:55.currency and those are issues like to Islam -- tourism, and that will
:43:55. > :44:00.discourage visitors to Spain, Portugal and other areas like that.
:44:00. > :44:05.The food industry is also vulnerable. I would have a more
:44:05. > :44:09.optimistic view on two sectors. First of all, even though the dip
:44:09. > :44:15.in a while prices will not have helped the oil export industry, and
:44:15. > :44:18.the long term nobody sees oil prices dropping. Any kind of
:44:18. > :44:22.international incident relating to the Middle East can quickly reverse
:44:22. > :44:28.any decline like we have seen in the last few weeks. The oil
:44:28. > :44:31.industry is not likely to be particularly badly affected. The
:44:31. > :44:36.Scottish financial sector remains in a better shape than its
:44:36. > :44:41.counterparts in Europe to handle the a repercussions of further
:44:41. > :44:45.uncertainty and problems within the euro. Given that the G8 does not
:44:45. > :44:49.seem to have come up with anything constructive other than President
:44:49. > :44:54.Obama saying there should be growth and Angela Merkel saying we have to
:44:54. > :44:58.stick to plans to cut the deficit, do you think the Greeks have to
:44:58. > :45:04.accept the package they have been offered or do you think Germany and
:45:04. > :45:11.others have to rethink what is happening? This is a very difficult
:45:11. > :45:15.issue. I think the only two things that economists generally would
:45:16. > :45:20.broadly agree on are the following. First, everyone realises that the
:45:20. > :45:26.debt cannot go on and the way that it is. The issue is how quickly you
:45:26. > :45:33.can really cut it back. Even an institution like my former employer,
:45:33. > :45:39.the IMF, even their saying one needs to be restrained about how
:45:39. > :45:43.fast you try to cut back. I think that has been one dimension on
:45:43. > :45:48.which everyone can now except that there needs to be some moderation
:45:48. > :45:52.otherwise there really is a risk of a self-defeating contraction of the
:45:52. > :45:55.economy, because there is insufficient demand. The second
:45:55. > :46:00.thing people can understand is that the real tragedy of this increase
:46:00. > :46:05.in debt is that this was not a debt that was increased as a result of
:46:05. > :46:10.productive investment but as a result of the misbehaviour of banks
:46:10. > :46:13.over a period of time. The more that one can now find some means
:46:13. > :46:17.the public spending to come up with the infrastructure investments and
:46:17. > :46:21.things of that nature, the better it is going to be. That is probably
:46:21. > :46:26.a message that there will be some agreement on it even between
:46:26. > :46:31.President Obama and Angela Merkel. They have to both cut the deficit
:46:31. > :46:36.but not too quickly. At the same time, you have to stimulate their
:46:36. > :46:44.economies which has done quite successfully in the United States
:46:44. > :46:49.to supply it employment and keep the economy so regenerating. What
:46:49. > :46:54.would be you're the view of the Westminster government, are the
:46:54. > :46:59.cutting back to fast and too much? That is a difficult question to
:47:00. > :47:02.answer but I would put it this way. It was obviously a setback for the
:47:02. > :47:06.present government when the economy appeared to head back into
:47:07. > :47:11.recession. I would think if there were a further quarter of negative
:47:11. > :47:17.growth or even zero growth, then the pressures will start to mount
:47:17. > :47:22.to review simply the rate at which this fiscal consolidation is taking
:47:22. > :47:26.place. No one doubts that fiscal consolidation is necessary, that is
:47:26. > :47:31.indisputable. There are some real structural problems that need to be
:47:31. > :47:34.addressed in the UK economy on this basis. I think there may be some
:47:34. > :47:39.greater pressure towards the end of this year if the economy does not
:47:39. > :47:45.show signs of revival over the next few months. To get back to the euro
:47:45. > :47:52.crisis, how helpful word David Cameron's comets that the eurozone
:47:52. > :47:56.had to make-up or break-up at this stage? -- comets. There is a real
:47:56. > :48:00.fundamental problem and an economy like Greece and I can understand
:48:00. > :48:06.his remarks. The truth is that economy is not productive at
:48:06. > :48:09.present wage rates and that the present exchange rate. If you're
:48:09. > :48:14.not able to change this and Greece remains within the euro, then you
:48:14. > :48:18.have no choice but to go through a long protracted period of wage
:48:18. > :48:23.restraint. Whether that can be handled politically and pieces are
:48:23. > :48:26.very difficult question. -- in Greece.
:48:26. > :48:32.Could the right to buy, a key and highly controversial housing policy
:48:32. > :48:34.of the Thatcher era, be making a come back in East Lothian. The new
:48:34. > :48:37.Conservative and Labour coalition have agreed what they call a
:48:37. > :48:47.modernised right to buy .The previous SNP and Liberal Democrat
:48:47. > :48:51.administration didn't want anything to do with it.
:48:51. > :48:56.Owning your own home was at the centre of Margaret thatcher's
:48:56. > :49:00.social revolution. It is now 27 years since she travelled here to
:49:00. > :49:04.celebrate the millionth house sale under the right-to-buy scheme which
:49:04. > :49:10.gave people the opportunity to purchase their council houses at a
:49:10. > :49:15.low cost. This woman rents a house from the council but she says she's
:49:15. > :49:21.one of the lucky ones. The right- to-buy let it East Lothian's
:49:22. > :49:25.housing stock being have leading to pressurised waiting lists. Had it
:49:25. > :49:30.been a private let as friends of mine have had to do, it would have
:49:30. > :49:35.been so expensive I could not have afforded it. This is my fear, that
:49:35. > :49:38.what will happen is, with more and more privatisation, they are going
:49:38. > :49:43.to cherry-pick the people that make the most money and the poor and
:49:43. > :49:49.vulnerable will not have a home at all. The modernised right-to-buy
:49:49. > :49:58.was abolished in the 2010 Housing Act. One year later, East Lothian
:49:58. > :50:02.was canst -- granted pressurised area status. The Conservatives
:50:02. > :50:07.pledged to reverse that in their manifesto. If you're a council
:50:07. > :50:11.tenant and have the chance to buy your home, you can buy it at a far
:50:11. > :50:16.lower cost than on the open market. It is relatively affordable for a
:50:16. > :50:20.lot of people. The council banks their money for a house and an --
:50:20. > :50:25.and then reinvest that very speedily. Housing became a
:50:25. > :50:29.predominant issue during the election campaign with the SNP
:50:29. > :50:38.campaigning on the record of housebuilding helped by �4.4
:50:38. > :50:41.million from the Scottish government. We had a concern. There
:50:41. > :50:47.was no houses built in the previous five years of the previous and
:50:47. > :50:57.penetration. Reassurance right-to- buy is the issue of losing house
:50:57. > :50:59.has just built. -- previous administration. The new Labour and
:50:59. > :51:03.Conservative Coalition is calling for more Scottish government help
:51:03. > :51:07.to allow it to access affordable land to build more homes and help
:51:07. > :51:12.kick-start the local economy. available land in East Lothian is
:51:12. > :51:17.under the control of major Housing builders who are suffering under
:51:17. > :51:20.the financial climate. If the Government was prepared to
:51:20. > :51:25.reintroduce the community land that are any measure where councils
:51:25. > :51:30.could get access to additional land, that would be a huge help. East
:51:30. > :51:34.Lothian has already announced it will not been meeting the 2012
:51:34. > :51:40.homelessness target and the issue is making front-page news. Homeless
:51:40. > :51:44.this has increased considerably over the last 10 years. There has
:51:44. > :51:48.been a 65% increase in the number of homelessness applications to the
:51:48. > :51:53.council over the last decade. There have been on average 2100
:51:53. > :51:57.applications for homelessness to the local authority on average each
:51:57. > :52:02.year. It boosting the availability of affordable housing is a key
:52:02. > :52:05.priority for the new council. that is done remains to be seen.
:52:05. > :52:07.With me in Glasgow is the housing and transport minister, MSP Keith
:52:08. > :52:16.Brown. And for Scottish Labour, their housing spokesperson, Elaine
:52:16. > :52:22.Murray MSP. Can we be clear about Labour's
:52:22. > :52:26.policy is on the right to buy? 2010 at the not abolish the
:52:26. > :52:31.modernised right-to-buy. It abolished it for certain categories,
:52:31. > :52:38.new tenants, new builds. The people who already had the modernised
:52:39. > :52:41.right-to-buy continue to have it. East Lothian had applied for
:52:41. > :52:46.privileged status which allowed them to suspend the modernised
:52:46. > :52:53.right-to-buy for a period of time. They're talking about a revolting
:52:53. > :53:00.that suspension. In the East Lothian, only 18 houses were sold
:53:00. > :53:06.under the modernised right-to-buy. Most houses have been sold under
:53:06. > :53:10.the preserve right to buy. Going forward, in East Lothian, do they
:53:10. > :53:16.want to see tenants in new-build have the right to buy and the
:53:16. > :53:26.future? What the Tories are saying is that they want to report the
:53:26. > :53:29.
:53:29. > :53:35.suspension. Us that Labour policy is well? -- revoke. The council can
:53:35. > :53:39.make that decision, either to impose the suspension of the right
:53:39. > :53:43.to buy it or revoke it. That is a decision for the local authority to
:53:43. > :53:49.make. As it Labour Party policy that any new-build in Scotland
:53:49. > :53:52.should be open to right to buy? is not. You do not see a
:53:52. > :54:00.contradiction? I do not see a contradiction because in East
:54:00. > :54:05.Lothian they would not be water sell-off new builds? What we have
:54:05. > :54:09.is a Labour Party in East Lothian facilitating with the Conservatives
:54:09. > :54:13.a return to Thatcherite policy. East Lothian is highly pressured.
:54:13. > :54:17.This will not help them until we have heard about the pressure and
:54:17. > :54:21.the waiting lists and that will have the effect of reducing the
:54:21. > :54:25.available stock. I do not understand this because Alleyne
:54:25. > :54:31.Murray and myself both recently voted against the Conservatives he
:54:31. > :54:35.was advocating that policy. I do not have understand how at the
:54:35. > :54:39.Labour Party can say something at a national level and the exact
:54:39. > :54:45.opposite in East Lothian. They are proposing to lift the suspension of
:54:45. > :54:50.their modernised right abide which affected 18 properties since it
:54:50. > :54:56.came into effect. You take the point that that is a constant
:54:56. > :55:00.effect. You cannot or ride the Housing Act. The fact is there is a
:55:00. > :55:04.suspension of the right-to-buy for five years in East Lothian. The
:55:04. > :55:09.Labour Party and the Conservatives have the ability to lift that. If
:55:09. > :55:14.it was true one year ago that when East Lothian apply to us that they
:55:14. > :55:16.had an excess of demand over supply, what has changed now and for the
:55:16. > :55:21.Labour Party and the Tories to going to the sidelines to bring
:55:21. > :55:25.back a Thatcherite policy? Let's look at that point then. Whatever
:55:25. > :55:30.the legalities of what may or may not be an Egle and the future, if
:55:30. > :55:35.all the evidence is that there is a big housing shortage there, why is
:55:35. > :55:38.this policy appropriate? Labour councillors did not support the
:55:38. > :55:43.suspension of the right to buy in 2010 anyway because they did not
:55:43. > :55:47.think it would achieve anything. We're talking about East Lothian.
:55:47. > :55:50.In East Lothian, they did not support it because they did not
:55:50. > :55:54.think it would make any difference because they had only sold 18
:55:54. > :55:59.houses under the modernised right- to-buy. There were worried that
:55:59. > :56:05.people who had be preserved right- to-buy might feel that their
:56:05. > :56:08.entitlement was under threat and then try to use it. The next just
:56:08. > :56:13.clarify the consequences here. What do you think will be the
:56:13. > :56:19.consequences of what this Coalition is proposing now? I do not think it
:56:19. > :56:24.will make a great deal of difference. Since the 2001 Act came
:56:24. > :56:28.into effect, 1000 council houses have been sold under the preserve
:56:28. > :56:33.right-to-buy and that is the right to buy that is not being affected.
:56:33. > :56:37.That is the one with the big biscuit. If it will make little
:56:37. > :56:42.difference, why is it being done in the first place? This will have the
:56:42. > :56:46.effect of reducing the available stock off housing and East Lothian.
:56:46. > :56:50.Why would you do this if your policy is to sell houses off? It
:56:50. > :56:56.will have an effect on the available land in East Lothian --
:56:56. > :57:00.land for housing in East Lothian. They will struggle to hit but the
:57:00. > :57:04.2012 or homeless this target and this will not help it at all.
:57:04. > :57:07.there are also an argument that more up focus should be placed on
:57:07. > :57:11.private sector housing because there are often massive problems
:57:11. > :57:19.there which does not ever get abreast across any of the
:57:19. > :57:22.council's? In terms of legislation? In terms of responses. Perhaps a
:57:22. > :57:29.needs to be better implementation of the existing legislation and the
:57:29. > :57:33.standards of these accommodation and then its upper level to. There
:57:33. > :57:39.has been legislation in the Scottish Parliament or the years.
:57:39. > :57:45.Do you think it has been adequately enforced? A I think it will get --
:57:45. > :57:48.change from one council to another council. Is that acceptable? It is
:57:48. > :57:53.not acceptable if legislation is not at here to but that is an issue
:57:53. > :57:56.for local authorities to make sure it is enforced. In terms of the
:57:56. > :58:02.sort of consultations that are out there and where housing policy may
:58:02. > :58:06.go, what should be looking for in the future? We are in a process
:58:06. > :58:09.just now where we have limited the right to buy and given councils
:58:10. > :58:14.further discretion but I think there is more to be done. Over the
:58:14. > :58:19.next few weeks, there is more consultation coming out over the
:58:19. > :58:23.right to buy. That hinges on people's rights and Landlord's
:58:23. > :58:27.obligations. East Lothian had a very progressive council which was
:58:27. > :58:30.buying back housing stock of the private market because it was good
:58:30. > :58:34.quality housing. This is the exact reverse of that policy and my fear
:58:34. > :58:38.is that at the other council in Scotland is making great strides
:58:38. > :58:42.towards hitting their 2012 targets and had great concerns over the
:58:42. > :58:48.effect this will have an East Lothian. This has been blown out of
:58:48. > :58:53.all proportion. 18 houses were sold since 2002 when the modernised
:58:53. > :58:57.right-to-buy came into effect. It is not going to make a massive
:58:57. > :59:03.difference and I think this is all about the fact the SNP are unhappy
:59:03. > :59:07.they did not do better in East Lothian. Before we leave, could you
:59:07. > :59:11.consultation lead to further restrictions on the right to buy?
:59:11. > :59:15.Those will be some of the questions we are looking at, whether we
:59:15. > :59:19.should further restrict the right to buy. We said that in her
:59:19. > :59:23.manifesto so that is something we will look at. We'll take on board
:59:23. > :59:27.the views of people and if it will make little difference, why is it
:59:27. > :59:37.the case the Labour Party and the Conservatives are bringing back the
:59:37. > :59:42.This week the Scottish Government confirmed it wants to set a minimum
:59:43. > :59:48.price for alcohol off 50 pence per unit. In Canada, a form of minimum
:59:48. > :59:56.pricing has been in place for more than 20 years. But the country is
:59:56. > :00:02.also using alternative measures to address drinking problems. Canada
:00:02. > :00:09.has a state monopoly on alcohol. Here in Ontario it is sold by
:00:09. > :00:16.government owned stores. Each state sets a minimum price for alcohol
:00:16. > :00:19.and the signs are that it helps. Every time there is an increase in
:00:19. > :00:29.the minimum price or world consumption goes down. There is
:00:29. > :00:33.also a reduction to hospital visits. -- overall consumption.
:00:33. > :00:37.Minimum pricing is part of a wider strategy adopted by the Canadian
:00:37. > :00:47.government aiming to cut down the estimated �7 billion spent on
:00:47. > :00:49.
:00:49. > :00:54.health care and lost productivity. We came up with 41 consensus
:00:54. > :01:04.recommended -- recommendations. They are now in play and a shipping
:01:04. > :01:05.
:01:05. > :01:12.alcohol policy here in Canada. For three arrows, on the half-hour,
:01:12. > :01:19.the receive a proportion of wine. - - Three Arrows. It is determined by
:01:19. > :01:26.a medical model. Than us and doctors help make a decision. --
:01:26. > :01:29.the nurses. Homeless shelters have
:01:29. > :01:36.traditionally banned alcohol on their premises but this programme
:01:36. > :01:40.uses it as a treatment. We provide alcohol to people with
:01:40. > :01:43.an addiction which is a hard concept to wrap your brain around.
:01:43. > :01:48.The traditional method is a recovery model which is abstinence
:01:48. > :01:52.based. The programme has proved effective
:01:52. > :01:57.when it comes to improving the health of alcoholics and reducing
:01:57. > :02:06.the encounters with police and medical staff.
:02:06. > :02:13.I was drinking $100 per day. Now I wake up in the morning and have a
:02:13. > :02:16.nice hot shower. I am not shaking and puking.
:02:17. > :02:21.We are reducing the harm to the individual person. Managing
:02:21. > :02:25.addiction in a way whereby they're not living on the street, drinking
:02:25. > :02:30.moonshine, they are drinking more soluble liquids that will not have
:02:30. > :02:37.such a medical detriment to their body. It also works on a local
:02:37. > :02:42.level. We reduce the number of panhandling alcoholics in the
:02:42. > :02:51.community, committing crimes to feed their expensive addiction. And
:02:51. > :02:57.then a societal level we're Across the country, new initiatives
:02:57. > :03:01.have been piloted to reduce alcohol-related harm. With
:03:01. > :03:03.Scotland's relation of alcohol in focus, is there more we can learn
:03:03. > :03:10.from alternative approaches to addiction that can be applied here
:03:10. > :03:13.at home? Provision of care has been in the
:03:13. > :03:19.headlines this week following a story of our us about a man in
:03:19. > :03:26.Aberdeen who had 106 different carers in the year. What is the
:03:26. > :03:32.issue here? We reported on Friday about Janette,
:03:32. > :03:36.who cared for her husband Ken, until his death last week. During
:03:36. > :03:41.the last year of his life he had 106 different people through the
:03:41. > :03:46.door. The issue is not the quality of care, it is the sheer number of
:03:46. > :03:52.people coming in and out of the house. They were involved in
:03:52. > :03:57.intimate care, on dressing, peeving, toileting. His wife says that
:03:57. > :04:05.having that number of people doing intimate things to her husband has
:04:05. > :04:09.stripped him of his dignity. The main thing is dignity. You
:04:09. > :04:14.always come back to it. These people have lost everything. The
:04:14. > :04:21.only thing they are left with his dignity. If you strip that away you
:04:21. > :04:30.are just disposing of them, taking their last thing from them.
:04:30. > :04:36.This has touched a nerve with the Core we have been deluged with
:04:36. > :04:46.personal stories. Many of them echo the experience of Janette. A couple
:04:46. > :05:12.
:05:12. > :05:16.It is obviously a very difficult time for people if you get to a
:05:16. > :05:26.stage whereby you need help with care. How is the process so poster
:05:26. > :05:27.
:05:27. > :05:33.work? -- supposed. In some cases you will be given a
:05:33. > :05:38.care package provided by employees of the council. Anecdotally, from
:05:38. > :05:44.Nicole, it seems that in that situation there is less of a
:05:44. > :05:48.turnover of staff. -- from the information I have received. It is
:05:48. > :05:53.when agencies becoming fork that there tends to be a high turnover
:05:53. > :05:59.of staff. The alternative is being put in control of your own budget,
:05:59. > :06:09.which is called self directed care. Not all councils tell you about it
:06:09. > :06:19.
:06:19. > :06:23.There is a Bill going through the Scottish Parliament at the moment
:06:23. > :06:31.which will force councils to tell you that this option is available
:06:31. > :06:39.and make it your right to have it but that has not yet gone through.
:06:39. > :06:42.With us now, Professor June Andrews from Stirling University, you
:06:42. > :06:50.obviously have expertise -- expertise with a specific type of
:06:50. > :06:57.client. What sort of options are made available to people? And how
:06:57. > :07:02.much information do they get about what is out there?
:07:02. > :07:06.We hear information that supports watch your viewers have said. It is
:07:06. > :07:11.hoped that this legislation will make it easier for people to get
:07:11. > :07:15.the proper information. In general, there are told, you can get what is
:07:15. > :07:22.given by the council, or what is on offer from the council, delivered
:07:22. > :07:26.by a company recruited by them. So how informed of people about the
:07:26. > :07:32.choices they are going to make? Is it always clear what consequences
:07:32. > :07:36.will be of a certain package? When you have dementia, it is
:07:37. > :07:41.always the case that a number of cases will be bad for you. It is
:07:41. > :07:50.not always clear that those people choosing the care know what is best
:07:50. > :07:54.for cases of dementia. They are forced into taking what is on offer.
:07:54. > :07:56.Are there competing and conflicting interests when it comes to people
:07:56. > :08:03.providing the Care and the information being given as part of
:08:03. > :08:06.this process? Yes, one of your correspondent said
:08:06. > :08:10.that the council were not keen on putting forward the idea of the
:08:10. > :08:14.person having their own budgets. You can see the conflict of
:08:14. > :08:20.interest, it implies that what the council is offering is not good
:08:20. > :08:24.enough and that is some sense it might involve some risk to the
:08:24. > :08:28.Council of to services have been run in parallel. The one already
:08:28. > :08:31.being provided by the council under one per person ones with their own
:08:31. > :08:36.resources. If but the very important thing, particularly with
:08:36. > :08:41.dementia, this is the last months and years of some bodies life.
:08:41. > :08:45.Having somebody care for you at home give Sue protection against
:08:45. > :08:55.institutionalisation. Whatever is offered must be satisfactory to the
:08:55. > :08:55.
:08:55. > :08:59.cables. -- cables. Could contract the Clear and better
:08:59. > :09:04.enforced? It is proven clinically that you should not have large
:09:05. > :09:12.numbers of people coming in for individuals with dementia who might
:09:12. > :09:15.find that frightening. At really important point. The
:09:15. > :09:20.implication of what was said before was that the council care was
:09:20. > :09:24.better than company care. But if the council said so limited times
:09:24. > :09:29.and low budgets with the company and does not stipulate that the
:09:29. > :09:36.number of carers should be limited, these things will happen.
:09:36. > :09:39.What will make the biggest difference?
:09:39. > :09:44.If the people setting the contracts they really understood dementia and
:09:44. > :09:48.what makes a difference to people with dementia. Whether that be
:09:49. > :09:51.council people or individual families and carers. If they have
:09:51. > :09:57.the right information in terms of what will make the biggest
:09:57. > :10:04.difference for the person we're not trying to support and care for.
:10:04. > :10:08.So, self directed care, the best thing?
:10:08. > :10:12.If the person is anxious to manage a budget being held by the council
:10:12. > :10:19.but offering the person support, that is a good compromise. But the
:10:19. > :10:24.most important thing is that people have influence over what is spent.
:10:24. > :10:29.Lots of people very affected by this and more so in the future,
:10:29. > :10:32.presumably? Yes, and the argument gets
:10:32. > :10:41.polarised, it is very important to remember that the person with
:10:41. > :10:44.dementia is at heart of this. 68 days and counting. We're not
:10:44. > :10:50.talking about the publication of the Scottish Government referendum
:10:50. > :10:54.responses - we're talking about the Olympics. Are you excited? Will you
:10:54. > :11:02.be glued to the television? Or are you feeling left out and under
:11:02. > :11:09.whelmed? It is one of the final landmarks in the countdown to the
:11:09. > :11:17.opening ceremony. The arrival of the Olympic flame. A carefully
:11:17. > :11:27.choreographed affair involving royalty. Behind all the fanfare, a
:11:27. > :11:28.
:11:28. > :11:34.serious game. -- game. Organisers hope this will ignite enthusiasm up
:11:34. > :11:39.and down the country. Promoting the games as I United Kingdom event,
:11:39. > :11:49.not just for London. But will be Johnny be enough to convince the
:11:49. > :11:55.
:11:55. > :12:02.doubters? -- the journey. The Scottish Legg will begin on day
:12:02. > :12:08.20 off the track across the UK. It will visit iconic sides like the
:12:08. > :12:15.birthplace of Robert Burns. It will then head north before taking to
:12:15. > :12:19.the air for visits to Orkney, Shetland, and Lewis. It then travel
:12:19. > :12:29.south through Aberdeen and Dundee and makes its way to Edinburgh
:12:29. > :12:30.
:12:30. > :12:35.Castle. Organisers claim it will come within one hour of 95% of the
:12:35. > :12:41.population. Glasgow is in the midst of preparing to host the
:12:41. > :12:45.Commonwealth Games in two years. New venues, a tangible sign of a
:12:45. > :12:52.lasting benefits that the Games will provide. Selling the legacy of
:12:52. > :12:59.the London Games here however is a bigger challenge. More than 100
:12:59. > :13:03.Scottish companies have secured contracts related to the Olympics.
:13:03. > :13:10.Several projects inspired by the games are encouraging youngsters to
:13:10. > :13:14.get involved in sport. The torch relay: do provide lessons to those
:13:15. > :13:18.organising the Commonwealth Games and provide an opportunity to
:13:18. > :13:28.showcase Scotland, but will it bring about the same excitement as
:13:28. > :13:29.
:13:29. > :13:38.this? Or will the event for ever eaten set up as London's games? --
:13:38. > :13:46.for ever be considered. I am now joined by two sports writer. My
:13:46. > :13:52.briefing notes say, do not mention fireworks - you get agitated?
:13:52. > :13:57.Opening ceremonies, more on than fireworks. The idea of spending �80
:13:57. > :14:04.million in the age of austerity to set a small stadium on fire. That
:14:04. > :14:09.gets me on edge! I am all for the Olympics, I just cannot stand the
:14:09. > :14:15.build up. Delusions of grandeur that people carry all around
:14:15. > :14:21.Britain at the moment. I am like a cad that is going on holiday,
:14:21. > :14:29.asking, are we there yet? Are we there yet? Once we are there, I
:14:29. > :14:34.will be fine! What is the Scottish dynamic here?
:14:34. > :14:39.It has been lost on me. I love sport but this business about the
:14:39. > :14:45.Olympic flame arriving - I have this idea of a plane arriving at
:14:45. > :14:50.Prestwick and somebody taking out a lighter and lighting it, saying, if
:14:50. > :14:55.this as sacred! I just do not get into it. I just found out the other
:14:55. > :14:59.day that the flame is going through my local village, but it means not
:14:59. > :15:09.much to me. I love the Olympics, but the idea of the Olympic flame
:15:09. > :15:10.
:15:10. > :15:15.with a Celt, I do not get it. Why are they doing it?
:15:15. > :15:22.Hype. They only have 10 weeks to build up a great mass of interest
:15:22. > :15:26.in this soap opera in Lieke. They have to satisfy sponsors. They have
:15:26. > :15:32.to convince sponsors it is at the forefront of everybody's mind. That
:15:32. > :15:36.is all it is, just hype. When the real stuff starts you will get
:15:36. > :15:42.stories of substance, people overcoming odds, a great failures,
:15:42. > :15:52.the awfulness of failure, the great successes, and things like that,
:15:52. > :15:54.
:15:55. > :15:59.but this at the moment, it is just I don't want is to be like a couple
:15:59. > :16:02.of old cynical journalists. Little children will be excited to allow
:16:02. > :16:07.it into the street and see the flame passing through their town or
:16:07. > :16:10.village but it is a subjective thing. When people mention the
:16:10. > :16:15.Olympic flame going through Scotland, I fail to get excited
:16:15. > :16:23.about it. What about the events themselves? Is there any evidence
:16:23. > :16:28.at all that the Olympic events have an effect, in terms of legacy, on
:16:28. > :16:34.the things that children get engaged in it down the line?
:16:34. > :16:38.thing is to take it further than that. Interest is not a problem and
:16:38. > :16:42.interest is never a problem. It is keeping them in sport that is the
:16:42. > :16:46.problem and giving them facilities to continue in sport. Everybody
:16:46. > :16:53.loves going out to play tennis during the British tennis season
:16:53. > :16:59.which encompasses two weeks in June. There are no great facilities for
:16:59. > :17:03.people to continue. At does have an effect. The idea is that before we
:17:03. > :17:09.had facilities, poverty created great sportsman, especially in
:17:09. > :17:13.football. The argument now is we need facilities to produce football.
:17:13. > :17:17.When Scotland had a vintage generation of footballers, it was
:17:17. > :17:21.social deprivation that produced that. It is strange in a way but in
:17:21. > :17:28.the modern world you do need facilities. In terms of legacy, how
:17:28. > :17:31.many times have you and I said, at child said I saw Jimmy Connors
:17:31. > :17:36.winning Wimbledon on Andy Murray doing this or that and they took
:17:36. > :17:40.inspiration from it. In terms of legacy, sportsmen claim they were
:17:40. > :17:45.inspired by things happening at Olympic Games or Ryder Cups, but
:17:45. > :17:52.whether it is true or not, may see it all the time. I may well regret
:17:52. > :17:56.this, as it not the case that footballers are now playing to a
:17:56. > :18:02.far higher standard of the game in football? The game is faster, more
:18:02. > :18:05.skilful than it was, but we have gone down at in the world level and
:18:05. > :18:11.a lot of areas which is why Andy Murray is such a beacon of hope for
:18:11. > :18:16.us. The Commonwealth Games, is the fact they're coming to Scotland
:18:16. > :18:20.making us more or indifferent? gives us the facilities we were
:18:20. > :18:27.talking about earlier and there will be facilities left as an
:18:27. > :18:33.aftermath to the Commonwealth Games. Thank you both. Graeme will be
:18:33. > :18:38.turning his face from the Olympic flame as it goes past!
:18:38. > :18:41.Documents obtained by the BBC show the authorities at RAF Kinloss in
:18:41. > :18:47.Moray knew the public could be at risk from chemical weapons buried
:18:47. > :18:51.in the area. The air bases the focus of a new investigation into
:18:51. > :18:55.radioactive contamination. That is linked to the use of glow-in-the-
:18:55. > :18:58.dark paint in World War II aircraft. The Minister air-defence the there
:18:58. > :19:02.is no indication of significant risk.
:19:02. > :19:06.It has been announced the yes campaign for the independence
:19:06. > :19:10.referendum will launch in Edinburgh this week. The SNP said will be the
:19:10. > :19:14.biggest ever community campaign. Representatives will sign a yes
:19:14. > :19:18.declaration in the capital on Friday. Alastair Darling has
:19:18. > :19:25.confirmed reports he has met with the Conservatives and Liberal
:19:25. > :19:29.Democrats. That is part of a pro- union campaign launched over the
:19:30. > :19:35.next few weeks. There will be a campaign to say we're better
:19:35. > :19:42.remaining within the UK. It will also involve the -- involved people
:19:42. > :19:46.of all political parties and people of no party affiliation. Hearts
:19:46. > :19:50.will prepared -- a Paris through Edinburgh and an open-top bus later
:19:50. > :19:54.as they celebrate their one in the Scottish Cup final. It will head
:19:54. > :19:58.from the city centre to their home ground so fans can glimpse the
:19:58. > :20:02.trophy. Fans are already gathering to join
:20:02. > :20:06.in the celebrations and see the winning team. The parade will start
:20:06. > :20:10.at the City Chambers and head up past the castle and towards the
:20:10. > :20:13.west of the city where there will be more supporters waiting. The
:20:13. > :20:17.victory bus was decorated last night and the organisers had to
:20:17. > :20:27.wait until the final result to know which colour to use. We now know
:20:27. > :20:34.
:20:34. > :20:39.The weather has settled down and it will be a sunny afternoon for much
:20:39. > :20:44.of Scotland. Cloud coming and going across inland areas but not
:20:44. > :20:49.spoiling anything. Cloud towards the outer Hebrides but it will be
:20:49. > :20:59.warm in the sunshine across western Scotland. Cooler along the east
:20:59. > :21:00.
:21:00. > :21:04.coast and winds will be mainly Our next scheduled a it is at
:21:04. > :21:14.6:15pm. In a moment, we will discuss the big events coming up
:21:14. > :21:16.
:21:16. > :21:21.this week at Holyrood. First, a look back at the week in 60 seconds.
:21:21. > :21:24.Nicholas Budgen announced alcohol will cost at least 50p a unit, a
:21:24. > :21:32.level she says is necessary to tackle the nation's relationship
:21:32. > :21:36.with Prince. The jobless total in Scotland fell
:21:36. > :21:41.by 10,000 to 221,000. A cross-party group of MPs launched
:21:41. > :21:43.a campaign to protect the existing army structure and Scotland ahead
:21:43. > :21:48.of proposed Ministry of Defence cuts.
:21:48. > :21:50.The UK Government has published its consultation on the independence
:21:50. > :21:56.referendum and the Prime Minister says he is not bothered about the
:21:56. > :22:00.timing. The First Minister's parliamentary
:22:00. > :22:04.aide was forced to apologise to Parliament after failing to turn up
:22:04. > :22:09.to answer tabled questions. She had been having lunch with the First
:22:09. > :22:14.Minister. I realise that this is not the first time I have done this
:22:14. > :22:21.and I understand the gravity of the matter. The fault is entirely mine,
:22:21. > :22:28.I lost track of time. Looks like the big political story
:22:28. > :22:31.next week will be the launch of the yes campaign.
:22:31. > :22:36.I'm joined by the SNP blogger Kate Higgins who writes under the name
:22:36. > :22:45.BurdsEyeView. Alongside Labour cyber commentator, the lawyer Ian
:22:45. > :22:50.Smart. Thank you both for coming in. The yes campaign launches, where
:22:50. > :22:54.does it go? I have written today that I do not think you should
:22:54. > :23:01.launch a poll on Friday. The government should be focused on the
:23:01. > :23:03.bigger things that were happening in the world right now,
:23:03. > :23:09.particularly in the eurozone, and people should be given the
:23:09. > :23:14.opportunity to see what they voted for last May, which was a for a
:23:14. > :23:17.competent government. There is no rush here apart from what is in the
:23:17. > :23:22.SNP timetable. Then they need to take a moment to consider whether
:23:22. > :23:27.or not the acting in their own interests are in the interests of
:23:27. > :23:30.the people of Scotland. What do you think? I can see why they might
:23:30. > :23:35.want to get on with the yes campaign but they do not think the
:23:35. > :23:39.timing is right. Some of the commentary around after the local
:23:39. > :23:44.government elections suggested the government -- juggernaut had come
:23:44. > :23:47.to a shuddering halt. That was a bit unfair but there was a
:23:47. > :23:54.suggestion people were trying to cut the SNP down to size a little
:23:54. > :23:58.bit and get them to focus on the people's priorities. That was one
:23:58. > :24:02.of the interpretations, that people do not want any more to do with the
:24:02. > :24:05.constitution for a while. We thought you were confident and we
:24:05. > :24:11.continue to support that but once the focus away from the
:24:11. > :24:15.constitution. Do you think that is true? Are there is a certain that
:24:15. > :24:20.illogicality and the government position. If they are so concerned
:24:20. > :24:23.about independence, why not get on with it? We cannot say it is all-
:24:23. > :24:28.important but then we cannot get on with it for two-and-a-half years. I
:24:28. > :24:32.agree with Kate. There is the apocryphal story that the Press and
:24:32. > :24:38.Journal reported when the Titanic sank that an Aberdeen man was lost
:24:38. > :24:44.at sea. In the midst of these huge international events, there is an
:24:44. > :24:49.Aberdeen man lost at sea tone to it a lot of this, that the focus is to
:24:49. > :24:53.launch a campaign for a referendum that is more than two years away.
:24:53. > :24:57.With such a massive question, do you not have to give people a
:24:57. > :25:03.considerable amount of time to hear the arguments and reach their
:25:03. > :25:08.conclusions? I don't think anybody suggest that we rush it but we have
:25:08. > :25:12.just had this discussion of the long lead-in to the Olympics. That
:25:12. > :25:17.is only a matter of a couple of months now it and we're still 38
:25:17. > :25:22.months away from this. What exactly is the campaign going to consist
:25:22. > :25:27.of? A number of minor celebrities standing beside a First Minister
:25:27. > :25:31.saying the support independence? We know that! You get frustrated with
:25:31. > :25:37.the process rather than what the Government is delivering. Could the
:25:37. > :25:41.run out of steam? I think the debate is so polarised between yes
:25:41. > :25:47.and No And everybody realise we need to get it on to the middle
:25:47. > :25:51.ground. We need to get answers to some very big questions and those
:25:51. > :25:56.of us on the outside looking in would prefer it at the politicians
:25:57. > :26:00.could leave some of the partisan ideas at the door and have a
:26:00. > :26:06.serious debate about the pros and cons of independence or of staying
:26:06. > :26:10.where we are. But they need to factor in what happens with what
:26:10. > :26:14.kind of devolution and extra powers we could have if we do not go the
:26:14. > :26:19.whole way with independence. I think independence is what we
:26:19. > :26:24.should aim for but let's have a reasoned debate and a way that is
:26:24. > :26:29.inclusive and draws people in. We agree, we do not need 30 months of
:26:29. > :26:32.it and it is more likely to create apathy a rather than excitement.
:26:32. > :26:37.we look at what has been happening for the Health Secretary this week,
:26:37. > :26:43.it has been a difficult week, but it highlights again this is donate
:26:43. > :26:48.their brief. Is it right that anything wrong with the NHS has
:26:48. > :26:55.landed at the Health Secretary's door? Harold MacMillan pointed out
:26:55. > :27:00.the problem with politics is a events. The matter of whose fault
:27:00. > :27:06.it is that there is a shortage of blankets in your car hospital, it
:27:06. > :27:11.is not Nicola Sturgeon I am sure he asked for fewer blankets. It is the
:27:11. > :27:16.only way in which people can hold a degree of accountability for things
:27:16. > :27:23.like that going wrong. She has just unfortunately been left holding the
:27:23. > :27:32.baby. It is the nightmare before? Justice might be it. As a lawyer,
:27:32. > :27:38.you might say that! Do you think, the headline set is all Nicola
:27:38. > :27:44.Sturgeon's fault, but it is an uncomfortable week and also with
:27:44. > :27:47.July McCubbin. A number of ministers and the SNP Government
:27:47. > :27:52.have played above their game and the Health Secretary is one of them.
:27:53. > :27:58.She has been in command of her brief until now and I think she has
:27:58. > :28:03.actually reacted to some or all of the stories coming in and a
:28:03. > :28:08.commanding way. She has ordered a review and she'll take action after
:28:08. > :28:13.the findings of some of those areas. It is an unfortunate set of
:28:13. > :28:21.circumstances but I think there are two things. The answer, as we have
:28:21. > :28:25.seen, is not to continue to throw money at it. She has ensured that
:28:25. > :28:29.it has plenty of resources and pointed out it is not always at the
:28:29. > :28:33.right thing to do. Some significant breaking news coming in.
:28:33. > :28:39.Confirmation that the Lockerbie bomb or, the man convicted of the
:28:39. > :28:46.Lockerbie bombing, has died. Abdel Basset are Megrahi has died, the
:28:46. > :28:56.report coming in. We're just hearing about that at
:28:56. > :29:00.
:29:00. > :29:06.the moment. We're still awaiting confirmation about the death of Ali
:29:06. > :29:08.abdelbaset Al-Megrahi. He was in hospital last month for a blood
:29:08. > :29:12.transfusion and we're just waiting to get that fully confirmed and
:29:12. > :29:16.will bring that to you as soon as we can.