28/03/2017 BBC News at Six

Scotland's Parliament asks for a second independence referendum

but Westminster says not now - and possibly not for years.

A majority at Holyrood backed Nicola Sturgeon,

who wants Scotland to have another say because of Brexit.

I hope the United Kingdom Government will respect the view of Parliament.

This is simply about giving people in Scotland a choice.

But the final decision lies here at Westminster -

and the response was quick and uncompromising

We'll be declining the request for a Section 30 to hold another

independence referendum and we won't be making any

negotiations until the Brexit process is complete.

With Holyrood and Westminster at loggerheads, we'll

Joy for supporters of the former Royal Marine jailed for killing

a wounded Afghan fighter - he'll be freed in weeks.

This is the moment we have all been fighting hard for.

It's hard to believe that this day is finally here.

From cod liver oil to gluten-free bread -

the NHS plans to take them off the prescription list.

You might have to pay over the counter.

The new, hi-tech pound coin is in circulation from today -

but are all parking meters ready for them?

Coming up in the sport on BBC News, Andy Murray will miss

Great Britain's Davis Cup quarterfinal against France next

month as he recovers from an elbow injury.

Good evening and welcome to the BBC News at Six.

The Scottish and UK governments look to be on a collision course tonight.

Within the last hour, the Scottish parliament has voted

for the power to request a second independence referendum.

But, minutes later, the Scottish Secretary in Westminster

rejected the demand until, in his words, the Brexit

That could be years away - well outside the timetable set out

Our Scotland editor Sarah Smith reports on another looming

confrontation between Holyrood and Westminster.

Jubilant excitement and supporters heard the Scottish Parliament had

just voted for a referendum. Tears of joy today, but disappointment

will follow. They are shouting yes, the Prime Minister will soon tell

them no, there will not be a vote. I call on Nicola Sturgeon... Earlier,

the debate suspended after last week's terror attack in Westminster

resumed. Scotland's future should be in Scotland's hands. That is what

this debate is about, the future of our country, how we best harness our

potential as a country and overcome the challenges we face. Is she going

to spend the next two years and 100% of her time campaigning for Scotland

to leave the UK at the expense of governing, or will she roll up her

sleeves and seek to secure more powers for this government when they

are returned from Brussels to Britain? Independence debate is

always in sight passion and confrontation. We are sick of it,

most people in Scotland have had enough. This Parliament needs to and

must focus on the priorities of the people of this country. It is not

the time to be sidetracked by more unnecessary division. I will not

take any lessons from the First Minister. Actually, sit down,

nothing changed yesterday. I think I answered the question. The result

was never really in doubt, as the Greens voted with the SNP. The

motion, as amended, is agreed. The First Minister can now formally

asked Theresa May for an independence vote. I hope the United

Kingdom government will respect the view of Parliament. This is simply

about giving people in Scotland a choice. We agree that now is not the

right time for that choice, but that choice should be available to people

in Scotland when the terms of Brexit are clear. I look forward to

discussions in the weeks ahead. Nicola Sturgeon knows Theresa May is

going to refuse to allow another Scottish referendum. So, why bother

asking for one at all? The Tories say it is all part of a well

rehearsed gain from the SNP, where they put forward proposals to

Westminster they know will be rejected and then react with

righteous indignation when they are. Rejecting Holyrood's request for a

referendum is a risk, but that is exactly what the UK Government will

do. The Prime Minister has made her position very clear. Now is not the

time for another referendum. Nothing has been said in the Scottish

parliament which takes away from the fact that a referendum during the

Brexit process would be unfair on the people of Scotland. The danger

for the UK Government is that saying no could backfire and stirrups

support for independence. But they firmly believe most Scottish voters

do not want another referendum and will accept that now is not the

time. As we've heard, there were clashes

in Holyrood over whether public opinion in Scotland is in favour

of a second vote on independence. Our Scotland correspondent

Lorna Gordon has been On the banks of the Tay,

a regeneration is under way. ?1 billion is being spent

on Dundee's waterfront - A new museum, the V,

is part of that transformation. The city's creative industries

employ thousands, in areas like computer gaming and cartoons,

attractive to young people. Job prospects, just one

of the factors influencing these I'm still pragmatic and very

cautious about the economics of it I was No before and Yes this time

because we hoped that there would be more powers given to Scotland,

because we were promised more powers and we hoped there would be more

federalisation across the UK Dundee was known as "Yes City"

during the last referendum and there are those here who are eager to say

Yes once again. Others, though, are wary

of re-running a debate Some feel strongly another vote

would be a distraction If it's coming up in 2018, I'll be

out there campaigning for a No. Understand you have

to support businesses. Deal with the things

that you made a mess of. Deal with education,

deal with the priorities that What's best for their future,

the priority for families at this How would you vote

in another referendum? The EU is more important

than the UK for me, just now. Leave things the way they are,

people at the moment are happy with their lives,

I think. I'm happy with mine,

so why change some things Both sides in this debate

paint different pictures The constitutional stand-off

between the First Minister and Prime Minister has

yet to be resolved. But the debate on Scotland's future,

in cities like Dundee, Sarah, they must have been expecting

a negative response from Westminster. Were they surprised by

the uncompromising tone? I think the Scottish Government have been taken

aback. They knew that the Prime Minister was never easily going to

agree to another independence referendum. But when saying now is

not the time, and also making clear that means that Number 10 are not

prepared to talk about this, to enter discussions about another vote

until at least after the UK has left the EU, if then, that has taken the

Scottish Government by surprise. They say that position is not only

democratically indefensible, it is also unsustainable. They don't think

that the UK Government can keep this up and keep saying they won't even

talk about a referendum for the next two years. But there is no reason to

believe that Downing Street are about to change their minds about

this. The risk, of course, is whether or not they might antagonise

Scottish public opinion. It is always a gamble if Westminster is

seen to be telling Scotland what it can or cannot do. It is a risk that

the UK Government are prepared to take because they do think that

public opinion, for now, is very much on their side.

This time tomorrow Britain will have taken the historic step of formally

saying it wants to leave the European Union.

No other country has done this before.

Today, Theresa May said she's determined to use Britain's exit

from the EU to shape an even bigger role for what she calls

The Prime Minister was speaking in Birmingham.

Our political editor Laura Kuenssberg is there.

Plenty of preparation and attention to detail.

The decisions that have been taken will affect

all our lives and livelihoods and her political future.

Banging the drum for trade with the Gulf,

the Prime Minister wants to reach out.

Tomorrow we begin the negotiations, to secure a new deep and special

As we do so, I am determined that we should also seize this

historic opportunity to get out into the world.

But there's a job at home to do, too.

Here in Birmingham, voters favoured leaving the EU,

but were split almost down the middle.

Never mind for now, negotiating with more than two

dozen other countries, the referendum divided opinion here,

not just between north and south, or town and country,

or even constituency and constituency, but

In this part of Birmingham, on this side of the road,

the Harborne council ward, where nearly 70% of people voted

to remain, but on the other side of the road, the Quinton ward,

where there was a very clear verdict the other way around.

In the next two years, Theresa May must try to seal her deal

with voters everywhere, who wanted very different things.

Others like Mike Wheeler, a businessman, have even changed

Ministers want to keep people on side, but we brought Mike

and a group of businesses together to ask how.

Since the referendum, what we've seen is not what we expected,

which was a massive crash of the economy and high levels

Our sales have increased locally, our exports sales have

increased and our employment levels have increased.

So we haven't seen what we expected, so that gives me

We should finish the year much better than I thought

However, do I think uncertainty has gone away?

I think it's here to stay and any false move by anyone

in the Government, really, could bring that back,

We can all do this we can all do this, we can all do

it together and we are on the right trip together.

I am bothered by short-term damage that can be done now

and which will be very hard for the Government to

I'm optimistic about the future from what I've seen and it is fair

to say that our members are cautiously optimistic

We are seeing lots of our members continue to invest.

Continue to take advantage of the low pound, the exchange

rates, etc, so for exporters it's been a real boon.

Yet, even from the looks on their faces, these prominent

I worry that she will be pushed into a corner a little bit

by the hard Brexiteers, who will be reluctant

With the Prime Minister almost ready to start a long

and complicated process, the final product

But, however she fares, the shape of the country is being recast.

Laura Kuenssberg, BBC News, Birmingham.

A Royal marine who was jailed for shooting dead a wounded Taliban

fighter in Afghanistan will be freed in a fortnight.

Alexander Blackman had been convicted of murder

but that was quashed and today his sentence

He's already served more than three years in jail.

His wife said she was overjoyed at the decision -

It was the news fellow Marines had been waiting four years to hear.

Moments later, the euphoria was shared in the dignified reaction of

Alexander Blackman's wife. We are overjoyed at the judge's decision to

significantly reduce the sentence, such that he can be released

imminently. This is the moment we've

all been fighting hard for. It's hard to believe that this

day is finally here. As a marine Sergeant, Alexander

Blackman had been a decisive, accomplished leader of troops.

Someone who had killed 30 times for his country.

On this tour in Afghanistan in 2011, he and his friends went

through what was called a tour from hell.

They were provoked and targeted incessantly by the Taliban.

In this field they found an injured Taliban insurgent.

Sergeant Buckman was recorded saying this.

He then pointed his gun at the insurgent.

In 2013, Sergeant Blackman was found guilty of murder, a decision that

thousands of military colleagues believed was a moral outrage.

Earlier this month, that conviction was reduced

to manslaughter, on grounds of diminished responsibility.

Although Alexander Blackman's supporters are relieved today, the

judges made it clear that he had deliberately killed that Taliban

insurgents. Although he said his judgment was impaired at the time,

they said he did break the Geneva Convention.

Rob Driscoll served alongside Alexander Blackman.

He says the decision to release him now is the right one,

The answer to your question is, was it right, for me, what he did?

When you're surrounded by absolute lunacy, then

a little bit of lunacy, kind of, doesn't seem so bad.

This was a unique case, where the pressure of conflict drove one man

beyond his mental limits. One recognised by his wife, Claire. But

the message from the judges was clear. Killing in war always remains

covered by the rules of war. Scotland's parliament votes

in favour of asking to hold a second independence referendum

but Westminster says no for now. The woman at the centre

of a controversial rape case responds to the judge's warning

about women who get Coming up in Sportsday on BBC News,

after a meeting today the ECB are pushing ahead with plans

for a new Twenty20 tournament which is set to start

in 2020, involving eight Cold remedies, gluten-free

food and even suncream - right now they're all available

in England on the NHS Faced with mounting financial

pressure, NHS bosses are looking at a radical shake-up

of prescription medicines. They believe more than ?100 million

could be saved if GPs stop prescribing some drugs

which are available Our Health Editor,

Hugh Pym, has the details. Gluten-free food, some

muscle rubs and ointments, Omega 3 and fish oils,

all available on prescription but they could be taken off

the list, with patients NHS England will review these items

and also consider whether some cold remedies and paracetamol should no

longer be obtainable on the NHS. This pharmacist agrees there's

a need to make the best use Historically some of these things

were not available to buy or as widely available,

whereas now they are and it would cost the NHS a lot more

to order these things in, charges, whereas now

people can just buy these Gluten, found in wheat and other

grains, can cause health problems. Gluten-free foods are provided

on prescription in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

and probably not for much longer in England but some argue it's

essential they're available It's really a support, particularly

for the most vulnerable, particularly for the elderly,

particularly for those who've got mobility problems

or who are on a low income, who may not stick to that

diet and cost the NHS The move to limit prescription

treatments is part of an NHS attempt in England to cope with a rising

workload and limited funding. In 2014 NHS leaders set out

a five-year plan highlighting a ?30 billion funding gap by 2020,

the difference between predicted patient demand

and the likely money available. They said ?22 billion of that had

to come from efficiency savings, the Government said it

would fund the rest. NHS England has since spelled out

how that might be achieved with ?7 billion to come from wage

curbs, imposed by the Government On top of that, ?9 billion

from hospital efficiencies, for example, smarter procurement

of medical supplies and another ?6 billion from treating more

patients closer to home, so making savings

on hospital treatment. The head of NHS England,

Simon Stevens, will announce a check-up on the plan's progress

later this week. Critics say the efficiency target

won't be met and that He'll argue the NHS

is in reasonable shape but as with prescriptions,

there maybe more The wife of the Westminster

attacker, Khalid Masood, has said she is "saddened

and shocked" by the killings. In a statement, Rohey Hydara said

she totally condemned Masood killed three pedestrians

and stabbed a police officer to death outside

Parliament last Wednesday. The Conservative MP who treated PC

Keith Palmer, as he lay dying, has paid tribute to him

in the Commons. Tobias Ellwood, a Foreign Office

Minister, was pictured giving Today, he spoke in the Commons

for the first time since the attack. I'm very grateful

for her kind remarks. I make it clear that I was one

of many that stepped forward on that dark day,

and our thoughts and prayers remain with those families

and friends of the victims, Last month, a judge in a rape case

in Manchester sparked controversy when she warned that women

who drink, on a night out, could be The comments were criticised

by some, accusing the judge of putting the blame on the victim

rather than on the attacker. Now, the woman at the centre

of the case, Megan Clarke, has waived her right to anonymity

and spoken for the first time Megan Clark was raped on a night out

in Manchester last July. She'd been drinking when she met

19-year-old Ricardo He was found guilty and jailed last

month for six years. At the trial, the judge,

Lindsey Kushner, said women were entitled to "drink themselves

into the ground" but that their "disinhibited behaviour"

could put them in danger. That led some to accuse her

of blaming the victim, Now, Megan Clark has

waived her right to anonymity to speak exclusively to me

about the case. I think she was absolutely

right in what she said, She put the blame massively

on the rapist, not the victims. She just simply said to be careful,

basically, which is smart advice. But she wasn't at

all victim blaming. And she went on to say,

a woman would be less likely to report a rape, quote,

"because she was drunk or cannot remember what happened,

or feels ashamed to deal with it." "Or, if push comes to shove,

the girl who's being drunk is less likely to be believed than one

who was sober the time." You didn't think you would report

something like that It's not the way it should be,

but that was the point, that's the harsh reality,

that's the way things are. Megan Clark also recounted

how difficult she found It didn't bother me so much

in the months before it, I managed to just push it

to the back of my But then obviously I couldn't

once the trial started. And then it started to really

bother me, when I had It was horrific, it was really,

really difficult, especially due to seeing the footage of it

immediately before What is your message to other

women, when they are out and about with their mates,

in the summer, having Don't live in fear of rapists

and being in danger. Know that it's not your

fault, whatever happens. And I'd still encourage people

to report it because, you know, Even though you feel if it ever

happened to you again, God forbid, Yeah, I don't think I would,

with the experience I've had. Megan Clark was speaking

to Victoria Derbyshire. You can see that interview

in full on the BBC website, Tesco - Britain's largest retailer -

has agreed to pay a fine of ?129 million plus costs,

following a two-year investigation by the Serious Fraud Office

into false accounting. The agreement, if approved

by a Crown Court, will mean Tesco avoids prosecution for market abuse

after inflating its profits For the first time in more than 30

years a new ?1 coin has come It's got 12 sides -

similar to the old threepenny bit - and is designed to be harder to copy

than the round pound which will be On a sunny day in Southend,

they're keen to get you to spend your pounds but what do people make

of the new pound coins? It's got 12 sides, two colours

and it's got various security features because there are so many

fakes of the old pound coin. Very small writing, a sort

of hologram in there. It's slightly bigger,

but slightly thinner. And is coin-operated equipment

ready for the new coin? So have most parking metres

but despite ?100 million being spent on upgrades across the UK,

a lot of machines, like this one None of these machines

have been changed yet. And some businesses have been

putting off the upgrade The machines have to be

changed to accept both For us, each coin mechanism,

which is what takes and reads the coins, is going to cost roughly

?16 for each mech and over 800 coin We are looking at sort of over

?12,000 altogether as a company. It does feel a little

unfair we are the one that have to bear the burden

and get on with it. Some businesses are so fed up

with coin changes that they've gone over to cards that you charge up

at the counter, they've changed to coin operation to the card,

you swipe it through and then you're We haven't had to change

anything at all. We think coins are

pretty much dead now. But coins remain very much alive

despite what is happening here and hundreds of millions

of the new ?1 are being put If you get hold of old pounds

they will still be useable After that, any old

change you still have, Well, I'm looking forward to seeing

one of those new coins. Now, we're told there is a change in the

weather coming to us. So, let's see if we can join Jon Hammond. You are

just micing up, what's what we're waiting for. Well done.

Two sides to the coin weather-wise. Beautiful sunshine today. We had

pouring rain in some parts of the country as well. In the Midlands.

And that is typical of the weather we are going to see over the next

few days. For some pouring rain will hold the temperatures back to 13,

typical. But for others, boy, it is going to feel almost like summer.

Variety is the spice of life. Overnight tonight a lot of cloud.

Thunderstorms drifting north-eastwards, more rain from the

south-west A damp and dreary night out there. A lot of cloud, and that

will prevent temperatures from falling too low. No problems with

frost. A murky night with fog around. For example on cost coasts

and hills. Limited brightness. Sun across Scotland but that won't last

because rain will be on its way surging up the Irish Sea, some heavy

at times affecting north Wales north-west England and eventually to

the heart of Scotland. Things going downhill across Scotland.

Mid-afternoon, chilly across the far north it'll stay dry but further

south and west it'll be damp. Hove combrirss up over high ground in the

west. Some bright spells Northern Ireland but don't rely on those. Wet

across west Wales. Rain fringing Cornwall but point east, it'll be

dry. A muggy feel. Mid-teens, but nothing compared to the warmth which

some of us will encounter on Thursday. The warm air wafting up

from the near continent and somebody somewhere could hit up to 21 in the

sunshine. Whereas, further north and west across the UK on Thursday, it

will be cooler because of the cloudier and wetter as well. Again,

up through the Irish Sea, some fairly persistent rain. It may

brighten up across Scotland and Northern Ireland and the best of the

sunshine across the south-east. You made it, Jon.

Jo just about. A reminder of the top story: Scotland has asked for a new

Scottish independence referendum, but Westminster says no negotiations

until