SPENDING a minute less in the shower would collectively save people in Scotland nearly £20 million a year on energy bills, according to a comprehensive report on how people use water in their homes.

The Energy Saving Trust’s At Home With Water report, published today, reveals that showering now accounts for the biggest household use of water across Britain, with two billion litres disappearing down the plughole each day.

Cutting 60 seconds off the time spent under the shower, which lasted seven-and-a-half minutes on average, would save Scottish households £19m annually on water and heating costs.

The study of 86,000 homes across Scotland, England and Wales also found homes north of the Border could save £51m every year overall by installing eco-friendly shower fittings to reduce water flow, not filling kettles with more water than needed and by limiting temperature settings on washing ­machines to 30C. Taking all three of those steps would save the average Scots home £22 on their energy bills each year, while households with water meters could save a further £13 on their water costs.

Duncan McCombie, Energy Saving Trust director, said: “When people think of energy use, they think of heating and lighting, running electrical ­appliances or filling the car with petrol. It’s all too easy to turn on the tap and not think about the consequences.

“But there is an environmental and energy cost attached to water which many people do not consider. On average, hot water use contributes £228 to the average annual combined energy bill. It’s clear we are all using more water-consuming appliances regularly, especially showers, but that doesn’t mean householders in Scotland are powerless to control their water use.

“By reducing the amount of water – especially hot water – that we use, we can cut down on the energy demands of our lifestyles, which have changed radically over the last 50 years.”

Use of water in Scottish households mirrored that across Britain where showering for a minute less would save £215m on collective energy bills each year (including Scotland).

Overall, showers accounted for 25 per cent of water usage in homes, while 22 per cent was used for flushing toilets.

A further 22 per cent of household water was used in the kitchen, for washing machines, dishwashers, kettles and taps.

Overfilling kettles cost Britons £68m a year – £6m in Scotland.

Scottish Water has launched a summer campaign to help customers save water and costs, including providing free shower timers and tips on its website.

There has been criticism of water firms in recent years over leaks which have wasted millions of litres across the country.

But Scottish Water defended its record. A spokesman said it was making “massive ­differences within its own business to ­reduce the amount of water produced and used. Leakage has been reduced by nearly 50 per cent since 2006.”

SCIENTISTS believe that humans may eventually evolve to have beaks rather than teeth.

The bizarre theory has been put forward as part of a study looking into how fish grow teeth throughout their lives to help humans do the same.

Researchers at Sheffield University came to this hypothesis after looking at the jaws of pufferfish, which over millions of years have formed into beaks.

They were able to isolate the cells responsible for enabling fish to create an endless supply of teeth.

This should help create dentistry techniques that allow humans to do the same – although it is estimated the technique is at least 50 years away from fruition.

A RAIL worker caught under the influence of alcohol while in charge of a busy line, was fined yesterday.

Former signalman David Smith, 55, was three times the legal limit permitted when he turned up to start a night shift in May.

Prior to the offence Smith had been drinking while out with his wife for lunch to calm himself down because he had had an argument with his brother.

He was caught when police smelled alcohol on his breath at the Newtonhill railway 
signal box where he worked in Aberdeenshire.

Yesterday Smith, who resigned from his job shortly 
after the incident, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court for sentencing. He was fined £600.

The court heard that Smith, of Aberdeen, had found new employment in a warehouse. 
He admitted a charge of working on a transport system while under the influence of alcohol when he last appeared in court.

Smith was responsible for the Aberdeen to London line and had worked for the same railway firm for 20 years.

He was caught after police were called out to the railway signal block in connection with a separate incident on 10 May.

A Network Rail spokesman said yesterday: “We have a zero-tolerance policy towards the misuse of alcohol or drugs and our employees.”

SCOTLAND’S balance book is £8 billion in the red according to the first assessment of the country’s public-sector assets and liabilities, revealed in a new report today.

Publishing it, the public spending watchdog Audit Scotland called on the Scottish Government to overhaul its financial reporting arrangements before Holyrood is handed new tax and borrowing powers in the next few years.

The growing cost of pensions, as well as increased borrowing and use of public-private partnerships (PPPs) – despite an SNP pledge to cut them – accounts for the gulf between the £86bn of assets against liabilities of £94bn in 2011-12.

The gap represents £1,500 for every man, woman and child north of the Border.

The watchdog says the shortfall may not pose an “immediate risk”, but it “may not be affordable in the long term” if it continues to grow. Scotland is set to enter a “new era of fiscal responsibility” as MSPs assume income tax raising powers when the Scotland Act is introduced in 2016, according to Auditor General Caroline Gardner.

But the current financial reporting must be tightened up to ensure it is more “comprehensive and transparent” – and can explain any shortfall between the expected tax take and the amount actually raised.

Taxpayers in Scotland may also have to bear the cost of major “bail-outs” – such as next year’s Commonwealth Games – and ministers should now set out a “comprehensive assessment” of where this risk lies.

The report covers the devolved public sector in Scotland, including the NHS and local councils, but not areas like the armed forces which are reserved to Westminster.

The financial meltdown, which saw economies around the world saved from collapse by taxpayer-funded bail-outs of banks and financial institutions, has cast a fresh light on government balance books, according to the Auditor General.

She said: “The global financial crisis highlighted the importance of having a thorough understanding of a government’s assets and liabilities and of the key risks to a government’s financial position.

“The Scottish Government needs to further develop its financial reporting in discussion with the Scottish Parliament. This report is a contribution to that process. It illustrates key issues and suggests areas for consideration, such as the forecasting of tax receipts and the long-term consequences of funding assets from borrowing.”

But the report warns there is no current “published picture of the assets and liabilities of the devolved Scottish public sector as a whole.”

The assets of £86bn are mainly property like schools hospitals, council houses and roads.

About two-thirds of the liabilities are the £66bn cost of pensions, but the growing use of borrowing or private cash to fund public buildings is also creating longer-term liabilities.

The role which the Scottish Government would be forced to take on as “funder of last resort” for bodies which hit financial problems also needs to be clearly set out, according to the watchdog.

As well as the Commonwealth Games, the taxpayer is liable for more than £1bn to cover damage or loss of paintings in Scotland’s art galleries and objects in museums.

“A comprehensive assessment of these risks would aid decision-making and provide the Scottish Parliament with confidence that these risks are being monitored,” it adds.

The tax-raising powers coming to Scotland will see income tax effectively cut by 10p, with MSPs then responsible for raising it back up to the required level in line with need through the Scottish rate of income tax.

But Scottish Government ministers now need to work more closely with Westminster, including the Treasury and HMRC, as well as the Office For Budget responsibility, to ensure the new tax is correctly “collected and accounted for”.

The report adds: “The Scottish Government will also need to consider its financial reporting arrangements so that it can monitor and explain clearly the reasons for any variances between actual and forecast amounts raised and the effect of this on the funding available in subsequent financial years.”

But a spokesman for the Scottish Government said the report made it clear that the ministers had a “strong track record” in managing the public finances.

“The Scottish Government is committed to maintaining the highest standards of financial reporting: our accounts are prepared according to national and international standards and have had clean external audit opinions for the last seven years.

“While the report recognises recent developments in financial reporting and the strong platform from which further development can take place, we would challenge the claim that there is not a comprehensive picture of public spending.”

Tory finance spokesman Gavin Brown said: “This report highlights just how much additional competence and disclosure will be required from the Scottish Government once these powers go live in 2015. The SNP has a poor track record in this regard thus far.”

John McLaren: Greater understanding is needed in some areas

THE Audit Scotland report opens up a new flank in trying to improve our understanding of Scotland’s accounts by looking at the assets and liabilities position of the devolved Scottish public sector.

The finding that liabilities are currently estimated to outweigh assets should not be of great concern at present. For a start the methods by which such assets and liabilities are valued is very much an art rather than a science. For example, if Scottish councils were to value local roads at depreciated replacement cost rather the historical cost then the value of these could increase from £5 billion to £55bn and mean that total assets were now valued higher than total liabilities.

This gives you some idea of the valuation “tricks” that can be gotten up to. While it is good to understand the scale, nature and timing of future liabilities (or assets), at present the financial implications stemming from such liabilities are primarily covered by the UK government.

However, the further Scotland moves away from the existing position, whether through the Scotland Act, Devo-Max or independence, then the greater will be our need to understand them and plan accordingly.

Understandably, as the politics would be a nightmare, the Audit Scotland report stops short of looking at these less UK dependent positions. So it does not consider issues like Scotland’s share of UK debt, the cost of decommissioning in the North Sea, the value of UK overseas assets etc.

There are, though, some areas where greater urgency in understanding the financial implications, even under the current devolved settlement, are important, for example over the ever-increasing use of private finance. The annual PPP charges relating to these, and which must come out of the Scottish Government’s annual budget, are estimated to continue to rise to 2024-25, while the Scottish Budget may not. It is important that the financial implications of existing, as well as any new, such projects need to be more transparently understood and managed.

• Professor John McLaren is an economist with the Centre for Public Policy for Regions

Amid the broad market sell-off yesterday, Tullow Oil managed to grab investors’ attention on the back of a bullish update.

The Africa-focused oil explorer and producer outperformed its peers, topping the FTSE 100 risers’ board after announcing a “very successful” exploration programme in Kenya. Shares closed up 2.7 per cent, or 28p, at 1,061p.

Commodity-based stocks came under pressure, however, with Anglo American leading miners lower with a fall of 6 per cent, or 73p to 1,207p, followed by Vedanta Resources, 30p cheaper at 1,009p, and Glencore Xstrata, 7p lower at 269p.

Other fallers included Barclays after Standard & Poor’s cut its long-term rating on the bank by one notch amid concerns about the impact of continued regulatory pressure. Shares were down 2.25p at 280.75p, while elsewhere in the sector Standard Chartered was off 36p to 1,427.5p and HSBC dropped 13.9p to 680.9p.

Flybe enjoyed a much-needed rally after it announced the appointment of EasyJet’s former chief commercial officer Saad Hammad as chief executive to replace long-term boss Jim French, who is to remain as chairman. Shares jumped 9 per cent to 50.5p.

The benchmark FTSE 100 index was down 74.07 points or 1.2 per cent to 6,229.87.

Brenda Kelly, senior market strategist at IG, said: “For a change, nobody can blame the US Federal Reserve for today’s risk-off mode in equity markets.

“Political upheaval in Egypt and an austerity backlash in the Portuguese government – both of which threaten to re-ignite the eurozone crisis – have led to a strongly negative sentiment. It seems that for now we should accept a summer of market volatility.”

NEW YORK: Wall Street ended slightly higher in a volatile 
half-day session yesterday as traders squared positions before today’s Independence Day holiday and tomorrow’s US job market data.

The Dow Jones industrial 
average rose 56.14 points or 0.38 per cent, to end at 14,988.55 while the broader S&P 500 gained 1.33 points or 0.08 per cent, to finish at 1,615.41. The Nasdaq Composite added 10.27 points or 0.30 per cent, to close at 3,443.67.

LONG Island-born, but long since resident in Nashville, singer-songwriter Mindy Smith first grabbed widespread attention via the audacious gambit of covering Dolly Parton’s totemic Jolene, on an album tribute to the country queen.

Mindy Smith

St Andrews in the Square, Glasgow

* * *

Parton herself subsequently contributed backing vocals to the version featured on Smith’s stunning 2004 debut album, One Moment More, in return tribute to the younger singer’s feat of re-infusing the song with all its original, nakedly abject desperation.

Nearly a decade later, with her self-titled fifth album – and first self-release – just out, Smith chose to open here with that same breakthrough hit, but in a slower, almost languid rendition that lacked the searing intensity of first time around. This proved sadly symptomatic of the show as a whole, largely thanks to the combined effects of the venue’s echo-heavy acoustic – never the friendliest to electric guitar and drums, which comprised Smith’s backing line-up – and a blurry sound mix which failed to foreground her delectable vocals sufficiently.

Thus while it was possible to appreciate her outstanding timbre and range – shading from limpid, radiant purity to commanding raw steel – the vividly etched lyrics with which these qualities go hand in hand were substantially unintelligible.

There were a few welcome exceptions, when she sang simply solo, but the frustration was exacerbated by the evident quality – blunted though it was on this occasion – of several tracks from the new album.

A LONG-STANDING hero of the burgeoning ambient electronic movement through his previous pseudonym Prurient, New York’s Dominick Fernow cloaks his current alias Vatican Shadow in a compelling veil of political relevance, titling his releases things like and Shooter in the Same Uniform as the Soldiers.

Vatican Shadow

Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh

* * * *

With images of Hillary Clinton and squads of Pakistani commandos on his minimalist record sleeves, his whole aesthetic is a nightmarish trip into fear and suspicion hiding beneath the global news chatter.

With that in mind, it was a matter of intrigue as to how these thematic subcurrents would translate to his live show, here part of Sneaky Pete’s Night Music series of gigs held in the hour before midnight. It was momentarily a little frustrating, then, to find that it didn’t at all, although there was something a lot more elemental going on. The show happened in almost complete darkness, save for the intrusive brightness of a twin spotlight scanning the walls and the crowd as if there were a gun muzzle attached searching for a victim to interrogate.

Fernow’s music is a lurid churn of crunching beats with a head-swaying groove and unsettling qualities in the more textured rhythms going on beneath that. It worked for the club setting, and it seemed to have no greater effect on anyone than on Fernow himself, stepping out from behind his equipment to dance and flail in the dark, the torch in his hand casting manic trails across the walls of the bunker he had constructed for us.

Scotland’s External Affairs Secretary is to take part in American Independence Day celebrations later today in recognition of historical links between the two countries.

Fiona Hyslop is to address the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence at their annual meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

She will witness the ringing of the famous Liberty Bell before making her address on Scotland’s constitutional journey in the city’s Independence Hall where the declaration was signed and the debates over the US Constitution took place.

The American declaration is understood to be based on the declaration of Scotland’s independence known as the Declaration of Arbroath from the year 1320.

Aspirations

Another Scottish connection, according to the US Senate, is that almost half of the signatories of America’s Declaration of Independence were of Scottish descent.

Ms Hyslop said: “It is widely acknowledged that the Declaration of Arbroath acted as an inspiration for America’s Declaration of Independence, and as a result our founding documents share common sentiments, values and aspirations for our two nations.

“And with that shared philosophy, the Descendants of the Signers of the US Declaration understand as well as anyone that the decision on Scotland’s future that we will make next year is rightly for the people of Scotland to make.

“However I’m confident that not one of them would regret the decision of their ancestors to pursue their nation’s independence.

“Scotland’s bonds of history and kinship with the USA run deep and this is an opportunity for me to reaffirm that friendship.”

The Queen will visit an Army barracks today during her week of engagements in Scotland.

She will present a pipe banner to The Royal Regiment of Scotland as part of a tour of Dreghorn Barracks in Edinburgh.

She was greeted with a guard of honour by soldiers from the regiment at Palace of Holyroodhouse when she arrived in the city on Monday.

The new hand-made banner will be carried when the regimental band plays at high-profile events and state occasions.

Earlier this week the Queen presented honours at an investiture ceremony, with Olympic gold medal-winning showjumper Scott Brash among those to receive an OBE.

She also hosted a garden party for around 8,000 people at Holyroodhouse on Tuesday and the next day officially reopened the refurbished former home of Sir Walter Scott.

She was joined by around 60 members of the writer’s family at Abbotsford House in Melrose, in the Borders, who travelled from as far as Australia and New Zealand for the event.

The Queen is not being accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh during her engagements this year as he is recovering from recent surgery.

The Scottish Government should improve its financial reporting before new tax and borrowing powers take effect, according to auditors.

A more open approach is needed to pull together the 100 or so public accounts and give a clear picture of finances, Audit Scotland suggested in a report.

The call comes in the run-up to new powers agreed in the Scotland Act, which include additional borrowing and responsibility for a Scottish rate of income tax.

Further powers cover stamp duty and landfill tax.

Audit Scotland looked at all public accounts, estimating they show an £8 billion deficit between assets and liabilities.

The calculation is based on assets worth £86 billion and liabilities of £94 billion in 2011-12.

Assets include property and equipment, while liabilities cover areas such as pensions.

Uncertainties

The figure, heavily qualified in the report, reflects the overall financial position but does not necessarily mean there are “immediate risks” to finances.

“Our analysis serves to highlight that the inherent uncertainties associated with the valuation of some assets and liabilities increases the importance of having transparent, comprehensive and reliable financial information,” the report states.

Caroline Gardner, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “Scotland will soon enter a new era of fiscal and financial autonomy as the Scotland Act is implemented over the next three years and the Scottish Parliament gets new tax and borrowing powers.

“Comprehensive, transparent and reliable financial reporting will become even more important for public accountability and confidence.

“Public bodies’ audited accounts are a sound base but they do not give a complete picture of what Scotland’s devolved public sector owns, owes, spends and receives.

“The global financial crisis highlighted the importance of having a thorough understanding of a government’s assets and liabilities and of the key risks to a government’s financial position.

“The Scottish Government needs to further develop its financial reporting in discussion with the Scottish Parliament. This report is a contribution to that process. It illustrates key issues and suggests particular areas for consideration, such as the forecasting of tax receipts and the long-term consequences of funding assets from borrowing.”

The man behind the computer mouse, who transformed the way people work, play and communicate, has died at 88.

Technology visionary Doug Engelbart died from acute kidney failure at his California home after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, one of his daughters, Diana Engelbart Mangan, said.

Mild-mannered Engelbart, whose first computer mouse was a wooden shell with metal wheels, had audacious ideas. Long before Apple founder Steve Jobs became famous for his dramatic presentations, Mr Engelbart dazzled the industry at a San Francisco computer conference in 1968.

Working from his house with a home-made modem, he used his lab’s elaborate new online system to illustrate his ideas to the audience, while his staff linked in from the lab. It was the first public demonstration of the mouse and video teleconferencing, prompting a standing ovation.

“We will miss his genius, warmth and charm,” said Curtis Carlson, chief executive of SRI International, where Mr Engelbart used to work. “Doug’s legacy is immense. Anyone in the world who uses a mouse or enjoys the productive benefits of a personal computer is indebted to him.”

In the 1950s and 60s, when mainframe computers took up entire rooms and were fed data on punch cards, Mr Engelbart was already envisaging a day when computers were far more intuitive to use.

Ahead of its time

One of the biggest advances was the mouse, which he developed in the 1960s and patented in 1970. The idea was way ahead of its time. The mouse did not become commercially available until 1984, with the release of Apple’s then-revolutionary Macintosh computer.

Mr Engelbart’s conceived the mouse so early in the evolution of computers that he and his colleagues did not profit much from it. The technology passed into the public domain in 1987, preventing him from collecting royalties on the mouse when it was in its widest use. At least one billion have been sold since the mid-1980s.

Now their usage is waning as people merely swipe their finger across a display screen.

“There are only a handful of people who were as influential,” said Marc Weber, founder and curator of the internet history programme at the Computer History Museum, where Mr Engelbart had been a fellow since 2005. “He had a complete vision of what computers could become at a very early stage.”

Among Mr Engelbart’s other key developments in computing, along with his colleagues at SRI International and his own lab, the Augmentation Research Centre, was the use of multiple windows. His lab also helped develop ARPANet, the government research network that led to the internet.

He played down the importance of his inventions, stressing instead his vision of using collaboration over computers to solve the world’s problems.

Inspired

“Many of those firsts came right out of the staff’s innovations - even had to be explained to me before I could understand them,” he said in a biography written by his daughter.

In 1997, Mr Engelbart won the most lucrative award for American inventors, the 500,000-dollar Lemelson-MIT Prize. Three years later, President Bill Clinton bestowed him with the National Medal of Technology “for creating the foundations of personal computing”.

Mr Engelbart was born in 1925, and studied electrical engineering, taking two years off during the Second World War to serve as a US Navy electronics and radar technician in the Philippines. It was there that he read Vannevar Bush’s As We May Think and was inspired by the idea of a machine that would aid human cognition.

He later earned his Ph.D. at University of California, Berkeley, but after joining the faculty, he was warned by a colleague that if he kept talking about his “wild ideas” he would be an acting assistant professor forever. So he left for the Stanford Research Institute, now SRI International.

Mr Engelbart is survived by his wife, Karen O’Leary Engelbart; his four children, Diana, Christina, Norman and Greda; and nine grandchildren.

THREE more housebuilders confirmed the recovery in the market today with updates saying they will beat previous trading expectations.

Taylor Wimpey said it traded “at the upper end of our expectations” during the six months to 30 June and will report improvements across all of its key financial metrics at the time of its half year results on 31 July.

Chief executive Pete Redfern said: “We have welcomed signs of significant improvement in the housing market in the first six months of 2013 where we have seen increased consumer confidence, underpinned by both generally improved access to and affordability of mortgage finance and by the recent government measures. This has enabled us to continue our investment in local communities across the UK and play a leading role in the creation of new homes, employment opportunities and infrastructure.”

In an update on the year to 30 June, Redrow said it had enjoyed revenue 6 per cent higher than the year before, and profit “will be above the top end of the range of analysts’ estimates”.

And Galliford Try said: “Since our last update in May we have continued to make good progress resulting in record group profits in line with the current market consensus. This year, our housebuilding division has performed strongly, achieving a record landbank and year end sales carried forward position. This is due to a mix of factors including our deliberate focus on the south and south east regions and improved mortgage availability supported by the UK government’s Help to Buy scheme.”

Budget airline EasyJet enjoyed a slight pick up in passenger numbers last month.

The company said it carried 5,537,275 passengers in June, 1.9 per cent more than in the same month a year ago.

It’s load factor, an industry measure of how full its aircraft are, remained the same at 89.9 per cent.

The group said it cancelled 585 flights last month compared to the 22 flights cancelled in June 2012. The increase in cancellations was predominantly driven by the recent French air traffic control strike.

Aim-quoted driller Bowleven has sold a stake in its East African-focused new ventures subsidiary to privately-owned peer First Oil.

First Oil is taking a 30 per cent holding in the business in return for funding exploration activities.

Under the arrangement, First Oil has committed to fund up to $9 million (£5.9m) of an initial work programme, with a further commitment to fund up to $12.5m of subsequent work.

Separately, the parties have also agreed to co-operate in investigating early entry exploration opportunities across the East African rift system. As part of this agreement First Oil may contribute up to $3.6m towards Bowleven’s share of funding in any resulting new investments.

Kevin Hart, chief executive of Edinburgh-headquartered Bowleven, said: “We are delighted to welcome First Oil as a strategic partner in our early stage exploration activities in East Africa and we look forward to working with the team going forward in this exciting emerging area.”

Wood Group’s PSN division has secured its sixth major North Sea contract extension so far this year.

The latest award comes in the form of a three-year contract from Nexen Petroleum UK to deliver operations, maintenance and technical support services to the Scott and Buzzard platforms.

The contract, which secures employment for 280 people, also covers services to Nexen’s Golden Eagle area development which is expected to come on stream in 2015.

The award follows five other recent North Sea contract extensions for Aberdeen-based Wood Group from CNR, Total, Teekey, Ithaca Energy and ConocoPhillips.

WELCOME to scotsman.com’s Scottish Business Briefing. Every morning we bring you a comprehensive round-up of all news affecting business in Scotland today.

ECONOMICS

Service surge eases stimulus calls

MARK Carney, the Bank of England’s new governor, is likely to sit on his hands until next month at the earliest after further upbeat news on the economy slashed the chances of fresh monetary stimulus. Analysts believe policymakers will vote against a fresh bout of money printing when they conclude their latest rate-setting meeting at lunchtime today ({http://www.scotsman.com/business/management/service-surge-eases-stimulus-calls-1-2986983|Scotsman|Scotsman|Scotsman}).

{http://www.scotsman.com/business/economics|Read all today’s economics news from scotsman.com|Read all today’s economics news from scotsman.com}

FOOD, DRINK & AGRICULTURE

Thistly Cross cider to be sold in 77 Tesco stores

ARTISAN cider maker Thistly Cross has won a contract to supply its drinks to 77 Tesco supermarkets in Scotland and is preparing to expand into the Canadian and Russian markets. The Dunbar-based business – which already sells its produce in Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose – will market five of its six ciders in Tesco’s stores ({http://www.scotsman.com/business/management/thistly-cross-cider-to-be-sold-in-77-tesco-stores-1-2987627|Scotsman|Scotsman}).

Drinks company C&C hails Tennent’s sales

THE coldest spring in 50 years has seen UK and Irish cider sales slump at Irish drinks company C&C. C&C revealed yesterday that the exceptionally cold weather helped trigger a 22 per cent fall in cider volumes in the UK in the three months to end-May. Stephen Glancey, group chief executive, said Tennent’s had continued to do well “and provides a degree of balance to a competitive UK cider market” ({http://www.scotsman.com/business/management/drinks-company-c-c-hails-tennent-s-sales-1-2986959|Scotsman|Scotsman}).

{http://www.scotsman.com/business/food-drink-and-agriculture|Read all today’s food, drink and agriculture news from scotsman.com|Read all today’s food, drink and agriculture news from scotsman.com}

INDUSTRY

Wood Group buys Forth Bridge contractor

ENERGY services giant Wood Group yesterday snapped up one of the contractors that worked on the Forth Bridge refurbishment as it moves into the specialist coatings sector. The Aberdeen-based FTSE 100 firm remained tight-lipped over how much it had paid for Gateshead-based Pyeroy Group, which was founded in 1973 and now employs 1,800 staff across eight sites in the UK and Ireland ({http://www.scotsman.com/business/management/wood-group-buys-forth-bridge-contractor-1-2986954|Scotsman|Scotsman}).

{http://www.scotsman.com/business/industry|Read all today’s industry news from scotsman.com|Read all today’s industry news from scotsman.com}

SCOTSMAN CONFERENCE

The Future of the UK Aerospace Industry – 5 September 2013, Prestwick

20% Early bird discount until 12 July

The UK Government signed up to a £2 billion partnership to keep the UK aerospace industry at the forefront of world aerospace manufacturing. Join us and hear the government explain its strategy to secure large numbers of high value jobs. Book your place today.

({http://scotsmanconferences.com|The Scotsman Conferences|TSC})

MEDIA & LEISURE

Goals scores ‘marginal’ first-half sales increase

GOALS Soccer Centres, the East Kilbride-based five-a-side football pitch operator, yesterday unveiled a “marginal” rise in first-half like-for-like sales – but warned its interim profits would fail to match last year’s level due to spending on “operational and organisational reviews”. The Aim-quoted company announced in January it was slowing down its expansion plans in order to pay down its debt ({http://www.scotsman.com/business/management/goals-scores-marginal-first-half-sales-increase-1-2986950|Scotsman|scotsman}).

{http://www.scotsman.com/business/media-and-leisure|Read all today’s media and leisure news from scotsman.com|Read all today’s media and leisure news from scotsman.com}

RETAIL

New plan to save Scotland’s town centre shops

Public bodies should put “town centres first” in their decision-making. The National Review of Town Centres, a report commissioned by the Scottish government, said a mix of leisure, public facilities and homes is needed. The review panel was chaired by architect Malcolm Fraser and included business figures and public bodies ({http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-23168718|BBC|BBC}).

{http://www.scotsman.com/business/retail|Read all today’s retail news from scotsman.com|Read all today’s retail news from scotsman.com}

A BLUEPRINT for reviving Scotland’s town centres today called for policies to put high streets before business parks and out-of-town developments.

A review team, led by Edinburgh architect Malcolm Fraser, urged a stronger mix of leisure, public facilities and homes in the heart of towns and a fresh look at business rates.

The National Review of Town Centres, commissioned by the Scottish Government, recommended a “town centre first” principle, which would mean public bodies looking at how they can support town centres before considering development elsewhere.

And it urged councils to work with housing providers to bring empty town centre properties back into use as affordable homes.

Mr Fraser said town centres were about more than retail. He said there should be more people living there, more offices and more council services.

“Our review offers the Scottish Government, and the people of Scotland, a range of measures to bring investment and footfall into the heart of our communities.

“Town centres offer a rich mix of live, work and play and we want to enhance that bustle and diversity: more people living there, encouragement for communities, businesses and local authorities and supportive planning and digital initiatives.

“There’s wide agreement on the need for action and optimism that the changes proposed can help foster a renewed sense of community and enterprise.”

The report said current VAT rules encouraged out-of-town development by exempting new-build development while charging the full 20 per cent tax on repair of existing buildings.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon welcomed the review’s “practical ideas” for re-energising town centres.

She said: “By diversifying our high streets we will make them even better places to live, work and socialise.”

Fiona Moriarty, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, agreed town centres had to diversify, but warned the retail sector should not be taken for granted. She said: “We mustn’t lose sight of the fact that retail is at the heart of Scottish communities and should remain a key component of any successful town centre.”

AN army reserve base in the Capital will close and move to Redford as part of a Government shake-up announced 
yesterday.

McDonald Road TA Centre will go with six others in Scotland in a move branded as “disproportionate defence cuts” by the SNP. The Territorial Army will now be known as the Army Reserve.

Head of the army in Scotland, Major General Nick Eeles, said the base that was closing had “historically low numbers” and the Capital was set to gain reserve troops as more units moved to Redford, while the 3 Rifles move to Dreghorn.

He said: “The balance of reserve forces in Edinburgh will indicate it is the most important location in Scotland. We are retaining two major infantry battalions, moving the army brigade headquarters to Edinburgh and we will also retain the historic footprint with a garrison headquarters at the Castle.”

Brewdog directors Martin Dickie and James Watt are “insanely optimistic” about the prospects this year for their Ellon-based micro-brewery, according to accounts filed at Companies House.

Turnover rose by 80 per cent in 2012 to £10.7m thanks to increased business in the UK and Europe, although the figure fell shy of predictions for £12m in sales.

Pre-tax profits climbed by 15 per cent to £485,936 after what the pair described as a “hell of a year”.

Staff numbers doubled to 126 after the firm – which had released unaudited figures back in January – expanded its chain of pubs and moved from Fraserburgh to a larger, purpose-built site at Ellon.

Brewdog is {http://www.scotsman.com/business/management/brewdog-launches-4m-fundraising-1-2972000|currently raising £4m through crowd-funding|link to Brewdog fund-raising story} from its fans through the third round of its “Equity for Punks” scheme.

A fan-driven consortium will wait until the 11th hour to submit its bid for Hearts – in an effort to secure as many last-minute pledges as possible.

Bosses of the Foundation of Hearts this morning issued a final rally cry for supporters to get behind them, as the July 12 deadline for any club takeover bids fast approaches.

Around 4000 supporters have so far converted their pledges into monthly direct debits, giving the Foundation a “very strong platform” to build on.

However, the syndicate is now locked in a race against time to shore up further financial support, and has issued a plea for any members of the Tynecastle faithful who haven’t signed up to get behind their bid.

In an e-mail sent to 50,000 Hearts supporters today, Foundation of Hearts chairman Ian Murray said the bid to seize a controlling stake in the Tynecastle club would be submitted in the final hours before next Friday’s deadline.

Mr Murray said: “Your role in the battle for survival has been remarkable. However, the part you play in the future is equally critical.

“Time is of the essence, 
however, and with a matter of days to go before the deadline this e-mail is a final rallying call to the wider Hearts support to play a part in owning the club you love.”

The renewed plea for support came as BDO joint administrator Trevor Birch said the target of 3000 season ticket sales asked for within 14 days to guarantee Hearts immediate future had almost been met. That pressing deadline is up at the end of today.

Mr Birch said: “Hearts fans have shown their devotion to their club and risen above and beyond the call of duty to commit themselves with the purchase of almost 3000 season tickets.

“This, coupled with fundraising activities such as the fans rally at the weekend which raised over £30,000, has given us the breathing space to liaise with interested parties and work with them in order to move forward toward a sale.

“However, I would urge caution and encourage the fans to continue their efforts as we cannot be certain that this will be a quick process due to the ownership issues that need to be resolved and, ideally, would like to know that we can fund the club until the end of the year and beyond. It would also be useful for the club to have a funding cushion for the new owner.”

Foundation chiefs – desperate to ensure they are the new owners – have revealed for the first time that it is preparing a bid, with expert help, to add extra weight to the syndicate’s credentials. They have further revealed two separate options are being prepared to fund a takeover of the club. Both routes involve working in partnership with “major business partners”.

However, the Foundation is remaining tight lipped about the details. 
 A consortium spokesman said the full scope of their plans will be kept under wraps until after the July 12 cut-off to avoid handing any advantage to rival bidders. More than ten parties are known to have made an expression of interest to buy the embattled club, but no more than four are being considered as serious takeover bids.

Former Scottish Rugby chief executive Gordon McKie, 
who is leading a rival consortium of investors, is considered one of the serious, committed bidders.

However, nomination of a preferred bidder could remain a drawn-out process, as 
nothing will be finalised before the issue with UBIG’s shares 
is resolved in a Lithuanian court.

If the Foundation proves to be successful, between nine and 12 directors would be appointed to a new board.

At least three-quarters of the board would be elected directly by members who had submitted pledges. A further three “specialist” directors could be appointed at the board’s direction.

Mr Murray, Foundation founder Alex Mackie and club legend Donald Ford are all on the existing board of directors, but will resign before the first annual general meeting.

The Foundation also unveiled seven principles of fan ownership that will dictate how it runs. They are:

• Democratic member control, with the board elected by members on a one vote per member basis;

• Voluntary and open membership, with anyone able to join or leave as a member. Directors will not be paid;

• Member economic participation, meaning members will have full control over the Foundation’s operation and the allocation of resources;

• Autonomy and independence. The Foundation will be run by its members for its members;

• Education, training and information will be provided for members;

• Co-operation among co-operatives, meaning the Foundation will work with other fan-owned football clubs;

• Concern for the community. The Foundation is committed to returning Hearts to being at the centre of the local community.

‘Slim’ backs bid

HEARTS legend Dave McPherson says the time is now for fans to get behind the supporter-driven bid for club ownership.

The 49-year-old, below, who made almost 300 appearances for the Jambos across two stints at Tynecastle, today threw his weight behind the drive from Foundation of Hearts.

McPherson helped the club to victory in the 1998 Scottish Cup – its first silverware in 36 years.

That leadership resurfaced away from the field today as he said: “Now is the time. I want to offer my complete support to the Foundation of Hearts. I hope the Foundation can secure the very final pledges required to make the sort of bid to the administrators that they consider most appropriate to the future of this club.”

McPherson is not the only former Hearts star to encourage fans to help haul the club out of administration.

Ryan McGowan wrote to 6000 supporters of the Foundation telling them to convert their pledges.

The Australian, who now plays in China, said: “I’m full of admiration for all the supporters who have rallied round to help the club in these very difficult times. These are good people with an excellent plan to ensure that the club we all love can go on and be strong again.”