PROSPECTS for the shale gas industry in the UK have suffered a setback after plans for controversial drilling technique fracking were blocked at a site on the Fylde coast in Lancashire.

Politicians in Scotland welcomed the decision to reject plans by energy firm Cuadrilla, which had wanted to frack and test the flow of gas following drilling at up to four exploration wells at a proposed site between Preston and Blackpool.

However, an MSP warned that companies may attempt to target Scotland for fracking opportunities despite the Scottish Government imposing a moratorium on the drilling technique used for extracting oil or natural gas from deep underground.

Labour’s energy spokesman Lewis Macdonald said developers may view Scotland as a “soft touch” for shale gas exploration after Deputy First Minister John Swinney said he wanted taxes from the process devolved to Holyrood.

Mr Swinney said the Scottish Parliament should be handed powers to impose charges on drilling companies in a move he said was needed “purely for policy completeness” and not so Scotland could cash in on 
fracking.

The UK government, which still holds powers over licensing for fracking, announced it would not issue any further fracking licences until the power was devolved as part of the package recommended by the Smith Commission.

The UK government grants licences but ministers in Scotland can withhold consent through the planning system – with energy minister Fergus Ewing announcing a moratorium last year.

North-east Labour MSP Mr Macdonald welcomed Lancashire County Council’s decision to reject Cuadrilla’s fracking bid on the grounds of “unacceptable noise impact” and the “adverse urbanising effect on the landscape”.

But warning that energy firms could target Scotland, he said: “This decision shows just how controversial fracking can be not just in Scotland, but right across these islands.

“The more places in England say no to fracking, the more companies will put pressure on the authorities to develop in Scotland and the SNP government has said it wants to have tax powers over fracking in Scotland. Some companies may see the Scottish Government as a soft touch.”

Scottish Greens Lothian MSP Alison Johnstone, welcoming the decision in Lancashire, said: “This is a great result for local communities and campaigners, and will apply more pressure to the Scottish Government to turn its temporary moratorium into a permanent ban.”

SNP MSP Rob Gibson said the Scottish Government’s opposition to fracking – which opponents have claimed can cause earthquakes and creates the risk of poisoning drinking water – meant that the practice would not “see the light of day” in 
Scotland.

He said: “Of course it’s a welcome result as the release of fossil fuel is something we have to halt. It’s highly unlikely that any company would target Scotland as the kind of evidence that sunk this attempt in Lancashire would play heavily in Scotland.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “No fracking can or will take place in Scotland while the moratorium we have announced remains in place – a policy that has received wide support from both environmental groups and industry.

“We are taking a careful, considered and evidence-based approach to unconventional oil and gas.”

Shale gas exploration is credited with transforming the prospects for the United States’ energy industry in the past decade and the owner of the Grangemouth petrochemical plant has acquired full fracking rights for a 330sq kilometre area near Falkirk.

Scottish Conservative energy spokesman Murdo Fraser said Scotland should look at a “mix of technology to provide for 
energy needs”.

He said: “If we are not going to rely increasingly on imported gas to keep the lights on, we need to look at exploiting unconventional gas.”

Scotch whisky group Edrington is to concentrate its efforts on the premium end of the drinks market after racking up heavy losses due to a writedown on the value of its rum brand.

The Famous Grouse and Macallan owner said Brugal, in which it owns a 61 per cent stake, had suffered amid “extremely difficult” conditions in its core markets of Spain and the Dominican Republic, where rum consumption is falling and competition is fierce.

As a result, the group has revised down its growth forecasts for Brugal and taken a £239 million impairment on the brand, which traces its roots back to 1888.

That writedown, together with a decline in overall sales across the firm, pushed Edrington to a pre-tax loss of £52.7m for the year to the end of March, compared with a £159.4m profit a year earlier.

However, chief executive Ian Curle insisted that the distiller – owned by the charitable Robertson Trust – had enjoyed a “good year”, with its whisky brands out-selling the wider market. The Macallan single malt turned in a particularly strong performance, with turnover up 10.5 per cent, while the Famous Grouse blend maintained its position as the best-selling Scotch in Scotland and the UK.

Curle said: “Our whisky portfolio performed ahead of the market and this shows the strength of our brands, which are well placed to benefit further from continuing trends towards premium spirits. Edrington’s focus in the coming years will be on this increasingly important premium end of the market and we continue to invest to support our growth objectives and our long-term prospects.”

Turnover for the Glasgow-based group dipped 2.4 per cent to £617.7m, despite Scotch volumes increasing by 2 per cent. Finance director Alex Short, who joined last year from Irn-Bru maker AG Barr, said the firm’s performance was “significantly” affected by the downturn at Brugal, although a 5 per cent fall in overall volumes was offset by higher prices per case.

However, he said that operating profit margins had declined by 2.4 percentage points to 27.2 per cent, reflecting “continued investment in our route-to-market infrastructure together with the adverse impact of foreign currency”.

Movements in exchange rates had a £5m bigger hit than a year ago, Short said, while Edrington now has its own sales, marketing and distribution companies in the US, south-east Asia and the Middle East.

The firm has also committed more than £100m to create a new distillery and visitor centre at the Macallan estate at Craigellachie in Speyside, and Curle said work was on track for completion in the spring of 2017. He added: “Edrington considers that it has brand assets that are well positioned to benefit from continuing trends towards premium spirits. However, it is evident that the market for mainstream blended Scotch and rum will continue to be competitive in the coming years.”

Edrington’s annual report also showed that the total pay package for its highest-paid director dipped to £1.28m, down from £1.5m last time, following a reduction in long-term incentive plan payments.

IN TERMS of diversity in the business world, the CBI employers body is certainly leading from the top.

The organisation, the mouthpiece for Britain’s major employers, with particularly strong representation among the country’s big industrial guns, has just elected its first female director-general.

Carolyn Fairbairn, whose former posts include director of strategy at both the BBC and ITV, an economist with the World Bank, a partner at McKinsey consultants, and who has a string of impressive non-executive directorships including the Competition and Markets Authority and UK Statistics Authority, takes over from John Cridland later this year. Her background is varied, even taking in a bit of journalism with the Economist, and that should help her master what is quite a wide brief.

Fairbairn will be helped in her new role by a well-established female deputy director-general at the CBI, Katja Hall. Together, they will be a powerful female duo at the very heart of British business and its interface with the government.

Fairbairn also will not be exactly hampered in a job that needs to mix forcefulness with political tact by a spell in the Prime Minister’s Downing Street Policy Unit.

The strong female presence at the top of the CBI is a development to be welcomed, and should also create helpful mood music for the steady – if unspectacular – progress in getting greater female representation on FTSE 100 company boards.

The new CBI boss will take over at an interesting time for business. As Fairbairn noted yesterday, two of the main issues for business in the next few years will be Britain’s relationship with the European Union and the productivity challenges facing the sector despite the economic recovery.

Take in the still strong imbalance between the services industry – 75 per cent of the economy – and manufacturing – 12 per cent – and Fairbairn will have a fairly full in-tray.

Her work at the BBC, ITV and in print journalism should also stand her in good stead at her new organisation. The sometimes tricky relationship between business and government is frequently played out in the media.

To have inside knowledge of the strengths, predilections and weaknesses of the media industry should help Fairbairn get hers message across.

A word on Cridland, a CBI staffer of 30 years and director-general since 2011, before he hands over to his successor in November.

He has been a tireless advocate for business, particularly high-profile in the past four years, becoming something of a master of the media soundbite (see above) while being unfailingly courteous and unflustered.

If Cridland’s successor achieves as much in terms of public profile and effectiveness for the organisation, the CBI will have much to congratulate itself and its recruitment process about.

BRITAIN must rebuild its infrastructure to put an end to its “make-do and mend” culture, a leading business organisation has urged George Osborne ahead of his emergency Budget next week.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) submission to the Chancellor published today claims that a lack of investment in infrastructure capacity and maintenance across transport, energy and digital is hobbling business growth and costing jobs.

“Britain has relied on a make-do and mend approach for far too long, but this is simply not acceptable,” John Longworth, the BCC’s director general, said.

“While our competitors across the world are making serious, sustained investment towards infrastructure, in many cases we rely on patched up systems built in the 1970s.

“It is for this reason we languish so far down the international league table for quality of infrastructure, as well as investment.”

The BCC notes that Britain ranks 27th in the World Economic Forums’ quality of overall infrastructure table, and that the UK national infrastructure plan has identified 650 projects needed in the next 15 years.

The BCC, which speaks for business organisations of all sizes, said the country needed to be in the top 15 by 2000 if it was to achieve the government’s target become the richest country in the G7, per capita, by 2030.

Among proposals made by the organisation to the Chancellor are that there is a “complete review and reform” of the compulsory purchase process by 2017-18; rapid action “to green-light new aviation capacity” following the imminent publication of the Airports Commission’s final report and recommendation on a new runway for either Gatwick or Heathrow; remove investment relating to the delivery of the national infrastructure plan from the national debt target.

The BCC said: “Business people across the UK are concerned that government spending remains too focused on areas of short-term economic benefit and political convenience, instead of on assets that have a lasting economic benefit.”

It added that government should concentrate more on infrastructure measures that are capable of boosting productivity.

Longworth said: “The UK must get to grips with a huge investment challenge over the next decade – ageing road, rail and energy networks need upgrading and replacing, and more houses need to be built to meet demand.”

He said businesses supported the government’s mending of the public finances, “but it must be achieved without detriment to growth”.

Measures to attract new GPs to rural parts of the Highlands and islands is failing, it has been claimed, with 21 posts being left unfilled, including two that has been left vacant for three years.

Dr Michael Foxley, a retired Highland doctor and former councillor – and now a member on NHS Highland – has called for salaries to be increased from around £90,000 in a bid to attract new blood to the region.

Vacancies across the Highlands are continuing to cause a major problem for the health authority, which has admitted recent moves to entice new doctors have not succeeded to fill the gaps.

There are currently 21 posts being advertised. Fifteen of these have been vacant for more than three months and five for more than a year. Two, one in Thurso and the other in Acharacle, have been vacant for almost three years. Despite an average GP salary of almost £90,000, concern is mounting about how next to tackle the problem. In January, the health board had hoped to find new doctors through a recruitment drive in the Netherlands.

And last summer, marketing consultants from the Channel Islands were hired. They emphasised the positive aspects of life in the rural Highlands.

But despite some success in recruiting new doctors to rural locations,

NHS Highland has admitted it is still struggling to find new doctors.

Dr Foxley, who worked out of Fort William in Lochaber, said: “The world has changed since I started 35 years ago.

“There are several factors for not being able to fill posts, including the fact doctors prefer working in urban areas where they will certainly earn more money.

“When I was a young GP we were proud to work in a local community where we would get patients turning up at your door in the middle of the night.

“The current generation don’t like that. They want to be out of their office by 5pm every night and not to be bothered at night or weekends. Perhaps we should look at increasing their salaries.”
Dr Foxley believes the Highlands and islands should be a “great learning curve” for young doctors, particularly given the “safe and stunning environment”.

A spokesman for NHS Highland said: “Our ‘Being Here’ recruitment campaign has yielded far more interest than traditional methods of advertising for GP posts.

“We have evidence to show that as fast as we are recruiting, we are losing GPs by retirals.

“This is why we must do something different. We are looking at models that don’t rely too heavily on GPs, by using other healthcare workers; nurses of all grades, ambulance technicians and paramedics, pharmacy technicians and prescribing pharmacists among others to work all together on providing care, and by using opportunities to be creative about redesigning the structure of GP practices to make them more sustainable when opportunities arise.

“We are putting pressure on the Scottish Government to solve many of the rural issues, such as lack of connectivity, transport and housing infrastructure, and this will take some time.”

IT’S fair to say that the banking sector has experienced momentous change over the past couple of years, writes Mark Wilson.

Yet during the greater scrutiny, tighter controls, regulation, reorganisations and softening of marketing strategy that the major banks are navigating, a new breed of bank has emerged. These so called ‘challenger’ banks are transforming a sector that needed a boost – and everyone stands to benefit.

The challengers must operate within the same regulatory environment as the big banks, so they cannot differentiate their core services in this way.

However the revolution is being achieved by their reinvention of banking service delivery. They are constructing a new package built on quality, service and trust – and that all depends on their people.

These people are the children of the banking collapse. Ironically, they are the ones bringing back what some term “old fashioned banking” putting customer experience at the heart of banking again.

The new banks are smaller organisations, and those working in this new specialism have greater exposure to multiple banking disciplines, as well as wider banking marketing and business development functions – and it is this that will create a new banking culture.

From a career standpoint, a broader perspective makes them even more employable than their predecessors, and already the new model bankers – Generation Ex – are moving on – taking their skills to other challenger banks and also to the once hallowed halls of the sector giants.

The new breed of banks tend to be based outside London, and Edinburgh has now established itself as the go-to market for organisations seeking this new breed of talent.

We are experiencing a “war for talent” that can only raise the standard of the industry in the future. In turn, this is great news for us all, as customers.

While there will still be a lot of settlement in the market before we reach a new “normal”, a fresh market has arisen from the ashes of the sector’s reputation, and Scotland, particularly Edinburgh, is leading the way in making it a reality.

• Mark Wilson is Head of Global Accountancy and Finance at Change Recruitment Group

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THE BBC is unlikely to refer to Islamic State (IS) as Daesh, David Cameron has said amid calls for MPs and the media to adopt the Arabic term.

The Prime Minister told the House of Commons he could not see the broadcaster moving all the way from Islamic State to its Arabic name Daesh, as he reiterated his desire for the acronyms Isil or Isis to be used for the terror group.

Mr Cameron said the extremist group, which includes territory in Iraq and Syria as part of its self-declared state, was viewed by many Muslims as a “barbaric regime of terrorism and oppression”.

He was replying to Angus Robertson, the SNP’s Westminster leader, who asked for Daesh to be adopted by the English-speaking world.

Mr Robertson said recent attacks in Tunisia and elsewhere were horrific and not justified in any religion, adding especially in “this Ramadan month of peace and reflection for Muslims”.

He told Mr Cameron: “You are right to highlight the longer-term challenge of extremism and of radicalisation. You have pointed out the importance of getting terminology right and not using the name Islamic State. Will you join parliamentarians across this house, the US secretary of state and the French foreign minister in using the appropriate term?

“Do you agree the time has come in the English-speaking world to stop using Islamic State, Isis or Isil and instead we and our media should use Daesh – the commonly used phrase across the Middle East?”

Mr Cameron replied: “I agree with you in terms of the use of Islamic State.

“I think this is seen as particularly offensive to many Muslims who see, as I see, not a state but a barbaric regime of terrorism and oppression that takes delight in murder and oppressing women, and murdering people because they’re gay. I raised this with the BBC this morning.

“I personally think that using the term Isil or so-called would be better than what they currently do.

“I don’t think we’ll move them all the way to Daesh so I think saying Isil is probably better than Islamic State because it is neither in my view Islamic nor a state.”

Meanwhile the SNP’s foreign affairs spokesman at Westminster, Alex Salmond, said in a newspaper article: “We should start by understanding that in a propaganda war then language is crucial.

“Any description of terrorists which confers on them the image that they are representing either a religion or a state must surely be wrong and an own-goal of massive proportions.

“It is after all how they wish to refer to themselves.

“Daesh, sometime spelled DAIISH or Da’esh, is short for Dawlat alIslamiyah f’alIraq wa alSham. Many Arabic-speaking media organisations refer to the group as such.”

A passenger on one of Japan’s high-speed bullet trains has tried to set fire to themselves, causing smoke to fill the carriage and forcing the train to stop.

Two people, understood to be a man and a woman, are feared dead after the incident.

The train came to a stop when a passenger pressed an emergency button after finding one of the two passengers collapsed on the floor on a front carriage deck near a toilet.

The incident happened as the train passed near Odawara city, west of Tokyo, on its way to Osaka.

The passenger, reported to be a male, had apparently poured oil over their head before setting themselves on fire, the ministry official said.

He said the second person was found collapsed in an area between the first and second carriages. Initial reports did not make it clear whether the second person was known to the passenger.

A spokesperson for the Odawara fire department said that two people were in a state of ‘cardiopulmonary arrest’.

Public television NHK added that dozens of passengers were injured after inhaling smoke.

The fire was extinguished, and passengers were evacuated from the train, the broadcaster said.

All trains on the Tokyo-Osaka line have been suspended, the Central Japan Railway Company confirmed.

Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains are known for their punctuality, and unrivalled safety record - no one has ever died in a crash in the network’s near 50 years of service.

THE implications for Scotland of the forthcoming in/out referendum on European Union (EU) membership are to be examined by a Holyrood committee.

The European and External Relations Committee will also look at David Cameron’s agenda for reforming the UK’s relationship with the EU and the involvement of the Scottish Parliament and Scottish ministers in the negotiations.

MSPs are seeking views from individuals and organisations on the referendum and the reform negotiations, as well as the effectiveness of inter-governmental relations.

Launching the inquiry, committee convener Christina McKelvie said: “The UK Government’s referendum and reform agenda are likely to have profound implications for Scotland’s own relationship with the EU.

“With Europe increasingly dominating the political agenda, it is important that the Scottish Parliament plays an active role in the debate and provides a forum for the people of Scotland to have their say.”

Deputy convener Hanzala Malik said: “The outcomes of the negotiations on reform of the EU are likely to be an influential factor in the result of the referendum.

“The committee will look closely at the negotiations as they develop, but in particular we are seeking views as to what the implications may be for Scotland.

“We also want to ensure that the people of Scotland have their voices heard in Brussels and London.

“We will be looking at what arrangements are in place for Scottish ministers and parliamentarians to be consulted and informed, both during these negotiations and on other talks where they relate directly to devolved policy matters.

Oil and gas services specialist Wood Group has acquired a Canadian engineering consultant in a deal worth $14.3 million (£9.1m).

The Aberdeen-based group said the purchase of Beta Machinery Analysis would strengthen its capabilities in the testing and inspection of piping systems and machinery.

Calgary-based Beta, which employs about 100 people, specialises in vibration analysis and will operate under the Wood Group Kenny division.

The firm will continue to be led by its existing management team under president Russ Barss, who said: “With the support and strength of Wood Group, we can provide an enhanced global breadth of service to our customers.

“We are well aligned culturally, and our values are one and the same where safety, quality and integrity are major priorities.”

FOUR remote primary schools on the Isle of Skye have been saved from closure in the first case taken on by a specialist panel.

The School Closure Review Panel has refused to allow Highland Council to go ahead with plans to shut primary schools at Edinbane, Struan, Knockbreck and Dunvegan in the north of Skye.

The local authority had sought to replace them with a purpose-built new building in Dunvegan, but the plans were opposed by parents.

The independent panel claims there were significant flaws in the council’s proposal, adding that there was an unwillingness to consider alternatives to closure.

The decision has been welcomed by parent councils of the four schools.

Tim Spencer, a parent from Edinbane, said he hoped the council would now abandon what he described as its ill-thought out plans.

He added: “It is great news that the review panel is agreeing with what we have been saying. Obviously some caution because the council may still yet appeal. I think what this underlines is that a public consultation should be genuine and not just a paper exercise.

“The council’s evidence was just flawed. It failed to give a case for shutting small schools.”

Frances Maclean, chairwoman of the Edinbane parent council, added: “I’m really pleased the council has been stopped because its behaviour throughout this whole process was shoddy.”

Fiona MacDonald, of Knockbreck parent council, said: “We felt the council had made a decision before beginning their consultation, so we are really pleased with the ruling.”

Patricia Quigley, the review panel chair, said: “The panel has concluded that Highland Council has not fulfilled its obligations under the 2010 Act. Accordingly, the School Closure Review Panel refuses to consent to Highland Council’s proposal.”

The authority’s education chairman Drew Millar said: “We undertook an extensive consultation, taking account of the ideas and aspirations expressed by all of those involved.

We listened to parents when we came to our decision, and we sought to accommodate the range of views.

“Many parents will share our disappointment, and we shall now take stock and consider the options, including whether the council will lodge an appeal.”

The council has 14 days to consider whether it should lodge an appeal.

The School Closure Review Panels was created in March to review proposed closures called in by Scottish ministers.

Scottish local authorities proposing to close a school within their area must do so in line with the requirements of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010.

It is for the Scottish ministers to decide whether the authority has met the statutory requirements. The 2010 act also contains the power for ministers to “call in” a local authority school closure decision.

GREEN councillor Maggie Chapman is to quit her seat to concentrate on her bid to become an MSP.

The move is expected to lead to a double by-election in Leith Walk ward, which she has represented for the past eight years and where the SNP’s Deidre Brock is also standing down following her election as an MP.

Ms Chapman, who is co-leader of the Scottish Greens with Patrick Harvie, was selected as the party’s lead candidate on the North East regional list for next year’s Scottish Parliament elections.

But she has come under fire from within the party over her alleged lack of connections with the area – which stretches from Dundee to Aberdeen. And a petition calling for her to be deselected has been signed by leading Greens in the North East, including the former Green MSP for the region, Shiona Baird.

Ms Chapman dismissed the criticisms, saying she had been the “runaway winner” in a ballot of all party members in the region.

She said: “I was asked to stand by several members in the North East, I offered myself as a candidate and I was voted top of the list in April.

“There will always be people disappointed they didn’t get the position on the list they wanted.

“I have been working with groups in both Aberdeen and Dundee for years.”

Ms Chapman was elected Rector of Aberdeen University last year.

And she said she had recently got a new job in Dundee, with the Muslim Women’s Resource Centre, and would be moving there soon.

She said it “made sense” for her to shift her focus to the North East and with Ms Brock’s resignation, it seemed the right time to step down.

She said: “If I were elected to Holyrood in May I would have to stand down then, so it saves a second by-election and with proportional representation, having two seats to fill gives voters a chance to choose the representation they want.”

Ms Chapman said she believed the Greens had a good chance of getting list MSPs elected in most of the regions, fighting on a platform against austerity and in favour of economic and social justice.

She said it had been “a huge honour and privilege” to serve and work with the people of Leith Walk for the past eight years.

She said her proudest achievement on the council was Leith Decides, an initiative to give local people the power to decide on the allocation of community grants.

She was also convener of the petitions committee, which she said helped open up the council and let people feel they were being listened to.

Green group leader Steve Burgess paid tribute to Ms Chapman. He said: “I thank Maggie for her work as a Green councillor over the last eight years. We will campaign hard to ensure a new Green councillor is elected on a promise that only the Greens can offer a progressive and constructive opposition to the current Labour-SNP administration.”

A by-election to fill Ms Brock’s seat has already been fixed for September 10.

RESIDENTS and people familiar with Scotland will no doubt be aware of the classic postcard which has a picture of a flock of sheep on a road with the caption ‘Scottish traffic jam’.

But what about a herd of cows holding up your morning drive to work?

West Lothian resident Adam Kelly encountered precisely that on his way to work on Monday, posting a short video of the mayhem on a residential street in Mid Calder.

In the ten-second clip, a number of cows are seen running down a road, closely pursued by a police van and, a little bit behind that, the unlucky farmer, in a chase reminiscent of Benny Hill.

Posted with the caption ‘Couldn’t have asked for a better commute to work this morning’, the video has been shared over 2,600 times and viewed nearly 234,000 times.

One person who appeared to know the farmer in the video said that a fence had been vandalised, allowing the cows to escape from their field.

tomorrow the city faces one of its biggest decisions for many, many years.

The Capital has never had a major city centre shopping complex before. Glasgow has its Buchanan Galleries, Manchester the Arndale Centre, Birmingham its Bullring, and so on, but all the biggest retail developments in Edinburgh over the years have been “out-of-town”.

All that looks likely to change with the £850 million St James Quarter proposals. But as is so often the case in Edinburgh, everything is not straightforward.

Everyone agrees that the development would transform the Capital as a shopping destination. With 85 stores, 30 cafes, bars and restaurants, a multiscreen cinema and, crucially, 1650 underground car parking spaces, all linking up with the neighbouring areas, it is undoubtedly a game-changer for the city centre. Edinburgh rarely has the chance to get one over on Glasgow in the shopping stakes, but it certainly has that chance now.

Where there is disagreement is about the kind of stone that this massive shopping complex will be built with. City planning officials insist it must be sandstone but the developers are equally adamant that this is impractical.

Sandstone has been the traditional building material of the Capital for centuries, although there are notable exceptions, and the concern is that breaking with that tradition will spoil the appearance of the city’s historic heart.

We will all have to live with the results for a very long time, so it is crucial that we get this right.

Like every other major choice facing the Capital, from the trams to the future of the greenbelt, the debate has been played out in the pages of the Evening News.

The view of this newspaper is that the proposed limestone building would enhance a city centre which already boasts a rich mix of building materials. But don’t take our word for it. You can see the stone for yourself – as city councillors who will take the decision no doubt have done – by popping down to James Craig Walk where a sample is on display. The arguments on both sides are also laid out in detail on pages eight and nine of today’s paper.

This is a massive decision for the city. One that is likely to have a bigger impact on our future than the proposed extension of the trams.

The choice will be made tomorrow by the 15 sage members of the city’s planning committee. We wish them well in coming to the best decision for all the best reasons for the good of the future of Edinburgh.

THE family of a teenager apprentice killed in a crash in the Highlands have paid tribute to the “cheerful, thoughtful and sensitive young man”.

Liam Brown, 18, became the fifth person to die on the north’s roads in the space of a week when his car went off the A830 Road to the Isles near Arisaig in Lochaber.

The teenager had been working as an apprentice in his home town of Mallaig and was also attending Inverness College in bricklaying and joinery classes.

His mother Claire Whitton said: “The whole community is mourning the loss of this wonderful, happy, cheerful, thoughtful and sensitive young man, but none more than his adoring family.

“He was a son who brightened our lives every day, and made out hearts swell with pride at the incredible man he grew to become.

“We celebrated his achievements, his popularity, and his loving, caring nature.”

Mr Brown died in the accident early on Saturday. No other vehicles were involved.

A day earlier, Ava Milne, 29, from Fearn, died in an accident on the B9175 between Arabella and Nigg when her Renault Clio was in a collision with a Volvo.

Elizabeth Williams, 72, from Thurso, died in a collision on the A9 near Dunbeath last weekend, while 66-year-old Michael Robertson, from Sandwick, Shetland, died in a crash on the island the following day. Last Wednesday, 23-year-old Royal Marine Andrew Dawes also died in an accident on the A9 last Wednesday.

A DISGRUNTLED traveller has attempted to shame airport caterers by posting a hilarious picture of his £3.20 “bacon and egg” roll.

The egg in the picture is so small it has been described as coming from a hummingbird while the rasher could be from a micropig. Together, the ingredients are lost in a large, apparently unbuttered roll.

The anonymous poster took to social media to share the picture, commenting: “This is what a £3.20 bacon and egg roll from Edinburgh Airport looks like.”

The traveller - username “spambox” - wrote that he bought the snack at EAT, a popular cafe chain.

He added: “I never asked for a refund as I figured it must just be overpriced s*** cause it’s an airport.”

“The part that made it worse was that they told me to take a seat and they’d bring it over.

“The only empty table was clearly empty because it hadn’t been cleaned for what appeared to be weeks and then after 15 minutes I had to go back and ask where my roll was which they had totally forgotten about.”

In spite of his outrage, other online commenters were quick to see the funny side of his misfortune.

One said: “What are they using, hummingbird eggs?”

Others chimed in, adding: “The yolk actually looks like it’s been painted on.”

Some other commenters shared their own stories of airport catering disappointments.

One complained about getting a “rock solid” baguette from a catering outlet. Another claimed sandwiches at Edinburgh Airport are “generally poor”.

“Thereds2015” wrote: “Wow. How badly do airports get their catering wrong? This trend seems to be pretty widespread.”

Some also pointed out that the airport location could be to blame for the poor value for money, commenting: “It is airport food. What did you expect?”

A spokesman from Edinburgh Airport said: “We work closely with all of our food and beverage providers to ensure we offer customers the best choice of refreshments and service.

“Sadly on this occasion we fell below the mark and offer our apologies to this customer. Clearly this is not the service we should be providing and we will be addressing this complaint with EAT.”

A MAN accused of terrifying his wife with a spider - knowing she had arachnophobia - was cleared of the charge today after it was dropped.

Grant Ewing, 26, who appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court facing three charges, was alleged to have behaved in a threatening or abusive manner which was likely to cause fear and alarm to Louise Ewing, with the eight legged arachnid at an address in West Lothian, over a five month period.

However, the crown dropped the allegation - along with another - after accepting Ewing’s plea of guilty to an amended second charge, that between March 1 2011 and March 31 2011, at an address in Princes Street, California, near Falkirk, he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner that was likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm “in that you did shout, swear and utter threats.”

Katherine Fabian, defending, told the court that Ewing, now of Hopetoun Street, Bathgate, has separated from his wife but still has regular contact with their three children.

Sheriff Robert Vaughan deferred sentencing until July 23, 2015 to obtain background reports.

Sheriff Vaughan said: “I am going to order a criminal justice social work report.”

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THE Edinburgh International Film Festival has scored its highest attendance for seven years under a new artistic director.

More than 50,000 film fans flocked to the event for the first time since 2008, the year of its controversial relocation from August to June.

Organisers said there had been a nine per cent increase in admissions, the term used to measure festival box office figures, in the space of 12 months.

The improved performance of the EIFF under Mark Adams, who only officially took up the post in March, is expected to bolster the case for keeping the festival in its June slot.

An expanded programme saw the number of world and European premieres double, while special events included a sold-out gala screening of 1980s classic Back to the Future, accompanied by a live concert from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

This year’s tally does not include the 14,600 people who attended two weekends of open-air film screenings in the Grassmarket and St Andrew Square.

This year saw the return of a host of big-names like Robert Carlyle and Ewan McGregor, both of whom unveiled new films, in one of the strongest home-grown line-ups for years.

Karen Gillan served on one of the prize juries and was named as one of the event’s new patrons, along with fellow actor James Cosmo, who was honoured for best performance in a British film for The Pyramid Texts. Other stars to grace the red carpet included Oscar-winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler, former Bond girl Jane Seymour, Welsh actor Rhys Ifans, and The Newsroom star Emily Mortimer.

This summer marks the first time the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe will be held on the same dates for 17 years, and preparations are already underway for the landmark 70th season of events next summer.

But it is thought the film festival, which also shares the landmark festivals anniversary, is expected to remain in early summer for the foreseeable future, even though ticket sales are still not as high as they were a decade ago.

The EIFF’s surprise move out of August, announced just before the 2007 event took place, was intended to help the festival compete better with rival events and secure better international media coverage, and was backed by leading supporters like Sir Sean Connery and Tilda Swinton.

However EIFF attendances went on the slide over the next four years, a string of key figures left the event and it lost out on a number of major Scottish films, including Sunshine on Leith, Filth, The Railway Man, Under the Skin, and What We Did On Our Holiday.

Mr Adams, an experienced film critic, had promised to look at the timing of the event after he took over from Chris Fujiwara, who left the post suddenly last September after just three years, even though attendances had gradually recovered during his reign, from a low of 34,000, in 2011, when the event did not have an artistic director.

Ken Hay, the festival’s chief executive, said: “There have been some truly memorable moments at the festival this year. Our audiences have obviously responded to our rich and diverse programme and we are thrilled to see the increase in admissions.”

Natalie Usher, director of film at Creative Scotland, said: “We were delighted to see such a large number and variety of projects with a Scottish connection screening throughout the festival.”

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ONE in five training slots for GPs in Scotland has been left empty this summer as the number of junior doctors choosing to work in that part of the NHS declined, new figures showed.

With surgeries already struggling to fill vacancies for qualified GPs, it emerged there were 21 per cent of training jobs in general practice this summer left unfilled.

As 65 training position were lying vacant for that period, health experts warned the situation was ”critical” and “poses a significant threat to general practice” in Scotland.

Medical bodies have already expressed concern that Scotland is facing a GP workforce crisis, with some practices collapsing because they could not replace doctors who left or retired.

Surgeries in a number of health board areas such as Lothian, Dundee and Fife have also had to restrict the patients they take onto their lists because they are reaching capacity.

Dr Elaine McNaughton, deputy chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners in Scotland, blamed the recruitment problem on what she said were continued cuts to GP services.

She said: “These figures confirm the critical nature of the recruitment situation which poses a significant threat to general practice.

“RCGP Scotland believes that repeated yearly cuts in funding to general practice send out a very negative signal.”

The latest figures come after years of decline in the GP sector as the area of choice for qualified health professionals in Scotland to work in.

In 2012 96 per cent of the training positions were taken, dropping to 92 per cent in 2013, 89 per cent last year and 78 per cent this year. UK-wide slightly more GP training vacancies have been filled this summer at 80 per cent.

The Scottish Government has announced investment of £50m over three years to address immediate workforce issues in general practice, funding welcomed by the RCGP - but the body said it felt the shortage of doctors required a “much larger response”.

However, the Scottish General Practitioners Committee (SGPC) of the British Medical Association has also issued a series of warnings about staff shortages and the pressure on GPs.

Dr John Kyle, who represents training issues on SGPC, said: “It is very disappointing that increasing numbers of trainees are no longer seeing general practice as an attractive specialty.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie called on the SNP government to act to maintain the current levels of access to community doctors.

Mr Rennie said: “My fear is that unless action is taken now, the crisis will become inevitable and local communities will suffer.”

Health secretary Shona Robison said: “Under this Government, we currently have the highest staffing levels ever across our NHS, however, we absolutely recognise there are ongoing recruitment and retention challenges.”

FORMER Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael has warned that Tory plans to replace the Human Rights Act could split up the UK and bring down the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland.

The Lib Dem MP for Orkney and Shetland made his comments during a Westminster Hall debate he called on the future of Human Rights in the UK.

The Conservative government has made it clear that it wants to replace the Human Rights Act with a British Bill of Rights after the legislation has been used to prevent the deportation of suspected terrorists and so called hate preachers as well as test the rights of prisoners to vote.

Justice Secretary Michael Gove has suggested that Scotland could be exempt from the change because of Scottish legal system being devolved to Holyrood.

But in the debate Mr Carmichael noted: “The Human Rights Act is hard-wired into the devolution settlements of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.”

He said that those who had campaigned to keep Scotland as part of the UK in the referendum last year “had not envisaged separate human rights laws” for different parts of the UK.

He added that this “will undermine the UK. Human rights need to be universal across the whole country.”

He pointed out that the Human Right Act was “at the heart of the Good Friday Agreement” which brought peace in Northern Ireland.

He said that parties involved “took a leap of faith” because of the protection of their human rights.

He added: “The peace process remains a very delicate animal. We should never takes its continuation for granted.”