this is bbc news at 2pm. the headlines: cheering cheers outside court, as a royal marine who killed an injured taliban fighter in afghanistan is given a seven year prison sentence, but told he will be freed in two weeks. alexander blackman was jailed for murder in 2013, but his conviction was reduced to manslaughter earlier this month. his wife is overjoyed. this is the moment we have all been fighting hard for. it's hard to believe that this day is finally here. a shake up of prescriptions, holiday jabs, gluten free food and fish oils may no longer be available on the nhs to save money. a rape victim says she agrees with thejudge in her case who was criticised for warning that drunk women put themselves in danger.

i think she was absolutely right in what she said, but it was taken out of context. she put the blame massively on rapists, not the victims. she just simply said to be careful, basically, which is smart advice. the wife of the westminster attacker, khalid masood, condemns his actions, saying she is saddened and shocked. also this hour — cyclone debbie batters the australian state of queensland. high winds and torrential rain cause major damage, and cut power to tens of thousands of homes. and look out for the new 12 sided pound coin — it's thinner and lighter and it's out today. good afternoon and welcome to bbc news.

a royal marine, who was sent to prison for killing an injured taliban fighter in afghanistan, has been told he will be freed in two weeks. sergeant alexander blackman had his murder conviction reduced to manslaughter earlier this month, on the grounds of diminished responsibility. he's now been sentenced to seven years, but has already served three years, which means he will walk free next month. our correspondent duncan kennedy reports. cheering thejubilation was cheering the jubilation was immediate and unrivalled. marina veterans from a dozen conflicts give phil rein to their beliefs and delights. it was a euphoria that was then shared by the dignified reaction of alexander

blackman‘s wife. dignified reaction of alexander blackman's wife. we are overjoyed at thejudge posner decision to significantly reduce our sentence such that he can be released imminently. this is the moment that we have all been fighting hard for. it is hard to believe that that day is finally here. that joy was matched by hundreds of marines who campaigned for four years to make this da reality. i'm overwhelmed. i am reduced to tears if i'm honest. i'm supposed to be a hard man and back head of stuff, but it hasjust broken me. i'm so relieved that authors have been done and alexander lachlan is free. —— alexander blackman. he had killed 30 times for his country. on this tour of gangster in 2011, he and his men went through what was called it from hell. —— tour of afghanistan. they

we re hell. —— tour of afghanistan. they were targeted incessantly by the taliban in this field, it found and entered power inserted. alexander blackman was recorded saying this... he then pointed his gun at the insurgent and added... in 2013, sergeant blackman was convicted of murder, thousands of his colleagues believe this was more outrage. that conviction but reduced amount water on grounds of diminished responsibility. this man served alongside him and says the decision to release him neither is the right one. given what we all went through. the cancer to your question is, was it right for me what he did? and my a nswer it right for me what he did? and my answer would be, absolutely. when you're surrounded by absolute lunacy, then a little bit of lunacy doesn't seem so bad. —— the answer

to your question. prosecutors argued that he broke the rules of war, but his supporters are a man tormented by the horrors of combat. braithwaite and him, he is the last casualties of the afghanistan conflict. duncan kennedy, bbc news. with me isjonathan goldberg qc, who led sergeant alexander blackman‘s legal team, and patrick hennesy, who is a former army captain and barrister. thank you coming in to speak to us. it has been such a long road, i have to after initially for your thoughts and feeling today. i cannot tell you how delighted i am and a lot of champagne has already been drunk, i hope you cannot tell. 2.5 years ago, freddie forsyth the great author rang me and said there has been a terrible miscarriage ofjustice. i asked what he knew about it and he said nothing. he said he could smell it when he knew one. he brought me

the time spit and paid me to read it and was a big ask. when i read it, my eyes were out on stocks as to how appallingly this man had been prosecuted, defended and judged at the court martial. and is your key reason for saying that the fact that there was no psychiatric evidence submitted as part of that process? body bag that is very serious, because here is the man you have been six months at the time of the killing on what was called beta from hell because the conditions were so... hell because the conditions were so... they were unbelievably vile. i have no time to go into details. he was charged with murder. after his arrest, he spent a week in a psychiatric hospital. nobody bothered to find what he there. nobody wrote a report on him from either side, which is a breach of the military covenant. the defence don't bother to get a report on him until after conviction when it was too late to feel. the moment we did it properly and got three top

psychiatrist in the, they were unanimous, this man had had a mental breakdown. was it ever explain to you? did you ever begin to understand why those processors were not followed ? understand why those processors were not followed? no. and if i venture my own opinion, it was sheer in confidence. and incompetence that led the conviction of murder? yes, a life sentence and it had not been for clear blackman, a lioness in all this, he would be rotting in there today. for a lot of people, you will be aware, you have seen the video, a colleague of his had a camera on his helmet and that's how we know what happened, there was the awareness. he says on the tape, i have just broken the geneva convention. what elements does that add for you? because that suggests to someone watching that that he knows he has

done wrong. as the psychiatrist testified to be caught a couple of weeks ago, when the german wings pilots crashed his plane into the mountainside killing lots of men, he was able to choose to have tea or coffee for breakfast that morning, but on his uniform and act perfectly normally until he got into the cockpit and as another psychiatrist of the three z, when somebody goes to commit suicide, they buy their ticket for the train, the big thing will tell, they have breakfast that morning and then they go and do it. mental illness does not show florid signs the way a heart attack does. therefore, it was meaningless that he appeared in the coming collected on the video. that was the point. have you spoken to him today? yes, i have. what was said? he thinks christmas has come for a times this year. do we have a date yet when he

will be replaced ? year. do we have a date yet when he will be replaced? in a bout a fortnight. it depends on calculations in the prison. it cannot be more than a month and we reckon about a fortnight. thank you very much for coming in. thank you very much for coming in. the nhs in england is to consider whether gps should stop prescribing a range of medicines and treatments, including holiday jabs, gluten free food, fish oils and painkillers such as paracemotol, that are available over the counter. the proposals, which are intended to save millions of pounds, will form part of a major announcement on the future of the health service later this week by the head of nhs england. our health editor, hugh pym, reports. the nhs is under increasing financial pressure. now, service leaders are set to closely scrutinise what's available on prescription. local health commissioners in england have drawn up a list of items which they say are unnecessary and inappropriate for prescription on the nhs. instead, patients should have to pay for them. decisions are about the total spend and we need to use that effectively.

if we are effectively spending money we think on things that are of low or no clinical value, we can redirect that money to things that are more appropriate. the medicines and treatments listed include omega—3 and fish oils, some muscle rubs and ointments, gluten—free food, and travel vaccines still allowed on the nhs. there could be savings of £128 million a year. nhs england has agreed to carry out a review and introduce new guidelines. longer term, the future of cold and cough treatments, indigestion and heartburn medication, and paracetamol on prescription will be considered. they are widely available over—the—counter at chemists. but pharmacists warn there is a danger of going too far. the nhs is built on a principle of free up a point of use and it is important there was a balance between making sure the medicines are cost—effective, and we support the cost—effective review of those medicines, but at the same time we've got

to make sure people are not disadvantaged because of their ability to pay for medicines. and questions are being asked about what this might mean for patients who depend on free prescriptions. we've not had any clarity about what this means for elderly people, pregnant women, people are very low incomes, and i'm concerned about the people who are managing long—term conditions, managing their pain throughout those long—term conditions. nhs england says there won't be a ban and gps will still be free to prescribe the items to those they feel need them. the move is part of an nhs strategy to tackle rising demand. health officials say hundreds of millions of pounds more could be saved. the move will form part of a major strategy announcement by the head of nhs england, simon stephens, later this week. hugh pym, bbc news. the wife of the westminster attacker khalid masood has said she is saddened and shocked by the atrocity. in a statement released through the metropolitan police, rohey hydara said she totally condemns his actions. masood killed four people in an 82—second rampage last wednesday. meanwhile, the mp who tried to save the life of pc keith palmer outside parliament, foregin minister tobias ellwood,

has been speaking about what happened. he called it a dark day. i would 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, including our own pc keith palmer. let's get more on our top story this afternoon — the news that a royal marine jailed for killing an injured taliban fighter in afghanistan will be released within two weeks. alexander blackman‘s murder sentence was reduced to seven years for manslaughter. he's already served three and a half years. let's talk to the former army captain and barrister patrick hennesy. the crucial part of that introduction was the reduction of the sentence from murder to manslaughter. yes. leaders managed responsibility. that is for

exceptional circumstances and the court finds that those have occurred and the culpability is reduced. it does not mean that a crime was not committed. it means that alexander blackman will be out very soon. would suggest that something went very wrong at the court—martial for a conviction for murder to go through. yes, who knows what was said between him and his original legal team. it seems odd to me that the possibility of obtaining psychiatric evidence was not explored. when that evidence was obtained it was further unanimous and accepted by the prosecution. something clearly went wrong at that stage. looking forward, more broadly, if i was in the ministry of defence right now, i would be looking at this and thinking, what lessons looking at this and thinking, what lesso ns ca n looking at this and thinking, what lessons can we learn? what went wrong? the important thing would be not took thing this creates a precedent for something like this happening again on the battlefield and the mod must be really careful to examine how it can make sure that

soldiers are not picked in the same stress situations, specific ones, that alexander blackman was fit in. i would say that what went on partly was that there was filmed evidence of the incident itself. however side you are coming from that looks pretty shocking to an outsider. the mitigation that actually he had mental illness and it was a very, very difficult ofjudy, a lot of people will say that surely comes with thejob. people will say that surely comes with the job. that is a valid observation to make. it will be for a court to look at all the evidence before it and decide whether or not they were exceptional circumstances. the audio in particular seems to be damning. the psychiatrists seems to have come to the view that the severity of audio that he was suffering meant he did not have full responsibility for that action. the thing that jumps out responsibility for that action. the thing thatjumps out to me from the judgment is it seemed as though he

had not conducted his fool what is called trauma risk management training, which is an important measure in the armed forces whereby you preprepared for the sort of stresses that as you rightly say, the other stuff was not exceptional for some front—line soldiers. being under constant attack, being isolated, not having the best communication. there will be a lot of people who have served on the front line in afghanistan and iraq who recognise that. the thing about a psychiatric condition is that everybody is an individual. it affects everybody differently. as people said in the appeal case, there are no such things as superhumans and it is important that the armed forces recognise that. to those with suggest that our enemies are going to say there are double standards, one rule for us and another for standards, one rule for us and anotherfor them, your standards, one rule for us and another for them, your message standards, one rule for us and anotherfor them, your message is that this was a complete one of? anotherfor them, your message is that this was a complete one of7m is not a complete one of, but due process was followed. it is not one rule for one and another for the other, a crime was committed, has

still committed, he has served 3.5 yea rs still committed, he has served 3.5 years in prison, which is by any measure a severe sentence, and years in prison, which is by any measure a severe sentence, and he poses no threat to society and will be released. that is part of the rehabilitation process. i think the proper procedures had been followed. i give proper procedures had been followed. igive coming proper procedures had been followed. i give coming in and begin us. —— thank you for coming in and speaking to us. the headlines on bbc news: a royal marine — jailed for the fatal shooting of an injured taliban fighter in afghanistan — will be freed from prison within weeks following a long campaign by friends and family. the nhs in england is to consider whether gps should stop prescribing a range of treatments, including gluten free food. ajudge who provoked controversy at a rape trial, by saying drunk women were putting themselves in danger, is defended by the victim. in sport— andy murray will miss great britain's final against france

next week. he was excluded from the tea m next week. he was excluded from the team announcement today as he recovers from a care in his elbow. the doctor received a mystery package first bradley wiggins back in 2011 insists it contained illegal decongestant. he said he regrets the poor medical record—keeping in british cycling and team sky at the time. sullivan is playing his first match of this year's opening in beijing. he leads for— 11 against the welshman. i'll be back with a full update. i'll be back with a full update. the scottish parliament is expected to back nicola sturgeon's call for a second independence referendum, in a vote this afternoon. the vote had been due to take place at holyrood last wednesday, but was postponed because of the attack at westminster. the first minister wants a referendum by the spring of 2019, but theresa may has rejected that timetable. stephen godden reports.

let's speak to lorna gordon at holyrood. if the debate about to get underway? it will start imminently. the proceedings are satin inserted with a couple of topical questions. one of those was on brexit. we expect the debate which was interrupted last week because of that attack on westminster to start around 2:20pm. it will certainly be first minister nicola sturgeon making an opening speech, which be followed by the opposition parties. it will last about a couple of hours and then there will be able to. no fanfare, a straightforward process with a press a button and it will take waste around about 5pm. make no mistake, this is a very significant vote. perhaps one of the most significant vote in recent times to take place

at this parliament. and though it is likely that it will pass, the snp with the support of the greens, it will be interesting to see what happens next. nicola sturgeon is getting on her feet happens next. nicola sturgeon is getting on herfeet to happens next. nicola sturgeon is getting on her feet to speak now. happens next. nicola sturgeon is getting on her feet to speak nowm is worth reflecting today on how we all felt last week in our shocking sadness, we were reminded of our common humanity and the core values that unite us. we came together to proclaim our commitment to that most cherished principle of all, democracy. today's debate at its heart is about democracy. it is about the right of people in scotland to choose our own future. in itself, it is a demonstration of democracy in action. elected representatives with different but passionately held views expressing those differences through robust, sometimes our robust, discussion. ours isa sometimes our robust, discussion. ours is a privileged position and we

all have a responsibility to rise to it. it is the example beset here in this chamber that many others across our country will follow, so let us make sure it is the right one. let us make sure it is the right one. let us recognise and accept that we are all sincere in the opinion is that we hold. let us always remind ourselves that the person on the other side of the debate is not an enemy, simply someone with the different but still a valid point of view. none of us come to this debate with anything other than the best intentions and the rest of motivations. we all want the best for scotland, so let us today as we resumed this debate, he'd be worth of the church of scotland when it tells us that there is nothing inevitable about this debate or any other debate being divisive. that depends on how we choose to conduct it, notjust depends on how we choose to conduct it, not just today, depends on how we choose to conduct it, notjust today, but in the months that lie ahead. the church called for a debate which informs and inspires. not one which the rides and dismisses. that should,

presiding officer, be the ambition of all of us. my resolve in leading by example is to conduct myself in a spirit of openness, honesty and respect of understanding. i hope that others right across the chamber willjoin me in that. presiding officer, it is not my intention to rehearse all of my argument is that i made last week, which will relieve people on all sides i'm secure. there are two points i want to make today, firstly, iwant there are two points i want to make today, firstly, i want to remind us why this debate matters, why the debate we are having today is important. scotland, like the rest of the uk, stands at a crossroads. when article 50 of the lisbon treaty is triggered tomorrow, change for our country at that point becomes inevitable. we don't yet know the precise nature of that change, much will of course depend on the outcome of the negotiation that lies ahead.

we do know that the change will be significant and profound. it is change that will impact on our economy, notjust in the here and now, but for the long—term. it was the uk treasury ahead of the referendum last year that said that brexit would make the uk permanently power. there will be an impact on trade, investment and living standards and an impact on the very nature of the society we live in. much that we have come to take for granted over, certainly much of my lifetime, the freedom just as one example to travel easily across europe is now up for negotiation with outcomes that are at this point deeply uncertain. my argument is simply this — winnie nature of the change that is made inevitable by brexit becomes clear, that change should not be imposed upon us, we should not be imposed upon us, we should have the right to decide the nature of that change. the people of scotland should have the right to

choose between brexit, possibly a very ha rd choose between brexit, possibly a very hard brexit, or becoming an independent country, able to chart our own chorus and create a true partnership of equals across these islands. if we accept, as i hope we all do, that scotland does have the right to decide our own future, the question then becomes one of timing. when is it best to make that choice? we are all agreed that now is not the time. in my view, the time to choose as when the terms of brexit are clear and choose as when the terms of brexit are clearand can choose as when the terms of brexit are clear and can be judged then again the challenges and the opportunities are becoming an independent country. the prime minister was clear with me yesterday that she intends the times brexit, but the exit times and the uk's future relationship with the eu, to be known for the uk leads and in time for ratification by other eu countries, in other words, time for ratification by other eu countries, in otherwords, sometime between the art of of the next year and a spring of 2018. hear what she

says that the premise's to view, is that her view? has her government done an assessment of when a future trade between the eu and uk might be conducive? have made this point before. i can only go on what the pro minister that is leading the negotiations on the uk side is saying about her intentions. —— prime minister. i made very clear when i announced my own intentions about a referendum, if the timetable changes, 52 years was to be extended, that would have an impact on the timetable that parliament is discussing today. none of us can know that at the moment. we can only base our decisions on the timetable set out by the prime minister annie prime minister yesterday was very clear with me about her intentions on that respect. for my part, i'm equally clear about the responsibility i have two ensure that the detail of independence is set out well in advance of that the people of scotland can make a truly

informed choice. to enable that choice, the scottish and uk government is required to make certain preparations now, which leads me finally to the question of how i intend to respond parliament passed a motion later this afternoon. it is not my intention to do so confrontational, instead i only seek sensible discussion. in recognition of the importance and a significance of what will happen tomorrow, i will not do so until later this week after the triggering of article 15. —— article 15. yesterday i wish to be pro minister well for tomorrow any negotiations ahead. i assured well for tomorrow any negotiations ahead. iassured herand well for tomorrow any negotiations ahead. i assured her and the chamber today that the scottish government will fade —— play a significant role. i once heard to get a good deal from these negotiations, because what ever pat scotland chooses in the future, that is in our interests. i simply want scotland to have a choice when the

time is right. i hope that the uk government will respect the will of this parliament. if it does so, i will enter discussion in good faith and with a willingness to compromise. however, if it chooses not to do so, i will return to the parliament following the easter recess to set out the steps that the scottish government needs to take to assess the will of parliament. none of us should be in any doubt about what is at stake. the next two years will determine what kind of country we are going to be. the european commission, the european parliament, 28 governments informed by their national parliaments will all have a say. the people of scotland must also have their say. scotland's future must 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 over, the challenges that we face. it is a debate that

should engage all of us, what ever our views. let us start today as we mean to go on, positively, passionately and as we mean to go on. i commend the motion. passionately and as we mean to go on. i commend the motionlj passionately and as we mean to go on. i commend the motion. i call on ruth davidson. i'm responding on behalf of my party today because the scottish minister has decided to reopen as for the scottish government. there is only one thing ican add government. there is only one thing i can add from icon in first week. that is, if this debate so far has served one purpose, it has been to show why most people in scotland do not want the government and this parliament to be sidetracked by yet another referendum campaign. despite some honourable speeches from all sides of the chamber, this parliament last week added precisely nothing to be some of human knowledge on scottish independence. no new arguments, nothing for families want to see a parliament focus on improving schools for children across scotland, no ideas

on how we ensure that patients are seen more quickly in hospital so that they get the treatment it deserves. no insight on how we tackle the endemic low growth in scotland. this parliament is about to gain huge new powers of tax and welfare, making it one of the most powerful chambers of its kind in the world. and yet in this last week, we have seen a government whose sole purposeis have seen a government whose sole purpose is to spend its time complaining as always on the powers it doesn't have. we have seen our first minister his clear priority is to press ahead with the referendum campaign that she wants to start tomorrow. she wants to use our time here today in pursuit of her real purpose, her only real purpose in politics. let me deal with with the first minister pot comments in relation to her meeting with the prime minister yesterday and many go through what she did not mention. i heard no welcome at the counterterrorism plans announced. no welcome for the pro minister pot support for the department for

international development in east kilbride. the agenda yesterday was how to use her meeting with the prime minister to spin some kind of new rationales for her rushed timetable to vote for referendum. even her own colleagues do not share her view, alex neil stated last week all may not be done and dusted by march 2000 and 19. the timetable for a trade deal could extend beyond that date. the leading authority in all things european said injanuary there is no way a trade agreement is going to be put in place within two yea rs. going to be put in place within two years. that is completely unrealistic. i would years. that is completely unrealistic. iwould not years. that is completely unrealistic. i would not be as pessimistic as miss mcalpine, ijust look forward to our conversion know that the first minister has ordered a different tactic be called in aid to the same old conclusion. it matters that the question, the a nswer matters that the question, the answer is always independence. presiding officer, the truth is... just one second, nothing changed at

all yesterday. i will take the first minister now. i spoke to the prime minister on the phone last week and yesterday. the scottish government has been working to make sure it is a success. can i ask ruth davidson, the prime minister said to me clearly yesterday that it is her intention for the exit terms and also a comprehensive free trade deal to be agreed before march, 2019? can i ta ke agreed before march, 2019? can i take from her comments that she thinks i should distrust the words of the prime minister? what i find remarkable is that the prime minister has been absolutely clear time after time in the media as a statement, in the house of commons, to say now is not the time, it will ta ke to say now is not the time, it will take time to see a deal bedded in. what i cannot believe is that the one person she took into her trust was the first minister who has been trying to derail this from the beginning and that in a one meeting

the only person who could make theresa may change her mind was nicola sturgeon who could not wait to rush out to the microphones to explain all. i will not take any lessons from the first minister. sit down. nothing changed yesterday. i think i have answered the first minister's question. i will not take another intervention. just as was announced two weeks ago, she wants to start a referendum campaign to fired the starting gun on a countdown to a referendum, to have people knocking on our doors from this weekend demanding your vote. independence campaigners rerunning the trope we would all be £500 better off, promising us the earth, still without a plan on how we would they are way. i am still wondering who did win the ipad. she says she wa nts who did win the ipad. she says she wants the uk to get a good brexit

deal. but she still wants to push for independence anyway. our view and the uk government's view remains this. at a time of enormous uncertainty, only three years since the last vote, when we were told it would be a once in a generation vote, that citizen of the scottish people would be respected, no rerun without an overwhelming change in public opinion —— the decision of the scottish people. at the moment, we should be pulling together, not hanging apart. as alex neil told the first minister last week, we should not even be contemplating such a vote unless people come with us. he was arguing from his perspective of someone who wants independence and it is fairenough, someone who wants independence and it is fair enough, i respect his views, but i am arguing from the perspective of someone who believes the plan for a rushed referendum with a the plan for a rushed referendum witha campaign the plan for a rushed referendum with a campaign beginning now without public consent, with no agreement in place for how it should ta ke agreement in place for how it should take place, with one side dictating

the timing, the franchise, the rules, it would be a farce. most people, yes, no and undecided, they are right to be turned off by the prospect because they conceded too. i repeat what i said last week, i think the first minister knows that the proposal she is putting forward today cannot work, it is not fair to the people of scotland, but it is not the point. this is not the serious plan of a reasonable government, it is the snp cooking at the same old recipe for division. add in some greens, stir in the grievance and bring it to the boil. it might have worked once, but let me tell the first minister this, it stinks and the people of scotland are not buying it. i have said my piece twice. we will vote against the motion today and in support of our own amendment. we still call on the green party to honour their ma nifesto the green party to honour their manifesto commitment. unless he can now inform the chamber that since we last met he has finally managed to collect the elusive millions

signature in his referendum petition. no? nothing has changed. except this. since the debate was postponed, we hear have learnt fewer than half of nurseries in scotland will offer extended free early learning. release scotland has a projected deficit of nearly £50 million. —— police scotland. 5% of schools have been inspected in scotla nd schools have been inspected in scotland in the last year. the snp government has you turned on junior doctor hours. two former members of the independent panel warning the report is of a betrayal and it will be watered down. only this morning we learned that cancer waiting times have been missed again for the fourth year in a row. last week in what was a disgraceful episode, we we re what was a disgraceful episode, we were shouted at from the snp benches and told we were frightened to debate independence. we are not. but we are sick of it and most people in

scotla nd we are sick of it and most people in scotland have had enough too because this parliament must focus on the priorities of the people of this country and it is not the time to be sidetracked by yet more unnecessary division. it is time for a government that focuses on the job we pay it to do and i move the amendment in my name. kezia dugdale. cani amendment in my name. kezia dugdale. can i start... studio: the labour response there. let us get the thoughts of our scotla nd let us get the thoughts of our scotland correspondent who is following all of this at holyrood. your thoughts about the opening salvos in this debate. a couple of interesting points from nicola sturgeon, the first minister. she gave some clarity on what happens next. in all likelihood, this vote is likely to pass, the snp with the green party will have a majority in

the parliament. nicola sturgeon said her name when she sends a letter, won the scottish common—sense a letter to the uk government seeking a section 30 under the scotland act she will only seek sensible discussions. she does not intend to send the letter until later this week, after the triggering of article 50. she said if the uk rejects a ny article 50. she said if the uk rejects any talks, she will return to holyrood after the easter recess, the middle of april, to outline the steps she will take to progress the will of the parliament. interestingly, she started her debate, she opened by saying that everybody in the chamber only wanted the best for scotland, but the problem is that the sides in the debate, they come from very different positions. ruth davidson speaking for the conservatives, they

will oppose this motion. she said the contributions to the debate thus far add nothing to the sum of human knowledge. she was very critical of what has been proposed. she's said, at the time of uncertainty, the people of scotland have a right to see the brexit process operating and it isa see the brexit process operating and it is a time for the country to pull together, not to be pushed apart. the motion will today in all likelihood pass, at which point the scottish government will send a letter to the uk government asking for the right to hold another referendum. 20 more to come. we are still to hear from labour and referendum. 20 more to come. we are still to hearfrom labour and a green party and the vote will take place at 5pm —— plenty more to come. thank you for now. we will be back for more. people in the iraqi city of mosul say many civilians remain buried under rubble following recent air strikes. the intensity of the attacks by the iraqi army and the international coalition has

provoked controversy. jeremy bowen is on the frontline with the iraqi army in western mosul. gunfire there is an alternative to this street fighting. that is to call in air strikes and level the neighbourhood. there is another issue. destroying this city to save it, politically, that is a very bad idea. it is a question of trying to win the political battle, the media battle as well as winning the military battle. it is notjust a question of how many of the enemy easement can kill. they have to convince the iraqi people that what they are doing is justified and flattening the city, killing a lot of the civilians will not do that. jeremy bowen, bbc news, mosul. the australian state of queensland is being lashed by torrential rain

and very high winds. a cyclone has flooded streets and toppled trees on the whitsunday coast. tens of thousands of people have been told to leave their homes along coastal areas, with warnings of dangerous tidal surges. hywell griffith reports. coming to land with a mighty roar. cyclone debbie's 30—mile—wide core ripped through everything in its path, tearing into the queensland coast. australia's biggest evacuation plan in over a0 years meant people here were prepared, but that didn't lessen the impact. we have more than 115,000 homes without power, we have major trees down, we are hearing reports of some quite severe structural damage. this is a dangerous cyclone. people must stay indoors. please do not go outside. at airlie beach, normally a picture postcard scene, a bbcjournalist on holiday found

herself at the centre of the story. what i can see is trees bending over. there's debris flying all through the air. trees are starting to be ripped up now and there's a huge amount of water flying through the air. it's notjust falling as rain now, it's a big mass of mist and sea, kind of, breeze coming over. even when these winds have died down, there will be another, longer lasting, problem to deal with — flooding. with two feet worth of rain expected to fall in 2a hours in some places, it means some communities could be cut off for days. the emergency services have been in lockdown, unable to respond to calls until the cyclone passes. they know the hardest days are ahead. this is a very destructive storm and storm system and i think the public and the community of queensland need to understand that we are going to get

lots of reports of damage and sadly i think that we will also receive more reports of injuries, if not deaths, and we need to be prepared for that. for those who have sought shelter, there will be uncomfortable nights ahead, too. sarah bromley from essex has managed to let her family know she's safe. having to wait out the weather hasn't been much fun. we've been here for almost 24 hours now, so we're a bit bored of it and hoping it passes soon, so we can go back, get some food and a bed to sleep in. the cyclone is still moving slowly inland, downgraded but still destructive on a vast scale. hywel griffith, bbc news, queensland. back to earth with something of a bump. potholes — they infuriate motorists and cyclists alike. now a new survey of local councils in england and wales has revealed that potholes mean that one in six smaller roads are at risk of becoming damaged beyond repair,

and some have less than five years before they have to be replaced or closed. our transport correspondent, richard westcott, reports. it's impossible to dodge them all these days. our roads, peppered with holes. the surface crumbling away faster than it can be repaired, according to this report. it blames decades of underfunding, coupled with wetter winters and more cars and we're all paying the price. it burst two of my tyres and also dented the actual alloy wheel as well. the car went into crash mechanism. the doors on the car were disengaged and i had £500 worth of damage to my vehicle. i had an accident on my bike, where i hit a pothole and fell forward off my bike. the research found that one in six roads is so bad it may need to be replaced within five years. councils filled 1.7 million potholes in england and wales last year, which is one every 19 seconds.

well, this survey is hardly going to come as a surprise to most drivers. we've been looking forjust two minutes just outside bristol. look, a whole row of potholes on an ordinary road. according to this report, if you really wanted to fix up all the local roads across england and wales, it would cost £12 billion and take more than a decade. bus companies say their customers and drivers face being jolted around by poor roads. steve's been driving a bus around bristol for nearly four decades. i'm just upset because when they do repair them, it doesn't last very long. we talk about it all the time in the canteen, amongst drivers, our concerns about the safety for our customers and obviously how we have to behave on the road. we actually position the bus to avoid the potholes because some of them really give a big bash. the government says it's chipped in an extra £1 billion recently

to help fill the holes but campaigners aren't impressed. every so often the government gives out a pothole fund. it is kind of reacting to a crisis, but i think we need to actually plan longer—term funding and have a greater proportion of what drivers actually pay in motoring taxes ringfenced just for maintenance. because if you ask drivers, it is their number one concern. as councils feel the financial squeeze, many fear our local roads are only going to get worse. richard westcott, bbc news, bristol. the new 12—sided pound coin has entered circulation this morning. it's the first change to the shape of the coin since it was introduced in 1983. the new coins are thinner and lighter. but watch out — some vending and ticket machines may not accept the new money straight away. simon gompertz has been taking a closer look. here is the new pound coin and it does have some special security features, apart from being 12

sided and two coloured, it's got very small writing on it and it has a sort of hologram with a pound sign at the bottom and a specialfeature inside which means coin machines can recognise whether it's genuine or not and that's important because there are so many fakes of the old pound coin. but there is a problem for some businesses actually getting ready for this and here's one of them, amusement arcade in southend. john, what's your problem with converting the machines to take the new pound? for us, the biggest issue is obviously all of our coin mix in all of the machines needs to take the pound coin. how much does it cost? well, at the minute, we've got 800 coin mix so upwards of £12,000 just on reprogramming alone. doesn't take into account machines that we can't do, obviously some machines are too old to have the new coin mix in, we have to get rid of them,

not only that, but the man hours to reprogram... but at the moment, you are putting it off, are you? well, we don't really have a choice, we have to try and get it done as soon as we can, easter coming up for us is a seasonal business, a big factor. so you have to get it done? but for everyone else, although this is coming in today, you can still use the old pound coins until october 15th, then they stop becoming legal tender in the shops but you'll be able to hand them into a bank. simon gompertz in southend. in a moment, a summary of the business news this hour. but first, the headlines on bbc news. a royal marines jailed for the fatal shooting of an injured taliban fighter in afghanistan will be freed from prison within weeks following a

long campaign by friends and family. the nhs in england is to consider whether gps should stop prescribing a range of treatments in an effort to save money. ajudge a range of treatments in an effort to save money. a judge who a range of treatments in an effort to save money. ajudge who provoked controversy at a rape trial by saying drunk women were putting themselves in danger has been defended by the victim. in the business news... tesco has agreed to pay a fine of £129 million to avoid prosecution for overstating its profits in 2014. it follows a two—year investigation by the serious fraud office. there's a new quid on the block. the new £1 becomes legal tender from today. it's got 12 sides, two different colours and a whole host of security features to help cut the number of fake coins in circulation. redrow has pulled out of takeover talks with fellow housebuilder bovis after a share and cash offer was rejected earlier this month.

redrow says it is not in its shareholders' best interests to increase its proposal. more on britain's shiny new coin which becomes legal tender from today. it is designed to cut the number of fake pounds in circulation. it is the first new £1 coin to be introduced in 30 years and will be the most secure of its kind in the world. is the uk ready? let us hear from the chief executive of the royal mint. october the 15th is the final date. we are encouraging the public to empty the coin jars encouraging the public to empty the coinjars and encouraging the public to empty the coin jars and spend them encouraging the public to empty the coinjars and spend them or encouraging the public to empty the coin jars and spend them or donate them to charity quickly because one of the things we can do is recycle the coins and make new coins with the coins and make new coins with the old ones. we have put security in. the 12 sides, the hologram, on

the reverse, the two materials, and there is also the features we expect there is also the features we expect the cash industry to look for, the composition of the metal, the weight, the diameter, and other securities for law enforcement agencies and the royal mint in case someone tries to copy it. in other business news... elon musk has launched a start—up which aims to develop technology that connects our brains to computers. the company was in its early stages and registered as a medical research firm and it was developing technology to implant tiny electrodes into the brain, the technique could be used to improve memory. one in six roads in both england and wales are in such a bad state they must be repaired in five yea rs state they must be repaired in five years according to the annual local authority road maintenance survey. the government is planning to invest 1.2 billion in roads this year

including repair and maintenance but authorities say it will take an average of 12 years and £12 billion to bring the network up to scratch. amazon has made its first move into the middle east after agreeing to wider region's largest online retailer for wider region's largest online retailerfor an wider region's largest online retailer for an undisclosed amount. some reports suggest it is around £517 million. it was launched in 2005 and offers more than 8.4 million products. let us take a look at the markets. fairly flat. waiting for article 50 to be triggered tomorrow. it is being priced in already but the markets had to take already but the markets had to take a pause like this. tesco share price up a pause like this. tesco share price up ever a pause like this. tesco share price up ever so a pause like this. tesco share price up ever so slightly. back with more in an hour. thank you. while politicians grapple with the detail of brexit, feelings about the rights and wrongs of leaving the eu are still running high amongst many voters. five live's tony livesey brought together 50 people

for a special debate in salford — split evenly between both sides of the debate and from all corners of the uk. 50 people from all walks of life. we've brought them here together to discuss one thing... whether you like it or not, the economy is doing great and you lot lost. they are frightened. we can cope without europe. i've yet to hear a constructive plan for this brexit. can you give us a constructive plan? we will ask them questions about their families, their jobs and their communities. i want you to step forward and talk to me if you think that brexit will hurt or help my family. i have two sons and they are not able to get jobs whilst they are at university because, we've been told, they have to employ people from other countries first, before people from our country, so i feel that leaving will give us the opportunity to get

back to being british. give the british people back theirjobs. one of my husband's grandchildren is a student and i think it will limit his opportunities studying abroad or having placements abroad and working abroad. step forward if you think brexit will make britain a more tolerant country. i think we are a country that has been borne out of diversity. i don't think that will change. i don't think the vote was about racism, it was about taking control of our borders. a few weeks ago, there was a ten—year—old boy and a teenage boy. a muslim woman walked past and they said, "you dirty muslim." she was talking about racist abuse, what is your point? firstly, racism has got nothing to do with brexit. racism exists regardless. the whole future of leaving the eu is complete speculation. we don't know what will happen. is it worth risking the entire economy? but... can anyone guarantee that my future and the future of people my age is going to improve? if you think the eu is stable and certain, you are deluded. the euro could collapse and the eu has problems of its own. step forward if you have changed your mind since the referendum? out to 50 people, we have one.

i was a reluctant remainer, but i now support the vote. i don't think we should be holding the eu to ransom. people should get behind the government to make sure we get the best deal. there was someone here who has changed their mind since i asked about people changing their minds. we have to work together to get the best brexit. it's not what i wanted, it's what the majority wanted. i'm not there to stand here and try and stop people from what the majority voted for. guys, thank you for coming. give yourselves a round of applause, you have been brilliant. more must be done to address a sharp rise in the number of suicides among women prisoners in england, according to the prisons watchdog. the number of female inmates who killed themselves has almost doubled in the last year. the prisons and probation ombudsman

says reforms recommended a decade ago haven't happened, as marc ashdown reports. for many years, the number of women who took their own life in prisons in england was one or two a year. in 2015, that figure rose to seven, and last year, 12 women. this stark rise prompted the prisons and probation ombudsman, nigel newcomen, to examine 19 cases of suicide over a four—year period. he has identified crucial areas of practice where he says that the service could be improved. better assessment and management of risk, improving suicide and self—harm procedures, and addressing how mental health issues and bullying are dealt with. a second report out today identifies similar issues. well, the huge rise in deaths, it is complicated, but there are two main reasons. first, there are fewer staff in prisons, fewer people to learn and listen, and the other thing is unmet mental health needs. so women who are vulnerable and who need mental healthcare, they are not getting it.

ten years ago, the prisons ombudsman published a landmark report, making a series of 43 recommendations aimed at improving the care of women in custody. the current ombudsman said it was disheartening that the sweeping reforms had yet to be implemented, and blamed a lack of concerted and sustained action. the ministry ofjustice said the safety of prisoners is a priority, and a range of measures has been introduced to increase the support available. mark ashdown, bbc news. much more coming up. we will be talking about scotland and independence and brexit and much more besides. let us catch up with the weather now. quite a bit of weather around. the weekend and monday was glorious. view. is changing. i am looking into

the atlantic. there is a big area of low pressure which eventually will come to dominate our weather and some of you have seen the first influences of that change of regime. a little bit of rain has already crept into some western parts of the british isles and we are expecting to see more of that within the next few hours. it is not like it everywhere. we are keeping many areas dry. that is the way of it across a good part of northern scotland. there is the odd spot of something. not amounting to much. we are expecting it to push into the southern half of scotland. after a prolonged dry spell, much of england, away from east anglia and the south—east, could be looking at the south—east, could be looking at the threat of quite a sharp shower if not something more prolonged eventually getting into the south—west. this evening and overnight, the areas of showers and rain will be pushed up across many

parts of the british isles. it will not be cold. the breezes coming in from the south. wednesday, looks quite wet for parts of wales, the northwest, northern ireland, pushing up northwest, northern ireland, pushing up into scotland. the south—eastern quarter of avoiding the very worst of that wet weather. then i'd take you into thursday. we have the weather front being urged along by the southerly breeze and it is crucial because although i am indicating quite a bit of wet weather in northern and western parts, still dry in the south—east. the southerly breeze will keep the temperature is well above the mark we would expect for the time of year. i make no bones about it, a wet day again for wales, the cumbrian fells, southern uplands of scotland, but elsewhere, quite a bit of dry weather. not single figures under the rain. of dry weather. not single figures underthe rain. in of dry weather. not single figures under the rain. in the south—east, a bit of brightness, thursday could be the warmest day england has seen so

far this year. by friday, no mistaking the fact it turns quite wet for many of us. still with the southerly breeze. temperatures still well above the mark for the time of year. more in half an hour. this is bbc news. the headlines at 3pm. three cheers for alexander blackman! supporters of a royal marine, who killed an injured

taliban fighter in affection, celebrate and they learn he will be freed in a couple of weeks. alexander blackman was jailed for murder in 2013, but his conviction was reduced to manslaughter earlier this month. this is the moment we have all been fighting hard for. it's hard to believe that this day is finally here. the scottish parliament is expected to back nicola sturgeon's call for a second independence referendum, in a vote later this afternoon. a shake up of prescriptions — holidayjabs, gluten—free food and fish oils may no longer be available on the nhs to save money.