about, what perhaps they are alluding to is the fact that the scottish government, the snp government, are perhaps alluding to having the capacity to vary those income tax bands more widely than they have already, howeverthe more widely than they have already, however the counter argument to that is if you put up argument to that is if you put up taxes, income tax bands too much, then perhaps you chase people away, so some economists argue europe take over all is lowered as a result. —— your take. some argue it would increase the revenue, others would say it is neutral, others would say it is neutral, others would say it is neutral, others would say the income tax take goes down if you start taxing middle income earners more. there is a slightly more progressive tax bands here in scotland, but arguments about whether it should go further, whether it should go further,

whether it should match elsewhere in the uk or whether it is set at the right level are likely to continue. our correspondent _ are likely to continue. our correspondent lorna - are likely to continue. our correspondent lorna gordon in holyrood. as if by magic we can speak to the general secretary of the scottish trades union congress. can you explain, what did you mean when you say the scottish government could have raised more revenue by taxing any different way? we more revenue by taxing any different way?— more revenue by taxing any different way? we have been settin: different way? we have been setting out — different way? we have been setting out for _ different way? we have been setting out for a _ different way? we have been setting out for a couple - different way? we have been setting out for a couple of. setting out for a couple of years ways that the scottish government could raise additional revenue within existing powers and it is not just all about income tax. they could, for example, put a tax on private jets and could, for example, put a tax on privatejets and bays could, for example, put a tax on private jets and bays up to hundred million pounds more, they could replace the council tax, the proportional property tax, the proportional property tax and raise around £708 more. they could introduce an annual wealth tax of up to 2% on that

would raise over 1.4 billion per year. they have options and choices under their existing powers, and what we need to do is get both the government in scotland and the uk government, which is not blameless in this situation either because it is the uk government austerity that has affected the scottish government's fiscal position, they need to stop trying to tell us we can have american—style taxes and scandinavian style public services because itjust services because it just doesn't services because itjust doesn't add up. services because it 'ust doesn't add upfi services because it 'ust doesn't add up. services because it 'ust doesn't add u-. ~ ., ., . doesn't add up. what about that oint that doesn't add up. what about that point that some _ doesn't add up. what about that point that some economists - doesn't add up. what about that point that some economists and j point that some economists and commentators do say that if you put taxes up too much, it will drive away the sources of wealth and income that you do rely on? wealth and income that you do rel on? ,., wealth and income that you do rel on? ., , rely on? our report actually took account _ rely on? our report actually took account of _ rely on? our report actually took account of predicted i took account of predicted changes in patterns of where people, migration patterns as a result of any additional taxation and we still came out with a range of ways that

scottish government could choose to undertake more progressive taxation and redistribute wealth. the real player in this is the uk government and looking towards the uk government budget which is coming up as well, we would urge them to look at ways they could to tax wealth and redistribute that wealth within our economy because we are not willing to invest in our public services, we are not going to get that magic growth that both governments are very keen to engender. governments are very keen to engender-— governments are very keen to enaender. 1, ., , ., engender. both governments have said difficult _ engender. both governments have said difficult decisions _ engender. both governments have said difficult decisions do - said difficult decisions do need to be made.- said difficult decisions do need to be made. you do not disute need to be made. you do not dispute that. _ need to be made. you do not dispute that. yeah, - need to be made. you do not dispute that. yeah, difficult l dispute that. yeah, difficult decisions undoubtably need to be made but there difficult decisions should not come upon the shoulders of our most vulnerable. cutting winterfuel vulnerable. cutting winter fuel allowance vulnerable. cutting winterfuel allowance is not the answer. freezing council tax is not the answer. we need to start making sure that as the prime minister

said the other day, and i wanted to see those words turn into action, those with the broadest shoulders i the people that things need to get verse fourin that things need to get verse four in the period ahead, not the most vulnerable in our society who need our support and certainly not our public services, which is the key infrastructure that needs to be invested in if we are going to create job growth in our society. create job growth in our society-— create job growth in our socie . ,, ., , society. the commissions report did say that _ society. the commissions report did say that a — society. the commissions report did say that a part _ society. the commissions report did say that a part of— society. the commissions report did say that a part of the - did say that a part of the issue, part of the thing behind all of this is the council tax freeze and more generous public sector pay deals than other fights of the uk. we have seen the scottish government had budgeted for a 3% limit to pay rises, but that would be exceeded by the agreements being struck and there are more negotiations under way. people might look at that and say this is where some of the pressure is where some of the pressure is coming from and there are people any more vulnerable position who will be subject to

public service cuts as a result. at public service cuts as a result-— public service cuts as a result. �* ., , ., ., result. a great proportion of the poverty _ result. a great proportion of the poverty that _ result. a great proportion of the poverty that we - result. a great proportion of the poverty that we see - result. a great proportion of the poverty that we see in l the poverty that we see in scotland is in work poverty and i will make no apologies for the fact that yes workers here in scotland have been pushing very hard and to successfully for increased pay rises over recent years, but that is in the context of the biggest drop in living standards that we have seen since records began and even though inflation is starting to come down, i am afraid that doesn't mean daily prices are coming down for workers. we will make no apologies for the fact that workers have demanded here in scotland higher rates of pay, and i think it is to the scottish government's credit that they have been willing to invest in public sector pay here in scotland. there are still more work to be done and would like to see the uk government taking those steps as well. we are talking about a much—needed investment in pay because living standards for

workers have dropped dramatically and if workers do not have money in their pockets, the whole economy collapses. d0 pockets, the whole economy collapses-— collapses. do you think the ublic collapses. do you think the public sector _ collapses. do you think the public sector pay _ collapses. do you think the public sector pay deals - collapses. do you think the j public sector pay deals that were agreed in the uk, did you think they would have been sufficient as one agreed other parts of the uk? they were more generous pay deals than in other parts of the uk? do you think that is fair? do you think that is fair? do you think the pay deal is agreed in other parts of the uk would have been sufficient for public sector workers in scotland as well? ., ., �* . ~' well? no, i don't and i think if ou well? no, i don't and i think if you ask — well? no, i don't and i think if you ask most _ well? no, i don't and i think if you ask most public - well? no, i don't and i think| if you ask most public sector workers across the uk if they feel the pay deals they have had in recent years are sufficient, you will get some very strong answers. i think that every worker across the public sector, whether they

live north of the border or south of the border is entitled to standards of pay and working conditions that keep up with the cost of living, and sadly on both sides of the border, that hasn't happened in recent years with the cost of living crisis. thankfully the scottish government have managed to put a bit more money into workers pockets, but that is in no small part due to trade union pushing for that money and we make no apologies about that. i want to ask you about something else that the commission report said, which was that more transparency and planning around pay awards is needed. why do you think this was lacking previously? would you think is meant by that? i lacking previously? would you think is meant by that?- think is meant by that? i think that is quite — think is meant by that? i think that is quite right. _ think is meant by that? i think that is quite right. certainly i that is quite right. certainly here in scotland we have something called public sector pay policy and in recent years that has been deeply unrealistic and we have had to

undertake this dance of workers taking collective action, standing up and in some cases having to take strike action. those workers do not want to have to take strike action to get decent pay conditions, and we could have saved a lot of bother if they just we could have saved a lot of bother if theyjust had realistic budgeting in the first place that reflected the price rises that people are having to deal with and reflect on the fact that standards of living had dropped as a result of the cost of living crisis. what we really need to tackle if we are going to tackle these issuesis if we are going to tackle these issues is the rampant profiteering that has been taking place in our economy and i go back to where i started, we need to look at more progressive forms of taxation thatis progressive forms of taxation that is going to redistribute that is going to redistribute that wealth within our economy, and the uk government has a job to do on that, as much as the scottish government does, if we're going to start to create the sort of there well—being

economy were all workers get a share of the five. it economy were all workers get a share of the five.— share of the five. it has been really good _ share of the five. it has been really good to _ share of the five. it has been really good to talk _ share of the five. it has been really good to talk to - share of the five. it has been really good to talk to you. i really good to talk to you. thank you for secretary of the scottish trade union congress. we will be taking you to holyrood in the next few minutes when shona robison starts speaking. that is scotland's finance secretary and she is expected to announce hundreds of millions of pounds in cuts to public services, as we have been saying, so we will go to that life when that happens. now, to remind you of the breaking news that has come through in the past half—an—hour, a migrant boat was reported with people in difficulty on board and this is the news that at least 12 people have died after a boat carrying migrants capsized. i can bring you some more details we have, we understand that 12

people have now been confirmed as dead. 65 people have been rescued in that migrant shipwreck, that happened off the coast of northern france. this happened late this morning, and several nautical and aerial resources were deployed, from the sources they are to say the search and rescue system was strengthened. we know more than 50 castaways were taken care of and several of them needed emergency medical care, and advanced medical care, and advanced medical pulse to set up. such operations are still under way, and just to reiterate, 12 people confirmed dead at the moment and 65 people have been rescued. along with that there has been a warning that the maritime effect of the channel once anyone who is planning to cross the channel about the risks involved, said it is one

of the biggest areas in the world with more than 600 merchant ships passing through every day, with the weather conditions often difficult. that is the breaking news that has come through in the past half hour, confirmation that at least 12 people have died, according to the french interior minister, with two people missing and several injured. a large search and rescue operation under way, and we will bring you any updates on that when we get them. the final report from the public inquiry into the grenfell tower fire will be published tomorrow. seventy two people were killed in the blaze in west london in 2017, and more than seven years on the families of those who died say they're both hopeful and sceptical about what the landmark report will achieve. ayshea buksh reports. of the 72 people who died as a result of the grenfell tower

fire 18 of them were children. among them jessica urbano ramirez, who was two weeks from her 13th birthday. she was from a big british south american family with roots in colombia. she was the youngest girl in the family and she was amazing. we won't know... we won't know what she could have been because the world was all ahead of her. that has been taken away. the public inquiry heard how jessica's desperate call to 999 lasted for nearly an hour. heraunt, sandra ruiz, closely followed the inquiry and is anxious about what changes it can achieve in order to prevent another grenfell. i'm hopeful that the recommendations will be very clear and very strong. i'm hopeful that the government will listen, internalise and implement in as short

a time as possible, because we've already had seven years of waiting for something to happen. um, i'm fearful that, as in previous governments', recommendations will be kicked down the line. and like many families and survivors i've spoken to on and off camera, sandra is also weary of what the report could mean forjustice forjessica and the other victims of the fire. you know there will be... justice will not be complete without people serving prison sentences. and how hopeful are you that that report will lead to both of those, the avenue for prosecutions, but also that permanent, long lasting change? if it doesn't, it won't have served its purpose because seven years of parallel investigations between the inquiry and the cps and the police, if that doesn't reap those results, then why have we wasted all these millions of pounds?

and we will have a special day of coverage tomorrow as the final report into the grenfell tower fire is published. you can watch it here on bbc news from 9 o'clock tomorrow morning. they will be plenty on the website and app as well. we will soon be taking you to holyrood where scotland cosmic finance secretary is expected to announce hundreds of millions in cuts to public services in warning that this will lead to a profound effect on the government's ability to deliverfor on the government's ability to deliver for the people of scotland, so we are waiting for the finance secretary shona robison to take to the stand were to speak to holyrood, so were to speak to holyrood, so we will take you live there when that happens. let's speak to our scotland correspondent lorna gordon who is at holyrood. earlier we were hearing from the general secretary for the

stc, about the issue of public sector pay rises. that is something that was mentioned by the report into what is adding to pressure on the scottish government because my finances. 0ne government because my finances. one of the things she said was this is something that is needed, not a result of the public sector pay rises, there was no pay rises that were necessary. remind us of the different pressures on the scottish government's finances and where some of the responsibility may lie as to why it is any difficult state. it's no secret that there are pressures on the scottish budget and every budget i have been reporting on for the last few years have talked about challenges and difficulties ahead and the snp frames their whole general election campaign saying that if you vote labour,

you get tory and i will be austerity ahead and that