The Herald

Innovative Partnership

A UNIQUE agreement between the University of Paisley and Hillington Park Innovation Centre is a UK first in adopting the findings of the Lambert Review published by the government last year. The review, commissioned by the Treasury and the Department of Education, called for greater collaboration between business and university research departments. The partnership sees the university taking an on-site presence at the centre. This will create opportunities and potential linkages with business...

Bae Presses for Prime Contractor Status to Secure Clydeside Jobs; Call to Ministry As Govan Pushes Boat Out

VIC Emery, managing director of BAE Systems' naval unit, believes the long-term future of shipbuilding on the Clyde can only be guaranteed if the government designates BAE as its permanent prime contractor. However, he also said that even if BAE lost its prime contractor position on the (pounds) 10bn project to build two state-of-the-art aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy, it would not necessarily impact badly on the company's Clyde shipyards at Govan and Scotstoun in Glasgow.

England Cannot Afford to Bask in Caribbean Glory; Ruthless Decisions Must Be Made to Build On Success

SHOULD England go into tomorrow's final Test in Antigua with the 11 players they used in the first three, they will have missed a chance to strengthen the side in the short, medium, and long term. England's fast bowlers have destroyed the West Indies, but the batsmen have struggled and needed rescuing in all three Tests. Bringing in Paul Collingwood would strengthen the middle order and speed the development of a player earmarked by the coach, Duncan Fletcher, as vital for the future.

Vectra Beams in All Corners; the Hi-Tech Vectra Estate has Been Unveiled at Last, but has It Been Worth Waiting For? Andrew Mckay Drives the Elite 3.2-Litre V6

It's a queer thing how car manufacturers launch a model and then make us wait several months or more before the estate version comes out. Why are they hanging back? It makes you wonder whether they have confidence in what they are doing. Vectra watchers have had to be ultra patient because almost 18 months passed between the launch of the saloon and the coming of the estate. At least when the saloon came out last November it had a selection of engines to offer, from the 1.8 16v LS to the rang...

(Pounds) 31m for Firm Fails to Keep Ferry Link Afloat; Services Are Out to Tender Again After Only 18 Months

THE contract for vital ferry services to Orkney and Shetland is to be put out to tender again, despite millions of pounds of extra public money having been handed over to the current operator. In the past 18 months, (pounds) 31m was given to NorthLink. The firm took over the services from P&O, which had operated the route for 110 years.

Provost's Long Dance to Freedom

Housing Body Faces Council Checks On Standards

BRITAIN'S largest not-for-profit landlord is to be monitored by Glasgow City Council to ensure that it is meeting targets and fulfilling promises to tenants. The news came as an MSP called for a full investigation by the Scottish Executive into allegations of financial mismanagement at Glasgow Housing Association (GHA).

Lawyer Ditches Courts to Pursue Rock Career

AN eminent lawyer is swopping the courtroom for the stage to prosecute a musical career. Scott Pattison, a procurator-fiscal in Glasgow, has decided he will leave Europe's busiest prosecution service in July in pursuit of a lifelong ambition to achieve success as a songwriter and guitarist.

Former Labour Treasurer Stole (Pounds) 11,000; Constituency Worker Took Cash From Party Accounts

JACK McConnell's former constituency treasurer yesterday admitted stealing (pounds) 11,000 from Labour funds, rekindling memories of one of the darkest episodes in the party's recent history. Elizabeth Wilson pled guilty to one charge of embezzlement at Hamilton Sheriff Court after 11 other charges were dropped.

Hit-and-Run Driver Leaves Cabbie with Multiple Injuries

POLICE are hunting a hit-and-run motorist who fled the scene of a crash leaving another driver with horrific injuries. The injured man, a private hire cab driver, suffered a broken neck, two broken ankles and a broken arm.

Hunterian Snaps Up Rare Rubens Sketch Which Comes with a Colourful History

THE Hunterian Art Gallery in Glasgow has bought a rare sketch by Peter Paul Rubens, regarded as one of the master painters of northern Europe. The pen-and-ink sketch, purchased for around (pounds) 50,000, is called Head of a Bearded Man, and was drawn by the Flemish painter between 1620 and 1625.

Doctors Accused of Hyping Up Drugs Benefits

DOCTORS in the pay of drug companies were accused yesterday of hyping up the benefits of antidepressant drugs for children and adolescents. Researchers responsible for trials of four drugs played down their side effects and exaggerated their effectiveness in comparison with placebos, according to a report in the British Medical Journal.

Prince Meets 107-Year-Old Man On Black Watch Visit

THE Prince of Wales met the oldest man in Scotland yesterday as he visited the regimental headquarters of the Black Watch. He was at Balhousie Castle to open memorial gates dedicated to the Queen Mother, who served as Black Watch colonel-in-chief for 60 years before the prince took over following her death.

Satellite Dishes: Without Going Through the Usual Channels; Fears Over Move to Axe Planning Permission

SATELLITE dishes were beamed into the public arena yesterday after ministers un-veiled proposals that could allow all households to install the dishes without applying for planning permission. It could also mean larger dishes, and house owners putting up more than one.

Scots Are 'Lagging Behind in Teaching of Environment'

SCOTLAND is lagging behind the rest of the UK when it comes to education for sustainable development, a report published today claims. WWF Scotland said in its report, entitled Arrested Development, that, having led the UK in providing a strategy and platform for environmental education, Scotland's education system is now suffering from a series of challenges that have contributed to its current poor placing.

Cartoonist Furious at Court 'Leniency' for Son's Attacker

A CARTOONIST stormed from a court yesterday after a teenager who left his son brain-damaged was given a "lenient" sentence. Malky McCormick, the cartoonist, said he was "raging with anger" at the sentence of three years and nine months handed out to the attacker. He then drove his son Sean, 20, to Glasgow's Southern General Hospital to have a metal plate put in his skull to replace the bone smashed in the attack.

Missing Man Turns Up

A MISSING man has been tracked down just days before he was to be declared dead. Janet Bisset had launched a legal move to have George Bisset, her 59-year-old son, prove he was still alive as they had not spoken for more than 30 years.

Window On Business

light work: A site worker cleans the glass inside the new egg- shaped lecture theatre at Napier University, Edinburgh. The lecture theatre is at the new business school, a (pounds) 23m redevelopment of the university's Craiglockhart campus, due to open in September.

Glasgow Plans Seventh Clyde Footbridge; City Looks to Follow Parisian Example

GLASGOW aims to mimic Paris by increasing public access to the Clyde waterfront with a seventh footbridge over the river, according to new plans announced yesterday. The latest crossing, including the still to be constructed prestige footbridge from Broomielaw to Tradeston further upstream, would connect Anderston and Lancefield Quay on the north bank with the existing leisure developments on the south bank at Springfield Quay.

Textile College Staff Angry at Relocation Plan; Letter Insists Move Will Hurt Borders

STAFF at the Scottish College of Textiles have spoken out over controversial plans to move the historic school out of the Borders campus where it has remained for 130 years. An open letter expressing staff anger that apparent assurances to keep the famous college in Galashiels have been abandoned has been sent to Heriot-Watt University, which merged with SCoT in 1998.