Peacetime excess deaths for 2020 were the highest in Scotland since 1891, official figures show.

Drivetime with John Beattie
BBC Radio Scotland

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Peter Wright, world darts champion, will be back in action soon but doesn't have many details on plans to stream live action direct from players' houses.

From Friday, the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) aims to provide 32 consecutive nights of action, with a camera set up for each of the competitors, while there will be on-screen graphics and a running commentary.

"I don't know anything about technology," says Livingston-born Wright. "All I know is that I need to throw some darts at a board and try and win the game."

The Scottish government's finance secretary Katie Forbes has said she is acutely aware of the pressures business faces after she announced further funding for businesses with multiple properties and for the self-employed.

The Scottish government had been under pressure over a decision to give out grants on a one per business basis, rather than one per property as elsewhere in the UK.

Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has now said small chains will be able to claim extra cash for additional properties.

Speaking to the BBC's Reporting Scotland, she said she recognised that more funding was required for businesses with multiple properties.

She defended the earlier decision not to support every branch of a business which had multiple outlets, and said the government was trying to balance support between those who have had no support yet and topping up support for those who have had initial payments.

Drivetime with John Beattie
BBC Radio Scotland

"There are more small businesses in Scotland getting something," adds finance secretary Kate Forbes.

She explains that the eligibility criteria for the £10,000 grant has a rateable value cut-off at £18,000 - whereas it is £15,000 in England and £12,000 in Wales.

"At this time of national emergency, I think it is important that we are all in this together and we don't leave people behind.

"I can't restore lost income in every business but what I can do is try and make the public finances of the country go as far as possible."

Drivetime with John Beattie
BBC Radio Scotland

Image source, Getty images

Finance Secretary Kate Forbes calls into BBC Radio Scotland and says she is "acutely aware" of the issues facing Scottish businesses forced to close down during the Covid-19 crisis.

Ms Forbes explains that today's announcement of a further £220m in support means the Scottish government has surpassed the £2.2 billion that was passed on by the UK government.

She adds it also means grants will be extended to small companies with multiple premises, with 75% of the grant available for each subsequent property [opposed to 100% elsewhere in the UK].

"But we have to strike a balance," she adds, stressing that some "haven't had a penny of support yet".

"My job is to make sure as many businesses get the support they need," she says, pointing to the thousands of grants already paid and the slashing of rates to zero in some cases.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon led today's lunchtime coronavirus briefing, here's the headlines from it:

• 962 deaths have now been registered in Scotland where the Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate - either confirmed or suspected
• 608 of the deaths were in the past week
• 596 deaths occurred in hospitals
• 237 were in care homes - that's around 25% of the total
• 128 were in the home or outside of care.
• Just under 70% of all registered deaths involving Covid-19 were of people aged 75 or over, and only eight of those who died were aged under 45
• Residents of care homes who are symptomatic will be tested

Read more here.

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Matt Hancock began his UK press briefing by praising 99-year-old army veteran Tom Moore who has raised more than £7m for the NHS, calling him an "inspiration".

Mr Moore aimed to raise £1,000 by completing 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden by Thursday.

"Every penny that we get, they [the NHS] deserve every one of it," he said, as the total exceeded the £5m mark.

Meanwhile, a school girl has started a campaign for children to make cards for his 100th birthday on 30 April.

Read more here.

Drivetime with John Beattie
BBC Radio Scotland

There have been 16 domestic abuse killings in the UK since the lockdown began.

Laura Richards is an expert on domestic violence, a criminal behavioural analyst and crime podcaster and she is not surprised by the jump in figures.

"Domestic abuse is about power and control," she tells BBC Radio Scotland. "Coercive control is dangerous and insidious and it correlates with serious harm and homicide.

"Isolation is a key tool for a perpetrator but there are outlets for those who experience abuse. Scottish Women's Aid, for example, still have their helpline up and running 24/7 and they have webchat and email services. There are other local resources that people can reach out to.

"Since we're all at home, if neighbours hear anything they can make anonymous calls. They can save lives."

Scottish Womens' Aid, external runs a 24/7 domestic abuse & forced marriage helpline number: 0800 027 1234.

Matt Hancock announces new details of the UK's plan to cope with coronavirus in care homes.

He says "priority drops" of protective equipment for the social care will continue over the next three weeks whilst a new online system is developed.

He says the UK will be introducing a "single brand" for social care, to replicate the "famous" blue and white logo for the NHS.

Supermarkets will be asked to give care staff the same priority as NHS workers, and the UK will undertake a recruitment drive, with the government paying for "induction training".

"I know that many will answer our call," he adds.

Drivetime with John Beattie
BBC Radio Scotland

Professor Richard Bentall, from Sheffield University, thinks it is very important to recognise that the pandemic will have some positive consequences for mental health - for example, communities will re-connect.

And, he said, some anxiety can be helpful - because it can encourage people to social distance. Some research suggested that those who were less anxious were not as likely to social distance.

The professor tells John Beattie you can still maintain a social life while social distancing, and he said it was important to arrange "virtual coffees" to stay connected to friends and family.

Drivetime with John Beattie
BBC Radio Scotland

Allan Wilson, president of the Institute of Biomedical Science, claims NHS testing labs and the newly established mass testing sites are competing for "increasingly scarce resources".

A guest on BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime, he said Scotland "probably doesn't have the capacity" to test every care home resident.

He then explained the two separate testing streams in the UK, suggesting that, in some cases, they are at odds with each other.

"The NHS labs are focused on testing acutely ill patients and what capacity they have beyond that is used for staff," he said. "The frustration there is we have the staff and equipment ready to go but we cannot get enough chemical reagent.

"The mass testing centres are largely staffed by university professors and student volunteers - we have very little input. Given they started very late and are now being pushed to an incredible capacity, there has to be a question mark over what the processes are there compared to the NHS - and now we seem to be in competition for that valuable reagent."

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Health Secretary Matt Hancock begins by thanking people for staying at home, adding the UK is "slowing the spread" of the virus.

He adds that spare capacity in the NHS has reached 2,657 beds, adding "so far" the UK has been able to ensure everyone who needs hospital care gets it.

But he adds the UK cannot "let go of the hard work done so far", and the lockdown will not be lifted "until safe to do so.