Borders politicians have said it “remains unclear” how many jobs will be lost in Selkirk after Ovo Energy announced plans to shut its office as part of widercuts it says have been accelerated due to lockdown.

Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk MP John Lamont said the company had said many of the 380 staff might be able to work from home.

Nonetheless, he described it as “devastating news” for the area at an “already anxious time”.

Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire MSP Rachael Hamilton said she hoped there would not be as many job losses as first suggested and said she was ready to help anyone affected at such a “difficult time”.

Holyrood Live
BBC Parliaments

The first group of amendments the Covid-19 Committee has dealt with related to housing and tenancies.

A Labour amendment and a Green amendment sought to set up funds for tenants to help those struggle to pay their rent. A further Green amendment also looked to instigate a rent freeze to prevent increases for two years.

Green MSP Andy Wightman insisted it was necessary to provide protection beyond the emergency period and a rent freeze would provide some certainty to vulnerable tenants. He said the welfare system is "useless" for private tenants as it would not cover the entire cost, particularly in expensive areas.

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said support for housing costs was the responsibility of the UK government, for example through Universal Credit, and tenants have been encouraged to apply. He said the rent freeze amendment does not take into account the financial circumstances of either tenants or landlords, nor does it consider negative effects. He recommended rejecting all three amendments.

MSPs voted against setting up a tenant specific support fund and a two-year rent freeze.

Paul O'Hare
BBC Scotland News

Image source, Getty Images

Domestic abuse reports have "marginally decreased" during the Covid-19 lockdown.

But a report to the Scottish Police Authority, external suggests this does not reflect the reality.

Police Scotland Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said: "We consider that these figures conceal some suppressed vulnerability and risk."

The paper, published ahead of the SPA's board meeting on Wednesday, also highlights the increase in requests to the Disclosure Scotland scheme.

Last month BBC Scotland reported an 18% rise in inquiries to determine whether an individual has an abusive past, with the majority made by police officers and social workers.

There has also been a reduction in the number of child concern reports, which Mr Livingstone said "may have been caused by reduced interaction between children and support professionals".

The chief constable's report also confirms the force investigated six murders from 1-28 April, recovered drugs with a street value of £2.6m and seized more than £1m in cash.

Holyrood Live
BBC Parliaments

Image source, Scottish Parliament TV

Holyrood's Justice Committee is getting underway looking at the challenges in restarting jury trials in Scotland's courts during this pandemic.

You can watch the session on Scottish Parliament TV, external.

Senior lawyers are considering how jury trials can be resumed in the most serious criminal cases when public health guidelines allow.

Jury trials were suspended at the end of March as part of the Covid-19 lockdown.

MSPs will hear from:

• Dr Jim McMenamin, the incident director for COVID-19 and interim clinical director with Public Health Scotland

and then from—

• Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service chief executive Eric McQueen

Mornings with Kaye Adams
BBC Radio Scotland

Image source, Getty Images

UK unemployment will "soar" beyond the 50,000 rise for the first quarter of the year announced this morning, chartered financial analyst Louise Cooper warns.

Ms Cooper explains that the figures to the end of March only include two weeks of lockdown and we now have an increase of almost one million in people claiming unemployment benefits, almost two million claiming universal credit and seven million workers having their wages paid by the government through furlough.

"It is utterly extraordinary and devastating," she tells BBC Radio Scotland. "In the United States, which has weekly figures, unemployment is just soaring and the Bank of England's chief economist, Andy Haldane, yesterday warned of a return to the soaring unemployment levels of the 1980s."

Ovo Energy this morning announced the loss of 2,600 and Ms Cooper points out recent losses announced by British Airways (12,000), Ryanair (3,000), P&O Ferries (1,100) and JCB (1,500).

With vacancies having also "fallen off a cliff" to 2008-9 levels, and with one million about to join the job market from schools, colleges and universities, she recommends: "If you can afford it, stay or get into education for a year."

Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland

Calum Steele said he wants risk reduced by not doing breath tests when there is no requirement, for example being stopped for a broken brake light.

But the Scottish Police Federation representative told Radio Scotland earlier that it is "astonishing" the number of people drink driving during the lockdown and the number who are failing them.

On average police carry out about 100 a day, about 3,000 a month. And about half of those are positive.

He said the risk lies in the numbers of tests carried out.

Life is simple when you're seven. But throw in a pandemic and it turns upside down.

How does a youngster see this situation?

Nine reporter Amy Irons spoke to one...

Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland

Image source, Getty

Calum Steele from the Scottish Police Federation - which represents rank and file officers - told Radio Scotland earlier about concerns over breathalysing during the coronavirus crisis.

The federation has made what it calls the 'extraordinary move' of reporting Police Scotland to the Health and Safety Executive.

Mr Steele said that ultimately the force is asking police officers to perform a procedure where much safer alternatives are available "which has no hindering ability on the police service to tackle the scourge of drink driving".

He criticised Police Scotland for the length of time it took them to respond to concerns.

Mornings with Kaye Adams
BBC Radio Scotland

Mornings with Kaye Adams has just begun and today she wants to know whether, as UK unemployment rises by 50,000 to 1.35m, if you fear for your job. Are you looking at other options or even considering a pay cut?

Many will be missing the chance trips to the cinema and Kaye explores how you can have a night at the movies while at home.

She also wonders whether lockdown has provided lessons on how to help the homeless and people with drug addictions.

We are apparently washing less during lockdown, but could it actually be good for our hair and skin? And is it a perfect time to potty train your toddlers?

Scotland's lockdown will start easing from 28 May and Kaye asks if the nation is right to wait until then.

Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland

‘Anosmia’ – the loss of, or changed, sense of smell – which can also affect how things taste - was yesterday added to the official list of coronavirus symptoms.

It has been spoken of for some time, so why was it only acknowledged now?

And can we expect other symptoms to be added in the weeks and months ahead?

Holyrood Live
BBC Parliaments

The COVID-19 Committee will now take evidence on Stage 2 amendments to the second Coronavirus Bill.

Here are the key elements of the Coronavirus(Scotland) (No.2) Bill, external:

• a proposed additional £19.2 million investment in Carer’s Allowance Supplement
• the introduction of notice to leave periods for students in purpose-built student accommodation and halls of residence
• additional protections for those facing bankruptcy.
• there are also recommended legislative changes in areas including non-domestic rates relief, proceeds of crime and the wider operation of Scotland’s criminal justice system

You'll need the following to follow events:

• Marshalled List of Amendments for Stage 2, external
• Groupings of Amendments for Stage 2, external

Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland

Image source, Getty Images

Sandy Taylor from the National Federation of the Blind says that pavements are for pedestrians and hospitality businesses need to be careful about increasing outdoor spaces as lockdown eases.

There are calls from the Lib Dems to increase pedestrianisation of streets.

Mr Taylor explains that blind people tend to follow the building lines with their cane and sees more chairs and tables causing problems.

He wants all the cafe clutter cleared for pedestrians.

Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland

Younger workers have the toughest time in a downturn.

Good Morning Scotland hears that at the start of their careers, there could be no jobs for them to apply for.

So prospects could be bleak for young people coming out of the coronavirus crisis.

Andrew Black
BBC Scotland Business Presenter

Image source, EICC

The boss of one of Scotland's biggest events venues has asked the government to consider relaxing lockdown rules for the industry.

The comments from Dallas Marshall, chief executive of the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, came amid uncertainty about when venues - which have had to cancel or postpone events - can reopen.

Travel restrictions could also hit their ability to hold international events.

Mr Marshall told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme he would reopen only if it was safe, adding: "Countries like Spain and Germany have differentiated between business events and large gatherings.

"My ask is the Scottish government makes a similar distinction so we can get the wheels turning sooner rather than later and get this massive contributor to the Scottish economy open and trading again."

The EICC closed its doors on 18 March, and has managed to reschedule a number of up-coming events until later this year and into 2021.

Events venues are also wondering how customers will return even after lockdown, with many saving money by holding online gatherings.

The EICC has launched its own virtual events service in an attempt to tap into that growing market.

Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland

Image source, Getty Images

Prof Gallagher says that Scotland and the UK have to work together to create the testing capacity required to move out of the crisis.

He says there is a situation across the UK that testing capacity is underused in places, including Scotland, and rationed in others.

He says the industrial scale producing of tests needs to be centralised and what needs to be decentralised is getting the tests to the people and the people to the tests.

He says it is unacceptable that people have to drive a long way to a test centre when they are not well.

Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland

Image source, Getty Images

Prof Jim Gallagher, from the Scottish Future think tank, tells Good Morning Scotland the only way out of the crisis is to massively increase testing.

He says we need 10 times the amount of testing currently being carried out in Scotland with keyworkers tested every week. These are the people most at risk of catching the virus and of passing it on.

He says the testing of anyone over five years old is a step in the right direction but it is not enough.