THE CELTIC CONNECTION ■ OCTOBER 1993
- Page 9
sured substantial cash payments. Families of the 11 Scots killed on the ground have already settled out of court for an undisclosed sum. —Celeste Sinclair
Political Independence Holding Steady
SCOTLAND — The Scottish National party are still regrouping after the shattering disappointment of last year's election when many activists believed an independent Scotland was within reach.
The SNP say they are victims of Britain's voting system which
Pives them far fewer Members of arliament than their support deserves.
But, as party members assemble in the west coast town of Dunoon, they will draw encouragement from recent opinion polls which suggest support for the ruling Conservatives has never been lower in Scotland, while the SNP are holding steady with the backing of up to a quarter of the Scottish electorate.
The SNP leader, Alex Salmond, says that while his opponents in other parties seek new policies, his party's recent campaigning would be recognized by Social Democrats anywhere in Europe.
Support for the SNP has always been subject to severe swings. Party activists believe government proposals to tax heating bills and re-organizing local authorities may prove so unpopular in Scotland that pressure for political independence may start to build up again. — BBC News
Single Parents Need Support
SCOTLAND — Children's charities in Britain have called on the government to help single parent families, after a survey showed that nearly one in four women questioned had been a single mother at some point in their lives.
The survey by The Economic and Social Research Council was set up in 1958 and has been tracking the lives of 11,000 men and women born in that year.
The latest report shows that single mothers earn far less than other people and more than half their income is made up of state benefits.
The Save The Children charity urged the government to look at the growing plight of families with single parents, and another children's charity, The Daycare Trust, called for more government-funded childcare schemes.
This is the fith report based on the National Child Development Study. Publishing their preliminary findings, the Council said that Britain^ 30-somethings are in a state of flux at a time when it was supposed they should be living stable lives.
Nearly one-in-five have divorced and one-in-four have become a lone parent at some point. Contrary to some theories, marital breakdown was the cause of 85 percent of lone parent families.
According to the survey, most single parents are confined to the lowest paid jobs, often part-time, and are more likely to be dependent on state benefits. It claims a lack of affordable day-care facilities often prevent women from getting jobs. — BBC News
Teens Lacking General Knowledge
BRITAIN — A new survey of British teenagers indicates that their general knowledge is so poor, that one in ten would not be able to locate Britain on a map of the world.
More than half of the 500 17-year-olds questioned by the MORI organization for Reader's Digest magazine, said they could not find Bosnia or New Zealand on a map.
Two thirds of the teenagers could not name two current members of the British Cabinet. Incorrect answers included the former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the former leader of the opposition Labour party, Neil Kinnock.
Fewer than half knew when the Second World War ended. However, almost all knew that 18 was the age at which it is legal to buy alcohol. — BBC News
Glasgow Blast Kills Woman
SCOTLAND — Three separate inquiries have begun in Glasgow, after a woman was killed during the demolition of two multistorey blocks of flats.
The City Council, health and safety authorities and the building company responsible for the controlled explosion, are investigating the incident. The woman was believed to have been killed by flying debris.
Four other people were injured
SCOTTISH
NEWS IN BRIEF
among a crowd of about 2,000 people who had turned out to watch the explosion in the Gorbals area of the city. One of the buildings remained standing after the blast which was said to have been the largest planned explosion of its kind in Britain since the Second World War.
— BBC News
Lockerbie Suspects May Stand Trial
SCOTLAND — An Edinburgh-based solicitor has agreed to act as legal counsel for the two Lybians accused of the Lockerbie bombing. Alistair Duff's appointment heightens speculation that the pair will travel to Scotland to face trial.
Abdel Baset Ali Mohammed alMewgrahi and Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah are accused of blowing up PanAm flight 103 in 1988 over the Scottish border town. Two hundred and seventy lives were lost. Warrants for their arrest have been issued in Britain and the U.S.
Duff confirmed that he is planning to fly to Tripoli within weeks to meet his clients, following meetings with Dr. Ibrahim Legwell, a Lybian-based lawyer.
He will be accompanied by Lord Macaulay, one of Scotland s leading defence advocates.
On October 1, Lybia faces tightening of United Nations sanctions, imposed in an attempt to persuade the Libyan government to hand over the suspects. Senior U.N. sources said that differences between Britain and the U.S. over the future of sanctions has delayed the handing over of the two Libyans to the West.
— BBC News
Compensation
Decision Under Appeal
In a recent article, Scotland on Sunday reported that it is believed that PanAm are on the verge of winning a historic case in the U.S. court of appeal which could put compensation claims of £463 million for relatives of the Lockerbie disaster back two years.
Members of the airline's legal team are saying privately that they are confident of overturning last year's decision in a U.S. court that the disaster was caused by PanAm's wilful misconduct
Arguments from both sides are currently being studied by three appeal judges and a decision is expected before the bombing's fifth anniversary on December 21.
If the airline wins the appeal, the compensation case will go on retrial, putting the claims procedure back to square one. If PanAm loses the appeal, relatives of each of the 259 people who died on the aircraft will be as-
Direct from Scotland THE WHITE HEATHER CONCERT
featuring
ANDY STEWART
and special guests
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20 VOGUE THEATRE 8 PM
918 Granville Street, Vancouver Tickets at Ticketmaster 280-4444
- Also appearing in -
Victoria: Sunday, November 21
Royal Theatre — 8 PM
Tickets at theatre box office 386-6121
Calgary: Sunday, November 14
Jack Singer Concert Hall — 8 PM Tickets at Ticketmaster 270-6700
Winnipeg: Tuesday, November 23
Pantages Theatre — 8 PM Tickets at Ticketmaster 780-3333
Direct from Ireland
PHIL COULTER
In Calgary Wed. Nov. 24
Jack Singer Concert Hall
Tickets at Ticketmaster 270-6700