Marcus Trescothick hit an unbeaten half-century as Somerset hit back on a weather-affected second day at Surrey.

The hosts resumed on 394-5 but were all out for 463 despite Zafar Ansari's 53, with Tim Groenewald (5-94) taking three wickets in the morning session.
Trescothick and Tom Abell put on 66 for the first wicket, before Abell was caught off the bowling of Mark Footitt.
Rain and bad light caused an early end, with Trescothick's 68 from 82 balls helping the visitors close on 99-1.
The 40-year-old former England opener hit 11 fours and one six, including three boundaries off one Footitt over to bring up his half-century, and became the second-highest run scorer in first-class cricket for Somerset.
Earlier, Groenewald had taken his first five-wicket haul since joining Somerset in 2014 to help limit the damage caused by Kumar Sangakkara's 171 for Surrey on the first day.
Ansari, playing in his first game since dislocating his thumb late last season, added 25 more runs to his overnight 28, but was also involved in two run-outs as the home side collapsed in the morning session at The Oval.
Abell's dismissal ensured Surrey remained in a strong position despite Trescothick's efforts, as the visitors were still 364 runs behind at stumps.
Surrey all-rounder Zafar Ansari told BBC Radio London:
"We probably didn't start the day as well as we would have liked, losing those wickets, but we're in a good position.
"If we can take a couple of wickets early tomorrow then we'll be in an even better position.
"With that many runs you always feel that you're in the game. We just need to come back and bowl well on that pitch because it is a good pitch to bat on."


US President Barack Obama has told Donald Trump to "stop whining" as he rejected his claim that next month's White House election will be rigged.

He said Mr Trump's attempt to discredit a poll before it has even taken place was "unprecedented" for a US presidential candidate.
Also "unprecedented", said Mr Obama, was the Republican candidate's "flattery" of Russia's president.
Mr Trump is facing sinking poll numbers and accusations of sexual assault.
The businessman-turned-politician has claimed the 8 November election will be "absolutely rigged" for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
But in a White House Rose Garden news conference on Tuesday alongside visiting Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, Mr Obama said his assertions were "based on no facts".
"I'd advise Mr Trump to stop whining and try to make his case to get votes," Mr Obama said.
"By the way," he added, "[it] doesn't really show the kind of leadership and toughness that you want out of a president, if you start whining before the game's even over.
"If whenever things are going badly for you and you lose you start blaming somebody else, then you don't have what it takes to be in this job."
Mr Obama also addressed the Republican candidate's admiring remarks about Vladimir Putin.
"Mr Trump's continued flattery of Mr Putin and the degree to which he appears to model much of his policies and approach to politics on Mr Putin is unprecedented," he said.
His broadside comes a day after Mr Trump said he would consider visiting Russia before taking office, if elected.
He told a talk-radio host: "If I win on November 8, I could see myself meeting with Putin and meeting with Russia prior to the start of the administration."
Mr Trump and Mrs Clinton face off in the third and final presidential debate at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on Wednesday.
The Republican candidate has seen his poll numbers slide since their first battle of wits, followed by the emergence of a 2005 sex boast tape that he was forced to address in the second debate.
Mr Trump denied any impropriety, but a number of women have come forward with sexual assault allegations against him.
Mrs Clinton will head into Wednesday's debate with a seven-point lead over her Republican rival, according to a Monmouth University poll.
She leads Mr Trump 47% to 40%, while 7% of likely voters say they will support the Libertarian Party candidate, Gary Johnson.
Who is ahead in the polls?
51%
Hillary Clinton
41%
Donald Trump
Last updated October 18, 2016


(Close): Wall Street fell for a fifth consecutive trading session amid a dramatic global sell-off as fears over China's slowing economy intensified.

In a volatile day of trading, the Dow Jones briefly plunged more than 1,000 points, then almost recovered before closing 3.6% lower at 15,871.35.
The S&P 500 closed 3.9% lower at 1,893.21, putting it officially in "correction" territory - a drop of more than 10% since its peak.
The Nasdaq lost 3.8% to 4,038.6.
There were no winners at all on the Dow. US bank JP Morgan was the biggest loser, dropping 5.3%.
The sharp falls were driven by ongoing fears over the health of the Chinese economy.
China's central bank devalued the country's currency, the yuan, two weeks ago, raising fresh concerns that a slowdown in the country's economy was worse than originally feared.
Investors' biggest worry is that firms and countries which rely on high demand from China - the world's second largest economy and the second largest importer of both goods and commercial services - will be affected.
Tech giant Apple's shares initially plunged 13% as shareholders feared that demand for its products in China would slow.
But reassurance from chief executive Tim Cook, who told CNBC journalist Jim Cramer that "strong growth" for its business had continued in July and August, reassured investors and helped the shares to recover most its losses. Apple's shares eventually closed 2.5% lower.
Analysts said US investors were over-reacting.
"Emotions got the best of investors," said Philip Blancato, chief executive at Ladenberg Thalmann Asset Management.
"The conjecture that the Chinese economy can propel the US economy into recession is ridiculous, when it's twice the size of the Chinese economy and is consumer-based."
US trader Mark Otto of J Streicher, who has worked in the industry since 1993, said the  big market moves in the US were similar to the "flash crash" of 2010, when billions of dollars were wiped off some of the world's biggest companies in a matter of minutes, only to recover almost as quickly.
"I don't get the sense that panic is in the air right now," he told the BBC.


More than 300,000 households in Lancashire have been warned they may have to boil drinking water until at least Wednesday.

"Low levels" of a microbial parasite remain in the supply, United Utilities said.
There was one clear test overnight, but further tests are required before the boil notice can be lifted, the firm said.
Samples are said to have "improved" but not returned to normal.
The alert affects Blackpool, Chorley, Fylde, Preston, South Ribble, Wyre and the Mellor area of Blackburn.
Investigations continue into how traces of cryptosporidium, which can cause stomach upsets, got into Franklaw water treatment works outside Preston.
Over the weekend, leaflets were distributed to many of the affected homes and businesses offering advice.
Jo Harrison, from United Utilities, said: "Our teams are continuing to investigate the problems, it's very complex as you can image.
"We are hoping that we will get some better news by the middle of the week but we need to make sure the system is absolutely safe before we allow people to drink the water again.
"We want to make sure that we get a complete series of clear samples for a good period of time before we change our advice."
Compensation for affected businesses will be considered after the water issue has been resolved, the water company said.
Cryptosporidium exists in the environment in a form called an oocyst, which is less than a tenth of the thickness of a human hair.
Infection with the parasite can cause diarrhoea and abdominal cramps.
People with weak immune systems are likely to be more seriously affected.
Kate Brierley, deputy director for Public Health England in Cumbria and Lancashire, said: "We are recommending people to boil the water before they drink it or brush their teeth.
"Most people would just get a mild tummy upset which might last for a few days or a little bit longer.
"If somebody's immune system is upset for some reason - either because they have an illness or because of treatment like chemotherapy - they are more vulnerable than the general public."
Several supermarkets in the county have increased deliveries of bottled water to avoid running low.
Source: United Utilities
Source: Patient.info
How does cryptosporidium parasite affect humans?


A third of secondary school teacher training places were not filled at the start of this academic year, official figures show.

A teaching union said it showed Wales is facing a problem with recruiting new teachers.
Only 553 students started initial secondary teacher training in September 2015 but the official target is 880.
The Welsh Government said the overall teacher vacancy rate "remains very low".
The Ucac teaching union said the figures were "dramatic" and blamed the "out of control" workload as one factor in making the profession less attractive.
Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Conservative AM Angela Burns said: "With almost 40% of secondary school teacher training places not filled, these worrying figures further emphasise the deeply worrying recruitment problems faced in Wales.
"The new administration must place a greater emphasis on supporting teachers, with a renewed focus on continuous professional development, and giving the profession greater freedom and control."
Teacher training in Wales is currently provided by three centres involving five universities.
Each year, the centres are set recruitment targets for initial teacher training.
The all-Wales target for secondary teacher training courses starting in September 2015 was 880 but figures from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales show only 553 places were filled - 37% below the target.
Recruitment to primary teacher training courses showed a slight drop in relation to the target.
Major reforms of teacher training in Wales are due to be introduced by September 2018.
Rebecca Williams, policy officer at Ucac, said she believed it was not pay and conditions in Wales which was the issue, but workload, which was leading to stress.
"The figures are beginning to tell quite a strong story that we have a recruitment problem into the teaching profession in Wales," she said.
"In a way it's just the tip of the iceberg, it doesn't take into account the drop out of those who don't finish the course and those who drop out in the early years in the profession because they find it's not what they wanted or it doesn't suit them."
The Welsh Government said it wanted to make sure the low vacancy rate continues with the "drive to improve standards and raise the status of the profession".
A spokesman added: "We are committed to recruiting individuals with the right skills, qualifications and commitment into the profession which is why training incentives are available in Wales to encourage high performing graduates to consider teaching as a career."


Bath lock Dave Attwood says the "tide has turned" for the club as they prepare to face Saracens on Friday.

Last year's Premiership play-off finalists are ninth in the table, 14 points below the top four.
But last weekend's 17-12 victory over local rivals Gloucester was their third in four matches.
"The momentum that will give us will be huge. There is plenty for us to play for. There are no dead rubbers," England lock Attwood told BBC Somerset.
"It was a great result for us last weekend. It was quite an emotional, physical game.
"It's nice that the tide has turned a little bit in terms of what we're doing on the field. We certainly look like a more competent team running around."
Attwood has been sidelined since undergoing neck surgery in January, an injury which saw him miss the duration of England's successful Six Nations campaign.
But he has now completed his rehab and hopes to be included in the squad to play leaders Saracens at The Rec.
"I slipped a disc in my neck," he explained. "We had surgery to fix it. This was a strange one.
"Great to be back. It's been quite a frustrating 12 weeks away being injured, being sat on the sidelines.
"There is no substitute for running around on a rugby pitch, hitting the scrums, tackles and getting back in the defensive line."
Media playback is not supported on this device
Attwood was not selected by former England head coach Stuart Lancaster for the 2015 World Cup and then had to watch from the sidelines as Eddie Jones' side completed a first Grand Slam in 13 years.
"The guys went really well in the Six Nations," Attwood continued. "That's tremendous for England and great for English rugby.
"It was a great way to get back on track after a disappointing World Cup.
"Obviously this injury has affected my potential involvement again - whether I would have been involved or not (in the Six Nations), I can't say."


Judges in Egypt's appeal courts have called a strike in protest at President Mohammed Mursi's recent decree giving himself new powers.

The decree, issued last Thursday, gave Mr Mursi powers to take any measures to protect the revolution, and stated that no court could overturn his decisions.
The move sparked widespread protests.
Meanwhile, the assembly drafting a new Egyptian constitution is expected to vote on a draft on Thursday, officials have said.
"Tomorrow [Thursday] will be a great day," said the head of the Islamist-dominated assembly, Hossam al-Gheriani.
He urged the non-Islamist parties, the syndicate of journalists and Egyptian churches - who walked out of the assembly last week - to return.
Once adopted by the assembly, the proposed constitution will then be put to a national referendum.
Egypt state TV struggles to shake off old habits
Egyptians on presidential powers
The Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups have called a rally for Saturday in support of Mr Mursi.
His backers say the decree was needed to protect the gains of the revolution against a judiciary with deep ties to overthrown President Hosni Mubarak.
Appeals courts and the Court of Cassation will halt work until the decree is revoked, the judges say.
On Monday, Mr Mursi sought to defuse the crisis by saying the decree granting him new powers was limited in scope.
He met senior judges and told them that the measure would be restricted to "sovereign matters" designed to protect institutions.
But judges who attended the meeting said they were not satisfied. They want him to withdraw the measure completely.
Protesters who have taken to the streets since the decree was issued last Thursday say Mr Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood has hijacked the revolution.
The Constitutional Court - which is not taking part in the strike - has accused Mr Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood of seeking revenge for an earlier decision in which the court dissolved parliament.
The BBC's Jon Leyne, in Cairo, says the aim of Thursday's vote on the draft constitution could be to pre-empt a Constitutional Court ruling on Sunday which may once again dissolve the assembly.
Publishing  a constitution in these circumstances would be a deeply inflammatory move, our correspondent says.
Many Egyptians are suspicious that the assembly, dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists, wants to impose a constitution that increases the role of Islam in Egypt's government and public life.
Anti-Mursi protests were held in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez, Minya and other Nile Delta cities on Tuesday.
Low-level rallies continued in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Wednesday. The Brotherhood has organised counter-demonstrations, including one in Egypt's second city, Alexandria, which attracted several thousand participants.
The decree bars judges from dissolving the assembly that is drawing up a new constitution.
The president is also authorised to take any measures to preserve the revolution, national unity or safeguard national security.
Critics say the decree is an attack on the judiciary.


Jeremy Corbyn's communications chief claims the Labour leader's preparations for Prime Minister's Questions are being leaked by his own staff.

In a fly-on-the-wall documentary, Seumas Milne said the "annoying" leaks from his top team were handing an advantage to the Conservatives.
Mr Corbyn also criticises the media coverage of his party.
Vice News followed Labour's leader for eight weeks, including the row over anti-Semitism and May's elections.
The film, Jeremy Corbyn: The Outsider, shows Mr Corbyn's inner circle rehearsing for his weekly PMQs bout with David Cameron.
After the two leaders have clashed over the government's academy plans, Mr Milne tells the Vice reporter: "This time they did (know the questions) because it leaked. It leaked from that meeting.
"It's very annoying because it only happens about a third of the time, but it obviously gives them a little bit of extra time.
"Whenever there is a leak it gives them that advantage - it gives them the advantage on TV as well."
Mr Corbyn also hit out at the BBC over the local elections, claiming "the whole narrative" had been that "Corbyn's going to lose" and saying an unnamed group of political commentators were "shallow, facile and ill-informed".
In other footage, the leader's aides discuss their attempts to ensure he dresses smartly and watch him pose for a succession of photographs with supporters.
Mr Corbyn is also shown reacting to the suspension of Ken Livingstone from the party after the former London mayor invoked Hitler in a defence of an MP's comments about Israel.


Threats and violent attacks against firms once owned by the former County Fermanagh billionaire Séan Quinn are hindering his attempts to buy the businesses back, he has said.

There has been a long series of attacks on companies previously controlled by Mr Quinn, once Ireland's richest man.
He said in a statement that the attacks are "not in the interests of me and my family" and should end immediately.
Mr Quinn lost control of his manufacturing businesses in 2011.
A consortium of banks and other lenders took over Mr Quinn's group after he made a disastrous bet on shares in Anglo Irish Bank.
The packaging and construction materials business, based in counties Cavan and Fermanagh, were sold off to Quinn Industrial Holdings.
It is run by some of Mr Quinn's close associates but is jointly owned by three US investment funds that had urged him to condemn "escalating violence and intimidation" against the businesses.
On Tuesday, a placard was erected in Derrylin in County Fermanagh threatening executives who now run one part of the former Quinn group.
And on Wednesday, a crane hire company working at a wind farm on Slieve Rushen near Derrylin once owned by Mr Quinn quit its work at the site after receiving threats.
Part of the dispute over the wind farm is about access rights and land ownership.
Mr Quinn said the threats and "negative activity" were "offensive and totally unacceptable".
"[My family has] repeatedly made our view clear within the local community over the past number of years, and once more, I, on behalf of the Quinn family, totally condemn any such intimidation," he said.
"I have always criticised the intimidation, however I am but one voice.
"I feel that other people that operate within this community should play their part also."
He added that, in his view, Platina Partners, the owners of the wind farm, needed to do more to "address the unease and tension in the area".
Mr Quinn said commercial discussions with the US investment funds that own his former businesses have been "constructive".
But he said they had been "unnecessarily hindered" by "negative actions".
"[This] simply deepens the hurt and distrust that has plagued the company and the community since Anglo took the Quinn Group away from my family," he said.
"As it is wholly counterproductive to my efforts to buy back the company, I would urge that the negativity is brought to an immediate end."
Mr Quinn is a consultant for Quinn Industrial Holdings and is the highest paid person at the company.
He added that while he has "differences of opinion" with the company's senior management on business matters, he believes they can be resolved.
"My hope would be that those discussions will be constructive, and that the company I founded and put my life's work into could return to being one that people are proud to work for, and customers are happy to support."


Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has thanked US President Donald Trump for upholding an agreement to resettle asylum seekers in the US.

The deal, struck with the Obama administration, applies to people held in Australia's offshore detention centres in Papua New Guinea and Nauru.
The Australian leader on Monday confirmed he had spoken to Mr Trump, and the agreement would go ahead.
Mr Turnbull would not comment on Mr Trump's controversial immigration ban.
"It is not my job as prime minister of Australia to run a commentary on the domestic policies of other countries," he told reporters in Canberra.
Mr Trump's executive order, signed on Friday, halted the entire US refugee programme for 120 days, indefinitely banned Syrian refugees, and suspended all nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries.
Australia holds asylum seekers, many from Iran, Iraq, Sudan and Somalia, in centres on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island and Nauru.
Under the deal negotiated in November, offshore detainees were to be assessed and the most vulnerable resettled in the US.
Australia's tough policy of sending people who arrive by boat to offshore facilities has been criticised.
Mr Turnbull said Mr Trump had confirmed he would honour the deal when the pair spoke by phone for 25 minutes on Sunday.
"We discussed the importance of border security," Mr Turnbull said. "The threat of illegal and irregular migration, and recognised that it is vital that every nation is able to control who comes across its borders."
He said he could not put a timeline on any resettlements, which were subject to "very rigorous" security screening by US immigration officials.
Mr Turnbull said he was not aware of any Australian dual nationals being denied entry to the US.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Australia would seek exemptions for its dual nationals.
"I have directed our officials in Washington DC to work with US officials to ensure any preferential treatment extended to any other country in relation to travel and entry to the United States is extended to Australia," she said in a statement.
Earlier, the opposition Labor Party criticised the government for being "missing in action".
"We've seen UK Prime Minister Theresa May make it clear that she does not support this travel ban," deputy leader Tanya Plibersek told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
"I think it would be very important for the Australian government to make a clear statement about its view on this discriminatory travel ban."


A selection of images from the life of the actor Robert Hardy, who has died at the age of 91.

Robert Hardy was a star of stage and screen whose distinguished career spanned more than seven decades.
His many Shakespearean roles included Sir Toby Belch in the BBC's 1980 version of Twelfth Night.
He is most fondly remembered by television viewers as the senior veterinarian Siegfried Farnon on the long-running series All Creatures Great and Small.
Hardy played Winston Churchill, Britain's most revered politician, on numerous occasions. Here he is seen in 1989's Bomber Harris.
Younger viewers will know him best as Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge in four out of the eight Harry Potter films.
Here he is seen meeting The Queen at a reception for the British Film Industry at Windsor Castle in 2013.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


Production drilling has started in the massive Mariner oil field in the UK North Sea, operator Statoil has announced.

Up to five wells will be drilled before hook-up and commissioning activity starts on the Mariner A platform next summer.
First oil is expected to be produced from Mariner in 2018.
The pre-drilling campaign is expected to support about 500 jobs in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS).
Mariner, which lies about 93 miles (150km) east of Shetland, is one of the largest projects currently under development in the UKCS.
The heavy oil field has reserves estimated at more than 250 million barrels of oil, with an average plateau production of about 55,000 barrels per day.
Hedda Felin, managing director of Statoil Production UK, said: "This is an exciting period for us as a UKCS operator as we transition from the planning phase to active offshore operations.
"Pre-drilling enables production to reach plateau levels more quickly after the start of operations on Mariner A.
"It will also be an important learning period for us, in terms of understanding the reservoir and identifying potential efficiencies for future wells, with safety and the protection of the environment being our fundamental priorities."
One of the world's largest jack-up rigs, The Noble Lloyd Noble, is currently positioned over the Mariner jacket, which was installed in 2015.
The first production wells will be drilled through a well deck on the jacket.
Up to five wells will be drilled before the platform topside modules arrive in mid-2017. They are currently under construction in South Korea.
Statoil said that up to 100 reservoir targets could be drilled over the lifetime of the Mariner field, based on the current development strategy.
The operator had hoped to get production under way next year. However, in October 2015 it announced it was postponing the start, citing delays at construction yards in South Korea.
Statoil has a 65.1% stake in Mariner. It co-venturers are JX Nippon Exploration & Production (UK) Ltd (20%), Siccar Point Energy (8.9%) and Dyas Mariner Ltd (6%).


A construction company has been fined for polluting a river in County Londonderry while building a green energy project.

Corramore Construction Ltd was fined Â£750 for causing pollution on the Altagoan River near Draperstown.
Inspectors found silage effluent being piped into the river from a site where an anaerobic digestion plant was being built.
The company pleaded guilty to the offence from March 2016.
Officers went to the Gortnaskey Road near Draperstown after a pollution report.
They found fungal growth in the river and recorded a strong agricultural odour from the water.
A pipe was discovered that was discharging a dark coloured liquid to the river.
Further examination found two other pipes also discharging effluent.
It had gathered at a construction site where the anaerobic digester plant was being built.
Samples of discharge were collected from three different points.
All were found to contain poisonous, noxious or polluting matter that was potentially harmful to fish.
Anaerobic digesters use organic material like slurry or silage, which are broken down in the sealed units to produce a biogas.
It can be burned to generate heat and power.


An Aberdeen man has admitted putting offensive messages on social media, including about a disabled young Celtic fan.

Ross Gibson, 20, of Aberdeen, was charged following a Parkhead match between Celtic and Aberdeen in March.
He admitted causing fear or alarm, during a trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
Sentence was deferred until January for reports and Gibson was released on bail.
Sheriff David Hall said at the conclusion of Monday's case: "The charge that you plead guilty to is a serious one and an unpleasant one."


Former Charlton striker Yann Kermorgant has described the owner's vision for the Championship club as "deluded".

The 34-year-old striker was sold to Bournemouth by the Addicks in January 2014, shortly after Belgian businessman Roland Duchatelet took over the club.
"I wanted to sign a new deal and stay longer at the club," Kermorgant said.
"In my first meeting with the new owners I found out things were completely different. They had a vision which, for me, was completely deluded."
Kermorgant, now at Reading, scored 32 goals in 96 appearances for Charlton between 2011 and 2014 and helped the Addicks win the League One title in 2012.
Charlton supporters have recently aimed protests at Duchatelet, with fans angry at how he runs the club, the turnover of managers at The Valley and the club's recruitment policy.
"I'm gutted," Kermorgant added. "I think they have wasted the club.
"They didn't know too much about football. I felt like they were wrong and they would be in trouble because football is different to business.
"It looked to me like their position was a bit weird."
The south-east London club are currently bottom of the Championship table, seven points from safety and with a goal difference of minus 34.
Charlton skipper Johnnie Jackson has said surviving relegation would be like winning a trophy, but Kermorgant is not so optimistic about his former club's chances of remaining in the second tier.
"Two years after I can see where they are and I think it was the right decision [to leave]," the Frenchman added.
"They are bottom of the league and I can't see them not being relegated at the end of the season.
"The club and the fans are great. It's a nice, family club and to see what they have done is very annoying."


The number of primary school pupils doing well in maths has dropped, according to official figures.

The figures were revealed in a Scottish government survey of numeracy in Scottish schools.
Data showed  the percentage of P4 pupils performing well or very well dropped from 76% in 2011 to 69% last year.
The government said it will make an extra £1m available to fund numeracy hubs, to help share good practice.
This is the second comparable National Numeracy Survey.
A total of 10,561 pupils across Scotland in P4, P7 and the second year of secondary school took part.
The proportion of P7 pupils doing well or very well fell from 72% in 2011 to 66% in 2013.
Because this is only the second set of figures, statisticians would caution against drawing a trend. However the drop in the numbers doing well or very well is still likely to raise some concern.
The report's figures also draw attention to the continuing challenge of falling achievement once pupils move to secondary school. In both surveys 42% of S2 pupils were performing well or very well.
The survey also suggested a significant drop in the number of children from the most deprived background in P4 performing well or or very well - down from 70% in 2011 to 61% in 2013.
Minister for Learning Dr Alasdair Allan announced the extra money for numeracy hubs on a visit to Stobhill Primary in Gorebridge in Midlothian.
The funding for numeracy hubs will be increased by £1.02m over three years to a total of £1.2m, to allow creation of additional hubs and the expansion of the current six.
Stobhill Primary is part of the Midlothian and East Lothian Numeracy Academy, which brings together a number of schools that are using a new approach to teaching maths; training teachers as champions who can share best practice in their schools.
The numeracy hubs work in a variety of ways to train teachers in new techniques around maths and to share best practice between local authorities.
Dr Allan explained: "Expanding and accelerating the development of numeracy hubs is an effective way of raising attainment in maths and I am confident that today's announcement will lead to further improvements.
"A range of measures of pupils' attainment in numeracy, such as the latest PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) figures and evidence from recent school inspections, are positive.
"The picture that emerges in these figures is one of very few pupils at P4 or P7 not working within the expected level, yet there is a clear issue by S2.
"We know from other figures that in the later stages of secondary the position improves, with a jump in recent years in the percentage of school pupils leaving with Higher Maths - up from 19% in 2007-08 to 24% in 2011-12."
He added: "We are therefore working across government and with a range of partners to address this issue and give every child in Scotland the best start in life."
Iain Ellis, chairman of the National Parent Forum of Scotland (NPFS) said: "We recognise the crucial importance of numeracy as a skill that opens many doors for a child's future. The role of parents is vital to improving children's skills in this area from an early age.
"The NPFS will work with government and other partners to ensure that parents get the information and support they need to help develop their child's numeracy skills."
He added: "We believe that more can be done if we all work together. We welcome the commitment of the Scottish government to putting in further support for teachers, parents and children."
Scottish Labour MSP Kezia Dugdale said the figures were "a wake-up call for the Scottish government".
"They show a marked drop in the proportion of children who are performing well or very well in numeracy at primary school, and no improvement at S2 level," she said.
"They also reinforce what we already know: pupils who come from the poorest households are lagging well behind those who come from wealthier backgrounds."
Scottish Conservative education spokeswoman Mary Scanlon said the statistics were "further proof that all is not well in Scottish education when it comes to the crucial matter of improving literacy and numeracy.
"The fact there remains a significant drop in competency between primary and secondary school is a real worry and it is also the reason for the large attainment gap between different groups of pupils.
"Time after time, teachers and parents are battling against a system which nurtures mediocrity rather than excellence."
Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the EIS trade union, said the figures highlighted the need for change in the education system.
He said:  "Although the drop is relatively small and there are a number of potential mitigating factors, it does serve to underline the point which the EIS has been making, that there remains an ongoing need for additional support to embed Curriculum for Excellence in the primary sector.
"The current focus on the new qualifications has often led to the mistaken believe that the process is complete in primaries when clearly it is not. It's inequitable, for example, that secondary schools have been granted a further additional in-service day but primaries have been denied the same access to professional development opportunities."
He added: "One area, for example, which clearly needs to be looked at, is the transition from primary to secondary, and that needs both sectors to work together. We would call on the Scottish government to treat primary schools fairly and to provide the additional in-service time required."


West Coast mainline operator Virgin Trains has cancelled all services on Monday and Tuesday because of a planned strike by Network Rail workers.

It will also only run a very limited service on the East Coast line if the action goes ahead.
Thousands of signallers, maintenance staff and station workers are due to walk out for 24 hours from 17:00 BST on Monday in a row over pay and jobs.
Passengers are being advised not to travel unless "absolutely necessary".
There are also widespread cancellations expected across many other operators including CrossCountry Trains, Chiltern Railways, Arriva Trains Wales, First Great Western and ScotRail.
Virgin, which runs services on the major routes between London and Scotland, said if the strike goes ahead some tickets may be used on other days.
A Virgin spokesman said customers would need to make alternative arrangements, and those travelling on Sunday 24 May or Wednesday 27 May were advised to check for disruption before travelling.
Network Rail is making a legal challenge against the TSSA, one of the unions involved in the industrial action, which is due to be heard at the High Court on Thursday.
Chief executive Mark Carne also urged train passengers to be prepared for the strike, saying it could not bank on unions calling off the planned stoppage.
The two sides are continuing to hold talks at the conciliation service Acas. Network Rail said its negotiators would be available into the weekend if necessary.
A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents Network Rail and train operators, said a strike timetable would be made available once it was clear whether the strike would go ahead.
Full details of amended timetables are expected to be available from train operators by Saturday, with more "overviews and summaries" available from Thursday.
If the strike goes ahead, fans of Middlesbrough and Norwich City football clubs may have trouble travelling to Wembley for the Championship play-off final at 3pm on Monday.


Dumbarton's Scottish Championship survival hopes were dealt a blow after two late goals condemned them to a home defeat by Dunfermline.

The Sons had the best chance of the first half when Gregor Buchanan shot meekly at Pars goalkeeper Sean Murdoch.
That miss proved costly when Dunfermline's Rhys McCabe and David Hopkirk struck in the final 10 minutes.
With a poorer goal difference than St Mirren, the loss leaves Dumbarton second-bottom with three games to play.
Match ends, Dumbarton 0, Dunfermline Athletic 2.
Second Half ends, Dumbarton 0, Dunfermline Athletic 2.
Lee Ashcroft (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Joe Nuttall (Dumbarton).
Goal!  Dumbarton 0, Dunfermline Athletic 2. David Hopkirk (Dunfermline Athletic) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Paul McMullan.
Andrew Geggan (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Samuel Stanton (Dumbarton).
Attempt missed. Andy Stirling (Dumbarton) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
Substitution, Dunfermline Athletic. Michael Paton replaces Michael Moffat.
Substitution, Dumbarton. Joe Nuttall replaces Stuart Carswell.
Goal!  Dumbarton 0, Dunfermline Athletic 1. Rhys McCabe (Dunfermline Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner.
Corner,  Dumbarton. Conceded by Callum Morris.
Corner,  Dunfermline Athletic. Conceded by Darren Barr.
David Hopkirk (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Gregor Buchanan (Dumbarton).
Attempt saved. Andy Stirling (Dumbarton) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Substitution, Dumbarton. Christian Nade replaces Lewis Vaughan.
Kallum Higginbotham (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ross McCrorie (Dumbarton).
Attempt saved. Lee Ashcroft (Dunfermline Athletic) right footed shot from more than 35 yards is saved in the centre of the goal.
Substitution, Dunfermline Athletic. David Hopkirk replaces Gavin Reilly.
Attempt missed. Rhys McCabe (Dunfermline Athletic) right footed shot from more than 35 yards is just a bit too high.
Attempt missed. Daniel Harvie (Dumbarton) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high from a direct free kick.
Foul by Lee Ashcroft (Dunfermline Athletic).
Lewis Vaughan (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Rhys McCabe (Dunfermline Athletic).
Samuel Stanton (Dumbarton) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Corner,  Dunfermline Athletic. Conceded by David Smith.
Jason Talbot (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Robert Thomson (Dumbarton).
Delay in match Lewis Vaughan (Dumbarton) because of an injury.
Rhys McCabe (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Lewis Vaughan (Dumbarton).
Foul by Callum Morris (Dunfermline Athletic).
Robert Thomson (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Michael Moffat (Dunfermline Athletic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Attempt blocked. Gregor Buchanan (Dumbarton) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt blocked. Lewis Vaughan (Dumbarton) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Nathaniel Wedderburn (Dunfermline Athletic).
Ross McCrorie (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.


Not many Eurovision Song Contest winners describe their moment of triumph as "like winning the biggest eisteddfod in the world".

But as the only person from Wales to win the competition, Brotherhood of Man's Nicky Stevens from Carmarthen is well qualified to describe her success in such a fashion.
Her group's song Save All Your Kisses For Me not only won Eurovision in 1976 by a record margin, it also went to number one in 33 countries, shifting six million copies along the way.
Not bad for a singer whose first gig was at the Tabernacle Chapel in Carmarthen when she was four years old.
Nicky, now 65, is still bubbling about that "magical" night in The Hague 39 years ago and the pride she feels about being Wales' only winner.
"I'm glad to say no-one has taken my crown away," she said from her home in Dorset.
"It's always a good feeling knowing you're the only one of anything. It's great.
"The night we won it was magical... dream-like.
"It was like winning the biggest eisteddfod in the world.
"Everyone on the night was saying 'you've won it, you've won it' and I wouldn't believe it until the woman announced it. I was so full of excitement.
"We're still in the Guinness Book of Records as getting the highest number of votes and it's still the biggest selling Eurovision song in Britain.
"We really felt like the whole of the UK was right behind us. Very magical, wonderful feeling."
Brotherhood of Man had been together for four years when their stellar moment arrived in Holland in 1976.
They had already had a couple of hits across Europe, but it was the global success of Save All Your Kisses For Me that changed their lives and helped sustain a career that is still going strong in its fifth decade.
"Things did take off after that," Nicky said.
"I remember landing in Sri Lanka four years after Eurovision and we could see from the plane that there were hundreds of people outside the airport.
"We couldn't believe they were there for us."
But after four decades of singing the infectious chorus of Save All Your Kisses, you would think Nicky and the rest of the band might just be getting a little tired of it.
"Not at all," said Nicky rebuffing any such suggestion.
"Because of that song we have played major theatres all over the world, performed in front of royalty and played with some of the biggest stars in the world.
"It has such a special place in our hearts. But it's not just us. People who weren't even born when it won love that song.
"It's played such a big part in people's lives.
"I'm very proud of it. It has brought in work for us and we are still going strong in our 43rd year."
"Even now, every time we start that song, no matter where we are, the place always goes crazy.
"It was even on TV recently on Gogglebox - I was shrieking laughing."
This year the UK was represented by Electro Velvet in the Eurovision final in Vienna on 23 May.
Their song Still In Love With You has one big fan.
"I really like it," said Nicky.
"It's different and not trying to be an Eurovision anthem. It's a happy, bright song. It stuck in my head after just one hearing.


Sione Kalamafoni scored two tries as Gloucester edged to victory over Sale.

Rob Cook's score inside two minutes was quickly cancelled out by Nev Edwards' try, before two Billy Twelvetrees penalties gave Gloucester a three-point half-time lead at Kingsholm.
Edwards, starting his first Premiership match, then edged Sharks ahead with a second try, but Kalamafoni crossed twice to restore the hosts' lead.
Danny Cipriani's penalty closed the gap to four points but Gloucester held on.
Both sides had endured inconsistent starts to the new season, winning two and losing three of their opening five Premiership matches prior to the contest.
But the Cherry and Whites, who boast the second best home record in Premiership history, were too strong for a Sharks side with only one win on the road in the last 12 months.
Media playback is not supported on this device
When winger Edwards crossed to put Steve Diamond's side ahead in the second half it looked as if Sale might register a third victory of the campaign.
But, with Gloucester hooker Richard Hibbard in the sin bin, Cipriani turned down an easy kick at goal to add to the visitors' score and instead headed for the corner.
Sale's gamble did not come off though and to add to their frustration Kalamafoni scored two tries in quick succession to re-establish Gloucester's control.
Cipriani did land a penalty from in front of the posts with 11 minutes left to keep Sale's hopes alive, but the home side closed the game out to lift themselves up to sixth in the Premiership table.
Gloucester director of rugby David Humphreys:
"We are absolutely delighted with the win. The league table already shows that one or two wins take you up, and one or two losses take you down.
"It's a great league, it's tough, and we know how close the games are going to be. We are delighted to come away with a victory against what is a very good, well-organised Sale team.
"I thought we found that bit of a spark. We struggled over the last couple of Premiership games, but tonight was much better. We were able to get on the front foot, we played with some width and we showed some ambition.
"If you think back over the last 18 months, the one thing you can't fault in this team is character and hard work. They never give up."
Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond:
"We gave the ball away a bit too easily when we were in their 22, but credit to Gloucester, they didn't turn the ball over in the crucial stages.
"I thought Gloucester deserved the win tonight, but our last couple of games - the draw against Newcastle, and we should have beaten Harlequins away - you can't be nearly men all the time.
"We have just got to get the pressure situations sorted out in our team, kick our goals and kick field position when we get there.
"We know we are good with ball in hand - it's the basics that let us down. Even in the last three or four minutes, we knocked the ball on twice. If you can't convert your pressure into points, you get beaten."
Gloucester: Cook; Sharples, Meakes, Twelvetrees (capt), May; Hook, Heinz; McAllister, Hibbard, Afoa, Savage, Thrush, Moriarty, Kvesic, Kalamafoni.
Replacements: Trinder for Meakes (49), Laidlaw for Heinz (51), Wood for McAllister (49), Dawidiuk for Hibbard (56), Galarza for Savage (57), Rowan for Kalamafoni (65).
Not Used: N. Thomas, Purdy.
Sin Bin: Hibbard (44).
Sale: Haley; Edwards, James, Tuitupou, Addison; Cipriani, Stringer; Harrison, Taylor, Cobilas, Evans, Mills, Braid (capt), TJ Ioane, Beaumont.
Replacements: Cusiter for Stringer (65), Lewis-Roberts for Harrison (53), Briggs for Taylor (65), Mujati for V. Cobilas (54), Ostrikov for Mills (59), Seymour for Braid (53).
Not Used: Ford, Jennings.
Att: 13,000
For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.


Lehman Brothers has said it will begin paying out $22.5bn (Â£14bn) to creditors next week, double its initial estimate for the first round of repayments.

The US investment bank, which collapsed in 2008 and only came out of bankruptcy protection last week, has estimated it will repay $65bn in total.
The repayment plan was approved by a bankruptcy judge in December last year.
Lehman's collapse in 2008 was widely seen as one of the key catalysts of the global financial crisis.
The bank employed more than 25,000 people at its peak and was once the fourth-largest investment bank in the US.
It collapsed in the face of billions of dollars of losses in the US sub-prime mortgage market.


Replicas of the rucksacks used to plant bombs in the 7/7 attack on display may trigger post traumatic stress in survivors, according to a charity.

Foundation for Peace represents those affected by the 2005 attacks, where suicide bombers killed 52 people and injured more than 770 in London.
The exhibition features artefacts belonging to the Met's Crime Museum.
The force said displaying such items was "always going to be" complex.
Items from historic and recent crimes are displayed at the exhibition in the Museum of London.
Nick Taylor, chief executive at the Foundation For Peace said people affected were living with the "physical and mental consequences" of the 7/7 terrorist attacks every day.
He said trauma manifests itself in different ways and "anything like this" can act as a trigger for post traumatic stress.
He added: "People may not able to go out or get dressed, they may feel depressed and not be able to go out to work - or even be able to do normal tasks we take for granted, like getting up in the morning."
Acts of terrorism could traumatise victims a long time after the event, he said, so 10 years since the attacks did not mean people were not still struggling.
Met Police assistant commissioner Martin Hewitt said the exhibits gave insight into the force's detective work and were "fascinating stories".
He added: "We have used an ethical panel to scrutinise and discuss the proposed selection to ensure that we are sensitive to both the victims and the officers involved, and their families.
"Under no circumstances did we want the museum to glamorise crime, or the criminals involved."


Rick Perry, the former governor of Texas, is not among the 10 Republicans running for president who will take part in the first primetime TV debate.

Donald Trump, Jeb Bush and Scott Walker will take the stage in Cleveland on Thursday night with seven rivals.
Fox News selected the 10 most popular Republicans based on five national polls, excluding Mr Perry and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham.
Those two and five other candidates will take part in an earlier debate.
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum reacted angrily to his omission.
"The idea that they have left out the runner-up for the 2012 nomination [Santorum], the former four-term governor of Texas [Perry], the governor of Louisiana [Bobby Jindal], the first female Fortune 50 CEO [Carly Fiorina], and the 3-term Senator from South Carolina [Graham] due to polling seven months before a single vote is cast is preposterous," his spokesman said.
In contrast, Mr Perry tweeted that he was looking forward to being on Fox at 5pm for "a serious exchange of ideas and positive solutions to get America back on track".
The main debate takes place four hours later at 9pm local time (01:00 GMT).
All eyes will be on hotel tycoon Mr Trump, who leads the polls and has made headlines with outspoken remarks about many of his rivals.
A fun guide to the 10 Republican debaters
One of the Republican frontrunners, Jeb Bush, became embroiled in a row with leading Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton over women's health funding on Tuesday.
The former Florida governor was attacked by Mrs Clinton after he told a conservative Christian audience he wasn't sure "we need half a billion dollars for women's health issues".
But he later said he "misspoke" after criticism of his remarks.
Meet all of the 2016 hopefuls


A 1960s-built cathedral that was "at serious risk of closure" has raised more than 90% of its £7m target for urgent repairs and development.

Officials at Grade II listed Guildford Cathedral said last year it was at risk because of deteriorating plasterwork, which contained asbestos.
A £7m fundraising campaign was launched and now has only £500,000 left to meet the final target.
Preparatory work will begin next month before building starts in October.
The building, which is the last Church of England cathedral to be consecrated on a new site, is visible for miles from its Stag Hill location.
Earlier this month, the cathedral was awarded a £4.6m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
It has also raised funds from donations and a "buy a brick" campaign, which more than 200,000 people took part in.
"Guildford Cathedral is a unique and vital community resource that brings people together," Mayor of Guildford David Elms, told a benefactor reception on Tuesday.
"So many have already responded - because saving the cathedral matters."
Repairs and improvements will include restoration of the cathedral's organ, better disabled access, new lighting and sound system and making its archive materials more easily available to the public.


Many species will not be able to adapt fast enough to survive climate change, say scientists.

A study of more than 250 plants and animals suggests their ability to adapt to changes in rainfall and temperature will be vastly outpaced by future climate change.
Amphibians, reptiles and plants are particularly vulnerable, according to US researchers.
And tropical species are at higher risk than those in temperate zones.
Some animals might be able to move geographically to cope with rising temperatures, but others live in isolated areas where they cannot move, such as in nature reserves or on mountains or islands.
Ecologists analysed how quickly species had changed their climatic niches (the conditions where they can survive) over time, and how these rates compared with that of global warming.
They analysed 266 populations of plants and animals, including insects, amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles.
Rates of change in climatic niches were much slower than rates of projected climate change, by more than 200,000 fold for temperature (on average), they said.
"Overall, our results show that rates of climatic niche change among populations of plants and animals are dramatically slower than projected rates of future climate change," said Tereza Jezkova and John Wiens, of the University of Arizona.
Mammals and birds might be better placed to survive than amphibians and reptiles, because they had the ability to regulate their own body temperatures, said Dr Wiens.
And, while some species might be able to move to higher latitudes or elevations to survive, "for a lot of organisms, that is not an option".
"It's a double jeopardy of climate change and habitat destruction," he told BBC News.
The research is published in the journal, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
Follow Helen on Twitter.


One of the few chances of finding an affordable home in London could be to live on a house boat, according to the homeless charity Shelter.

It claimed that only 43 homes for sale in the city ranked as affordable for those on an average wage.
Four of those were houseboats, and one was a mobile home.
The research suggested that 80% of properties in England were unaffordable for families looking to buy a home for the first time.
It used a typical income and mortgage criteria as the basis for its affordability test.
The houseboats cost up to Â£165,000 each, and the mobile home cost Â£125,000.
But in 10% of local authority areas there were no affordable homes for sale at all.
These included areas like Chelmsford in Essex, Watford in Hertfordshire, and Gravesham in Kent.
"Over 80% of homes on the market are off limits for a typical family, and this is nothing short of a scandal," said Campbell Robb, Shelter's chief executive.
The figures were calculated according to local wage variations - and being offered mortgages on the basis of 3.4 times income.
For families that need at least two bedrooms, just 17% of properties are affordable, according to Shelter. For those needing three bedrooms, 7% are affordable.


A cow with its head stuck in a tree has been freed by firefighters in North Yorkshire.

Crews were called to the field in Northallerton at about 14:35 BST and attempted to release the cow using strops and farm machinery.
A vet then had to be called to sedate the animal, with firefighters using a circular saw and a chainsaw to free the cow.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service tweeted: "A happy ending for all".


Prudential has reported a big jump in operating profits for the first half of 2015, boosted by increasing business across Asia and the US.

The insurer said profit in the six months to June was £1.88bn, a 17% rise from £1.6bn last year after  currency movements are stripped out.
It also said its life and asset management products in the UK had done particularly well during the period.
Its Asian business also saw a 17% jump in operating profit to £632m.
Chief executive Mike Wells attributed the group's Asian success to "meeting the protection and savings needs of the growing middle classes".
Profits at its US business Jackson Life rose 11% to £834m, while Prudential's UK life business saw a 19% jump in operating profit to £436m.
Equity analyst Keith Bowman from Hargreaves Lansdown called the results "solid progress" under the company's new chief executive, but offered a cautionary note.
"On the downside, currency fluctuations remain a hurdle, whilst changing regulation continues to feature high on the agenda for management.
"The company's targeting of the middle classes in Asia, the retiring US baby-boomers and the increased need for UK consumers to save for their own retirements all offer potential long-term growth," he added.


Letters from the 1980s have been released, in which MP Geoffrey Dickens called for then-Home Secretary Leon Brittan to ban a pro-paedophilia group.

In 1983, The Conservative MP wrote he "would not rest" until the Paedophile Information Exchange was outlawed.
Lord Brittan wanted to see if existing laws proved adequate first.
Before his death in January this year, the Tory peer had faced questions over his handling of child abuse allegations during his time in office.
The letters between Lord Brittan and Mr Dickens, who died in 1995, have been made public after a Freedom of Information request from the BBC.
Notes of a meeting at which Mr Dickens urged the peer to ban the exchange (PIA) have also been released.
At the heart of the controversy facing Lord Brittan before he died was a so-called dossier on alleged high-profile paedophiles handed to him by Mr Dickens, a long-standing campaigner against child abuse.
Lord Brittan always insisted the proper procedures had been followed.
The BBC submitted the FOI request for these documents to be made public last summer, when the story of the "Dickens' dossier" made national headlines.
In the first letter, dated 17 August 1983, Mr Dickens, then MP for Littleborough and Saddleworth, asked for PIE to be banned, and called for the law protecting children from sexual abuse to be toughened up.
Mr Dickens wrote: "I shall not rest until we outlaw such organisations and it will not embarrass me to put our front bench under tremendous pressure on this subject because this time I shall carry the House of Commons and the country with me - be in no doubt."
On 23 November 1983, Mr Dickens met Lord Brittan, junior Home Office minister David Mellor and three others, believed to be civil servants.
On the question of banning PIE, the official taking the meeting notes wrote that the home secretary was of the view that it would be important to see if existing laws proved adequate first.
Lord Brittan is also said to have raised "the fundamental objection to banning an organisation that if members of the organisation were doing a mischief, it was the mischief which ought to be banned, not the organisation".
Mr Dickens introduced a Paedophilia (Protection of Children) Bill to make membership of PIE and similar organisations illegal in June 1984.
The Bill did not proceed but PIE is believed to have disbanded later that year.
The meeting minutes also confirm that Mr Dickens handed over two letters, one of which concerned allegations of paedophilia in the Civil Service.
In response Lord Brittan is reported to have told Mr Dickens that "he was prepared to ensure that any evidence of such activities which had substance to them would be investigated".
"He would certainly ensure that the letters which Mr Dickens had handed him were looked into."
Mr Dickens also reiterated calls for the law to be toughened up on dealing with pornographic material involving children.
According to the meeting notes, Lord Brittan is said to have considered the law on incitement of sexual activities with children to be "not so clear" and a matter he would "want to look at" in the future.
Lord Brittan also advised Mr Dickens on what to say to the press about their conversation.
Following the meeting, Mr Dickens wrote what appears to be a cover note to the home secretary on 17 January 1984, enclosing more cases for investigation and enquiring about the progress made on the cases previously handed over.
He also thanked Lord Brittan for his "splendid support".
An independent review of Home Office files from 1979-1999, produced in April 2013, confirmed that the Home Office did receive information from Mr Dickens in November 1983 and January 1984 about alleged child abuse.
The subsequent Wanless Inquiry into the Home Office's handling of child sexual abuse claims in the 1980s failed to uncover the "dossier".
The material obtained by the BBC was examined during the course of these investigations but was not made public.


Two men have been killed in a light aircraft crash at an airfield in Oxfordshire.

Police said the pilot, in his 60s, and his passenger, in his 50s, died when their microlight crashed at Enstone Airfield, near Chipping Norton, shortly after 19:00 BST on Friday.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is on the scene.
Both victims' next of kin have been told, but their identities have not been disclosed.
Mick Clarke, from Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue, said: "This was a tragic incident that has led to two lives being lost. Our thoughts are with the family of those involved."
The aerodrome has declined to comment while investigation work is carried out.
The small airfield near the village of Enstone was originally built by the RAF during World War Two and is now regularly used by civilian light aircraft.


Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has been met with shouts of "rubbish" as she told teachers about plans to turn all schools in England into an academy.

In an address to the NASUWT teachers' conference, Ms Morgan said there was no going back on plans to make every school an academy by 2020.
She also urged the union to take a more positive line about the profession rather than talking of "crisis".
She told teachers she would do more to protect them from online harassment.
Initially applauded when she took to the stage at the gathering in Birmingham, Ms Morgan's speech met with a frosty response from delegates at times.
There was laughter and clapping when she said the government did not always get things right, and one delegate shouted "get off" when she asked teachers to "step up".
Others, though, praised her for coming to speak to teachers at a union conference.
It was an uncompromising message from Nicky Morgan to the teachers gathered here.
She told them either they could step up to the challenge of improving education or spend the next four years battling the government.
There was, she said, no reverse gear for the government plans.  But Nicky Morgan also recognised their concerns about red tape and workload.
Her speech was heard in a mixture of mainly polite to stony silence and some heckling.  At the end there was some polite applause.
Afterwards delegates described her speech as provocative, but many also gave her credit for being brave enough to face an audience of teachers.
Ms Morgan paid tribute to the profession, but said there could be no pulling back from the government's agenda of reform.
The government has announced plans to make every school in England become an academy by 2020.
However, the scheme has met with resistance from opposition parties, teachers' unions and Conservative local councillors.
But Ms Morgan told delegates the government's plans would improve the education system in England.
"I want to be clear [...] there is no reverse gear when it comes to our education reforms."
Ms Morgan also accused the NASUWT of peddling too much negative comment about the state of the profession, teacher retention and recruitment.
"If I were a young person making a decision about my future career and I saw some of the language coming out from the NASUWT as well as some of the other unions, would I want to become a teacher?
"If I read about a profession 'standing on the precipice of a crisis', would I consider a life in teaching? - no I would not."
Ms Morgan went on: "The teaching unions have a choice - spend the next four years doing battle with us and doing down the profession they represent in the process, or stepping up, seizing the opportunities and promise offered by the White Paper and helping us to shape the future of the education system."
It is the first time a Conservative education secretary has addressed the NASUWT conference since 1997.
NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates thanked Ms Morgan for attending the annual gathering and said she would be welcome to attend every year.
But she urged her to abandon imposing the academies system on the remaining local authority-controlled schools in England.
She said: "Don't allow yourself to become the next Iain Duncan Smith; listen to the concerns being raised.
"If you want education excellence everywhere, then recognise there are outstanding academies, outstanding community schools, outstanding foundation schools, outstanding voluntary-aided schools which prove academies do not have the monopoly on excellence."
Ms Morgan also pledged more support for teachers to protect them from the threat of violence and harassment.
This followed NASUWT's own research, which showed the extent to which teachers are being trolled and abused on social media.
Ms Morgan said she had asked her officials to start work on what more can be done to ensure teachers are better protected, particularly online.


A wood chip fire which first ignited at a Newport dockyard more than two weeks ago has flared up again.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service put out the blaze at Alexandra Docks which came after 20,000 tonnes of wood caught alight on 5 December.
The service said four appliances, an aerial platform, two water tankers and a pump had to be sent on Monday after it burst into a fresh blaze.
The fire was eventually was brought under control at about 17:30 GMT.
Six crews remain at the scene damping down.
The fire had been smoking since it started 16 days ago, with Natural Resources Wales saying on 10 December it could continue to smoulder for "weeks".


A new 20 mph speed limit is operating in Belfast city centre.

The zone takes in May Street at the back of city hall, goes on as far as the Cathedral Quarter before going past the back of CastleCourt centre.
Roy Gordon, Transport Northern Ireland, said the new limit was part of a strategy to reduce the number and severity of collisions.
But he said commuters would not notice a significant increase in journey times.
"The longest length of this zone is 700 metres and the difference between driving that at 30 mph and 20 mph is just over 20 seconds," he told BBC Northern Ireland's Good Morning Ulster on Monday.
"The zone is where we have the largest number of pedestrians and largest number of cyclists.
"We have kept it relatively compact. It covers the main pedestrian zone and and front and back of city hall."
Mr Gordon said this was a pilot scheme - one of four across Northern Ireland.
"We will see how successful it is and take it from there," he said.
Drivers should keep a look out for new signage which has been put in place to mark out the new limits.


Being exposed to "good bacteria" early in life could prevent asthma developing, say Canadian scientists.

The team, reporting in Science Translational Medicine, were analysing the billions of bugs that naturally call the human body home.
Their analysis of 319 children showed they were at higher risk of asthma if four types of bacteria were missing.
Experts said the "right bugs at the right time" could be the best way of preventing allergies and asthma.
In the body, bacteria, fungi and viruses outnumber human cells 10 to one, and this "microbiome" is thought to have a huge impact on health.
The team, at the University of British Columbia and the Children's Hospital in Vancouver, compared the microbiome at three months and at one year with asthma risk at the age of three.
Children lacking four types of bacteria -  Faecalibacterium, Lachnospira, Veillonella, and Rothia (Flvr) - at three months were at high risk of developing asthma at the age of three, based on wheeze and skin allergy tests.
The same effect was not noticed in the microbiome of one-year-olds, suggesting that the first few months of life are crucial.
Further experiments showed that giving the bacterial cocktail to previously germ-free mice reduced inflammation in the airways of their pups.
One of the researchers, Dr Stuart Turvey, said: "Our longer-term vision would be that children in early life could be supplemented with Flvr to look to prevent the ultimate development of asthma
"I want to emphasise that we are not ready for that yet, we know very little about these bacteria, [but] our ultimate vision of the future would be to prevent this disease."
Asthma is caused by airways that are more sensitive to irritation and inflammation.
Cases have soared, and one in every 11 children in the UK is now diagnosed with asthma.
One explanation for the rise in asthma and allergies is the "hygiene hypothesis", which suggests that children are no longer exposed to enough microbes to calibrate the immune system to tell the difference between friend and foe.
Giving birth by Caesarean section and not breast-feeding both limit the bacteria that are passed to a newborn. Antibiotics taken by a pregnant woman or newborn child can also change the microbiome.
Dr Brett Finlay, another researcher in the project, said: "[I was] surprised to realise that faecal microbes may be influencing things.
"What data's really starting to show these days is that the immune system gets itself set up in the gut and influences how it works everywhere else in the body."
Dr Benjamin Marsland, from the University of Lausanne, in Switzerland, told the BBC: "For a number of years, exposure to microbes has been linked with protection against asthma, a classic example is growing up on a farm and drinking raw milk."
His own research suggests a high-fibre diet reduces inflammation in the lungs and may ease asthma symptoms.
He said previous research was showing a mounting role for diet, microbes and the first year of life being key.
He added: "This new study adds weight to these observations and supports the concept that there are certain developmental windows in early life, where it's really important to get the right signals.
"A common factor in all studies so far has been the microbiota, in fact making sure babies have the right bugs, at the right time, might be the best step towards preventing asthma and allergies."
Dr Samantha Walker, from the charity Asthma UK, said: "Asthma is a complex condition, and this research suggests that the delicate balance of gut bacteria in our bodies affects our immune systems and may have a role to play in why some people go on to develop asthma.
"However, much more research is needed to help understand what these findings mean in terms of providing advice for new parents, developing treatments and ultimately a cure."


Turkey producer Bernard Matthews has been sold to the Boparan Private Office.

The buyer has said the acquisition would secure the jobs of the 2,000 workers employed by the company in Norfolk and Suffolk.
A spokesman for Ranjit Singh Boparan's firm said it intends to "respect" and "build" on the firm's 66-year heritage.
The union Unite, which represents 800 of the company's workforce, "cautiously" welcomed the news.
A spokesman for Boparan Private Office, a private investment company which owns the 2 Sisters Food Group, said: "We have a proven track record in turning around businesses and we aim to make Bernard Matthews great again."
Bernard Matthews had a difficult time with an outbreak of bird flu at its factory at Holton in Suffolk in 2007.
It also faced problems with the the soaring cost of turkey feed in 2011.
Unite is due to meet the management team at Bernard Matthews' headquarters at 10:00 BST on Wednesday.
The union's regional officer Steve Harley said: "Searching questions will be asked on future employment, pay, and terms and conditions.
"We will also be asking about the status of the pension scheme under the new owners, although it is expected that our members won't be affected in this respect by the takeover."
Unite represents about 800 of the 2,000-strong workforce at the producing sites at Great Witchingham in Norfolk and Holton in Suffolk, as well as the animal food mill at Bawsey, near King's Lynn.
There was speculation over the future of Bernard Matthews over the summer after Rutland Partners appointed PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to look for possible buyers.


Staff verbally abused inmates and dirty cells were found at a Bristol prison, an inspection report has revealed.

The discoveries were made during an unannounced visit to HMP Bristol in Horfield, earlier this year.
Nick Hardwick, the chief inspector of prisons, said a "sense of drift" had returned to the prison following a positive report in 2010.
The National Offender Management Service said the prison will receive support to help raise performance.
At the last inspection in 2010, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons had noted improvements and described a well-led prison with a "clear sense of direction" but found this progress had not been sustained.
The recent inspection found staff at the category-B prison, which can hold up to 600 inmates, were too "dismissive" towards inmates.
The report said staff displayed "delinquent" behaviour such as using "derogatory and abusive" language, and fewer prisoners than at similar prisons said staff treated them with respect.
Cells were also found to be dirty with damaged or missing furniture, offensive graffiti and an "infestation of cockroaches".
The report also noted a lack of clean clothes and adequate bedding for inmates.
And inspectors witnessed the "arbitrary punishment" of a prisoner when a prison officer stopped him from having his full meals.
The report said the prison has taken action to discipline the staff concerned.
Mr Hardwick said the experience of prisoners was "poor" and identified priorities for the prison to improve the environment and staff culture and "ensure prisoners have something useful to do that will equip them for the future".
Positives identified by the inspectors included broadly proportionate security procedures, and the prison largely meeting its resettlement challenges.
Michael Spurr, of the National Offender Management Service, said at the time of the inspection, the prison had been through a "significant period of restructure and change".
He also said a high turnover of prisoners presented "a challenging time for the governor and her staff".
"The prison and its staff will receive the support necessary to help raise performance and deliver a safe and constructive environment for the prisoners it holds," he added.
The governor of HMP Bristol, Andrea Albutt was unavailable for comment.


Andraz Struna salvaged a late point for Hearts against 10-man Partick Thistle at Tynecastle.

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Struna scooped home from close range to haul his side level with two minutes of normal time remaining.
Kris Doolan, then Stevie Lawless, had fired Thistle ahead either side of Isma Goncalves' penalty.
The Portuguese netted from the spot after Danny Devine handled Don Cowie's shot and was shown a second yellow card.
Hearts remain four points clear of Thistle in fifth place in the Scottish Premiership but are now six adrift of the Europa League qualifying berths after St Johnstone beat Aberdeen.
Ian Cathro sent his Hearts side out in a 3-4-3 formation, with Prince Buaben at the heart of defence.
In a first half lacking highlights, it was the Ghanaian showing his defensive prowess that drew the applause of the home support, when he deftly defied a trio of Thistle attackers one after the other.
Neither goalkeeper had been involved in anything other than routine play until the 38th minute, when the visitors' Tomas Cerny was grateful to see a Struna volley canon off his crossbar, the shot coming after Devine had blocked a Goncalves effort into the wing-back's path.
The second half opened with a tale of two headers - one chance converted, one squandered.
Thistle's patient build-up was rewarded five minutes after the break, when Lawless was released down the right and his perfect cross to the back post was headed in by top-scorer Doolan.
Hearts should have answered immediately when Cowie crossed perfectly for Goncalves, but the striker contrived to head wide with the goal at his mercy.
Chris Erskine spurned a golden chance to extend Thistle's lead as he gathered Doolan's delicate pass, danced round the covering defence, but his shot clipped the leg of onrushing Hearts goalkeeper Jack Hamilton and bobble wide.
It was a controversial penalty decision by referee Andrew Dallas that changed the complexion of the game.
It looked a debatable call to reduce the visitors to 10 men, sending Devine off for handball and presenting Hearts with the opportunity to cancel out Doolan's opener.
The defender was sliding to block a Cowie shot and was adjudged to have used his hand to do so.
Devine, who had been booked 11 minutes earlier, was shown a second yellow and Goncalves slotted the spot kick to level the game.
Thistle refused to be downhearted after the harsh penalty award and they restored their lead just three minutes later when Lawless fired home after a sumptuous Erskine through ball.
Hearts piled forward again and the 10 men of Thistle could not resist, Struna netting his first goal for the club after Cerny had denied Goncalves.
The drama continued right until the end, the Firhill keeper ensuring his side left with the point they fully deserved when he thwarted the Portuguese once again after the striker was sent haring clear one-on-one.
Hearts head coach Ian Cathro: "Ultimately, it's disappointing we have not got the three points in a game where we can't say we were dominant for the entirety, but we were certainly in control in long spells throughout.
"As we push and as the game progresses, we make countless chances to be able to win the game.
"Our disappointment comes from the fact we have done more than enough to win the game.
"We wanted to make sure the pitch was a bit more open for us [by playing a back three]. And to make sure that, when we arrive in the final third, we do it with more threat. I think we did that today.
"The next step for us is to make sure, when we put in a performance like that, we generate the chances we did. These should be games that we win."
Partick Thistle manager Alan Archibald: "I think I am happy with a point. When you go down to 10 men, towards the end of the game we defended brilliantly and we took a point.
"We did have opportunities at 1-0 to maybe go to 2-0 and there may have been a different outcome, but the red card changes it as well.
"I wasn't surprised he gave the penalty in terms of how the decisions went all day. In terms of that type of decision, for a handball like that you will see another 10 of those and some will be given and some won't.
"That's the frustrating aspect from the manager's point of view. I wish they would just clear it up in black and white.
"If it hits your hand, it's either a penalty or not because we will get a different referee next time and we will get a different decision.
"It hit [Danny Devine's] arm. He has fallen to the side. He turned to block it.
"He didn't mean it and I can see why the ref's given it, but you will see another one next week that is not given. That is my frustration."
Match ends, Heart of Midlothian 2, Partick Thistle 2.
Second Half ends, Heart of Midlothian 2, Partick Thistle 2.
Attempt saved. Esmael Gonçalves (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt missed. Sam Nicholson (Heart of Midlothian) left footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Adam Barton (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Esmael Gonçalves (Heart of Midlothian).
Jamie Walker (Heart of Midlothian) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Goal!  Heart of Midlothian 2, Partick Thistle 2. Andraz Struna (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the top right corner. Assisted by Jamie Walker.
Attempt saved. Jamie Walker (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Corner,  Heart of Midlothian. Conceded by Niall Keown.
Ryan Edwards (Partick Thistle) is shown the yellow card.
Niall Keown (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Prince Buaben (Heart of Midlothian).
Attempt saved. Jamie Walker (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Andrew McCarthy (Partick Thistle) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Arnaud Sutchuin-Djoum (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Andrew McCarthy (Partick Thistle).
Attempt saved. Niall Keown (Partick Thistle) header from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Corner,  Partick Thistle. Conceded by Krystian Nowak.
Attempt missed. Andraz Struna (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Substitution, Heart of Midlothian. Sam Nicholson replaces Moha.
Substitution, Heart of Midlothian. Bjorn Johnsen replaces Alexandros Tziolis.
Substitution, Partick Thistle. Adebayo Azeez replaces Chris Erskine.
Attempt blocked. Jamie Walker (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
Attempt missed. Esmael Gonçalves (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Attempt saved. Arnaud Sutchuin-Djoum (Heart of Midlothian) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Corner,  Heart of Midlothian. Conceded by Callum Booth.
Corner,  Heart of Midlothian. Conceded by Callum Booth.
Goal!  Heart of Midlothian 1, Partick Thistle 2. Steven Lawless (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Chris Erskine.
Goal!  Heart of Midlothian 1, Partick Thistle 1. Esmael Gonçalves (Heart of Midlothian) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Tomás Cerny (Partick Thistle) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Second yellow card to Danny Devine (Partick Thistle) for hand ball.
Penalty conceded by Danny Devine (Partick Thistle) with a hand ball in the penalty area.
Attempt blocked. Don Cowie (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt saved. Jamie Walker (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Corner,  Partick Thistle. Conceded by Jack Hamilton.
Attempt saved. Chris Erskine (Partick Thistle) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Danny Devine (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Arnaud Sutchuin-Djoum (Heart of Midlothian).
Attempt saved. Arnaud Sutchuin-Djoum (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.


There "will not be a hard border" on the island of Ireland in the wake of the UK's withdrawal from the EU, the taoiseach (prime minister) has said.

22 July 2016 Last updated at 14:12 BST
Enda Kenny was speaking in Cardiff where he was attending a specially-convened meeting of the British-Irish Council to discuss the implications of Brexit on Friday.


Eddie Jones says his players could face the "angel or the devil" when he begins his reign as England head coach.

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The Australian, 55, succeeds Stuart Lancaster after England's poor show at the World Cup and starts in December.
In his first news conference, it was claimed he was called the 'devil' for how hard he worked former team Japan.
Jones said: "Every side is different. You can be a devil one day and an angel the next day. We don't know what I'm going to be."
Following his four-year appointment as England's first foreign coach, Jones said there was "extreme talent" in the squad despite the team's worst performance at a World Cup.
He added that he wanted his team to make Twickenham "buzz" again by tapping into a "bulldog spirit" to take on the world's best sides.
"One thing you have to do is create your own unique style of play," the former Australia coach said.
"We won't be copying the All Blacks. We will make our own style and I want the players to believe that 100%.
"We want the All Blacks to be watching how England play. That would be nice, wouldn't it?"
Jones was asked about his comments about captain Chris Robshaw, whom he criticised in a newspaper column before England's group-stage defeat by Australia.
The former Australia coach wrote: "Chris Robshaw wears number seven, but he is a six and a half at best. He's not hard over the ball and he's not quick. He's a useful player but he's not an out-and-out open-side flanker."
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But Jones said on Friday he had been "a bit naughty".
He added: "I wasn't England coach then. I will sit down with Chris and have a chat to him.
"I've watched a couple of his games since the World Cup and, like all the players, they are starting from zero.
"There's always an opportunity to change things and he's in exactly the same position."
Jones said he was excited by the players in the England set-up.
"England have won two of the last three Under-20 World Cups so there's great talent out there," he said.
"It's a great legacy that Lancaster has left - there's an opportunity to build something here."
Jones also said he wanted to maintain the Rugby Football Union's policy of picking only home-based players.
"If you want to play with England you have to be in the Premiership. I am happy with that," he added.
RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie said Jones was first choice to succeed Lancaster, and his ability to develop coaches played a part in him landing the role.
Richie also denied that former England head coach Sir Clive Woodward had been approached to fulfil a director of rugby role.
"International experience and successful international experience at the level that Eddie has got was what we were looking for," said Ritchie.
"Eddie reports in to me, and he will appoint the assistant coaches, so the structure is very clear."
Jones said one of his assistants would be ready to replace him by the 2019 World Cup.
"I see that as a fundamental part of the job and there's real talent in England," Jones said.


An app designed to make surfing on YouTube safer for children has come under fire for linking to "inappropriate" content.

Two child advocacy groups have flagged up videos that they say "would be extremely disturbing for young children to view".
They have lodged a complaint with the US regulator Federal Trade Commission, according to the Wall Street Journal.
YouTube said any inappropriate videos flagged up to it would be removed.
The complaint, filed by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and the Center for Digital Democracy, claims that the groups found links to videos with explicit sexual language, jokes about paedophilia and drug use and adult discussions about violence, pornography and suicide.
"Google promised parents that YouTube Kids would deliver appropriate content for children, but it has failed to fulfil its promise," Aaron Mackey, a lawyer representing the groups told the Wall Street Journal.
A YouTube spokesperson told the BBC: "We work to make the videos in YouTube Kids as family friendly as possible and take feedback very seriously.
"We appreciate people drawing problematic content to our attention, and make it possible for anyone to flag a video. Flagged videos are manually reviewed 24/7 and any videos that don't belong in the app are removed."
Parents can also turn off the search function in the app which limits what content children can access.
YouTube Kids was launched in the US only in February, claiming to offer specially curated video content suitable for children.
It found itself in hot water in April when a group of child safety experts complained that the app mixed programming with branded videos from companies such as McDonald's, Mattel and Hasbro.


Departing Port Vale striker Tom Pope says the club need to start attracting bigger crowds to "stay afloat".

Lifelong Vale fan Pope, who signed for fellow League One club Bury on Tuesday after being made a substantially better contract offer, says chairman Norman Smurthwaite is in an awkward position.
"People are choosing not to go," Pope, 29, told BBC Radio Stoke.
"And Norman isn't going to carry on putting his money in forever if people aren't backing him or supporting him."
Smurthwaite has already warned that the reason for the club having to make offers of reduced wages to a number of players this summer was the club's dwindling finances.
Falling attendances have had an impact on Vale, their average home gate having fallen by 1,200 per game last season, causing a deficit of £600,000 in gate receipts.
"He will carry on running the club as well as he can to ensure they stay afloat," added Pope. "That's football for you. I've no qualms about that.
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"To have got promoted to League One, I really thought we were going to see attendances booming again, especially when we were in and around the play-offs, but even then we were only getting 5,000 fans."
Meanwhile, Vale have signed up two more academy players on new deals.
Midfielder Ryan Lloyd, 21, has signed a one-year contract, while goalkeeper Ryan Boot follows the lead of teenage defender Nathan Smith, 19, who signed a two-year contract on Wednesday.
Fellow goalkeeper Sam Johnson, 22, signed a new one-year contract on Tuesday.
Boot, 20, spent the final three months of last season on loan at Conference North side Worcester City.


Shaun Marsh made his claim for a place in Australia's Test team with a century against Kent on the first day of their Ashes tour.

The left-handed opener, 31, scored 114 as Australia racked up 348-3 after being put in to bat on a true pitch under cloudless skies in Canterbury.
Chris Rogers, vying with Marsh for an opening spot, made 84, while captain Michael Clarke scored 56 off 73 balls.
Steve Smith was unbeaten on 71 at the close, with Shane Watson eight not out.
Clarke's men are playing Kent, who are bottom of Division Two of the County Championship, as part of their preparation for their defence of the Ashes, with the first of five Tests starting in Cardiff on 8 July.
Marsh, the son of former Australia opener Geoff, scored a century on his Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2011 but has struggled to hold down a place in the Australia Test side, playing only 14 times in four years.
But here, showing excellent judgement outside off-stump, he drove and cut his way to three figures in a chanceless innings.
He overtook Rogers' score with a booming drive down the ground and brought up his century off 172 balls.
Looking to accelerate after tea, however, he took a wild heave at Matt Hunn - playing only his fourth first-class match for Kent - and was expertly caught by a diving Daniel Bell-Drummond at deep point.
Rogers put the furore over his reported involvement in the attempted sale of hospitality packages behind him with a confident innings, littered with fluent cover drives.
The 37-year-old, scorer of three hundreds in the last two Ashes series, missed Australia's 2-0 victory over West Indies because of concussion.
But he is hoping to reprise his Ashes opening partnership with David Warner, who was rested for this match along with Adam Voges and the in-form pace duo of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
Rogers was dropped twice by Adam Riley - on 21 and 79 - but struck 11 boundaries in a partnership of 181 with Marsh before he was trapped lbw by a Hunn delivery that nipped back into his pads.
Kent's reward for dismissing the two openers was the arrival of Australia's two finest batsmen.
Steve Smith, who tops the ICC batting rankings after five hundreds in six Tests, signed on with a powerful pull for six, while Clarke scored freely on all sides of the wicket.
Their entertaining stand was briefly interrupted by an over-exuberant supporter, who darted onto the outfield in swimming trucks carrying a tent.
His attempt to set up camp on the outfield was swiftly halted by the stewards, but not before he attracted one of the biggest cheers of the day from a crowd of more than 5,000.
There was one more moment for the Kent faithful to savour before the close as Clarke nicked Hunn down the leg side and was caught by Sam Billings.
Australia opener Shaun Marsh: "I haven't really thought too much about selection. It was nice batting out there with Chris today. I thought we worked really well together and kept each other going. I thought he batted really well so we'll just have to wait and see what happens over the next couple of weeks.
"We want to play the brand of cricket we've been playing for a little bit and I thought today was a good step towards that. We've got a really important day tomorrow. Hopefully we can bat a bit more time and then the bowlers can come out and have a crack as well."
Kent bowler Matt Hunn: "I was looking forward to this match ever since we found out we were going to be playing Australia. Luckily enough I was given the nod, and I'm really pleased to have picked up three wickets.
"There was no real margin for error at all, but it was good to test yourself against the best, because then you know where you are at. It was a challenging day, but a good one."


It's International Pillow Fight Day, and these guys in Hong Kong have been celebrating with a big pillow fight!

1 April 2017 Last updated at 09:15 BST
Some people wore their pyjamas whilst others decided to wear costumes instead.
The event organiser Tom Grundy said it was a good way to let off some steam and get the community together.
This is the seventh time the event has been held, and people all over the world can join in.


Senegal's young Lions of Teranga exited the Fifa Under-20 World Cup in South Korea on Thursday after a 1-0 defeat to Mexico.

A goal in the 89th minute from substitute Ronaldo Cisneros was the difference between the two sides in  Incheon.
The West Africans finished the game a man down following Alioune Gueye's expulsion for a second bookable offence after 71 minutes.
Senegal also went into the match without two key players - defenders Cavin Diagne and Souleymae Aw - who were both suspended.
Mexico will now face England in the quarter-finals on 5 June in Cheonan.


A police officer has been recognised for her outstanding work with the deaf community across north Wales.

Wrexham-based Sgt Laura Salisbury-Jones has received North Wales Police's diversity champion award.
Ms Salisbury-Jones can use sign language and is able to engage with the deaf community and identify those in need of police support.
She will now teach officers basic tips to assist communication and deliver an introduction to the language.
"It is important that all communities are able to access the services North Wales Police provides and I would like to thank the deaf community for their willingness to engage with us," she said.
Greg George, head of diversity at North Wales Police, said: "In her own time, she has completed levels 1, 2, 3 and 4 in BSL (British Sign Language) and plans to continue this amazing achievement by becoming the force's first fully qualified BSL interpreter.''


Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill says they must forget their miserable start to the season.

A Tigers side shorn of their World Cup stars lie 11th in the Premiership, having lost five of their six games.
Cockerill told BBC East Midlands Today. "We are one win from seven [in total] and I am very aware of it.
"I go to bed with that thought and wake up with that thought but there comes a point where enough is enough. All I am interested in now is how people react."
Although Friday's LV= Cup tie against Gloucester would normally see a mixture of fringe and young inexperienced players in the line-up, many of Leicester's international stars are set to feature.
But Cockerill said his big-name players were desperate to get stuck back into the domestic schedule.
"They are glad to be back and some of them have had a more difficult time than others," he added. "But when you have been away from home for a long time you feel more at ease.
"Those guys feel a little bit indebted to the club, we've got them to Test-match rugby. Clearly we have suffered a little bit because of that and they want to come back and help us out of the situation we are in."
And while former England international Cockerill knows his side's predicament is in no small way down to the international call-ups and injury problems at Welford Road, he feels it's time to move on.
"I understand it and know the ins and outs and you have to realistic," he said.
"It's hard and we have to all stick together and show our true colours.
"It will come round. We have to believe in what we do. I believe in the people who work for us and play for us.
"We have to keep our bottle and not throw everything away that's been so good for the last few years.
"We can still be in the top four and do very well in Europe this year."
Tigers forward Tom Croft insists helping the club get back to winning ways will not take much.
"The boys coming back are not knights in shining armour. The side that was there was perfectly capable," Croft told BBC East Midlands Today.
"The majority of games we have lost we have been in the game in the last minutes so the talent is there, it's just closing out those games and scoring in the attack zones when we get there.
"The boys coming back will bring a bit of new life and excitement around the club.
"The boys were saying there is renewed buzz and that is a great thing to have at this time of year.
"Gloucester on Friday is a massive game just to kick-start our season and make a statement to rest of the clubs that Leicester Tigers are not a club that will roll over and we will fight to get back on track."