Here's a recap of the headlines from today's First Minister's Questions:

• Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay accused the Scottish government of delivering “poor value” after the cost of a replacement for HMP Barlinnie rose to almost £1bn, complete with nature boxes and outdoor spaces
• First minister John Swinney said a replacement was “essential” despite it rising to nearly 10 times its original cost, arguing Findlay’s comments were off the back of growing support for Reform UK in Scotland
• Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar demanded an end to the “ideologicalblock” on nuclear power in Scotland following the UK government’s announcement of new nuclear reactors in England and Wales
• Swinney accused Sarwar of trying to “scare off” investment in renewable energy and categorically denied the green light for new nuclear power facilities would be given.
• Scottish Greens’ co-leader Lorna Slater said more action was needed on skyrocketing rents across Scotland, with temporary rent controls due to end next month

• The first minister was also questioned on the delivery of the reforms to the care system outlined in The Promise, as well as the Rosebank oil decision and Grangemouth redundancies

That's all for today. Join us again next time. Today's editor was Catherine Lyst and the writers were Craig Hutchison and James Delaney.

Pam Gosal reminds the chamber that staff from Kirkintilloch High School took industrial action yesterday.

Teachers at the school in East Dunbartonshire took the action after claiming pupils face "no consequences" for abuse and violent behaviour.

The Tory MSP says violence against pupils and staff has got out of hand and is due to the SNP "weakening the justice system".

The first minister says everyone who goes to a school, whether pupils or staff, should be safe.

Swinney argues that the vast majority of pupils across Scotland attend "safe and stable schools".

Energetic backbench MSPs enter the fraypublished at 12:53 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February

12:53 GMT 6 February

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

Following on from Anas Sarwar’s questions on energy, John Swinney faced a couple of potentially more challenging ones from his own backbenchers.

One was Michelle Thomson’s query about Grangemouth, which raised the prospect that there hasn’t been a particularly “just” transition for staff now facing redundancy - letting some air out of the favourite buzzword of governments north and south of the border.

Grangemouth has often been held up as an example of how well the Scottish and UK governments have been working together since the general election.

But Mr Swinney today said he was “increasingly impatient” with UK ministers over the future of the refinery, and in particular over consent for carbon capture schemes, having seen projects in England apparently prioritised.

The other tricky question came from Fergus Ewing, the former energy minister who is increasingly a thorn in the side of ministers on these issues.

Mr Ewing suggested that pushing ahead with domestic oil and gas production would be far preferable - and indeed have a smaller carbon footprint - than importing fuels from the likes of the US and Qatar.

Having already faced a question from the Tories on the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields, Mr Swinney gave perhaps the clearest answer to his own backbencher - that he believes in the science of climate change, and that transitioning away from fossil fuels is essential.

Image source, PA Media

Some workers at the Grangemouth refinery have been sent redundancy letters by their employer Petroineos.

The site, which is Scotland's only oil refinery, is set to close by the summer with the loss of more than 400 jobs.

It is understood the majority of workers have agreed voluntary redundancy deals, and job losses will be spread out over the next 18 months.

Union leaders had hoped that the central Scotland facility could remain open for longer to provide time for a greener fuel alternative to be established at the site.

The Unite union said the move was a "national disgrace" and accused the UK and Scottish governments of being "missing in action" as the closure takes effect.

Petroineos said the closure of Grangemouth was due to it being unable to compete with sites in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

The company said the decision would "safeguard fuel supply for Scotland" by converting the site into a terminal able to import petrol, diesel, aviation fuel and kerosene into Scotland.

Read more here.

Michelle Thomson asks whether Swinney will condemn the UK government for its lack of action on saving the Grangemouth plant.

More than 430 workers at the refinery were made redundant on Wednesday, with refining to cease at the end of June.

Scottish Labour leader Sarwar promised to “step in” and save the jobs and back the plant with new funding.

Swinney says he was becoming “increasingly impatient” about the lack of decision on a carbon capture and storage project to Grangemouth, despite being assured that would be the case under the previous Conservative government.

He urges the UK government to authorise that project and give “certainty” to the workers.

Fergus Ewing asks if the best way to protect energy security is to produce as much oil and gas as possible.

The SNP MSP points out that the carbon footprint of fracked gas from the US is 25 time bigger than if it is extracted from the North Sea.

He asks if taking fracked gas will help Trump.

The FM insists his government must manage the transition to Net-Zero and not ignore climate change.

Image source, Getty Images

Norwegian energy giant Equinor is halving investment in renewable energy over the next two years while increasing oil and gas production.

Chief executive Anders Opedal said the transition to lower carbon energy was moving slower than expected, costs had increased, and customers were reluctant to commit to long-term contracts.

Mr Opedal told the BBC he was confident that Rosebank - a giant new oil field in the North Sea - would go ahead, despite a recent court ruling that consent had been awarded unlawfully.

The controversial Rosebank oil field is thought to hold 500 million barrels of oil.

A Scottish court recently ruled that consent had been granted unlawfully as the application did not account for the full environmental impact of the project.

Read more here.

Tory MSP Dougls Lumsden asks what the Scottish government's response is to the Court of Session’s decision regarding the Rosebank oil field and the Jackdaw gas field.

The first minister replies that his government is carefully considering the court ruling announced last week and he points out that decisions on offshore oil and gas licensing are reserved.

Lumsden argues: "Our North Sea workers are being failed by the Labour government and failed by this devolved SNP government.

"Will the first minister also back the industry and drop his disastrous presumption against new oil and gas production before more jobs are lost?"

Swinney insists he will do everyhing in his power to secure a "just transition" for everybody involved.

"I, for one, am not going to deny the climate crisis that we face," he says.

He goes on to express concerns about the future of Grangemouth, we'll bring you more on that later.

Labour’s Martin Whitfield also cites the report, stating it was “half way between The Promise and when we must keep it, but not half way to delivering on it”.

He says another report found the number of children living in temporary accommodation was at a record high and asks what action the Scottish government is taking to address that.

Swinney says the government is “taking steps” to bring down those numbers.

He says the government has committed £768m to invest in housing expenditure for the next year, but that can only happen if the government’s budget is supported.

Conservative MSP Roz McCall says an oversight board report published yesterday included 10 “critical shortcomings” in the Scottish government’s efforts to reach the 2030 target.

She asks if it is “simply not the case” that the government lacks the “decisive actions” to meet that goal.

Swinney says he has “every intention” of working to meet the target.

He says the concept of whole family support was “pivotal” to eradicating child poverty.

Rona Mackay asks the first minister for an update on “The Promise” on the fifth anniversary of it being made to care experienced children.

The Promise refers to an 80-step series of reforms to the care system, including ending the placement of under-18s in custody and a redesign of the children’s hearing system, introduced by former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Swinney says the whole Scottish Parliament has a “unanimous duty” to keep The Promise and says progress is being made.

He says there has been a 15.6% reduction in the number of young people in care, a £110m investment in whole family support and no-one under 18 is being admitted to young offenders’ institutions.

He says The Promise can be kept by 2030.

Clear water on nuclear issuepublished at 12:33 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February

12:33 GMT 6 February

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

Thursday exchanges at Holyrood often underline the extent to which Labour and the SNP are vying for similar political territory on the centre left.

But today there was a bold defining line between them on nuclear energy policy.

Anas Sarwar says Scotland is being left behind by an “ideological block” on “zero carbon nuclear” developments.

The Labour leader hopes the prospect of cheaper energy bills might woo voters who have long been courted by parties focused more on renewable energy.

Mr Swinney notably sought to give an answer which was pragmatic, rather than ideological.

Yes, he stressed the importance of renewable energy and making sure firms know that is the top priority in Scotland when making investment decisions.

But his core defence was in underlining the financial costs of setting up new nuclear initiatives.

He wanted to stress that his position is not something that’s been dyed in the wool since the 1980s, but rather the result of a carefully considered calculation.

When two parties are building electoral platforms on very similar territory – stressing the importance of health services and the welfare state – it is refreshing and indeed useful for voters to have clear water between them on big issues like this.

The Scottish Greens co-leader says scrapping vital bridging rent controls will give landlords free rein to hike rents for two years.

Slater asks what the first minister has to say to renters who will be facing this cliff edge in just a few weeks time.

"Most private tenants still have a right to seek a review of a rent increase if they consider it too high," replies the first minister.

He adds that the government is investing more than £90m in discretionary housing payments.

"Rents across Scotland are sky rocketing," begins Lorna Slater.

The Scottish Greens co-leader says the Scottish government has pledged not to continue rent controls.

"First minister will you do the right thing to protect tenants and ensure these temporary protections are extended until permanent rent controls are in place?," she asks.

The first minister replies that there is a longer-term approach required and says that is why the Housing Act is being brought forward.

He insists the government will ensure the legislation is correct and passes through parliament.

Sarwar says Swinney has the power to create new investment and jobs in Scotland “with the stroke of a pen” but accuses the first minister of being “trapped in the politics of the 1970s”.

He asks why Swinney and the SNP are holding Scotland back from new jobs, investment and energy security.

Swinney says Sarwar’s statement is incorrect in “every way, shape and form” and says investors are already investing in renewable energy.

He says the costs of HMP Barlinnie are one thing but says Sarwar’s “eyes will water” at the increasing costs in nuclear plants taking their course in England.

Swinney says: “The Scottish government will continue with our support for the development of green renewables in Scotland and we will not give the green light to nuclear power stations in Scotland.”

Sarwar says it’s not an “either/or” and says live data from the National Grid on Thursday morning showed that about 24% of Scotland’s energy was coming from nuclear sources.

He says transitioning to net zero is a chance to create “decent, high-skilled jobs” and secure national energy security, but he says the SNP veto on nuclear energy projects has allowed “jobs, growth and skills to go elsewhere,” including the EU and China.

He asks whether Swinney wants to see Scotland “fall behind” but the first minister says “renewable energy is delivering formidably” for the country.

Swinney says Scotland is “right behind the renewable energy revolution” and accuses Sarwar of attempting to “scare off investment” from the renewable energy industry.

Image source, Getty Images

The UK government announced plans to make it easier for small nuclear power stations on Thursday.

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said the country had been “left behind” by not building a nuclear power station in decades, during which time it was “suffocated by regulations”.

Mini nuclear power stations – also known as small modular reactors (SMRs) – are smaller and cheaper to run than traditional large plants, but produce much less power.

Those plans only cover England and Wales, although energy policy is largely still set at Westminster.

The previous Conservative government unveiled plans to build a new reactor in Scotland in May last year, a decision that was criticised by the Scottish government.

Scotland’s last operational nuclear power plant, Torness, near Dunbar in East Lothian, is due to be shut down by 2028.

Others at Hunterston, in North Ayrshire and Chapelcross, in Dumfries, along with the former research facility at Dounreay, in Caithness, are already in the decommissioning phase.

Anas Sarwar asks John Swinney whether the Scottish government’s “ideological block” on nuclear power will be ended in the wake of prime minister Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement of plans to build small reactors in England and Wales.

Sarwar says similar projects in Scotland would create jobs and “end the reliance on dictators like [Vladimir] Putin” in providing energy supplies.

Swinney says plans to utilise renewable energy and Scotland’s natural resources are further towards the top of his agenda.

He insists his government will “power on” with those in favour of nuclear power.

'Sharp exchanges'published at 12:20 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February

12:20 GMT 6 February

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

There were some sharp exchanges between John Swinney and Russell Findlay, but beneath all of the sound and fury was the core of how the Tory leader wants to position his party.

He wants to capitalise on the anti-establishment, anti-politics feeling among the public, by claiming that the “Holyrood bubble” is detached from the real world – and that his party is the one with common-sense answers.

Mr Findlay is hoping to corral the support of “hard-working Scots taxpayers”.

But the first minister is even clearer about exactly who the Tory leader is pursuing – right-wing voters who might be flirting with Reform UK.

In all honesty, this is a group of voters that Mr Swinney isn’t really chasing, so he felt comfortable with writing off his opponent’s position as “reprehensible and despicable”.

As ever, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Yes, the Tories are undoubtedly worried about the rise of Reform in the polls.

But the anti-politics feeling is real, and a leader looking to reset their party might well see that as an opportunity.

The prison is 10 times the original cost, Findlay says.

The Scottish Tory leader argues this is why people are disillusioned by politics.

"Does he expect taxpayers to pipe down and pay up?", Findlay asks.

The first minister accuses Findlay of being "absolutely terrified of his party being consumed by Reform as all the polls suggest".

He says Findlay is using "obnoxious rhetoric".