That concludes First Minister’s Questions, here’s what happened:

• Russell Findlay began FMQs with an attack on former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, asking Swinney what her "biggest failure in office" was.
• Swinney defended Sturgeon’s record as first minister and SNP leader, saying Findlay’s tone towards her was “graceless”.
• The Tory leader claimed Sturgeon “trampled on women’s rights” with the SNP’s gender policies, but Swinney accused Findlay of playing “toxic personality politics”.
• Labour leader Anas Sarwar and the FM clashed over Trident - as Sarwar said the SNP should reconsider previous "red lines" and back nuclear deterrents.
• The Scottish Greens’ Patrick Harvie hit out at the SNP’s decision to scrap green heating plans - but Swinney said he needed to be sure any moves decreased fuel poverty.
• Swinney also faced several questions on job losses at Dundee University. The FM said it was at the “top of his agenda” and he wanted to ensure the university’s future was secure.

Thank you for joining us today. Your writers were Paul Hastie, Jonathan Geddes and Giancarlo Rinaldi. The page was edited by Catherine Lyst.

South Scotland MSP Emma Harper asks what is being done to raise awareness of the consequences for dog owners whose out-of-control pets attack livestock - especially ahead of lambing season.

The first minister says his government and NatureScot will continue to promote "responsible dog ownership" which he hopes will help with the situation.

South Scotland MSP Carol Mochan brings up Scotland's health, asking about how the government is helping to improve healthy life expectancy in the country.

Swinney responds by saying abolishing child poverty is the No 1 goal for the government, using the likes of breakfast clubs to address inequality at "its roots"..

The Labour MSP disagrees, saying Scotland has the highest obesity rates in the UK, costing the NHS millions. She asks for an update on a consultation from last year into food and drink promotions for products with high fat and sugar levels.

It will be published "shortly" says the first minister, who adds that a "mature discussion" needs to be had about this topic.

Real disagreements with SNP and Scottish Greenspublished at 12:44 Greenwich Mean Time 13 March

12:44 GMT 13 March

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

The exchanges with Patrick Harvie were almost like a throwback to last year, when the Greens were seething about being kicked out of government.

There is an extent to which John Swinney has healed the wounds caused by Humza Yousaf’s ultimately self-destructive decision to end the Bute House Agreement. The parties signed up to a budget deal together, and relations are unquestionably better.

But there are also many ways in which the SNP is moving away from the sort of policies embraced by the partnership government.

Mr Harvie will obviously have been stung by the fact the heat in buildings bill he personally drew up has been dropped, and will only reappear in heavily revised form, if at all.

But he also questioned whether the government is going far enough on the issue of rent controls. There is an extent to which it’s common sense to play up differences between the parties’ platforms with an election looming.

But given Mr Swinney’s goal of rebuilding bridges and building consensus on the left of the parliament in particular, it is notable that there are real disagreements with a party which only a year ago was part of the government.

Labour MSP Michael Marra follows up on the job losses at Dundee University and asks the first minister when he will act to help families and save jobs.

He accuses the SNP of being "slow and evasive" over a situation they have known about for weeks.

Swinney says his government will continue to work with the funding council and university.

He says the “issue is right at the top of my agenda” and wants to ensure that the future of the university is secured.

Dundee City West MSP Joe Fitzpatrick says the job cuts announced by Dundee University are "absolutely unacceptable"

He calls on the government to do everything it can to make sure they do not happen and come up with a new plan.

Swinney says he can give that "absolute assurance" and adds that government will be "deeply involved" in talks to ensure the university's future is secure.

He says he finds the plans announced to be "deeply troubling".

Dundee University has announced plans to cut more than 600 jobs to address a £35m deficit.

Staff were informed of the news by interim principal Shane O'Neill at a meeting in the university, which was also held online.

It represents about 20% of the university's workforce of more than 3,000 people.

Former rector, TV presenter Lorraine Kelly, has warned the "horrific" job losses at the university would have a ripple effect across the city.

Tory MSP Jamie Greene brings up support for Scotland's universities, highlighting the University of the West of Scotland facing a large deficit.

The first minister says the recent budget will support the sector with over £1.1bn in funding for university teaching and research, with another £15m of further support.

Greene then brings up cuts at Dundee University, with hundreds of jobs being lost. He says politicians need to "come together" or else universities will go under, calling for cross-party consensus.

That brings a rebuttal from Swinney, who uses what he calls "home truths" about the Tories, saying they have shown no signs of being "grown-up" with debating on the issue, a statement that causes a fractious response from Tories.

SNP MSP for Midlothian Christine Grahame asks the first minister about the potential impact on planning legislation in Scotland on reports that the UK government plans to give people living near pylons hundreds of pounds off their energy bills each year.

She brands the £250 discount a “cheap and insulting bribe” and asks if the SNP can make it a condition that people affected could benefit from “local energy pricing”. Swinney says he "does not anticipate any potential impact” on planning legislation.

He says he expects power firms to consult local groups and ensure community voices are “heard in every respect”.

Image source, Getty Images

The Scottish government revealed it is to scrap flagship plans to make homeowners switch to greener heating soon after buying a new home.

The acting net-zero secretary Gillian Martin told MSPs that the draft Heat in Buildings Bill would no longer be put forward in its current form.

She said the legislation - drafted by the Scottish Greens as part of the Bute House Agreement - would "make people poorer."

However, Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie, who drafted the bill, said the decision flew in the face of the climate ambitions that the government was "supposed to have".

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie hits out at the decision to scrap the policy to make homeowners switch to greener heating soon after buying new homes.

He says it comes at a time when bills are rising again and says the government wants to keep people locked into "expensive polluting fossil fuels".

He adds that the heat pump industry wants to grow and needs help and clarity to do so and create green jobs.

Swinney says he understands the "strongly held views" but adds that the government needs to be sure any moves decrease fuel poverty as well as decarbonising houses.

Nuclear weapons are key point of divergencepublished at 12:28 Greenwich Mean Time 13 March

12:28 GMT 13 March

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

Anas Sarwar clearly wanted to make his questions about nuclear weapons today.

But he couldn’t go in directly on that topic, because that element of defence is wholly reserved to Westminster – and questions here have to be at least, in some way, related to matters for which the first minister is responsible.

That’s why he asked a series of questions about the skills system and economic support before he landed on his core point, quoting Ian Blackford on the need to reconsider the SNP’s position on Trident.

It was striking that John Swinney sought – once again – to speak positively about the UK government’s approach to the war in Ukraine, and his engagement with senior ministers.

Mr Swinney has been clear throughout that he and Sir Keir Starmer are on the same team when it comes to international conflicts.

But he was clear about his personal position – that he does not believe nuclear weapons need to play a part in deterrence, and indeed that they have failed to stop the fighting in Ukraine.

Like nuclear energy, nuclear weapons are a key point of divergence between the broadly similar centre-left positions of the SNP and Labour which they will seek to underline to voters.

Sarwar brings up SNP grandee Ian Blackford's suggestion that the SNP adopt a multilateral approach to nuclear disarmament.

Swinney responds by mentioning the conflict between Russia and Ukraine - he says nuclear weapons did not stop the conflict there and that investment in conventional weapons would be a better use of resources.

Image source, PA Media

The past week has brought debate on the SNP's stance on nuclear weapons.

Party grandee Ian Blackford - who led the SNP at Westminster from 2017 to 2022 - suggested in The Times, external it should shift to a multilateral approach to disarmament, meaning the country would only give up nuclear weapons if other armed countries did the same.

That's in contrast to the current stance, which says that in the event of independence, Scotland would withdraw nuclear weapons as soon as possible.

John Swinney last month called for UK government funding to be diverted from a replacement for Trident, saying the devices provide "no realistic benefit" to military challenges.

The debate comes at a time of increased global uncertainty, with America seemingly retreating from involvement in European affairs.

The Labour leader rejects this claim from Swinney - he says "we are not equipping Scots with the skills they need".

He returns to the value of the defence industry, saying the sector supports 33,000 jobs but that the SNP has been "hostile" to defence at times. He claims the first minister should change previous "red lines" and back nuclear deterrents like Trident.

Swinney replies by saying the government does back the sector, citing funding into the advanced manufacturing centre near Glasgow as an example of this.

He adds that his position on nuclear deterrents is well-known - having spoken out against it several times.

The first minister says the government are determined to have such a system in place, pointing to reforms for apprenticeships and "expanding" the range of possibilities for young people.

He says this will help skills being in place "for the 21st Century".

Swinney's greatest hits of attackspublished at 12:19 Greenwich Mean Time 13 March

12:19 GMT 13 March

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

It was like questions to the former First Minister for Russell Findlay today. The Tory leader clearly thinks he can gee up his electoral base by going after Nicola Sturgeon.

That’s particularly true on the issue of gender, which became a polarising one for the country’s first female first minister after she pursued reforms to make it easier for people to change their legally-recognised sex.

Ultimately, the Tory leader bent his questions back to his favourite refrain – that the government is disconnected from common Scots and has left them disaffected with politics.

And that meant John Swinney could hit back with his greatest hits of attacks on the Tories.

He accused Mr Findlay of engaging in “toxic personality politics” while failing to suggest any policies to improve the lives of the ordinary Scots he talks about.

This is typical of the exchanges between the Tory leader and the current first minister, and indicative of the sort of debate they will carry forward into next year’s Holyrood elections.

Anas Sarwar begins his first question by saying that global events are "re-shaping the world" in what he calls a generation-defining moment.

The Labour leader says he supports increased investment in defence being implemented by the UK government and that it will bring extra jobs to Scotland.

However, he adds that an "outdated" skills system could hinder this due to a decreasing number of workplace apprenticeships, and asks the first minister if he accepts the need to build a skill system "fit for the future."

Image source, Getty Images

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said this week that women's rights in Scotland had been "set on fire" in a debate about single-sex spaces.

He criticised the Scottish government whose push to bring in self-identification of gender was blocked by the UK government in 2023.

In the Holyrood debate, his party urged ministers to provide "clarity" to public bodies on the need to provide single-sex spaces, following on from the employment tribunal brought by NHS Fife nurse Sandie Peggie.

Speaking for the government in the debate, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: "The Scottish government stands firmly behind the Equality Act 2010."

Findlay claims Sturgeon “trampled on women’s rights” with the SNP’s policy on the gender recognition act. He says it was the party’s “obsession.”

He says by “any honest assessment” Sturgeon failed Scotland and tried to break up the country.

But the FM continues to back Sturgeon. He says among her successes for women she appointed the first ever gender-balanced cabinet and led the campaign against the “rape clause” by the previous Conservative government in London.

Swinney says Findlay has “scraped the bottom of the barrel with the kind of toxic personality politics that have become the character of the Conservative party in Scotland".