Here's a recap of today's First Minister's Questions, with John Swinney facing several questions on justice issues.

• Russell Finlay raised the case of Claire Inglis, who was tortured and murdered by her boyfriend after he was released on bail to her home.
• The Scottish Conservative leader called for Swinney to back the full release of a "damning" report by a social work expert on the case - which the first minister said he would support if there were no issues around data handling.
• Anas Sarwar claims the justice system is in "crisis" and asks the first minister what he intends to do about 10,000 outstanding warrants for arrest.
• Swinney accused the Scottish Labour leader of having no solutions to Scotland's issues with crime.
• Ross Greer, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, accuses the Scottish government of repeatedly rejecting proposals to tax wealthy people more to avoid upsetting the "rich and powerful".
• Swinney told the chamber a UK fishing funding allocation is “prejudicial” against Scotland and says he will work to secure a better deal.
• The first minister confirms that firework licensing proposals have been paused over costs.

The "national scandal" of delayed pension entitlement judgements for 200,000 public sector workers was raised earlier by Pauline McNeill, Scottish Labour MSP for Glasgow.

She says seven years after changes were made to how pensions were calculated, thousands were still waiting for pension remedy statements.

The judgement, also known as the McCloud pension remedy, external, found in 2018 that the government discriminated against younger members of public service pension schemes.

McNeill says many have retired on reduced pensions and some have died waiting for their statements from the Scottish Public Pensions Agency, which will miss another deadline tomorrow.

Swinney says the issue is being taken forward with the UK government and the SPPA workforce has been increased to help process the statements.

Image source, PA Media

With fireworks season already taking hold in parts of the country, questions have been raised over whether parts of a law to restrict the use of fireworks have been quietly dropped.

The Scottish Sun reported, external at the weekend that a "flagship pledge" to require a permit to buy the pyrotechnics had been axed.

Independent MSP Ash Regan, who was the SNP community safety minister when the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Bill, external was introduced in 2022, said at the time that the licensing scheme and limiting the number of days when fireworks could be sold would reduce distress and injury.

She has now asked the first minister why key provisions have been abandoned while communities are preparing for potential disorder during Bonfire Night.

The SNP's Audrey Nicoll has already written to the government, external in her role as convener of Holyrood's criminal justice committee, asking whether the plans are being dropped or paused.

Swinney says the issue will be kept under review.

Independent MSP for Edinburgh Eastern Ash Regan asks what reason is for the Scottish government reportedly abandoning "key provisions of the fireworks act".

She says this includes the proposed licensing system as "communities prepare for potential disorder during Bonfire Night".

The first minister says that the majority of the act has been implemented, including powers for local authorities to create firework control zones, but confirms the licensing proposals have been paused due to the "cost of introducing it at present".

He adds that is will be kept "under review".

Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, asks the first minister for his response to reports that Babcock, which runs a shipyard in Rosyth, have had to "hire workers from overseas as a result of a reduction of some college courses".

Swinney says data shows there are 14,000 full time students on engineering courses, and adds that the government is investing £750m in colleges in the current year.

Image source, Getty Images

A new UK government fishing fund is raised by Emma Harper, SNP MSP for South Scotland, following the decision to give Scotland less than 8% of the £360m investment.

Swinney agrees with SNP MSP Emma Harper that the allocation is an “insult” to the Scottish fishing industry.

Scotland is to be given £28m from the £360m Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund - a share of about 8% despite Scottish vessels typically landing more than half of the UK's yearly catch.

Swinney describes the funding allocation as “prejudicial” against Scotland and says he will work to secure a better deal.

The fund is devolved, meaning the Scottish government will decide how its share is spent north of the border.

Swinney says the government will work “collaboratively” with the fishing industry in Shetland after local MSP Beatrice Wishart points out that Shetland alone accounts for about 9% of the UK’s yearly catch, seeking reassurances that it will receive its fair share of the fund.

The first minster responds by saying that the government's tax proposals were set out in the budget.

He says he is "at one" with Greer about his concerns over inequality in Scotland, adding that the country is the only part of the UK where child poverty is falling rather than predicted to grow.

He adds that he has explored some options Greer has mentioned for increasing the amount of tax the wealthy pay, but so far "has been unable to find a pathway through".

Image source, Scottish Parliament TV

Co-leader of the Greens Ross Greer is next up.

He says that the Scottish government has repeatedly rejected proposals to increase the amount of tax wealthy people in the country pay, and that it doesn't want to risk upsetting the "rich and powerful".

He asks the first minister to "name one proposal that he will bring forward before the election to tax wealth in Scotland".

Image source, Scottish Parliament TV

Amid a noisy reaction from MSPs to a reference to the risk of a "third decade of incompetence" from the SNP government, Sarwar says "they don't want to hear it because it's their record".

He says Scotland faces rising violent crime, effective legalisation of shoplifting and 10,000 outstanding arrest warrants.

The SNP record on justice is "nothing short of criminal", he adds.

The first minister responds saying he accepts responsibility but recorded crime is at the lowest level since 1974 and police numbers are higher than when they came into office.

He asks why, six months before an election, Sarwar has offered no solutions to the issues Scotland faces.

Sarwar quotes a prisoner officers association report recording problems in jails and saying there was "plummeting staff moral".

He criticises Angela Constance's claim on prison capacity that "if they build them, they will come".

Saying that building prisons encourages crime might be one of the "most incoherent and stupidest things I've heard of in my life", he says.

The first minister replies that HMP Glasgow will add 357 places to the overall prison estate, debunking what he describes as the nonsense in Sarwar's diatribe.

About 2,000 prisoners are in custody in remand, he adds, and highlights questions about the appropriateness of short-term prison sentences.

He calls for a "rational debate" on the prison system.

Image source, Scottish Parliament TV

Scottish Labour's Anas Sarwar begins his question by claiming that the justice system is in "crisis" and that his party had revealed that there were 10,000 outstanding warrants for arrest, including seven for murder and 40 for rape.

With prison numbers also outstripping capacity he asks Swinney, "apart from letting criminals out early or not arresting them at all", what he will do to tackle the crisis.

Swinney replies that recorded crime is down 39% since 2006/7 when the SNP came to power.

Standards for early release are rigorously applied, he adds

Presence of families changes the tone of political exchangespublished at 12:25 GMT 30 October

12:25 GMT 30 October

Lynsey Bews
BBC Scotland political correspondent

The Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay told MSPs this is the third time Ian and Fiona Inglis have attended First Minister's Questions in their quest for answers relating the murder of their daughter Claire.

The presence of a victim's family in the public gallery always changes the tone of these exchanges.

The usual political jibes are replaced with more sombre questions and answers.

Nevertheless, Mr Findlay's frustration over what he sees as a lack of accountability and information regarding this case was clear to see.

Meanwhile the First Minister was treading carefully, aware that some of what is being asked is a matter for the Crown.

Swinney responds by saying that there may be data handling constraints around the release of the full report, but says if there are no issues he is happy for it to be released.

Findlay also calls for a fatal accident inquiry into Claire's death - to which Swinney says he has to respect the role of the Lord Advocate.

However he says the process of the investigation originally carried out in Stirling was "not good enough".

Russell Findlay says that because of pressure from Claire’s parents, who are in the chamber today, the Crown Office instructed a social work expert to investigate the circumstances of her murder.

He says the expert’s report is “truly damning” and found that Claire and her son were “invisible in the system”.

Findlay added that Claire’s parents, Ian and Fiona, have not yet had an answer to the question asked by the Crown Office of the expert - if “system defects caused or contributed to Claire’s murder”.

He calls on the first minister to back the full release of the report, rather than the “brief summary” Claire’s parents were issued.

John Swinney says he extends his sympathy to Mr and Mrs Inglis about the “tragedy that they have experienced.”

He adds that he agrees with Findlay that no family should have to suffer “the issues in connection with the handling of the case” that Claire’s family have.

He says this is being explored by the Crown, and the Lord Advocate has taken "independent decisions" on this matter.

Image source, Inglis family

Claire Inglis was brutally murdered by her boyfriend Christopher McGowan who was bailed to her home in Stirling on 28 November 2021.

McGowan beat and strangled Ms Inglis before burning her with a lighter and pushing a wet wipe down her throat, leaving her with a total of 76 injuries.

They had been together for eight weeks.

In February 2023, McGowan was sentenced to a minimum of 23 years for the murder, which was described as being "beyond sadistic" by the judge.

Documents seen by the BBC show the case was flagged to social workers who tried to visit the property three days before the killing, but the council said reports on McGowan were not requested by the courts.

Last year, Claire’s parents Fiona and Ian spoke with First Minister John Swinney. They said they hoped the meeting will lead to answers on why a violent offender was allowed to be bailed to their daughter's home, which she shared with her son.

Image source, Scottish Parliament TV

First up is Scottish Conservatives leader Russell Findlay with a question about the case of Claire Inglis, who was tortured and murdered by her boyfriend after he was released on bail to her home, despite warnings from social services.

He asks the first minister if he agrees that "no family should be forced into the media glare and onto the political stage to get answers from Scotland’s justice system."

John Swinney has arrived in the chamber and taken his seat at the lectern.

He will take questions shortly.

Kirsten Campbell
BBC Scotland political correspondent

There are just questions, no votes during FMQs.

That's perhaps fortunate as MSPs had to abandon their scrutiny of the Land Reform bill last night because of a Microsoft outage.

The voting app used at Holyrood was affected by the technical issues causing disruption across the globe.

The problems have now been resolved and discussions about the legislation have been rescheduled until next week.

Image source, Getty Images

A report into care at one of the country's busiest maternity units has been one of the major Scottish news stories this week.

The report says staffing shortages and a "culture of mistrust" led to delays and patients being harmed.

The unannounced inspection by the safety watchdog Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) of services at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh took place in June, and echoes the findings of NHS Lothian's own internal review last year.

This week some staff working at the hospital told the BBC's disclosure programme they were unable to keep patients safe.

Health Secretary Neil Gray said the HIS report was "deeply, deeply concerning," adding he had directed NHS Lothian to deliver its recommendations "immediately".