Image source, PA Media

In somewhat of a surprise, given earlier criticism from opposition parties, Michael Matheson gets to his feet and turns his attention to Grangemouth and the signing of the Falkirk Growth Deal this afternoon.

The MSP for Falkirk West says it is critical that both the Scottish and UK governments provide enough support to meet the economic challenges.

The FM says his government has committed £50m support to the region to deliver "fair, green, economic growth".

Swinney pays tribute to Matheson for his efforts on this issue and explains he has held talks with Unite the union to extend the life of Grangemouth refinery.

Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman challenges the first minister on retaining cost of living protection for tenants and asks why the government is seeking to remove powers for local authorities to impose their own rent freezes.

The first minister says the government is putting in place protection for tenants through rent controls.

He says he cannot replicate arrangements that existed during the pandemic, when we are not living through an emergency.

Swinney adds: "What we have to do is put in place a measure that provides protection for tenants but also enables investment."

Image source, PA Media

Scottish Tory deputy leader Rachael Hamilton has also said the SNP's "shoddy excuses" in defence of Health Secretary Neil Gray made the row look like "another Michael Matheson affair".

Mathesonquit as health secretary and served a record ban for breaching parliament's expenses policy.

The MSP was barred for 27 sitting days after he racked up an £11,000 data bill on his parliamentary iPad - initially paid for from the public purse before he agreed to repay the bill.

He apologised at the time and said he accepted parliament's decision.

Mr Matheson initially said the iPad had been used for constituency work when the bill was reported in the press.

He eventually admitted the data bill had been run up by his children using his work device to watch football on holiday.

You can read more on this story here.

Tory MSP Rachael Hamilton asks about what she describes as the doubling of the Scottish government's spending on private consultants in five years.

The first minister says the actual spend on consultants in 22/23 was £8,570,806 and not the £42m, which had been reported by some commentators at the weekend.

This is a decrease from the previous year and is at its second lowest level since 2018, he says.

Hamilton hits back saying the spending on consultants has been £160m since 2018.

"If there's a way to waste taxpayers' money the SNP will manage it," she insists.

Swinney reiterates his defence of the spend on private consultants and insists his government will always be careful with public money.

Image source, Reuters

SNP MSP Evelyn Tweed asks the first minister what engagement the Scottish government has had with the UK government regarding reports by the BBC's Panorama programme that smart meters in Scotland are facing disproportionate operational issues than elsewhere in the UK.

The first minister says he is disappointed to hear Scottish consumers have been disadvantaged in this way.

He says smart meter roll-out is a reserved matter, which the Scottish government regularly engages with the UK government on and will continue to urge them to take necessary action to ensure every household in Scotland is provided access.

On the UK government's planned review of smart meters, Swinney says Alasdair Allan, the Minister for Climate Action, recently met his UK government counterpart and outlined findings of round-table discussions with Scottish energy stakeholders and the first minister aims to hold these meetings regularly.

Budget deal feels 'increasingly inevitable'published at 12:41 Greenwich Mean Time 14 November

12:41 GMT 14 November

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

Look back a couple of months and Holyrood was rife with speculation that the government might not have the support to pass a budget.

Some even started whispering about the possibility of a snap election.

That kind of talk has dried up entirely.

Most of these Thursday sessions of late have featured overtures between John Swinney and the leaders of the Greens. The first minister might have the funding now to reinstate some of their favourite policies and smooth over some of the damage Humza Yousaf caused by kicking them out of government.

Today it was the turn of the Lib Dems, with Mr Swinney nodding to substantive talks. They have voted for SNP budgets in the past in return for funds for ferry services and mental health, and the party want to look like dealmakers ahead of the 2026 election.

A deal may be some way off yet, but one does feel increasingly inevitable.

Opposition party leaders pile pressure over care servicepublished at 12:36 Greenwich Mean Time 14 November

12:36 GMT 14 November

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

Russell Findlay, Anas Sarwar and Alex Cole-Hamilton all used their questions to pile pressure on the government over the National Care Service.

The plans have been booted into even longer grass, in no small part because opposition parties have lined up against the care service bill as it currently stands.

John Swinney replied that his government is in listening mode, and is “taking time to engage substantively” about wider concerns about the plans.

But all three opposition leaders also wanted to fold in other points, which as ever point to how they are building up to the Holyrood election in 2026.

Anas Sarwar was the most blatant about it, making his now familiar pitch that the SNP has run out of steam in government.

But Russell Findlay too was seeking to make broader points about the performance of ministers and the idea that they’re letting voters down.

Mr Swinney meanwhile had some shots of his own, criticising Labour’s budget at Westminster and outlining the different choices the SNP would make.

We may not have learned a huge amount about the actual position on the NCS, and whether it has a future. But we did see how each party aims to exploit the stories of the day in their future campaigning.

The first minister replies that the government has taken a number of steps to enhance the provision that is available for carers.

Swinney says his government will engage constructively with the Lib Dems on the issue of support for carers as part of the budget process.

There's no surprise in which topic Alex Cole-Hamilton is going to focus on, telling the chamber the care sector in Scotland needs to be fixed.

The Scottish Lib Dem leader accuses the SNP of "wasting £30m in four years on the wrong solution".

He turns to family carers, arguing only a third of them say they have the support they need.

"Will the first minister lift the earnings limit and end the cliff-edge that's forcing so many carers into poverty?"

The first minister says the Labour party's 2024 manifesto said the party was in support of a National Care Service.

He adds: "If this is what support for creating a National Care Service looks like, I'd hate to see what opposition looks like."

Swinney says the UK Labour government has increased the burdens on businesses, making it difficult for them to contribute to social care.

He says if Sarwar does not get behind the Scottish government's budget, he will be turning his back on the vulnerable in our society.

John Swinney says the issues Sarwar raises on care packages are also the issues he himself cares about, which is why he has spent so much time since becoming first minister trying to tackle the issue of delayed discharge and the resources for implementing social care in communities.

The first minister also says this is why he is so concerned by the UK government budget impact on employers national insurance contribution.

He adds: "What that is going to do is increase the cost of delivery of care by care providers."

Swinney says he would invite Sarwar to work with the Scottish government to ensure the funding settlement from the UK government is able to be deployed on 1 April into social care.

Sarwar says the new tax changes have delivered over £750m for health and social care this year and £1.72b next year.

He adds: "Instead, we have a first minister who demanded £70bn of additional spending but not opposes £40bn of revenue raising measures.

"It would make Liz Truss blush, how economically illiterate this first minister is."

Sarwar asks the first minister if he will accept this has been a disaster, with his government unable to deliver anything but "failure, waste and incompetence".

Anas Sarwar says the reality is, care users feel "used" by the government because plans for the service do not deliver what they need.

He adds: "Our care service is fundamentally broken."

Sarwar says more than 9,000 Scots are waiting for assessment or a care package right now and the number of care homes has decreased by a fifth.

He asks the first minister if he will ditch the plan after years of "chaos, waste, and incompetence".

The first minister disputes Sarwar's earlier claim that the National Care Service is opposed by care users. Swinney said disabled people, carers and service users pressed the Scottish Government to take forward the National Care Service.

Swinney says he accepts there is a "lot of opposition" to the service from stakeholders, which is why the government is taking time to work on plans to address the "unacceptable variation of care" faced in different parts of the country.

Anas Sarwar begins his questions by continuing to probe the first minister on the National Care Service.

The Scottish Labour leader says £30m has been spent on the service which could otherwise have been used to fund one million hours of at-home care.

Sarwar says, instead, there has been years of "incompetence" and waste. He asks the first minister if he will apologise to those who have lost out on vital support and those who are having care packages removed right now.

Russell Findlay says the SNP have spent £29m on a National Care Service, adding "it should not just be delayed, it should be binned".

The FM hits back, saying his government has increased the pay of care staff and accuses the Tories of "rank hypocrisy".

Defending Neil Gray's workrate. the first minister explains his minister has undertaken 347 engagements since becoming health secretary.

John Swinney lists these meetings in detail, including five sporting events.

"The health secretary is focused on the job," he adds.

Swinney turns to the delay of the National Care Service plans and insists his government is listening.

He adds the government will take it's time to get the proposals right.

Russell Findlay moves on to day's announcement that the National Care Service has been delayed again, and calls on the first minister to put a "stop to this nonsense".

"Scotland's NHS is in crisis and social care is broken," he adds.

The Scottish Tory leader points out he has repeatedly called for the scrapping of the National Care Service plans and he welcomes the FM finally listening to "common sense".

John Swinney reiterates his point about ministers engaging with stakeholders around the country.

The FM also points out Neil Gray's football trips were five out of several hundred he has carried out since being appointed health secretary.

The Scottish Tory leader argues the "luxury cars" are not free taxis to the football for SNP ministers.

Russell FIndlay tells the chamber Neil Gray's excuses "lack any credibility".

He presses the first minister to say vital business took place at the matches the health secretary attended.