The Press & Journal has a question for Benny Higgins on the future of the North Sea energy sector.

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Mr Higgins explains that one the academics who helped draft the report thinks this could be "a golden opportunity" for repurposing that apparatus for carbon capture and storage.

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Simon Johnson, from The Telegraph, references polling this morning that suggests many people feel uncomfortable about the prospect of society opening up again.

"We have a job to do to build confidence", says the first minister, who has given the green light for many "non-essential" shops to resume trading from Monday.

We have to be able to say that it’s safe, adds Nicola Sturgeon, who is confident that "no inappropriate risks" have been taken and that her route map out of lockdown is going at the "right pace in the right way".

When tourism opens again (a provisional date of 15 July has been indicated), she says she will be "encouraging everyone who is able to get out and enjoy our beautiful country".

Is the Scottish government considering asking pubs and restaurants to take the names and contact details of customers asks the Herald’s Alistair Grant.

The first minister answers yes that is very firmly that is under consideration

Image source, Steve Houldsworth

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Christine Levelle from the Sun asks about the need for an expansion in community testing and why we are only using about a third of our capacity.

The first minister replies it is not a simplistic issue and adds "we are ramping up testing”.

More detail will come from the health secretary later this week, adds Ms Sturgeon.

She also points out testing in schools may be part of a package to get schools back on a full-time basis.

Tom Martin from the Daily Express asks if Mr Higgins agrees with Andrew Wilson’s assessment that Scotland’s recovery could be the worst in the developed world

Mr Martin also asks about what greater flexibility in the fiscal framework is needed and what money or borrowing powers are required.

The chairman of the advisory group on economic recovery replies: “I don’t want to waste time talking about how bad it could be, I’d rather talk about how much we can recover and how quickly and how we can do it in a resilient fashion.

Mr Higgins points out at least £6bn is needed, but the current limit through the fiscal framework is £460m so there’s a long way to go from where we are to where we need to be.

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Michael Blackley from the Daily Mail asks if the economic impact of Covid-19 would be reduced if the social distancing of 2m was reduced or scrapped altogether.

He also asks if Boris Johnson goes ahead tomorrow in moving away from 2m tomorrow, will the Scottish government speed up its review.

Benny Higgins replies there is a frustration in the way the question is asked as there is a sense of a false binary outcome that 1m is right or 2m is right. Instead it’s much more complex, he says.

However Mr Higgins accepts "we need to get kids back to school and people back to work. The economy will cause carnage in future if we don’t get that".

But there is also is no controversy about saying a second wave would be cataclysmic if it led to a uniform lockdown, he adds.

The first minister says Scotland's scientific advisory group is reviewing the physical distancing issue and will report on it by 2 July at the latest.

She stresses the need to be careful but adds: "We’re not going to be very far behind what happens, whatever the decision might be in the UK tomorrow.”

The first minister has stressed repeatedly during this briefing that people must get the five pieces of advice in FACTS:

They are:

• Face coverings in enclosed spaces
• Avoid crowded places
• Clean hands and surfaces regularly
• Two metre distancing; and
• Self-isolate and book a test if you have symptoms.

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The next question focuses on how well people complied with the beginning of phase 2 of the easing of lockdown.

It comes from PA's Tom Eden who also asks about stronger legal underpinning to the advice.

The first minister says she has not yet seen the figures from the weekend and says she is not yet saying guidance needs to be put into law.

However she adds: “We will always keep that under review.”

The first minister says her overall sense is the vast majority of people are abiding by the rules, but she also senses a frustration just to get over this.

She warns if we want to continue to go in the right direction we’ve got to stick to the rules in place.

The report from Benny Higgins argues that the spine of economic recovery must be green but Alan Smith from Bauer says the Green Party have already described proposals as not being “urgent enough”.

Nicola Sturgeon points out that the report was published less than two hours ago, asking for time consider it properly.

She also says the report will be debated in parliament tomorrow, which will give opposition the opportunity to voice concerns.

Fraser Knight from Global asks if councils are getting ahead of themselves by announcing plans for phased returns to school, given public health advice may look very different when pupils are due to return in August.

I don't think they are, says the first minister, who refers again to "concerning signs" over spikes in the virus in other countries who are further ahead in easing lockdown restrictions.

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We have to have contingencies if we have to move to a model that does not allow full-time schooling, she explains as she again underlines her desire to get to normal schooling as quickly as possible.

Nicola Sturgeon tells us Education Secretary John Swinney will have more to say on the matter tomorrow.

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ITV Border want to know if failure to heed the mandatory wearing of face coverings on public transport will be a police matter.

We will consider what compliance looks like, replies the first minister, who stresses that she would rather start from the position of people understanding the benefits of face coverings rather than focusing on potential penalties for not doing so.

Nicola Sturgeon then reminds us that a decision will soon be made on whether or not face coverings will be necessary for all in shops as well.

STV ask if the government needs to ‘reset its relationship with business’?

The first minister asserts that her administration already has a good relationship with the private sector, while conceding there will always be tensions.

She adds that she would "warmly embrace" advice from businesses on the best way forward, saying any leader would be failing in their duty if they did not.

Asked if he would like to see the UK government extend its Job Retention Scheme, Benny Higgins says the emphasis should be on protecting jobs rather than paying benefits.

He adds that there are areas of the Scottish economy that simply have to survive and that he would favour a “targeted extension of furlough”.

BBC Scotland's Business and Economy Editor Douglas Fraser asks if the government will consider taking stakes in companies at risk but deemed of strategic importance.

The first minister replies that she is not ruling out intervention but will not be drawn on any specific companies at the moment.

Nicola Sturgeon then gives examples of her government's previous interventionist approach, saying the economic recovery will require inventive and creative thinking, but she adds that all steps will be carried out "within the constraints of value for tax payers' money".

In response to a follow up question from Mr Fraser, Benny Higgins outlines that almost 700,000 jobs may be under threat in Scotland.

He adds that "we have a duty of care" and says the steps outlined in the report he has drafted give Scotland "the best chance of getting back to work".

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Mr Higgins explains apprenticeships will be key to recovery as training often suffers in an economic downturn.

He encourages the Scottish government to engage with and support businesses to take on apprentices.

A Scottish Jobs Guarantee Scheme, led by businesses, would create secure employment for two years for 16-25-year-olds and provide them access to training, he explains.

He urges the Scottish government to respond to the report by the end of July, saying it will take “courage” to put in place the scale of interventions required.

He argues the “spine of the recovery must be green” and urges the government to quicken its pace in this regard, such as removing regulatory obstacles without lowering standards.

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He suggests digital programmes should be created and accelerated, including the R100 broadband rollout. He recommends investing in sub-sea cabling as Ireland has done.

Mr Higgins also calls for the create of a data centre industry powered by renewable energy.

The former Tesco Bank CEO goes on to highlight some of the 25 recommendations within his report.

He argues Scotland must be able to stimulate its economy, but warns the current devolution arrangements limit what it can do directly. He urges the Scottish government to pursue discussions to allow for greater flexibility and urges the UK government to act.

He suggests £6bn should be deployed as part of a fiscal stimulus package and lower VAT to 15% would make a difference.

Mr Higgins explains his report focused on three key themes: inequality, education and unemployment.

He says the crisis has highlighted the scale of inequality in Scotland and has even exacerbated it, while the “learning loss” for children must also be recognised.

The government’s economic adviser also warns of the “tsunami of unemployment” coming, which will impact particularly heavily on young people.

He suggests it will be important for the Scottish government to work with the private sector and to identify those where Scotland can “reasonably aspire to be outstanding”.

Renewables, tourism and hospitality, food and drink, universities and colleges, life sciences, digital and the creative sectors are areas he suggests would be a good starting point.