Economy Secretary Fionay Hyslop is leading a debate on the implementation plan for economic recovery from the pandemic.

You can watch all the proceedings here on this live page.

John Swinney outlines £135m of support previously announced for schools, including £80m to bring additional teachers and staff into Scotland’s classrooms in the new school year.

The education secretary says this funding is sufficient for local authorities to recruit approximately 1,400 additional teachers.

He concludes: "We will keep our children safe, we will keep staff safe, we will keep our schools safe and we'll get our children back to school."

"Today I can announce that we are extending the testing programme," says Mr Swinney.

"Teachers, nursery and school staff who are concerned that they may have been exposed to infection can now be tested for Covid-19 on demand even if they show no symptoms."

The step has been taken to provide additional reassurance to teachers, nursery and other staff as children and young people return to the classroom and to early learning.

Mr Swinney says: "I am very pleased to announce that we are putting in a programme of enhanced surveillance to be able to monitor progress and react quickly to developments on the ground.

"This will include from now, the start of term, full application in schools of Test and Protect, outbreak management and rapid testing for all those with symptoms."

Teachers with symptoms will be given testing priority and there will be close monitoring of schools, he explains.

Mr Swinney details further surveillance measures due in the Autumn that will allow rapid reaction to any developments.

Mr Swinney accepts many people are anxious about the reopening of schools and rightly ask how they will be kept safe.

The education secretary says today he has published a note on the latest science from the chief medical officer on Covid-19.

Here is the guidance to support a safe return to school, external or all children, young people and staff taking full account of progress made in suppressing COVID-19 in Scotland.

The scientific advice received and the advice of the Education Recovery Group and other key stakeholders.

• Summary paper from the Chief Medical Officer, external

John Swinney begins his statement saying he is aware many schools expecting to return today have been prevented by doing so due to the weather.

The education secretary says there will be a resilience call about the impact of flooding on schools this afternoon.

He moves on to talk about those schools that did manage to reopen today and says "nothing quite captured the seriousness of the pandemic than the fact we had to send home kids from schools".

Mr Swinney adds today is "a step towards growth and renewal this week we reopen our schools."

Image source, PA Media

The Scottish government will now deliver a ministerial satement on ensuring a safe and welcoming return to school for children, young people and staff.

Thousands more pupils returned to Scotland's schools this morning - after almost five months away from the classroom.

Schools have only been open to children of key workers since restrictions were put in place on 20 March.

Many schools are having pupils return on a phased basis.

Councils have been given some flexibility but the Scottish government wants all schools fully open by 18 August.

• Coronavirus: More pupils return to Scotland's schools

• Pupils return to classrooms after lockdown
• Is it safe for Scotland's schools to reopen?
• What's your council's plan for the return to school?

Image source, Getty Images

The Scottish Parliament will continue to address Covid-19 issues this afternoon:

• 2.30pm: Ministerial Statement: Ensuring a safe and welcoming return to school for children, young people and staff
• 3.30pm: Scottish Government Debate: An Implementation Plan for Economic Recovery

You can watch all the proceedings here on this live page.

Tory MSP Bill Bowman says many people will be concerned they have friends and loved ones involved in the derailment.

Mr Bowman asks for a central point of contact for them.

The first minister tells the chamber: "That is a very important suggestion which I will undertake to put into action later on.

Ms Sturgeon says the details available before FMQs were minimal as this is an ongoing incident and is in a very difficult location.

"I know and can appreciate that there will be many families who will be anxious if they believe they have relatives who were on that train.

"We will do everything we can to make sure the emergency services are supported, families are supported."

If the emergency services have not already put this in place, the government will make sure there is a point of contact for anybody who has worries about their relatives and friends, she says.

Angela Constance highlights that the children's ward at St John's in Livingston will reopen 24/7 from 19 October.

Ms Sturgeon says she wants to pay tribute to parents in West Lothian who have campaigned for the ward to be reinstated.

Staff shortages forced NHS Lothian bosses to suspend full-time care for youngsters at the ward in July 2017.

Image source, Getty Images

The Scottish Liberal Democrat leader begins: “Our thoughts are with those affected by the derailment in Stonehaven and thankful to the efforts of the emergency services.”

Willie Rennie moves on to ask about plans to protect those working and studying in schools.

He asks: "Is Test and Protect ready to protect our schools?”

The first minister replies Test and Protect on its own won’t stop outbreaks, we all have the responsibility to do that.

Ms Sturgeon argues it has worked very effectively in Aberdeen and she hopes the outbreak is on its way to being contained.

In schools, Test and Protect will be available to any staff or young person who is symptomatic, she explains.

On top of that there will also be surveillance testing in the autumn and there will be further expansion of testing in schools to come.

She accepts we will in all likelyhood see outbreaks in schools, it is how they are contained and dealt with that is important, she adds.

Mr Rennie calls for all international students coming to universities in Scotland to be tested.

The first minister says these issues are still under discussion.

Patrick Harvie of the Scottish Greens asks how it can be acceptable for eviction order applications to be made at this time, and highlights that this does not include illegal or unchallenged evictions.

Ms Sturgeon says emergency legislation halted eviction action for six months and could be extended until next March. That means no one can be evicted while it is in place.

She said the government was protecting tenants from being evicted and from becoming homeless during the pandemic.

Image source, PA Media

Richard Leonard says the school results were pre-released to John Swinney five days before the pupils saw them and asks why he did not fix it then?

“Why isn’t his neck on the line?” asks Mr Leonard.

Ms Sturgeon replies Mr Swinney has announced an independent review into this to look at the lessons that need to be learned.

The first minister reiterates: “We did not get this right.”

However she says the government acted with the best intentions to have comparable standards for this year’s exams, which she accepts now was the wrong judgement.

The Scottish Labour leader says pupils had to organise street demonstrations and online petition just to get the results they had worked hard for.

Ms Sturgeon says the young people who made their case so passionately, "are a credit to the Scottish education system in the way they have conducted themselves".

The first minister says that for all the government got it wrong, "we put it right and I think it is the opposition who are increasingly out of touch".

They want government and leadership that accepts sometimes it gets somethings wrong and puts them right and leads the country forward.