Oil and gas licences, EU funding and M9 tragedy feature at FMQs

Summary

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes fields questions as John Swinney represents Scotland at ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross urges the SNP to make it clear if it will back new North Sea oil and gas licences
Forbes says the Scottish government believes in a "just transition" for workers and the industry
Scottish Labour's Jackie Baillie, standing in for Anas Sarwar who is also attending a D-Day event, raises the issue of unspent EU funding
The SNP's deputy first minister says the final outcome for expenditure will not be known until the scheme closes in 2025 and to "have spent all the money in advance would raise questions in itself"
Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton focuses on the deaths of John Yuill and Lamara Bell and a subsequent FAI which concluded that police errors led to the tragedy
Forbes says lessons had been learned but the solicitor general was happy to come to the chamber to answer questions more fully
Earlier, Douglas Ross announced he was standing in the general election after the party effectively de-selected David Duguid

Live Reporting

Edited by Mary McCool

It's FMQs but not as we know it...published at 12:02 British Summer Time 6 June
Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent
FMQs is going to look a bit different today.
To start with it will be Deputy FMQs, with Kate Forbes standing in for John Swinney. The FM is off to France for D-Day commemorations.
It’s quite the ascent for Ms Forbes, who was a somewhat rebellious backbencher only a month ago.
Anas Sarwar is also away at a D-Day event in Glasgow, so his deputy Jackie Baillie will be leading for Labour.
Douglas Ross will be there to ask the opening questions for the Conservatives.
But he may face some of his own, having just launched himself into the general election campaign as a surprise candidate for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.
The Presiding Officer has had enough of a struggle keeping the leaders from making stump speeches in the Holyrood chamber – the fallout from this morning’s announcement is likely to test her patience further.
- A full list of general election candidates will be published by the BBC after nominations close on 7 June.
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross to stand in electionpublished at 11:56 British Summer Time 6 June
Glenn Campbell
BBC Scotland Political Editor
Image caption,
Douglas Ross had previously announced he would step down at the election
As we've been reporting, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross is to stand in the general election for the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat.
Ross's surprise announcement came after the party effectively de-selected David Duguid as the Conservative candidate.
Duguid, who is unwell, was the MP for Banff and Buchan since 2017.
Ross was supposed to be standing down from Westminster at this election to concentrate on his job as an MSP ahead of the 2026 Holyrood election campaign.
He described Duguid as a “friend and colleague” and said it was with "regret" the party management board decided he could not proceed as the party's candidate.
Read more here.
John Swinney and Anas Sarwar are attending D-Day eventspublished at 11:46 British Summer Time 6 June
Media caption,
'Our gratitude is unfailing' - King Charles
Both John Swinney and Anas Sarwar are attending events to mark the 80th anniversary of the Allied invasion of France.
On 6 June 1944, tens of thousands of soldiers landed on five beaches in Normandy, northern France.
Today in Normandy, King Charles talks of the "supreme test" of D-Day, and the generation that "did not flinch when the moment came to face that test".
Five years ago, 225 British veterans travelled there for the commemorations – this year there were 23.
You can follow the BBC's live coverage here.
A look back at the week’s headlinespublished at 11:45 British Summer Time 6 June
As we wait for FMQs to begin, here is a look back at what’s been making the headlines this week:
- Scottish political leaders went head to head over the future of the North Sea oil and gas industry in the first debate of the general election, which has been dominating headlines.
- The Scottish Greens labelled the decision to exclude them from the debate as “outrageous”.
- Sir Keir Starmer promised a “huge number” of skilled jobs in Scotland by creating a publicly-owned company called Great British Energy if Labour win - a project the SNP has criticised.
- First minister John Swinney called on Sir Keir Starmer to commit to an emergency budget if Labour win the general election.
- Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Alex Cole-Hamilton told BBC’s the Sunday Show his experience campaigning is voters “don’t care” about independence.
- Alba Party leader Alex Salmond said he will not stand in the upcoming general election, instead planning to stand for the Banff and Buchan Coastal seat in the 2026 Holyrood election.
- And Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross announced his intention to stand for the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East constituency after previously saying he would stand down as an MP to concentrate on his role as an MSP.
- Elsewhere, the contract for CalMac to run ferries on the west coast of Scotland has been extended for a year from its 30 September expiration. Ministers are considering granting the contract as a direct award, skipping a competitive tendering process.
- Aberdeen and Edinburgh joined Glasgow and Dundee in enforcing Low Emission Zones (LEZs) in the city centre to help tackle air pollution.
Good morningpublished at 11:40 British Summer Time 6 June
Image source, PA
Image caption,
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes is in the hot seat for FMQs for the first time
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of First Minister's Questions.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney is representing Scotland at ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, so his deputy Kate Forbes is fielding questions today.
Douglas Ross will still pose questions for the Scottish Conservatives, fresh from his announcement that he will stand in the general election.
Scottish Labour's deputy leader Jackie Baillie will step in for Anas Sarwar who is also attending a D-Day event and we expect Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton to question Forbes.
You can watch the proceedings here with us, just click on the play icon at the top of the page.