Labour MSP Neil Bibby gets us underway by asking the Scottish government how many teachers are in post and how this compares with May 2007.

Image source, Getty Images

Before Alex Salmond's swan song MSPs will question Scottish government ministers during general question time.

General Questions selected for answer on 13 November 2014:

1. Neil Bibby: To ask the Scottish Government how many teachers are in post and how this compares with May 2007. (S4O-03683)

2. Richard Baker: To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the construction industry in North East Scotland. (S4O-03684)

3. Alex Rowley: To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that anyone who may need help with a mental health problem can access appropriate help easily and receive treatment quickly. (S4O-03685)

4. Jenny Marra: To ask the Scottish Government how many civil service jobs it has transferred to Dundee, or has established in the city, since 2007. (S4O-03686)

5. Bruce Crawford: To ask the Scottish Government what importance it places on the delivery of a high quality music experience for primary school children. (S4O-03687)

6. Nigel Don: To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on the provision of a grade separated junction for the A937/A90 at Laurencekirk. (S4O-03688)

7. Bob Doris: To ask the Scottish Government how it will encourage and support small businesses to pay employees the living wage. (S4O-03689)

8. Ken Macintosh: To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve transport links for patients and their families between East Renfrewshire and the Southern General Hospital. (S4O-03690)

9. Claudia Beamish: To ask the Scottish Government how it supports Creative Scotland in supporting talent and diversity among the arts and creative industries in South Scotland. (S4O-03691)

10. Sarah Boyack: To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

That concludes our coverage of the Smith Commission evidence session from civic Scotland.

You'll be able to watch the full session on demand at BBC Scotland's Democracy Live website

Image source, Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

Coming up shortly, Alex Salmond will face opposition party representatives for the final time, before making way for Nicola Sturgeon.

Green MSP Patrick Harvie asks if there is a practical way of delivering a parts of welfare or "do we have to go the whole hog".

Carla McCormack from the Poverty Alliance, external says in an ideal world her organisation would support devolution of all welfare apart from pensions, but suggests certain clusters of benefits could be devolved.

Here is a full list of the witnesses to this session of the Smith Commission

• Allan Watt, Prince's Trust;

• Carla McCormack, Poverty Alliance;

• Colin Borland, FSB;

• Dave Moxham, STUC;

• Emma Ritch, Engender;

• John Dickie, CPAG;

• Katja Hall, CBI;

• Laurie Russell, The Wise Group;

• Louise Cameron, SYP;

• Mike Robinson, Stop Climate Chaos Scotland;

• Niall Stuart, Scottish Renewables;

• Nigel Miller, NFUS;

• Owen Kelly, SFE;

• Paul Durrant, Abertay University;

• Tim Hopkins, Equality Network.

Katja Hall from the CBI says there is a range of views in the organisation as to whether Air Passenger Duty should be devolved.

Ms Hall says they support reform of APD, but when it comes to specifically devolving it or not we have to look at the impacts on other parts of the UK.

Mike Robinson from Stop Climate Chaos Scotland says there is an opportunity if APD is devolved, his concern is that if it is devolved it might not be used.

• During the referendum campaign, David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband signed a pledge to devolve more powers to Scotland, if Scots rejected independence

• Immediately after the result became clear, Mr Cameron appointed Lord Smith of Kelvin to oversee the implementation of more devolution on tax, spending and welfare

• A white paper is due at the end of November, after a period of consultation

• A draft new "Scotland Act" law would be published by Burns Night (25 January) 2015 ready for the House of Commons to vote on

• And legislation would be passed after the 2015 General Election

• Follow the story with the BBC by going to our special Scotland: What Next? page.

Emma Ritch from Engender, external raises the issue of more devolution and how that makes opportunities.

Ms Ritch highlights gender segregation saying in 2005 there were 5 female plumbing apprenticeships, but 99.5% of care workers were female.

This impacts on female poverty and she says gender segregation is also a drag on economic growth, devolution would enable Scotland to address these issues.

Owen Kelly from Scottish Financial Enterprise (SFE), external says there is a lot of scope to be more transparent and have more clarity about who is responsible for what.

Mr Kelly says in general we could be more open and transparent in bringing together the reserved and the devolved.

Nigel Miller from the NFUS, external says the issues of transparency of decision making and synergy between ministers at both parliaments in that process have been raised frequently.

He says he wants a "mirror of the process in Belgium" where that is achieved.

Louise Cameron from the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP), external says they want to extend the voting franchise for 16-17 year olds, "which we've been fighting for since the creation of our organisation".

Labour MP Gregg Mclymont, Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie, Scottish Conservative MSP Annabel Goldie, Finance Secretary and SNP MSP John Swinney and Lib Dem MSP Tavish Scott are the five political political nominees participating in this session.

Professor Sawers asks about enshrining the rights of minority groups within a constitution.

Tim Hopkins from Equality Network, external says his organisation has wanted equality powers to be devolved since 1998.

Professor Lesley Sawers is chairing this session of the Smith Commission.

Lord Smith says the session will now break into two separate groups to take evidence from civic Scotland.

There will be a brief suspension before proceedings get underway

Lord Smith says on the morning after the referendum he was appointed to lead the commission.

He says he then came to the parliament to watch the debate on further devolution and then met with representatives from the five political parties.

Then, he listened to representatives of civic Scotland.

He says today gives an opportunity for the political nominees to probe the thoughts of some of these institutions.

Lord Smith says:

"When I was asked to lead this exercise, I was determined that the voice of the public and Scotland's civic institutions would be heard. I was also determined that it would be a meaningful exercise.

"To me, the measure of that is whether those voices have the opportunity to influence the final agreement between the political parties

"The nominees are making good progress and the talks, while intensive, are being conducted in a good spirit, with a real determination to reach agreement."

Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick says the referendum had been a great example of civic democracy, as she introduces Lord Smith.

In his opening remarks, Lord Smith is expected to say:

"When I was asked to lead this exercise, I was determined that the voice of the public and Scotland's civic institutions would be heard. I was also determined that it would a meaningful exercise.

Image source, (C) British Broadcasting Corporation

"To me, the measure of that is whether those voices have the opportunity to influence the final agreement between the political parties

"The nominees are making good progress and the talks, while intensive, are being conducted in a good spirit, with a real determination to reach agreement.

"That said, I can assure you all - nothing has been finally signed off - not least because it is in the nature of this process that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed."

A link to submissions can be found in the 'resources' section of the Smith Commission website, external.