The deputy first minister criticises the "bedroom tax" saying it shows that a "one size fits all basis" ignores the reality of the circumstances here in Scotland.

Mr Swinney says he is "particularly pleased" at the early action to extend the electoral franchise for 16/17 year olds for the 2016 Holyrood elections.

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The government wants to make rapid progress in implementing these recommendations, he says.

The deputy first minister says the participation of 16 and 17 year olds in the referendum was a "model of democratic participation and democratic engagement".

Mr Swinney outlines the proposals in the Smith Commission, which include:

• The parliament should be given the power to set income tax rates and bands on earned income and will retain all of the income tax raised in Scotland.

• The parliament should be given powers to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in Scottish elections.

• The parliament should be given powers to create new benefits in devolved areas and make discretionary payments in any area of welfare.

• A range of other benefits that support older people, carers, disabled people and those who are ill should also be fully devolved.

• The Scottish government and Scottish Parliament should have a "formal consultative role" in the process of reviewing the BBC Charter.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney gives a ministerial statement on the Smith Commission report.

Mr Swinney says decisions about Scotland should be taken here in Scotland.

The finance secretary, who took part in the commission, says he argued for "a robust package of further powers for this parliament."

He thanks Lord Smith for a "clear focused and neutral direction of the commission's proceedings."

The deputy first minister says he welcomes the report from Lord Smith, but "regrets that a wider range of powers have not been devolved".

Earlier today the Devolution Committee, external took evidence from Lord Smith on his commission's final report.

Some proposals for new Scottish powers did not make it into the final draft.//

Lord Smith told MSPs some ideas which were judged "unworkable" did not feature.

He said he would not detail the plans that were left out.

However, the BBC revealed last week that welfare powers were dropped.

It saw a draft of the Commission's recommendations which included devolving the power to vary Universal Credit.

That did not make it into the final version, although some other welfare provisions - like Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance and Carer's Allowance - survived.

Now though, its time for reflection, this week being delivered by Mr David Nicholson DCS from the Scottish Churches' Disability Agenda Group .

Welcome back to BBC Scotland's Democracy Live coverage of the Scottish Parliament.

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The Scottish government will shortly give a statement on the proposals in the Smith Commission, external report, published last Thursday.

Committee convener Bruce Crawford thanks Lord Smith and Jenny Bates for giving evidence.

We'll be back with time for reflection at 2pm, until then have a lovely morning.

The issue of making the Scottish Parliament permanent in law is raised.

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Lord Smith says the proposal in UK law would make Holyrood as permanent as possible, although nothing has been permanent since the "Magna Carta" as you can not bind future parliaments.

He says the law will be written to intend this to so permanent that a" plague of boils will break out if anybody tries to prorogue or whatever you want to call it this parliament."

Committee convener Bruce Crawford asks: "On universal credit was it considered to be technically impossible or was it politically difficult the decision not to devolve it"?

Lord Kelvin says "What's the right answer to that?

"A general useful discussion was had and a consensus was arrived at".

SNP MSP Mark Macdonald says the overwhelming, almost universal call from civic Scotland was for welfare to be fully devolved.

What was the bulwark against more devolution, Mr MacDonald asks.

Lord Smith says Universal Credit is a major new reform in the welfare system and the parties agreed it would be quite difficult to "break that asunder".

Devolving the housing element of welfare made sense, as a lot of housing powers are already devolved.

Lord Smith says the proposals, or the "agreement as I like to call it" in the report are not in lock step, aspects can be raised or reduced, giving a huge amount of power and leverage relating to £6.8bn worth of income.

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SNP MSP Bill Kidd asks about increased borrowing powers being devolved, how they would affect the Barnett formula and whether it would leave the Scottish Parliament or the Scottish government at an advantage or disadvantage.

Jenny Bates, the head of secretariat with the Smith Commission, the recommendation is that borrowing powers should be increased and agreed between both governments.

Ms Bates says what happens to those borrowing powers is ultimately a decision for a future Scottish Parliament.

There was a fairly strong consensus around the Smith Commission table that the Barnett Formula should remain, she says.

The commission said very strongly that consultation between the UK and Scottish governments had to be improved, says Lord Smith.

"The voice of the Scottish people must be heard." He adds.

On the issue of corporation tax, Lord Smith says the STUC, CBI and even the institute of chartered accountants were saying do not tinker with corporation tax as it will lead to strange behaviours which in the end you will regret.

Lord Smith pays tribute to the quality of the representatives from the five political parties who were sitting around the table during the commission.

"The 10 people sitting around the table were of high quality."

They were "amazingly robust in the discussions", he says.

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Labour MSP Drew Smith asks to what extent the pressure of time hung over the whole process.

Lord Smith says the discussions were heated from time to time, but there was humour there too.

All parties agreed line by line and all bought into the report, with no complaint about the process, he says.

As to the timing, Lord Smith says it actually worked in the commission's favour.

SNP MSP Mark MacDonald asks about media reports about drafts which had more extensive proposals for further devolution.

Lord Smith says there were nine plenary meetings, with nine drafts, things "were changing all the time".

Our political correspondent Glenn Campbell last week said plans to give Holyrood more extensive welfare powers appear to have been struck out of the Smith Commission's report in the final days of negotiations.

The BBC has seen a draft of the Commission's recommendations which included devolving the power to vary Universal Credit.

The proposal did not make it into the final version, although some other welfare provisions survived.

Lord Smith says the commission took in 407 submissions from civic organisations, which was a lot of information for the politicians to take into consideration.

He says that within days of receiving these submissions they were put up on the website ensuring transparency.

Lord Smith praises the quality of the submissions to the commission, saying he went on "walkabout around Scotland to hear the word on the street, the mood music" which helped inform the discussions and supplemented the proposals from the five parties.

He says he would now like the Smith Commission should now by called an agreement not a commission, saying the process was unprecedented as all five parties had come to that agreement.

The Smith Commission, which took forward its recommendations in consultation with the Scottish Parliament's five parties - The SNP, Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Greens - recommended that:

The parliament should be given the power to set income tax rates and bands on earned income and will retain all of the income tax raised in Scotland.

The parliament should be given powers to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in Scottish elections.

The parliament should be given powers to create new benefits in devolved areas and make discretionary payments in any area of welfare.

A range of other benefits that support older people, carers, disabled people and those who are ill should also be fully devolved.

The Scottish government and Scottish Parliament should have a "formal consultative role" in the process of reviewing the BBC Charter.

Last week the body on strengthening devolution concluded the Scottish Parliament should have the power to set income tax rates and bands.

The Smith Commission also said a share of VAT should be assigned to the parliament, and Air Passenger Duty fully devolved.

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The commission was set up by Prime Minister David Cameron in the wake of the vote against Scottish independence.

Its findings will form the basis of legislation on more Scottish powers.

The UK government welcomed the report, but Scottish ministers said it fell short of what the nation needed to flourish.

Lord Smith describes the commission's process as "tough and intense" but all five parties signed up to the proposals.

"This agreement is there agreement I just helped them get there."

Lord Smith says he has "no voice in the debate" and no view about the agreement.