MSPs will question Scottish government ministers during general question time.

Here are the questions we expect to be asked today:

1. Adam Ingram: To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with the restoration of abandoned opencast coal sites in East Ayrshire. (S4O-04354)

2. Colin Keir: To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the recent safety checks on the Forth Road Bridge. (S4O-04355)

3. Richard Lyle: To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase the number of doctors in training for general practice. (S4O-04356)

4. Annabel Goldie: To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the alcohol licensing regime for public houses and clubs is operating satisfactorily. (S4O-04357)

5. George Adam: To ask the Scottish Government whether all 16 and 17-year-olds will be eligible to vote at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election. (S4O-04358)

6. John Lamont: To ask the Scottish Government how many single application forms for rural payments and services have been fully processed under the new information technology system. (S4O-04359)

7. James Kelly: To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support college students. (S4O-04360)

8. Kenneth Gibson: To ask the Scottish Government what the current status is of the proposed Dalry bypass. (S4O-04361)

9. Neil Findlay: To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the statement by ScotNursing that it can only fill 40% of vacancies when it could previously fill 90%. (S4O-04362)

10. Gavin Brown: To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Scottish business development bank. (S4O-04363)

After general questions, we will bring you extensive coverage of first minister's questions including social media reaction to the political Holyrood highlight of the weeki.

Mr Stevenson proposes that the consideration of rules in the Code of Conduct on lobbying and access to MSPs takes place in the next sitting of the committee and this is agreed.

The convener now moves the committee into private session.

We'll be back from 11.30am with general questions and then of course first ministers's questions.

The committee is now considering its draft annual report for the parliamentary year from 11 May 2014 to 10 May 2015.

Mike Russell concludes the evidence session saying it has been constructive and hopefully the committee will produce the changes to committee system required.

Image source, AP

Mr Henry agrees and says he is "up for change".

Mr Henry posits the idea that committees should emulate the Public Audit Committee and have non-government conveners.

Mr Russell says that could be working against the democratic role of the parliament, which is why the D'Hondt method is currently used to elect conveners.

SNP MSP Dave Thompson asks how a committee convener can be removed.

Mr Russell says, at risk of being glib, in terms of removal we have to have a procedure where this could be done - probably by the whole parliament.

The SNP MSP admits that he has no idea how a committee convener could be removed and Committee convener Stewart Stevenson says they will look into it.

Labour MSP Hugh Henry says the opposition parties will pick committee members that they feel will hold the government to account, whereas the government will look at that differently.

Labour MSP Margaret McDougall asks if committee members should be elected in addition to electing committee conveners.

Mr Russell says that is a "distinct possibility" and there is no great argument against it.

Mr Henry says the House of Commons is much larger, more mature and it took them as long to change to elected committee conveners as this parliament has been in existence.

The Labour MSP says Westminster produces quite robust reports coming out and more changes than just electing conveners to Holyrood committees should be considered.

Mr Stevenson asks if conveners are elected will it give them tenure and make it more difficult to get rid of them.

Mr Russell says the election of convener "strengthens the parliament as a whole".

Committee convener Stewart Stenson says, due to the constraints put on committees to ensure they don't sit at the same time as the parliament is sitting, "lets move to a mild canter".

Image source, The Munnings Art Museum

Mr Henry says Mike Russell is absolutely right about the resourcing of the committees.

He also agrees that MSPs should only serve on one committee and hone their expertise.

Mike Russell says there will be no increase in the number of MSPs, at least not in his lifetime.

He says the number of committees should be reduced but given more resources.

Mr Russell says ministers should be excluded from voting for committee conveners.

MSPs should sit on one committee to garner experience which would be fare preferable to sitting on two committees, says the SNP MSP.

SNP MSP Michael Russell says elected conveners would be a catalyst.

Mr Russell highlights the increase in powers coming to Holyrood after 2016 and asks if the current committee system will cope, given the strain it is under already.

He says the committees are under resourced and there needs to be reorganisation and review of the committee system, to put it back at the heart of the process.

Mr Russell says current committee conveners are "creatures of patronage".

Committee convener Stewart Stevenson says when he was transport minister the committee he had to report to only had two government members out of seven and that was "quite interesting".

Labour MSP Hugh Henry says he floated the idea of the election of committee conveners in late 2010, but says he has changed his mind and is not so sure now.

Mr Henry says there are issues about the number of committees and their size, to make them effective and robust.

He says we must think out of the box, about whether certain committees might have a non-government majority, as there is no second chamber here to hold the government to account.

This is a young parliament and we could look at Westminster where the committees can develop a degree of independence.

Committee convener Stewart Stevenson introduces "two old lags of the parliament", Labour MSP Hugh Henry and SNP MSP Mike Russell.

The Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee , externalis taking evidence on the election of committee conveners.