Last month opposition parties at the Scottish parliament said they will seek to repeal controversial legislation on sectarianism.

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The Scottish Conservatives have said the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act is "unfair and unworkable".

With Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Greens all opposed to the law, there is now a majority in parliament against it.

The Scottish government has said the act had delivered "real improvements".

Scottish Labour MSP James Kelly asks what the government's position is on repealing the offensive behaviour at football legislation.  

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Tourism Secretary Fiona Hyslop details the support to tourist destinations in Edinburgh, including the Botanic Gardens and the Royal Yacht Britannia.

SNP MSP Ben Macpherson asks what action the government is taking to encourage tourism in the Edinburgh Northern and Leith constituency.

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First Minister Nicola Sturgeon returns from Brussels to update the Scottish Parliament on her efforts and discussions.

As ever we'll bring you extensive coverage of first minister's questions from 12pm, including all the social media reaction to what has been a huge week for Ms Sturgeon and Scotland. 

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Scottish Labour MSP Neil Findlay calls a point of order to say that there was a generous amount of time allowed for this debate and the minister could take further interventions as there is time in hand.

Presiding Officer Linda Fabiani says this is not a point of order and whether or not to take interventions is the decision of the minister.

Community Safety and Legal Affairs Minister Annabelle Ewing carries on without taking a further intervention from Mr Findlay.

She goes on to say again that the focus of the government is extending the Pitchford inquiry to Scotland.

That concludes the member's debate on the Pitchford inquiry and undercover policing.

Ms Ewing says the Scottish government has considered carefully whether their should be separate Scottish inquiry.

Labour MSP Neil Findlay asks if Pitchford is not extended to Scotland is the minister saying there will be no Scottish inquiry and "no route to justice".

He calls for clear language

The minister says the best approach is to have the Ptichford inquiry extended to Scotland.

Conservative MSP Douglas Ross asks if MSPs are unsuccessful in getting the extension will the Scottish government guarantee a separate inquiry.

Ms Ewing again says the government's focus is on extending the inquiry.

Calls for a probe into undercover policing to be extended to Scotland have won cross-party support.

Labour MSP Neil Findlay has appealed to Home Secretary Theresa May and Scottish Justice Secretary Michael Matheson for the Pitchford Inquiry to be extended.

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Mr Findlay was backed by MSPs, MPs and MEPs from Labour, the Greens, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems.

Lib Dem MP Alistair Carmichael has lodged a Westminster motion making a similar call, supported by SNP MPs.

The chief constable of Police Scotland previously had responsibility for a controversial team of undercover officers, the force confirmed in January.

Phil Gormley was commander of the Metropolitan Police's Special Branch in 2006, which until 2008 included the Special Demonstration Squad (SDS).

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Some of its officers entered into long-term sexual relationships with women while infiltrating protest groups.

Mr Gormley has told BBC Scotland he knew "nothing at all" at the time.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: "We can confirm that Mr Gormley was the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) commander responsible for Special Branch in the MPS during 2006."

Scottish Green Party co-convener Patrick Harvie was the last speaker in the debate on the Ptichford inquiry and undercover policing before the minister.

Community Safety and Legal Affairs Minister Annabelle Ewing now closes for the government. 

That ends this evidence session. 

We will now join the Pitchford Inquiry and undercover policing debate led by Scottish Labour Leader Neil Findlay.  

Professor Sir David Edward says the question now is how Scotland can remain in the EU.

He says he would not wholly discount the attractions of Scotland being a member of EFTA or the EEA instead, with full access to the single market and without all the commitments of being in the EU

The academic says Scotland makes quite a good fit with Iceland and Norway.

Convener Joan McAlpine asks what the implications are of the "guillotine" of Article 50  if the government fail to get something different for Scotland and have to go down the independence route.

Dr Kirsty Hughes says there is a lot of goodwill towards Scotland despite the Spanish prime minister's comments which are "unsurprising"

Dr Hughes says some of the threats about Scotland "going to the back of the queue" had there been a vote for independence were "scaremongering".

"There is no way it would have went to the back of the queue", she says. 

She says there are dangers in waiting the two years to call another referendum and in her opinion it should be called "as soon as possible".

Professor Sir David Edward says talk about options is misleading, particularly in relation to the Norway option.

He says to follow the Norway option the UK would have to join the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

It would then have to find agreement with the members of the European Economic Area (EEA).

When you add in the need for agreement with the 27 remaining EU member states it's like 'playing chess with 31 other people at the same time', he says.

Professor Andrew Scott says the EU has already been clear that "a special cherry picking deal is not on offer".

Professor Sir David Edward, the former European Court Judge, says it does not seem possible to him that Scotland could remain part of the UK with a separate relationship with the single market.

Sir David says one should look at the devolved competencies like the Erasmus programme. 

He points to the competencies in relation to fisheries and it is on competencies like these that we should use as a starting point

The academic says Scotland is not Greenland, it is "connected by its navel to England".

In December the Scottish government called for the inquiry into the activities of undercover Metropolitan Police officers to be extended to Scotland.

The Pitchford Inquiry, external is to look at how undercover officers infiltrated political campaigns over 40 years.

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It has been claimed that some of the officers spied on activists ahead of the G8 summit at Gleneagles in 2005.

But the inquiry is only currently able to examine undercover operations in England and Wales.

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