Summary

  • MSPs took evidence on Scotland's new social security system

  • MSPs quizzed ministers during general questions

  • Opposition party leaders quizzed Nicola Sturgeon during first minister's questions

  • Education Secretary John Swinney gave MSPs an update on the Named Persons Scheme

  • The Scottish government then led a debate entitled Scotland Welcomes 1,000 Refugees

  1. News from Westminster and Europe..............published at 15:50 British Summer Time 8 September 2016

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post 2

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post 2
  2. '1,000 is just a drop in the ocean of misery and desperation'published at 15:48 British Summer Time 8 September 2016

    Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer says the government motion quite rightly congratulates everyone who has welcomed 1,000 refugees from Syria.

    Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer

    Mr Greer says: "Scotland's response has so far and in so many ways been exemplary."

    He says the problem is the low number of people who have been taken in, "1,000 is just a drop in the ocean of misery and desperation".

    The barrier to taking more is the Westminster government he says. 

  3. Scottish Green's amendmentpublished at 15:45 British Summer Time 8 September 2016

    Here's the Scottish Greens' Europe and external affairs spokesperson Ross Greer's amendment: 

    Greens amendmentImage source, Scottish Parliament
  4. Background: Calais migrants: Work to start on UK-funded wallpublished at 15:44 British Summer Time 8 September 2016

    Construction of a UK-funded wall near Calais' so-called Jungle migrant camp will begin soon, the Home Office says.

    Dubbed the "Great Wall of Calais", external by some media, the 4m (13ft) wall will run for 1km (0.6 miles) along both sides of the main road to Calais port.

    Road hauliers called the wall a "poor use" of public money.

    FenceImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Fences have already been built along much of the main road to the port

    Home Secretary Amber Rudd told MPs that while the UK provided money to help secure Calais, it was up to the French to decide which measures to use.

    Work is expected to start this month, with the wall due to be finished by the end of the year.

    Numerous fences have been built to protect the port, the Eurotunnel terminal and train tracks on the other side of Calais, and the BBC understands the wall will not replace any of those.

  5. 'Jungle in Calais the worst' says Labour MSPpublished at 15:43 British Summer Time 8 September 2016

    Ms McNeill says she has visited many refugee camps in the last decade but the worst she hasseen the Jungle in Calais.

  6. Labour call for rights to be enshrinedpublished at 15:41 British Summer Time 8 September 2016

    Labour MSP Pauline McNeill speaks to Alex Rowley's amendment.

    Labour MSP Pauline McNeill

    Ms McNeill calls on the rights of refugees to access services and international standards for integration in be enshrined in law.

  7. Scottish Labour amendmentpublished at 15:39 British Summer Time 8 September 2016

    Here's Scottish Labour's community, social security and equalities spokesperson Alex Rowley's amendment.

    Labour amendmentImage source, Scottish Parliament
  8. SNP MSP calls for return of unaccompanied children to be expeditedpublished at 15:38 British Summer Time 8 September 2016

    SNP MSP Gillian Martin calls on Jackson Carlaw to expedite the return of unaccompanied children to their families.

    SNP MSP Gillian Martin

    Mr Carlaw says the Home Office remains in discussions with UNCHR and European governments to achieve this.

  9. Tory MSP says UK government taking 20,000 refugeespublished at 15:35 British Summer Time 8 September 2016

    Mr Carlaw praises the volunteers, third sector agencies and local agencies for their help in settling the 1,000 refugees.

    syrian child rescued from a dinghy

    The Scottish Conservative says the UK government has sourced suitable accommodation for 20,000 refugees.

    Mr Carlaw says the UK government is giving £2.3bn to the crisis.

    He says this is 15 times greater than France.

  10. Scottish Conservative praises contribution of refugeespublished at 15:31 British Summer Time 8 September 2016

    Scottish Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw challenges both the Scottish and UK government's to do more.

    Scottish Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw

    Mr Carlaw highlights the contribution of Jewish refugees who came to Scotland and his constituency.

    He then praises the Polish and Ugandan refugees who came thereafter.

    The Tory MSP says: "Scotland will always gladly share our load and make a success of it."

  11. Scottish Conservative amendmentpublished at 15:30 British Summer Time 8 September 2016

    Here's the Scottish Conservative's external affairs spokesman Jackson Carlaw's amendment:

    Tory amendmentImage source, Scottish Parliament
  12. Communities minister urges the UK to prioritise unaccompanied childrenpublished at 15:29 British Summer Time 8 September 2016

    Ms Constance says the is working with the Red Cross to find out how many unaccompanied children have family in Scotland.

    She says Scotland is well equipped to help.

    Angela Constance

    The communities minister urges the UK to prioritise these children, particularly those in Calais.

    She says she is delighted 1,000 refugees have settled in Scotland but accepts this is only a small number of what is needed.

    The minister ends by calling for everyone to stand in solidarity with refugees.

  13. Extension of visa time being considered by Home Officepublished at 15:26 British Summer Time 8 September 2016

    Ms Constance says the Home Office is considering extending 30 day visas, after she wrote to them.

  14. The arrival of refugees would not have been possible without refugee task forcepublished at 15:26 British Summer Time 8 September 2016

    Ms Constance says last November the first charter flight of Syrian refugees arrived in Glasgow and they were overjoyed to arrive in a safe country.

    She says the arrival of over 1050 refugees in the first year could never have happened without the work of the refugee task force and other key stakeholders. 

  15. Minister says it took a tragic photo to spark actionpublished at 15:24 British Summer Time 8 September 2016

    Ms Constance says it took the tragic photo of Alan Kurdi, the three-year-old boy who drowned a year ago as his family fled Syria, to bring about action across the globe.

    Alan's lifeless body was captured in a series of images released by a Turkish news agencyImage source, AP
    Image caption,

    Alan's lifeless body was captured in a series of images released by a Turkish news agency

  16. New peer to peer English teaching pilot announcedpublished at 15:24 British Summer Time 8 September 2016

    Ms Constance announces £86,000 to pilot a new peer to peer education approach to teaching the English language.

  17. Scale of suffering 'barely comprehensible'published at 15:24 British Summer Time 8 September 2016

    Communities Secretary Angela Constance says Scotland has long been a country that has welcome refugees.

    Angela Constance

    Ms Constance says since 2001 Scotland has also received many asylum seekers.

    She says the past 12 months have been a time of unprecedented change for refugees. 

    "The scale of the suffering is barely comprehensible", she says. 

  18. Scottish government motion for debate on refugeespublished at 15:18 British Summer Time 8 September 2016

    Here is Communities, Social Security and Equalities Secretary Angela Constance's motion:

    SNP motionImage source, Scottish Government
  19. Background: Scotland takes in 1,000th Syrian refugeepublished at 15:16 British Summer Time 8 September 2016

    Scotland has taken in 1,000 Syrian refugees since a summit last year aimed at easing the international crisis.

    The Scottish government said the milestone was reached after 120 new refugees arrived in Scotland in the past week.

    A refugee charity thanked all of those involved in the "phenomenal response" to the new arrivals.

    But it said the number taken in was "tiny compared with the people in desperate need".

    RefugeesImage source, bbc
    Image caption,

    Refugees who settle in Scotland are given help to learn English

    Last September's summit was attended by representatives of all Holyrood's political parties as well as dozens of interested organisations.

    First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said at the time that Scotland should accept 1,000 refugees "as a starting point for a meaningful discussion".

    She also established a taskforce with a £1m budget to co-ordinate Scotland's practical response to the crisis, which has seen tens of thousands of people apply for asylum in the UK.

  20. MSPs will now participate in a debate entitled 'Scotland Welcomes 1,000 Refugees'published at 15:15 British Summer Time 8 September 2016

    Communities Secretary Angela Constance will now lead a debate entitled 'Scotland Welcomes 1,000 Refugees'