That concludes first minister's questions, but do not go away as there will now be a debate on mental health education.

Mr Scott raises the issue of red tape and points to academic Keir Bloomer who said the level of red tape was "self-evident lunacy" in yesterday's Education Committee.

The first minister say the education secretary is working on reducing the workload.

Scottish Lib Dem MSP Tavish Scott asks what the Scottish government's position is on reports that there were 729 teacher vacancies the week before the start of the 2016-17 school term.

Ms Sturgeon says: "Well there weren't. The figure is wrong."

She says Argyll and Bute had only 12 vacancies, not 200 as used by Tavish Scott.

Image source, Getty Images

Earlier this week The Herald published the following letter:

We on Scottish Ministers urgently to investigate the direction of their National Strategy for Survivors of Childhood Abuse, SurvivorScotland.

Current adult survivor strategy flies in the face of long-standing Government principles on opposing sexual violence, putting SurvivorScotland and its funding policy strongly at odds with Scottish Government strategy against rape and domestic abuse. We refer here not just to in-care survivors of childhood abuse, but also to the 80 per cent of adult survivors abused at home or in the community.

Read more., external

Scottish Labour MSP Iain Gray asks what the Scottish government's response is to calls by those working with abuse survivors for an urgent investigation into the direction of the National Strategy for Survivors of Childhood Abuse.

Ms Sturgeon says the government is committed to tackling child abuse.

The first minister says the framework is informed by the Survivor Scotland strategy of valuing support groups.

Mr Gray says every day seems to bring fresh concerns and the national strategy has lost direction.

"As far as survivors are concerned the government is getting this wrong."

The first minister says she will continue to take interest in this.

She says the inquiry is independent and the government takes the issues Mr Gray raises seriously and it will engage with the organisations that have raised them.

Image source, bbc

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Douglas Ross asks what the Scottish government's response is to the comment by the chief constable that it will "take a two-to-three-year adjustment period" to balance Police Scotland's finances.

Ms Sturgeon says the police budget is being protected in real terms.

Image source, bbc

Nicola Sturgeon has hit out at the UK government for maintaining a "cloud of secrecy" around its plans for the Brexit negotiations.

PM Theresa May refused to give a "running commentary" on the talks when pressed by the SNP's Angus Robertson on membership of the single market.

Mrs May said her government would not "reveal our hand prematurely" over the UK's negotiating position over Brexit.

The first minister said "there must be greater transparency" from Westminster.

Mr Robertson, leader of the SNP at Westminster and a candidate to be the party's deputy leader, accused Mrs May and her ministers of "waffle" for repeatedly insisting that "Brexit means Brexit".

SNP MSP Tom Arthur asks what representations the Scottish Government will make to the UK Government to ensure that reciprocal healthcare arrangements are a priority in Brexit negotiations.

Ms Sturgeon says the SNP will continue to work for the interests of the Scottish people.

Labour MSP Elaine Smith asks about Monklands health services and is told that is not a supplementary on Europe. 

SNP MSP Bruce Crawford asks if the first minister can explain why a party can claim to have autonomy from its party in London when they receive revenue from them - a dig at Scottish Labour.

Ms Sturgeon says a party can not be funded by London and be autonomous.

Image source, bbc

Tory MSP Murdo Fraser points out that three SNP MPs are under investigation by the police, and asks if Ms Sturgeon is confident that Police Scotland has the resources to deal with the extra workload

Ms Sturgeon says since 2010 the budget has been cut by London but the police budget has been maintained in real terms.

SNP MSP Gillian Martin asks if Ms Sturgeon agrees that the UK government should step up responsibility for the oil and gas industry.

Ms Sturgeon calls for additional action from the UK government.

SNP MSP Bill Kidd asks if the first minister agrees it is time that the prime minister sets out exactly what Brexit means.  

Nicola Sturgeon says three months on there is no greater clarity what Brexit means. 

The first minister says the UK government must define what Brexit means.

Recorded crime in Scotland has dropped by 4% to its lowest levels since 1974 but there has been an increase in the number of sex crimes reported.

The official Scottish government statistics showed a total of 246,243 crimes were recorded by Police Scotland last year - a drop of 4% since 2014/15.

However, the figures showed a 7% increase in sex crimes, the highest number since 1971.

Ministers said this included a significant number of historical cases.

Labour MSP Claire Baker says there is a worrying increase in sexual crimes and highlights the Rape Crisis Scotland sexual violence prevention approach, which she says should be in schools.

Ms Sturgeon says there is a sense that sexual offences have gone unreported in the past and efforts to address this have been made.

The first minister says sexual crime investigations have changed, giving more confidence to victims.