The UK's Works and Pension Secretary, Damien Green, is quizzed by MSPs on the Social Security Committee
The local devolution agenda, disability benefits and missing persons are all raised during general questions
Nicola Sturgeon is quizzed by opposition MSPs during first minister's questions
Scottish Labour MSP Alex Rowley leads this afternoon's member's debate entitled: The Cost of Saying Goodbye, Burial and Cremation Charges in Scotland
The Scottish government leads a debate on Scotland's potential in a digital world
MSPs debate council tax increase in upper bands
Image source, ThinkstockThe digital world..............
The Scottish government will now lead a debate entitled 'Realising Scotland’s Full Potential in a Digital World'.
That ends the member's debate on funeral costs.
The afternoon in the chamber will be taken up with Scottish government business, with a debate entitled ‘Realising Scotland’s Full Potential in a Digital World’.
Image source, BBC, Getty imagesMSPs will vote on increasing the top four bands of council tax in Scotland
MSPs will then vote on increasing the top four bands of council tax in Scotland.
Members will consider the issue via a parliamentary bureau motion at the end of the day's business at Holyrood, after the increase was backed by the local government committee.
The government wants some households to pay more to raise money for education.
But opposition parties have questioned the Scottish government's approach, with some calling for more radical reforms to local taxation.
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The first cross-party group for the LGBTI+ community has been created in the Scottish Parliament.
It will be co-convened by members of four Holyrood parties, and aims to tackle issues faced by, among others, gay and bisexual people across the country.
Image source, bbc/Scottish ParliamentJamie Greene, Kezia Dugdale, Patrick Harvie and Ben Macpherson
The formation of the CPG was put into motion by Scottish Conservative MSP Jamie Greene, and the first meeting will take place on December 14 having received official Holyrood approval today.
As well as Mr Greene, the three other co-conveners will be Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, Green co-convener Patrick Harvie and SNP MSP Ben Macpherson.
Image source, bbcSocial Security Minister Jeanne Freeman says she shares the concern from Alex Rowey about funeral costs, as well as his motion.
Ms Freeman says the Scottish government is progressing activities to support people to plan ahead for their own funerals.
The government will also create a Scottish funeral payment when the powers are transferred from the DWP, she says.
She says the government will produce a modern and comprehensive framework for burial and cremation.
The minister says there are a number of problems with the current DWP funeral payment.
Image source, bbcLabour MSP Monica Lennon
Labour MSP Monica Lennon thanks Citizens Advice Scotland for their compelling research in the Cost of Saying Goodbye.
Ms Lennon says there is much anxiety over the rising cost of funerals.
She says the rising costs of funerals are nothing short of shocking.
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SNP MSP Ruth Maguire says awareness about funeral costs must be raised.
Ms Maguire says everyone who is entitled to assistance must get it.
The cost of burying a loved one has risen by 8% in the past year, while the cost of a cremation went up by 11%.
Citizens Advice Scotland said the average cost of a basic burial in Scotland, excluding undertakers fees, was now £1,373.
Image source, bbcA local authority cremation costs on average £670, the organisation said.
The most expensive council area for a basic burial was Edinburgh at £2,253, while the least expensive was the Western Isles at £701.
Scottish Labour MSP Richard Leonard says this motion is timed to perfection because it is at the point that the powers are going to come to Scotland.
The Labour MSP says, to alleviate funeral poverty, we need a shift in power because it is not always about not having wealth but not having power either.
Image source, bbcConservative MSP Miles Briggs
Conservative MSP Miles Briggs says his Edinburgh constituents are understandably concerned about the burial costs.
Mr Briggs says we need to know more about the variation in burial and cremation costs across different local authorities.
Mr Rowley says if an individual is unable to pay for a funeral they either have to take on debt or they reduce the costs of that funeral which can cause distress in the grieving process.
The Labour MSP says he hopes the social fund funeral expense payment is transferred sooner rather than later so that we can create a fairer system.
He asks if the government can confirm when this power will be transferred.
Image source, ThinkstockCitizens Advice Scotland report, The Cost of Saying Goodbye 2016, external:
Image source, bbcLabour MSP Alex Rowley
Labour MSP Alex Rowley says the costs of burial and cremation is an issue that has been raised with him time and time again.
Mr Rowley says he has brought forward the motion on the back of the Citizens Advice Scotland report.
Labour MSP Alex Rowley now leads a debate entitled "The Cost of Saying Goodbye, Burial and Cremation Charges in Scotland".
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Image source, Scottish ParliamentSNP MSP Clare Haughey raises a point of order about Alex Cole-Hamilton, who said there were too many sycophantic questions from SNP backbenchers at FMQs.
Ms Haughey says Mr Cole-Hamilton fell short of the standards required at Holyrood, but the presiding officer says everyone should treat each other with respect.
That's all from first minister's questions this week.
ScotRail has been fined £483,000 for failing to meet required standards for trains and stations.
Performance inspectors found areas which missed targets included station toilets, ticket machines, train seats, toilets and cleanliness.
Image source, PAThe results follow criticism of the ScotRail Alliance franchise, operated by Dutch firm Abellio, for delayed, cancelled and over-crowded trains.
ScotRail said the figures showed they "can never stop striving to improve".
Earlier this month, a petition to strip Abellio of the ScotRail contract was given to Transport Minister Humza Yousaf.
Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles asks, further to ScotRail being fined £483,000 for failing to meet performance standards, when services will improve.
The first minister says the ScotRail franchise has the toughest service quality regime in the UK.
Ms Sturgeon says passenger satisfaction is 7% ahead of the rest of the UK, but she calls for improving performance at ScotRail.
Mr Rumbles says the transport minister must publish the full improvement plan.
The first minister says the hefty fine shows the Scottish government is taking the issue seriously.
Image source, bbc