Labour MSP Rhoda Grant says HIE was set up to benefit the Highlands and Islands and asks if the economy secretary will listen to the public on this.

Mr Brown says he has been very clear that he will listen to all opinions. 

Mr McArthur says the changes will expose HIE to external oversight which will be no good to the Highlands and Islands.

Mr Brown says the two defining characteristics of the response to the review was support for HIE and acknowledgement that the leadership has to change. 

Image source, PA

In JanuaryMSPs voted to demand the Scottish government allow Highlands and Islands Enterprise to retain its own board.

The government wants a new management body to oversee all of Scotland's enterprise and skills agencies.

Opposition members say this would be a "death knell for HIE as we know it", and backed a motion asking the government to "reverse" its decision.

Economy secretary Keith Brown said HIE would "continue to be locally based, managed and directed" under his plans.

HIE supports economic growth in the Northern Isles, Western Isles, Highlands, Moray and Argyll.

The move is part of the ongoing enterprise and skills review, and would  see a new Scotland-wide statutory board  co-ordinating the activities of Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council.

• Look back on the debate and vote on Holyrood Live

Image source, bbc

Economy Secretary Keith Brown says he remains committed to keeping HIE in place.

Mr Brown says he also remains committed to the services which HIE provides.

Mr McArthur says the Lorne Crerar report has been described as a "whitewash" and that the new centralised board will change the operation of HIE.

The Lib Dem MSP asks how that can be squared with the wishes of this parliament.

Mr Brown says what Mr McArthur describes is "speculative."

The economy secretary says there is a range of opinions on this and it is important they are all listened to. 

Image source, Thinkstock

Highlands and Islands Enterprise should have its own board, suggests phase two of a review of Scotland's enterprise and skills agencies.

The first phase published last year recommended that a new national board co-ordinate the activities of HIE, Scottish Enterprise and other bodies.

The potential winding up of HIE's own board has been the source of  a political row .

But phase two recommends HIE and the others retain their independent boards.

A new national strategic board would oversee the organisations' activities, it has been suggested.

Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur asks whether the Highlands and Islands Enterprise board will retain its current "strategic, operational and budgetary" decision-making powers in accordance with the recent vote in the Parliament.  

Image source, bbc

Tory MSP Liz Smith asks if the government has had discussions with training facilities in other countries as to whether qualifications from elsewhere could be accepted by institutions for courses.

Mr Swinney says he is surprised Ms Smith is asking the question given the UK government's stance on Brexit. 

The education secretary says there are discussions ongoing on this. 

Mr Swinney says he would have though Mr Johnson would welcome the fact that the government has increased the number of spaces available for teacher students.

The education secretary says this is with a view of recruiting more teachers.

He says people in parliament should improve the way they talk about Scottish education. 

Image source, bbc

Education Secretary John Swinney says the government is determined to have a "world-class education system" and teachers are vital for that.

Mr Swinney says the government are investing to attract more teachers. 

Mr Johnson says the timing of announcements is important and asks when the government sent its findings to the Funding Council for this cycle.

The Labour MSP says it only received guidance from the government on the 14 February, eight weeks later than last year. 

Universities still don't know how many teachers they can recruity, he says. 

Hundreds more teacher training places are to be made available at Scottish universities from September.

Education Secretary John Swinney said the number of places would rise by 371 to a total of 3,861 at the start of the next academic year.

Mr Swinney said the places would be funded by more than £3m of Scottish government cash.

The announcement follows criticism from political opponents over  falling standards in Scotland's schools .

Labour MSP Daniel Johnson asks the Scottish government, in light of reports that one-in-10 training places are going unfilled, what action it is taking to encourage more people into teaching.  

Image source, PA

Greens MSP John Finnie asks how risks will be addressed and how the conversation can be moved away purely from officer numbers.

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson says it is important the police are able to respond to the level and types of crime. 

Mr Matheson says he is clear about the need for a better service for the people of Scotland and it is about having the right staff mix.

Image source, bbc

Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie says the first minister denied there was any change in the policy of 1,000 extra police officers.

Mr Rennie says if the chief constable wants to cut police officer numbers by 400 will the government back him

Mr Matheson says we will consider the details of this draft strategy, the consultation and the final strategy.

Mr Matheson says the government is committed to ensuring Police Scotland has a suitable amount of officers. 

The justice minister says his strategy will not reflect the same cuts of 19,000 in England and Wales. 

Image source, bbc

Mr Ross says by its own admission Police Scotland's technology is slow.

The Tory MSP says Police Scotland are to invest in technology and asks what safeguards can be taken that officer ties in the community will not be severed.

Mr Matheson says this is a draft strategy for the public to respond to. 

"The need for IT improvement is why we allocated extra money," he says. 

Image source, bbc

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson says the government welcomes the police strategy.

Mr Matheson says its focus on improving the police service is something the government supports.

Mr Ross says 400 officers will be cut by 2020 and officers are back filling administrative roles.

He asks what confidence the public can have given the loss of officers and points out that rural is not mentioned in the strategy.

Mr Matheson says this is a draft proposal and the officer numbers reflects changes to staffing personnel and is to meet changing demands.

The justice secretary says there is a decrease in public space crime and an increase in private space crime such as domestic and cyber spaces.  

Police Scotland has outlined plans to cut officer numbers by 400 as part of its 10-year policing plan.

Chief Constable Phil Gormley said recruitment levels would remain unchanged in the current year, but would begin to slow between 2018-20.

He said resources would be re-directed to frontline operations, amid big financial challenges.

Last December, the spending watchdog said Scotland's police service was  facing a £188m funding gap  by 2020-21.

Tory MSP Douglas Ross asks what the government's position is on the consultation document, Policing 2026: Our 10 year strategy for policing in Scotland.