Summary

  • The Social Security Committee takes evidence on the Citizen's Income

  • Prisoner's privileges, the British Transport Police in Scotland and the GP out-of-hours service are all raised during general questions

  • Deputy First Minister John Swinney stands in for Nicola Sturgeon during first minister's questions

  • Tory MSP Adam Tomkins leads this afternoon's member's debate on community jobs in Scotland

  • The government leads a debate on the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2017

  • MSPs debate biodiversity

  1. Background: Budget measures 'worth £350m' to Scotlandpublished at 12:35 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2017

    Media caption,

    Philip Hammond's £350m Budget boost for Scotland

    The Scottish government will receive a £350m funding boost as a result of measures  announced in his budget , the chancellor has said.

    The additional Barnett formula money will come from increased UK government spending on areas such as education.

    Mr Hammond told the House of Commons that the additional funding demonstrated that "we are stronger together in this great United Kingdom".

    He also confirmed  additional help for the North Sea oil and gas industry .

    The Treasury said the Scottish government would see its resource budget boosted by £260m over the next three years, and its capital budget by £90m over the period to 2021.

  2. Swinney's response to the budgetpublished at 12:35 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2017

    SNP MSP Bruce Crawford asks what the Scottish government's response is to the UK Budget.

    Mr Swinney says he welcomes the consequentials but criticises the continuation of the UK government's austerity programme.

    Mr Crawford says the Additional £350m will be over three years but is welcome

    He says Scotland faces a £2.9bn cut from the UK government.

    The deputy first minister says UK austerity is cutting the funding available of Scotland's public services.

    He says there will be a decade of lost wage growth. 

  3. Postpublished at 12:34 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2017

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  4. New oil and gas bulletin callpublished at 12:33 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2017

    Labour MSP Jackie Baillie says it is surely time for a new Oil and Gas Bulletin and says if the government were on performance related pay they would get nothing.

    The deputy first minister says if the Labour Party were on performance related pay they'd be paying back the IT system Douglas Ross was talking about.

  5. Background: 'Lost' £200m in savings after police IT scheme collapses published at 12:31 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2017

    Reevel Alderson
    BBC Scotland Home Affairs correspondent

    Police Scotland call centre
    Image caption,

    The planned IT upgrade would have been central to the work of police control rooms

    A spending watchdog has urged Police Scotland to urgently reassess its IT needs after the collapse of a multi-million pound computer project.

    The £46m i6 scheme had been expected to result in £200m savings for the force.

    An  Audit Scotland report , external into the failure of the project said some benefits of police reform were "at best delayed" as a result.

    The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) said the settlement reached with contractors protected public finances.

  6. Audit Scotland report into Police Scotland IT auditpublished at 12:31 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2017

    Tory MSP Douglas Ross raises the Audit Scotland report into the IT project at Police Scotland and asks if Mr Swinney recognises the difficulties faced by the police because of system failures. 

    Mr Swinney says he acknowledges the importance of the system redesign that must be undertaken.

    The deputy first minister says the public purse has not suffered as a consequence of the IT issues.

  7. Swinney says he will not restrict his criticism of the chancellor to one issue published at 12:29 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2017

    Mr Harvie says the four committees will publish their reaction to the draft climate change plan.

    The Green MSP says "climate change was the elephant in the room in the budget yesterday".

    He says he regrets the Scottish government's response that the chancellor is not doing enough to help the fossil fuel industry.

    Mr Swinney says he is very surprised to hear that Mr Harvie thinks his criticism of the chancellor will be limited to one issue.

    He says the UK government has not supported the renewable potential of the Western Isles being fulfilled.

    Mr Swinney says he no longer controls the purse strings and says he is now a supplicant to the new finance secretary.

  8. Harvie says the 'draft Climate Change plan is barely half baked' published at 12:26 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2017

    Patrick Harvie

    Scottish Greens co-convener Patrick Harvie says given most MSPs back fossil fuel it is hard to imagine they will come together later on biodiversity.

    Mr Harvie adds that "the draft Climate Change plan is barely half baked".

    Mr Swinney says the government published the draft plan on 19 January 2017.

    The deputy first minister says parliamentary committees have been rigorously scrutinised.

    He says the plan will allow the fulfillment of the targets the government has set for itself.

  9. Postpublished at 12:25 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2017

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  10. Background; Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh plans to cut 100 jobs published at 12:22 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2017

    University

    Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh has said it plans to cut about 100 jobs.

    The university is blaming several factors including the uncertainty caused by Brexit for the decision. The proposed job cuts could affect both academic and support staff.

    The university said it hopes to cut the posts by finding volunteers, but trade union Unite fears there could still be compulsory redundancies.

    As well as its Edinburgh campus, it has two sites in Scotland and two overseas.

    The university said Brexit had created uncertainty for prospective postgraduate students from EU countries.

  11. Job losses at Heriot-Watt Universitypublished at 12:22 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2017

    Gordon Macdonald raises the issue of job losses at Heriot-Watt University and asks what the government can do to help.

    Mr Swinney says the government has discussed the issue with Heriot-Watt University.

    He says it is absolutely vital student experience is not diminished.

    The deputy first minister says the higher education sector is concerned about the impact of Brexit.

    He calls on the UK government to provide clarity about the ability of EU citizens to study there.

  12. Tory MSP calls for an apology from Mr Swinney for his constituent's health care issues published at 12:21 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2017

    Tory MSP Graham Simpson raises the issue of a constituent's care for a gynaeological condition.

    Mr Simpson calls for an apology from Mr Swinney for his constituent.

    The deputy first minister says members of the staff in the NHS work extremely hard.

    Mr Swinney says the level of cancelled operations for non clinical issues is just 2%.

    He calls on Mr Simpson to pass details of the constituent's case to the health secretary.

  13. Postpublished at 12:19 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2017

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  14. Postpublished at 12:18 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2017

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  15. First Scotland Eastpublished at 12:17 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2017

    SNP MSP Christine Graham raises the issue of First Scotland East pulling out of services in her constituency.

    Ms Graham asks what assurances can be given to employees and passengers. 

  16. Will John Swinney scrap the plans for Indyref2? Nopublished at 12:17 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2017

    Mr Macintosh has to call for order again.

    Ms Dugdale says everyone remembers John Swinney's leaked paper when he admitted his sums did not add up over the volatility of oil.

    She asks why John Swinney won't scrap the plans for a second independence referendum.

    The deputy first minister says Labour must learn the lessons of 2014 and says Ms Dugdale's arguments could come from Theresa May or Ruth Davidson.

    Mr Swinney says to Labour, "get onto Scotland's side".

  17. Background: Autumn 2018 'common sense' for indyref2published at 12:16 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2017

    Media caption,

    Sturgeon: 2018 'common sense' for second referendum

    Scotland's first minister has said autumn 2018 would be a "common sense" date for any second independence referendum.

    Nicola Sturgeon continued to insist, however, that no final decision had yet been made on holding such a vote.

    In a BBC interview, she said she would take things forward at "the pace that I think is right for the country".

    UK government minister Michael Fallon said there was "no need" for a second referendum on the issue.

  18. Postpublished at 12:16 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2017

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  19. Swinney says Labour party ushered in Tory governmentpublished at 12:15 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2017

    Ms Dugdale says the reality is the people in Scotland were given false hope by the SNP based of a false prospectus.

    The Scottish Labour leader says analysis published by her party shows the SNP estimate could be out by £21bn.

    Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh says there is too much noise in the chamber today.

    Ms Dugdale asks if the deputy first minister feels any guilt about offering such false hope.

    Mr Swinney says the Labour Party has to think long and hard about how it has enabled the Tory party to govern the UK.

    The deputy first minister says the Tory budget has been assessed by the Resolution Foundation as ushering in the lowest rate of wage growth for 200 years.

  20. Postpublished at 12:14 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2017

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