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Labour MSP Anas Sarwar says people of all faiths and none have the challenge of overcoming terrorism.

Mr Sarwar says Islamophobic hate-crime has doubled in Scotland and asks what can be done about this.

Mr Matheson says there are well established links with communities.

The justice secretary says it has been encouraging to hear that there has been no particular rise in hate crime in the past couple of weeks and this will continue to be monitored.

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Justice Secretary Michael Matheson says the first minister has received a briefing on the decision to raise the threat level to critical.

Mr Matheson says the threat level was reduced to severe on Saturday morning meaning an attack was "highly likely".

He says "we need to continue to remain vigilant."

Mr Scott asks about Scotland's ability to track international terrorists following Brexit.

Mr Matheson says the government will continue to work with agencies such as Interpol who have no borders.

The UK terrorism threat level has been reduced from critical to severe, Prime Minister Theresa May said last weekend.

The change indicates an attack is highly likely, not imminently expected, external.

Soldiers deployed to support the police were stood down on Monday night, at the close of the bank holiday weekend.

• Read more here.
• Armed police deployed across Scotland

Lib Dem MSP Tavish Scott asks the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the terrorism threat level.

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson says the Scottish Prison Service is on a transformational journey.

Mr Matheson says non-operational staff play a vital role in the service.

The justice secretary says the payments are being made under a specific set of circumstances unique to the front-line service role.

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Mr Ruskell says it has been described as a "fundamental misunderstanding" of non-operational roles and has damaged morale.

The Green MSP asks if this will be considered during future pay awards.

Mr Matheson says operational staff are disproportionately affected by changes in the service.

Green MSP Mark Ruskell asks for what reason the recent pay award to Scottish Prison Service operational staff has not been extended to non-operational staff in the same institutions.

After general questions we'll bring you extensive coverage of first minister's questions, with all the social media reaction as it happens.

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Conservative MSP Maurice Corry will then lead a member’s debate entitled ‘Combat Stress Finds Veterans in Scotland Face Higher Levels of Deprivation Than Those in Rest of UK’.

The afternoon is given over to the Stage 1 debate on the Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill.

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Committee convener Christina McKelvie thanks the witnesses and moves the committee into private session.

Maureen Finn from STEP: Centre for Mobile Cultures and Education says education is a massive opportunity which is often not tapped into.

Ms Finn says education is an untapped area at the moment.

Michelle Lloyd from MECOPP says there is very often diagnostic over shadowing faced by Gypsy/Travellers with their real issues being overlooked.

Ms Lloyd says the Scottish government had an equality outcome for Gypsy/Travellers to see less discrimination by 2017, which was welcome.

With so little progress, she says she is disappointed the new equality outcomes have no specific mention of Gypsy/Travellers which is a missed opportunity.

Chris Oswald from the Equality and Human Rights Commission says "adopting a human rights approach is far more compelling."

Mr Oswald says we are seeing international groups starting to focus on the human rights issued and he would urge the committee to focus more on that.

Ms McKelvie says there is really good progress across Europe that can be tapped into.

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Labour MSP Mary Fee asks if there is still evidence that Gypsy/Travellers are being turned away by GPs.

Michelle Lloyd from MECOPP says people are asked for additional evidence and proof of identity to register.

Committee convener Christina McKelvie says there are issues around whether people in the Gypsy/Travellers community are getting the right healthcare.

Chris Oswald from the Equality and Human Rights Commission says he is concerned that an institution the size of the NHS has no strategy for dealing with this issue.

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Maureen Finn from STEP says Gypsy/Travellers going to university have used false names or addresses because the thought they may face prejudice.

Ms Finn says there is a real instability with schools sometimes having twenty children turning up requiring additional staff and then moving on the next day.

Chris Oswald from the Equality and Human Rights Commission says the opportunities for Gypsy/Travellers to travel are closing down due to sites being closed.

Mr Oswald says there are no health studies and there needs to be more resarch.

Tory MSP Jeremy Balfour says he has always had the impression that Gypsy/Travellers are moving around and asks if we know how many are still moving around and those that are staying more permanently at one site.

Michelle Lloyd from MECOPP says there are no accurate figures of those moving around and those that are more settled.

Mr Balfour asks how a school would know that a person is a part of the Gypsy/Travellers community if that person is living in a flat or house and doesn't declare it.

Michelle Lloyd from MECOPP says it can be because of a person's name and says she dealt with a member of the Gypsy/Travellers community who lived in a flat in Edinburgh and had to tell her family not to visit her for fear her neighbours would find out that she is part of that community.

Tory MSP Jeremy Balfour asks for a definition of a small family site.

Chris Oswald from the Equality and Human Rights Commission says he does not have one, that is something the governemnt should look at.

Mr Balfour asks about the presumption for planning and land valuation and he asks about how much land the Gypsy/Traveller community owns.

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Mr Oswald says looking at press reporting he perceives a frustration around a lack of local authority provision, individuals are acquiring land.

He says he wants to see a network of patchwork over Scotland to get over the hump of planning consent because that is what's holding back sites.

SNP MSP David Torrance says 30 local authorities are ignoring Gypsy/Travellers.

Chris Oswald from the Equality and Human Rights Commission says the majority of sites in the two local authorities are in private hands.

Mr Torrance asks if the local authorities should go out to the communities more and consult.

Mr Oswald says research has shown that engagement with local authorities can make for a good site.

He says Aberdeen City Council turned down a site five years ago and said it would be bad for community relations.

"I find this a strange and tortured logic," he says.

Chris Oswald from the Equality and Human Rights Commission says he appreciates there is an anxiety children are of the radar that does not mean, at all, that they are being neglected or abused.

Mr Oswald says the real issue is why are Gypsy/Travellers not engaging.

Mr Cole-Hamilton says he is not saying that children may require supervision due to the Gypsy/Traveller way of life that may come from a different view of the world than his own.

The Lib Dem MSP says he is concerned about children who may be living in chaotic family circumstances or being neglected or abused.

Michelle Lloyd from MECOPP says there is too much focus on the mobility issue and that it is perceived that Gypsy/Travellers move around a lot but that is just not possible anymore.