Image source, Police Scotland

The mother of a teenage girl who took her own life after absconding from residential care said she was "furious" at the lack of mental health support for her daughter.

Libbi Toledo had severe mental health issues as well as autism and ADHD.

The 17-year-old's body was found in a scrapyard in Kirkcaldy, 10 days after she was reported missing.

Her mother Judi said the way her daughter was "let down by the system is absolutely disgusting".

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Labour MSP Daniel Johnson raises the issue of the tragic story of Libbi Toledo who took her own life.

Her mother raised the issue of lack of mental health services this week.

Mr Swinney says he accepts the deep anguish her family must be going through.

He says there has been interaction with services of a sustained period of time, which is of no help to the family of Libbi Toledo.

Green MSP John Finnie raises the issue over Scottish railways and asks if the Deputy First Minister will intervene to ensure there are no compulsory job redundancies.

Mr Swinney says there are certain obligations in the Abellio contract that has to be raised, and the government will ensure there are no redundancies.

The deputy first minister says Lib Dem leader Vince Cable has appeared on Russia Today.

Mr Swinney says Nicola Sturgeon has made it clear she would not have chosen the channel.

He says there is a "stinking reek of hypocrisy from every other party on this question".

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Image source, PA

Scotland's former first minister, Alex Salmond, is to host a talk show on the Russian state-funded broadcaster RT.

Mr Salmond said the programme would include guests from the worlds of politics, business and entertainment.

It will be produced by Mr Salmond's own Slainte Media company, which he set up with former SNP MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh.

RT has been described as a Russian propaganda channel, but Mr Salmond urged viewers to judge for themselves.

Scottish Lib Dems leader Willie Rennie asks if the presenter of a talk show on RTE Russia today would be fit to own the Scotsman

The deputy first minister sayas; "One of the things I don't control is the ownership of newspapers in this country."

Mr Swinney says Alex Salmond has made his own decision and he says on today's programme he had guests from both the Labour and Conservative party.

Mr Rennie says Alex Salmond is being paid by President Putin's propaganda channel.

The Scottish Lib Dem MSP says the Estonian ambassador says RTE Russia is Kremlin backed propaganda.

Image source, Glasgow Prestwick Airport

Prestwick Airport passed into public ownership four years ago after being bought by the Scottish government for £1.

The facility, which was put up for sale by New Zealand firm Infratil, had incurred annual losses of £2m.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the deal would help protect the airport and the jobs it supported.

Scottish Greens co-convener Patrick Harvie says there must be much more offshore wind and energy.

Mr Harvie welcomes the comments on BiFab who are at the forefront of renewables and the commitment of the workforce must be rewarded.

He says if the Scottish government can bail out an airport then surely the same can be done for BiFab.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney stresses again the absolute determination of the government to keep BiFab operating.

Mr Swinney says the government have been "absolutely trenchant in our commitment" to renewables.

Nicola Sturgeon has called for "urgent action" to tackle climate change in a speech to a UN conference in Germany.

The first minister said Scotland was "determined to lead by example" on protecting the environment.

She said her government would "come to an early decision" on when Scotland would aim to have net zero emissions.

Other speakers at the event included French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and UN Secretary General António Guterres.

The UN Climate Conference in Bonn aimed to clarify the rules set out in the 2015 Paris climate agreement, which committed signatories to capping global temperature rises this century to well below 2 degrees Celsius.

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Scottish Greens co-convener Patrick Harvie calls for Scotland to have a target of net zero emissions by 2040.

Mr Swinney says the reaction to the first minister in Bonn has been a tremendous level of respect for the leadership Scotland has deployed on tackling climate change.

The deputy first minister says there will be an early decision on net zero emissions.

Image source, Thinkstock

A million people living in rural Scotland continue to pay "unfair" delivery charges, according to a report from Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) in September 2015.

The organisation called for action from government and internet businesses to tackle the fees.

CAS revisited the charges of 534 online retailers it surveyed in 2012.

Fewer were charging extra delivery costs than three years ago, but those who did impose a surcharge had increased the charges "substantially".

Consumers in the Highlands now pay 17.6% more than in 2012 and those in the islands pay 15.8% more, according to CAS' report The Postcode Penalty: The Distance Travelled, external.

It said the extra costs were causing hardship to a large number of rural residents and was having a serious impact on businesses and the rural economy.

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SNP MSP Richared Lochhead raises the issue of parcel delivery charges in Moray.

Mr Lochhead asks what can be done to tackle these "ridiculous surcharges".

Mr Swinney says this is a very important issue and it applies across a wider geography across Scotland.

He welcome the conversations Mr Lochhead is having with Ofcom.

Lib Dem MSP Tavish Scott says Shetland's Chronic Pain Service is under threat.

Mr Scott asks how there will be continuity of care.

Mr Swinney says this is a significant issue and he says he wants to see continuity of service.

He says the health secretary will discuss the issue with Mr Scott.

SNP MSP David Torrance asks Mr Swinney to keep parliament updated on any discussions with BiFab.

The deputy first minister says the government will keep MSPs informed and a briefing from relevant ministers will be issued this afternoon.

Mr Swinney says: "We are seeing some progress in those discussions."

Ms Baillie says Labour will support the government in any way it can to save the jobs at BiFab.

She says she is encouraged by the deputy first minister's words.

The Labour MSP says the workers need a cast iron commitment.

Mr Swinney says his colleagues have been keeping members of parliament in touch with developments at BiFab.

He says a briefing on BiFab will be available later today.

The deputy first minister says the fundamental focus is to solve the contractual issues and that is why the first minister is coming back early from Bonn.

Labour MSP Jackie Baillie thanks John Swinney for his response.

Ms Baillie says BiFab should be at the forefront of the renewables industry.

She asks what the total value of the disputed contracts are.

Mr Swinney says the total value is the best part of £1bn.

The deputy first minister says the government is determined to secure the future of BiFab.