New Scottish Police Authority chairwoman Susan Deacon has backed the justice secretary in the row over Chief Constable Phil Gormley's future.

The police chief remains on "special leave" while a series of allegations of misconduct against him are probed.

Prof Deacon told MSPs she found the decision-making process of her predecessors "wanting in many ways".

She said she would have asked questions had she been in Mr Matheson's shoes, and added that the justice secretary would have been "failing in his duty" if he had not raised concerns.

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Justice Secretary Michael Matheson says he gave a statement to parliament on 10 January on the chief constable's leave of absence.

Mr Mathson says investigations are ongoing and he is conscious of that fact and will say nothing on the complaints or investigations.

He says his role is to ensure the public and parlaiment can have confidence in the way the SPA carries out its funtctions.

The justice secretary says he sought assurances that the wellbeing of individuals who had made the complaints had been taken into considerattion by the SPA and this was lacking.

He cites new SPA chair Susan Deacon's backing for his actions which he says were "entirely legitimate".

Margaret Mitchell reveals the Pirc had not initially been asked for a view on Mr Gormley's return, but when she was, she confirmed it would not interfere with her investigation.

She accuses the first minister of "attempting to muddy the waters".

She says the justice secretary has continually states he cannot intervene with police governance issues.

A series of questions are posed around the meeting on 9 November and the justice secretary's statements to parliament.

"The actions of the justice secretary must now be the subject of a full and independent investigation."

Scotland's justice secretary criticised the Scottish Police Authority over its attempt to bring the chief constable back to work during a statement to parliament earlier this month.

Phil Gormley is currently on special leave while allegations of gross misconduct are investigated.

His lawyers accused Michael Matheson of making an "unlawful" intervention to stop him coming back to work.

But Mr Matheson told MSPs that he had simply questioned "clear deficiencies" in the decision-making process.

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Ms Mitchell says she asked the cabinet secretary if had had ever used the special powers with the SPA.

She says he said not and asks why he did not use the power of formal direction with the SPA.

The Tory MSP says on 10 January the cabinet secretary was forced to make a statement explaining his actions, after committees received evidence.

She says he failed to reveal a civil servant had met the chief constable in November.

The Justice Committee convener says, thanks to a BBC GMS interview with the cabinet secretary, it emerged that the meeting between former SPA chair Andrew Flanagan and Michael Matheson was not minuted.

Image source, Getty Images/BBC

Nicola Sturgeon has defended her justice secretary over claims that he may have acted unlawfully by blocking the chief constable's return to work.

Michael Matheson has been criticised for urging police watchdogs to reconsider their decision to allow Phil Gormley to return to his duties.

BBC Scotland later revealed that no minutes were taken during the meeting.

But Ms Sturgeon told MSPs that Mr Matheson had acted "entirely appropriately".

The issue was raised at First Minister's Questions last week by Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, who questioned whether the justice secretary acted unlawfully over his involvement in Chief Constable Phil Gormley's period of special leave from Police Scotland.

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Tory MSP Margaret Mitchell argues the justice secretary's intervention in in police governance is "the most recent and the most serious example of the SNP government's abuse of power".

She states the police should be free of any political interference.

Scottish Ministers should only intervene in SPA decisions in exceptional circumstances, she says, and due process must be followed.

No minutes were taken during a meeting attended by Scotland's justice secretary to discuss the future of the country's chief constable.

The meeting was held between Michael Matheson and the then-head of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) in November.

It led to the SPA reversing its decision to allow Chief Constable Phil Gormley to return to duty.

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Conservative MSP Margaret Mitchell gets this debate on the transparency of the government's dealing of the chief constable's investigation.

Shona Robison says local delivery plans, hopsital score cards and the weekly sweep of waiting times stats all combine to measure performance.

Mr McKee asks about identifying issues and Ms Robison says health boards work with ministers and local integrated joint boards.

Annual appraisals are also important, she says.

SNP MSP Ivan McKee asks how the performance of NHS boards are measured.

Mr Chapman says NHS Grampian has the fourth highest mortality rate for malignant melanoma and says targets have not been met.

Ms Robison says there has been an increase in cases of malignant melanoma.

Image source, Thinkstock

Malignant melanoma skin cancer is an aggressive, potentially fatal type of cancer that can rapidly spread to other parts of the body.

The main cause is sun exposure due to ultra violet radiation (UV) from exposure to the sun, sunbeds, or a history of sunburn, especially in childhood.

Signs and symptoms include anew growth or sore on the skin that does not heal in 3-4 weeks, a sore that continues to itch, scab or bleed or unexplained continued ulceration.

Fair, easily burned skin has a higher risk of developing a melanoma.

Tory MSP Peter Chapman raises progress with adding malignant melanoma to the Detect Cancer Early programme.

Health Secretary Shona Robison says NHS Grampian will receive a resource budget uplift of 2.1% - the highest of any territorial board.

This takes the health board's annual budget to £921m, she says.

Mr Rumbles says Ms Robison and her predecessors have consistently underfunded NHS Grampian for nine years.

"Is she satisfied with this level of funding for the health board?," he asks.

The health secretary suggests Mr Rumbles should attend briefings provided by NHS Grampian to local members.

Absolutely parity would have led to a reduction of funding for a number of other boards which are currently above parity, she says.

"That would not have been fair or appropriate," she argues.

All boards are within 0.8% of parity, she states.

Image source, SPL

NHS Grampian accounts for 75% of all locum spend in the north of Scotland, the health board has said.

A workforce plan put to the NHS Grampian board says the amount spent on locum doctors over the past two financial years has risen.

It said it accounts for 75% of the locum spending in Grampian, Shetland, Orkney, Highland and Tayside.

NHS Grampian needs to make savings of £30m in 2017-18 and in each of the next three years.

Lib Dems MSP Mike Rumbles asks about funding for NHS Grampian, which he says is underfunded as it has not had its funding targets met since 2009.

Image source, NHS GGC

Labour MSP Anas Sarwar says: "Back in Scotland back in reality."

Mr Sarwar says the NHS faces waiting times challenges all year round.

He says there are £1.5bn cuts health boards will be making over the next four years.

The Labour MSP says the health secretary's rhetoric does not meet her decisions.

Ms Robison says there is now a brand new Royal Hospital for Children and its performanc is fantastic.

The health secretary says there are no issues of capacity and says it is outrageious Mr Sarwar is talking down one of his local hospital/