Scottish Greens co-convener Patrick Harvie said the concessions his party had won in return for its support for the budget meant that "the £157m of local government cuts proposed by the SNP" had been "more than reversed".

However he spoke at length about wanting more reform to local government finance going forward, saying the Greens would want to see "meaningful progress" on this front - including a "full replacement" of the council tax - before they entered into any future budget talks.

In December 2015, the Commission on Local Tax Reform conclude the current council tax system in Scotland .

It looked at alternatives and outlined three options, external, one based on property, the others on land and income.

The cross-party body believed any new system should continue to be one of "general tax" rather than a "system of charges for specific services".

Its report said: "The predominant view of the commission is that local government's tax base should, if it could be proved feasible, be broadened to include income."

Image source, bbc

Green MSP Andy Wightman says this order delivers almost 9.5bn to local government.

Mr Wightman says his party will be voting for the settlement at decision time, but says it will not be happy about doing so.

He says that is because local democracy has been eroded in Scotland over the year.

The Green MSP says accountability is entirely missing from local government due to the majority of funding coming from the Scottish government.

He says: "This is the last budget, the last budget that we will be willing to enter negotiations over unless there is a serious, credible and substantive process begun to increase fiscal autonomy of local authorities, with local taxation, shift the balance of funding from the centre to the local and put in place the kind of fiscal framework that exists between the UK and Scotland in relation to devolved budgets."

Image source, Getty Images

"Councils are struggling to fill gaps after year on year of cuts," James Kelly argues.

He points to job cuts at local authorities throughout Scotland, suggesting that if a sector had seen as many losses as this, the Scottish government would be setting up a taskforce.

Mr Kelly expresses concern about cuts to education services and local economy units.

The Labour MSP states this does not align with the Scottish government's stated priorities.

Labour MSP James Kelly says his party will oppose the order.

Finance Secretary Derek Mackay argues this is a technical order that distributes money to councils.

By all means campaign for more money, but successfully opposing the order would simply prevent money going to local authorities, states the cabinet secretary.

James Kelly responds that the settlement is not enough.

Mr Mackay says he is not guilty of double counting.

Mr Stewart hits back by saying a different way to allocate resources says it all.

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The Tory MSP lambasts the lack of transparency by the Scottish government and says his party will back the order but are uncomfortable about doin so.

He says hard working Scots are being asked to pay more in tax

The Tory MSP says the government is "taking with one hand and taking with the other which is a double whammy".

The Scottish parliament passed the budget 2018-19 last month.

It includes major changes to Scotland's income tax rates and bands, which will see middle and high earners pay more and lower earners pay less.

The minority SNP government struck a deal with the Scottish Greens that gave them enough support to pass the budget.

The final vote was 70 to 56.

The deal agreed with the Greens saw the party's six MSPs support the budget in return for a package which includes £170m more for local councils than had originally been proposed.

Read more.

Tory MSP Alexander Stewart argues the funding settlement is not fair.

It falls short of the figure COSLA said local authorities required to maintain current levels of service, he says.

The member says there has been a 7.6% real terms cut to council budgets since 2010-11.

Councils have been forced to use fees and charges to keep services running, Ms Stewart argues.

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Councils have asked the Scottish government for more cash to pay for public sector pay rises.

Ministers announced an end to the public workers' pay cap as part of their 2018/19 tax and spending plans.

The budget deal with the Scottish Greens means pay rises will now apply to 75% of public sector staff.

The Greens' deal also won an additional £170 million for councils, but umbrella group Cosla said pay remains a major issue for local authorities.

• Council workers call for 6.5% pay rise
• Scots budget: what does it mean for me?
• Scotland to end public sector pay cap

The local government group's resource spokeswoman Gail Macgregor said: "We acknowledge the additional resources secured into the settlement for this year following extensive lobbying by Cosla.

"However this will not negate all of the challenges we still face, the main one obviously relates to pay for our workforce now that the Scottish government has set out its public sector pay policy.

"This additional resource has to become built into the core of our budgets for future years."

Read more.

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Labour MSP James Kelly asks why in Renfrew council there will be £24m cuts over the next three years with 200 job losses.

Finance Secretary Derek Mackay says local authorities are making choices and he insists local authorities are well resourced thanks to his budget.

Mr Mackay says all local authorites look set to increase their council tax by 3% which means a real terms increase for local government.

The finance secretary outlines funding going to education including the pupil equity fund.

He argues that his business rates pacakage is the most generous in the UK.

The minister calls on parliament to approve his finance order at decision time.

Finance Secretary Derek Mackay kicks off the debate, saying the funding package will deliver on the Scottish government and local authorities' joint priorities.

The total funding package is worth £10.7bn, he says.

The Order seeks parliament's approval for £9.5bn with the remaining funding to be distributed later, Mr Mackay confirms.

Some of the support revenue grants cover support for Norther isles ferries, the cabinet secretay adds.

Image source, Getty Images

The Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2018 [draft] determines the funding given to local authorities for 2018-19.

It also determines the amount of non-domestic rate income distributed to each local authority.

Councils are set to receive £.10.7bn through the settlement, accounts to Finance Secretary Derek Mackay.

The Greens secured an additional £170m from the original offer to councils as part of the budget deal.

Finance Secretary Derek Mackay begins a debate on local government financing.

MSPs will be asked to vote on the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2018 [draft] at 5pm.

Image source, Thinkstock

Universities are being urged to significantly reduce the grades youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds need for a place.

A report for the Scottish Funding Council recommends cutting the exam results which are needed for a place on some of the most prestigious courses.

The Scottish government expects all universities to increase the proportion of students from disadvantaged areas.

The report argues exams do not always give the best indication of potential.

Read more here.

Universities have been told to ‘pick up the pace’ in widening access to students from Scotland’s most deprived communities by Higher Education Minister Shirley-Anne Somerville

Ms Smoerville welcomed progress made so far implementing recommendations made by the Commission on Widening Access but challenged the sector to go further and faster to achieve equality.

Lib Dem MSP Tavish Scott says the outcomes of the student support review must be in place for the next academic year.

Ms Somerville says the review looked at a number of challenges, some of which can be tackled for the next academic year and others which will not.

She uses changes to student loans as an example of an adjustment which would be better done over the longer-term.

All college and university students should have an income of at least £8,100 a year, according to an independent review of student finance.

The report, external, commissioned by the Scottish government, also recommended changes to the student loan system.

The £8,100 figure would be a mix of loans and bursaries determined by personal circumstances.

Student leaders said "serious investment" was needed to change the "broken" support system.

Read more here.

Green MSP Ross Greer says the cost of living remains a barrier to widening access.

He urges the Scottish government to increase bursaries and equalise support for university and college students.

The minister repeats that the Scottish government will respond to the student support review in due course.

The government will also investigate other areas outwith the remit of the review, with £5m set out in the for initial implementation.

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Labour MSP Iain Gray says his party supports the government's aim to widen access to higher education.

Mr Gray welcomes the assertion that this is not just about access to a freshers fare but rather being there at graduation.

He says access to non-repayable grants and bursaries are critical and he calls on the cuts made to grants to be reversed.

Ms Somerville says the review of student support was published last year and the government will report back with its response soon.

Tory MSP Liz Smith highlights concerns that the fixed cap for SIMD20 students is having a negative impact on other potential students.

She also asks if the "traditional measures of academic excellence" will be challenged and when figures on higher achievement levels of school leavers will be available to universities.

Ms Somerville recognises the concern on the cap but states the data on this is "suggestive rather than conclusive".

We cannot rely on the idea that places will become available because of a change in demand due to Brexit, she says, adding there must be systemic change to encourage deprived pupils coming forward.

The Scottish government will work with Universities Scotland to work on issues around academic achievement, states the minister.

Ms Somerville urges universities to get moving with contextualised admissions, arguing they do not need the data requested for that.