Image source, Aircraft Carrier Alliance

About 150 more jobs are to be lost at the Babcock dockyard in Rosyth in Fife.

It was announced in November thataround 250 jobs would be going at the siteas its contract to build two Royal Navy aircraft carriers neared completion.

The additional posts are to be cut after the firm spent months reviewing its operations.

Babcock said it would now work with trade unions and those affected throughout the consultation process.

Read more here.

Green MSP Mark Ruskell raises the issues around job losses at Babock International in Rosyth.

The first minister expresses concern for those affected and pledges support.

Image source, Google

No overnight local specialist paediatric service will be available at Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin due to staff pressures, NHS Grampian has said.

Children will instead be seen by their GP, GMED or the emergency department for assessment between 22:00 and 08:00.

The doctor will contact a specialist consultant in Aberdeen if required for specialist advice and action.

NHS Grampian said it was due to "unmanageable on-call commitments for both trainee and senior doctors".

Read more here.

SNP MSP Richard Lochhead says overnight admissions to children's wards at Dr Gray's in Elgin have been suspended and calls for the first minister to investigate and find a solution.

Nicola Sturgeon says NHS Grampian is trying to address this and the temporary model has been introduced to address patient safety.

Ms Sturgeon says she will ask the health secretary to discuss these issues with him.

The first minister calls on Mr Leonard to back the devolving of employment law.

The Scottish Labour leader causes mild uproar by saying this is not about employment law, rather it is about public procurement.

Mr Leonard says his party will release payslips from workers on the AWPR showing they are being charged to receive their wages.

Ms Sturgeon says the government will look at any information the Labour Party releases.

She says the government has gone further into addressing blacklisting and issues around procurement.

Government minister David Lidington has promised wages and salaries will be paid to Carillion staff working on public sector contracts even though the firm has collapsed.

Mr Lidington said the money has "always" been in the government's budget.

Douglas Fraser
Scotland business & economy editor

The Scottish Business Pledge was included the Ms Sturgeon's first Programme for Government - this is what our business & economy editor said of it at the time...

It says that if a company wants support from Scottish Enterprise or Highlands and Islands Enterprise, it needs to get with the Scottish government's priorities.

Image source, Thinkstock

That includes the Living Wage, youth employment, no zero-hours contracts, a commitment to innovate and export, support for youth skills, a push towards better gender balance at the top and in pay structures, more workforce engagement (probably meaning the boardroom, for which a Fair Work Commission is being set up) and support for the local community.

They're all worthy causes, for which the government has a mandate. But it's also quite a daunting checklist for all companies to pledge allegiance to, if they want government support. And if they don't? We'll see.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard raises the issue of the Scottish Business Pledge and the collapse on Carillion.

The first minister says she will provide information on how many businesses have signed up to the pledge.

Ms Sturgeon says the cabinet will look at mainstreaming fair work.

Mr Leonard again asks how many companies have signed up to the Scottish Business Pledge and answers his own question, "not one".

The Scottish Labour leader asks if it is acceptable for workers to be charged up to £100 a week just to be paid their wages.

The first minister says she does not and says it is "absolutely outrageous", but says employment law remains reserved to Westminster.

Image source, PA

Nicola Sturgeon said she would have advised Alex Salmond against hosting a TV show on Russian state-funded broadcaster RT if she had been asked in November.

RT has been described as a propaganda tool for Vladimir Putin's government, but Mr Salmond urged viewers to judge for themselves.

Ms Sturgeon said the channel chosen by her predecessor as first minister would not have been her choice.

And she said she would not shy away from criticising Russian policy.

Read more.

Ms Davidson says the UK has a proud tradition of a free press and objectivity is poisoned when state agencies pump propaganda into homes in this country.

The first minister again says she has made her views on Russia Today known.

This is all about Alex Salmond, yet his name has not been mentioned by either party leader.

Ms Sturgeon again reiterates her support for the prime minister's initial actions.

Image source, RT

Alex Salmond has launched a staunch defence of his weekly show on Russian broadcaster RT as he warned regulator Ofcom against closing the channel down.

Opponents have accused the former Scottish first minister of being a "useful idiot for the Kremlin".

But Mr Salmond insisted that the state-funded channel was not propaganda, and he had never been told what to say.

And he said revoking its broadcasting licence in the UK would "make a mockery of freedom of speech".

Ofcom said earlier this week that it could strip RT (Russia Today) of its broadcasting licence if the UK government concluded that Moscow was behind the chemical poisoning of a former spy in Salisbury.

There have been claims that RT acts as a propaganda tool for the Kremlin, although politicians from all of the major UK political parties have appeared on it.

Read more here.

The Scottish Conservative leader raises the issue of Russian broadcaster RT and asks if the first minister agrees with the Ofcom review.

Ms Sturgeon says this is rightly a matter for Ofcom, saying it is not for politicians to decide who broadcasts.

She says she has not changed her view on Russia Today, but says Russian donations to political parties should be looked at by Ruth Davidson.

The first minister returns to consensus and says attacks like this should not be tolerated and MSPs should resist party point scoring.

Scotland's first minister has condemned Russia over the nerve agent attack on a former spy and his daughter.

Nicola Sturgeon gave her backing to Prime Minister Theresa May's decision to expel 23 Russian diplomats.

And she said it was "very clear" that Russia "cannot be permitted to unlawfully kill or attempt to kill people on the streets of the UK with impunity".

Russia denies being involved in the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal.

Read more here.

Ms Davidson says this kind of an attack could take place anywhere in the UK and calls for reassurance about Scotland's preparedness to deal with an attack.

The first minister says the excellent emergency authorities are ready to deal with this type of attack.

Ms Sturgeon discussed this with Theresa May yesterday and if further action is proposed in future there will be ongoing discussion and dialogue.

The attempted murder of a former Russian double agent and his daughter on British soil has led to accusations of Russian state involvement.

The British government is expelling 23 Russian diplomats after Moscow refused to explain how a nerve agent was used against former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia in Salisbury on Sunday 4 March.

Prime Minister Theresa May said the chemical used in the attack had been identified as being part of a group of nerve agents developed by Russia known as Novichok.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said his government will also expel British diplomats.

Read about what we know so far.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson says on 4 March two individuals were targeted with a nerve agent in Salisbury and calls for the first minister to back the UK government response.

The first minister agrees this is a grave issue and she says the conclusion that Russia was responsible "is a reasonable conclusion".

Ms Sturgeon says she supports the initial steps outlined by Theresa May.