Image source, Scottish Parliament

MSPs will now quiz transport, infrastructure and connectivity ministers.

Image source, bbc

Scottish Green Party co-convener Patrick Harvie welcomes the minister's commitment to introduce legislation on hate crime before the end of this parliament.

Mr Harvie cites an increase in anti-immigrant sentiment and says there is a case for this to be dealt with in a seperate strand of the hate crime legislation.

Whether there should be a statutory aggregator for anti-immigrant hate crime will be considered in the consultation, Mr Yousaf replies.

Image source, bbc

Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur asks the Scottish government what progress is being made in establishing forensic examination facilities in Orkney for victims of rape or sexual assault.

Mr Yousaf says NHS Orkney is in the process of establishing a trauma informed, person centred, forensic medical examination health care service for adult victims of rape.

Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton says a constituent of his, Jamie Duff, 23, has been prevented from becoming a police officer after being rejected at the vetting stage of Police Scotland recruitment.

He explains this is because his father - from whom he has been estranged most of his life - has a conviction.

Mr Yousaf is unable to comment on the specific case but emphasises the need to have vetting procedures in place to prevent serious crime groups infiltrating the police.

Tory MSP Jamie Greene asks about the number of police officers.

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf confirms that are 17,147 full time equivalent officers.

Mr Greene says that when one digs deeper into these figures, there have been cuts to divisional officers.

Mr Yousaf reiterates numbers of officers have increased by 5% since the SNP came to power in 2007, comparing this to a 13% reduction in England and Wales.

He also points to a reduction in crime over the last decade.

Image source, bbc

SNP MSP Tom Arthur asks what the Scottish government is doing to tackle hate crime.

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf points to the government consultation on One Scotland: Hate Has No Place Here, external, launched in November.

Mr Arthur praises Blair Wilson from Nielsen, who was targeted in a violent homophobic attack and was left with a black eye and blood running down his face.

But within minutes of the assault, he posted a defiant selfie on social media which has received widespread acclaim.

Image source, bbc

Mr Yousaf adds his admiration for Blair Wilson and explains he has been the victim of hate crime.

The minister says there's is no home for hatred here in Scotland."

Image source, bbc

MSPs will now quiz justice ministers and law officers.

Portfolio questions will see justice ministers and transport and infrastructure and connectivity ministers in the hot seats.

MSPs will then debate and vote on amendments to the Scottish Crown Estate Bill, before debating the legislation for the final time.

Powers over the estate were devolved to Scotland in April 2017 and it's been operated under interim management since then.

Image source, Getty Images

The Crown Estate Bill will create opportunities for local authorities and community groups to run parts of the estate.

A couple of legislative consent motions follow, on the UK Crime (Overseas Production Orders) Bill and Offensive Weapons Bill.

SNP MSP Clare Adamson will then highlight Pancreatic Cancer Awareness.

Image source, bbc

That's all folks!

Image source, bbc

Tory MSP Adam Tomkins says the Scottish government wants the provisions for Northern Ireland to apply to Scotland.

He asks what evidence is there that the EU would accept this.

The Brexit secretary replies that in terms of the whole of the UK that would not be acceptable as the integrity of the single market would be affected.

Mr Russell adds that we don't know whether the UK government asked about Scotland in those terms, however no attempt appears to have been made to do this.

"The reality is that nothing was done."

Scottish Green co-convener Patrick Harvie says the frameworks appear to be ideologically loaded.

Mr Russell responds that Brexit is driving this debate "and Brexit is a hard right policy".

Image source, bbc

"Were Scotland to be offered what Northern Ireland is being offered I wouldn't be sitting here criticising the withdrawal agreement," Scottish Brexit Secretary Mike Russell tells Holyrood's constitution committee.

That deal would be a deal that we would certainly negotiate seriously, he adds.

He explains former UK Brexit Secretary David Davis told him a differentiated deal could not be done and was impossible, however now we see it will be done.

"Scotland has had nothing out of it."

Labour MSP Neil Bibby turns discussion to common frameworks, wondering what the deal around Northern Ireland will have on the internal UK market.

Mr Russell says he hopes work will continue on the frameworks.

But the relationship is poor and there is a complete lack of trust from both sides, he adds.

Regarding Northern Ireland, he says there will be difficulties in managing common frameworks if it has to remain aligned with the EU while other parts of the UK do not.

Scottish Brexit Secretary Mike Russell says he specifically disassociated the Scottish government from Theresa May's EU nationals 'queue jumping' remarks.

"They are disgraceful," he says.

SNP MSP Angela Constance says it seems like England and Wales get what they voted for, Northern Ireland gets a special deal to stay close to the EU, but Scotland has been ignored.

"How come everybody else gets what they voted for?"

She also asks how confident Mr Russell is that the UK government will start to respect the Scottish parliament.

"I have no such confidence at all," replies the cabinet secretary.

Scotland has been uniquely disadvantaged and remains uniquely disadvantaged, he adds.

You would think that the 13 Scottish Tory MPs would be demanding better treatment, but actually they are demanding that Scotland be treated as badly as elsewhere, he suggests.

Mr Russell says he finds that "a bit weird".

Kevin Keane
BBC Scotland News

Image source, Getty Images

The EU 27 are concerned that "taking back control" of the UK's waters might mean fewer fishing opportunities for their fleets. A diplomatic note - seen by the BBC - raised concerns about access and environmental commitments.

The prospect might be a surprise to them, focused on 585 pages of draft agreements, but it's been the backbone of the economic argument for the UK's most pro-Brexit industry. Many have said it would be the litmus-test of the whole process.

The waters around all the EU's member states, up to a limit of 200 miles, are effectively "pooled" when it comes to fishing. It means boats from one country can fish in another's seas.

When the UK leaves the EU, barring any new agreements, those waters will exclusively become the UK's again, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Read more here.