Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie says he "can't believe" we're having these discussions and it shows how "irresponsible" the UK government is.

If the parliament can't decide the future on Brexit, surely it is up the the people he insists.

Mr Russell agrees a so-called People's Vote is an obvious way forward and suggests this would command a majority at the Commons, if it were put forward.

There are three possibilities left on the table he says: a no deal, Theresa May's deal or another referendum.

The latter is the sensible option we should settle on, the Brexit secretary insists.

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Green MSP Ross Greer says: "We are being taken to the brink of disaster" by the most incompetent government in modern history.

This not the fault of the Scottish government he says.

Mr Greer asks what information the Scottish government will put in the public domain.

There is a great deal of dialogue going on with stakeholders and when there are requests for further information, as has happened today, then he will get officials to look into this, replies Mr Russell.

Labour MSP Neil Findlay says: "The Tories are taking Britain to the brink."

They have created huge uncertainty for the economy, businesses and employees, he adds.

Mr Findlay calls on Tory MPs to "work to end this madness" by working with Labour on a single market and customs union plan.

He asks the cabinet secretary for details of work being done in each directorate and queries meetings held with UK ministers on no deal planning.

Mr Russell agrees the position of the Scottish Tories is "appalling" and a "dereliction of duty".

He agrees to give the member access to information he requires and discuss this with him, though he is reluctant to burden staff with more publications.

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Tory MSP Adam Tomkins says the minister has just spent ten minutes unpicking his own argument, as Mr Russell opposes a no deal Brexit and so does he.

Mr Tomkins insists: "The truth is there doesn't need to be a no deal Brexit."

That's because there is a deal on the table, which he supports but SNP MPs are set to vote down, he elucidates.

Why does the minister not accept that the only people risking a no deal Brexit are those that stand, like him, in opposition to the prime minister's deal.

Mr Russell replies: "It is sad to see the state to which Professor Tomkins has come."

"This is a very serious situation, it needs to treated with gravity."

He says the only response from the Tories is to get up and blame someone else.

The minister argues it is the Tories that have brought us to this mess and clearly can't get us out of it.

A no deal Brexit is not yet inevitable but as a responsible government we cannot wait any longer before stepping up planning, Mr Russell says.

A no deal would be a disaster and he urges the Scottish Tories to "work with us" to rule it out, he adds.

Mr Russell concludes by saying while the challenges "are not of our making", we can and must work to meet them.

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Mr Russell says any delays at Dover will have a catastrophic impact on seafood industries.

The economic affect of a no deal will be felt "severely and immediately" and the government is looking into how to ensure food gets to market.

The Brexit secretary says so much for the UK government being concerned about the fishing industry.

He says if there is a no deal, urgent transfer funds must be transferred from the UK government to Scotland

Mr Russell criticises the "nebulous approach of the UK government".

Mr Russell says Brexit will be a negative impact on health and social care workforce, clinical trials and access to EU funding.

Efforts to ensure medicines continue to be supplied are being "hampered" by the UK government's "refusal" to provide information, he warns.

Stockpiling medicine and medical devices is ongoing, he says.

On justice issues, the Brexit secretary warns about a downgrading of police and security capability due to a loss of data sharing.

Police Scotland are currently considering how to respond to this, he adds.

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Brexit Seretary Mike Russell says Scotland's plans have to be wide ranging.

Mr Russel explains the new customs arrangements with a no deal Brexit will severely impact on Scotland, with half of all the food the UK consumes is imported.

Food prices would go up and the most vulnerable will bear the brunt of this, he explains.

The Brexit Secretary says the Scottish Government Resilience Committee is meeting every week.

Mr Russell says the Scottish government is working with agencies to try and mitigate any disruption.

Brexit Secretary Mike Russell criticises the Scottish Tories for not uniting with the rest of parliament against the current deal and the prospect of a no deal.

A second referendum is more urgent than ever now he says and calls for preparation of legislation.

Turning to preparations for a possible no deal scenario, he warns that no government will be able to mitigate everything.

But Mr Russell says legislative, organisational and financial issues have been considered by the Scottish cabinet to try to mitigate the impact as far as possible.

A rapid response group of officials is growing he says and we are mobilising government staff and resources to ensure the right people are in the right places with the right skills to respond to issues.

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The cabinet has decided to "ramp up" preparations for a no-deal Brexit amid uncertainty over the fate of Theresa May's proposed EU exit deal.

Ministers approved £2bn to go to government departments to help if the UK leaves the EU on 29 March without a formal agreement.

They will also send letters to 140,000 firms advising them about preparations.

Labour, which has tabled a motion of no confidence in the PM, has accused Mrs May of wasting time.

And Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable, who is campaigning for another EU referendum, described the government's latest announcement as "psychological warfare".

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Brexit Secretary Mike Russell will now update MSPs on Scotland's preperations for Brexit.

Green MSP John Finnie calls for ScotRail to be brought into public ownership.

The transport secretary says he wants existing investment into rail infrastructure and rolling stock to be successful.

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Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton lambastes a chronic lack of rolling stock in the central belt.

Mr Cole-Hamilton says people are missing meetings and shifts and this must be costing the economy millions.

When will the rolling stock issue be resolved, he asks.

Mr Matheson says the Hitachi 385 trains delivery has been delayed and Labtech have issues around the refurbishment programme.

The full Hitachi programme should be delivered in May.

Ind MSP Mark McDonald highlights a number of train cancellations impacting his constituents this morning.

While welcoming infrastructure improvements between Aberdeen and Inverness, he asks when services will improve.

Mr Matheson says once new stock has been rolled out, this will increase seating capacity in the North East region.

Labour MSP Colin Smyth says the government is not taking enforcement action with ScotRail, rather it has issued a waiver to allow the worst punctuality since the franchise began.

Mr Smyth criticises the "licence to fail" granted by the government and demands a proper remedial plan so ScotRail hit its targets.

He calls for the cabinet secretary to join with Labour in its calls for a fare freeze until there are improvements.

Mr Matheson insists there are already signs of improvements, but not today due to an infrastructure problems outside of Glasgow.

The minister says the waiver is for areas not down to ScotRail, for example Network Rail issues and the weather.

He says the government intends to invest £5bn in the next five years on rail.

The performance to date has not been to the level we expect, he says.

Ms Hamilton says last Friday "travel chaos ensued" and it continued until Monday, with over 70 trains cancelled.

Hard-working ScotRail staff bore the brunt of passengers' anger, she says.

This was the first proper weekend of the Christmas rush and "ScotRail failed to step up to the mark" the Tory MSP says.

Mr Matheson accepts the concerns raised by the public and insists actions being taken forward will address such issues.

Ms Hamilton urges the Scottish government to reinstate performance targets.

The transport secretary says he is "very much awake" to the issue, before highlighting that 60% of delays and cancellations are due to infrastructure problems which are the responsibility of the UK government.

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Transport Secretary Michael Matheson says ScotRail's performance has been "unacceptable" over the last three weeks.

Mr Matheson says: "I'm extremely disappointed to again be speaking about unacceptable levels of cancellations."

ScotRail must take all action necessary to address the number of cancellations, he says.

He tells the chamber that the company has recruited 85 drivers for the new services and insists restorative action is the responsibility of ScotRail.

He says there must be a smooth reliable service over the festive period.