Older People Minister Christina McKelvie tells Mr Carson the Scottish government supports the National Men's Sheds movement in a number of ways:

• Core funding
• Support for local shed development
• By tackling social isolation and loneliness
• Scottish Men's Shed Association key in developing strategy
• Supporting 164 Men's Sheds in Scotland

Image source, bbc

Mr Carson calls for the autonomy of Men's Sheds to be maintained despite funding.

Ms McKelvie concurs.

Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur asks about possible support from local health boards.

The minister replies she can see the benefit in that and will look into it.

Image source, Will Searle

For some men, retirement is a long-awaited chance to travel the world, hit the golf course, or take up a new hobby.

For others, after decades in work, it can be a time of loneliness and isolation.

But across Scotland, a new movement is helping growing numbers of men improve their health and their mood.

Men's Sheds have been set up across the country to enable men to come together to pursue practical interests like wood-turning and metalwork.

Read more here.

Tory MSP Finlay Carson asks about support for Men's Sheds.

Image source, Getty Images

Click here for the full list of questions., external

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart says the government is committed to improving fire safety.

He points to steps to increase the number of sprinklers, altered guidance on fire safety standards and lowering the height of buildings with cladding.

"One death from fire in Scotland is one too many," he adds.

Image source, AFP

New fire safety measures for high rise buildings in Scotland are to be introduced this year in response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

A review was ordered in the wake of the London blaze, which killed 72 people.

The changes will include measures to improve evacuation from high rises, and making sprinkler systems mandatory in all new-build flats.

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said this would add to "stringent safety regulations" already in place.

Read more.

SNP MSP Gil Paterson asks about plans to improve fire safety standards, including requiring domestic properties to be equipped with smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms.

Join us tomorrow morning for extensive coverage at Holyrood Live.

Image source, Getty Images

Click here for full list of questions., external

Image source, SPL/BBC

Local government and social security ministers face portfolio questions at 2pm.

Then Scottish Labour has the floor, bringing forward debates on the carer's allowance supplement and then sentencing guidelines.

Finally, SNP MSP Emma Harper leads a member's business on eating disorders awareness week.

Image source, bbc

Committee convener Bruce Crawford asks one final question referring to section 12 of the EU Withdrawal Act freezing powers.

Mr Russell points out if the powers are used, it freezes the Scottish government's cooperation.

The Act is "dead to us and we don't acknowledge its legitimacy."

The committee moves into private session.

SNP MSP Emma Harper expresses concern about the loss of protected geographic indications (which protects the names of products, such as Stornoway black pudding) and seeks assurances for the firms that would be impacted by this.

"I'd be interested to hear those assurances to, the UK government has offered no such assurances," replies the cabinet secretary.

Ms Harper also points to concerns around the impact of the quality of Scottish beef.

Mr Russell says there is a high standard in food safety and he says we must do everything we can to support these industries.

We should refuse to accept lower standards, he adds.

Scottish Green co-convener Patrick Harvie says a great deal of the concern around the loss of environmental governance functions at EU level touches on devolved areas.

The Scottish government has said it wants to avoid any diminution and Mr Harvie asks about how common approaches feed into this.

Mr Russell says the prospect of common approaches being used to continue current standards is decreasing every day.

I think the UK government objective is to diminish environmental standards over time, no matter what is says, the Brexit secretary suggests.

Mr Harvie says we need to hear a critique of the UK government's proposals and some clarity when the Scottish government will come forward with its proposals.

Mr Russell agrees it is important the cabinet secretary addresses this and adds he is convinced her (Roseanna Cunningham's) priority is the same as his, which is maintaining environmental standards.

Ian Davidson says: "This is all based on trust and proceeding with agreement, it is quite novel in that respect."

Brexit Secretary Mike Russell tells the committee any trading arrangements outside the EU will have to take into account the needs of the devolved nations.

Mr Russell insists the right lesson to take from CETA, the trade agreement between the EU and Canada, is to involve devolved administrations.

Image source, Getty images

Signed in October 2016, CETA provisionally came into force last September. The only remaining step is for all the countries to ratify it, which could take several years.

But exporters and importers have been working under its rules for more than a year, and many now believe the CETA model could be a template for the UK's trading relationship with the EU after Brexit.

Mr Russell tells the committee: "The issues in trade are complex and they need to be addressed with the type of maturity we haven't seen from the UK government."

Image source, PA

MPs will have their say on the next steps for Brexit later as Theresa May urges them to "do their duty".

Writing in the Daily Mail, external, the prime minister said the UK remained "firmly on course" to leave the EU with a deal "if MPs hold their nerve".

A number of amendments to the government negotiating strategy will be voted on in the Commons on Wednesday.

The votes are not on Mrs May's Brexit deal itself, but they will show what support she can or cannot get.

• Brexit delay from May not all 'simples'
• No-deal Brexit impact assessment published
• Read more here

"Who knows what will happen tomorrow, let alone in a month's time or three month's time," Mr Russell says.

SNP MSP Willie Coffey asks the cabinet secretary to "gaze forward" and ask how the frameworks will be scrutinised by parliaments.

Mr Russell says he is open to the idea of there being a clear set of scrutiny arrangements which allow people to question what is happening.

"I want to make sure people understand how this operates."

"It needs to have a democratic oversight," he adds.

Image source, PA

In July 1998, the UK government announced that a convention would be established so that Westminster would not normally legislate on devolved matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland without the consent of the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly or the Northern Ireland Assembly.

The devolution settlement of that time meant that power was handed to the three nations, but sovereignty was retained by Westminster.

This undertaking was subsequently expanded, and now consent is also required for legislation on reserved matters if it would alter the powers of the devolved parliaments and ministers.

A sub-section of the Scotland Act 2016, external clearly stated: "It is recognised that the parliament of the United Kingdom will not normally legislate with regard to devolved matters without the consent of the Scottish Parliament."

Read more here.

The Brexit secretary argues the Sewel process is broken and needs to be fixed.

Mr Russell says the issue is a hard one for the UK government to accept as it would have to accept Westminster is not sovereign.

"There is a strong reluctance to address this issue."

Image source, bbc

SNP MSP Angela Constance asks about intergovernmental relations and whether there should be more formal relations to make them fit for purpose.

The problem lies with politicians not civil servants, replies Mr Russell.

He adds the issue of Sewel could be addressed temporarily with a temporary fix but "the problem lies with the prime minister".

Labour MSP James Kelly wonders about disagreements on how frameworks will operate.

Mr Russell says the only dispute resolution process for the joint ministerial committee ends up with the UK government having the final say.

There is no system accepted by the UK government which would trump that and that is an issue, he adds.

Mr Kelly asks whether there has been any progress on intergovernmental relations since November.

The Brexit secretary says there is a process underway which "is not moving at any pace".