That's all from Holyrood Live on Thursday 14 March 2019.

Nicola Sturgeon branded the scottish secretary's abstention on the no-deal Brexit vote at Westminster a "disgrace".

At first minister's questions, she criticised David Mundell for abstaining rather than voting to rule out no deal.

Ms Sturgeon said: "The secretary of state for Scotland can't even manage to rebel properly."

The first minister also asked Mr Leonard to use his influence with Jeremy Corbyn to get the Labour leader "firmly behind the option of a second EU referendum".

The Scottish Tories motion on the space debate is agreed with 79 votes for and 21 against, while Labour's motion is unanimously agreed.

The Lib Dem amendment is not agreed with 19 for and 81 against.

The final Scottish government motion, as amended, is agreed. 79 MSPs backed it while 21 voted against.

Image source, Scottish Parliament

Image source, bbc

Innovation Minister Ivan McKee welcomes that everyone that took part in this debate were serious about Scotland's place in the space race.

Mr McKee argues the people working on data science will get the biggest boost from the space sector in the coming decades.

The minister reiterates numerous calls from MSPs to encourage young people into STEM subjects.

He encourages the space industry to visit schools to facilitate this.

Enterprise zones are being looked at, says the minister, but he does not commit to them at this stage.

We aim to capture £4bn via the space industry by 2030, he says.

Tory MSP Gordon Lindhurst says the focus on space has become about much more than putting a man on the moon.

It has been eye-opening to understand how ready Scotland is for going forward in this area, he tells the chamber.

Mr Lindhurst highlights Edinburgh's place in the space sector due to its excellence in data science and geoscience.

The Edinburgh city deal aims to train 100,000 data scientists and foster data start-up companies over the next 15 years he states.

Image source, bbc

Labour MSP Rhoda Grant agrees with Mr Scott that there should be more than one launch site in Scotland.

Ms Grant backs the Lib Dem amendment saying it is important to encourage all the areas of Scotland.

She argues any local concerns about launch sites will soon be overcome.

The Labour MSP goes on to argue young people must be encouraged to take up STEM subjects to provide the skills base the space industry requires.

Image source, SPTV

Elsewhere, the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints, external has been meeting in private since 3pm.

As agreed, it returned to public to announce any decisions taken.

Convener Linda Fabiani says the legal context, ministerial code and Scottish government harassment procedures were all discussed at the meeting in private.

The committee is expecting a comprehensive response from the Scottish government shortly, following its letter which called for the government's full cooperation with the committee.

It will next meet on 28 March, where it expects to be able to discuss said response, Ms Fabiani confirms.

Image source, Pa

Image source, bbc

Lib Dem MSP Tavish Scott is back for the closing speeches, saying his concern is the competition across Europe, citing Portugal as a competitor.

Mr Scott points out space can help get young girls and boys into STEM subjects.

He argues there will be more than one launch one site in Scotland.

The commercial market is the real bit that we want in Scotland, no matter where.

Image source, UK SPACE AGENCY

The Scottish space industry is big - and growing.

While Scotland makes up less than 9% of the UK population it accounts for 18% of jobs in the UK space industry.

More than 100 private and public organisations have created almost 7,000 jobs and are contributing more than £130m to the Scottish economy

In the last two years Glasgow has built more satellites than any other city in Europe.

Read more here.

Image source, bbc

"The space race is indeed on," begins Tavish Scott.

However Scotland must win the race against other European countries, he adds.

The Lib Dem MSP criticises HIE for not adopting a fair approach to all potential sites highlighting the benefits of a site in Shetland.

All areas of space activity need government support, he adds citing his amendment.

He argues HIE is running down Shetland, but the evidence is to the contrary, he says, again praising the Unst site.

The Shetland Space Centre, external plans to build and operate a satellite launch site in Unst, Shetland, the UK’s most northerly island.

Unst is the best location in Northern Europe, the Shetland MSP argues.

Image source, bbc

Image source, bbc

A Scottish laboratory has begun work on the UK's first commercial receiver for unbreakably-coded communications from space.

The team at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh is aiming to develop a satellite ground station for quantum communications.

It could mean that every home will one day be able to receive messages that cannot be hacked.

The field of quantum communications resembles a branch of cryptography.

Read more here.

Mr Stewart outlines key issues regarding a spaceport:

• whether the UK government will provide a liability cap for launch activities;
• and the commercial viability for the first European launch on demand service.

"It is vital Scotland does not miss this important opportunity."

The inspiration this can lead to could be worth far more educationally that it will be worth economically, he adds.

Image source, bbc

David Stewart welcomes this debate occurring during science week and says Labour will be supporting the government's amendment.

The Labour MSP says the space industry will be worth £40bn by 2030.

He says he has supported a horizontal take off site at Machrihanish, external.

Image source, Discover Space

Image source, bbc

Scotland builds more spacecraft than anywhere else outside of California, Mr Mountain notes.

The UK has the right business environment, industrial capability and geography to succeed he insists.

The Tory MSP says the UK government's strategy includes a £50m programme to benefit space businesses.

"The economic potential is huge."

While Sutherland spaceport is just one small step for the space sector, it could be one giant leap for the Highlands and Islands economy, Mr Mountain suggests.

Regarding the concerns expressed by locals, he calls for the planning decision to be made locally.

Image source, PERFECT CIRCLE

Last July we reported that a remote, boggy stretch of land on the north coast of Scotland was set to become the UK's first spaceport.

The A'Mhoine Peninsula in Sutherland has been chosen as the most suitable place from which to launch rockets vertically to put satellites in orbit.

The UK Space Agency is giving Highlands and Islands Enterprise £2.5m towards the development of the facility.

Image source, Microsoft

Image source, bbc

Tory MSP Edward Mountain welcomes the debate agreeing Scotland is in a unique position to become a leading space nation.

Mr Mountain is delighted that Sutherland will lead the way in becoming the UK's first spaceport.

He argues all the sites that were considered in Scotland can reap the benefits of the space industry.

The Tory MSP insists there are opportunities both in vertical and horizontal take off spaceports.

Image source, Scottish Parliament