Image source, Lloyds

Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) has announced plans to create 500 high-skilled jobs at a new digital tech hub in Edinburgh.

The bank has started recruiting software engineers and data scientists for the hub, which will be based at its Scottish Widows' headquarters.

The new roles will be phased in over the next 18 months.

LBG said it was responding to a shift in customer behaviour towards digital services.

Read more here.

Tory MSP Gordon MacDonald asks what the Scottish government's position is on the creation of 500 highly-skilled tech jobs in Edinburgh by Lloyds Banking Group.

• SNP MSP Maureen Watt asks whether the devolved administrations have been involved in the latest Brexit deal. The first minister confirms the Scottish government was not consulted in advance of Mrs May's statement yesterday.
• Tory MSP Maurice Corry asks about ensuring veterans skills are used. The Scottish government is doing a great amount of work to support out veterans, replies Ms Sturgeon.

• Tory MSP Graham Simpson says the Scottish Land Commission has reported on land value capture.The first minister says the government will consider the Scottish Land Commission's recommendations.

• Labour MSP Jenny Marra raises the interim report on mental health in Tayside and calls for the board to be escalated back to Level 5 and halt service redesign.The first minister replies the HIS report also addressed patient safety and NHS Tayside is undertaking work emerging from that. Ms Sturgeon says her thought with all families that have been affected and reiterates the mental health minister's pledge to ensure the appropriate standards of safety are maintained.

• Green MSP John Finnie points to the BBC Panorama programme highlighting concerns in the fish farming industry. Ms Sturgeon says she recognises concerns about sustainability with aquaculture and agrees it must be done within regulatory frameworks.
• Labour MSP Monica Lennon calls for meats with nitrates to not be served in schools. The first minister says the government is committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of children and regulations help to ensure this.

• Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur raises concerns about undercover police operations and document handling in 2011. Mr McArthur asks the first minister whether a Pitchford-type of inquiry, external is necessary. The first minister says an external police force will be investigating and it would be wrong to preempt that investigation.

• SNP MSP Keith Brown asks about extensive delays to the Airwave system and its impact on emergency services and asks if the first minister agrees the Tories should not run infrastructure projects. The first minister says these matters should be controlled by this parliament.

• SNP MSP Shona Robison highlights a UN report on UK poverty and seeks a response. Ms Sturgeon says the report is "shocking" and should "shame every member of the UK government". She also highlights measures to mitigate cuts made by the UK government.
• Tory MSP Liam Kerr raises the firebombing of a Scottish Conservative councillor, saying it is an "attack on our very democracy". The first minister says she condemns the incident strongly and unreservedly.

Ms Johnstone says the budget has increased from 1.5% to 3% and that is tokenistic.

The Green MSP adds dozens of organisations back a 20mph speed limit.

An investment of £80m a year for active travel is not tokenistic replies Ms Sturgeon.

The first minister pledges to study the Stage One report from the committee on Restricted Roads (20mph speed limit) (Scotland) Bill, external when it is published.

Scottish Green co-leader Alison Johnstone offers her sympathy to the female cyclist killed on the road in Glasgow today.

A fragmented council-by-council approach to safer streets is simply not working, she argues.

The government's target on more people cycling looks more and more unlikely she states.

Ms Sturgeon also pays condolences following the cyclist's death.

She goes on to highlight signs of progress in terms of improving commutes made by bike.

• Tory MSP Jamie Halcro Johnson says Elgin mosque daubed with the swastika and offensive language and calls for no stone to be left unturned in bringing the culprits to justice.The first minister whole heatedly agrees with Mr Halcro Johnson and unreservedly condemns any attack on a mosque or any other place of worship.

• Labour MSP Johann Lamont says she has grave concern about reports there has been an increase in sexual crimes in Glasgow since 2013 and calls for reassurances. Ms Sturgeon answers any increase in sexual crime is of enormous concern and adds some of these figures come from historic crimes and that should be encourage.Survivors of sexual crime must be supported, she adds.

Mr Leonard says Labour will lead a debate next Wednesday on the future of BiFab and the awarding of renewable contracts.

Offshore wind must not mean offshore jobs he says.

Ms Sturgeon says if Mr Leonard wants to discuss the debate motion with the government to discuss its terms, she is happy for that to happen.

BiFab would not exist without the action the government took she insists.

We want to see it succeed and we will do everything within our power the first minister says.

Mr Leonard says it is reported that EDF may be placing these contracts in Indonesia.

The Scottish Labour leader asks what the first minister will do to send a clear message to EDF to get it to stand by its promises to the workers in Fife.

We want to see Scotland treated fairly is the message sent by the Scottish government, Ms Sturgeon insists.

The first minister says the government will continue to work with the unions and others to secure these renewables jobs.

Image source, Getty Images

A union campaign has been launched to save the BiFab construction yards in Fife - which look set to lose out on work for a huge EDF wind farm project.

The Methil and Burntisland yards were mothballed last year having been close to financial collapse.

It is feared a failure to secure contracts for EDF's £2bn project off the Fife coast could kill the yards.

Now unions are calling for a U-turn on plans for the work to be carried out in Indonesia instead of Scotland.

Read more.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard says an STUC report found a third of the jobs promised on renewables had been delivered.

He says it is more essential than ever that the EDF Renewables fabrication contract be awarded to yards and workers in Scotland.

Ms Sturgeon says she fully supports the trade unions campaigning for jobs in these yards.

While she is unable to comment on contracts, she points to her government's previous support for BiFab.

Ms Davidson insists she has never had a problem standing up to the alpha males in her own party and wonders if the first minister has always managed to do the same.

The Scottish Conservative leader says democracy will be fundamentally damaged if a referendum question is asked again at the first opportunity.

Why does Ruth Davidson not want the 62% of Scottish people who voted to remain in the EU to be respected, asks the first minister.

Ms Davidson argues the SNP would trap Scotland in the CFP and give it the Euro.

"We've had enough of referendums," she adds.

It's clear the prime minister has not had enough of referendums, Ms Sturgeon hits back.

Ms Sturgeon insists Mrs May has torpedoed the pitch she did not have for the EU election.