Deputy First Minister John Swinney was at the helm of FMQs today, as Nicola Sturgeon is in France to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day
Mr Swinney faced questions from Ruth Davidson, Richard Leonard, Patrick Harvie and Willie Rennie
MSPs asked about children at Dungavel, the £1bn shortfall in income tax receipt forecast, and Scottish women's football
Ms Davidson asks if it is not time for ministers to face up to the challenges in schools and not deny they exist.
Mr Swinney accuses Ms Davidson of making up a moan fest to bring to parliament while he was concentrating on his education brief.
Image source, bbcMs Davidson cites a Tory Freedom of Information request which showed of 238 schools 112 have classes where there are three qualification levels being taught in the same classroom.
She says there are a further 11 schools where four levels are taught and calls on the DFM to act on the evidence her party has garnered.
The deputy first minister argues we are now seeing rising attainment, an improvement in the destinations available to young people and increased resources going to education.
Ruth Davidson goes on education and combined multi-level teaching.
Mr Swinney also pays tribute to the veterans of D-Day and explains Ms Sturgeon is in France to mark the anniversary.
The deputy first minister accepts there is an active debate about subject choices.
Ms Davidson adds that the EIS says there has been an explosion in combined classes and details organisations who have concerns about this.
Mr Swinney replies the evidence is substantial that education in Scotland is improving..
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Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson begins by telling the chamber Nicola Sturgeon is in France to mark the 75th anniversary of D-day.
Ms Davidson says, in terms of veterans, "All of us owe them a debt we can never repay."
Ms Sturgeon attended a memorial service at the cathedral in Bayeux.
It was the first city in France to be liberated by the invasion.
The First Minister has travelled to France to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-day landings.
It means Nicola Sturgeon's deputy, John Swinney, will be standing in for her at First Minister's Questions at Holyrood today.
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A lone piper has played in northern France to mark the time the first British troops landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-day 75 years ago.
Pipe Major Trevor Macey-Lillie, from East Ayrshire, performed on a piece of Mulberry Harbour, the huge sections brought from the UK to make a port.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon attended a memorial service at the cathedral in Bayeux.
It was the first city in France to be liberated by the invasion.
John Swinney will step in for Nicola Sturgeon today
Image source, bbcKevin Stewart
Kevin Stewart replies he is aware of these media reports about the increase in the number of rats in Glasgow.
Dealing with this is the responsibility of local authorities, adds the local government minister.
Ms Lamont says there is clearly a serious problem here and blames the cuts she says the government have made to council budgets impacting on frontline services.
Mr Stewart repudiates that assertion and insists the Scottish government has been extremely fair in terms of local government funding.
Labour MSP Johann Lamont asks the Scottish government what its response is to reports that Glasgow City Council has received more than 14,000 requests to deal with rats since 2016.
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Image source, bbc/PA/SP/Getty imagesClick here for a full list of all the questions for this week., external
Coming up in the chamber...............
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Sometimes the courts don't appreciate cases we bring, says the Lord Advocate.
Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton asks how many times reasonable chastisement is used as a defence.
Not many, replies Anne Marie Hicks, although she doesn't have numbers.
The evidence session draws to a close.
Ms Hicks details cases where the background and all circumstances are taken into account, for example family pressure.
The COPFS rep says: "We don't look through the narrow lens of what was an individual act."
Lord Wolffe agrees, and says it is the detail that dictates disposal of the case and the decision of whether to prosecute or not.
Image source, GETTY IMAGESLegislation banning smacking children in Scotland won the backing of a Holyrood committee earlier this year.
A majority of members on the equalities committee backed a bill, put forward by Green MSP John Finnie, to give children "equal protection from assault".
The group's report said that the right to family life does not include "a right to hit children".
The Conservative MSPs on the committee dissented from the report, saying they were "unconvinced" by the bill.
Mr Finnie said he was "delighted" with the support, saying that "prohibiting physical punishment will bring substantial benefits for individuals and society".
Alex Cole-Hamilton asks if this will see the criminalisation of many hundreds of parents, which presupposes that many people are using the defence of reasonable chastisement at the moment.
The Lord Advocate says that is unknown, but adds there may be an increase in reporting due to the publicity around the law, but it may change behaviour in the other direction.
Ms Hicks says where this has happened elsewhere you don't see significant increases in the number of prosecutions.
She reiterates the point that the bill is saying this is not an appropriate way to chastise your children.
Anne Marie Hicks from COPFS explains this bill is not being introduced to increase the number of people in court, it is about saying you cannot use physical punishment on your child.
Physical violence used as a punishment right now could be an assault, the bill will just remove the statutory offence, she adds.
Tory MSP Oliver Mundell says by removing that defence you are creating a new category of behaviour that is criminal.
Yes one has to be clear about that, replies the Lord Advocate, adding that defence will be removed.