Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop highlights Scotland's next census will be held in March 2021, the 17th to be managed independently in Scotland.

We are building a platform to enable people to complete it online, she says, though the paper option will still be available.

No other survey provides the richness and range of information that the census does and it is therefore used to make spending decisions, Ms Hyslop explains.

She says the National Records of Scotland have consulted extensively on the planned changes to questions which will ensure it continues to collect useful information.

The parliament will be asked to agreed the questions at a later date, she adds.

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MSPs are debating legislation allowing for questions about gender identity to be included in the next census.

The next census is due in 2021, and ministers want to gather extra details about sexual orientation and identity.

MSPs are examining legislation allowing voluntary questions to be included, although there has been disagreement over what people should be asked.

Holyrood's culture committee has raised concerns that the way the bill is worded could cause "confusion".

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MSPs debate the Census (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill for the third and final time.

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Green MSP Alison Johnstone says the Veterans Gateway report stresses the challenges of finance on leaving military life.

Ms Johnstone asks what work is being done to ensure veterans are getting the financial advice they need.

The minister accepts this is an area that has been identified and points to a pilot project at an army base in Scotland with Barclays bank.

Lib Dem MSP Mike Rumbles asks about achieving an equitable level of health services for veterans across Scotland.

All our veterans, regardless of where they live, should have equitable access replies Mr Dey.

The minister confirms he has met with those delivering Veterans First Point services to discuss this and a meeting with NHS Grampian is pending.

He adds he is happy to engage further with the member on this.

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Labour MSP Mark Griffin asks how the government is maintaining the balance between the retention of personnel in the armed forces and creating meaningful pathways into civilian employment.

Mr Griffin also queries how many veterans have been supported into meaningful work via the Work First and Fair Start employment services.

Mr Dey replies he does not believe maintaining the balance between retention and support of the transition to civilian employment run contrary to one another.

The minister says he will get back to the member on the figures requested.

Tory MSP Maurice Corry asks about improving employment routes into emergency services and criminal justice roles.

He also wonders about discussions on veterans' involvement in the four science parks.

Mr Dey says the government is prepared to explore any viable opportunities to promote employment.

We would be happy to engage with this but we would want to see buy-in from the Ministry of Defence, he explains.

He also insists the skills of spouses, not just service leavers, need to be looked at.

Mr Dey says the report from Veterans Commissioner Charlie Wallace paints a positive picture overall about the Scottish government's approach to supporting veterans.

The commissioner is independent from the Scottish government and gives impartial advice on how to improve support for the veterans community.

The veterans minister recognises there are a few recommendations still to be implemented from the report from Mr Wallace's predecessor, Eric Fraser.

Mr Dey accepts there are areas that need improvement and stresses the need to focus on a positive transition into civilian life.

Although the transition process is reserved he pledges to discuss it with his UK counterpart.

He adds the range of support options can be daunting to some and accepts the call for better data.

The minister praises his predecessor Keith Brown for appointing a veterans commissioner, which has contributed to the positive picture he has described.

Mr Dey details the consultation process around the strategy, which heard from veterans champions, charities and veterans across Scotland

The minister says: "Veterans are rarely backwards at coming forward which is a good thing."

This has led to the most comprehensive feedback ever gathered he says.

The UK government is analysing its own consultation and Scotland's, and will report on that this year.

Veterans Minister Graeme Dey begins by saying last November he told MSPs about the launch of the strategy for veterans.

Mr Dey says the strategy was created with the co-operation of the rest of the UK.

He says his priority is to seek to emphasise the positive contribution of veterans.

The veterans minister says today he will update MSPs on progress since the launch of the strategy.

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The veterans strategy, published in November 2018, is a UK-wide document supported by the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments.

It sets out a shared vision and principles with regards to veterans across the country.

But delivery of the strategy will look different in each part of the country, with each government tasked with gathering data to support implementation.

The overarching vision of the strategy was to ensure veterans and their families "transition smoothly back into civilian life and contribute fully to a society that understands and values what they have done and what they have to offer".

Read the strategy., external

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Veterans Minister Graeme Dey will now update MSPs on the veterans strategy.

The UK-wide document was published last November.

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Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur reiterates the point that the largest source of emissions is transport, with the increase of emissions due to international aviation having risen by 181% since 1990.

Mr McArthur asks if the government accepts backing the expansion of Heathrow is incompatible with a climate emergency.

Ms Cunningham says Scotland includes a share of international air and shipping emissions in its figures, unlike many countries.

The minister says the member is right about the increase in aviation emissions, but Scotland is not alone in that.

Howver she stresses the need for good international connectivity and points to carbon sink offsets.

Green MSP Mark Ruskell says this statement is an attempt to explain missing climate targets.

The Scottish government is required by law to set out policies on how to fix this he says, asking when this report is due.

The environment secretary says she will seek to have a conversation with the member on this.

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Labour MSP Claudia Beamish says we face a climate emergency and these figures are a stark reminder of the significant challenges to meet the net-zero target.

The transport emissions rising year on year is completely unacceptable, she says.

The Labour MSP asks why amendments to strengthen low emission zones were blocked by the government.

Ms Cunningham says the Transport Bill is the purview of the transport secretary, but says she will speak to him.

She also pledges to work towards a just transition for workers in the oil and gas industry.

Tory MSP Maurice Golden welcomes the UK government's commitment to net-zero emissions, saying it challenges the rest of the world to follow our lead.

But Scotland's emissions have increased when taking into account the EU emissions trading scheme, he says.

Highlighting the impact of transport on this, he calls for procurement agreements to set a default for electric vehicles.

Ms Cunningham says ETS is based on presumed emissions rather than actual emissions.

She urges the UK government to "think seriously" about the levers which can boost electric vehicle numbers, before highlighting barriers to using procurement in certain ways.

Ms Cunningham welcomes the UK government announcement to legislate for a net-zero target by 2050, following Scotland having set its target for 2040 through amendments to the Climate Change Bill.

The minister calls on the UK government to carry out actions including developing carbon capture, reducing VAT on energy efficiency in homes and backing renewables.

She says the government will have to ramp up Scottish government action too.

The climate change plan will be updated six months after the Climate Change Bill receives Royal Assent, the minister adds.

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Clearer plans are needed on how climate change will be tackled, according to Holyrood's environment committee.

It says the Scottish government needs "well-defined plans" on achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as part of its Climate Change Bill.

The Scottish government has committed to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, five years ahead of the UK as a whole.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has also declared a "climate emergency".

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