"We shouldn't accept for a second that leaving the EU and leaving the single market and customs union is justified," says the Brexit secretary.

He goes on to detail the potential economic impact of no-deal.

The UK government is also making matters worse by refusing to engage with any of the devolved governments in the run-up to 31 October, Mr Russell states.

There have now been 26 meetings of the committee preparing the UK for no-deal exit but Scottish ministers have only been invited to two, he explains.

A no-deal Brexit will not mean the end of the Brexit process and a clean break would not be a clean break at all, he adds.

Mr Russell warns Brexit will make the people of Scotland poorer and cut the country off from the EU mainstream.

The Brexit secretary argues the future wellbeing of Scotland is best served by staying in the EU.

He says there must be a new EU referendum where the SNP will campaign to remain.

Image source, bbc

Tory MSP Murdo Fraser intervenes to say the SNP voted down the withdrawal agreement three times and asks if the SNP will support it if it comes back to the House of Commons.

Mr Russell says he will return to this and argues the prime minister has sent nothing to Brussels for his negotiator to negotiate with.

Even the attorney general has told him a deal is not possible, perhaps the prime minister's brother has told him that too, posits Mr Russell.

The Brexit secretary denies he is weakening the prime minister's hand, because there is nothing in his hand.

Brexit Secretary Mike Russell says this is an opportunity for the Scottish parliament to add its voice to those around the country urging Prime Minister Boris Johnson to step back from no-deal.

He says he hopes the vote tonight will be unanimous, which will send the message that in no circumstances should the UK leave the EU on a no-deal basis.

It would also condemn the Prime Minister’s suspension of the UK Parliament from as early as 9 September until 14 October 2019.

Image source, bbc

Brexit Secretary Mike Russell leads a debate on avoiding a no-deal Brexit.

Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie highlights the high numbers of prisoners who test positive for drugs.

He also points to the success in Portugal after drugs were decriminalised.

The minister agrees innovative responses must be looked at across the UK.

Green MSP Alison Johnstone begins by saying drug deaths are avoidable, yet Scotland has the highest rate of deaths in the EU.

Ms Johnstone welcomes the recognition that this is a public health crisis

She calls for community practices, like the Edinburgh Access Practice, to have the capacity and the resources that they need to continue the fabulous help that they provide.

Image source, bbc

Mr Fitzpatrick also praises the fabulous work of the Edinburgh Access Practice.

The minister pledges to look at good practice in Scotland and where support is needed for these services it will be provided.

He says it is important to ensure best practice is shared across the country.

Labour MSP Monica Lennon says there is a lot to welcome in today's statement, but expresses concern that things are getting worse.

Will the Scottish government legally designate a public health emergency, she asks.

Mr Fitzpatrick says it is an emergency and public health bodies must work together to respond.

But there is no legal mechanism to ensure the UK government responds, as is the case in other countries like Canada, he adds.

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The first meeting of the new Taskforce set up to address drug deaths in Scotland will take place on 17 September 2019.

The group, chaired by Professor Catriona Matheson of the University of Stirling, has 23 members with a broad range of expertise and experience in this field.

The Taskforce will examine the main causes of drug deaths, will promote action to improve health outcomes for people who use drugs, and will advise what changes, in practice or in the law, could help save lives.

The expert group will also consider the impact of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 on taking a public health approach to this emergency, including proposals to provide harm reduction services, such as medically supervised overdose prevention rooms.

The first meeting follows a commitment made in the Programme for Government to spend an additional £20 million over the next two years to reduce the harm caused by drugs.

Image source, bbc

Tory MSP Miles Briggs begins saying everyone agrees a radical approach must be taken to tackle drug deaths and he wishes the new taskforce well.

The Scottish Conservative health spokesperson adds there has been, to date, limited scope for the engagement with those with lived experience.

Mr Briggs asks why there is no mention of education and prevention in his statement.

The minister agrees the involvement of those with lived experience in the taskforce will be crucial and not tokenistic.

Mr Fitzpatrick also agrees about the importance of education.

The public health minister says the fact drugs law is reserved has prevented the Scottish government taking a more public health approach.

Mr Fitzpatrick confirms he has written to the new home secretary to engage on the matter but has not yet received a response.

We need to be open to exploring new ideas which might make a difference, such as safe consumption facilities, he insists.

Image source, bbc

Mr Fitzpatrick says the new taskforce will have the aim of finding ways to reduce the level of drug deaths.

He highlights the new drugs who tsar has been appointed by the Scottish government to advise on policies to tackle the rising number of drugs deaths.

Prof Catriona Matheson's appointment comes ahead of the publication of new figures, which are expected to show drug deaths topped 1,000 last year.

She will chair a new taskforce, announced by ministers in March, to examine Scotland's drugs laws.

Drug legislation is currently reserved to Westminster.

The taskforce will examine the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act and consider if elements of it could be devolved to allow medically-supervised drug consumption rooms - so-called "fix rooms".

What are 'fix rooms'?

Mr Fitzpatrick says Scotland faces a public health emergency and he expresses condolences to all those who have lost a loved one to drugs.

This government and this parliament must work together to address the emergency, he says.

We will continue to press the UK government to work with us to address it, adds the minister.

He says efforts to engage more people with services must be increased and stigma must be reduced.

Image source, Getty Images

The number of drug-related deaths in Scotland soared to 1,187 last year, according to official statistics.

The figure is 27% higher than the previous year, and the highest since records began in 1996.

It means there were more drug-related deaths in Scotland last year than the1,136 alcohol-specific deaths, external.

And the country's drug death rate is now nearly three times that of the UK as a whole, and is higher than that reported for any other EU country.

Read more.

Public Health Minister Joe Fitzpatrick will make a statement on tackling drug deaths.

Rory Cellan-Jones
Technology correspondent

Grimsay in the Outer Hebrides, a three mile-long rocky outcrop linked to Benbecula by a causeway, has just a hundred households - and the best fibre broadband connections in the UK.

Grimsay and Great Bernera, a hundred miles to the north, have both been given full fibre broadband, meaning every home in these tiny remote communities can now get fibre piped right to the door.

This makes them unusual - just 7% of UK homes have access to full fibre, which means we lag far behind many of our European neighbours.

Read more here.

SNP MSP James Dornan asks about financial support from the UK government for the superfast broadband programme.

Connectivity Minister Paul Wheelhouse says all regulatory powers are reserved to the UK Parliament yet the UK government has only committed 3.5% to the R100 programme.

He highlights the UK government has funded over 90% of the broadband programme in Northern Ireland, while Scotland and Wales has largely been ignored.

Tory MSP Jamie Greene says not a penny of the £600m for the programme has been spent by the Scottish government yet and asks when contracts will be signed.

Mr Wheelhouse says R100 contracts will happen by the end of 2019.

Image source, Getty Images

Ministers responsible for the transport, infrastructure and connectivity portfolios now face questions from MSPs.

Click here for the full list of questions., external

Image source, bbc

After lunch, transport portfolio questions takes place.

This will be followed by a statement on tackling drug deaths, which begins at 2.20pm.

Finally, the Scottish government leads a debate on avoiding a no-deal Brexit under any circumstances.

The debate will begin at 2.50pm.