Image source, bbc

Mr Swinney says £1.6m was given to councils to help prepare for no-deal.

A further £7m will be made immediately available for the most vulnerable if we exit with no-deal on 31 October, he reiterates.

The deputy first minister points out the level of engagement by the UK government has been inadequate, with no update on Operation Yellowhammer document since early August.

The document, marked as "Official Sensitive" and dated 2 August 2019, outlines a series of "reasonable worst-case planning assumptions".

Tomorrow an online tool and accompanying report will be published to highlight the most vulnerable communities should Brexit happen, with or without a deal, the deputy first minister says.

Mr Swinney says a "rapid poverty mitigation fund" will be created, available to local authorities, to ensure the people most in need of help can get it if no-deal occurs.

We are also giving the farming and crofting community certainty by making basic payment scheme loans, he adds.

He says Marine Scotland will continue to enforce fisheries legislation to protect environment standards and maintain stock.

On medicines, Mr Swinney points to a shortage response group which will recommend action should issues emerge.

Mr Swinney says the government is putting in place a range of measures to help mitigate a no-deal Brexit, including:

• in the event of increased traffic flows between Northern Ireland and Scotland, the disused port at Stranraer will be re-purposed
• helping SMEs to prepare for EU exit, with plans to allow more flexible operations
• providing online information and support
• making £1.5m in grants available to help SMEs
• COSLA working with enterprise agencies on how to support businesses

Mr Swinney says the Scottish government is working closely with resilience partners at national and local level, including Police Scotland, local government and NHS.

Over 200 legislative instruments are needed to ensure the statute book is ready before Brexit and the vast majority are in place, he confirms.

There is an increased risk that we may have to respond to concurrent serious events, such as weather-related issues, he warns.

Mr Swinney says a no-deal exit has the potential to generate a significant economic shock that could tip Scotland into recession and push thousands of people into poverty.

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Deputy First Minister John Swinney says Boris Johnson's proposed deal is a step backward and is making demands of the EU it cannot accept.

Mr Swinney adds that while the House of Commons has created law to prevent a no-deal Brexit, the UK government has said it will go out of its way to thwart that.

He tells MSPs we must do what we can to prepare for a no-deal Brexit, which is why the Scottish government is publishing its overview of no-deal preparations today, external.

Image source, PA Media

A No 10 source has said a Brexit deal is "essentially impossible" after a call between the PM and Angela Merkel.

Boris Johnson and the German chancellor spoke earlier about the proposals he put forward to the EU - but the source said she made clear a deal based on them was "overwhelmingly unlikely".

The BBC's Adam Fleming said there was "scepticism" within the EU that Mrs Merkel would have used such language.

And the EU's top official warned the UK against a "stupid blame game".

Read more here.

Image source, PA Media

Deputy First Minister John Swinney will now set out how the Scottish government has prepared for a possible no-deal Brexit.

The UK is set to leave the European Union at the end of the month.

A deal with the EU has not yet been agreed, though the prime minister set out his proposals last week.

The European Council meets on 17-18 October 2019, external to formally discuss plans.

Labour MSP Colin Smyth says the government should publish the extent to which Prestwick relies on the US military use of the airport for refueling.

Mr Matheson replies there will always be commercial information around the airport that cannot be revealed.

Tory MSP Jamie Greene agrees Prestwick is vital to the Ayrshire economy, but he asks when it will become privately owned again and asks is he happy that the US military is a key part of success.

The transport secretary says it remains his desire to return the airport to the public sector.

Tory MSP Edward Mountain asks which company will buy Prestwick Airport.

Mr Matheson says such information is subject to commercial confidentiality, though will be available in due course.

Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie says it is "offensive" for a Scottish publicly owned asset to be effectively subsidising the military of "a dangerous far right regime".

The cabinet secretary it is not subsidising anything as it runs on a commercial basis.

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Transport Secretary Michael Matheson insists standard practice is being followed.

Mr Rumbles says that it is not good enough to hide behind the fact that Prestwick is an arms-length organisation.

He says reports from the US says $17m of fuel has been used at Prestwick and he asks when the cabinet secretary knew about this.

Mr Matheson replies to suggest the government is hiding behind state aid rules is absolute nonsense.

The government cannot be involved in Glasgow Prestwick Airport commercial decisions, he reiterates.

According to The Scotsman..., external

"The state-owned Glasgow Prestwick Airport is waiving service fees for inbound US military aircraft as part of an alleged practice designed to increase traffic at the beleaguered airport and safeguard its lucrative commercial relationship with the US Defence Department, multiple sources familiar with its operations have told The Scotsman.

"The heavily-indebted airport, which is at the centre of a US Congressional investigation over the US military’s financial ties with Prestwick and President Donald Trump’s nearby Trump Turnberry resort, is alleged to have waived the so-called service fees for several hundred flights by branches of the US Armed Forces."

Lib Dem MSP Mike Rumbles seeks confirmation of the amount of service fees reportedly waived by Prestwick airport for the US military.

Natural Environment Minister Mairi Gougeon says the decline in biodiversity is being taken seriously, and the government is looking at what more can be done and what can be done differently.

She points to a new biodiversity frameworks being developed for post-2020, plus funding.

Ms Beamish says we are failing to "get to grips with the biodiversity crisis" and highlights the likelihood of 13 targets not being met.

The minister says we are on target to meet seven of the targets, but accepts more must be done.

She also points to consultations on four new marine protection areas which will support biodiversity in marine environments, as well as various other forthcoming biodiversity consultations and frameworks.

Kevin Keane
BBC Scotland environment correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The abundance of species in Scotland is falling at a faster rate than the UK as a whole, according to a detailed study.

The State of Nature 2019 Scotland report found that average numbers across 352 species of mammals, birds, butterflies and moths had fallen 24% since 1994.

The UK-wide figure, which drew on data from more species, saw only a 13% drop.

Centuries of habitat loss through development and a rapid increase in climate change are being blamed.

Read more.

Labour MSP Claudia Beamish requests a response to State of Nature 2019 Scotland report.

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Labour MSP Neil Findlay raises an objection to Graeme Dey's parliamentary bureau motion and says on 26 June the health secretary told MSPs she welcomed the offer of Dr Dionysios Veronikis to come to Scotland.

Mr Findlay says Dr Veronikis has withdrawn his offer due to the "dreadful" way he has been treated by Scottish government officials.

The Scottish government has said it hopes the expert mesh surgeon will reinstate his offer to visit Scotland to help patients with the implants.

Dr Veronikis said he had withdrawn his offer of help as he did not have time for games and "interminable discussions".

Mr Findlay calls on the health secretary to give a statement in Holyrood, saying she must be held to account when there is bad news.

Mr Dey acknowledges this subject is extremely important but he declines to comment on stories in the media.

He explains the parliamentary timetable is extremely constrained due to the Transport Bill Stage 3 proceedings.

Reverend Gordon Kennedy from Craiglockhart Parish Church is delivery today's time for reflection.