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Business Minister Jamie Hepburn says this is a small but important bill which will create Consumer Scotland.

This will be a body that can unite a fragmented landscape, deal with data and focus on finding solutions for consumers, he argues.

The minister believes Consumer Scotland can add genuine value to the current system.

He believes it will allow a big picture view of the consumer landscape in Scotland.

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MSPs will now debate the Consumer Scotland Bill, external for the first time.

Written responses on the bill have been published here, external.

Click here for our coverage of the evidence session with Citizens Advice Scotland, as well as bureau representatives.

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The financial challenges facing Scotland's colleges are intensifying, according to the public spending watchdog.

Audit Scotland says most colleges are forecasting deficits in the next five years.

The Scottish government says it has invested heavily in colleges.

Last week colleges warned that an improved pay offer to settle an industrial dispute would need to be paid for by cuts and savings.

Read more here.

Further Education Minister Richard Lochhead says further education operates on a complex and changing financial environment, particularly in light of Brexit uncertainty.

The SFC will continue to monitor the finances of individual institutions, he adds.

Mr Halcro Johnston asks about funding for colleges, expressing concern lifelong learning ambitions will be watered down.

Mr Lochhead says there is the potential for a world leading college sector in Scotland.

He urges the Tory MSP to come forward with proposals on college funding as part of the budget negotiations.

Tory MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston asks what assessment the government has made of the financial sustainability of the further education sector.

Education Secretary John Swinney says we are clear that no teacher should have to suffer abuse in the workplace.

Mr Swinney cites programmes in place to encourage good behaviour management.

Mr Corry says the NASUWT has said 85% of teachers believe there is a widespread problem with pupil behaviour and the SSTA says indiscipline has increased due to the reduction in teacher support numbers.

The education secretary says he has discussed these issues with the NASUWT in the last year and he says he thinks the union agrees the majority of pupils behave well.

Where there is bad behaviour it must be addressed by the policies set out, he adds.

The minister insists we are at a ten year high of teacher numbers and assures Mr Corry the policy framework is in place to make sure schools are well informed to deescalate incidents.

Tory MSP Maurice Corry asks what steps the Scottish governent is taking to address the reported rise in disruptive incidents caused by pupils in schools, and the impact that this has on teaching staff.

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Read all the questions here., external

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Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing has announced a cap of £55,000 which will be applied to the Basic Payment element of the convergence funding allocation.

The introduction of the cap follows the previous announcement that an additional £10 million for those farming and crofting on the most challenging land in 2019-2020 will be allocated to those that need it most across Regions 2 and 3.

70% of the funding will go to Region 3 and 30% will got to Region 2.

The minister also confirmed there will be no change to the Voluntary Coupled Support component, which will be retained at £15 million for 2019-2020, or the component for businesses farming Scotland’s most constrained land, which is £13 million.

The initial £80 million of convergence, external funding was announced to support active farming, with a focus on those who farm in our marginal uplands, hill farms and island areas.

This included £52 million to be paid across Basic Payment Support regions.Further support for farmers and crofters, including redistribution of an additional £10 million for 2019-2020 was announced on 5 November 2019.

Lib Dem MSP Mike Rumbles says the UK government said it would continue funding at the same level every year until 2024.

Has the Scottish government received no commitment in writing on this, he asks.

Mr Ewing confirms no assurance has been received in writing, but he accepts that this has been reported in the news.

Green MSP John Finnie asks how the Scottish government will assess the impact of monies directed towards addressing emissions.

It is for farmers and crofters to assess how they use their funds, replies the cabinet secretary.

We believe there is a strong case for the farmers advisory service to provide support and we are looking carefully about what more farmers can do to tackle climate change, he adds.

Labour MSP Colin Smyth says the cabinet secretary got it wrong when he first made his announcement of £80m funding.

He urges the cabinet secretary to rule out "raiding this fund again" and find the budget from elsewhere.

Mr Ewing says he delivered on his promise to win the convergence campaign and he refutes the suggestion the government got it wrong.

Substantial modelling was carried out, he says, and alternative proposals were put out.

Mr Ewing replies he is delighted the Scottish government was able to do what it has done on funding, because the UK government finally admitted the error of its ways about withholding £160m from Scotland's farmers and crofters for six years.

The rural economy secretary says there is no Brexit deal on farming, if there is not a trade deal there will be tax on exports to the EU on sheep meat of 40%.

He also cites concerns about standards and argues until the huge uncertainties about Brexit are resolved certainty on funding cannot be provided to farmers and crofters.

Tory MSP Peter Chapman says the SNP has done all it can to make a Brexit deal harder for three years.

The minister has wasted three years when he should have been planning a system of support tailor-made to meet the needs of Scottish agriculture, the Tory MSP argues.

The expensive ID system still does not work five years on, he adds, and he says in the past this system has had farmers in despair.

He asks if £42m of the remaining £70m of convergence funding will be used to fill the shortfall in LFASS payments next year even though this should come from the Scottish government's budget.

Mr Ewing says farmers and crofters will also receive historic funding of £160m, after years of campaigning by this government and NFU Scotland.

This will be split between this year and next year, he explains.

Originally it was going to be an equal split of £80m each year, but now an extra £10m will be allocated in 2019/20 to those that need it most in regions 2 and 3 he explains.

This funding will be paid by the end of March in addition to Pillar 1 payments, he adds.

Mr Ewing says there will be a cap of £55,000 for any payment.

The minister says there will be £640m total support in this CAP payment year for farmers and crofters.

Mr Ewing confirms the IT system is working and stable, with £409m of greening payments having been paid out.

There are fewer payments left to be made than in previous years he explains.

The minister says the final 23 complex claims outstanding from 2018 will be prioritised.

Of the claims to be paid by June this year, 69% have already been paid he adds.

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Last October we reported upland and marginal farmers will benefit most from £160m of backdated subsidy for the agriculture sector.

The money is the first half of EU convergence funding which was meant to increase support levels in Scotland but was instead distributed across the UK.

Scottish ministers insist the new allocation adheres to the spirit of where the original money was intended.

But NFU Scotland said the funding allocation is a "missed opportunity" which is just plugging a funding gap.

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Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing says he is determined to do all he can to provide financial stability for farmers and crofters, but the UK government seems to be determined to prevent this.

Mr Ewing says despite Brexiteer promises about improving on CAP the UK government has only detailed £472m for 2019 payments.

"Far from a Brexit bonus we face a Brexit boomerang."

He says he throws out his requests for financial clarity and certainty, and the UK government throws back nothing.

Instead of the certainty of EU funding, farmers and crofters will have to wait to hear from the UK government yearly, he says.

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Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing will now deliver a ministerial statement on providing financial stability for Scotland’s farmers and crofters.