MSPs have approved Nicola Sturgeon's appointments of new cabinet secretaries and ministers.

Here are the headlines:

• MSPs approved the four new cabinet secretaries Angus Robertson, Mairi Gougeon, Keith Brown and Shona Robison
• An amendment from the Lib Dems seeking to delete Mr Robertson's name was defeated
• Alex Cole-Hamilton's amendment received only four votes, 70 against and with 51 abstentions
• The appointment of new ministers Mairi McAllan, George Adam and Tom Arthur were also approved
• The first minister may now invite the Queen to approve her appointments
• There were two urgent questions on the discharge of patients to care homes and evictions during the Covid pandemic
• MSPs then elected Claire Baker, Jackson Carlaw, Maggie Chapman and Christine Grahame onto the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body (SPCB)

That's all from us on the live page today. Please take care and stay safe.

A busy session ends with the election of the four members to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB).

The vote was: Yes -113, No - 1.

Claire Baker, Jackson Carlaw, Maggie Chapman and Christine Grahame have all been elected and are congratulated on their appointment.

MSP will now elect members to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB).

The SPCB is essentially Holyrood's management team.

It makes sure the parliament:

• has everything it needs to run
• provides support to MSPs to enable them to carry out their parliamentary duties.

Image source, Reuters

This includes property, services and staff.

It makes decisions on:

• budgets
• staffing
• accommodation
• security

It is chaired by the presiding officer and includes four elected members. Each of the elected members takes a lead interest in specific issues.

New Green MSP Ariane Burgess asks the Scottish government what plans it has to protect private tenants from eviction while the Covid-19 restrictions remain in place.

An existing ban, extended in September 2020, was extended until the end of March 2021.

John Swinney takes the question, saying that it has been made clear during the pandemic that landlords are flexible and work with tenants to prevent evictions where possible.

He cites the temporary emergency legislation and the ban of evictions in level three and four areas and says these have been extended until at least September this year. He says strong homeless support is available where alternatives cannot be found.

Ms Burgess replies by saying that we are still in a public health emergency and evicting people who have not been able to work or earn in the pandemic is extremely unfair.

Mr Swinney agrees that the impact of the pandemic is still with us and says there are many mechanisms in place to help avoid evictions.

Ms Burgess adds that Scotland is years behind other European countries on tenants' rights and asks about delivering a better deal for renters after the pandemic.

Mr Swinney says he is happy to work together to improve renters rights.

Read more: Ministers urged to ban 'reckless' evictions over rent arrears

New Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart answers, saying: "We welcome the Mental Welfare Commission report and we expect its recommendations to be addressed in full."

Mr Stewart says the rights of patients should be first and foremost and adds that the government is working with health and social care partnerships to improve the process of discharges.

Ms Webber says the report made for "some distressing reading" as it found that hundreds of people were moved from hospital to care homes, without due consent, at the start of the pandemic.

It also highlighted "endemic poor practice", says the Tory MSP, as well as "confusion over the legal rights of adults with incapacity" and most worryingly that at least 20 of these transfers were unlawful.

Mr Stewart says this has been investigated by the Mental Welfare Commission and he says the government will accept all its recommendations.

The new minister points out clinicians believed the best possible outcome for patients was to discharge them from hospital.

Mr Stewart accepts the government has made "mistakes" and pledges there will be a public inquiry.

Lessons will be learned he insists.

Tory MSP Sue Webber asks the Scottish government whether it will comment on the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland’s report “Authority to discharge”, showing unlawful transfers of adults with incapacity from hospitals to care homes during the early stages of the pandemic.

Legal concerns have been raised over the movement of hospital patients into care homes in Scotland at the height of the Covid pandemic.

The Mental Welfare Commission studied a sample of discharges when someone did not have the capacity to decide for themselves.

They found some cases where there was no legal authority for the move.

The commission also said it had found "endemic" examples of poor practice.

• Read more here
• More than 400 care homes investigated over deaths
• Government 'failed' social care sector during pandemic
• The full picture of Covid-linked deaths in Scotland's care homes

Image source, Getty Images/PA

Image source, Scottish Parliament

MSPs also approve the appointment of three new ministers.

• Mairi McAllan, who was previously part of Ms Sturgeon's team of special advisers, became the new minister for environment, biodiversity and land reform.
• George Adam, who has been an MSP since 2011 and was the SNP group chief whip at Holyrood, was made the new minister for parliamentary business.
• Tom Arthur, who had been deputy whip, was given the role of public finance minister

The Lib Dem amendment is rejected and the two motions from the first minister are agreed to.

The first minister may now invite the Queen to approve her appointments.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Scottish Parliament

MSPs approve Nicola Sturgeon's four new faces in the cabinet.

They are:

• Angus Robertson as cabinet secretary for the constitution, external affairs and culture
• Keith Brown as justice secretary
• Mairi Gougeon as rural affairs secretary
• Shona Robison as cabinet secretary for social justice, housing and local government

The result of Alex Cole-Hamilton's amendment objecting to the appointment of a constitution secretary is in.

Four people voted yes, 70 voted no and 51 did not vote.

The first minister turns first to the comments by Lib Dem Alex Cole-Hamilton and his amendment seeking to delete Angus Robertson from the motion.

Ms Sturgeon insists her appointments underpin the priorities of Covid recovery and tackling the climate emergency.

She adds that the constitution portfolio is not new and points out that the constitution is not just about independence.

It is also about making sure that Scotland's voice is heard and is protected from the Tory Westminster "power grab" on this parliament, she tells the chamber.

She reiterates that Covid recovery is her priority but she says giving people the opportunity to choose indyref2 is her party's policy and it was the SNP who were victorious in the election.

Patrick Harvie begins by congratulating all those who have been appointed and reappointed to ministerial office.

The Scottish Greens co-leader thanks those who are leaving office, although he says the less he says about Fergus Ewing the better.

He says the Greens will support both motions and defends the appointment of Angus Robertson as constitution secretary.

Mr Harvie asks if the Lib Dems are seriously saying nobody should do the job.

"I hope Angus Robertson will advance the case for a referendum and the Greens will work towards that goal as well."

He points out the "dysfunctional" constitutional relations and warns it is the UK government that presents barriers to it.

A self-isolating Anas Sarwar beams in from Glasgow.

He pays tribute to departing ministers and welcomes the new appointments.

He says John Swinney must "do a better job of managing this proclaimed national mission of national recovery than the last proclaimed mission of the last parliament".

He says Ms Somerville has a huge task of rebuilding trust in our education sector and delivering the catch-up all children need, as well as averting an exam crisis this summer.

He implies that Angus Robertson may "believe himself to be the deputy" and says he has less of an issue with the ministerial title than other parties.

He says his party will be watching to ensure the government does not "take the eye off the ball" on recovery.

Nicola Sturgeon yesterday unveiled her new cabinet team, with several new faces being appointed to ministerial roles.

Shirley-Anne Somerville has been named as the country's new education secretary, with Humza Yousaf moving from justice to health.

Finance Secretary Kate Forbes will take on an expanded role which will also give her responsibility for the economy brief.

And Angus Robertson has been appointed as the constitution, external affairs and culture secretary - which is likely to be a key role as the Scottish government pushes for a second independence referendum.

Today Ms Sturgeon will seek the approval of MSPs for her new faces in the cabinet and as junior ministers.

• Read more here
• John Swinney to be minister for Covid recovery
• What is in Nicola Sturgeon's in-tray?
• Look back on how Sturgeon's reshuffle unfolded

Image source, bbc

It is now the turn of Tory MSP Jackson Carlaw, who will deliver his speech with tongue firmly in cheek.

Mr Carlaw carries on the tradition set by the late David McLetchie and sets aside the more serious elements of politics for a light-hearted speech.

He quips to both Fiona Hyslop and Fergus Ewing that "they can yet be the future once again".

As ever, Mr Carlaw receives a number of laughs during his speech and no-one in the cabinet is safe from his jokes.

Mr Cole-Hamilton says that mental health and social care, combined into one junior ministerial role, should have been elevated to cabinet level, given the severity of problems in those areas.

He goes on to praise the other appointments, in particular Kate Forbes and Humza Yousaf, and welcoming Shirley-Anne Somerville to her education role.

He says each minister carries a weight of hope and expectation and wishes them all well, asking them to "make good choices".

Alex Cole-Hamilton is called on to move the amendment.

The LibDem MSP says there are days in the parliament that carry a certain gravity beyond those of normal business. He says on days like this it is incumbent to put aside any ill-feeling and wish good fortune on those appointed to high office.

But he says the Liberal Democrats cannot support the appointment of a cabinet secretary for the constitution.

He says that on Tuesday the first minister signalled a welcome change in tone and direction with her first act to create a ministerial office dedicated to the national recovery from Covid-19.

But he says this was "immediately undermined" by her appointment by a cabinet secretary who will exist to advance the cause of independence.

He says big questions face the country - mental health, drugs deaths emergency, climate and he says that "not one minute" of ministerial or civil service time should be afforded to the independence brief.

Ms Sturgeon explains the climate emergency led her to appoint a cabinet secretary for net zero to help meet the critical target.

The first minister says Michael Matheson will deliver the necessary "transformational change".

Image source, PA Media

The first minister says: "Angus will also be charged with fulfilling the government's manifesto commitment, also endorsed by the electorate, in our election victory, of ensuring that Scotland's future is in Scotland's hands and that after the Covid crisis the people of Scotland will have the opportunity to choose our future."

Ms Sturgeon continues talking about the rest of her cabinet and junior ministers.

Shirley-Anne Somerville has been named as the country's new education secretary, with Humza Yousaf moving from justice to health.

Mr Yousaf has been replaced as justice secretary by Keith Brown.

Finance Secretary Kate Forbes will take on an expanded role which will also give her responsibility for the economy brief.

It was announced on Tuesday that Deputy First Minister John Swinney would be given a new role with responsibility for co-ordinating the country's recovery from the Covid pandemic

• Read more here