John Swinney has taken questions from opposition party leaders at First Minister's Questions
It was Swinney's first FMQs in the top job - having previously stood in for former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon
Scottish Tory leader challenged the FM on a fall in teacher numbers
The FM said there will be sustained investment in education
Scottish Labour's Anas Sarwar criticised Swinney's previous record as education secretary
Greens co-leader questioned the appointment of Kate Forbes as deputy first minister
Swinney was sworn in as Scotland's seventh first minister on Wednesday
He replaced Humza Yousaf, who resigned in the wake of the collapse of the power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens
That's all from the live page team today. Paul McLaren was the editor. Craig Hutchison and Ashleigh Keenan-Bryce were the writers. You can keep following our main 大象传媒 Scotland News story on the Greens attacking Kate Forbes' appointment at FMQs by clicking here. Have a lovely afternoon.
If you're just joining us, John Swinney has completed his inaugural FMQs in the top job.
Here are the headlines that emerged from it:
Angus Cochrane
大象传媒 Scotland News
Image source, Getty imagesKate Forbes spent the past year on the backbenches following a rapid political rise
As we've been reporting, the appointment of Kate Forbes as Scotland's deputy first minister was raised by Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie at FMQs.
What do we know about her, and why could her return to government be controversial?
Well, Forbes has already experienced the highs and lows of a career at Holyrood in her relatively short time in politics.
She enjoyed a rapid rise to become Scotland's first female finance secretary in 2020, but was narrowly defeated in last year's SNP leadership contest by Humza Yousaf.
The backbench MSP considered another bid for her party's top job to succeed Mr Yousaf but ultimately pulled out and backed John Swinney,who won unopposed.
Having been promised a "significant" role in Mr Swinney's government, Ms Forbes could not have been given a greater position as she returns as his deputy.
Douglas Lumsden says the "extremist Greens have been ditched from government" and he asks if the "damaging policy of presumption against new oil and gas" will also be ditched.
The first minister argues the language used by the Tory MSP is not appropriate.
Swinney insists the government will deliver a just transition from the oil and gas sector.
Pauline McNeill then asks the FM: "Does the first minister agree, that not withstanding the independence of the Crown Office, that they should be fully accountable for the miscarriages of justice in Scotland, because they didn't provide checks and balances that they should have.
"They chose to continue to prosecute cases in five years, never wrote to a single victim or attempted to overturn any of those convictions until now," adds the Labour MSP
She calls for the Lord Advocate to come to the chamber to answer further questions.
John Swinney says he will relay the points Pauline McNeill has made to the Lord Advocate.
Labour MSP Pauline McNeil asks for a response to reports that the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service continued to prosecute postmasters when there was evidence that the Horizon computer system used by the Post Office was flawed.
The first minister points out the Lord Advocate and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service are rightly independent of government.
Swinney says: "The Post Office have at best obfuscated and at worse hidden issues with Horizon."
Conservative MSP Jamie Greene asks the first minister for an update on the Scottish government's progress towards its target to increase residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation beds in Scotland to 650 by 2026.
The first minister says 拢38m has been committed for the development and expansion of facilities at eight residential projects across the country.
He says: "Investment in these capacity projects alone will provide an increase of at least 140 beds by 2025/26, boosting the rehab capacity in Scotland from 425 to 565, up over 30%."
He adds that, with continued investment in the sector, he expects increased bed numbers and the ability to meet their target of 50% increase by 2026 as well as his intention to commission a formal audit of beds in 2025 to provide an authoritative guide on progress towards the target.
The Scottish Greens co-leader says he is not sure if Swinney understands just how worried many LGBT people and others are in Scotland at the moment.
Patrick Harvie points out Kate Forbes has also criticised the role of progressive fairer taxation.
Will the Scottish government continue towards progressive taxation or will Swinney give in to the right of the party, he asks.
John Swinney insists Kate Forbes delivered progressive taxation when she was finance secretary.
"When I say that I want to be the first minister for everyone in Scotland I deeply mean that," he adds.
The first minister says: "I want to lead a modern, dynamic and diverse Scotland. A place for everybody."
The first minister replies that his government will be lead by the moderate left of centre position he has always had.
"I offer myself to be the first minister for everyone in Scotland," he says.
Patrick Harvie is next up, and he refers to the cabinet reshuffle which put Kate Forbes in the role of deputy first minister.
The Scottish Greens co-leader says: "Progressive ministers sacked and the second most powerful job in government given to someone who has opposed LGBT peoples' legal equality, who has expressed judgemental attitudes against abortion and has even expressed the view that people that have families without being married are doing something wrong."
"Is this the Scottish government's vision for the future of Scotland, taking us back to the repressive values of the 1950s," Harvie asks.
"I've got good news for Anas Sarwar." says Swinney "The fresh leadership has just arrived - and I'm here to deliver it."
This prompts laughter and applause from various sides of the chamber, to which the first minister responds: "They're delighted I'm here to do it, that's why they're laughing. They're over the moon I'm here, they sent me here, they were all behind it."
Swinney adds the people of Scotland have also sent him to this point because he has won every election which has had his name listed on the ballot paper.
Sarwar lists key points of Swinney's career in prior ministerial portfolios.
"And now, as first minister, he is trapped by the past, defending his own record as Scotland's children pay the price."
He says to unlock the potential of our nation, Scotland needs fresh ideas and change.
He asks the first minister: "After being at the heart of every SNP failure for the past 17 years, why does John Swinney think Scotland should accept more of the same?"
The first minister says it's very important we have an open discussion about the issues facing local authorities, citing Glasgow's "equal pay disgrace", when the Labour party ran the city council.
"Women in our society for many, many years persistently were let down.
"The Labour party, when they ran Glasgow City Council, went to the courts to challenge the legitimate claims of low paid women in the city of Glasgow. It's something the Labour party should be utterly ashamed of."
He says he understands the challenges currently facing Glasgow City Council, which is why he will engage constructively with the council and Cosla when they meet on Friday.
Sarwar says John Swinney needs to "confront the challenges he created" over the last 17 years in local government and education.
He says the cut in teacher numbers by the city of Glasgow will hit deprived communities the hardest.
"The very same working class kids," he says "whose grades John Swinney as education secretary attempted to downgrade shamefully during the Covid exams scandal."
"Don't give us the warm words, don't try and explain away the record. Tell the pupils, their parents and their teachers - what are you going to do to protect their education?"
The first minister addresses Sarwar's earlier comments on the events of the last two weeks being damaging for the SNP.
Swinney says: "The events have been frankly traumatic for my party. I accept that. And they have had everything to do with running the country.
"I am now here to lead this government and to lead it with the firmness of direction it needs to address the problems facing the country and to achieve our objectives."
He goes on to address Sarwar's question on teaching standards, echoing his remarks made to Douglas Ross, adding he will work with local governments to deliver education
He says: "I will be meeting with the leadership of the Scottish Convention of Local Authorities, immediately after the first meeting of the cabinet because I put the greatest importance on working in partnership with our local authorities."
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar begins his questions to the first minister by echoing Douglas Ross's comments on falling teacher numbers in Scotland since 2007.
He says despite the SNP's claims of fully funding councils, the SNP-led Glasgow council has cut 172 teachers this year and 450 teachers over the next three years.
Sarwar asks the first minister a "direct and simple question"
"Will he step in, save these teachers jobs and protect young people's education?"
John Swinney again turns to listing the achievements his government have made in education.
The first minister says: "We're under enormous financial pressure."
He pledges to be straight with the public about the challenges his government face.
Douglas Ross argues there are 250 fewer teachers in Scotland than two years ago.
The Scottish Tory leader adds: "Teacher numbers across Scotland are falling under an SNP government."
He calls on John Swinney to be honest and give a straight answer.
Ross again asks if Swinney will stick to the commitment of increasing teacher numbers by 3,500.
The Scottish Tory leader asks his question on teacher numbers for a third time, hoping for a response.
Douglas Ross again attacks the SNP's record on education.
The first minister points to the pressuree on public finances again.
"I have to live in the real world of the public finances available to me," John Swinney adds.
He insists teacher numbers rose when he was education secretary.