Alex Salmond offers to help Holyrood inquiry access disputed Scottish Government documents

Nicola Sturgeon ’s nationwide house visiting ban.Alister Jack, who is Boris Johnson ’s Scottish Secretary, said he would have preferred England-style local lockdowns north of the border to a national approach.He said he felt sorry for the parts of Scotland that are witnessing low levels of covid-19 infections.Addressing MSPs yesterday, Sturgeon announced a national ban on visiting other people’s homes in a bid to stem the rise of coronavirus infections.She extended a restriction that has been in

Nicola Sturgeon has been given assurances by the UK Government that access to testing will not be restricted in Scotland while a backlog of cases is dealt with south of the Border. The SNP leader said today she had held constructive talks with Matt Hancock, the UK health secretary, on the subject as public demand for Covid tests continues to grow.

Boris Johnson has suffered a humiliating setback after failing to stop his chief Scottish law officer quitting over the UK government’s plan to breach international law.

Alex Salmond debacle cost the taxpayer. Leslie Evans said the Government does not record the amount of time in-house lawyers and officials work on particular issues.Labour MSP Jackie Baillie said: “It is time the Scottish Government came clean about the true cost to the taxpayer of the botched handling of sexual harassment claims.”A Holyrood committee is investigating how the SNP Government handled complaints of sexual misconduct against Salmond.

coronavirus cases, Willie Rennie has said.The Scottish Liberal Democrat leader said details on case numbers would help people who are shielding make informed decisions about their outings.He called for "microscopic detail", while still maintaining patient confidentiality.Current health board breakdowns of coronavirus statistics are not specific enough, he said.Rennie said: "It's clear that this virus is going to overshadow daily life in Scotland for many more months."Local flare-ups and

Lanarkshire, additional restrictions have been placed on residents.

Scottish Government has announced.It means those living in the area should not invite anyone into their homes or visit other people else for an indoor meeting.Nicola Sturgeon described the move as "regrettable" but said it was required to slow down the spread of the virus across the country.More than one million Scots in the west of the country are now living under a form of temporary lockdown, with local restrictions due to be reviewed by the end of next week.Pubs, restaurants and other

coronavirus.The £15million fund forms almost half of the £31.5m funding for culture announced last month by the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.According to an official release, the funding aims to protect jobs in the cultural sector, alongside organisations that are threatened with insolvency in the near future.Ahead of applications opening on Thursday 17 September, the eligibility criteria and guidelines for applying to the fund have also been published.Culture Organisations and Venues

Alex Salmond has dismissed the SNP Government’s Hate Crime Bill as “ill conceived, badly drafted and ultimately unloved”. Alex Bell also said the SNP needs “better policy and better people” and blasted “group think” in the party.

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vaginal mesh surgery. Missouri-based Dr Dionysios Veronikis had previously offered to cross the Atlantic to perform complex mesh removal operations on women.

Ms Harper said: “I continue to work with the Scottish SPCA and others on these issues.“I’d like to commend the RSCPA and the Scottish SPCA for their continuous efforts during lockdown in the bid to track down this awful, illegal practice and to help educate people as to how to identify and buy a puppy which will live well and for longer.”

MSP Ms McAlpine, who has raised the issues with health secretary Jeane Freeman, said: “I believe that we have a responsibility to help children who have been left requiring considerable support for the rest of their lives.“Ms Freeman has reassured me that the Scottish Government is giving careful consideration to all the recommendations in the report and will be consulting with all the patient groups before responding with their plans.

the government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme.New figures released by HMRC showed that up to midnight on August 27, more than 260,000 meals were devoured by diners at participating restaurants, pubs and cafes in the region.In neighbouring North Lanarkshire, another £1.5 million was discounted from the 274,000 meals served there.Restaurants have until the end of September to claim back the discount so HMRC expect the number of claims to continue to increase.Across Scotland, 6.3 million meals have

More than 3,100 restaurants in Scotland signed up for UK Government's Eat Out to Help Out scheme - meaning eateries were buzzing again for the first time in months.Ruth Sutherland (below), who runs the Carfraemill Hotel in the Lammermuir Hills, says the introduction of the promotion saw demand 'quadruple'.The UK Government has given firms across Scotland vital support to protect jobs and help them weather the storm of the Covid-19 crisis.

Aberdeen council leader claimed Glasgow escaped a harsher lockdown because it is a "Yes city". Tory Douglas Lumsden suggested it all came down to independence and central belt bias in an angry backlash on social media after Nicola Sturgeon imposed restrictions on the city.

has written an open letter for parents with answers about when children need to be tested for coronavirus. He said that it is common for colds and similar viral infections to circulate in schools after a long break.

Get the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter.Shotts MP Neil Gray has announced he will be seeking his party’s nomination to succeed Alex Neil as the town’s MSP.Mr Gray, senior member of Ian Blackford’s frontbench team at Westminster as Work and Pensions spokesperson, would need to stand down as an MP by March in order for the UK Parliament by-election to be held on the same day as the Scottish Parliament elections.Neil Gray became the first SNP MP for

Kilmarnock boss has fully turned his attention to the Ayrshire side, admitting it wouldn't be fair on anyone to keep both jobs going.He said: “It’s a big wrech. I love working with the gaffer and working for Scotland.