WhatApp message deletions

Deputy Leader Jackie Baillie wrote to Mr Yousaf saying the allegations over WhatApp message deletions suggest that the first minister's statement was not accurate and he may have misled parliament.

Ms Baillie also called for a guarantee that findings of an investigation into Prof Leitch's compliance with a "do not destroy" order are made public.

The Scottish Conservatives said that ministers must "come clean" over whether they deleted messages relevant to the UK Covid Inquiry.

Scottish Conservative chief whip Alexander Burnett MSP, claimed there was a "rotten culture of secrecy" within the Scottish government.

He added: "There are grieving families at the heart of this, who deserve to know if and why crucial messages were deleted, because that would undoubtedly hinder the work of the inquiry."