Responding to the news that the Education Secretary, John Swinney, will repeal the SNP's named person legislation, Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

"This news is yet another humiliation for the Education Secretary and his Government.

"The Scottish Government has wasted years of time and the goodwill of the people from the children's sector involved in the policy. It lost the confidence of parents and frontline professionals. We all want to see mechanisms to help keep children safe but this SNP plan was impossible to implement."

Speaking ahead of this evening's votes in Parliament, Scottish Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine said:

"Scottish Conservative MPs have an opportunity to stand up for the best interests of the country in the votes in parliament.

"Will they stand against a chaotic No deal, alongside many of their colleagues who have said enough is enough? Or will these 13 Conservatives look after their own careers by doing anything that Boris Johnson tells them? This is the moment of truth."

Commenting on new research commissioned by Aberlour Child Care Trust which has found that people from Scotland's most deprived communities are three times more likely to die before they reach their 25^th birthday, Scottish Liberal Democrat equalities spokesperson Caron Lindsay said:

"We need a robust and joined up approach that runs across all the relevant areas of Scottish public policy to tackle the heartbreakingly high rate of deaths in our most deprived communities.

Britain's railways are essential to everyday life - they transport millions to and from work and around the country day in, day out.

Unfortunately, all too often our trains are late, crowded or cancelled. Ticketing is a confusing mess and the railways and their rolling stock are in desperate need of investment.

It's no secret: crime rates in the UK have been rising.

Brutal knife and gun crimes have become a sad fixture of our headlines, while conviction rates for offences including violent robberies and sexual assaults have experienced an alarming decline.

Why?

Since 2015, the Conservatives have cut £1bn from police budgets while resolutely maintaining that falling policing numbers have nothing to do with rising crime.

There are just 11 days left to get your nominations in for the candidates you'd like to see elected to party committees.

If you need a reminder of which roles are up for election, here it is:

Top of the bill is Federal President, to take over from Sal Brinton on 1 January and serve for 2020, 2021 and 2022. This is a major role chairing the party's Federal Board, protecting and representing members, and acting as guardian of the party's interests. Hustings will be held throughout the country during the two-month campaign, and candidates may raise and spend £20,000 campaigning for the job.

Responding to a Scottish Government announcement that their plans to introduce a landfill ban will be postponed by a further four years, until 2025, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said:

"The Scottish Government's failure to plan means they will breach the ban on waste going to landfill by 2021.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has today marked the one year anniversary of the Scottish Parliament voting to halt national testing of four and five-year-olds, by questioning the First Minster on ignoring the will of parliament and accusing the SNP of "a devious and damaging" refusal to halt the tests.

With beautiful sunny Bournemouth as a backdrop, Paddy's friends and colleagues took to the main stage to share their fond memories of him.

Now on BBC Parliament: tributes are paid to the late party leader Paddy Ashdown at the Liberal Democrat conference in Bournemouth pic.twitter.com/mR3wEMTmar

- BBC Parliament (@BBCParliament) September 17, 2019

What an amazing week we have had.

Hearing about our 700 council gains. 15 European gains.

Chuka, Sarah, Angela, Philip, Luciana and Sam joining from the Conservatives and Labour. The Brecon win for the wonderful Jane Dodds against the Conservatives.

It's happening in Scotland too. Councillor Fiona Dryburgh left Labour to join us. And Councillor Mark McGeever left the Conservatives to join us.