Each year, thousands of grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings and family friends step up to support a child who is unable to live with their birth parents. They deserve more support.

Yesterday, I introduced the Kinship Care Bill in the House of Commons. This bill calls on the Government to provide all friends and relatives who look after a child who cannot live with their birth parents with an allowance of at least £137 a week: the same level as for foster carers.

Scottish Liberal Democrat spokesperson Claire McLaren has today called for greater collaboration between farming ministers north and south of the border, warning that bitter constitutional squabbles hold farmers back.

On a visit to the Royal Highland Show last week, Cllr McLaren met with farming representatives to discuss issues including agricultural disputes between the Scottish and UK governments, the adverse impact of the Ukraine war and Brexit. These have led to spiralling costs of food, fuel and fertiliser.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today called for answers over a secretive government memo uncovered by the Guardian which reveals that "it is almost certain" draft laws were secretly changed to secure the Queen's approval.

Speaking in the chamber, Mr Cole-Hamilton said

"The Guardian has uncovered an internal Scottish Government memo, which confirms that it "almost certainly" made changes to legislation at the request of the Queen's lawyers.

Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Willie Rennie has today stated that the SNP are taking an axe to any inch of political credibility after his party revealed that the government awarded businesses more than £19,000 to chop off the bottom of doors.

In February of this year Scottish Liberal Democrats revealed that the government intended to chop the bottom off thousands of doors in "problematic" classrooms where airflow was poor.

The results of a poll published today show that more than half of Scottish people do not want to vote in an independence referendum next year. The latest Savanta: Com Res poll on behalf of The Scotsman has revealed that 53% of voters said a referendum should not take place, while only 40% believed that it should.

Responding to comments from Joanna Cherry in which she suggested that the SNP could stand as part of a Yes alliance in a future general election and called for a place in the wider campaign for Alex Salmond, Scottish Liberal Democrat deputy leader Wendy Chamberlain said:

"Joanna Cherry doesn't seem like she wants to vote SNP anymore.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today written to party members to set out the approach he will be taking in response to the First Minister's renewed push to break up the UK.

In the letter he describes the prospect of another referendum as "a colossal waste of focus and energy" and argues that the Scottish Parliament should be focused on tackling long waits for operations and cancer treatment.

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has called on the Scottish Transport Minister, the head of Transport Scotland and the managing director of Serco Northlink to come to Shetland urgently to address the quality of the lifeline ferry service. Mr Carmichael wrote to the transport leaders following widely circulated images on social media of many passengers sleeping on the floors of the Lerwick-Aberdeen service last night (30^th June) due to overcrowding.

Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today called for the Scottish Government to fund travel cards for refugees who are trying to establish a new life for themselves in Scotland.

In Orkney, the bus company Stagecoach have agreed to temporarily fund bus passes for Ukrainian refugees for an initial three month period. However, at present there is no national scheme in place.

Responding to the publication of ScotRail's senior salaries, Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Jill Reilly said: