Here is a summary of the main talking points from this week’s party leaders’ FMQs:

• Scottish Labour's Michael Marra asks Swinney to act on homelessness, after a new report by Heriot-Watt University for Crisis Scotland said Scotland's extreme homelessness could be nearly halved in two years with the right interventions
• Swinney welcomed the report and said additional measures have been taken to construct more housing and support those at risk of homelessness
• Reform UK's Scotland leader Malcolm Offord asked Swinney to condemn the UK Green parties over their comments about the Israel-Gaza conflict and Zionism
• The first minister questioned Offord calling the Green Party "racist" just hours before his party is due to lead a debate on banning the burqa
• Gillian Mackay, Scottish Greens co-leader, called for a full public consultation on data centres, and Swinney said the government was engaging with parties and more guidance will come later this year
• The Tories urged Swinney to back their bill which aims to tighten up benefit fraud, which Swinney says Social Security Scotland already does well
• The Lib Dems led on violence in schools and called for support for teachers, and the first minister said violent protection framework and behaviour codes were in place and discussions were under way for additional measures

That’s all for now. Today’s editor was Steven Brocklehurst and the writers were Katy Scott and Claire Thomson.

Thanks for joining us.

Could education be a Lib Dem budget ask?published at 14:41 BST 8 October

14:41 BST 8 October

Lynsey Bews
BBC Scotland political correspondent

Could education be an area of potential budget negotiations between the government and the Scottish Liberal Democrats?

Alex Cole-Hamilton raises the issue of violence in schools, and support for teachers in the form of behavioural experts and classroom assistants.

John Swinney mentions budget talks, and it's a safe bet the Lib Dems will want to try to extract their top asks.

Cole-Hamilton moves on to discuss the issue of knives in schools.

He claims pupils and teachers are struggling and schools need more access to support teachers and youth work.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats leader says that what the SNP government is currently doing "isn't working".

Swinney says extra resources were put in place in the Scottish budget last year to increase the number of pupil support assistants in schools.

The first minister says violent protection framework and behaviour codes are in place, as well as voluntary bans on mobile phones in schools.

He adds that discussions will take place in the coming weeks ahead of the budget to help address the issues Cole-Hamilton raises, if that is what the Scottish parliament decides.

Last up today is Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Alex Cole-Hamilton.

He firstly offers solidarity to Scotland's Jewish community and Jews around the world following yesterday's anniversary of the October 7 attacks.

Cole-Hamilton then focuses on Scotland's education.

He says new research by his party published today shows there were more than 44,000 violent incidents in schools last year - "the worst it has ever been", he claims.

He asks what Swinney would say to those who are "petrified" to return to school after the October break.

Swinney says violent behaviour will not be tolerated in schools.

The first minister adds that the Scottish government will continue to work with local authorities on interventions.

Findlay pivots from pensions to benefitspublished at 14:36 BST 8 October

14:36 BST 8 October

Lynsey Bews
BBC Scotland political correspondent

It's no surprise that Russell Findlay raises the pensions row.

It's been bubbling along since last week's FMQs.

But Findlay quickly pivots onto social security, and the benefits bill - comfortable territory for his party, and clearly an area where he feels they can gain support.

The Tory leader says benefit fraud has become rife, with 23,000 fraud allegations made to Social Security Scotland over the part three years - but only 42 were reported to the Crown Office.

He says "cheats" can only be asked to return money they're not entitled to and tick a box to keep receiving payments.

Findlay says his party's new bill would streamline repayments and asks Swinney to back his plans.

The first minister says Social Security Scotland has the power to recover money and it is committed to ensuring those entitled to money receive it, while investigating fraud.

He says it should not "terrorise vulnerable people".

Image source, Getty Images

Earlier this week Swinney defended comments he made about proposed changes to the UK state pension following claims he may have misled parliament.

After Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced potential reforms to the "triple lock", the first minister told MSPs: "We are now going to lose our pensions".

Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay said this was an "inaccurate and irresponsible" comment which could cause concern to pensioners.

Swinney later wrote to Findlay defending the remarks - adding that the independent advisers who oversee the ministerial code could initiate an investigation should they wish.

He brought up the issue in parliament again on Tuesday, when a helpful question from one of his backbenchers allowed him to offer a rather more carefully phrased version of his attack.

The rather blunt phrasing about how "we are going to lose our pensions" was replaced by a formulation stressing that any loss was "compared with the current triple lock being maintained".

Should the advisers look into the matter, Swinney may point to that as his attempt to correct the parliamentary record at the earliest convenience, as the ministerial code requires.

Read more here.

Scottish Conservatives leader Russell Findlay starts by saying he's not allowed to call the first minister a liar.

"But last week he told me that Scots would 'lose our pensions'," he adds.

"His statement was false and he knows it, but because it's John Swinney, he refuses to correct the record."

Findlay says the same culture of dishonesty is at the heart of the SNP's "light-touch benefit" system.

Swinney says the Tories backed the Scottish government's social security approach in 2018 as well as its focus on dignity and respect, yet now they stand up and question it.

Angus Cochrane
BBC Scotland senior political reporter

Concerns have grown about masked protesters at anti-immigration demonstrations, as well as balaclava-clad youths in city centres across the UK.

Some have called for Police Scotland to be given powers that officers have in England and Wales to set up temporary mask-free zones during protests.

Reform UK's Thomas Kerr's members' business motion cites the "ongoing debate" about face coverings, "including the burqa and niqab, in public places".

It says that several European countries have imposed restrictions on face coverings and called for the Scottish government to consider the "potential benefits" of such a move "including consideration of public safety, individual liberty and community cohesion".

For a motion to be debated in the Scottish Parliament it has to be backed by at least one member of another party.

Kerr's motion was backed by Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr - though he lodged an amendment stating that "a clear distinction must be made between people peacefully wearing religious dress and those deliberately concealing their identity in circumstances connected with criminality or serious disorder".

While selected members' business motions are debated by parliament, they are not voted on.

Data centres are a big issuepublished at 14:29 BST 8 October

14:29 BST 8 October

Lynsey Bews
BBC Scotland political correspondent

Data centres have emerged as a big political issue so far in this new Parliament.

The Scottish Greens want a moratorium, but recently failed to secure the parliament's support for such a move.

It feels like the other parties at Holyrood are roughly on the same page - seeing economic opportunities from data centres, but also wary of their impact on local communities.

The Scottish Greens co-leader continues to question Swinney on whether he has directed councils to pause applications on data centres until guidance is issued.

Swinney says the government engages with local authorities to give advice on planning applications.

He claims there are statutory obligations to be mindful of and cannot be ignored.

The first minister assures Mackay that what is conveyed in parliament has been passed on to councils.

Mackay asks whether Swinney will make a "concrete commitment" to listen to the views of communities and lobbyists by carrying out a full public consultation before decisions are made.

Swinney says the government engages with a range of parties, including members of the communities.

He emphasises further guidance will be issued and the government has spoken to people with a variety of opinions.

The first minister adds if the government undertook a full public consultation of the scale determined by legislation, it would "significantly extend" the amount of time before guidance is available.

He adds he will consider Mackay's issue but has to ensure decisions are taken in an orderly fashion.

Image source, Getty Images

Data centres house and operate computer systems - and demand for them has increased dramatically with the explosion in artificial intelligence (AI) over the past few years.

Plans are in place to build at least 23 giant AI-powered data centres in Scotland.

This includes one in Chapelcross in Dumfries and Galloway, which would have a capacity of 1,000MW - making it one of the largest data centres in the world.

People have raised concerns about potential noise, electricity and water needed as well as the impact on the landscape.

The Scottish Greens and campaign groups have previously called for a moratorium on large data centres.

They argue the facilities could undermine climate targets and place additional pressure on renewable energy supplies. The Scottish government has so far refused to impose a moratorium.

Read more here.

Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay poses her question next and chooses to focus on data centres.

She says Dumfries and Galloway has seen an application for one of the largest data centre in the world, which she describes as a "monstrosity".

Chapelcross joins more than 20 communities across Scotland, who are waiting to see what will happen with data centre proposals.

Swinney says he does not anticipate any decisions will be determined by planning authorities before guidance is issued later this year.

Offord refers to Palestinian flags "flying from municipal buildings across Scotland, with the Israel flag banned from this very building".

He asks the first minister to condemn the "racism being whipped up against Israel in this chamber" and urges Swinney to expel members of the "racist Green party" from the SNP conference next week.

Swinney says Offord is "beyond parody", as he leads a party that has "brought racism into this parliamentary chamber" and suggests Offord himself is "dividing communities".

Offord pushes Swinney on the view of the Greenspublished at 14:21 BST 8 October

14:21 BST 8 October

Lynsey Bews
BBC Scotland political correspondent

Malcolm Offord brings up the Zionism row embroiling the Scottish Greens' co-leader Ross Greer.

It's not strictly a matter for the first minister - as the Presiding Officer points out - but provides John Swinney to set out his views in parliament.

Offord presses him to "unequivocally condemn" the Greens' view.

There's already been some disquiet among SNP members over issue, given the party's previous power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens at Holyrood.

Offord refers to Jewish people who have spoken of fears of physical violence due to the Israel-Gaza conflict, including the Jewish community in Scotland.

He says Swinney should condemn the Green party's "blatant antisemitism", but Swinney says he addressed that point by saying he didn't agree with the outcome of the Green Party conference.

Swinney says it is his responsibility to make sure every community in Scotland, including Jewish people, feel welcome.

He questions Offord's stance on inclusivity, given that his deputy leader Thomas Kerr is leading a debate later on which Swinney says "demands women be forbidden from wearing the burqa in our country".

Reform UK's Scotland leader Malcolm Offord asks the first minister about the Greens in England and Wales classifying Zionism as "racism" and the Scottish Greens' co-leader saying Israel was founded by "genocide".

Offord says Zionism is the legitimate right of the Jewish people to a home in Palestine and Israel has a right to protect itself from Hamas.

The West Scotland MSP asks the first minister to dismiss Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer's claims that Israel was founded in 1948 through an act of genocide against the Palestinian people.

Swinney says he made clear earlier this week that he doesn't agree with the Green party's stance and there should be a two-state solution to the conflict in the Middle East, but he accepted there were "acute" challenges.

He said the attack on 7 October three years ago has led to "intolerable suffering".

Marra tries a different approachpublished at 14:13 BST 8 October

14:13 BST 8 October

Lynsey Bews
BBC Scotland political correspondent

Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra choses to challenge the first minister on action to tackle homelessness.

Marra links the issue to child poverty and his call earlier this week for parliament to work cross-party to tackle it.

Labour figures have indicated the party's new leader intends to try a different approach than his predecessor - seeking consensus with the government and other opposition parties where possible - and perhaps securing wins during the upcoming budget negotiations.

Last month during his programme for government the first minister confirmed plans to cut the number of health boards providing local services across Scotland from 14 to two.

Fourteen existing health boards would be reduced to just two Strategic Health Boards, covering the west and east of mainland Scotland, with different arrangements considered for the three island health boards.

Swinney said it would streamline management and free up resources for frontline care.

But members of the British Medical Association's Scottish Council raised serious concerns and called on the Scottish government to withdraw its plans.