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

• First Minister John Swinney refused to state whether he backs or opposes Rosebank oil field, despite being pressed by both Scottish Labour and the Tories

• The Scottish Greens also wanted some answers from Swinney about oil and gas, in particular the Scottish government's approval of a new gas-fired power station in Peterhead
• Swinney said the government is committed to its agenda on climate action and reiterated the legal responsibility of every application
• Reform UK's Scotland leader Malcolm Offord asked Swinney to pledge he will not raise income tax any further in next month's Scottish Budget
• Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton pushed for action on a Learning, Disability, Autism and Neurodivergence bill. Swinney said he wanted to put energy into helping people "in the here and now”

That's all for now. Today's editor was Paul McLaren and the writers were Mary McCool and Claire Thomson.

Thanks for joining us.

Phil Sim
Scotland political correspondent

In this still relatively new term of parliament, FMQs hasn’t felt as much like the big showpiece event of the week at Holyrood.

Perhaps that’s a function of the fact there are five opposition parties, all of a relatively similar size, and all of whom obviously have to cram a social media clip into their questions somewhere.

It might also be something to do with backbench questions being shifted off to a Tuesday.

That session always rattles by in quite a disjointed fashion, given members aren’t afforded any follow-up questions - it leaps around very quickly from one local topic to another.

And the leaders edition on a Thursday is increasingly going the same way, with little narrative thread or chances for energy to build in the chamber.

Did the new stopwatch format add anything? Perhaps we saw a glimmer of it in the exchanges with Russell Findlay, although that was more him capitalising on the fact he knew there wouldn’t be a yes or no answer to his yes or no question.

Overall though, the exchanges were fairly familiar in tone and content. It wasn’t a new dawn of thoughtful debate and philosophical exchange of ideologies.

This may not be the last time Presiding Officer Kenny Gibson opts to tinker with how these sessions work.

Phil Sim
Scotland political correspondent

Alex Cole-Hamilton took the opportunity to trumpet the fact his Lib Dems led the opposition in defeating the government in a vote last night, on legislation to protect people with learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence.

This frequently leads to talk of the “will of parliament” being respected, and Swinney said he would consider the outcome of the vote.

It also occurs that this could be a budget negotiation point for the Lib Dems - better funding for the groups who would have been protected by the bill.

Both leaders agreed that delivering support for them is a key concern, meaning the session ended on a bit of a note of consensus.

Unsatisfied, the Lib Dem leader asks what Swinney would say to the hundreds of people who contributed to a consultation by reliving traumatising experiences.

Swinney says he would tell those individuals that all the information they shared has influenced the plans taken forward to deliver immediate action. He says the remaining feedback will inform future policy agenda.

Image source, scottish parliament tv

Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton asks when the first minister will bring forward a Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodivergence bill, which he calls "vital legislation" and which supporters think will strengthen the rights of those affected.

The government decided not to proceed with this bill last month.

Swinney says that the government had decided to prioritise taking action on the needs of neurodivergent people by improving services, rather than proceeding with legislation.

He said the government "never closed its mind" to the bill but wants to put energy “into the here and now”.

Phil Sim
Scotland political correspondent

On the stopwatch, we at last got some quicker exchanges as Russell Findlay repeatedly asked whether John Swinney supports Rosebank, “yes or no”.

The first minister repeatedly gave a four-second response, insisting that he had answered the question when Michael Marra asked it.

After three goes around this merry-go-round, the first minister eventually took a bit more time to lay out his response about the UK government needing to run a climate compatibility assessment.

That response meandered on for a minute and a half, as Swinney clearly decided it was time to run down the clock a bit.

This was perhaps the most striking use of the new format, with the Scottish Tory leader taking the opportunity to highlight that the Scottish government doesn’t have a “yes or no” position on Rosebank.

It did leave plenty of time in the end for Swinney to get his own points in though - closing with a short speech about how Scotland would be better off independent.

The Scottish Tory leader insists Swinney has opinions on everything, including Gaza, but will not give a simple answer to whether or not he supports Rosebank.

Findlay says a thousand Scottish jobs are being lost every month in the north east and urges Swinney to "get off the fence and show a backbone".

Image source, scottish parliament tv

First Minister John Swinney says there is a legal responsibility for every application to be considered and the carbon emissions have to be assessed to determine whether they are passable.

He says the question the UK government need to answer is whether the importation of oil and gas resources will lead to greater carbon implications than the extraction of resources in our waters.

Swinney adds he will not take lessons from the Tories on jobs in the north east of Scotland.

"I want Scotland to have a clean energy future and be able to benefit from the energy wealth of our country,"

Image source, scottish parliament tv

Scottish Conservatives leader Russell Findlay keeps his first question short: "Should Rosebank get the green light? Yes or no?"

Swinney responds: "I answered that question to Michael Marra."

Findlay tries again another twice.

But the first minister sticks to his initial line.

Phil Sim
Scotland political correspondent

Like Michael Marra, Ross Greer wanted some answers from John Swinney about oil and gas.

The Scottish Green co-leader was looking for opposition, rather than the support Labour were hoping for, but was met with the same response about climate compatibility and quasi-judicial processes.

There was one person who was happy with the first minister’s answer, at least, with a single MSP clapping enthusiastically at the end of the first minister’s initial response.

Greer singled out backbencher Jack Middleton - an Aberdeen MSP who has been vocal in his support for the industry.

Where we may have learned something in this exchange was the shape of the coming budget talks between the SNP and the Greens, with Greer very clearly positioning a frequent flyer levy as a key bargaining chip for his party.

Greer also refers to the Scottish government’s approval of a new gas-fired power station in Peterhead.

He asks who his constituents in Largs should sent the bill to the next time their properties are damaged by extreme weather – the wealthy companies or the Scottish government.

Swinney says there is a limit to what he can say about Peterhead, but that the rationale for the decision has been set out by ministers and that a central part of it was about carbon capture and storage.

Image source, scottish parliament tv

Ross Greer begins by mentioning the UK government’s approval of the “climate-wrecking” Jackdaw field – then points out that days later, the defence secretary urged people to have days’ worth of emergency supplies in the event of extreme weather events.

The Greens co-leader refers to the damage caused in Scotland by recent storms and the likelihood of flooding over winter.

He asks if Swinney really thinks that Rosebank – which he points out is a much larger field – could pass a climate compatibility test that is “worth the paper it was written on”.

Swinney says the government is committed to its agenda on climate action. He says issues that Greer raises must be assessed as part of a process. He says that energy plans accept that for some time to come Scotland will continue to use oil and gas, and reiterates the purpose of compatibility test.

Phil Sim
Scotland political correspondent

Malcolm Offord usually likes to ask a series of different questions at FMQs, albeit with a bit of a unifying theme.

He maintained that today, jumping from nurses’ pay, to civil service “ghost workers”, to local government reform (again), and then on to taxes.

There was a familiarity to John Swinney’s responses too, as he took issue with the very basis of Offord’s questions - dismissing them as misunderstandings or “myths”.

Again there wasn’t much to raise an eyebrow amid it all, and the ticking clock made little difference - there were four questions and four answers, all of fairly equal duration, which is what Reform would have got under the old system anyway.

Finally, Offord asks the first minister to pledge he will not raise income tax any further in next month's Scottish Budget.

Swinney says he will set out the government's tax proposals on Budget day.

He moves on to give examples of salaries before and after tax for a nurse and a qualified teachers.

The first minister says Scotland has a pay system that gives people more control and pay after tax.

Image source, Scottish Parliament TV

Offord moves on to ask about the "ghost army" of workers in the public sector in Scotland who have been declared redundant but are still being paid.

He says, according to the Sunday Times, this costs £25m a year in salary alone and questions why Swinney is shocked there is a black hole in his budget.

He adds Swinney's plan for public service reform is a "shambles".

Swinney says this matter was dealt with by the deputy first minister during FMQs on Tuesday.

Next up is Reform UK Scotland's leader Malcolm Offord, who asks the first minister about the Scottish tax and benefits system, which he claims "incentivises workers to earn less, not more".

He brings up an example from the BBC's Debate Night programme, where a nurse said she was struggling to afford meat for dinner because her daughter's nursery costs were so high.

He says she was told by her trade union to take a pay cut so she could qualify for welfare and a food bank.

Swinney says nurses take home more on that pay grade in Scotland after tax than in England.

The first minister adds the issue is the energy wealth in Scotland, which is being syphoned off and not benefitting those in the country.

Phil Sim
Scotland political correspondent

The new FMQs format gives us the opportunity to get the stopwatch out.

Michael Marra pronounced his intention to go with “short, sharp” questions, opening on whether the SNP support Rosebank - a 12-second question.

But John Swinney’s answer was a bit more of a mouthful, as he spent 40 seconds talking about the “quasi- judicial process” for oil field consenting - notably without backing or opposing Rosebank.

The exchanges got longer as time went on too, as both men warmed to the topic - by the end they were each averaging over a minute per contribution.

It ranged from familiar post-budget clashes about how much money there is to the knotty topic of local devolution and council reform, never the snappiest topic.

It was quite complex stuff, and we may not have come out of it any the wiser - but at least it kept to time.

Marra says Swinney needs to explain his proposals on public sector change to Cosla.

He says the first minister can’t name a single power he wants to devolve, and makes some suggestions on powers for colleges and transport.

Swinney says Marra must have read his agenda as it references skills, transport and economic development. He suggests the Scottish Labour leader pays more attention to the government’s documents.

Paris Gourtsoyannis
BBC Scotland political correspondent

Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra is wading into the political battle which is intensifying over the Rosebank oil field.

He is making a direct appeal to Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh to approve the plans to allow production to begin in the North Atlantic.

Environmentalists have long campaigned against the proposals for drilling in the UK's largest untapped oil field, 80 miles north-west of Shetland.

That the debate is now taking place within the Labour Party is a sign of the UK's recent journey on the politics of energy.

Read more here

Swinney says that for Rosebank to go ahead, a legal test comparing carbon emissions with alternative importation of supplies has to be satisfied.

Marra then points to the latest UK budget, saying Scotland has received increased funding under a Labour government. He says the first minister is avoiding areas that could "get the economy going" - such as Rosebank, nuclear power and defence.

Swinney rebukes Marra's points, saying Scotland's budget will reduce by 1.3% in real terms as a consequence of the UK budget. He says the UK's defence approach is "appalling" and that Scotland's energy wealth has been "ripped off".

Image source, scottish parliament tv

So, in this "slightly" new-look FMQs, Michael Marra gets things under way by raising the issue of the Rosebank oil field - and asks whether the first minister supports approving the field.

A short-sharp question, says Marra - who adds that he hopes for short, sharp answers.