Youth matters dominate questions

Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander has demanded that the SNP government outlines how it will spend Westminster cash to help disabled youngsters. She claimed there was no clear indication how the £34m would be used.

Speaking at first minister's questions, Alex Salmond said ministers were "fully committed" to supporting children with special needs. The Tories said Mr Salmond was "the criminal's new best friend" because of government proposals on law and order.

And Liberal Democrat leader Nicol Stephen claimed that students who came to the Scottish Parliament to protest about university funding were "jostled, barracked and abused" by SNP employees.

Ms Alexander told MSPs that Westminster had, in October, allocated £340m for after-school and respite care for families with disabled children, with a £34m share for Scotland. She told Mr Salmond: "You got the cash in October, you promised an answer by mid-November. We are now into December - can I ask, as of today there is no clear indication how the £34m will be used. The parents of vulnerable children are waiting."

Mr Salmond said that the concordat deal struck between ministers and councils was "quite specific" about increasing respite hours. "I think Labour members are going to have to accept at some point that this historic deal between central and local government means that shared outcomes will work for the benefit of all people in Scotland - including disabled people and children with special needs," he added.

Tory leader Annabel Goldie hit out at government plans to extend home detention curfews for prisoners, accusing Mr Salmond of failing to uphold the most fundamental obligation of government - protecting the public. "The SNP is soft on crime and softer on criminals," she said. "Isn't it the sad and simple truth that this first minister, Alex Salmond, and his minority government, the SNP, are quite simply now the law breaker's best buddy, the criminal's new best friend".

Mr Salmond said the home detention curfew scheme for long-term offenders assessed by the parole board as safe to be released on licence carried substantial merit.

Meanwhile, Mr Stephen claimed Nationalists had sent researchers and MSPs to disrupt students when they took their concerns about the government's proposals for higher education funding to Holyrood. He told the chamber: "They were met by ranks of paid SNP researchers and MSPs armed with placards and megaphones. It is one thing for ministers to stand here and be evasive about figures, make the numbers up and generally fail to give straight answers to straight questions. It is something else completely to order paid SNP staff out to disrupt and shout down student campaigners."

Mr Salmond said the "vast majority" of Scottish students backed his party's proposals to abolish the graduate endowment fee paid by students after they have completed their course. "I think Nicol Stephen should try and get serious about the issues and the issue is the restoration of free education for the Scottish people," he added.