Alex Salmond told MSPs he was joining with leaders from other parts of the UK in a protest against the coalition Government at Westminster, during first minister's questions on 7 October 2010.

Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray then asked Alex Salmond if surgical nurses in Grampian deserved to have to "work an extra shift for nothing".

Mr Salmond told the Labour leader to "check his facts", adding: "It is simply untrue that nurses in Grampian are being asked to work for nothing."

Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie called for an independent review of the Scottish government's drug strategy as methadone prescriptions had soared in the last five years, saying people should not switch from an "illegal drug to a proscribed drug".

The first minister said the parliament had agreed the direction of travel of the drug strategy, which should be recovery.

He added that the Scottish government had invested £28.6m into front line drug treatment recovery in 2010-11.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott called on the first minister to rule out a single Scottish police force, after a report by Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary (HMIC) said Scotland`s eight forces need to be cut back in number.

A quarter of police spending now goes on headquarters functions replied Mr Salmond.

He added there had been a record number of officers on the street and a 32% reduction in crime, as well as record clear-up rates for crime and said : "For most people the measurement you make in terms of the effectiveness of the police service is the visibility of a police presence in our streets".