Alex Salmond insisted Scotland is a "something for something society" as he reaffirmed his Government's commitment to universal benefits.

The First Minister has warned that the provision of universal services - such as free personal care and free university tuition - was "under threat as never before".

Mr Salmond spoke out on the issue as MSPs at Holyrood backed the Scottish Government's commitment to the universal benefits.

His comments came after Labour leader Johann Lamont last year questioned the continuing affordability of popular but expensive universal services, such as free personal care and free university tuition.

"Scotland cannot be the only something for nothing country in the world," Ms Lamont said at the time.

Today Mr Salmond described Scotland as "not a something for nothing country but a something for something society".

Speaking at the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) annual conference in Perth the First Minister said: "In the face of the social and economic bedlam of the 1980s, there was a need, an overwhelming urgency, to establish a parliament for Scotland that could express a different concept of society - one based on a sense of public good and the common weal.

"And by and large, since 1999, the Scottish Parliament - and this is the Parliament as a whole, rather than any one party - has upheld that contract.

"Today the Scottish Parliament is being asked to reaffirm its commitment to universal public services - not a something for nothing country but a something for something society."

MSPs voted by 62 to 48 in favour of the motion highlighting the Scottish Government's "continued commitment" to the universal benefits of free personal care, free prescriptions, concessionary travel, free eye tests and free tuition.

During that debate Finance Secretary John Swinney said: "The Government has taken a series of difficult decisions to balance the public finances to ensure that we take wide steps to ensure their sustainability but crucially, in a time of fiscal constraint, to protect the services that matter to the people of Scotland.

"That is the approach this Government has chosen to take to give life to the values that we believe are important for the longer-term benefit of Scotland."

Labour finance spokesman Ken Macintosh defended his party's review of universal services as he accused the SNP of "hiding behind the front of alleged universalism while all the while cutting those very services".

Mr Macintosh said: "The very reason it is important to look at how we deliver public services in this country is to protect those services.

"The Scottish Labour party have tried to generate a public debate on public services but we have certainly not come to any firm conclusions in terms of reviewing our stance on policy.

"If the SNP do not join the Labour party and have a genuine discussion about how public services are shaped, we will not actually have services which reflect our values."

Meanwhile Mr Salmond also used his speech to STUC to confirm that union members among Scottish Government staff would continue to have time to carry out union business during the working day.

The First Minister said: "Trade unions are important partners for the Scottish Government and we value our relationship with them very highly indeed. Strong trade unions mean strong workplaces and a strong economy.

"For working men and women, knowing their rights are protected and that their employers will work together with their trade union makes for a more secure and in turn more productive workplace.

"That's why we are announcing today, with the STUC, that we are committing to retaining guaranteed trade union facility time for people working in the Scottish Government."