SNP First Minister John Swinney rallied once more to the defence of his embattled health secretary Neil Gray who faces growing calls to resign.

Mr Gray had come under fire for the use of ministerial cars to attend high-profile football matches, but had argued the trips enabled business meetings to take place, and that notes had been taken at “all” events.

The health secretary now faces a probe into possible breaches of the ministerial code, however, after he was forced to apologise to Holyrood when it emerged no notes existed for many meetings on the trips.