SCOTTISH ministers have announced they will suspend their programme for government amid the global coronavirus pandemic.
The Government revealed the move, which will postpone reforms to the Gender Recognition Act, the Good Food Nation Bill and plans for a tougher foxhunting crackdown, in Holyrood earlier.
Meanwhile new plans on tackling climate change have been put on hold in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham announced ministers will not be publishing the climate change plan update that had been due by the end of the month.
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The Covid-19 outbreak means this is "no longer feasible or appropriate", she said.
But Cunningham insisted the administration is still "fully committed" to tackling the problem and to meeting its target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2045.
She said: "The Scottish Government is fully committed to tackling the global climate emergency and to updating the climate change plan to reflect our ambitious net-zero targets.
"However, in face of the unprecedented health and economic implications of the Covid-19 pandemic we have come to the view that publishing the climate change plan update by the end of April is no longer feasible or appropriate.
"This does not mean that work on our ambitious plan will pause - indeed it will continue - but it is recognition that we are operating in a changed landscape."
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The Environment Secretary added: "It is vitally important that our actions in the coming weeks and months, even those in response to other major global issues such as climate change, reflect the worldwide situation and support our national response.
"I have written to the Committee on Climate Change to request its independent expert advice on the best way forward in these unprecedented circumstances and how the climate change update can contribute, in due course, to a green recovery for Scotland."
Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said it was understandable that business cannot carry on as normal.
But he continued: "However, it’s deeply regrettable that progress will be halted when it comes to the environment, people’s right to food, animal protections and not least the rights of trans people, for whom overdue legislative reform has been long promised by all parties.
“We expect government to deliver on their commitments when possible and appropriate, and will explore with all parties what can be done to achieve more progress.”
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