EDUCATION Secretary Michael Russell has been called before the Scottish Parliament to explain how he misled MSPs over cuts to college funding.

He faces an emergency question today as MSPs meet for the first time since he was ordered to apologise in writing for the gaffe.

Mr Russell claimed wrongly in June that college funding had risen this year when official figures showed a £9 million cut.

The error went uncorrected until it was repeated by Alex Salmond during First Minister's Questions last week when, amid chaotic scenes, the true figure emerged. Mr Salmond apologised to MSPs.

Labour's education spokesman Hugh Henry said: "This SNP Government has been disguising its cuts to Scotland's colleges until Alex Salmond and Mike Russell were finally caught out last week and the Scottish Parliament deserves a full explanation.

"The First Minister was shamed into coming clean but we have still heard nothing from the man who is implementing those cuts

"Now Mike Russell will be forced out of hiding to answer education questions. He has to explain whether his inability to be clear about these college cuts was down to incompetence or deceit."

Stewart Maxwell, the SNP convener of the education committee, last week ruled out a probe into Mr Russell's role in the departure of Kirk Ramsay as chairman of Stow College.