Deputy presiding officer Annabelle Ewing had to call for "calm" after a row erupted over whether the transport secretary was "abdicating responsibility" in the continuing row over the ScotRail dispute.
The Scottish Parliament chamber was in bedlam after former Scottish Conservatives' deputy leader Liam Kerr questioned whether Jenny Gilruth was taking responsibility for the dispute which has led to nationalised rail services being cut to up to a half in an emergency timetable due to staff shortages.
Train drivers union Aslef is due to meet with ScotRail bosses on Thursday as talks resume in a bid to try and end the dispute.
The national executive committee of Aslef rejected ScotRail's 4.2% pay offer in a dispute which has resulted in thousands of service cancellations in the past four weeks on top of an emergency timetable that has seen 700 services-a-day on weekdays slashed.
The row erupted after Mr Kerr asked Ms Gilruth: "In response to my questioning in committee, the minister told me that the key, indeed, the sole change from nationalisation was that she would be accountable.
"So does the minister recognise the concerns of people who might think that in refusing to step into this situation, she's abdicating that accountability."
But a visibily irritated transport minister retorted: "I am accountable. I'm here today answering an urgent question. I was here yesterday answering a topical question on rail. I was here the week before answering a question on rail and the week before that. He has absolute accountability..."
At that point Ms Ewing repeatedly tried to interrupt Ms Gilruth repeatedly shouting: "Minister!"
She added: "Please resume your seat.
"I would just like a bit of calm from all parts of the chamber so that we can hear the answer to the question the member asked."
Ms Gilruth went on: "It would not be appropriate for me as minister to be in the negotiating room. No ministers to my mind are ever in the negotiating room. It is appropriate in this instance, for ScotRail to be in the negotiating room as the employer with our trade union partners and I look forward to them reaching a resolution so we can restore ScotRail's full timetable for the benefit of passengers and staff alike."
Train drivers union Aslef believe ministers are sitting on a pot of money to resolve the pay dispute that has crippled services across the country and threatens further months of chaos.
The train drivers' union insist they are not being greedy in rejecting a 'final offer' 4.2% pay increase and believe that both the nationalised train operator and their owners, the Scottish Government have the financial resources to resolve the impasse.
ScotRail says the temporary but indefinite timetable, has come because some train drivers are refusing to take up the option of working rest days and Sundays, crucial to keep trains running in Scotland.
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