Ministers will be recalled to the Scottish Parliament next week to allow them to consider the Prime Minister ’s Brexit deal before the new year.
It is only the fourth time the Holyrood parliament has been recalled since devolution.
The previous occasions were after the death of Donald Dewar in October 2000, the death of the Queen Mother in 2002 and the release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi in 2001.
MSPs will sit in a hybrid session at 2pm on Wednesday December 30 to discuss the trade deal between the UK and the EU.
The Scottish Parliament is currently in recess and the next business was not due to take place until Tuesday January 12.
Presiding officer Ken Macintosh announced the recall on Sunday.
A statement on the parliament’s business bulletin said: “The presiding officer wishes to announce that a meeting of the Parliament will be convened on Wednesday December 30 2020 at 2pm to consider a trade and co-operation agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union.”
