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Salmond getting down to business Salmond officially first minister
(about 5 hours later)
Scotland's new first minister, Alex Salmond, is due to be sworn in at the Court of Session in Edinburgh. Alex Salmond has been officially sworn in as first minister of Scotland at a brief legal ceremony.
His ministerial appointments will then have to be approved by parliament before he goes on to chair his first cabinet meeting. The SNP leader took the oath of office at the Court of Session in Edinburgh, watched by 15 senior judges.
The SNP leader is also expected at Longannet Power Station, in Fife, for an announcement on carbon reduction. The event, administered by Lord President, Lord Hamilton, took just a few minutes.
Mr Salmond named his cabinet and junior ministers just hours after being elected first minister on Wednesday. Mr Salmond then went on to a meeting of the Scottish Parliament, where MSPs were asked to endorse his cabinet, announced after he was voted in.
The day after being voted into office, Mr Salmond will make a determined effort to get the first SNP administration off to a flying start. The changes will see Mr Salmond joined in cabinet by five cabinet secretaries, each presiding over their own departments and ministers.
He will take the oath of allegiance and receive the Great Seal of State at a ceremony at the Court of Session. Silver seal
He will also receive the Royal Warrant, already signed by the Queen. In total there will be 16 ministerial posts including Mr Salmond, cabinet secretaries and junior ministers, compared with 19 ministers in Jack McConnell's previous administration.
His first cabinet meeting in Bute House, the first minister's official residence, will see his secretaries gather round the table to begin the task of minority government. During the earlier Court of Session ceremony, Mr Salmond signed formal documents sealing his appointment as the first minister.
He was flanked by Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini and Solicitor General John Beckett for the ceremony.
Mr Salmond also became the official keeper of the Seal of Scotland, a silver clamp used to authenticate official documents.