The Scottish Government has published plans to stop the UK Government from changing Holyrood's powers following Brexit.

Devolved Brexit minister Michael Russell called on MSPs at Holyrood on Tuesday to reject the UK Government's Brexit Bill and instead back a separate Scottish Government launched measure, the EU Continuity Bill.

The devolved administration is angered by measures in the UK bill which would see some powers held by the EU not immediately passed to them.

However, Holyrood's presiding officer Ken Macintosh stated he does not believe the Scottish Parliament currently has the power to legislate on the matter.

The Scottish Conservative MSP Adam Tomkins said the tabling of a separate Scottish bill was "unwelcome and unnecessary" and the SNP should "reflect on whether this move will help or hinder the process".

Russell told MSPs: "The Continuity Bill, if passed, will retain our EU derived law and give the government and parliament the powers they need to keep those laws operating.

"It will assert this parliament's right to prepare our own statute book so that the same rules and laws will apply as far as possible after withdrawal."

He added: "The Scottish ministers are satisfied that it is within the powers of the Parliament to prepare for the devolved legislative consequences of the decision of the UK to leave the EU.

"We do not agree with the presiding officer's view that it is incompatible with EU law to legislate in anticipation of what is to happen when EU law no longer applies."

A similar measure was launched also on Tuesday by the Labour-led Welsh government.

Macintosh's judgement is at odds with his counterpart in Cardiff, Elin Jones, who found it to fall within the Welsh Assembly's competence.

The Scottish Government's top legal officer, the Lord Advocate, has advised that he believes the Scottish bill can be passed by Holyrood.

If it is passed without the presiding officer's approval, the country's three legal officers will have 28 days to refer it to the Supreme Court.