Swinney faces calls over jobs and health funding ahead of budget

● Scottish Labour leader to call for investment in creation of science and technology sector jobs

in science and technology are nurtured. I want Scotland to embrace that change, and I want Scotland to be leading not chasing to catch up.”

Meanwhile, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has called on Mr Swinney to spend all the additional Barnett consequentials received as a result of increased mental health spending in England on improving services in that area in Scotland.

He said: “We need to see all the extra money that the Scottish Government will receive as a result of increased spending on mental health in England used to boost services here too.

“But this should be a floor rather than a ceiling when it comes to additional investment.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We are currently examining the detail of the UK Spending Review and its implications for the Scottish budget.

“Scottish ministers will publish their forward budget plans on December 16, 2015.” A woman died on her 100th birthday – just hours before her card from the Queen was delivered.

Helen Silver Murray passed away before her milestone message of congratulations arrived from Buckingham Palace.

She lived just over an hour into her big day, said daughter Kay, 69.

“Her telegram from the Queen arrived later that day,” she added. “She never got to see it.”

Helen, from Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, was born on 23 November, 1915.

She raised seven children and worked as an auxiliary nurse before taking up a job at the town’s Station Hotel, which she quit aged 98.

“Mum worked in the kitchen and made sure the place was spick-and-span as well as checking the bedrooms,” added Kay.

“She was a wonderful example of a hard-working Scot who lived for her family and her job. When she fell and broke her elbow she started to ease up a bit and gave up work.”

Like hundreds of wives and mothers of her generation Helen – known as Nellie to her friends – was left to bring up her children when her husband, Bob, was a prisoner of war during the Second World War. He died in 1996, aged 79.

According to recent figures, Buckingham Palace now sends more cards marking 100th birthdays than ever before.