Deputy First Minister Shona Robison refused to say if veteran SNP MSP Fergus Ewing will be disciplined this week following a series of rebellions in recent months.

On Friday, The Herald revealed that Mr Ewing faced being suspended from the SNP's Holyrood group for a "few weeks" for supporting a Conservative motion of no confidence in the circular economy minister Lorna Slater.

The paper was told the party's MSPs would decide on the matter but that the group was not expected to make a decision at the weekly meeting in parliament this coming Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Times also reported the party on Friday Mr Ewing would lose the whip though it did not say for how long.

READ MORE: Fergus Ewing faces suspension from SNP Holyrood group for 'few weeks'

Speaking to BBC Scotland's Sunday Show, Ms Robison said the issue was a matter for the parliamentary group and not for her as a government minister.

When asked if he should be suspended from the SNP group this week, Ms Robison said: "I'm not going to discuss somebody's situation or the difficult issues someone has to wrestle with. The group will make that decision."

The PA news agency approached the SNP to confirm reports that Mr Ewing could face suspension but received no response.

The Conservative motion of no confidence in Ms Slater was brought to Holyrood after the company set up to run Scotland's deposit return recycling scheme called in the administrators, putting scores of jobs on the line.

SNP leader and First Minister Humza Yousaf refused to say if he would take action against Mr Ewing at the time.

However in an interview last week with the Daily Record, Mr Yousaf confirmed disciplinary proceedings against Mr Ewing were ongoing and described the breach of conduct in voting for the nno no confidence motion in Ms Slater as "very serious".

READ MORE: What’s Humza Yousaf going to do about Fergus Ewing?

Mr Ewing is also expected to vote against the Scottish government this week when a debate over short-term lets takes place at Holyrood.

The Inverness and Nairn MSP has previously spoken out against a licensing scheme for short-term-let operators which he said would "decimate" the sector.

Last month, he told BBC's Good Morning Scotland: "I was the tourism minister for over six years in all and came to understand how important this is for tourism ... not only to tourism but providing accommodation for workers who need to work away from home.

"They are the lifeblood of tourism but also important to society as a whole.

"As of the beginning of August, only a very small number of these premises had made an application for a licence and only about 8% granted across Scotland.

"In Edinburgh, a staggering 97% of businesses haven't submitted an application.

"So there's no way, not a cat's chance, that these applications can be dealt with by the deadline."

The disciplinary matter against the former Scottish Government minister turned rebel was paused following the death of his mother, the legendary SNP politician Winnie Ewing, in June, and whose passing was announced the day after Mr Ewing defied his party's whip by backing the Conservative motion calling for Ms Slater's sacking.

It is understood senior figures in the SNP believed it would be right for the group to wait until some time after a motion of condolence for Mrs Ewing in the Scottish Parliament.

That motion was heard on Thursday with First Minister Humza Yousaf leading the tributes in an emotional session with moving speeches made in the late politician's honour by Mrs Ewing's daughter, the SNP MSP Annabelle Ewing, who is also a deputy presiding officer, and by senior MSPs from all parties.