Mr McConnell said he and Ms Wark were old friends

Deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon has challenged him to make a statement to Holyrood amid controversy over the pair's family holiday together.

She is urging him to give full details of "all hospitality provided" by the journalist.

Mr McConnell has insisted he has broken no rules and has nothing to explain.

The controversy over the Hogmanay holiday in Majorca has also led to questions being raised over Ms Wark's role as a political broadcaster.

Tory MSP Brian Monteith has called for her to step down or be sacked, but the BBC has said no decision has yet been taken on who will front its general election coverage.

'Open to question'

In a letter to Mr McConnell, Ms Sturgeon said: "While your holiday arrangements are, in the normal course of events, a private matter, I am sure you appreciate your responsibility as first minister to show leadership and to be open and transparent with the Scottish people.

"It is in light of such responsibility that your judgement in deciding to be absent from Scotland - the Hogmanay capital of the world - during the New Year celebrations and to accept the hospitality of a senior BBC political broadcaster and journalist, has been open to question."

She said the disclosure that he had previously been a guest of Ms Wark without declaring it in the register of MSPs' interests raised "an issue of more direct concern."

The Tories have called on Ms Wark to step down

"Given that it was you who, rightly, urged MSPs to raise their game a few months ago, I am sure you will not want protracted discussion of your own conduct as first minister to distract parliament from the important work that lies ahead of us in 2005," she said.

"Therefore, I would urge you to take steps to clear this matter up as quickly as possible."

However, in an interview in The Observer newspaper, Mr McConnell again defended his friendship with Ms Wark and his family's stay at her villa in Spain.

He said: "I don't think it's good for politicians to defend journalists, but I have to say Kirsty Wark is one of Scotland's most outstanding broadcasters of my lifetime and has been known by people of all political parties and none as somebody who's been objective, impartial and full of integrity.

"In the almost 20 years that I've known her, I've never asked who she votes for and she's never told me."

When asked if he would holiday with the Ms Wark and her husband Alan Clements again, he said: "Let me be very clear about this... I have absolutely no regrets about this whatsoever.