Live: First Minister's Questions

Hello, and welcome to Holyrood's live blog on today's First Minister's Questions.

12:45pm: A muffled comment from opposition benches caused the Presiding Officer to step in and urge members to "treat one another with great dignity and respect". The FM says she was "so deeply offended by the comment" and confirms she will take the issue up with the PO to encourage the member to apologise. 

12:43pm: Pauline McNeill asks about plans to tackle public displays of anti-Irish racism and anti-Catholic prejudice. The FM says Police Scotland will act on all reports of prejudice and bigoted violence. McNeill offers to work with the FM to ensure all forms of racism is stamped out in Scotland - leading to applause across the chamber. Sturgeon agrees politicians must all come together to tackle the problem, adding that Scotland is home to anyone who lives here. 

12:41pm: Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy says the change to UC will result in some families no longer being eligible for the Scottish Child Payment. Sturgeon says this is one of the issues with the current devolution settlement around welfare, saying cuts from the UK government cannot easily be made up by the Scottish governent without impacting budgets elsewhere. 

12:37pm: SNP MSP Neil Gray asks about the forthcoming reduction to Universal Credit as the temporary Covid uplift is removed. Sturgeon urges the UK government not to take £20 a week from those who need it most.

12:33pm: Tory MSP Tess White seeks a response to the increase in ambulance waiting times in parts of Scotland. The FM says a review of ambulance demand and capacity is currently underway. White says some people in NHS Grampian are having to wait 20 hours to be taken to hospital and asks about "immediate action" to address this. Sturgeon says extra staff have been recruited in north east Scotland.

12:32pm: SNP MSP Stuart Macmillan raises reports of retail stock and staff shortages in the run-up to Christmas. The FM says the only solution to problems caused by Brexit is becoming an independent country. 

12:29pm: Tory MSP Oliver Mundell expresses concern about a possible move to remove exams at the end of compulsory education, as put forward by the recent OECD report. Sturgeon says the government will look at a range of views on the topic and take "responsibile decisions" on education reforms. 

12:28pm: Deputy leader of Scottish Labour Jackie Baillie called for more support for Long Covid patients. Nicola Sturgeon says the government is giving recommendations from Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland consideration.

12:23pm: New Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton questions how vaccine passports will keep up with vaccination progress and how they will work in practice. He says vaccines are the way out of the pandemic but "vaccine passports are not." The FM says it is a "legitimate debate" to have, but she says Scotland is "still in the grip of the pandemic" and therefore "doing nothing is not an option". 

12:17pm: Doctors and patients agree the NHS is in crisis, says Sarwar. He warns lives will be lost as a result of waiting times and treatments starting later. The FM says the government will "continue to support" the NHS through investment and increased staffing. She says waiting times targets are tougher now than when Labour were in government - health secretary Humza Yousaf can be heard shouting "Easy to meet yours!" to the Labour benches.

12:12pm: Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar says NHS staff were under-resourced and overworked before Covid, before criticising the government’s record on waiting times. The First Minister points to the waiting times recovery plan, which she said was having an impact before Covid. She says the pandemic has placed significant pressure on the NHS and before Covid, it was changing demographics causing pressure. She says this was why “record” resources were being directed towards the health service.  

12:09pm: "The First Minister is losing her grip on Covid and the NHS is in crisis," says the Scottish Tory leader. He calls for a "real plan" to get the health service back on track. Sturgeon says there is a plan, pointing to £1bn of "additional targeted resource" for the NHS.

12:06pm: Ross asks about infrastruture, administration and financial support in relation to vaccine certification. The FM says government is engaging with sectors before putting the final proposal before parliament next week.

12:03pm: Ross then asks about consultation with industry over vaccine passports. Sturgeon says how the plan works will be decided by parliament next week. She goes on to say there is a "degreee of understanding and pragmatism" from industry about the plan.

12.00pm: Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross kicks off with a question on vaccine passports, asking whether all ministers backed the plan. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says all ministers are bound by collective responsibility.

9.50am: As well as questions from opposition leaders, including new Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton, we're expecting questions on a range of issues, including retail staff shortages, ambulance waiting times and what the Scottish Government is doing to tackle anti-Irish racism.

1. Douglas Ross: Question to be taken in Chamber. 

2. Anas Sarwar: Question to be taken in Chamber. 

3. Alex Cole-Hamilton: To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet. 

4. Stuart McMillan: To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had with the UK Government regarding reports of retail stock and staff shortages in the run-up to Christmas. 

5. Tess White: To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking in response to the increase in ambulance waiting times in parts of Scotland. 

6. Neil Gray: To ask the First Minister what engagement the Scottish Government has had with the UK Government regarding the reduction to universal credit that is set to take place at the end of September.  

7. Pauline McNeill: To ask the First Minister what plans the Scottish Government has to tackle public displays of anti-Irish racism and anti-Catholic prejudice.