Summary

  • First Minister John Swinney is facing questions from opposition party leaders and MSPs at FMQs

  • Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay kicked off this week's Holyrood session by raising the issue of nurses' claims about patients dying because of the strain on the NHS

  • Findlay says nurses are being let down, while patients suffer "disgusting and degrading treatment"

  • Anas Sarwar, the leader of Scottish Labour, also focuses on concerns about Scotland's NHS

  • He calls on Swinney to apologise to SNP staff "who this government are failing every day"

  • The first minister says his government has an "unrelenting focus" on making sure patients get the best care possible

  • Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater calls on the government to step up in its commitment to tackling climate change

  1. FMQs to get under way shortlypublished at 11:57 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January

    First Minister's Questions will get started at about 12:00.

    We'll bring you full coverage and analysis here.

    You can also follow events from the Holyrood chamber by clicking the Watch Live icon at the top of this page from just before midday.

  2. Analysis

    Everyone is implicated in the state of the NHSpublished at 11:52 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January

    Philip Sim
    BBC Scotland political correspondent

    Health is a core devolved issue, and thus always features prominently at FMQs.

    So today’s damning report from the Royal College of Nursing about care across the UK – with patients dying in corridors and pregnant women miscarrying in side rooms – looks likely to come up.

    It can be difficult to craft party-political arguments around an issue like this, given Labour is in power at Westminster and the Conservatives were up until very recently – everyone is implicated to some extent in the current state of services.

    But given the real-world impact and responsibility that lies with ministers, it is something which has to be discussed.

    Elsewhere, it’s also been a big week for disputes about the welfare system. There was a Holyrood statement on winter fuel payments, and John Swinney made a speech about child poverty.

    The Scottish and UK administrations continue to circle each other over the former’s policy of offsetting the two-child cap on UK-widebenefit payments.

    There will likely be some local interest too in the report about the dualling of the A9, which would apparently somehow take longer if itwas accelerated.

  3. What issues can we expect to be raised today?published at 11:40 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January

    medical staff push a patient on a trolleyImage source, Getty Images

    Concerns about Scotland's NHS - whether it be missed waiting time targets or the pressures on Accident and Emergency departments - are always among the most talked-about issues at First Minister's Questions.

    This week, we can expect both the Tories and Labour to highlight claims by nurses that patients are dying in hospital corridors and pregnant women are miscarrying in side rooms as overwhelmed hospitals struggle to cope.

    The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said evidence provided by more than 5,000 of its members across the UK this winter also showed cupboards, car parks, bathrooms and nursing stations were being turned into makeshift areas for patients.

    Read more here.

  4. What's been happening in Scottish politics this week?published at 11:34 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January

    So far this week, the first minister has been focusing on the Scottish government's ambitions to eradicate child poverty.

    John Swinney dismissed a suggestion from the UK government that SNP plans to offset the two-child benefit cap are being held up by Holyrood ministers.

    The Scottish government wants to issue payments to families by 2026 - but says it needs UK benefits data to make it happen.

    Elsewhere, plans to accelerate the dualling of the A9 have been rejected by transport bosses over concerns it would not save any time on the project.

    It was also confirmed that MSPs are to get a pay rise of more than £2,000 this year, bringing the basic salary for Holyrood parliamentarians to £74,506.

    And, of course, the Glen Sannox ferry - which has beenat the centre of Scotland's long-running ferries saga - started carrying passengers between the Scottish mainland and the island of Arran.

  5. Welcomepublished at 11:31 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January

    Kate Forbes and John SwinneyImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    John Swinney and Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes will be in their usual frontbench seats for FMQs

    Good morning and welcome to today's live coverage of First Minister's Questions at Holyrood.

    John Swinney will face the usual grilling from opposition party leaders and backbench MSPs from about 12:00.

    As ever, we'll bring you previews, live coverage and analysis throughout.

    You can also follow events by clicking Watch Live at the top of this page from just before midday.