John Swinney has faced his second session back in the FMQs spotlight following his election as first minister last week
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross highlighted the death of a woman at a music festival on Skye and ongoing issues with ambulance shortages
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also focused on health issues, saying that the crisis in the NHS in Scotland has deepened during 17 years of the SNP in government
Sarwar accused Swinney - a former health minister - of trying to avoid blame
Swinney said Scotland is paying an "intolerable price" for UK government austerity
That's all from our live coverage of First Minister's Questions this week.
The editor was Paul McLaren and the writers were Ashleigh-Keenan Bryce, Catherine Lyst and Jamie Russell.
Thanks for joining us.
If you’re just joining us or need a recap, here are the main headlines from today’s FMQs session:
Lynsey Bews
BBC Scotland political correspondent
The state of the health service is a familiar theme at First Minister's Questions.
That's unsurprising given it's a priority for the public, and given the service has been under severe and sustained pressure.
Both the Tories and the Lib Dems highlighted lack of emergency care on Skye, honing in on the failure to fully implement a six-year-old recommendation for out-of-hours provision.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also highlighted problems in the NHS. How come, he asked, "can the man who made the mess now be the one to fix it?"
After 17 years in government, John Swinney will no doubt be expecting sustained scrutiny of his and the SNP's record - it's an area opposition parties believe is ripe for attack.
Image source, Scottish ParliamentSNP MSP Rona Mackay points to the Secretary of State for Scotland, Alister Jack, confirming that planning is under way to develop new nuclear reactors in Scotland, despite opposition from the Scottish government.
She asks the first minister to advise if the UK government has approached the Scottish government on these plans and for his confirmation the Scottish government will oppose them.
The first minister says: "I'm often lectured in this parliament about the importance of good governmental relations.
"The Secretary of State for Scotland has made no mention of this proposal to the Scottish government.
Quote MessageThis is utterly and completely incompatible with good intergovernmental working and its illustrative of the damaging behaviour - the menacing behaviour - of the Secretary of State for Scotland. The Scottish government will not support new nuclear power stations in Scotland."
John Swinney, First Minister
Image source, Scottish ParliamentScottish Labour's Rhoda Grant asks Swinney about reports that only four homes have been approved nationally under the affordable housing initiative for key workers' scheme.
She asks how the government will address the reported housing crisis in rural and island areas.
Swinney says that from April 2016 to March 2023, the Scottish government has delivered more than 10,000 homes in rural and island areas and is working with social landlords and local authorities to encourage utilisation of the £25m key workers' homes fund.
He says three local authorities are actively looking to bring forward proposals in rural communities. The government will invest nearly £600m in affordable homes across Scotland this year, including significant investment in rural and island areas.
Grant says Portree hospital on Skye can recruit but has nowhere for those recruited staff to live so they cannot take up the post.
Swinney says where the projects come forward they are fully utilised but he encourages public authorities to join the housing initiative.
Image source, Getty ImagesHealth officials recently reported that whooping cough, an infection that can be fatal for babies and infants, is on the rise across the UK.
Last Friday it was reported that five babies had died from whooping cough in England this year.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported 1,319 cases in England in March, after just over 900 in February, making the 2024 total nearly 2,800.
There are currently no available statistics for infection in Scotland.
Image source, Scottish ParliamentBob Doris, SNP MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, asks the FM whether he will provide any update on the risks presented by whooping cough in Scotland following the deaths of five babies in England this year.
The FM confirms that Public Health Scotland have confirmed that cases of pertussis (also known as whooping cough) have increased across Scotland since the start of the year.
Swinney says the infection is spread through respiratory droplets and contaminated items, and that young unimmunised children and babies are particularly at risk of serious infection.
He encourages unvaccinated children, infants and pregnant women, should receive a vaccine.
Doris then notes that uptake for vaccination rates are down, particularly in areas of high deprivation.
The FM says he will speak with the chief midwifery officer to raise his concerns.
Conservative MSP Edward Mountain asks the first minister, in light of the Clyde and Hebrides ferry contract expiring in September, when the Scottish government will publish the tender process for the new contract.
The first minister says the cabinet has agreed that subject to a satisfactory due diligence exercise, the next generation of the Clyde and Hebrides ferry service provision could be awarded to the incumbent CalMac ferries.
"Should there be an unsatisfactory outcome from the due diligence work, we would revert to a competitive tender process. An update on the procurement process will be provided before the summer recess."
Image source, Scottish ParliamentThe SNP MSP for Stirling Evelyn Tweed asks the first minister what steps the Scottish government are taking to raise awareness of "sextortion, external", in light of the recent warning from the National Crime Agency to education providers across the UK.
The first minister says keeping young children safe from exploitation is a priority for the Scottish government and they welcome the efforts of the NCA to raise awareness of this serious harm. He adds the government has provided information to parents and carers on the Parent Club website, external.
Swinney says as well as Police Scotland updating their website to reflect NCA guidance, the government will work with UK and international partners to tackle cyber crime, including sextortion crimes.
The first minister reiterates that the weekend's circumstances were "unacceptable" and Sir Lewis Ritchie's recommendations should have been implemented long-term.
He addresses Cole-Hamilton's other concerns such as maternity care in Caithness, saying the government takes "direct clinical advice" about the sustainability of clinical services.
He adds: "I want to make it clear to parliament the importance the government attaches...to the significance of the financial settlement we give to the National Health Service to make sure that the resources are deployed effectively around the country to ensure we have effective public services and for effective health services to be available.
"That's the direction of the government's healthcare policy and that's what we will do on behalf of the people of Scotland."
Image source, Scottish ParliamentScottish Liberal Democrats leader, Alex Cole-Hamilton, says the emergency care system on Skye "collapsed" this weekend, echoing Douglas Ross who highlighted Eilidh Beaton's experience at the music festival.
He says: "Eilidh Beaton's anaphylactic shock happened virtually on the doorstep of Portree hospital.
"Five epipens administered to keep her alive, life boat volunteers hammering on the doors. Her boyfriend literally threw rocks at the windows of the hospital, all because the doors were locked."
Cole-Hamilton says the government has known about the issues for six years but after all this time "the doors were still locked".
He asks the first minister why it has taken six years and a near fatality for his government to "lift the phone" to NHS Highland about emergency care.
Sarwar says Swinney supports higher taxes for nurses but lower taxes for oil and gas giants who are making record profits.
He highlights the cuts Swinney made as deputy first minister and says he should stand up and apologise for the decisions he made.
Swinney repeats that tough decisions have been made to invest more in the NHS and says he is committed to delivering for the NHS.
Sarwar highlights that Inverclyde’s out-of-hours GP services have permanently closed, over 150 jobs have been lost in health and social care services, while in North Ayrshire care homes have been reduced and charges increased. In Edinburgh, Sarwar says unions are warning that thousands of hours of social care will be cut.
He tells Swinney to stop passing the buck.
Swinney says tough decisions have had to be made - including increasing tax on higher earners.
He says this gives £1.5bn more in revenue and means the NHS can be better funded.
The first minister says it's important to have a substantial discussion about public finances and the context in which the government is operating.
He says 14 years of UK government austerity has put insufferable pressure on public health services but adds that the NHS has been the best funded part of public services by the Scottish government.
Scotland is paying "an intolerable price" for 14 years of Westminster austerity, he says.
Sarwar agrees that the "rotten" Tory government has to go.
Image source, Scottish ParliamentScottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar focuses on NHS waiting lists.
He says there are more than 820,000 Scots on NHS waiting lists. People can't get GP appointments and 169,000 patients waited more than four hours in A&E since the start of the year.
He says NHS and social care services face a black hole of £1.4bn this year and Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board is warning that every service will need to be reviewed.
He asks if John Swinney accepts responsibility and questions what he is going to do to "fix the mess he made".
Ross earlier said the first minister's remarks that for three of the last six years there was 24/7 care "are of no comfort" to Eilidh Beaton following her experience because when an incident happened on Skye, support was not there.
Ross asks why we are hearing now from the first minister and health secretary that the report's recommendations are to be implemented, and not when the report was published in 2018.
The Tory leader added: "Six years ago, the local MSP for the area - Kate Forbes - said the situation was utterly unacceptable and the out of hours closure was another step in the wrong direction."
Image source, Scottish ParliamentThe first minister says he's trying to be "as helpful as he can" on the question but the fact is that Sir Lewis Ritchie's recommendations were implemented for a three-year period but haven't been sustained.
"I accept that's not good enough, that's what the government is addressing" he adds.
The first minister says in the years since the report was issued, there has been a three-year period in which the 24/7 services at Portree hospital were provided but this has not been able to be sustained due to workforce challenges in the area.
He reiterates the health secretary has spoken to the head of NHS Highland to "insist" those arrangements be put in place.
Swinney adds: "There is of course a challenge in relation to some of the workforce issues because of the availability of staff, because of some of the issues in connection with the availability of housing."
The FM recognises while there are ambulance services in many of the NHS Highland localities, the recommendations of Sir Lewis Ritchie must be implemented and health secretary Neil Gray has emphasised this.
Ross echoes his admiration for the people who stood in to help at the music festival on Saturday but says "it should never have got to that stage".
He says an independent review of out-of-hours health services took place over six years ago with the very first recommendation being that out-of-hours health service at Portree Hospital to be provided 24/7.
He once again quotes Eilidh Beaton, attendee at the weekend's music festival, who said the government "keeps making the same promises but no action, the same excuses".
Ross asks the first minister why in the last six years have the recommendations of the independent report not been implemented?
Image source, Scottish ParliamentThe first minister agrees this should never have happened. He apologises to Ms Beaton directly for the "terrifying" experience she had. Swinney also pays his condolences to the family of the woman who died at the Skye music festival.
He says Portree hospital is not operating currently as a 24/7 emergency facility.
He cites Sir Lewis Ritchie's past recommendation that this be the case, adding it is of "deep concern" to the government this has not happened.
He adds that the health secretary spoke to the head of NHS Highland yesterday to make sure that happens at the earliest opportunity.
