• An expectant mum's frightening experience due to the distance to the nearest maternity service, is raised by Douglas Ross
• Nicola Sturgeon refers to her own baby loss experience, and says the review of the service is being considered
• Anas Sarwar asks what action is being taken to address a care service in "near crisis"

• Ms Sturgeon says national care service plans will be taken forward and pay will be increased
• Alex Cole-Hamilton calls for an NHS and Care Staff Assembly to be created
• The issue of "outrageous" rail ticket prices is raised

Image source, Getty Images

As the Scottish government prepares to take ScotRail into public ownership, Stephen Kerr from the Conservatives calls rail fares "outrageous".

He highlights that travelling from Falkirk to Edinburgh every day in the working week costs £72.50, but Falkirk to Glasgow costs £85.50 - and asks what the FM plans to do to reduce costs.

Ms Sturgeon insists that on average, ScotRail fares are 20% lower than in other parts of the UK.

She says her government will continue to make investments in the railway to improve passenger services, adding that she believes public ownership of the railway means she will have "more ability to shape things in future".

Alex Cole-Hamilton also marks Holocaust Memorial Day.

The Scottish Lib Dem Labour leader then moves on to ask about the "crisis in our care sector", echoing Mr Sarwar earlier.

Mr Cole-Hamilton says six out of 10 nurses are thinking of leaving the NHS, calling for "burn-out measures".

He calls for an NHS and care staff assembly.

The first minister reiterates her points on the care sector.

More generally, she points out that nursing and midwifery staffing is at a record high.

Labour MSP Pauline McNeil asks about the fires at the Glasgow School of Art and the report into the 2018 blaze.

Fire investigators have failed to find a cause for the fire that destroyed Glasgow School of Art's world-renowned Mackintosh building in 2018.

The blaze broke out on 15 June - four years after an earlier fire had caused major damage to the building.

But following an investigation lasting more than three years, the final report, external concluded that the cause of the second blaze remained "undetermined".

The first minister thanks the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for their investigation and says she feels frustration that no origin for the fire was found.

Ms Sturgeon agrees that all lessons must be learned from both fires.

Mr Sarwar ends his questioning saying the care sector workforce has been "ignored and overstretched", disproportionately impacting women, since the SNP have been in government.

He says carers cannot wait another four years for improvements and calls on the FM to take actions including restarting respite services and ending non-residential care charges.

Ms Sturgeon points to the previous Labour administration in Glasgow City Council, which she says "denied female workers equal pay to which they were entitled", adding that she is "not prepared to take lectures" on the point of pay from Mr Sarwar.

She says her government is already taking action now, including recent additional investment for unpaid carers to help with respite.

Mr Sarwar rebuffs Ms Sturgeon's response, saying the "stark" report makes clear that a lack of action presents "serious risks" to the delivery of care.

He says a 48p pay increase "simply won’t cut it" and asks if she will back Labour's plan for an immediate increase to £12 an hour for care workers, rising to £15.

However, the FM says Mr Sarwar "misrepresents" the scale the 12.9% pay increase her government has delivered - which amounted to £10.02 per hour. She nevertheless acknowledges that it does not "go far enough".

Image source, Getty Images

Scottish labour leader Anas Sarwar begins by highlighting an Audit Scotland report which finds that people working in social care are not adequately valued or rewarded.

He asks what action the government is taking in response to the report.

The FM responds that the document does not reveal anything she hasn't been aware of in "many respects", but says there is urgent need for reform in the sector.

She says her government will take forward proposals for a national care service and in the meantime increase investment and pay of staff.

Mr Ross says: "It is unacceptable to force pregnant women into lengthy and distressing journeys."

The Scottish Conservative leader says : "Families in every part of Scotland deserve better than this."

The first minister says her health secretary will meet Raigmore clinicians.

The first minister says the report on maternity services is "very thorough" and the government is looking very carefully at its recommendations.

A group of 18 maternity staff has written an open letter to the health secretary raising concerns about the future of maternity services in Moray.

The services were downgraded at Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin in 2018 due to staff shortages.

The report, published in December,recommended setting up a community unit, external linked mainly to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness in the short term.

But Raigmore staff have warned of the risks of overcrowding.

In their letter, published in the Northern Scot newspaper, external, the NHS Highland consultant obstetricians and senior charge nurses said the Inverness hospital was "simply not configured for these extra beds".

Image source, Getty Images

Turning to Douglas Ross's question on maternity services, Ms Sturgeon stresses that the safety of pregnant women and their babies is absolutely imperative.

She says the health secretary has met with staff, the board and local people to discuss the issue and services at Raigmore Hospital.

The first minister accepts it is important for women to be able to give birth as close to home as possible, but stresses the issue of patient safety.

Douglas Ross says his colleague Jackson Carlaw will lead a debate to mark Holocaust Memorial Day after FMQs.

Returning to the question about maternity services at Dr Gray's Hospital, Mr Ross turns to the words of a mum who thought her baby was dead and she was next.

"I spent months in constant fear that I would bleed," quotes the Scottish Conservative leader.

The first minister acknowledges the case study and reminds the chamber that she has personal experience of baby loss.

The first minister begins by acknowledging that today is Holocaust Memorial Day.

Nicola Sturgeon says we must resist the hate and prejudice that drives genocides and atrocities.

Image source, PA Media

Douglas Ross gets to his feet and begins this week's FMQs by asking about maternity services in Moray.

The Scottish Conservative leader asks what the first minister feels about mums-to-be in fear as help and support is so far away.

Image source, Getty Images

Nicola Sturgeon is in her chair as this week's session of First Minister's Questions is about to begin.

Stick with us for all the reaction and analysis.

Douglas Ross may well reiterate his call for an end to face masks in schools. The Scottish Conservative leader might instead focus on Covid support for businesses.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar is expected to raise concerns that care workers are not adequately valued or rewarded for their vitally important role.

That's according to a new report from Scotland's spending watchdogs., external

Nicola Sturgeon can also expect another question on Number 10's "partygate" scandal, most likely from her own backbenches.

Image source, Getty Images

Face coverings and Covid passes are no longer legally required in England, as the relaxation of Plan B rules came into effect today.

Meanwhile the "day is coming" when the use of face masks in Scotland's schools will end, a top government adviser has said.

• What are the latest changes to the UK's Covid rules?
• Follow the UK Covid live page here

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of First Minister's Questions from Holyrood, on Thursday 27 January 2022.

Nicola Sturgeon will receive her weekly grilling from opposition leaders and other MSPs from about 12:00.

We will bring you all the latest developments and analysis here, and you can watch the session by clicking on one of the tabs above.