That's all from the live page team. Have a lovely afternoon.

Jamie Greene of the Scottish Conservatives asks why the first minister doesn’t stop spending money on independence to properly fund the police.

Ms Sturgeon responds that the question is a further example of the "fiscal illiteracy" of the Conservatives.

She says: "In this week of all weeks I think it's pretty obvious why we need to be independent", citing how Scots did not vote for Brexit and accuses the UK government of crashing the economy.

"Independence is about getting away from Tory incompetence and immorality," she adds. "The sooner the people of Scotland have the choice for independence, the better for all of us."

Gillian Martin of the SNP asks Ms Sturgeon how the recent fall in the value of the pound will affect the finances of the Scottish government.

"Disastrously," says Ms Sturgeon. She says the Scottish budget is now worth £1.7bn less than it was in December.

Ms Martin says she believes the Scottish Conservatives calls to replicate UK tax cuts in Scotland would lead to "significant personal gains to themselves and their donors", and asks for Ms Sturgeon's view on the matter.

The first minister calls the policy "economic vandalism" which "appears to me deliberate". She calls on the chancellor to reverse the tax cuts.

Tory MSP Douglas Lumsden asks what support the Scottish government will make available to the reported 372 members of staff affected by the Arjowiggins papermill at Stoneywood in Aberdeen entering administration.

The first minister says those being made redundant are the priority and PACE (Partnership Action for Continuing Employment) has stepped in to offer support.

Mr Lumsden says this is the first mention by the first minister of these jobs being lost.

Ms Sturgeon insists the Scottish government has worked through Scottish Enterprise to try and find a future for the mill.

She says her government will continue to provide all the support it can to the workers.

Image source, Getty Images

Paul O’Kane from Scottish Labour follows up on health, saying surge beds introduced last winter across health boards are still occupied.

He asks what is the first minister going to do to address the crisis?

She responds that Public Health Scotland figures recently showed acute beds had increased, while there are more beds per population in Scotland than in England.

Ms Sturgeon say to hear Labour talk about bed reductions is "galling" and asks the party to check its own history on bed reductions before criticising the government.

The issue of pressures on the NHS this winter is raised by SNP MSP Christine Grahame.

The first minister explains the health secretary will be making a statement to parliament next week outlining the winter planning.

Ms Sturgeon says the economic crisis created by the Tories could potentially become a public health crisis.

It will put significant demand on the NHS, says the FM.

Liz Smith of the Scottish Conservatives asks if the first minister thinks it is acceptable that MSPs will only see the emergency rent freeze bill an hour before it is due to be debated.

She also asks Ms Sturgeon to confirm whether it is correct that some stakeholders will be given prior sight of this bill before MSPs.

Ms Sturgeon says she would rather not be in a position where she had to introduce emergency legislation but has a "duty to take action as far as we possibly can" because of the cost of living crisis.

She says parliament will have a chance to scrutinise the proposals in the coming days.

SNP MSP Elena Whitham asks if the first minister agrees that Liz Truss must ditch the policies announced last Friday and think again.

The first minister says these issues "could not be any more grave and more serious".

Ms Sturgeon says: "People are now increasingly worried about being able to keep their homes."

"People are terrified about the cost of living, about their mortgages, about the ability to heat their homes, about the security of their pensions."

She says this has come about due to the decision of the UK government to borrow vast amounts of money to give enormous tax cuts to the very richest in society.

"It is morally abhorrent and economically disastrous," adds the first minister.

Mr Sarwar concludes that the UK has seen a change coming with Labour this week.

He accuses Ms Sturgeon of giving the "same headlines but not the work".

Ms Sturgeon says "in the interest of finding consensus" with Mr Sarwar, she too wants to "see the back of a rotten, corrupt, failing Tory government" - but adds that Labour needs to be different if they are to replace the government at UK level.

She urges Mr Sarwar's party to commit to a reversal of Brexit.

Mr Sarwar accuses the first minister of breaking a 2017 promise to run an energy company that sells as close to cost price as possible.

He asks why the government sold Scottish seabed "on the cheap" to Swedish company Vattenfall, referring to the company's successful bid in the Crown Estate Scotland’s ScotWind offshore leasing round - adding that had Scotland had a public energy company, taxpayers would have had a stake.

The FM says Mr Sarwar's "talking down" ScotWind was "one of the many reasons" Scotland will not have a Labour government any time soon.

She clarifies that she committed to a publicly owned retail energy company and asks when Mr Sarwar will back independence so Scotland has access to the powers necessary to set up publicly owned energy generation.

Image source, Getty Images

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar turns questioning to energy. He points out the SNP "took months" to back the party's plans for a windfall tax for energy firms.

He asks whether the government will back Labour's plans for a publicly owned energy company.

Ms Sturgeon says she is "happy to give support to a policy of that nature".

However, she lists a number of her party's own proposals that have taken effect in Scotland which she says the UK Labour party may want to look at - such as the Scottish child payment, an end of tuition fees and higher health spending.

A three-month delay is "basically costing tax payers about a million pounds per day", says Mr Ross.

He says there is a "stench of political corruption" and asks when the first minister will "start to take the blame".

The first minister says she will never apologise for actions taken by her government to save the jobs at Ferguson Marine.

Ms Sturgeon lambasts the UK government's tax cuts and says for the avoidance of doubt "we will not emulate these policies".

Image source, Getty Images

Mr Ross says Hull 802 is going to be six years later and the total budget for Fergusons is now £209.6m. An increase of £84m.

He asks the first minister to confirm this "enormous cost increase".

The first minister says the target date for 801 has not changed and there is an estimated further slippage in delivery of 802 of one to two months.

Fergusons has set out its latest estimated cost, but ministers have yet to scrutinise it and no decision has yet been taken, explains Nicola Sturgeon.

She says her government will continue to support the shipyard and the completion of the ferries.

"I'm not sure Conservative Douglas Ross is on very strong ground at all today in talking about government disasters."

Ms Sturgeon insists her government will continue to fully co-operate with any Audit Scotland investigation.

The first minister reiterates that ministers were rightly not involved in the procurement process.

Mr Ross says: "It appears as if the government has broken EU laws and it may have committed fraud."

The Scottish Conservative leader adds that this matters to the islanders "abandoned by this government".

Mr Ross says the only conclusion that any reasonable person can draw is that "the deal was rigged".

The Scottish Conservative leader points out that all the information has not been made available and came out in the BBC programme this week.

Mr Ross adds: "It's clear that there has been a cover-up by the first minister's government and its agencies."

The first minister says that for months Douglas Ross has alleged that Scottish ministers forced CMAL to give the contract to Fergusons.

Now Mr Ross is saying CMAL collaborated with Fergusons over the contract, she adds.

Ms Sturgeon calls for more clarity from the Scottish Conservative leader.

She says: "Ministers are not aware of any impropriety in this procurement process."

They were not involved in the process, she adds and says she has asked the permanent secretary to engage with Audit Scotland over the allegations.

Audit Scotland will be looking at the substance of these allegations.

Douglas Ross raises the issue of the ferries scandal.

The Scottish Conservatives leader refers to the BBC Scotland Disclosure programme.

He asks why Ferguson Shipyard received special treatment from the Scottish government.

Image source, PA Media

Background:

One of the two vessels being built for CalMac as part of a controversial ferries contract has been delayed until 2024, it has emerged.

The vessel, currently known as hull 802, was expected to enter service between October and December next year.

But Ferguson Marine has now said that the vessel will not be ready until the first quarter of 2024.

The two vessels, hull 802 and the Glen Sannox, will be more than £150m over budget and five years late.

The news emerged the day after a BBC documentary uncovered evidence of a number of irregularities in the awarding of the original £97m contract.

Documents obtained by BBC Disclosure indicated that Ferguson Marine benefited from preferential treatment.

• Read more here
• Leaked dossier suggests Scottish ferry deal may have been rigged
• Call for police probe into Scottish ferries row
• The workers who saw Scotland's ferries saga unfold
• Ten things we learned about Scotland's ferry fiasco

Good morning and welcome to our live page coverage of first minister's questions on Thursday 29 September 2022.

After another bruising week in the ferries scandal it is fairly certain the issue of the latest delay will be raised.

NHS waiting times are also expected to be brought up today.