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Analysispublished at 13:15 British Summer Time 27 October 2022

13:15 BST 27 October 2022

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

It feels a long way from Westminster at times, but Holyrood is by no means immune from the febrile atmosphere of UK politics.

Constitutional clashes at FMQs are obviously familiar, but they have grown more frequent and intense in recent weeks and months.

Perhaps this is obvious, with Nicola Sturgeon’s proposed referendum now under a year away.

But it also reflects the ways parties are working to position themselves amid an ever-changing landscape.

The SNP are putting more effort into taking on Labour, in case they could be in the ascendancy at Westminster; Labour are pushing hard to try to make sure any revival translates into Scottish seats. Meanwhile the Conservatives are leaning harder than ever on their unionist credentials in a bid to avoid talking about what’s going on at Downing Street.

We are only just over a year into the current Holyrood term, but it feels like parties are already in campaign mode.

Green MSP Ross Greer asks about reports that the Dutch government is launching an investigation into undeclared Chinese state police bases across Europe.

According to the Spanish-based NGO, Safeguard Defenders, one of these bases is in Glasgow.

Mr Greer asks what action is being taken about this "apparent Chinese police base in Glasgow".

"I agree that these reports are deeply concerning," replies Ms Sturgeon.

The first minister adds: "These matters require to be fully and properly investigated."

The police are aware of the reports, she adds.

Image source, Getty Images

Alex Cole-Hamilton, the leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, brings the "dentistry crisis" to the first minister's attention.

He says people are resorting to DIY dentistry as it becomes harder to get an NHS appointment and adds that one in 10 dentists have stopped doing NHS work since the pandemic because it does not cover their costs.

Mr Cole-Hamilton points out the Dental Advisory Group - set up six months ago to tackle the problem - still does not have any members, and he asks when it will meet.

Ms Sturgeon says 95% of the population is registered with an NHS dentist, a record figure.

Examination appointments have been going up since the beginning of the year and the government has increased funding by £150m to deal with the challenge, she adds.

Image source, Getty Images

Lib Dem MSP Beatrice Wishart raises the issue of the loss of internet and phone services which had to be restored in Shetland after two subsea cables were damaged.

A break in the lines connecting Shetland to the mainland led police to declare a major incident.

The first minister commits to looking at the wider resilience of the islands.

Labour MSP Colin Smyth says dozens of women representing the hundreds of survivors of Fornethy House abuse are at Holyrood today.

Mr Smyth points out no-one from government has acknowledged the abuse that took place.

Dozens of women have said they were sexually, physically and mentally abused by staff at the facility in Kilry, Angus.

The first minister welcomes the survivors to the Scottish Parliament and says she will consider any request for a meeting, but she points out the deputy first minister met them earlier this year.

She says her government will continue to do everything it can to address their concerns.

Police Scotland has warned it may have to suspend its 101 non-emergency phone line and lose thousands of officers and staff under government spending plans.

The Scottish government has proposed giving the criminal justice sector, including the police, a total of £11.6bn over the next four years.

This would see most services receive the same amount of cash every year.

But with inflation currently at 10.1%, it would mean a significant cut in real terms by April 2027.

This could lead to a "hollowed out" police service that would lead to rising crime rates and victims being "let down", MSPs were told.

Meanwhile the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said it would face "hard choices" including a possible reduction in staffing through retirements and vacancy management.

Its ability to deal with challenges posed by climate change, such as wildfire and flooding, would be impacted and some stations might have to close.

Read more here.

Tory MSP Jamie Greene raises the issue of pay for "blue light services" and yesterday's evidence session before the Criminal Justice Committee.

He points out up to 4,500 police officers and staff could be lost, up to a quarter of our firefighters, and that, police and fire stations could close

The Scottish government will always protect our public services to the maximum that is possible within a budget determined by Westminster, replies Ms Sturgeon.

The first minister explains Scotland has more police officers per capita than the rest of the UK and more fire fighters.

If the Tories want to see more money for public services they should join the SNP in asking for more fiscal independence for Holyrood, she says.

"Lives are being lost" in the health crisis, Mr Sarwar says.

He quotes a letter sent to doctors from management at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow which said: "We are all being asked to perform the impossible in extremely challenging circumstances".

He accuses Ms Sturgeon and her health minister of not knowing what they are doing.

The first minister says Scotland is performing better than other parts of the UK, and staff here are paid more.

She says they will continue to support the health service, as "people have put their trust in this government to do".

Image source, Getty Images

The NHS in Scotland will recruit 1,000 new staff to help the health service cope this winter, the health secretary has said.

Humza Yousaf said more than £8m would be invested in recruiting 750 additional nurses, midwives and health professionals from overseas.

NHS boards will also hire 250 more support staff across acute, primary care and mental health.

The Conservatives described the plans as "completely inadequate".

The government's Health and Social Care Winter Resilience plan, external sets out £600m of funding for the coming months.

It comes after summer waiting times at Scotland's A&E departments were the worst on record, according to new figures.

• Read more here
• The biggest issues facing the NHS this winter
• The latest headlines from Scotland

Mr Sarwar says A&E waiting times are getting worse this year as the number of people being seen within four hours has dropped from 86.6% a year ago to 65.3% today.

This is "only one part of the picture", he says with thousands of the sickest people being sent directly in acute assessment units, and their waiting times not recorded.

He asks Ms Sturgeon to start recording all waiting times.

"We have not changed how accident and emergency waiting times statistics are recorded," the first minister says.

The hard work of people on the front line has helped reduce waiting times in the past month, she adds.

Analysispublished at 12:33 British Summer Time 27 October 2022

12:33 BST 27 October 2022

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

Anas Sarwar has led his questions on waiting times in the health service almost every week in recent months.

It’s been a particular focus for Labour, who led a Holyrood debate on Wednesday saying that if improvements are not made sharpish, then Humza Yousaf should resign as health secretary.

It’s a difficult issue, and a bread-and-butter devolved topic – but of course that also means it’s one that Nicola Sturgeon is well-prepared for.

Mr Sarwar says things are getting worse on the SNP’s watch; Ms Sturgeon replies that services are performing better than those elsewhere in the UK, despite Covid pressures.

So like the clashes with Douglas Ross about the constitution, there was a familiar air to these exchanges.

But there was a far more serious tone to it, given the immediate life-and-death impact – and it’s a debate that everyone hopes will be resolved in much shorter order than the decades-long row over independence.

Image source, PA Media

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar says Scotland's hospitals should be preparing for winter but are already in crisis with 4,069 people waiting over 24 hours for treatment in A&E in the past year.

He says freedom of information requests show 859 patients waited over 36 hours.

Mr Sarwar calls on the first minister to "tell us what you are going to do to fix it, and when".

Ms Sturgeon says the situation is "very challenging" but there has been progress in reducing waiting times.

"There is much, much work to be done," she says and adds that her government is working to support hospitals and health boards.

Labour is right to raise the issue but lacks any suggestions about what should be done differently, she adds.

Mr Ross warns the SNP's flimsy plan is to create chaos.

The Scottish Tory leader tells the chamber: "The first minister would wreck our economy for good."

Ms Sturgeon explains that it is because she is focusing on people, businesses and communities that she wants to see Scotland become independent.

The fact Douglas Ross wants to block another referendum "speaks volumes".

She lists "U-turns" Douglas Ross has made in the last few weeks and she asks "who knows what Douglas Ross's position will be this time next week".

Image source, Getty Images

The Scottish government's proposal is to keep using the pound immediately after independence, before eventually setting up a new Scottish pound.

The new state would set up a central bank on "day one", which would act as the Scottish government's banker and guarantee deposits while amassing currency reserves.

However it would keep using sterling for an unspecified period of time, meaning businesses could continue to trade using the pound and contracts, wages and savings accounts would continue on that basis.

It would, however, mean monetary policy such as interest rates would continue to be set by the Bank of England.

The SNP had previously suggested it might take more than a decade to transition to a new currency, but the latest paper only says it would happen "as soon as practicable".

Read more

Analysispublished at 12:21 British Summer Time 27 October 2022

12:21 BST 27 October 2022

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

At a time of constant change in politics, this was a classic exchange from Scottish politics across the past decade; the SNP and Conservatives exchanging barbs about the constitution.

It’s a comfortable subject for Douglas Ross to slide into at a difficult time for his party.

Nicola Sturgeon said she welcomed the debate too – and had come prepared for it, with lengthy quotes from various European officials ready in her binder.

Little was really resolved in the exchanges, but that wasn’t the point of them for either side.

The SNP and Conservatives are quite happy to play to their core support by kicking lumps out of each other about independence and Brexit – while leaving Labour out of the debate as a third wheel.

Image source, Getty Images

Douglas Ross insists the EU rubbished the SNP's economic paper in less than a fortnight.

He says bringing in a hard border between Scotland and England would threaten 500,000 jobs.

The Scottish Tory leader also says there is "no security for people's mortgages", which is met with laughter from some SNP MSPs.

The presiding officer has to intervene to calm the mood.

Ms Sturgeon points out: "People across the chamber were not laughing with him."

She says the Tories brought pension funds within hours of collapse and sent mortgage rates soaring through the roof.

Image source, Getty Images

"Desperate, desperate stuff from Nicola Sturgeon," says Douglas Ross.

The Scottish Tory leader insists a Scotland separated from the UK would be refused entry unless it joined the Euro.

He asks how indyref2 can possibly be the first minister's priority right now.

Nicola Sturgeon hits back pointing out inflation is higher in the UK than the rest of the world, due to the mismanagement of the Tory government.

She points out Douglas Ross's point is "utterly pathetic" and she reiterates her desire for the Scottish people to have their say in a referendum.

Nicola Sturgeon replies that the Tories have no credibility on European matters.

The first minister says the story in the Times had no named sources, whereas she will name hers.

"Not all countries in the European Union will join the Euro," she says, quoting former prime minister David Cameron.

Sturgeon points out some member states are still using their own currency and says it is a debate that should be had in the run-up to a referendum, which the UK government opposes.

Image source, Getty Images

Douglas Ross raises the issue of the SNP's plan to rejoin the EU should Scotland become independent.

He refers to a newspaper report that senior European officials have said: "No Euro, no membership".

The Scottish Conservative leader points out that is not what the SNP's economic paper said last week.

He asks: "Who is lying to the Scottish people, the European Union or Nicola Sturgeon?"