Summary

  • Nicola Sturgeon is being quizzed by opposition party leaders and backbench MSPs

  • Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross raised newspaper reports that Glasgow City Council is considering cutting 800 teaching posts and closing some schools

  • Mr Ross said there were already 900 fewer teachers in Scotland than when the SNP came to power

  • Ms Sturgeon said her government was providing an additional £145m to local authorities to employ up to 2,400 more teachers and 500 more classroom assistants

  • Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar highlighted the "ongoing crisis" in social care, saying he had been told by staff that many of their colleagues were "burned out"

  • The teachers' strike, autism, key diagnostic tests and Barnardo's fostering service were also raised from the backbenches

Live Reporting

BBC Scotland News

  1. Analysis

    What can we expect from FMQs this week?

    After a week of confrontations with the UK government, it’s a bit of a change of pace for Nicola Sturgeon to face off with opponents at Holyrood rather than Westminster.

    Labour are almost guaranteed to lead on health and social care – Anas Sarwar has now done so 11 weeks in a row. He hasn’t asked about anything else since September, and is clearly trying to build a specific platform on the issue.

    Douglas Ross is a more curious case. He could go on health too, or perhaps justice.

    But he also might opt to lean into the big, jagged divisions between the Scottish and UK governments, despite the fact Ms Sturgeon will have plenty of ammunition lined up for them.

    Issues like gender reform and levelling up are a powderkeg, given the rows taking place beyond Holyrood and Mr Ross does occasionally relish a real ding-dong with the first minister.

    Ms Sturgeon will have a question or two lined up from the SNP backbenches to make sure she can get her arguments out even if they aren’t raised by the opposition.

  2. What's happening with Scotland's gender reforms - in 70 seconds

    What's happening with Scotland's gender reforms - in 70 seconds

    Will the constitutional row feature today at FMQs?

    Here's a quick refresher just in case.

    The UK government has decided to block a Scottish bill designed to make it easier for people to change their legal gender.

    BBC political correspondent Philip Sim explains what's happened - and what could come next.

    Video by Morgan Spence

  3. Welcome

    PM and FMPA Media

    The FM and PM were all smiles last Thursday, ahead of the decision by the UK government to block the Gender Recognition Bill.

    Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of First Minister's Questions.

    The weekly political joust might be even spicier than usual, following the UK government decision to block the Gender Recognition Bill designed to make it easier for people to change their legal gender.

    Will the constitutional row dominate proceedings or will health be to the fore as usual?

    Either way we'll bring you reports and analysis and you can watch the whole of FMQs by hitting the play icon at the top of the page.