That brings to an end our live coverage of FMQs this week. You can watch the highlights below.

Thank you for joining us.

FMQs comes to an end and Murdo Fraser raises a point of order saying over the last few weeks there has been "increasingly tiresome interruptions from the public gallery".

"This is very disruptive," says the Tory MSP and he asks the presiding officer to look at the allocation of tickets to the public gallery and about what sanctions are taken against the protestors.

Alison Johnstone explains work is under way with regard to the disruption that the parliament is experiencing.

The presiding officer says she will update MSPs on what action is being taken in due course.

Image source, PA Media

Dundee City West MP Joe Fitzpatrick asks the first minister about the UK government's proposed bill to stop migrant crossings.

He fears the Scottish government could fail to meet human rights and refugee responsibilities due to the proposed laws.

Fitzpatrick asks whether she shares his disgust at the UK labour leader Keir Starmer "trying to outdo the prime minister on his anti-immigration rhetoric".

Sturgeon calls the bill "utterly shameful and immoral" and says the Scottish government does not and will never support the bill.

She quotes the UN Refugee Agency, who said it would be a "clear breach of the Refugee Convention and would undermine a longstanding, humanitarian tradition of which the British people are rightly proud".

She adds: "Nobody who has any concern for our fellow human beings should ever support such an appalling piece of draft legislation."

Jackie Baillie also refers to BBC Scotland's Disclosure programme which showed one in five people had payed for private medical care in the past 12 months.

The Labour MSP explains these are people on lengthy waiting lists so desperate for treatment that they are scraping together their savings to go private.

The first minister says she considers it unacceptable that any patient has to pay privately.

That's why her government is focusing on bringing down waiting times and this will the priority of her successor, Sturgeon says.

She says in Wales where Labour is in office self-funded private care was 27% higher than in Scotland.

Tory MSP Tess White asks for an update on the Scottish government's progress towards reducing the number of people on hospital waiting lists and ending long waits for NHS treatment.

The first minister paints an improving picture in terms of waiting times.

White says NHS Grampian figures show two in-patients have waited over five and a half years for treatment.

She says Humza Yousaf is more focused on the SNP succession plan than the NHS recovery plan. What does the FM have to say to those suffering in pain on waiting lists, she asks.

Sturgeon replies: "This government will continue to focus on investment, recruitment and reform in our NHS to get thos waiting lists and waiting times down."

Sarwar's exchange far more uncomfortable for Sturgeon than Ross'published at 12:58 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2023

12:58 GMT 9 March 2023

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

Anas Sarwar moved back to more familiar territory at FMQs, resuming his long run of Thursdays focusing on health.

He couldn’t resist touching on the leadership debate, to set the framework of discussing government competence.

But rather than quoting the warring candidates, he was quoting a doctor – trying to draw the focus out onto the impact on the country at large.

Nicola Sturgeon’s response was a familiar one too, given how many times these two have had this debate; as ever, she was stressing the impact of Covid on the health services.

But the real-world examples meant it was a far more uncomfortable exchange for the first minister than the more straightforward political rammy with Douglas Ross.

Sarwar doubles down on Dr Adams’ claim that the issues are not down to Covid-19.

“The first minister needs to stop hiding behind Covid,” he says.

He adds: “Across Scotland, thousands of people are opting to pay for treatment because they can’t wait for the NHS.”

The Scottish Labour leader points to research by the BBC where one in five people said that they or a family member had paid for medical treatment.

He says that none of the SNP leadership candidates are up to the job of fixing the NHS crisis.

Sturgeon clarifies that her Covid comments were not specifically in relation to Harvey’s case, but more on the wider NHS.

She stresses that Covid exacerbated strains on health services across the world and not just in Scotland.

She says that whoever takes over from her “will take the duty and responsibility of this office seriously” and the "people of Scotland are the ultimate arbiters of who is competent".

Image source, bbc

There are 625,000 people on a hospital waiting list in Scotland. That figure is the highest on record and equivalent to one in nine of the population.

Backlogs have soared since the Covid pandemic and more people faced with long waits are seeking private treatment.

An opinion poll commissioned by BBC Scotland, external suggests one in five of those who replied said they - or one of their family - had paid for private medical care in the past 12 months.

Most (73%) said they would have preferred to use the NHS.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said he was worried about the poll results and that the Scottish government was determined to tackle the NHS treatment backlog.

Read more here.

Sarwar asks why children are having to wait so long for urgent treatment.

He references Dr Chris Adams, one of Scotland’s three paediatric spinal surgeons, who says his patients are suffering due to a lack of staff.

“Crucially, he says it’s not due to Covid,” he told the first minister.

He references nine-year-old Harvey Martin who suffers from neurofibromatosis and is awaiting urgent surgery "in excruciating pain" for seven months.

Sturgeon says she has heard Dr Chris Adams' concerns and says the issues are general and not specific to NHS Lothian. She commits to look further into Harvey's case.

She said the NHS is facing significant challenges "largely down to Covid", but concedes that some pressures predated Covid.

She says the government focus is on "investment, recruitment and reform to help tackles those challenges".

Sturgeon's message for the three SNP leadership candidatespublished at 12:49 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2023

12:49 GMT 9 March 2023

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

Nicola Sturgeon seemed to rather enjoy her knockabout with Douglas Ross – throwing some barbs back at the Conservatives after a week of SNP infighting.

However for all her attempts to stay out of the leadership contest, she did have a message for the three candidates seeking to replace her.

It was about earning the trust of the wider electorate, and how much more difficult it is to govern than to campaign.

She kept it very general, so as not to seem like a rebuke to one particular contender.

But the point was clear – don’t be drawn into campaigning in a way that might make governing more difficult when the dust has settled.

Image source, PA Media

Anas Sarwar is up next and he leads on the NHS crisis.

He refers to the recent leadership debate where Finance Secretary Kate Forbes called out Health Secretary Humza Yousaf for overseeing record waiting times in the NHS in Scotland.

The Scottish Labour leader asks the first minister whether she agrees that "continuity, mediocrity and incompetence won’t cut it".

Sturgeon says continued focus on delivering for the people of Scotland should be the priority of the future first minister.

She said the NHS is facing issues across Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The first minister says the government is seeing progress in the recovery of the NHS and some numbers, such as waiting times for outpatients, are down due to government investment.

Climate protestor disrupts beginning of FMQspublished at 12:36 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2023

12:36 GMT 9 March 2023

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

As has become a weekly tradition by now, FMQs was disrupted by a climate protestor.

Douglas Ross attempted to plough on regardless – unlike last week, without swearing – but the session had to be cut short again.

Last week’s sweary outburst reflects growing frustration within Holyrood about these protests. Given they simply consist of someone shouting, they are very difficult to prevent.

Obviously the protestors themselves are voicing some frustration too – but it doesn’t carry very far, given the cameras cut off almost immediately while they are huckled out by security.

Ross tells the chamber Nicola Sturgeon has split the country now her departure is divding the SNP.

The Scottish Tory leader turns to health and says BMA Scotland has said nearly half of junior doctors are thinking of quitting.

He also says an investigation reported that one in five people had been forced to go private for health treatment and he asks if the SNP candidates should be focusing on the crisis in the NHS.

Nicola Sturgeon tells Douglas Ross he should look in the mirror at his unpopularity.

The first minister insists her party is focusing on NHS recovery.

Ross says this was a Scottish government minister tearing apart the record in government.

He asks if Kate Forbes has got the detail on the government bang on the money.

Sturgeon replies that all three colleagues vying to replace all share in the success of the government she is proud to lead.

Earlier this week she said she did not want to provide a "running commentary" on the contest to succeed her - however she offers advice to candidates saying being first minister is hard, tough and a massive responsibility.

The one overriding task will be to govern and serve to inspire the people of Scotland to keep putting trust in the SNP she says.

Image source, PA Media

Ross says he worries tonight's half hour debate won't provide enough time for the candidates to trash the government's record.

The Scottish Tory leader says Kate Forbes doesn't know if she is in government or in opposition and says she said "more of the same is not a manifesto it's an acceptance of mediocrity".

The first minister hits back saying "for Douglas Ross, of course, mediocrity is a dizzy height that he's never come close to achiveing".

Laughter erupts from SNP MSPs, none more so than John Swinney who says: "oh that's lovely".

Sturgeon defends her government's record on crime, down by more than 40% she says.

Douglas Ross gets us started again reiterating that apparently the first minister could not bear to watch the SNP leadership TV debate, "but her ears must have been burning as the candidates torched the SNP's record in government".

The Scottish Tory leader says Kate Forbes said the trains never run on time, the police were stretched to breaking point and there were record high waiting times in the NHS.

He asks if the first minister applauds her finance secretary's assessment of the SNP's record in government.

Nicola Sturgeon replies she did not catch the debate and goes on to say the only verdict that really matters is the verdict from the people she serves.

The first minister reminds the chamber that she has won no fewer than eight elections.

Douglas Ross begins his question however business has to be suspended due to disruption in the public gallery.

The first minister could be seen mouthing that she could not hear what was being said to the presiding officer.

Sturgeon in tricky position after fiery SNP leadership TV debatepublished at 11:51 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2023

11:51 GMT 9 March 2023

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

As much as there is going on in Scottish politics, it would be no surprise to see the shadow of the SNP leadership contest hanging over FMQs again today.

After Tuesday night’s TV debate descended into open warfare, opposition leaders might struggle to be as critical of the Scottish government as some of its own ministers.

Kate Forbes’ savage takedown of Humza Yousaf and his record in office is the most obvious thing to be quoted, but all three candidates are calling for change of one kind or another.

Ms Sturgeon wants to stay out of the contest, but equally she does not want her own record and legacy to be trashed.

She is in a tricky position, given she will want to bite back at opposition leaders without making it seem like an open endorsement for one candidate’s line of argument.

Of course that is in part because she has left her party in a tricky position with her sudden resignation.

If the SNP’s prospects are collateral damage in what risks becoming a brutal competition, that will ultimately reflect on Ms Sturgeon too

Image source, STV

Scottish politics this week has been dominated by the rancorous SNP leadership TV debate on STV.

Finance Secretary Kate Forbes attacked Humza Yousaf's record in government during the heated debate.

The health secretary hit back by suggesting support for independence would drop if Ms Forbes became leader due to her views on same-sex marriage.

The pair also clashed with rival contender Ash Regan, who said the SNP had "lost its way" and pledged to unite the broader Yes movement.

Read more here.

Image source, Getty Images

Welcome to our live coverage of First Minister's Questions on Thursday 9 March 2023.

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