Here are the main headlines from this week's FMQs session:

• Douglas Ross focused on ambulance waiting times, pointing out one in 10 ambulances sat outside hospitals for hours
• Shona Robison, standing in for Humza Yousaf, apologised to anyone who had been hit with long waits but stressed similar pressures were being felt across the UK
• Anas Sarwar asked why there have been delays in producing analysis of the Scottish government's mortgage support scheme
• The deputy first minister pointed to at least £60m of funding to support a national acquisition plan to address homelessness
• Robison said it was "disappointing" that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is to close its office in East Kilbride

That's all from the live page team. Join us next Tuesday for extensive coverage of the budget. Today's editor was Paul McLaren. The writers were Auryn Cox and Craig Hutchison.

Image source, Google

Collette Stevenson highlights the UK government decision to close its Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in East Kilbride.

The SNP MSP points out that campaigning previously kept HMRC in the town and she says "it beggars belief that the UK government will remove 1,000 jobs from my constituency".

She says this is a "hammer-blow to East Kilbride" that could cost the town £30m.

This leads to arguments across the chamber and the deputy first minister says the people of East Kilbride will draw their own conclusions about "the laughter from the Tories".

Shona Robison criticises the UK government for now reneging on its promise to boost the local economy.

She says: "It is very disappointing for the people of East Kilbride."

Image source, Getty Images

Since January 2022, everyone in Scotland aged between five and 22 has been entitled to free bus travel.

It was introduced as part of a scheme that was agreed under an SNP/Green budget deal at Holyrood.

Despite initial issues surrounding a confusing sign up process, millions of free bus journeys have been made by young Scots using the scheme.

Last month Humza Yousaf confirmed £2m had been set aside to extend the scheme to include asylum seekers.

• Read more here
• Free bus scheme for under-22s clocks up 21 million journeys
• Free bus travel for under-22s in Scotland begins

The Scottish government's free bus travel scheme is raised by Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay.

She says the scheme has been a success, particularly for young women travelling at night, and asks what more the Scottish government can do to ensure that even more young people benefit from it.

The deputy first minister says the evaluation of the scheme, published today, shows an increased number of young people are travelling by buses.

Shona Robison adds that the government will continue to work with the MSP and other parties to see what more can be done so more young Scots benefit.

Labour MSP Rhoda Grant asks what can be done to prevent further "drainage" of people from the Highlands.

Shona Robison welcomes the efforts and report from Highland Council which aims to address this and provide sustainable communities.

The deputy first minister accepts there are challenges in rural communities and details government efforts to address them.

She says the Rural Delivery Plan will give renewed focus in delivering for rural Scotland.

SNP MSP Kevin Stewart asks what action the Scottish government is taking to help grow the green economy.

Shona Robison replies that the global transition to net zero offers enormous economic opportunities which Scotland can take advantage of - in particular through renewable energy.

Mr Stewart then asks what damage the UK government's "net-zero U-turns" could have on Scottish green job opportunities.

Ms Robison says Scotland is leading the way on the "green jobs revolution" despite UK government policies.

"The message is of course that Scotland is open for business and we welcome investment," she adds.

Image source, Getty Images

The next issue to be raised comes from Liz Smith and it focuses on planning regulations for offshore wind sites.

The Tory MSP says the average offshore wind project still takes around 12 years to deliver.

She asks what the government is doing to speed up the planning process for these projects.

Shona Robison says there is a very clear plan for cutting planning times for onshore developments and the situation offshore is being looked at.

"These are absolutely crucial for our economy going forward."

'The big binder of statistics came up short, for once'published at 12:31 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

12:31 GMT 14 December 2023

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

A big part of FMQs is preparation - foreseeing the topics that might come up, and having material ready in response.

Anas Sarwar struck on an issue that Shona Robison had apparently not been briefed in detail about, when he raised the mortgage support scheme.

The big binder of statistics came up short, for once. The deputy first minister had to cast around for a moment before settling on a response about the bedroom tax.

She did alight on some figures on homelessness and temporary accommodation, but found that Mr Sarwar had a much longer list of stats to fire back at her.

But if preparation is half of the battle, being able to adapt to circumstances makes up much of the remainder.

Ms Robison ultimately managed to pivot into a political attack on the UK Labour Party, and whether Rachel Reeves would deliver more funding for services as chancellor.

This kind of back and forth, with Labour attacking the SNP’s record and the SNP criticising how Labour might govern at Westminster, will likely continue right up to the general election.

Anas Sarwar says people are losing their homes right now and being forced into homelessness.

He points to the number of people across Scotland who are living in temporary homeless accommodation and asks Shona Robinson how her government has allowed things to get so bad.

The deputy first minister says the government is investing at least £60m to support a national acquisition plan.

And she adds that they are working with social landlords and with the local authorities under the most pressure.

Image source, Getty Images

More children than ever are homeless and living in temporary accommodation in Scotland, official figures show, external.

As of March this year, 9,595 youngsters were in the system - the highest since Scottish government records began in 2002.

In total, there were 29,652 open homelessness cases in March, which was a 15% rise on last year.

The Scottish government described the situation as "deeply worrying".

Meanwhile, homelessness applications increased by 9% in 2022-23 while there was a 1% drop in cases being closed.

Read more here

Anas Sarwar is up next and he raises the issue of the increasing number of families at risk of losing their homes.

The Scottish Labour leader adds that it is a direct result of a mortgage crisis caused by the UK Tory government.

But he asks the deputy first minister why there has been delays in producing analysis of the Scottish government's mortgage support scheme which he says not been supporting anyone.

Shona Robison replies that many families are experiencing real pressure, but says her government will continue to look at what support it can offer those affected.

'Preview of the inevitable row around the budget'published at 12:19 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

12:19 GMT 14 December 2023

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

Shona Robison has faced more health questions than most MSPs, having served as health secretary for years.

And she was singing a familiar song here - that the government would apologise to anyone suffering delays in the health service, today specifically via the ambulance service.

It was all she could really do, given Douglas Ross had come up with some fairly indefensible examples - like one patient waiting for 15 hours outside a hospital.

In terms of the broader debate, Mr Ross was also on familiar territory - criticising the state of services, and saying that is the fault of the party which has been in government since 2007.

And Ms Robison had a response to that based on her new job, of finance secretary - that not enough cash is being committed to services by the UK government, which has a direct knock-on effect on Holyrood’s funding.

A bit of a preview of the inevitable row around the budget next week.

The UK has provided the biggest ever block grant, argues Douglas Ross.

The Scottish Tory leader says a paramedic told him morale is at an all-time low.

He asks what the deputy first minister has to say to disillusioned staff about this crisis.

Shona Robison insists the views of frontline staff are taken very seriously indeed.

Scottish Ambulance Service staffing is up 50%, she says, and she points to record investment in the health service in Scotland.

Robison also points to a real-terms cut in NHS funding in England.

The deputy first minister accepts the impact of delayed discharges.

"It is not acceptable if someone is waiting too long for those calls," she says.

The median response for purple calls was seven minutes 32 seconds and she accepts that this is too long.

The finance secretary points out that, next year, the only money coming from the UK on health will be £10.8m, which is enough for just five hours capacity on the NHS.

Image source, Getty Images

Halfway through a Monday afternoon in mid-December, there were 14 ambulances queuing outside A&E at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary - over half of the available fleet at the city's main ambulance station.

While shadowing a shift with paramedic David Reid and technician Aaron McGregor, the unprecedented challenges the service now faces became immediately clear.

Latest figures show that in the week up to 4 December, one in 10 ambulances in Scotland waited almost two hours outside a hospital because there was no space in the emergency department.

That is a two-hour wait where a patient, who may be seriously unwell, is unable to get the care they need, and possibly 10 hours or more for a patient who has called 999 to find there are no ambulances free.

Read more here.

The Scottish Tory leader turns to a Freedom of Information request on ambulance waiting times in Scotland.

They show some of the worst turnaround times on record, he adds.

Some patients are waiting for more than half an hour and others are waiting 10 times longer than the six-minute target.

Ross asks why anyone whose heart has stopped should be waiting so long for an ambulance to arrive.

Shona Robison begins with a tribute to Mark Drakeford, who is standing down as Wales's first minister.

The deputy first minister then returns to the question on ambulances.

She says similar pressures are being felt throughout the UK.

"I would apologise to anyone who has either experienced any waits for an ambulance to reach them or indeed has had to wait too long at A&E."

Douglas Ross says figures released yesterday showed one in every 10 ambulances in Scotland sat outside hospitals for hours.

The Scottish Tory leader says in one week, 700 ambulances were stuck outside A&E departments.

He asks why?

Deputy First Minister Shona Robison is in the hot seat this week, as Humza Yousaf is ill.

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross gets to his feet and FMQs is under way.

'Perhaps more heat than light is in prospect'published at 11:41 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

11:41 GMT 14 December 2023

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

The government is weighing up a number of big political decisions at the moment.

There’s the looming budget – how can ministers plug the gaping hole in their spending plans? Will taxes be going up, and where might the cuts fall?

There’s the defeat in court over the UK government’s blockage of the gender reform bill – should the government appeal?

Then there’s what to be done about the National Care Service, with new paperwork suggesting further delays and the potential for mounting costs.

Opposition leaders could be tempted to ask questions about any or all of these quandaries.

But they shouldn’t necessarily expect answers.

Shona Robison may be in charge of the budget, but she isn’t going to let a single word slip about her plans before she announces them next week.

Equally there is little chance she’ll hold her hands up and detail what legal advice ministers have been getting about the court case.

There will be the usual political knockabout – but perhaps more heat than light is in prospect.