The number of students from Scotland's poorest areas going to university has fallen, new figures have suggested.

Data from the university admissions body Ucas showed a drop in applications and places awarded to those from the most-deprived 20% of areas.

The figures showed 1,215 applicants from this group got a place in 2015, down from 1,305 the previous year.

The Scottish government said it was "committed to education based on ability to learn, not ability to pay".

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale asks Nicola Sturgeon when she will next meet with Carers Scotland, appropriately enough as this is Carers Week, external. 

The first minister thanks carers and young carers for everything they do. 

Image source, bbc

The Scottish Conservative leader says the SNP government tried to push back the report into St John's until after the election because they feared what it might say.

Ms Davidson says "we don't need an SNP spin operation which tries to bury bad news".

The first minister says this is a "recycled scare story" and says decisions around the report were matters for  NHS Lothian.

Ms Sturgeon says her government will keep taking action to improve the NHS and points again to record high staffing.

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Ms Davidson says the NHS Lothian Report into paediatric services at St John's Hospital in Livingston highlights backfilling for doctors, which is "utterly unacceptable".

The first minister accepts there are challenges at St John's and a report on the services there is currently being considered by NHS Lothian.

The Scottish Conservative leader says there are 162 unfilled consultant posts in the NHS in Scotland.

Ms Davidson asks if the first minister will prioritise this issue.

The first minister says the consultant vacancy rate is lower now than when the SNP took office.

Official figures have indicated the number of staff working in NHS Scotland has reached a record high.

But the use of agency nurses and midwives has increased substantially for the third year running.

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Health secretary Shona Robison said the government was providing people with "the high-quality healthcare they deserve".

The Conservatives said the use of agency staff showed there were not enough people to cover essential work.

The figures showed that, at the end of March, 161,656 people were employed by the NHS in Scotland.

Since 2006, the workforce - excluding GPs and dentists - has increased by 9%.

Ms Davidson says the Scottish government has failed to recruit the staff needed for the NHS.

Nicola Sturgeon says there is now record high staffing in the NHS.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson gets first minister's questions underway.  

Green MSP Ross Greer asks the Scottish government how it supports the provision of additional support for learning posts in schools.

SNP MSP Clare Haughey asks the Scottish government whether the Clyde Gateway project will continue to receive core funding.

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Education Secretary John Swinney says the government discusses the implementation of the Curriculum for Excellence on a regular basis.

Mr Balfour raises concerns about subject choices available in some schools.

The education secretary says he is looking at the issue actively and says he will discuss it with the SQA and Education Scotland.

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At the end of last year it emerged that achievement in Scottish schools was above international averages - but the gap is narrowing, a review has found., external

Particular concerns were raised about maths where performance has fallen from high to average over the past decade.

The review of the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), external was undertaken by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The international experts said CfE was at a and changes could deliver a world class system.

Scottish Conservative MSP Jeremy Balfour Scottish government what recent discussions it has had with Education Scotland and the Scottish Qualifications Agency regarding the implementation of the curriculum for excellence.  

First minister's questions will get underway at 12pm, as ever

Image source, PA / BBC

SNP MSP Rona Mackay appears not to be in the chamber so we move to SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald, who asks the Scottish government what noise level monitoring it carries out on the trunk road network.

Transport Minister Humza Yousaf says the government invests £1bn in public transport and other options to improve transport in rural areas.

Mr Crawford raises concerns about First Bus services in his constituency.

The minister says he is "deeply concerned" about the First East proposals.

SNP MSP Bruce Crawford asks what action the Scottish government is taking to improve public transport in rural areas.

Economy Secretary Keith Brown says the Scottish government has shown strong support for Aberdeen and the North East via the City Deal.

Mr Brown says the government sought to expand the deal but the UK government did not agree.

Mr Thomson says agreement on the additional £254m have not yet been ratified and asks when the Scottish government will stop dragging its feet on this funding.

The economy secretary again says the UK government has not agreed to the expansion of the funding.