Fishing for answers at FMQs

Ms Sturgeon faced questions on exams, childcare, the police, the Scotland Bill and fish

Nicola Sturgeon seemed a mite disconcerted at Holyrood today. Only for a moment, mind, and not during any of her exchanges with opposition leaders.

To be clear, those conversations were robust enough. Decidedly so, in fact. Serious scrutiny on serious topics: exams, child care and police operations.

But Nicola Sturgeon dealt efficiently with each. Not to the satisfaction of her rivals, of course. Such is not given in this troubled world. But effectively. No, her tricky moment came when Jamie McGrigor asked about fish.

Now, aside from being a renowned folk singer, the bold McGrigor is also an expert on matters marine. They don't call him the Nephrops King for nothing. Actually, they don't…..but you get the point.

He was evidently exasperated by, as I understood it, the Scottish government's failure to implement an EU directive involving cash support for skippers with relation to the storing of unsellable catches.

As he expanded upon his theme, at length and with increasing heat, Nicola Sturgeon looked just a little scared. Was that a furtive glance behind her at the Rural Affairs Secretary, Richard Lochhead, in search of inspiration?

Fretful pupils

But the awkward moment passed and Ms Sturgeon found a way forward. If in trouble, offer a meeting - involving someone else. In this case, Lochhead, R. The FM said that the Nephrops King had plainly raised an important topic. Her Cabinet colleague would be happy to look into it.

To return to the earlier matters, the ones the FM had anticipated. Labour's Kezia Dugdale set Ms Sturgeon a test, advising her not to attempt to write on both sides of the paper at once.

The subject was the recent Higher Maths exam, generally pronounced a stinker by fretful pupils and worried parents. Ms Sturgeon offered reassurance: the SQA would take any perceived difficulty into account in marking the paper.

Rather unwisely, I feel, the FM then suggested that Ms Dugdale should also be offering reassurance, instead of distressing pupils still further by going on about the exam.

At one level, that is true. There should not be any unwarranted anxiety caused to pupils who are going through the trauma of exam time.

Some pupils have claimed the recent Higher Maths exam was "impossible"

But it is surely legitimate for an opposition leader to challenge the Scottish government over an issue which is worrying thousands of pupils. Right now.

To be entirely fair, Ms Sturgeon also stressed that she made no complaint about the issue being raised. That was reasonable. Her gripe was with the tone.

Undeterred, Ms Dugdale persisted. It was all very well the SQA offering to go easy on those who struggled. What about those pupils who were so horrified by the paper that they failed to tackle it in full? Or at all.

Ms Sturgeon insisted such eventualities were covered by the professionals. Was Ms Dugdale suggesting that the FM should set the exam herself? Or mark it? Evidently not - although perhaps she might show empathy with Scotland's teenagers by having a bash at the paper herself. Only joking.

Later, Liz Smith of the Conservatives pitched in. The problem was not just that the exam was tough. The snag was that its structure and lay-out differed markedly from the content of the Prelim. No wonder, she said, pupils were put off. Ms Sturgeon again sought to offer reassurance.

As for the others, Ruth Davidson vigorously pursued the FM over the topic of childcare. Grand offers had been made, she said, but the reality in terms of delivery was rather different. Single parents and disadvantaged families were facing particular problems.

Ms Sturgeon insisted that there had been huge strides towards better childcare. However, she emphasised that her government - and local authorities, who were directly responsible - were always open to further improvement.

The Scotland Bill has started its political journey through the UK Parliament

Willie Rennie was on form too. He challenged the FM over a topic he has made his own: the operations of Police Scotland. On this occasion, his subject was the gathering of photographs by the cops.

Mr Rennie suggested that the rules on gathering and retaining this material were more lax than those covering fingerprints and DNA. Ms Sturgeon promised a continuing review - while noting that civil liberties had to be balanced with the small matter of apprehending suspects.

In all, a good day for parliamentary scrutiny. The FM coped well - very well, in fact - but will no doubt ask further questions of her civil servants as a consequence. Which is good. A final tip to her: the Nephrops King will not be silenced.

There was one further exchange of note at question time. The SNP's Kenny Gibson asked the FM what she thought of the new Scotland Bill proposing further powers for Holyrood.

Respond to criticisms

Not much, as it turned out. Not only was the bill short of what Scotland needed, according to the FM. But it failed to achieve what the UK government had promised, again according to Ms Sturgeon.

UK Ministers, she said, had promised to implement the Smith Commission - and promised further to respond to criticisms of the draft clauses.

Ms Sturgeon said the same flaws persisted, including, she argued, an effective UK veto on action by the Scottish government with regard to innovative approaches to welfare.

UK Ministers insist they have delivered on their promises.

But, tactically, is there a way ahead? Might the UK government be starting tough, prepared to make concessions on the wording during parliamentary progress? Preparing, in tandem, to refuse concessions on the substance of the wider powers urged by Ms Sturgeon?

Perhaps.