Thank you. That concludes general questions. The next item of business is First Minister's

questions. At question number one, I call Douglas Ross. Thank you very much,

Presiding Officer. So apparently, the First Minister couldn't bear to watch the SMP leaders' debate

this week, but her ears must have been burning as the candidates torched her record in government.

I like to be helpful to the First Minister. So let me recap some of the things that were said.

I am quite happy to continue if you are, Mr. Ross.

If you are content to continue, Mr Ross, we will try to.

They can ignore them why direct my comments to the First Minister?

So let's be absolutely clear. I can be helpful to the First Minister if people can hear, but maybe we can't,

so we've tried. We've tried.

We have tried, Mr Ross. We will suspend briefly.

Thank you. We will resume. Please begin at the beginning.

Mr. Ours.

Thank you, Mr.

Swinney and Nicholas Surgeon seem to be enjoying the start of my question, so I think I'll

repeat it, because I was just saying, apparently, the First Minister couldn't bear to

watch this week's SMP leaders' debate, but her ears must have been burning as the

candidates torched the SMP's record in government.

So let me be helpful to Nicholas Surgeon, as I tried to do an update her on what was said.

Her finance secretary, Kate Forbes, said this about Scotland.

The trains never run on time, the police

service is stretched to breaking point, there is record high waiting times in the NHS.

...