 Thank you. That concludes general questions. The next item of business is First Minister's questions and at question number one I call Douglas Ross. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. As the month of Ramadan begins, can I take this opportunity to wish all Muslims in Scotland and across the UK a very peaceful holy month? The First Minister's Party said this when asked by journalists just last month if if they had lost 30,000 members. As the SNP clearly stated when asked, fewer than 300 members have let the party over the period. The quote continued, This story is both malicious and wholly inaccurate. Fortunately, few people are gullible enough to believe it. It's since emerged that the story is 100% correct. So why did Nicola Sturgeon's party, the party of government in this Parliament, lie to the press and the public? On matters for which the Government is general responsibility, First Minister. Presiding Officer, can I begin by wishing Ramadan Mabarak to our Muslim community? I think I am in the very privileged position of having of any constituency in the country the highest proportion of Muslims living within my Glasgow Southside constituency. I know the holy month of Ramadan is a very special time for Muslims and I wish them all the best during it. On the issue of SNP members, that issue has been well canvassed over the last few days. I've got nothing to add to what I have already said except this, Presiding Officer. The SNP remains the only mass membership party in this country. We have by far more members than any other party represented in this chamber. I think, Presiding Officer, I can say with some confidence that the SNP has more members than all other parties in this chamber combined. However, I can't say that with absolute certainty. Let me say this finally to Douglas Ross. If he wants a conversation, a debate, an interaction about party membership figures, then that surely should be a meaningful one where we can compare and contrast. Before we go any further, will Douglas Ross share with the chamber how many members his party has? It's very interesting that the First Minister speaks about confidence in numbers, because those seeking to replace her had no confidence in the numbers. Her party's chief executive and her head of communications issued to the press. This is an important issue here in the Scottish Parliament. This is an important issue here in the Scottish Parliament. Excuse me, Mr Ross is seeking to ask a question of the First Minister. Can we please do Mr Ross the courtesy of listening? This is an important issue here in the Scottish Parliament for the Scottish Government. They lied to the press and to the public. That is absolutely clear. Nicola Sturgeon is treating the Scottish public like idiots with this embarrassing defence. Mr Ross, if I could just remind you of the requirement of all members to treat one another with courtesy and respect at all times, not only I but my predecessors, those who have sat in this chair before me, have said with regards to the use of particular language in the chamber. I think that everyone has accepted that the SNP lied over these figures. The defence from Nicola Sturgeon is embarrassing. The SNP and their story went on like this. They said you don't have points of order during First Minister's questions. The SNP said this story. First of all, I will decide when we are and are not taking points of order. However, as is established convention, I will not be taking a point of order until the end of this session. Mr Ross. We seem to want to hear this and I wonder why, Presiding Officer, because the SNP's story on these figures continued that the impression in the media was flat wrong. It was malicious and wholly inaccurate. They went on to say nobody was gullible enough to believe the reported reduction of 30,000 SNP members. The truth is that the SNP, the SNP as a party, did lie. That's why their chief executive and the head of communications has resigned. So why would anybody be gullible enough to believe that Nicola Sturgeon was unaware of what her chief executive and the most senior members of her party were up to? Before the First Minister begins, I will remind all members of the requirement in this chamber. Do not use the word lie in this chamber. First Minister. Presiding Officer, I think the only character that is being revealed in this chamber today is that of Douglas Ross. Now, Douglas Ross as leader of the Opposition no doubt going to be a very longstanding leader of the Opposition. Well, unless his party has something to say about that. He chooses the topics that he raises and that is absolutely right and proper. But let it be noted today for the people watching right now that on this, my last appearance as First Minister's questions, Douglas Ross is not asking me about the National Health Service or education or the economy or climate justice. But this is the topic he has chosen, party membership figures. So that is fine. But if we are to have a proper interaction, a proper, I don't think, Conservatives, given yesterday's events in the House of Commons, should be lecturing anyone about honesty and integrity. Be coming back, Presiding Officer, if we are to have to debate about party membership figures, then before we go any further, perhaps Douglas Ross would answer the question that I posed last time while waiting for an answer on. How many members does the Scottish Conservative Party have? Surely he knows. Tell us. Nicola Surgeon started a week early. When you're on the back benches, you get to ask the questions at FMQs and your final one, you're supposed to answer. Now, the First Minister's farewell tour this week has been a masterclass in deceit and political spin. She was too busy, far too busy, to appear in front of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee, but somehow managed to eek out time in her schedule to sit down and lose women to debate the great offices of state and the matters of state with Janet Street-Quarter. She says her party is experiencing growing pains. This must be the first time that growing pains have actually shrunk something. She claims that she's left her successor a brilliant foundation. First Minister, that's all that's left, the foundation. The house that Sturgeon, Salmond and Murrell. Sorry, I'm finding it very difficult to hear you from here. I would be grateful if we could hear one member at a time and only those members who I've called, Mr Ross. I was just saying how the First Minister claimed to have left her successor with a brilliant foundation, but that's all that's left. The foundation, the house that Sturgeon, Salmond and Murrell built is collapsing and the SNP have said it themselves. Party President Mike Russell admitted this week they are in a tremendous mess. First Minister, he's right, isn't he? First Minister, if he wants to know about collapsing political parties, he should look at a poll about leaders' favourability ratings published this very morning. It does not make happy reading for Douglas Ross. On the issue of priorities, and these are not the issues I would have chosen to go on today, but Douglas Ross has chosen them. So if he wants to talk about priorities, let me point out that I am not the member of this Parliament that missed a veterans event to referee a football match. Thank you. Secondly on that point, Presiding Officer, I am not accountable to the House of Commons. I am accountable to this Parliament. I know Douglas Ross has difficulty deciding which Parliament is more important to Scotland because he's got one foot in each, but I know which Parliament is most important to Scotland and it is this one, our Scottish Parliament. Finally, Presiding Officer, I am proud of the record of the Government I have led through some of the toughest times Scotland has faced in recent history. Ultimately, the only people who will cast a verdict on the record of my or future Government are the people of Scotland. In my time as First Minister, they have had eight opportunities to do that. On each of those eight opportunities, they have voted for me, for the SNP and for my Government. That's a record that I'm very proud to stand on. Douglas Ross. Well, if the First Minister is proud of her record in Government, let's just look at it. In her final FMQs, let's just go over it. On Nicola Sturgeon's watch... We will hear Mr Ross, thank you. On Nicola Sturgeon's watch, Scotland's schools have plummeted down international league tables. She has made no progress on the attainment gap and broke her promise to close it completely. The Name Persons Act, the Hate Crime Act, the Gender Recognition Act, the Gender Recognition Bill were all unworkable. Drug deaths in Scotland are the highest in Europe, five times greater than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. Right now, at this moment, one in seven Scots is on an NHS waiting list. On her final day in this chamber as First Minister, a cross-party committee of this Parliament delivered a damning report on ferries. They found that Nicola Sturgeon personally intervened to prioritise vanity over vessels leading to huge delays and costing the taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds. On these and so many other issues, Nicola Sturgeon ignores Scotland's priorities in favour of her obsession with independence. She divided our country and failed on every mission she set herself. First Minister, isn't that the truth of your legacy? First Minister, for Douglas Ross, that has not been, at any point in my time as First Minister, the verdict of the Scottish people. Eight election victories in eight years as First Minister, that's the verdict that matters to me. Let's look at my record as First Minister. Progressive income tax. The Scottish child payment. Lifting children out of poverty. The baby box. Closing the attainment gap. Record numbers of people from backgrounds like mine going to university. A national investment bank leading the way in climate change. Abolishing prescription charges. Minimum unit pricing. Saving lives. Record high. Health funding. The best performing accident emergency departments anywhere in the UK. The domestic abuse act. Free period products. Expanded, doubled childcare. The promise for care experience to young people. The highest level of school spend per pupil anywhere in the UK. The highest number of teachers per head. 8 per cent more teachers now than when I became First Minister. Free tuition for higher education. Free bus travel for those under 22. I could go on and on and on but I'm not going to. This is my last session of First Minister's question. Question number two, Anna Sawyer. Thank you. I join others in saying Ramadan Mubarak. It's a month of sacrifice of reflection and charity and we remember those who are less fortunate both here at home and around the world. We live in serious times with the cost of living crisis and in NHS crisis. Given this is my last opportunity to question the First Minister, I do want to ask about the finishing touches to I'm sure will be a handover document for her successor. I think it's important to check what she believes is in the entry for the next First Minister. After 15 years of SNP government, there is not a single Scottish institution that is stronger now than when her party took office. From the very scandal, the entrenched attainment gap, the NHS crisis to decimated local services. Which of our government's many failures does the First Minister think her successor needs to address first? First Minister. With the good respect, Anna Sawyer is just wrong. Let's look, first of all, at some of the institutions that didn't even exist when I became First Minister. Revenue Scotland, for example, making sure that we have the most progressive income tax system anywhere in the UK. Social Security Scotland delivering benefits to people across the country, including the Scottish child payment. The Scottish National Investment Bank leading this country's drive now to net zero. The NHS, of course, facing real challenges as a result of the Covid pandemic, but still, with the best performing A&E departments anywhere in the UK tomorrow, I will be in fife opening our new national treatment centre that will deliver more operations for people in fife and will soon be joined by national treatment centres elsewhere across Scotland. In education, more young people from the kind of background like mine going to university than has ever been the case before. A doubling of early years education and childcare. I think that that is strengthening of many, many institutions. Does my successor have a tough job, of course, because we live in tough times? I have confidence that whoever my successor turns out to be, whoever is standing here next week, they will continue to build on that record and they will continue to retain the trust of the Scottish people. I know that Nicola Sturgeon can try and take credit for lots of things. I'm not sure she can take credit for creating the national health service. I think that might have been the previous Government. Nicola Sturgeon likes to talk about records. Here are just a few set in her time, piling up in her successor's sky-high entry, record A&E waiting times with one in seven Scots on an NHS waiting list, record drug deaths, record vacancies for nurses and doctors in our NHS, record levels of children without a home, record levels of homelessness. I could go on and on, but seeing it as our last First Minister's questions, I won't do that. It is hard to see how our successor will be able to fix these problems as they were sat round the Cabinet table with her. The decisions taken around that Cabinet table resulted in over £3 billion of taxpayers' money wasted since 2007. That's £1,200 for every household in Scotland. At the same time, they spent public money to build a culture of cover-up and secrecy, which is now beginning to unravel, all while Scots struggle to keep their head above the waterline. Given the scale of the challenges piled up in this entry, does the First Minister agree with two of the three SNP candidates that mediocrity, continuity and incompetence won't cut it? First Minister, I never claimed to have created the national health service, but what I will claim to have done is help protect the founding principles of our national health service. I was a health secretary that abolished prescription charges for everyone in Scotland. Something that in all their years in government, Labour had never ever got round to doing. I also took a hospital privatised under Labour back in to the national health service. On Anna Sarwar's £3 billion figure, I think we've already shown that in previous sessions of First Minister's questions to be utterly nonsense, but I'm not going to embarrass him by going back to the detail of that again today. Let me use another £3 billion figure, because that is the number for the amount of money that this Government is investing each year to mitigate the cost of living crisis, to help people to deal with Tory austerity. If we were an independent country, we wouldn't have to mitigate Tory austerity, but while Labour still prefers to see this country governed by Tories at Westminster rather than have self-governance and independence here in our own Parliament, Labour will never ever be taken seriously in Scotland. I, like many people round across the United Kingdom, look forward to the next general election when we can boot out the Tory Government and we can get rid of the last SNP excuse. The First Minister has spent much of her political career talking about mandates. Her successor inherits this woeful SNP record, but they don't inherit her mandate. The last election was a pandemic election, one in which the First Minister won with a direct appeal from her to steer the country through the pandemic and the Covid recovery. That recovery hasn't even started. In fact, by every metric, things have got worse. And now Scotland faces two crises, an NHS recovery that never began and the cost of living crisis, families facing sparing bills and soaring energy prices. But as her potential successor squabble over her own record in Government, they can't escape facts. They don't have a plan for Scotland and they don't have a mandate from the public. That is why we need an election now. In my final question to Nicola Sturgeon, does she agree with her own words? There are no words to describe this utter shambles adequately. It's beyond hyperbole and parody. Reality, though, is that ordinary people are paying the price. The interests of the parties you concern no one right now and election is now a democratic imperative. First, that was about the Conservatives at Westminster. One of the differences between me and Anna Sarwar is that I don't support Tory Government of Scotland because Scotland does not vote for Conservatives. I fought three general elections as SNP leader and SNP has won all of them. At every one, we have heard the same messages from Labour. At every single one, the people of Scotland have cast their verdict. I am proud of the achievements of the Government that I have led. Let me end on another one, because it is related to Covid recovery and it has been achieved in spite of what we are having to deal with from the Conservatives at Westminster. Scotland has record high employment, record low unemployment and record low economic inactivity. We have a good foundation in this country. We face many challenges, but I have every confidence that my successor, who will be standing here next week, will continue to lead this country forward. He will continue to take the decisions that are in the interests of this country and that they will lead this country to becoming an independent nation. Alex Cole-Hamilton I also wish Ramadan Mubarak to everyone celebrating, but on this national day of reflection and commemoration, remember more than 16,000 lives lost to us and the gaps they leave in their communities and their families as a result of the Covid pandemic. She may not know the answer to this, but to ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet. That, of course, is a matter for the new First Minister. The only thing I know for certain is that I will not be in attendance. I will say more about this in the session that follows FMQs. Today, of course, marks the third anniversary of lockdown. My thoughts today, as my thoughts are at some stage in every single day, are with all those who suffered as a result of Covid. I will have them in my thoughts, my mind and my heart for as long as I live. Alex Cole-Hamilton I am very grateful for that reply and I share its sentiments. The mental health treatment targets were introduced in December 2014, 11 days after Nicola Sturgeon was sworn in as First Minister. They have never been met, not once in over 3,000 days. That's 99 consecutive months. I have lost count of the number of times that the First Minister told me that the situation was unacceptable. I have lost count of the number of times that she promised staff and sufferers that things would get better. In reality, Nicola Sturgeon quietly downgraded the Office of Mental Health Minister. Her finance department, headed by Kate Forbes, slashed £50 million from the mental health budget this winter. Her health secretary, Humza Yousaf, gave a personal promise to clear waiting lists for both children and adults by March 2023. Presiding Officer, look at the calendar. It's March. We are here and the SNP are nowhere. There is a sea of human pain out there. So much unmet need. Don't just tell me that this is unacceptable at this late hour. At the last and final time of asking will the First Minister admit her government has failed Scotland on mental health? First Minister, what I will absolutely say is that there is much, much more work to do on mental health. One of the things that has changed certainly since I was a young person and has changed even in the years I've been First Minister is that we have reduced the stigma associated with mental health. More people are coming forward for help and treatment and that is a good thing but we must make sure the services are there for them. We have seen a significant increase in the budget for mental health under the SNP. Mental health spending is in our terms. We see many more people working in mental health services than was previously the case. Coming directly to CAMHS because it is important and there is so much more to do. The number of children starting treatment for CAMHS in the most recent quarter is the highest on record by some distance and we are now seeing the most sustained changes in CAMHS waiting lists for over half a decade. The overall waiting list has decreased and children waiting over 18 weeks has decreased by more than 30% and children waiting over 52 weeks has decreased by more than 48%. Yes, much, much more to do but progress being made and I know it will be a priority for my successor whoever he or she may be to continue that progress. Question number four, Fiona Hyslop. To ask the First Minister for a response to the intergovernmental panel on climate changes synthesis report. First Minister. The evidence has never been clearer than it is now. We are fast running out of time to secure a livable and sustainable future for the generations to come. This report must lead to an acceleration of global action to tackle the climate emergency. Scotland is making long-term progress towards net zero but we are now entering the most challenging part of that journey requiring truly transformational action across society and our economy. We cannot and will not happen without all of us including everyone across this Parliament supporting bold steps as part of a national effort to tackle the climate emergency. Lastly, at COP 27 Scotland pledged an additional £5 million to address loss and damage and we will continue to advocate for practical action and finance to support the global south where the effects of climate change are already being experienced. Following the publication of this report we will now play to all Governments. He said that humanity is on thin ice and that ice is melting fast. The report is a clarion call to massively fast track climate efforts by every country and every sector and on every time frame. In short, our world needs climate action on all fronts. Everything, everywhere, all at once. I know how serious and ambitious the First Minister has been in leading on the climate and I appreciate that. Does she agree that this stark assessment must lead to transformational and accelerated action by all Governments, local Government, the UK Government and her successor here in this Parliament to combat climate change? I agree wholeheartedly with Fiora Hyslop and I agree wholeheartedly with the comments earlier this week of the United Nations Secretary General. There is no doubt that we need action, accelerated action on all fronts. I am proud that Scotland is and we are recognised as being at the forefront of the global journey to reach net zero emissions and a climate resilient future. This Parliament's ambitious climate change legislation requires all of us Governments, individuals, communities and businesses to take lasting action to drive down our emissions in a way that is just and fair for all. We also need to see action and much higher ambition from the UK Government on the solutions for net zero that are currently reserved to Westminster and, of course, we need other countries across the world to match that ambition too. While Scotland's emissions reduction targets are in line with a global 1.5 pathway, it is vital that other countries revisit and strengthen the ambition of their 2030 emissions pledges and long-term strategies to align with a 1.5 pathway ahead of COP 28. Liam Kerr. Very grateful, Presiding Officer. The IPCC report made start warnings about how, if we would have any hope of tackling the climate emergency, we must look at all green generation technologies. Given that countries such as Japan, Germany and France are swinging behind nuclear-generated energy, which is a zero-emission clean energy, we must look at all green generation technologies in order to understand what is going on in the future. We must look at all green generation technologies. Given that countries such as Japan, Germany, which is a zero-emission clean energy source, is it now imperative that the First Minister's Government looks again with an evidence-based and a science-led assessment at its knee-jerk banning of new nuclear in Scotland? First Minister, I agree with the sentiment behind that question. We all have to up our action on this, and green energy generation is a vital part of it. On the question of nuclear, nuclear energy is very expensive. We still don't know what to do with the waste long-term. Of course, not all other countries have Scotland's offshore wind potential, for example, green hydrogen potential and other renewable sources of energy potential. Scotland right now gives us the potential to generate up to 28 gigawatts of renewable energy. That is massive. That will enable us to export as well as meet our own needs. I think we should focus on renewable, clean, green renewable energy. That's not just right for the environment. That gives us the opportunity to boost industry, the economy and create tens of thousands of jobs in the future. That's where the focus of this and future Scottish Government should be. Colin Smyth. This report is the starkest warning yet that while our world leaders fiddle the world burns and we're not on track for global warming at 1.5 degrees, does the First Minister accept that, as she leaves office, Scotland is also failing to meet our climate targets? As the climate change committee warns, Scotland is missing so many of those targets that are in danger of becoming meaningless. Given that transport remains the biggest source of emissions, does the First Minister regret the savage cuts made to our rail and bus services on her watch mean that the dipping car use since 2016 is 12.5% and the collapse in rail numbers is over 50% and bus passenger numbers is over 40%. Does she agree that it is a priority for her successor to reverse the cuts that she made to those services? No, I don't regret public ownership of our railways. I don't regret the changes to bus franchising and I certainly don't regret the free bus travel for pensioners and all young people under 22 encouraging people to use public transport. I do agree that Scotland, like all other countries, must do more. Scotland is doing more to cut emissions and to tackle climate change than almost any other country in the world. I've been privileged to attend COP climate change summits over many years now and there is a recognition for Scotland's leadership, if not here in this Parliament, then certainly amongst countries overseas, but the bar of world leadership is too low. Every country needs to do more and we need to do it with urgency and Scotland must continue to lead by example. Mark Ruskell. This report is also a reminder that extracting every last drop of oil and gas today will condemn future generations to climate breakdown. Independent research commission through the bute house agreement has shown that North Sea oil and gas output will continue to fall and increase in jobs in the years ahead. Can I ask the First Minister what kind of leadership do we need from the Scottish Government to ensure a future for both workers and the climate? First Minister. I think we need to continue the kind of leadership that we have been showing on this issue. I'm very clear, while I have the greatest respect for all those who work in the oil and gas sector, they have contributed hugely to Scotland and we cannot make that switch on our right. We must accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. As Mark Ruskell rightly says, even if we weren't facing the climate emergency, the maturity of the North Sea would mean that we have to accelerate that transition there. We must do it in a fair and a just way but we have the potential to do that and we should grab that potential with both hands. Question 5, Stephen Kerr. I ask the First Minister to find a mission to tackle the poverty-related attainment gap. The Government's commitment is to substantially eliminate the poverty-related attainment gap in this parliamentary term and good progress is being made. The latest achievement of Curriculum for Excellence levels data demonstrated the biggest single-year decrease in the poverty-related gap in primary numeracy and literacy levels since records began. We are improving outcomes for young people impacted by poverty beyond school 2. The percentage of 2021-22 school leavers in a positive initial destination is the highest on record. The poverty-related attainment gap is at a record low down two thirds since 2009-10. More young people than ever from deprived communities secured a place at university and the previous commissioner for widening access described our approach as an continuous success. That is a record I am proud of and I very much look forward to seeing my successor build on it. Stephen Kerr. Objectively, the best we can say is the First Minister tried and failed because education in Scotland is poorer. Here's her record. Fewer maths teachers, fewer technical education teachers, fewer computing science teachers, fewer language teachers, narrowing subject choice, plummeted down the international league tables and on CFE levels in primary schools, literacy falling, reading falling, writing falling, numeracy falling, a widening attainment gap and falling attainment overall. Can she honestly stand there, hand on heart and say that education was her top priority? First Minister. Stephen Kerr asked me in his question about outcomes. I'm just checking that that was the word in his question. So I gave him the data on the outcomes and he obviously didn't like it. So he wants to talk about inputs, so let me talk now about inputs. When I became First Minister the number of school teachers in Scotland was 49,521. Today the number of school teachers in Scotland is 53,459. And 8% increase. In early learning in childcare settings the numbers have increased as well. In Scotland we have the most teachers per pupil in the UK and education spend per person is higher than in either England and Wales. In Scotland we have 7,573 teachers per 100,000 pupils in England where the Tories are in power that is just 5,734. In Scotland we spend 7,600 pounds per pupil. The Tories in England spend just 6,700. Yes, I am proud of this Government's record on education and I really do look forward to seeing it being built upon. Paul McClellan. The recent institute of fiscal studies analysis of Scottish tax and benefit reform found that the lowest income families in Scotland are significantly better off around £2,000 on average as a result of the SNP Scottish Government's progressive tax and benefit policies. If this can be achieved with limited powers how much further does the First Minister think we can go if we weren't holding to UK Government with policies that directly undermine this Government's mission to tackle poverty? First Minister. Thank you for that question and again and this may be the last opportunity I have to point it out. It is really obvious how uncomfortable the Conservatives become in this chamber when we are talking about poverty and I think that should be noted. The institute for fiscal studies rightly acknowledges the impact that progressive choices are having for low income families. I am going to quote briefly that the Scottish Government have made clearly a distributional choice to channel a lot more money towards low income families with children in particular and that has a meaningful impact on incomes. If I had to single out the thing that I was proudest of is that helping to lift children out of poverty in marked contrast to the approach of the UK Government's welfare system where they push children into poverty, that's the difference, that's the contrast. Question number six, Jackie Baillie. To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to tackle the reportedly high levels of delayed discharge which are estimated to have cost over £161 million in 2223 to date. Earlier this year we allocated an additional £8 million to support health and social care partnerships to secure extra provision of 300 interim care home beds. To date this has enabled 408 people to be discharged from hospitals to these placements with a total of 133 people currently benefitting from an interim care placement. As part of the work of the ministerial advisory group on health and social care pressures we continue to work tirelessly with health boards and health and social care partnerships to ensure that we are doing everything possible to support people out of acute settings and back into the community when it is clinically safe to do so. Delayed discharge has improved substantially under this Government and it is of course very welcome that over 96% of all people over all leaving hospital are discharged without any delay whatsoever. Jackie Baillie, can I thank the First Minister for her response? Since she took office over £1 billion has been lost to delayed discharge. At her very first FMQs I raised cancer treatment delays. In 2014 94.2% of patients started cancer treatment within 62 days with a maximum weight of 187 days. This is now declined to 74% of patients starting treatment within 62 days and a maximum weight of 326 days. The 31 and 62 day cancer treatment targets are at their worst ever. When the First Minister entered Bute House 148 patients waited over 12 hours in A&E. Now it's 6600. 3118 people were on waiting list. Now it's 7700 and sorry 6200 children waiting for access to mental health services. Now it's over 7500. Nurse vacancies have risen from 2,000 to almost 6,000 and in 2014 there were just 15 excess deaths. Now there are almost 4,000. Life expectancy has gone backwards on her watch and that is shameful. As if that wasn't bad enough the First Minister gave us Humza Yousaf the word-tell secretary since devolution. Let me make one final plea to the First Minister. She gave a commitment two weeks ago to look into the case of nine-year-old Harvey Martin who has scoliosis and urgently requires surgery. Desperate for help, Harvey sent the First Minister a video message and she has not yet replied. So before the First Minister leaves her office will she reply to Harvey and help him to get the surgery he so desperately needs? First Minister Let me address the case of young Harvey Martin because I have been taking time rightly this week to check with NHS Lothian about his case and I can confirm that Harvey will be given a date for his procedure very soon and NHS Lothian will be discussing the date with his parents when they speak next week and I wish young Harvey all the very best. On cancer waiting times more patients have been treated on both the 62 and 31 day pathways in this latest quarter compared to the previous quarter compared to the same time last year and indeed compared to the last full quarter pre-pandemic. More to do but progress being made. Of course Jackie Baillie's question is about the lead discharge and I am going to therefore end on that. Before I do, let me reflect on the fact that Jackie Baillie asked me my very first question as First Minister and she is today asking me if not the last question then the last scheduled question on the order paper. Of course when she asked me my first question she was standing over there as the principal opposition representatives now she is over there. That says a great deal about the verdict of the Scottish people in the intervening period and of course I am still standing here which also says a lot about the verdict of the Scottish people. Finally Jackie Baillie likes to do comparisons on delayed discharges today there are around 1700 patients classed as delayed discharge that is far too many to be clear today that includes everybody delayed for any period of time even an hour. When Jackie Baillie was a minister when her party was on this side of the chamber there were 2200 patients delayed for more than 6 weeks in our national health service that represented more than 70% of all patients ready for discharge were delayed for more than 6 weeks when Jackie Baillie was last in government. Today 96% of patients are discharged with no delay whatsoever. More to do but so much more but so much progress made since Jackie Baillie and her party were in office.