DEPUTY First Minister Shona Robison hit out at the lack of funding for health in Scotland from the UK Government as she faced attacks from the Tories about ambulance waiting times outside hospitals.
At First Minister's Questions, Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross slated the SNP Government after figures were released showing one in every 10 ambulances in Scotland are sat outside hospitals for hours.
He cited statistics his party had gained via a Freedom of Information request which showed some ambulances waiting 10 to 15 hours outside hospitals which he described as a "scandalous situation".
Robison, who stood in for Humza Yousaf as he was ill, said she accepted some ambulances were waiting too long but highlighted how the Scottish Government was giving an additional £50 million to the ambulance service to try and address this problem.
She said this is five times the amount of money that the Tory UK Government was putting into health "in the entirety of its budget next year".
She additionally hit out at the fact just £10.8 million was being given to the Scottish Government for health next year as Ross claimed it was the biggest ever block grant being handed to Holyrood.
Robison said: "I have it in black and white that next year, all the money that is coming from the UK Government for health amounts to £10.8 million. That is enough for five hours capacity in the NHS and actually it was only for smoking cessation, it was not for frontline services. So I don't think Douglas Ross should come here and lecture us about the health service."
Ross (above) responded: "The UK Government has provided the biggest ever block grant to the Scottish Government to deliver public services and it’s a failure by the SNP Government that is having an impact on patients."
Ross also attacked Robison about delayed discharge - which he said Robison promised to eradicate when she was health secretary eight years ago - and ambulance response times.
He highlighted how half of the patients in the purple calls category - for most critically ill patients - were waiting more than half an hour according to their FOI response, when the target is six minutes.
Robison said the median response time for purple calls was seven minutes 32 seconds and she accepted that this is too long.
Elsewhere at FMQs, SNP MSP Collette Stevenson raised the UK Government decision to close its Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in East Kilbride.
David Cameron's department has been based in the town since 1981, but staff based there will head to central Glasgow, and HMRC is expected to take over the building in 2025.
Stevenson said "it beggars belief that the UK government will remove 1000 jobs from my constituency" describing it as a "hammer blow" to East Kilbride.
The question from Stevenson appeared to spark laughter from the Tory benches, forcing the Presiding Officer to step in.
Robison said: "I think the people of East Kilbride will draw their own conclusions when they hear the Tories laughing about the loss of 1000 jobs.
"I know that many FCDO staff living and working in East Kilbride will be shocked and concerned by the decision to close the office."
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar raised the issue of the Scottish Government's mortgage support scheme - which he said has not supported anyone since 2015 - as he highlighted more children than ever are homeless and living in temporary accommodation.
As of March this year, 9595 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.
Shona Robison replied that many families are experiencing real pressure, but said her Government will continue to look at what support it can offer those affected.
She added her government is investing at least £60m to support a national acquisition plan.
