Labour leader Anas Sarwar has backed a family’s call for a Fatal Accident inquiry into the death of a 10 year-old girl at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

He asked Nicola Sturgeon if she would back calls for an FAI after the case note review into water borne infections at the hospital was published.

The report found that almost 40 infections were “most likely linked” to the hospital environment and that they played a part in the deaths of two children.

Mr Sarwar said nothing had been more difficult or important for him as an MSP in Parliament in the last five years than raising the case of Milly Main.

He said: “Four years on from Milly’s death, we are finally starting to get answers.

“Milly’s family have demanded a fatal accident inquiry. They understand the delays due to Covid, but it is unfair to prolong their grief.”

He asked: “I know that the First Minister cannot direct the Lord Advocate, but given the findings in this report, does she agree that there must now be that fatal accident inquiry?

The labour leader said

The First Minister said she “absolutely understood” why Milly’s family wanted an inquiry but it was not her decision.

She said: “The decision about whether there should be a fatal accident inquiry is not for me to make, and—this is important, given the separation of powers—I should not say anything that could be seen to be putting undue influence on the law officers, whose decision that is.

“That said, I completely understand and sympathise with the view of Milly’s family that there should be a fatal accident inquiry, and I am sure that the strength of that feeling is understood by the law officers, although they have considerations that they have to weigh in reaching that decision, as they have in all cases. However, I absolutely understand why Milly’s family want that inquiry to happen.”

In the final First Minister’s Questions before Parliament broke up ahead of the Scottish Election in May, Ruth Davidson, Tory Group leader asked about the Audit Scotland report into educational attainment and the gap between children in the least deprived areas and those in the most deprived.

The report said the gap remained wide and was not being closed quickly enough

Davidson asked: “The Government has had years in charge of education, so why is progress on closing the attainment gap so slow?

Sturgeon said: “The Audit Scotland report has much to say about progress.”

She quoted from it: “At the national level, exam performance and other attainment measures have improved .There has been an increase in the types of opportunities, awards and qualifications available to children and young people and an increase in the number awarded.”

She said it also focused on the impact of Covid,

Sturgeon added: “We have committed almost £400 million of new funding over this year and next year as part of education recovery. That involves funding a range of actions, including the recruitment of 1,400 additional teachers, 200 additional support staff, new digital devices and youth support work—all the things that we need to do to support young people.”

In their final exchange in Holyrood the First Minister also took the opportunity to remind people that Ruth Davidson was leaving elected politics for a seat in the House of Lords.

She said: “I hope to be standing here again in the next parliamentary session—that is up to the Scottish people. While Ruth Davidson is off taking £300 a day to sit in the unelected House of Lords, those of us who are in this chamber will be getting on with the job of improving education for all.”

It was the second time the SNP leader mentioned Davidson leaving for the Lords earning a rebuke from Presiding Officer, Ken Macintosh.

He said: “I appreciate that this is a political exchange, and I always allow some latitude, but you have twice mentioned the House of Lords, First Minister. The point has been made. It is a political exchange, I get it, but the point has been made, and I would rather that it was not so personal.”