FMQs began with an exchange between Nicola Sturgeon and Douglas Ross that was notable in that, for the first time in many, many months, it was actually newsworthy.

As expected, the Scottish Tory leader chose to ask the First Minister about rapist Isla Bryson being remanded to Cornton Vale women’s prison.

In response, Nicola Sturgeon said she agreed with the chief executive of Rape Crisis Scotland who said she "didn’t see how it was possible to have a rapist within a woman’s prison’’.

Nicola Sturgeon then went on to announce that the prisoner "will not be incarcerated in Cornton Vale women’s prison’’ in either the short or long term.

Anas Sarwar was up next, and he returned to the issue of A&E waiting times.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon: Trans rapist Isla Bryson won't be jailed in women's prison

"Patients are waiting longer for care than ever before and we know that long waits cost lives’’ he said.

He began by asking how many people waited more than 24 hours in A&E last year.

The answer is 3,363 people, in case you’re wondering.

Anas Sarwar already knew the answer because he had sought out the answer in advance of FMQs and had it written down to refer to in the chamber.

But asking questions they already know the answer to is one of the little theatrical flourishes that politicians seem to enjoy so much. And who are we to judge them for it?

If I ever got the chance to take part in FMQs I’d ask questions I genuinely didn’t know the answer to. I’d treat the First Minister of Scotland like my own personal Alexa.

I’d explore the First Minister’s grasp of general knowledge trivia before moving on to obscure pop culture questions. I’d finish off with a quick fire round where I tease out all the best political gossip from the leader of the day.

READ MORE: SNP MP asked Alister Jack to find 'resolution' to Scotland's gender reforms

Alas, power is wasted on the powerful. So Anas Sarwar continued asking his (very important) but predictable questions.

At one point he read out a quote from a nurse who said that the SNP don’t see patients as human beings.

And he asked, (again, more for his own benefit than anybody else’s): "Why should people across Scotland continue to accept the unacceptable from this SNP government?’’

Nicola Sturgeon hit back with "every single patient seen on our NHS is a human being and frankly I think it demeans Anas Sarwar’s argument to suggest that any of us don’t think that is the case.’’

At the gentle howls of protest that erupted from the Labour front bench she continued: "Anas Sarwar is responsible for what he says in this chamber, nobody else.’’

She continued: "Anas Sarwar’s argument seems to be that this is all uniquely down to the SNP and I know he doesn’t like comparisons but if he’s going to make that argument, then I’m afraid they are evitable.’’

She then finished with a question of her own, which I suspect she already knew the answer to.

"If it’s all down to the SNP then why is it – in the latest full month that we have statistics for – A&E performance in Scotland is 6.2 percentage points better than it is in Wales, where Labour is in government?’’