Meeting of the Parliament 15 January 2015
I gladly join members across the chamber in commending all those who work in many different ways to keep us safe.
My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I are incredibly grateful for the work that the emergency services do for all our constituents around Scotland. Police officers, ambulance crews, firefighters, doctors, nurses and many more routinely put the needs of the public before their own. Each time that they start a shift, they are prepared to deal with unexpected, distressing and traumatic situations; incidents that the rest of us might never encounter at all—we certainly hope that we do not.
Others have already spoken about the tragic event that occurred in central Glasgow before Christmas, and I note that the family of Jack and Lorraine Sweeney and their granddaughter Erin McQuade yesterday publicly thanked those who attended to their loved ones and who have provided assistance in the weeks since, including those from the emergency services. By all accounts, the multi-agency response to this awful incident was exemplary.
Responding to such events can be physically and emotionally draining. The appalling events in Paris last week also remind us that some sadly lose their lives in the course of their work—such selfless bravery.
Countless volunteers are immensely important in keeping our communities safe and protecting our health. They can be found assisting people in every part of Scotland, from the high street to the highest mountain peaks and the roughest seas. Volunteers are the backbone of our lifeboat crews and mountain rescue teams. Police special constables bring a wealth of local knowledge. As Mike MacKenzie pointed out, many parts of Scotland, including my North East Scotland region, depend heavily on retained and volunteer firefighters, who make up 40 per cent of Scotland’s firefighters and provide cover for 90 per cent of the country’s landmass, much of it rural or remote.
Volunteers gain new skills and they are rewarded with unique experiences and the satisfaction of being able to help others. Ultimately, however, they selflessly give their time and expertise for little or no recompense, and they combine rigorous training requirements and varied deployments with work and family life. We owe them a debt of gratitude for that.
In the spirit of Jackson Carlaw’s more expansive amendment, I take a moment to thank the engineers who have been working to reinstate connections in the past week, often amid atrocious conditions, removing trees from train tracks and restoring light and warmth to our homes. They, too, provide services that are vital, particularly to the most vulnerable in our society. I also commend those who drive our gritters and snow ploughs, who are up and out in conditions that most of us fear to drive in to make the roads safer for the rest of us.
As Hugh Henry’s amendment suggests, members’ praise and warm words are not enough; it is our responsibility to ensure that our services have the resources that they need. We know that services are under intense pressure. As individual MSPs and in our committee work, we regularly receive evidence to that effect from professionals on the front line, from independent observers, from unions and from scrutiny bodies. For example, the chief officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service told the Justice Committee last year of “long-standing” problems with the system of retained firefighters. The Scottish secretary of the Fire Brigades Union said that it was “on its knees”. Her Majesty’s chief inspector of constabulary reported to the committee in October that the morale of police officers and staff has been affected by the pace and nature of the change to Police Scotland. He said that many are unsure as to their role or future within the organisation.
Today, we learned that the number of police officers taking stress-related sick leave has risen by more than a quarter since the establishment of the national force, and we know that accident and emergency departments are currently struggling to cope with exceptionally high levels of demand. The director of the Royal College of Nursing Scotland, Theresa Fyffe, remarked:
“The whole system is creaking at the seams and the last few weeks have seen a perfect storm of conditions that demonstrate just how perilous the state of the NHS is.”
Do we need an inquiry? I agree with Christine Grahame that it is up to the parliamentary committees to answer that question. I do know, however, that the real challenge for the Scottish Government and for members of the Parliament is to listen and respond constructively to those professionals and experts when they tell us the truth; to be open and fair to them; and to be willing to shift resources and priorities accordingly. At times, the Parliament will disagree on how best to achieve that, but no one should ever suggest that properly scrutinising justice, health or any other policy area is indicative of a lack of respect or support for the personnel on the front line. Indeed, it demonstrates quite the opposite, and anything less would be doing them a disservice.
Services work around the clock to keep us safe in all circumstances and all weather. In return, they deserve our heartfelt thanks but also require our assistance and support.