Meeting of the Parliament 15 January 2026
I thank Maggie Chapman for securing the debate.
In her motion, the member quite rightly mentions the DECON campaign, and I very much associate myself with her remarks about it. The campaign has indicated and highlighted the excess mortality rates in relation to cancer, heart attack and stroke, which we would all agree are an obvious concern for us. When the evidence starts to emerge, including through academic research, it requires a response. There are recommendations in the FBU report, and I am keen to hear the Scottish Government’s response to them.
Maggie Chapman is also right to highlight, as she did in her contribution as well as in her motion, the impact of climate change. I have spoken in the Parliament before about having seen the effects of climate change locally in my constituency. Last spring, we saw a major wildfire at Palacerigg, which required a significant response from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The service certainly rose to the occasion, and I am grateful to it for doing so.
The Scottish Government held the wildfire summit, and I am grateful for the Government’s update to MSPs on the work that has arisen out of that. It would be useful to hear from the minister about what might emerge from that, if she is able to provide us with an update.
I will focus my remarks primarily on the fire service delivery review, as it impacts my area. As a member of the Criminal Justice Committee, I am grateful to the Fire Brigades Union for coming along to speak to us about its perspective on the review, and I look forward to having the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service speak to us before any final decisions are made. I know that a decision has been delayed, which reflects what has been, as members might have expected, a significant response to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s consultation, and I look forward to being able to question the SFRS on aspects of the review.
The proposal in my area is, thankfully, not to close the fire station; indeed, I would have been surprised if there had been a closure, given the size of my community. However, there is a proposal to move from two full-time appliances to one operating full time—which would be welcome, of course—and another operating full time during the day on weekdays only and then being operated by retained firefighters at night time during the week and at weekends.
Understandably, that has generated concern in the community, with the primary concern being about any delay to a second appliance arriving and the pressure that that might place on the crew of the first appliance that arrives on site. There is also concern about retained firefighter availability—we are already seeing that, with the Kilsyth and Stepps fire stations not always being available—and about the challenges with recruiting such personnel.
I have a particular concern about the review process, which I have expressed to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, and which I now take the opportunity to place on the record in the Parliament. We benefit from having a national service—for example, we do not, as I have seen, have the same challenges with cross-boundary transfer—but I do not think that the Fire and Rescue Service’s proposals have considered that. For example, changes that are being talked about in Glasgow could impact my area—and, of course, vice versa—and I do not think that that has been considered.
I am glad that Maggie Chapman has brought the debate to the Parliament, and I am glad to have been able to place some of my concerns and those of my constituents on the record. I am keen to see where the review lands and, in that regard, I look forward to being able to question the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service when it comes before the committee.
I place on record my thanks to all existing fire service personnel and all those who have served in the past. They deserve our greatest thanks.
13:07