Hansard

I welcome the opportunity to debate the Government's draft fire and rescue framework. Like other members, I pay tribute to Scotland's 8,310 firefighters and control staff, particularly those who serve the area that I represent in the Strathclyde and central regions. It is impossible to overstate the importance of their work and the passion and devotion that they show, day in and day out, in providing a rescue and response service that keeps people safe in often very difficult circumstances.

I join all my colleagues in paying tribute to firefighter Ewan Williamson, who was tragically killed in the line of duty earlier this year. We owe it to those who have given their lives or sustained injury in the course of duty to ensure that fire services throughout Scotland are equipped and resourced for the challenges of the 21st century.

Tomorrow marks the eighth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington DC, which killed nearly 3,000 people including 343 firefighters and paramedics. Watching footage of that day that shows firefighters making their way through the crowds of people escaping the turmoil and chaos behind them, I noted that there has never been a more vivid demonstration of the saying that firefighters run into buildings that other people are running out of.

As John Lamont said, Scotland's fire and rescue services played an important role following the terrorist attack on Glasgow airport in 2007. I pay tribute to the work carried out on that day and since to keep Scotland's civilians safe from real and threatened attacks. The need for resilience against such threats is rightly identified in the draft fire and rescue framework that is before us today, and I am sure we all agree that it must be taken seriously.

I thank the FBU for the briefing papers that it provided, which are marked by its usual candour, as Angela Constance noted—although her description was more polite than the west of Scotland terminology that I might have used but for fear of using unparliamentary language.

The overriding aim of the draft fire and rescue framework rightly remains the elimination of preventable fire-related deaths, injuries and damage. Sadly, there is still work to be done in that regard. The motion mentions Scotland's poor record of fire fatalities, and it is certainly true that we have the highest number of fatal casualties per million of population, and the highest rate of non-fatal casualties per million of population, in the UK. I am glad that those statistics show a downward trend, but it is clear that there is still work to be done.

I am pleased, as I am sure other members are, that there has been a 12 per cent funding increase during the past three years for Scotland's fire services, and total revenue funding for Scotland's eight services of £331 million in the 2009-10 financial year. The Government continues to review and update the training that is available to firefighters to reflect changes in equipment and operating practices. Although the content of such training is of course the most important aspect, I nevertheless welcome plans for an extra week to be added to the current 12-week programme.

Another important aspiration of the draft framework is ensuring our preparedness to deal with floods and other environmental emergencies. As the minister said, the importance of that work has been illustrated all too starkly in recent days, with the flooding in Moray and the A83 landslide. It is important to stress that the role of dealing with emergencies that nature throws at us is one that fire services have undertaken for some considerable time, although it was not formalised until the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005.

I remember well the inquiry into flood prevention from my time on the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee, and the widespread belief that multi-agency guidance on responding to and co-ordinating flooding incidents needs to be improved. That point is accepted in the draft framework document, and the need to prioritise that work has become even clearer in light of recent events.

The 2005 act requires the Government to keep the strategic framework within which our fire services operate under review, and I welcome the fact that the Government is doing so to take account of the changes that have taken place in Scotland since the first framework document was published in 2005. I am also glad that, notwithstanding Jim Tolson's cynicism, the Government is undertaking the review in what the motion describes as

"a spirit of partnership with COSLA and all key stakeholders".

I am sure that members across the chamber expect nothing less.

Getting the partnership approach right is hugely important, and I welcome the Government's consultation on the framework document a wide range of organisations and bodies that represent those who are involved in our fire and rescue services.

The Government's concordat with local authorities has had an impact on the way in which decisions are made and co-ordinated among Scotland's eight fire and rescue services. I broadly support the concordat and the emphasis that it places on giving local government the autonomy and flexibility to make decisions that are based on local need, but I recognise that the FBU has concerns. I accept that each fire and rescue service should be able to deliver services flexibly, but that flexibility needs to exist within a set of national parameters to ensure that there is essential consistency throughout the country, particularly in resilience preparation. In that regard, I welcome the minister's indication that the integrated risk management planning guidance that was established under the 2005 act will be re-examined.

I know that the FBU feels that the remit and powers of the ministerial advisory group could be strengthened, and I am interested to hear the Government's response to that. I accept that, under the terms of the concordat, the Government does not want to micromanage decisions that are rightly made at local level—indeed, that would be inappropriate. However, I hope that it will be possible to address concerns about consistency in standards and procedures between services, especially in the area of national resilience and preparedness.

I commend the Scottish Government for its willingness to engage regularly with the FBU. My contact with FBU representatives indicates that there is an on-going and open dialogue, which is to be welcomed. Some of the concerns that the union and members in the chamber have expressed today—with which I have great sympathy—could perhaps be addressed more easily if local fire boards were to replicate that openness and ease of communication in their relationship with the FBU and, indeed, all unions.

I fear that I am probably taking up too much time, so I conclude by welcoming the minister's announcement today of further funding for firefighters' pensions and the Scottish Government's commitment to maintaining the existing control room structure. I welcome the opportunity that today's debate has presented, and recognise the Scottish Government's on-going commitment to ensuring that our fire and rescue services have the support and resources that they need to carry out what we all acknowledge can be a dangerous but vitally important role.