Meeting of the Parliament 10 March 2026 [Draft]
Let me begin by paying tribute to our emergency services—in particular, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service—for their response to that major incident. Two hundred and fifty firefighters were involved and, at the fire’s height, 18 fire appliances plus specialist resources were deployed. From 8 o’clock this morning, the SFRS scaled back the response to four fire appliances and two high-reach vehicles, although it is important to point out that it remains a live incident. When I visited the site yesterday, I commended the work of the SFRS and others to the commanders and partners who led the response. It is a huge relief that there were no injuries, which is thanks to the efforts, professionalism and dedication of the emergency services.
A huge effort is under way to identify any safety issues in the train station, which must remain closed for now. The Cabinet Secretary for Transport has been briefed constantly and, yesterday, met Network Rail and ScotRail as they assessed the on-going challenge of restoring services.
Above all else, let me be clear that the Scottish Government will stand with the city of Glasgow as it recovers from the fire. Given the significant cost that the city faces, we will back those words with cash. To get the work started, a ministerial oversight board has been established, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs. We will rebuild, we will restore and Glasgow will flourish again.