Local Government and Communities Committee
Meeting date: Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Official Report 514KB pdf
Contents
- Attendance
- Decision on Taking Business in Private
- “Ethical Standards Commissioner Annual Report and Accounts 2018-19”
- Petition
Petition
Fire Safety (Stay-put Policy) (PE1719)
Agenda item 3 is consideration of PE1719, by Rachel Gibson, on a review of the fire safety stay-put policy, calling on the Scottish Parliament
“to urge the Scottish Government to review the current ‘stay-put’ policy as it applies to the fire strategy for existing multi-storey residential buildings.”
We considered the petition at our meeting on 8 January 2020, and agreed to consider the issues that are raised in it during our evidence session with the Scottish Government on building safety and fire regulations on 22 January. An outline of the issues that were covered during that meeting is set out in the paper from the clerk, alongside previous related work by this and the Public Petitions Committee. Recent submissions from the Scottish Government and from the petitioner are at the end of the paper. A late submission from the petitioner was received on Monday; it is now online, and has is available today.
I invite comments from members, including on what action, if any, the committee should take on the petition.
Having reflected on the latest documents that are annexed to our papers, and on our discussions thus far, I note that a relevant issue is the research that is to be undertaken. We should close the petition. At the same time, however, it would be of general import beyond the confines of the petition to obtain an update, perhaps by way of a letter, from the chief officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, to clarify where it is now in terms of the stay-put policy. It is an operational matter.
In summary, we could close the petition but, as a separate action point, we should seek an update from the SFRS, because the matter involves a wider audience.
I agree. That seems to be a sensible way forward.
I, too, agree.
The property in question is in my constituency, and I would be happy to visit it—maybe with both hats on, but certainly as a local MSP—and to report back to the committee. We have agreed to close the petition. We will write to the SFRS and I will visit the premises.
That concludes the public part of the meeting.
11:55 Meeting continued in private until 12:03.