Official Report 265KB pdf
14:06
Glasgow Union Street Fire
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the fire at Union Street in Glasgow. (S6T-02943)
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.
I thank the First Minister for his response. I place on record my sincere thanks to and admiration for the firefighters, first responders, paramedics and police, who worked tirelessly throughout the night. Their professionalism and bravery undoubtedly prevented an even greater tragedy.
I remember going to Glasgow Central station on every fair Friday of my childhood to get the train down to London, Bristol or Derby to visit family. It is a place that people in Glasgow hold most dearly. The fire has caused serious damage to a historical part of Glasgow’s city centre, including the loss of an amazing Victorian building.
The First Minister has said something about support, but can I get a further commitment that all necessary support will be provided to restore that important part of Glasgow?
I acknowledge the significance of the site in Glasgow. It is iconic in the city. A number of steps will have to be considered as part of the recovery process that is under way, but the Government will work collaboratively with Glasgow City Council to enable that to be the case. A whole sequence of decisions will require to be taken by the council for that to be done. I reassure Annie Wells that the Government will be partners with Glasgow City Council in enabling that to be the case.
I again thank the First Minister for his response. However, as we know, many small businesses have lost everything as a result of the fire. The owner of Wig Chapel has lost specialist tools and stock, while local businesses such as So Glow, Hundred Demons and Amber Rose Nails have also suffered. Those are people’s livelihoods, so will the First Minister outline what immediate practical support can be offered to those businesses in the area?
I am acutely conscious of the impact on a range of businesses, not only in the buildings affected by the fire but in the surrounding areas where there is an exclusion zone and where access is difficult. That situation might persist for some time to come and I am clear about those impacts. Kaukab Stewart, the local member, has briefed me on the dialogue that she has had with individual businesses, and the city council will be in dialogue with them as well.
When I visited the site yesterday, I made clear that I recognise the impacts. We have discussed with Glasgow City Council the support that can be made available by the Government to ensure that business owners—many of them owners of small businesses who were, as Annie Wells said, just getting on with making their living but have had their world turned upside down—get support to assist them at this difficult time. The Government will look to work with the city council to do that.
I have been contacted by a number of constituents who are concerned by the huge proliferation of vape shops and by the obvious dangers that they pose due to the highly combustible and reactive substances contained in vapes, as was evidenced by the fire. Will the First Minister say whether the Scottish Government will consider the need for further regulation of such premises?
It is important to stress at this stage that a full investigation of the site is under way. I am, obviously, conscious of the clear images that have been circulated and that appear to show that the fire started within a vape shop. It is important to allow the investigation to be carried out to establish the facts about the issue and to identify the lessons that must be learned.
I also understand public concern about the safety of vape shops. As I indicated yesterday, I am open to the need for further regulation and legislation to ensure the safety of people and buildings, especially with regard to the storage and disposal of combustible products.
I sincerely thank the First Minister for being here today and for the strong statement that he has made about Glasgow. I add my sincere thanks to the fire and rescue workers and to everyone else who is still ensuring that the fire has been dealt with, and I thank the senior officers who briefed me last night.
The situation is truly heartbreaking for Glasgow. I am probably Glasgow’s longest-serving elected member and I find it deeply emotional.
We are still waiting to find out about the damage to Glasgow Central station. Recent media reports indicate that that there is no major damage, although the architect of the glass roof has expressed some concern about that. I am sure the First Minister agrees that things must be difficult for the thousands of commuters who rely on the station, and for the network itself. I know that he has been having discussions about the implications and I presume that the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop, will also be having such discussions. Have there been any talks about what more could be done—including running more buses—to help people get to work or to appointments until we know when Glasgow Central station will be fully open?
I entirely understand the deep emotional connection that Pauline McNeill sets out. That is why I am here today: I understand the depth of sadness experienced in the city of Glasgow about what has happened and, for those reasons, it is right for me, as First Minister, to answer this question today.
In relation to Glasgow Central station, I make it clear that every effort is being made to open the station as soon as possible, but that can be done only when we are assured of the safety of the station. Colleagues will understand the potential vulnerabilities that exist after such a major incident so close to the station.
It must be said that the efforts of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, which were explained to me yesterday, were astonishing and avoided the spread of the fire into the Central hotel—as I will always call it—and into Central station.
Its efforts were intensely targeted to make sure that that was avoided. Although the sight is devastating, we have avoided a much greater incident through the skill and professionalism of the firefighters.
The safety assessment will be undertaken. I give Pauline McNeill and other members of Parliament the assurance that that has the highest priority, but it can be concluded only when the investigation has been carried out and we are satisfied that it is safe for access to the station to be delivered.
Although we must wait for the outcome of official investigations to confirm the exact cause of the fire, it has been widely reported that the fire originated in a vape shop. Such premises often contain large quantities of products powered by lithium-ion batteries that are stored on shop floors and in back rooms. Following the proactive decision to ban disposable vapes from June 2025, it is worrying to see the continued impact that the industry is having in our communities. Despite the risks, minimal responsibility is placed on vape manufacturers and retailers for the hazards that their products can create. Can the First Minister tell us more about what the Scottish Government will do to address that?
I understand the concern that Sharon Dowey expresses, but I want to take issue with one point that she raised, which was about the responsibility of business owners. Business owners are intensely responsible for the safety of their businesses. There is an obligation on any business owner, and particularly an owner of a vape shop, to make sure that their business is safe. We may well be looking at the implications of that failure on other adjoining buildings.
A regulatory infrastructure is in place but, as I said in my answer to Annie Wells, I am open to further consideration of these issues. Legislation is going through the United Kingdom Parliament at this time, and the Government is engaging constructively on that question to ensure that the provisions will extend to Scotland. However, we have to be very clear about the responsibility of business owners to make sure that their businesses are safe.
The fire and the closure of Glasgow Central station have exposed how dependent Ayrshire communities are on rail. The last X36 service leaves Glasgow Buchanan Street bus station for the Garnock valley at 17:15, and the final bus from the Garnock valley, which has a population of 20,000, leaves Dalry as early at 15:32. There are no other buses serving those communities. Given that Stagecoach will not enhance the service and neither will Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, what can the Scottish Government do to ensure that there is a decent and reliable service between my constituency and Scotland’s largest city?
I recognise the importance of travel connections from Ayrshire, including Mr Gibson’s constituency, and I recognise that greater challenges will be arising as a consequence of the fire. Transport Scotland will continue to engage with its public transport partners and stakeholders to see what measures can be put in place to mitigate the impacts and to build up the resilience of services. That will support Mr Gibson in his efforts to ensure that there are stronger public transport services in Ayrshire.
I apologise for omitting to respond to Pauline McNeill’s point about more bus connections. ScotRail is operating a range of services that are coming into, for example, Paisley Gilmore Street, and onward bus connections are available from there. Other intermediary stops are being made to try to maximise the connections. The transport secretary is working with the rail service providers and other agencies to make sure that we maximise bus connections to replace rail services for as long as the incident goes on.
The building was one of the most iconic Victorian architectural set pieces in Scotland, and it is truly heartbreaking to see its loss. It stood there for 175 years. Can the First Minister give his assurance that conservation-accredited registered engineers with the right expertise will assess the remaining elevation to Gordon Street for any possibility of the preservation of that frontage and commit to a faithful reinstatement with the building owners, bringing together the ministerial oversight board?
The building is critical to Glasgow’s built heritage. In 1987, the Ca d’Oro building right across the road was faithfully reinstated after a major fire, so it can be done. Will there be the political will and commitment at the highest level to do that?
I understand Paul Sweeney’s long-standing interest in these issues, and I welcome the comments that he has made. Every effort will be made to progress the site and live up to the aspirations that he has set out. The Government will work with Glasgow City Council in that respect. However, we are at the very early stages of working out what can be undertaken.
In the short term, there will be particular challenges in stabilising what is a very vulnerable site to enable access to Central station. If we are to have access to that station at the earliest opportunity, which is certainly my priority, there will be difficult decisions to make in relation to the existing site. However, all the issues of the protection of the historic environment that are part of the legal framework in Scotland will be applied in this case, and members will be kept up to date on the developments.
Football-related Disorder (Glasgow)
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions have taken place with football authorities concerning the recent deplorable fan behaviour after the match between Celtic and Rangers. (S6T-02941)
I join John Mason in condemning the appalling behaviour of those who invaded the pitch and acted in a violent and disorderly manner, ruining what had otherwise been an exciting football experience for fans. Disorder of that nature is not acceptable; it risks the safety of players, fans, stewards and police officers.
I spoke to Police Scotland yesterday evening and have this morning spoken to both the Scottish Football Association and the Scottish Professional Football League. We are of one mind in saying that such behaviour is not acceptable and that action must be taken to prevent its recurrence. We all need to play our part, and I am reassured that the police, football authorities and football clubs want to work with us to ensure that there will be no repeat of the scenes that we witnessed on Sunday.
The minister used the word “prevent”, which is important. The police said that some individuals had “armed themselves” before coming into the stadium—so, clearly, they had not been searched. The stewards had not been checking on who was carrying what, including pyrotechnics. Surely there needs to be better stewarding at games so that everyone is checked. For example, when I went to a Napoli game, I was checked at security. Does the minister agree that everybody who goes to a Scottish game should be checked too?
Yes, absolutely. However, it is quite complex to find hidden masks or pyrotechnics, for example, when people enter stadiums. Those are the sorts of challenges that are faced.
Just before every game, the clubs, Police Scotland and local authorities make sure that robust measures are in place, through the safety advisory group process. Despite that, when people are determined to engage in disorder, it is difficult to prevent it entirely. The speed with which Police Scotland and the stewards dealt with the issue on Sunday suggests that appropriate levels of policing and stewarding were in place. However, there are lessons to be learned, and they will be looking into what happened on Sunday.
I associate myself with the minister’s comment in that, from what I could see, the police and the stewards handled things well once the problems had started. However, we have to look further than that.
My colleague James Dornan has frequently raised the issue of strict liability. I wonder whether the Government would consider introducing that; I feel that, over the years, it has dragged its heels on doing so. Fans do not want it, and the clubs do not want it, but, as happens in European competitions, clubs should surely take some responsibility for the behaviour of their fans.
Our preferred solution has always been that football should proactively shape and deliver a robust and meaningful solution to tackle unacceptable conduct by supporters. For example, over the past year, clubs have instituted solutions on the misuse of pyrotechnics. The SPFL is taking a strong stance on that, and over the past couple of years it has been instrumental in examining how we could strengthen football banning orders, especially in cases that involve pyrotechnics.
The behaviour of some fans after Sunday’s match between Celtic and Rangers was completely unacceptable. Does the minister agree that all fans must exercise personal responsibility—as the vast majority already do—to ensure that those around them can enjoy the game safely, and that football clubs also need to take some responsibility for the behaviour of their fans?
Yes, of course—just as everyone has a responsibility to behave appropriately and in line with the law, no matter where they are. Just because they are at a football match does not mean that the rules of society and the rule of law are not in place.
No one should feel that being in a stadium on a match day somehow gives them permission to act in ways that they would not do in other parts of society. It is clear that a minority of people who attend football matches believe that they can behave in any way that they want, without any thought for the safety or security of the vast majority of fans who go to matches to support and enjoy watching their football team. With regard to the minority of fans who behave illegally and irresponsibly, action will be taken by Police Scotland, and action should be taken by the clubs.
The scenes at the match were absolutely horrific. It was not just the pitch invasion; we saw scenes of fans bursting through a disabled access point, there was vandalism at the ground and innocent people were hurt. Then we had the pitch invasion by masked yobs wearing balaclavas and what appeared to be uniforms. Does the minister plan to speak to both clubs? I ask because I think that there is an issue with the way in which clubs allocate tickets to both home and away fans, and maybe that is what should be addressed.
As I said, I spoke to the SFA and the SPFL this morning, when the SFA confirmed that it would be speaking to both clubs to establish the facts of Sunday’s events. I am keen to let that process play out. There is also the judicial panel process, and I do not want to interfere with that. The SPFL has confirmed that it is considering very carefully its scheduling of the remaining old firm fixtures, in consultation with Police Scotland. The Scottish Government speaks to both organisations very regularly. We will continue to do that on this issue. As the member said, behaviour such as invading the pitch, engaging in violence, setting off and throwing pyrotechnics and carrying out vandalism is appalling and completely unacceptable.
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