Chamber and committees

I do. As a result of climate change, there has already been warming in Scotland, with more extreme weather events and rising sea levels. As a nation, we must continue to adapt to those changes and prepare for the impacts of global climate change that are already locked in.

The FBU’s decon campaign highlights exactly why health and safety powers need to be devolved to this Parliament as a matter of urgency, so I am happy to support those calls.

Steps to modernise the fire service estate are decisions for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to make. The Scottish Government has provided the service with a capital budget of £32.5 million for 2023-24. The allocation of the capital budget, including the decision on whether to prioritise fleet, equipment or the fire service estate, is a matter for the SFRS.

I agree that the safety of firefighters should be our priority. The fire stations with the least facilities are in remote locations and deal with very few incidents. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has introduced procedures to ensure that firefighters in those locations have workable solutions to ensure that contaminated personal protective equipment is dealt with safely.

The Scottish Government greatly values and appreciates the work of staff and volunteers at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, who work alongside other emergency services to provide a vital service in saving lives around Scotland’s extensive coastline. The RNLI played a key role in the creation of our water safety action plan and it continues to do so through its work with Water Safety Scotland.

The RNLI operates as an independent charity across the United Kingdom and any decisions on operational matters are rightly made by the institution.

The Scottish Government takes water safety very seriously. It welcomed the publication in 2018 of Water Safety Scotland’s “Scotland’s Drowning Prevention Strategy 2018-2026”. The Scottish Government continues to provide funding, via the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, to support the operation of Water Safety Scotland, of which RNLI is a key member. We work closely with Water Safety Scotland and other partners to support the recommendations in its drowning prevention strategy, and to support initiatives to raise awareness of the hazards around water and to reduce deaths from accidental drowning. However, as I said in my previous answer, decisions on operational matters are, rightly, made by RNLI.

Thank you, convener, and good morning, committee.

This suite of two regulations will expand the functions of the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland general regulatory chamber to include hearing appeals against decisions of a local authority to issue penalty charge notices in relation to the low-emission zone scheme, the workplace parking licensing scheme and the dropped-footway parking, double-parking and pavement-parking prohibitions. The regulations will also amend the chamber’s composition and procedure rules to include such appeals.

The Scottish tribunals structure was created by the Tribunals (Scotland) Act 2014, which introduced the new, simplified statutory framework for tribunals in Scotland. It consists of the First-tier Tribunal and the Upper Tribunal. The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 provides legislation that enables the creation of low-emission zones, workplace parking schemes and the new parking prohibitions. The act allows for the civil enforcement of all of those by local authorities. The route of appeal against local authority penalty charge notices for each of those is the First-tier Tribunal.

The First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Allocation of Functions to the General Regulatory Chamber) Regulations 2023 provide for the appeal functions that I have mentioned to be allocated to the First-tier Tribunal’s general regulatory chamber.

The First-tier Tribunal for Scotland General Regulatory Chamber and Upper Tribunal for Scotland (Composition and Rules of Procedure) (Miscellaneous Amendment) Regulations 2023 amend existing regulations that make provision in relation to the rules of procedure of the general regulatory chamber when it hears parking and bus lane appeals. Those rules of procedure will apply, with modifications, to appeals against decisions of the local authority to issue penalty charge notices relating to the new low-emission zone scheme, workplace parking schemes and the new parking prohibitions. The rules will now refer to “Transport Appeals”, to include all new and existing appeals.

The regulations also amend the existing composition regulations for the general regulatory chamber in hearing parking and bus lane appeals. That provides for the new appeals to be heard by a legal member alone in the First-tier Tribunal, as is the case with the parking and bus lane appeals. The Scottish tribunals will be able to hear such appeals as of 1 June 2023.

The two instruments play a part in enabling the general regulatory chamber to hear such new appeals. I understand that the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee considered the regulations on 28 March and that no points were raised.

I will be happy to answer any questions, convener.

I thank Bill Kidd for raising this important issue and bringing it to the wider attention of the Parliament. It is fitting that we gather to remember firefighters across the world who gave their lives to protect others and that we honour the memory of those exceptional and very brave people.

That has been brought into sharp focus for us all in Scotland this year with the very sad death of firefighter Barry Martin in January. Today, we have also heard about Tom Brown in Irvine, John Noble in Alloa and Stanley McIntosh and Joseph Calderwood, just to name a few; my deepest condolences go out to their families, friends, loved ones and colleagues at this time. The SFRS continues to mark the tragedies that took place at Cheapside Street and Kilbirnie Street in Glasgow in the 1960s and 1970s to ensure that the firefighters who lost their lives are never forgotten.

It is often said that firefighters are those who run towards danger while everyone else runs away. Of course, they train and prepare so that they can do that as safely and as effectively as possible, but whenever there is a loss it is a clear reminder of the courage that our firefighters demonstrate every day of their working lives.

Although firefighters face known risks when they attend an emergency, it is right that we also support and protect them from lesser known and more silent risks. In that respect, I thank and acknowledge the significant work of the Fire Brigades Union in commissioning its important research with the University of Central Lancashire and in the production of the report that was discussed at an earlier debate in January this year. I also welcome members of the FBU to the gallery.

The safety, health and wellbeing of our firefighting staff who work so hard to protect communities in some of the most challenging environments is of utmost importance to the Scottish Government and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The FBU’s campaign, research and any subsequent conclusions are primarily a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, as the employer of firefighters in Scotland. The SFRS has engaged with that work for a number of years, and has met with Professor Anna Stec of the University of Central Lancashire on several occasions to achieve a deeper understanding of the important research that she is doing, and to offer SFRS’s co-operation and support to identify the actions that are needed to minimise harm to firefighters.

In closing, I again thank Bill Kidd for the opportunity to mark firefighters memorial day and to discuss the wider issues around the FBU decon campaign. I will continue to discuss the issues of decontamination and the wider health of firefighters with the FBU and the SFRS through my regular meetings with them to ensure that progress continues to be made on this important issue.

Thank you. Yes, I will be happy to look into that on the member’s behalf.

I fully recognise the risk that contaminants can pose to firefighters, and I want Scotland to be at the forefront of moves to tackle that threat. SFRS has a long-established management of contaminants working group that looks at technical, procedural and cultural solutions to mitigate the risk of SFRS personnel—and any others who may be affected by the actions of SFRS personnel—being exposed to contaminants. The group includes representation from the Fire Brigades Union, has links to external specialists and is supported by the highest levels of SFRS staff.

Richard Leonard asked for progress in his speech. However, SFRS has already made significant practical changes in procedures, equipment and facilities to reduce firefighter contact with equipment that could contain contaminants that are harmful to health, and that important work will continue.

Practical examples of such changes include ensuring that firefighting equipment is properly cleaned and stored and encouraging crews to shower as quickly as possible upon their return to the station grounds. All SFRS buildings have been audited and reviewed to minimise the risk of contamination, and procedures have been developed to ensure that firefighters in some rural fire stations that lack showering facilities have appropriate decontamination solutions in place. A number of steps have also been taken to mitigate risks, including supplying specialist decontamination wipes and the trial of station zoning systems to limit any potential spread.

The Scottish Government has continued the commitment to support SFRS service delivery and reform with a further uplift of £14.4 million budget cover for 2023-24. However, I must reiterate that decisions on how to spend its budget, including its capital allocation of £32.5 million is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service board.

Difficult decisions have to be taken on budgets, particularly for capital investment, but we have maintained the £32.5 million capital budget for SFRS in 2023-24 to invest in buildings, fleet and equipment.

I will touch on a few speeches made by members, but I thank all members for their very moving and passionate contributions to today’s debate.

Keith Brown’s speech highlighted the threat to life that firefighters face every day and the fact that that risk is not always from fire—John Noble died in a road accident in the line of duty. I also take the time to thank Keith Brown for all his work as cabinet secretary—[Inaudible.]