Chamber and committees

Yes.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer.

I am just going on the information that I have in front of me today. I will write to the member about that point.

I would also say that, although house fires and casualties have reduced, the number of incidents such as flooding and wildfires has increased, of which we are all acutely aware. That is why it is right that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service carefully considers how to adapt to changing risks in order to remain effective and efficient, to ensure that firefighters are in the right place and at the right time. I am sure that all of us in the chamber, regardless of our political colours, would agree with that.

I thank Maggie Chapman and all the members who have contributed to this important debate.

As the minister with responsibility for fire and rescue, I express my appreciation for the staff of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, who work tirelessly to keep our communities across Scotland safe. I welcome to the public gallery representatives of the FBU, along with representatives of the Fire and Rescue Services Association whom I met this morning when we had some very helpful conversations.

I want to get a few points across about the service delivery review first, because the debate is very broad. As we know, the nature of the emergencies to which the SFRS responds has changed significantly over the years. As an example, the number of dwelling fires has reduced by more than 20 per cent since 2013.

I heard what Richard Leonard said about his conversations. I do not know whether the figures that he mentioned are accurate, but that is not the information that I have been given. The statistics show that there has been a 33 per cent reduction in non-fatal fire casualties between 2009-10 and 2023-24, but there has been a 32 per cent reduction in fatal fire casualties over the same period. It is very important that we get that across.

The Scottish Government does not accept that reliance on local enforcement creates a postcode lottery in public safety. Police Scotland operates within nationally set strategic police priorities, which apply to the whole of Scotland and emphasise public safety, prevention and consistency, while allowing appropriate local flexibility to respond to community needs.

The Scottish Government continues to support policing capacity through record funding of £1.64 billion in this financial year. Scotland has a higher number of police officers per capita than England and Wales, and Scottish Government funding enabled Police Scotland to take on more recruits in the most recent financial year than at any time since 2013.

Operational policing decisions, including taking enforcement action against illegal and antisocial e-scooter use, are rightly a matter for Police Scotland, and the member will be aware of my commitment to working collectively to address concerns that were raised during the debate on 9 December. I welcome the positive examples of Police Scotland’s enforcement activity in this area.

We have had lots of meetings about the matter over the past year and will, I hope, have another one with MSPs who have an interest in it. Jim Fairlie and I wrote to the UK Government regarding it in October. I received a letter last week saying that the Labour Government did not feel that any legislation was necessary, which is disappointing, but I will keep members updated on that.

I totally appreciate and understand what the member says. I have regular meetings with the SFRS, which has made it very clear to me—I know that this has come up at committee, too—that it would be considering the proposed changes even if it had all the money. I get independent advice from His Majesty’s Fire Service Inspectorate in Scotland, and the chief inspector has said to me that he would be very concerned if the SFRS was not considering reform.

I understand that people are concerned about austerity, but I have had those conversations about how the review can deliver over the next five years. I am told that it is not about austerity, although I understand that people think that it is.

I will try to make a bit of progress, if I can. The SFRS’s public consultation on its service delivery review concluded in September. However, the SFRS board has requested that further work be undertaken on the independent analysis of the consultation responses, along with a fresh and independent look at the equality impact of the possible options for change. That work is on-going, and that is why things have been delayed. The SFRS is not able to provide a precise timetable for when the work will be completed. I would like to clarify that the SDR is a change programme, which will be implemented over a five-year period.

The Scottish Government does not accept that reliance on local enforcement creates a postcode lottery in public safety. Police Scotland operates within nationally set strategic police priorities, which apply to the whole of Scotland and emphasise public safety, prevention and consistency, while allowing appropriate local flexibility to respond to community needs.

The Scottish Government continues to support policing capacity through record funding of £1.64 billion in this financial year. Scotland has a higher number of police officers per capita than England and Wales, and Scottish Government funding enabled Police Scotland to take on more recruits in the most recent financial year than at any time since 2013.

Operational policing decisions, including taking enforcement action against illegal and antisocial e-scooter use, are rightly a matter for Police Scotland, and the member will be aware of my commitment to working collectively to address concerns that were raised during the debate on 9 December. I welcome the positive examples of Police Scotland’s enforcement activity in this area.

As, I am sure, the member is aware, the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008 guaranteed judicial independence and established the Lord President as the head of the Scottish judiciary, responsible for the efficient disposal of business in the Scottish courts.

Although the Scottish Government supports the ethical and responsible use of AI in public services, it has no role in judicial decision making and cannot intervene in matters that fall within the remit of the courts and the judiciary.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring access to legal aid in rural and island communities. Although private solicitors cannot be compelled to undertake legal aid work, we continue to invest in the system to ensure availability. Funding is available to allow solicitors to travel to rural and remote parts of the country to carry out work, which ensures that individuals do not have to rely on local provision alone when they seek publicly funded legal assistance. Through our on-going reform programme, we are considering making targeted interventions, including grant funding and capacity-building initiatives, to strengthen access to legal aid where it is needed most.

The Scottish Government does not consider it appropriate to comment on the judiciary’s use of artificial intelligence. That is because the judiciary is independent of the Scottish Government, in order to preserve the independence of the legal system and to protect it from political interference.

Legislation places a duty on all Government ministers, law officers and members of the Parliament to uphold judicial independence, barring them from trying to exert influence over judicial decisions.

Decisions about judicial processes, including whether to use AI in composing judgments, are solely for the judiciary to determine. As head of the judiciary, the Lord President is responsible for making and maintaining appropriate arrangements for the training and guidance of Scottish judicial office-holders.