Chamber and committees

I am deeply concerned about some of the rhetoric that we are seeing across the United Kingdom, which should have no place in our society. It is therefore vital that factual information is also placed in the public domain. As elected members across the UK—as democratically elected representatives with a platform—we have a duty and a responsibility to ensure that we call out any dangerous misinformation, and certainly that we do not perpetrate it.

In a democracy, people have the right of peaceful protest, but the protests outside the hotels go far beyond what is acceptable in our country, which has historically had a humane approach, and one that we should be proud of, to those fleeing conflict and persecution. The protests are creating a sense of real fear and alarm for those who have already gone through so much.

In saying that, it is important that we engage with the people who are protesting in order to hear their concerns and understand the reasons that are driving them to protest. I know that Police Scotland continues to engage with protesters through liaison officers, and the Scottish Government has funded the Centre for Good Relations to work with those who are protesting to hear their concerns.

Will the member give way?

First, I need to say to Jackie Baillie that, as I said the last time we discussed the issue in the chamber, no decisions on the consultation have been made yet. The consultation for the service delivery review closed on 16 September.

The emergencies that the SFRS responds to have changed significantly over the years—for example, the number of dwelling fires has reduced by more than 20 per cent since 2013. I have a commitment from the SFRS that an independent review will go over the consultation before any decision is made, and when any decision is made it will be rolled out over a period of five years.

Any prospective purchaser who intends to buy property at an auction house should ensure that they have all the necessary information. Buyers can request certain information from the selling agent or undertake their own searches.

Any concerns about auction houses not providing full disclosure of the state of land or property should be reported to the local trading standards office. Anyone who believes that they have been subjected to misleading advertising practices should contact Advice Direct Scotland to discuss their concerns. The Scottish Legal Aid Board provides information on the nearest solicitors who offer help through legal aid or other advice providers.

I note the concerns that Liam McArthur has raised, which I am happy to look into on his behalf. I also note that the member has previously asked whether it would be possible to lodge an amendment on that to the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, and I understand that the cabinet secretary in charge of the bill would be happy to discuss that further with him in order to identify concerns and appropriate means of dealing with the issue.

The Scottish Government supports Police Scotland and its partners in dealing with the misuse of vehicles. In May, I, along with my colleague Minister Fairlie, met a number of MSPs to discuss their concerns. Action since has included the development of a campaign involving Crimestoppers and fearless, which got close to 7 million impressions.

Enforcement is a matter for Police Scotland, and local policing teams are best placed to identify misuse and to work to prevent future incidents. We have increased police funding to a record £1.62 billion this year to support the work that they do.

Additionally, I understand that Police Scotland is undertaking a range of initiatives, including working with delivery companies, which is an issue that the member raised with me previously.

We will continue to engage with the United Kingdom Government, which has reserved powers relating to off-road vehicles, including vehicle licensing.

Modernisation of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, including broadening the role of firefighters, remains an ambition for this Government. I recognise that there is potential for firefighters to do more to protect communities through a broadened role, and I am aware of the outline agreement between the SFRS and the Fire Brigades Union, which is dependent on additional funding. Although the proposal so far has been unaffordable, I regularly meet the SFRS chair and chief officer, and we will continue to work closely with them in considering future budgets in the context of delivering public sector reform.

As I said in my opening comments, it is an ambition for the Government to broaden the role of firefighters. The Scottish Government is currently conducting a spending review, which will set indicative budgets for the next three years for resource and four years for capital. In the context of the spending review, I know that the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs met the SFRS chair and chief officer, and the emergency medical response element of the broad role was discussed.

Since 2017-18, there have been substantial year-on-year increases in funding to support the SFRS, and the current annual budget is more than £97 million higher than the equivalent budget in 2017-18.

As I said, no decisions have been made regarding that. There were 23 options in the consultation. I will not comment on individual points of that consultation, but I appreciate and trust that the SFRS will follow the correct procedure in the consultation.

I recognise the impact that antisocial behaviour can have on local communities in all areas of Scotland. That is why we have increased police funding to a record £1.62 billion this year, and it is why funding to local government has increased in real terms by 5.5 per cent. Local authorities and Police Scotland have a range of options and powers available to prevent and tackle antisocial behaviour, taking local needs into account.

Moreover, since 2008, our cashback for communities programme has provided £154 million to support young people who are most at risk of being involved in violence, antisocial behaviour and crime. The most recent cashback bidding round has just closed.