Chamber and committees

I thank Russell Findlay for bringing that matter to the chamber and will look at the letter that he has sent me. Staff conduct is a matter for the SFRS board, but I am happy to discuss the issue with Mr Findlay.

I met the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service board chair and acting chief officer on 1 February. A range of matters was discussed, including the tragic loss of firefighter Barry Martin; firefighter pay and industrial action; the Fire Brigades Union’s decontamination campaign; finance and SFRS budgets; and fire safety and enforcement.

Like Maggie Chapman, I place on the record my thanks to the firefighters who are in Turkey and Syria at the moment on behalf of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

On 2 February, I met Scottish Fire Brigades Union officials and Professor Anna Stec of the University of Central Lancashire to hear directly about their important campaign and the emerging evidence. I have also arranged a dedicated meeting with the SFRS later this month so that I can be briefed on the steps that it is taking to minimise firefighters’ exposure to harmful contaminants and can more clearly understand the proposals for enhanced health screening. I will carefully consider those proposals when I receive them to ensure that the Scottish Government is playing its part in keeping our firefighters safe.

I join Fulton MacGregor in paying my respects to those who have lost their lives, and I extend my condolences to their families and friends.

Regarding the incident at Monkland canal, I can only express my gratitude and relief that Mr MacGregor was able to report a positive outcome. I also commend Emily and Lauren for their swift actions.

Tragically, as reported by Water Safety Scotland, many past incidents have involved attempted rescues of another person or a dog that is in trouble on or in frozen water. Water Safety Scotland and partner organisations such as the SFRS publicise expert advice and I urge people to take it on board. It centres on the warning not to venture on to frozen water. The ice might appear to be thick, but it can quickly become thin and crack. If anyone sees someone else in trouble, the recommendation is to contact emergency services quickly and try to reach the person from a stable position with something like a rope, pole or buoyancy aid.

The Scottish Government has included an additional £60,000 in this year’s grant to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents to reinforce its contribution to water safety in Scotland and the support that is given to partner organisations to get that message out and promote the work of our drowning prevention strategy. On 1 March, I will chair the next meeting of the water safety stakeholder group, at which this issue will be discussed.

Legal aid fee schedules are complex and the reforms will simplify the current structures and support the court recovery programme. The changes will be implemented this April.

In solemn cases, the structure moves away from the current hybrid payment model and extends the use of inclusive or block fees, resulting in easier billing, reduced administrative costs and faster payment of accounts to solicitors. In summary cases, the reforms simplify the summary criminal fixed payment arrangements so that full payment can be achieved in the majority of cases via a single all-encompassing fee. The reforms will also reverse many of the fee changes and complexities that were introduced by regulations in 2011. In both solemn and summary cases, simplification reduces the scope for abatement of accounts and subsequent negotiation to seek additional payments.

The reform package encompasses a number of fees across solemn and summary cases. However, the Scottish Government was specifically asked to look at section 76 fees, for early resolution of solemn cases, and at the summary core fee. The average total payment in a section 76 case will increase by more than 60 per cent, and other cases that are resolved prior to trial will increase by more than 15 per cent. By supporting early resolution in appropriate cases, the reforms will reduce the number of cases for which trial diets are fixed, which will assist with the court recovery programme and tackle the backlog of cases due to Covid lockdowns.

I am acutely aware of that situation. Although we cannot compel individual firms or lawyers to take on legal aid work, I want to pursue that matter closely because of the nature of the issues that Beatrice Wishart has raised, including domestic abuse. I will be happy to write to the member as that unfolds.

Recent tragedies have illustrated how important this topic remains. The Scottish Government funds Water Safety Scotland throughout the year, winter and summer, to support and co-ordinate water safety campaigns that have been designed and delivered by our expert partners, including the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the Royal Life Saving Society and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. That recently included issuing clear and consistent advice about staying safe around frozen lochs and rivers. Water Safety Scotland is also working with partners to deliver an ice safety workshop, which will be delivered directly to schoolchildren, but will also be available for general use.

I understand that representatives of the profession have spoken a lot in recent years about the increase in fees. The Scottish Government is clear that that is not the only way that we should look at the problem. I have indicated to the Faculty of Advocates that I have a keen interest in working with the entire sector to address those issues. We plan to meet with the Law Society and the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association to begin that process this week. We also have to think about widening diversity in the sector, and the Government is actively participating in and pursuing that.

Thank you for that further probing question, which requires a good answer.

Several existing members will be transferring to the local taxation chamber and they will carry their really good working knowledge with them. There is a thorough training package in place for any new members of a chamber, regardless of which chamber it might be.

We will ensure that people who are appointed to the chamber understand the very issue that you have raised in relation to dealing with the complexities of such cases, in which an element of discretion and understanding might be needed to ensure that people can access the justice that they are looking for.