Chamber and committees

I had a meeting with the Chair of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Board on 4 June 2026.

The Service Delivery Review (SDR) is not a cost-saving exercise; it is a safety focussed modernisation programme designed to ensure Scotland has a fire and rescue service fit for the future and new risks.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Board approved the recommendation to create two new fire stations at Tranent in East Lothian and Cowcaddens in Glasgow, requiring a £20.074 million capital investment. Any financial savings resulting from the review, for example from removing the running costs of maintaining long-term dormant stations, will be re-invested in the service. 69 wholetime firefighters will be redirected to the essential training and prevention functions in SFRS.

The SDR consolidates the £7.8 million resources budget savings that were delivered through the temporary appliance withdrawals introduced in 2023. In addition, the appraisal identifies £42.650 million in potential future capital investment that may be avoided. This reflects a reduction in future estate investment pressures rather than a budget saving. Details of this can be found on the Board paper (link: https://www.firescotland.gov.uk/publications/document/?id=9704).

All of the Service Delivery Review options were subject to an equality impact assessment and an assessment of their impact on island communities by SFRS. The Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessments (EHRIA) for each proposed option for change were published on the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service website: SFRS Board, 20260622, Papers | Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (link: https://www.firescotland.gov.uk/publications/document/?id=9704).

I have portfolio responsibility for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. I have not yet had the opportunity to meet with the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) but as a key stakeholder a meeting with FBU Scottish officials will be scheduled in due course.

It was recognised when Scotland’s Redress Scheme was designed that some survivor applicants may be advancing in age or suffering ill health. Therefore, priority is given to applicants with a terminal illness and those over 68 years of age.

The Scheme enables applicants, should they wish, to nominate a beneficiary to receive the full amount of redress payment in the event that the applicant dies before payment is made. A nominated beneficiary is only permitted to take over the application in specific circumstances.

Alternatively, a £10,000 next of kin payment may be possible where a survivor, who met the eligibility criteria for the Scheme, dies before a payment was made to them, their estate or a nominated beneficiary.

The Scottish Government released relevant information in response to an FOI request in December 2025. The link to the response can be found here - Number of applicants who passed away whilst awaiting a decision on redress: FOI release - gov.scot.

Administration costs and awards paid under the Scheme broken down by financial year since the Scheme’s inception are set out in the following table:

Applicants are asked if they are terminally ill on the application form and, if confirmed, these applications are considered priority 1 applications and are prioritised at all stages of the redress process.

Redress Scotland make a determination on a priority 1 application within six weeks of receipt. Prioritisation of applications to be determined is a matter for the Chair of Redress Scotland, as set out in the Redress for Survivors (Historical Abuse in Care) (Scotland) Act 2021).

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01113 on 15 July 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

The official statistics, available at Scotland's Redress Scheme Statistics December 2021 - June 2025 - gov.scot provide information on applications, outcomes and payments made in the first 42 months of Scotland's Redress Scheme.

The Redress for Survivors (Historical Child Abuse in Care) (Scotland) Act 2021 places a duty on the Scottish Ministers to pay legal fees reasonably incurred by applicants to the redress scheme. Fees for legal work undertaken are prescribed in the Redress for Survivors (Historical Child Abuse in Care) (Payment of Legal Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2021.

Where unexpected or exceptional circumstances arise, and it is reasonable for a solicitor to carry out additional legal work in making a redress application, the solicitor may seek an additional sum.