Chamber and committees

As part of its New Mobilising System project, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will be rolling out its Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system to the Edinburgh Operations Control on 30 September, followed by Dundee Operations Control on 27 October and Johnstone Operations Control on 24 November.

The Scottish Government's commitment is to deliver a 24/7 thrombectomy service that, subject to clinical eligibility, enables patients to receive a thrombectomy procedure regardless of the time at which they are referred to a thrombectomy hub.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government and has responsibility for delivery of rehabilitative interventions in custody.

SPS continually assesses and develops the interventions available to individuals in custody. Where appropriate, those subject to an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) are considered for programmes and support as identified through their Risk Management Plan which is approved by the Risk Management Authority.

The provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for firefighters is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). SFRS is responsible for ensuring that appropriate PPE is available to support firefighters in carrying out their duties safely, including when responding to wildfire incidents.

The Scottish Government has approved funding for the procurement of an artificial intelligence solution to support the expansion of thrombectomy services.

Deployment of specific firefighting assets, including aerial support, is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).

There is currently a Public Sector Framework contract in place for the provision of helicopter services, including for the use of firefighting.

Although arrangements for the next wildfire season are currently under review, new improved standby arrangements will maximise the availability of aerial support, including wherever possible, the locality of that support.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, (SFRS) received no aerial firefighting assets from the Ministry of Defence, (MoD) during the Cairngorms wildfire in July.

Although a request was made to the MoD regarding availability of specific aerial firefighting support, the Scottish Government was advised that the MoD does not possess the requested aerial firefighting assets stationed within the UK.

£17 million was allocated in the 2026-27 Scottish Budget to support the development of thrombectomy services.

The provision of PPE, training and decontamination are all operational matters for SFRS. All firefighters in Scotland are equipped with PPE and trained for the emergency situations they face. Following the greater awareness of the possible dangers of fire contamination on firefighter health, SFRS has fundamentally changed its processes and procedures the minimise the exposure. This includes post incident decontamination, including wildfires.

His Majesty’s Fire Service Inspectorate is currently conducting a thematic review into the culture of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The Scottish Government will work closely with SFRS following that review to ensure any appropriate recommendations are implemented and that any suggested improvements are carefully considered.