- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 15 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions have taken place regarding (a) its and (b) its agencies' adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.
Answer
The Scottish Government formally adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism in June 2017. As such, the Scottish Government and its agencies have been expected to adhere to the definition since June 2017.
The adoption of the definition demonstrates our determination to tackle antisemitism, and sends a strong message that it is entirely unacceptable in Scotland. While the IHRA definition is not legally-binding, we find it to be helpful in bringing clarity to what is often a complex issue.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Ash Regan on 15 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken following the rejection of the pay proposal for firefighters in 2019-20, whether an increase in pay for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service staff will be considered, and if so, when this will be implemented.
Answer
Firefighter pay is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as the employer and representatives of their staff. The Scottish Government is not party to negotiations on firefighter pay.
- Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 15 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether the provisions in the UK Building Safety Bill that apply to Scotland will be enacted through a statutory instrument in the Scottish Parliament, and, if so, what it anticipates the potential impact will be on the built environment in Scotland.
Answer
The UK Building Safety Bill introduces fundamental changes to the Building and Fire Safety regime for high rise buildings in England. Part five of the Bill includes provision for a New Homes Ombudsman scheme, the aim of which is to drive up standards in housebuilding and to independently resolve disputes between developers and purchasers where there is an issue concerning the quality of a new-build home.
The provisions would confer a regulation making power on Scottish Ministers to be able to add an additional descriptor of developers who would be required to join the scheme. Other aspects of the scheme are to be established by the Secretary of State either administratively or by regulations. The provisions require that Scottish Ministers are consulted on the main aspects of the scheme before they are taken forward, in order to ensure it is tailored to suit Scottish needs, culture and practice.
Whilst housing is a devolved matter, reservations apply to consumer protection and there may be matters which cannot be entirely addressed in a Scottish system. The Scottish Government wants to ensure that protections offered to buyers of new-build homes in Scotland can also take account of relevant consumer protection requirements.
The extension of the New Homes Ombudsman scheme to Scotland is subject to the approval of the Scottish Parliament.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Ash Regan on 15 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether additional funding will be made available to help the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in its response to the climate emergency, and, if so, how much funding will be made available.
Answer
The Scottish Government has increased the funding for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) by £9.5 million for 2022-23. The Grant In Aid provided to SFRS is not allocated for specific purposes, it is an operational matter for SFRS to decide how the resources should best be used to keep communities safe.
Over the last two years SFRS has received £3.4 million in Grants from Transport Scotland and the Energy Savings Trust, to invest in electric vehicles and charging infrastructure to assist in the transfer to a low carbon light fleet. SFRS also received additional Capital Budget of £0.5 million from Transport Scotland in 2021-22, to invest in a low carbon fire appliance proto-type.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Ash Regan on 15 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates that it will cost to ensure that all fire station buildings are in a good standard of repair.
Answer
The Scottish Government allocates capital funding to SFRS and decisions on how this budget is spent is a matter for SFRS. The Scottish Government is in regular contact with SFRS over its capital and resource budget needs.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Ash Regan on 15 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) wholetime, (b) retained and (c) control firefighters have been employed by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in each year since it was created.
Answer
Recruitment of firefighters, whether whole-time, retained or control is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service therefore figures on recruitment are not held centrally.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) came into being as a national service on 1 April 2013. In its first year of operation (2013/14) employment statistics were collated by the Scottish Government and at 31 March 2014 SFRS had, by headcount, 4,001 whole-time, 2,940 Retained, 223 control, and 961 support employees and 359 volunteers. For reporting year 2014/15 and onwards, SFRS has been responsible for producing these statistics and employment figures are published annually on the SFRS website www.firescotland.gov.uk as part of its Organisational Statistics.
Prior to 2013-14 fire and rescue services were provided by the 8 regional fire and rescue services which formed part of local government. Statistics on the number of employees in these services are not held centrally.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Ash Regan on 15 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what additional budget has been allocated to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for the coming years.
Answer
The Scottish Government continued our commitment to support SFRS service delivery and modernisation with a further uplift of £9.5 million resource for 2022-23 bringing the total budget to £352.7 million.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Ash Regan on 15 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the recruitment of (a) permanent full-time uniformed and (b) retained staff in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
Answer
Staffing and recruitment are operational matters for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Ash Regan on 15 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of any reduced crewing levels on fire appliances responding to fires.
Answer
The management of fire appliances and their crewing are operational matters for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Ash Regan on 15 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the results of any assessment it has carried out on the physical condition of the country’s fire stations.
Answer
The assessment of fire stations and their condition is a matter for SFRS.