Fire and Rescue Service Reform

That the Parliament understands that in 2022, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) engaged constructively with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) to reach an “in principle” agreement on a proposal to be put to the FBU membership on role expansion; believes that both sides in the discussions fully understood that in order for the proposition to become a firm offer, it had to be underpinned by additional funding as the SFRS could not resource role expansion from its existing budget; further believes that the business case jointly agreed between the SFRS and FBU, outlining the developed role for Scottish firefighters, has since been sitting with the Scottish Government with no progress made; believes that the proposal has the potential to be transformative for the sector, reducing the burden on SFRS partners such as the Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS, and delivering significant societal benefits, including saving lives and long-term financial savings, but that without investment the proposal cannot realistically progress, and calls on the Scottish Government, as a matter of urgency, to progress this reform of an essential public service.