Parliament will be aware of the concerning fire on Breadalbane Street in my Constituency, where combustible cladding may have been a factor. Does the First Minister share my empathy for everyone affected and my gratitude to the many firefighters and other emergency service personnel who responded? Does the First Minister agree that this very worrying incident emphasises the importance of high-rise firefighting capability in urban areas and the extra funding for the fire service in the budget, and that it is vital that the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill and the cladding remediation programme are taken forward with urgency by Parliament, Government and developers?

The First Minister:

Yes, I agree with all that from Ben Macpherson, and I add my thanks to the emergency services, in particular the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, for their efforts. Those efforts meant that everybody—including, I think, Graham Simpson, who was there—was evacuated safely and without injury, so I am very pleased about that.

The situation is still evolving. Ben Macpherson is right that it is important that we continue to fund the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, which is why there is an increase in its budget for 2024-25.

What Ben Macpherson says about cladding is incredibly important, and it is incredibly important that the bill continues to make progress—the stage 1 debate took place this week—and that all the stakeholders who have responsibility for cladding remediation take that responsibility seriously. They do not have to wait for the bill in order to take action.