The First Minister will be aware of recent reports that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is in a “deadly spiral of decline” that might lead to a loss of life. What is his response to those reports, and will he endeavour to outline how the SFRS and the Fire Brigades Union can transform the service and make it fit for the future?

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service continues to deliver a high standard of service in order to meet its commitment to keep people in Scotland safe.

In this financial year, there was an overall increase of £29.3 million to SFRS’s budget, which is a substantial increase. The budget is now £79 million higher than it was in 2017-18. I do not agree with Maggie Chapman’s characterisation of the service. It has attracted investment, and it continues to perform well and to deliver safety and security to the population.

Where I do agree with Maggie Chapman is in relation to the pressure on public finances, which comes from the austerity agenda. I hope that the austerity agenda will come to an end, because, as the member knows, we have to live within the resources that are available to us. However, we should have confidence in a fire service that has more firefighters per head of population than any other in the United Kingdom, and that is well supported by the Government’s financial commitments.