Glasgow fire is ‘wake-up call’ to service cuts, says Anas Sarwar

The devastating Glasgow fire must be a “wake-up call” to the government on fire service cuts, Anas Sarwar has said. 

The Scottish Labour leader also called for an “urgent investigation” into whether reductions to capacity may have had an impact on the blaze that led to the collapse of a building on Union Street.

First Minister John Swinney argued the fact the fire services managed to prevent the spread to Glasgow Central train station and the nearby hotel was proof the fire service had the resources required.

He added that a review of resources was currently underway.

The blaze began on Sunday afternoon at a vape shop on the ground floor of the building. By the evening, the B-listed building at 105 Union Street had collapsed.

While there were no casualties or fatalities, dozens of businesses were destroyed and Glasgow Central station high level, which is next to the site of the incident, remains closed while officials conduct safety checks.

The train station is Scotland's busiest and is a vital link to parts of Renfrewshire and Ayrshire, as well as the west coast mainline down into England. It is not expected to reopen until next week at the earliest.

Several city centre streets are also shut and bus services redirected.

Raising the incident at FMQs on Thursday, Sarwar said: “We know there are now fewer firefighters, less firefighting equipment, longer response times, and station closures. Our fire and rescue service has already faced years of cuts, so surely the tragedy on Sunday must be a wake-u[p call and a reason to pause.”

In particular, he referred to a reduction in the number of High Reach Appliances (HRAs) from 26 to 16 across Scotland. Three HRAs were deployed to the scene in Glasgow on Sunday, alongside 15 other appliances.

Swinney highlighted the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was increased in the last budget by £23.8m, taking the total to £435.9m.

He added the service delivery review would consider safety and resilience as a priority, going on the highlight such reviews were necessary due to changing demands on the fire service.

Regarding the call for an investigation into whether capacity was a factor in the Glasgow blaze, he said: “I am confident that there were effective resources in place to do all that needed to be done because, in looking at the incident and looking at its severity, the impact could have been ever more greater than it actually was.”

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay also used his question to call for businesses impacted by the fire to be given support.

The first minister confirmed financial support would be made available, with work underway to ascertain what is needed.

A ministerial board has been established to coordinate the response to the fire, chaired by justice secretary Angela Constance. This board will oversee the development of a support package.

Constance said: "Undoubtedly this will take time, requiring a significant effort across government, together with partners and stakeholders. The ministerial board will play an integral role to ensure the city can get back on its feet as quickly as possible."

The board's membership also includes deputy first minister Kate Forbes, finance secretary Shona Robison, transport secretary Fiona Hyslop, housing secretary Mairi McAllan, community safety minister Siobhian Brown and Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has launched a multi-agency investigation into the causes of the fire, though no timescale has been given for its completion.