The pay and conditions of firefighters are negotiated on a United Kingdom-wide basis through established collective bargaining procedures. The Scottish Government is not part of those negotiations, which are rightly a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as the employer. I know that the Minister for Victims and Community Safety discussed maternity leave when she met Scottish Fire Brigades Union officials on 15 May.
Maternity pay, like firefighter pay and terms and conditions, is negotiated on a UK-wide basis under well-established procedures for collective bargaining, which I know that the FBU and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service remain committed to.
The member has raised an important matter. The health and wellbeing of staff, along with their terms and conditions, are crucial matters for the employer. I am very much aware of the calls that the FBU made on 7 May. For information, the SFRS’s maternity leave is currently 26 weeks on full pay and 13 weeks on statutory maternity pay, and there are some other flexibilities. I should say that the SFRS went beyond the collective agreement by extending it to support staff.
The issue is obviously very live for the FBU. It is important to say that there are particular operational procedures for pregnant and breastfeeding firefighters, particularly as they cannot participate in operational duties because of risks of contamination.