Alison Burns criticises Labour and SNP fire centralisation plans

Alison Burns, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Dundee City West in May's Scottish Parliamentary election, today criticised her Labour opponent's call for a single fire service across Scotland, saying that centralised fire services would be less responsive than the current Fire and Rescue local boards across Scotland.

She said, "If Labour and the SNP got their way, there will be centralised police and fire services rather than our local arrangements in Tayside and, in all likelihood, headquarters will be in Strathclyde or Lothian.　　 I would always support the provision of services to be based here in Dundee, but the Labour centralisation plans make that much less likely.

"Mr McCready is right to say that Tayside Fire and Rescue is efficient and effective.　　 That is why it should be retained in its current form and not swallowed up by a Strathclyde-dominated centralised fire service as Labour would propose.　　 That is not in Dundee's interests."