Greene calls for Scotland-wide school fire safety audit

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for the West of Scotland Jamie Greene has urged the Scottish Government to conduct a Scotland-wide audit of fire safety in schools.

His call follows the publication of a concerning report on fire safety at one school in East Dunbartonshire.

Carried out at Lenzie Academy in October, the assessment found poorly protected escape routes, combustible materials stored improperly and ovens without doors.

The report contains 30 recommendations, including upgrading all fire doors in the school that do not offer at least half an hour of protection.

Mr Greene attempted to raise the issue in Parliament, submitting two urgent questions and a supplementary question at First Minister’s Questions, which were not selected by the Presiding Officer.

He has now written directly to Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Jenny Gilruth, urging her to support East Dunbartonshire Council in fixing the situation and to consider a fire safety audit of all school buildings in Scotland.

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for West Scotland, Jamie Greene, said:

“In my letter to the Education Secretary, I have urged her to seriously consider undertaking a wider review of fire safety in all Scottish schools.

“Not only has the recent fire-risk assessment of Lenzie Academy caused real concern to pupils and parents in East Dunbartonshire, but it has also raised the very real possibility that pupils in other schools are learning in similarly under-protected buildings.

“I have already received questions from constituents about fire safety standards across Scotland’s school estate.

“That is why I am calling on the Education Secretary to not only work with East Dunbartonshire Council to rectify the situation at Lenzie Academy, but to conduct an audit of fire safety in all Scottish schools too.”