Thursday March 12th 2026
Firefighters tackling the fire that broke out on Sunday
Written by Glasgow View Reporter, Liam Eunson
A cross-Government Ministerial Board has been established to coordinate the Scottish Government’s immediate and longer-term response to the Glasgow Union Corner fire that aims to ‘support the ongoing critical work of partners and stakeholders’.
Chaired by Justice Secretary Angela Constance, the board aims to ensure that work across the Scottish Government is most effectively supporting recovery efforts. It will also oversee the development of a support package.
Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, is joining the Group’s meetings with Ministerial members including: Kate Forbes, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic; Shona Robison, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government; Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Transport; Màiri McAllan, Cabinet Secretary for Housing; and Siobhian Brown, Minister for Victims and Community Safety.
The Government’s response to the fire was discussed at today’s First Minister’s Questions where opposing politicians pressed John Swinney on speed of recovery and issues regarding a lack of fire response resources available during the emergency with Scottish Labour Leader Anas Anwar explaining that on the night a fire appliance had to be transported from Edinburgh.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has launched a multi-agency investigation into the causes of the fire, which is expected to take time given its scale and complexity.
Angela Constance expressed her determination that ‘the Scottish Government will stand with the city as it recovers’. She explained:
“First and foremost I want to pay tribute to the emergency services, and particularly the brave firefighters who fought the blaze. It is an incredible relief that there were no casualties and there is no doubt that without their tireless efforts the fire’s impact would have been far greater.
“The Ministerial Board has been established to coordinate the Scottish Government’s response. There are the immediate issues of making the site safe and the recovery of the transport network, with significant ongoing work to return rail and road systems back to normality as soon as possible.
“There are also wider impacts to be considered and managed, not least the impact on affected businesses and the recovery of the site. The Board will oversee the development of a support package to aid in the recovery process.
“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.”
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