AN SNP candidate has called for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to step in amid reports of plans to cut fire cover at the Faslane and Coulport nuclear bases on the Clyde - as industrial action looms.

On Friday, the trade union Unite said that contractor Capita was set to cut the specialist fire safety crew by eight - which it said would translate to a 15% reduction in the workforce. The union also said there were plans to extend the use of local fire cover.

Capita won the contract last year for fire response services from the Ministry of Defence.

The SNP candidate for Dumbarton, Toni Giugliano, said:  "The Ministry of Defence must immediately step in to ensure all risk assessments have been carried out with regards to this decision given it is set to drastically reduce the strength of a number of fire stations - potentially putting lives at risk.”

"Firefighters at the bases have additional mandatory courses that they must complete each year - it's a no brainer that this expertise must be retained. 

READ MORE: 'Major' safety concerns over Faslane and Coulport nuclear bases' fire cover cuts

"This is a prime example of the Ministry of Defence’s day-to-day budget stagnating – particularly for ancillary services. It's not the first-time lack of oversight from the UK Government over the contracts it hands out has led to issues.

"It’s likely that we will see more Ministry of Defence contracts up for renegotiation in the future and worsening of terms and conditions for staff which is completely unacceptable."

Unite criticised Capita for the absence of consultation on the new fire services model at Faslane and Coulport or its integrated management risk plan.

According to Unite, Capita intends to seek local authority support from nearby fire stations to substitute the specialist safety response.

The union claimed this was a “recipe for disaster” which could compromise the safety at both nuclear navy bases.

Unite is also involved in a pre-existing pay and bargaining dispute at Coulport and Faslane, amidst “overwhelming” support for strike action from its 1000 members.

Union members recently voted by 95% in support of strike action, with 65% turnout across Babcock Industrial, Babcock Non-Industrial, and ISS Facility Services.

The strike will be held in conjunction with a continuous call-out ban and ban on all overtime.  

Unite industrial officer, Debbie Hutchings, said: “Unite has major concerns over the imposed plan by Capita to reduce the fire crew at the Coulport and Faslane nuclear naval bases by eight positions.

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“The plans to reduce the fire crew and to replace it with local authority support is a recipe for disaster.

“The decision by Capita appears to have been brought forward purely on a cost basis and the unrealistic expectation that the local authority can backfill these cuts, which is just not possible because specialist training is required at the nuclear naval bases.

“We believe these plans are worse than short-sighted and in fact potentially dangerous, which is why we are asking Capita to abandon this reckless plan and get back to negotiations.”

A Capita spokesperson said: “We have conducted a thorough review of fire risks at Faslane and Coulport, which considered many factors before we put forward recommendations, including investment in new technology we are making that will reduce fire risk and improve safety.

“The report’s recommendation to adjust resourcing levels was ultimately approved by [the] Ministry of Defence.

“This followed four successful confirmatory exercises by our on-site fire station crews.

“We are committed to the delivery of better fire risk outcomes for the Ministry of Defence, its personnel, and our firefighters.”