The Scottish Executive has been urged to make an emergency statement over the prospect of using private cash to upgrade a fire brigade.

A report on bringing a Public Private Partnership (PPP) to the Highland and Islands Fire Service proposes that all stations, fire engines and equipment are transferred to a private company.

Scottish National Party leader John Swinney said the executive had been "caught out" and demanded a statement to MSPs.

The executive is supporting the proposals and paid for the �500,000 feasibility study from consultants Deloitte & Touche.

This is a clear case of ministers attempting to mislead parliament and they now must come clean by making an emergency statement

John Swinney SNP leader

Highlands and Islands Fire Service, which includes Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles and Highland Council, wants to build 35 new stations and refurbish 35 others.

The brigade also needs 22 new fire engines and is short of basic equipment like ladders.

It still operates out of garden sheds in some parts of the region, while in Beauly the station is a glorified container.

The consultants' report says it would take 20 years under current funding levels to improve the service, which it says "could have serious operational and health and safety implications".

However, Dave Watson, of the public sector union Unison, said that the entire fire service in the Highlands and Islands could be brought up to adequate levels if the government allowed the fire board to borrow �26.4m.

They are prohibited from doing this under the Local Government (Scotland) Act, therefore they have no option other than PPP.

Fraser Parr: "Abhorrent"

It is thought the total cost to taxpayers of the proposed 30-year privatisation could be �191m.

But Mr Watson said that under the public sector it would cost �111m.

Mr Swinney said Labour had been "caught out saying one thing while doing another".

"This is a clear case of ministers attempting to mislead parliament and they now must come clean by making an emergency statement.

"We already know of the disastrous effect of privatisation on hospitals, where dirty wards and faulty equipment have followed in the wake of privatisation.

'Utter madness'

"To make the same mistake with another life and death service would be utter madness."

Scottish Socialist leader Tommy Sheridan branded the proposals: "New Labour gone mad."

He said: "They've thrown away any shred of public sector credibility they have ever had and they are now out-privatising even the Tories."

Fraser Parr, chairman of the Fire Brigades Union in the Highlands, said the concept of a private fire service was "abhorrent".

'Beggars belief'

"Why doesn't central government just release the necessary funds instead of pandering to big business. It beggars belief."

A spokeswoman for the executive confirmed the plans, saying: "We commissioned the paper on the future of the fire service in Scotland in April.

"It looks at the option of using private companies and finance to maintain stations, buildings and equipment and we want to see how the public receives the plans."