Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential implications the proposed cuts to Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service will have on the safety of the area that service covers; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Hurd
It is the responsibility of each Fire and Rescue Authority to determine the resources required to deliver fire and rescue services to local communities.
In 2019/20, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority will receive £75.6 million in core spending power. This is an increase of 2.6% compared with 2018/19. In addition, at March 2018, the authority held £37.3 million in reserves, equivalent to 50.4% of core spending power
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of regional disparities in the preparedness of fire services to respond to high-rise fires.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Nothing is more important than keeping the public safe and the Government recognise the vital role firefighters continue to play in protecting communities. All fire and rescue services have a capability to fight high rise fires. Regular engagement takes place with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) which represents the fire and rescue sector to Government.
They are also required to have integrated risk management plans, which target resources to best protect their communities. Fire & Rescue Authorities have a statutory requirement to have mutual assistance arrangements in place to provide additional support in the event of a major incident occurring. This is augmented by Home Office supported national resilience capabilities.
Fire and rescue services have the resources they need to do their important work and will receive around £2.3 billion in 2019/20. Single purpose fire and rescue authorities will see an increase in core spending power of 2.3% in cash terms in 2019/20 and an overall increase of 0.3% from 2015/16 to 2019/20.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to implement national standards for the pre-determined attendance of firefighters and fire engines for fires in high-rise blocks.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Decisions on crewing and attendance at incidents are for each Chief Fire Officer as part of their Integrated risk management plan, although Government has specifically asked Fire & Rescue Authorities to include the risk of high rise fires in their planning.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many fire and rescue services outside of London he has had discussions with on their preparedness for tackling high-rise fires.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Nothing is more important than keeping the public safe and the Government recognise the vital role firefighters continue to play in protecting communities. All fire and rescue services have a capability to fight high rise fires. Regular engagement takes place with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) which represents the fire and rescue sector to Government.
They are also required to have integrated risk management plans, which target resources to best protect their communities. Fire & Rescue Authorities have a statutory requirement to have mutual assistance arrangements in place to provide additional support in the event of a major incident occurring. This is augmented by Home Office supported national resilience capabilities.
Fire and rescue services have the resources they need to do their important work and will receive around £2.3 billion in 2019/20. Single purpose fire and rescue authorities will see an increase in core spending power of 2.3% in cash terms in 2019/20 and an overall increase of 0.3% from 2015/16 to 2019/20.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effect of the 15 per cent reduction in central government funding for English fire services over the period 2016-17 to 2019-20 on the ability of those services to respond to high-rise fires.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Nothing is more important than keeping the public safe and the Government recognise the vital role firefighters continue to play in protecting communities. All fire and rescue services have a capability to fight high rise fires. Regular engagement takes place with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) which represents the fire and rescue sector to Government.
They are also required to have integrated risk management plans, which target resources to best protect their communities. Fire & Rescue Authorities have a statutory requirement to have mutual assistance arrangements in place to provide additional support in the event of a major incident occurring. This is augmented by Home Office supported national resilience capabilities.
Fire and rescue services have the resources they need to do their important work and will receive around £2.3 billion in 2019/20. Single purpose fire and rescue authorities will see an increase in core spending power of 2.3% in cash terms in 2019/20 and an overall increase of 0.3% from 2015/16 to 2019/20.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to increase ethnic diversity in the fire and rescue service.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Diversity in fire and rescue services is not an optional extra and Government has been active in driving reform in this vital area.
As well as publishing workforce diversity data, we have established a new inspection regime which is shining a light on local fire and rescue services. In August 2018 the Home Office launched a national campaign to highlight fire and rescue as a career for underrepresented groups, working with sector leaders who are ultimately responsible for recruitment.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence on awarding the Long Service and Good Conduct medal to firefighters working for the Ministry of Defence who are contracted to an external organisation; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Hurd
No discussions on this specific issue have taken place.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of health screening procedures to protect firefighters from carcinogen-related diseases.
Answered by Nick Hurd
It is the responsibility of individual fire and rescue authorities, as employers, to ensure that health screening and blood tests, suitable for the risks faced, are available to their firefighters.
There have been no discussions between the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the inclusion of effluents and carcinogens in public health checks after large-scale fires.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the ability of firefighter health screening to detect cancers at an early stage.
Answered by Nick Hurd
It is the responsibility of individual fire and rescue authorities, as employers, to ensure that health screening and blood tests, suitable for the risks faced, are available to their firefighters.
There have been no discussions between the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the inclusion of effluents and carcinogens in public health checks after large-scale fires.