Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, on how many occasions he has used his powers of intervention under section 22 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 since May 2010; and for what reasons he used those powers on each such occasion.

These intervention powers have not been used under this Government or the last Administration, as they have not been needed.

However, as I made clear in my Written Ministerial Statement of 15 December 2014, Official Report, Column 68WS, these are powers that could be used if the Secretary of State considers a fire and rescue authority is failing, or is likely to fail, to act in accordance with the Fire and Rescue National Framework for England.