§ 40. Mr. Gibsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give an assurance that the existing organisation of the fire services is adequate for dealing with fires caused by enemy air attack.
§ Mr. de FreitasEmergency fire fighting arrangements must provide for the establishment of large reserves of fire service appliances and men and women near areas likely to be heavily attacked. Discussions have taken place with the local authority associations, in England and Wales and in Scotland, as to how these fire fighting reserves can be organised and on the arrangements to be made for dealing with the serious fires that might be expected to follow a heavy enemy attack. It has been decided that, to organise these reserves satisfactorily and to ensure that best use is made of fire fighting resources in the conditions likely to follow an air attack, there is no satisfactory alternative to the unified and central control of a nationalised service. The plans for this purpose will be worked out in consultation with the local authority associations. I should add that this conclusion relates solely to an organisation for war and that, while no pledge can be given which would bind any future Government or Parliament, the view of the present Government is that, if it should become necessary to put the fire service under national control for any future emergency, it should revert to local government control when normal conditions are re-established.
§ Mr. GibsonWill the proposals which my hon. Friend has outlined involve legislation, and will the associations of 1213 local government authorities be accorded the closest possible consultation in the matter?
§ Mr. de FreitasThe answer is "Yes" to both parts of that supplementary question