§ Mr. Michael Cocksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what factors are taken into consideration when the Home Office approves a short list for the appointment of a chief fire officer.
§ Mr. SharplesThe candidates' experience and qualifications for the post.
§ Mr. Michael Cocksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria he has laid down for the appointment of chief fire officers.
§ Mr. SharplesRegulation 1 of the Fire Services (Appointments and Promotion) Regulations, 1965, requires a fire authority, before appointing any person to be the chief officer of the brigade, to obtain my right hon. Friend's approval to the appointment of that person; and it is my right hon. Friend's practice to ask the fire authority to advertise the post nationally so that all suitable candidates may be considered by them.
§ Mr. Michael Cocksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deputy chief fire officers have been on short lists submitted to him since the war for appointment to chief fire officer in the same authority where they were serving as deputy chief fire officer.
§ Mr. SharplesSuch lists are submitted in confidence, which I think should be respected.
§ Mr. Michael Cocksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many chief fire officers appointed since the war have been deputy chief fire 265W officers in the same authority immediately prior to appointment as chief fire officer; and what proportion this represents of the total number of chief fire officer appointments since the war.
§ Mr. SharplesEighty-two, or 39.6 per cent. since 1948, when the fire service returned to local authority control.