§ Mr. Leightonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Fire Services, during Her Majesty's Inspectorate's 1986 annual inspection of the London fire brigade in the current month, will be examining the operational implications for fire cover in east London of the loss of the hose-laying lorry appliance from F21 Stratford fire station on 1 April;
(2) if he will provide details as to the projected attendance time of a hose-laying lorry appliance mobilised by the London fire brigade to an incident in Newham, North-East constituency (a) prior to the loss of the hose-laying lorry appliance from F21 Stratford fire station and (b) after the implementation of that loss;
(3) if he will publish the evidence presented to him in connection with the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority's proposal to reduce establishment by the loss of the hose-laying lorry from F21 Stratford;
(4) if he or the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority consulted Essex county council over the proposed loss of the hose-laying lorry from F21 Stratford;
(5) if he will make it his policy not to accept any further proposals from the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority for reductions in establishment of the London fire brigade in 1987–88 and 1988–89;
(6) what allowance he made for potential traffic congestion in east London in accepting the proposal of the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority to reduce establishment by the loss of the hose-laying lorry at F21 Stratford.
§ Mr. Giles ShawThe deployment of appliances to maintain appropriate standards of fire cover is in the first instance a matter for the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority. My right hon. Friend has approved and remains satisfied with the arrangements for 1986–87. Her Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate was involved in the recent review of all special appliances undertaken by the London Fire Brigade which resulted in the withdrawal of a hose laying lorry from F21 Stratford fire station, and it will not be specifically re-examining this point during the present inspection. The London Fire and Civil Defence Authority did not, and was not required to, consult neighbouring fire authorities about its proposals for the deployment of special appliances.
We will consider arrangements for 1987–88 and 1988–89 at the right times in the light of the authority's proposals.