HC Deb 20 February 1992 vol 204 cc267-8W
Mr. Sheerman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the total cost of the fire service in(a) England and Wales and (b) in the United Kingdom in 1979 and in the last year for which records are available;

(2) how many fire appliances were in service in (a) England and Wales fire brigades and (b) the United Kingdom fire brigades in 1979 and the most recent year for which figures are available;

(3) how many fire-fighting personnel were in post in fire brigades in (a) England and Wales and (b) the United Kingdom in 1979 and in the last year for which records are available.

Mr. John Patten

The information requested in relation to England and Wales is given in the table. Similar questions relating to the fire service in other parts of the United Kingdom are the responsibility of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Northern Ireland.

1979 1991
Total cost1 2355 31,164
(£ million)4 825 1,164
Number of firefighters5 48,648 51,300
Number of fire appliances6 3,572 3,462
1 Includes local authority current and capital expenditure.
2 1979–80 outturn.
3 1991–92 estimated outturn.
4 Expressed in real terms at 1991–92 prices using GDP deflator.
5 Wholetime and part-time (retained) firefighters and control room staff.
6 Pumping and special appliances.

Mr. Sheerman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special service calls the fire brigades of (a) England and Wales and (b) the United Kingdom responded to in 1979 and the most recent year for which records exist.

Mr. John Patten

Fire brigades attended 85,568 special service incidents during 1979 and 190,787 during 1990 in England and Wales. Figures for the United Kingdom are 90,508 and 198,868 respectively.

Mr. Sheerman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to how many call-outs to fires the fire services in England and Wales responded in(a) 1979 and (b) the most recent year for which records exist.

Mr. John Patten

Fire brigades attended 304,582 fires during 1979 and 400,904 during 1990 in England and Wales.