§ Mr. AustinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the additional demands upon fire services arising from the millennium celebrations in Greenwich; what additional resources have been made available to the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority; and if he will make a statement. [79288]
§ Mr. George HowarthI refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) on 19 January 1999,Official Report, column 410. It is for the fire and civil defence authority to set a budget which will enable it to discharge its statutory responsibilities. Her Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate 539W are currently undertaking an independent assessment of the preparedness for the Millennium of all fire brigades in England and Wales. This includes the plans that brigades are making to deal with foreseeable increases in demands, major public events and any problems that may arise affecting essential agencies and utilities.