§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) how many available fire appliances are(a) less than one, (b) between one and three, (c) between three and five and (d) over five years old; and if he will make a statement; [20615]
(2) how many fire appliances have been in road accidents while on operational duty in (a) 1994, (b) 1995, (c) 1996, (d) 1997, (e) 1998, (f) 1999 and (g) 2000; and if he will make a statement; [20616]
(3) how many fire appliances are available in each (a) county and (b) London borough; [20612]
(4) how many of the total number of fire appliances are in active service. [20613]
§ Dr. WhiteheadThe number of fire appliances available in fire brigades in England and Wales at 31 March 2001 are shown in the following table. The pumps provide fire cover as required by the Fire Services Act 1947. Special appliances include hydraulic platforms, turntable ladders, foam tenders, emergency tenders, control units, hose laying lorries, chemical incident units and fire boats.
The cost of determining the age of each appliance would be disproportionate but a brigade would expect to replace appliances over 12 to 15 years.
450WIn 2000 there were 1,534 accidents involving appliances. It is not known how many of these were due to road accidents while on operational duty. Again the cost of determining this for 2000 and for earlier years would be disproportionate.
Number of front-line and reserve fire appliances in fire brigades in England and Wales at 31 March 2001 Pumps Front-line Specials Pumps Reserve Specials Avon 37 21 8 0 Bedfordshire and Luton 22 19 4 0 Buckinghamshire 31 12 4 0 Cambridgeshire 38 11 6 0 Cheshire 37 22 5 0 Cleveland 23 7 3 0 Cornwall 43 35 8 0 County Durham and Darlington 27 6 5 0 Cumbria 50 12 6 1 Derbyshire 44 13 6 0 Devon 81 20 9 1 Dorset 41 26 6 1 East Sussex 38 13 5 1 Essex 71 21 16 1 Gloucestershire 33 13 5 0 Greater Manchester 67 30 14 8 Hampshire 76 44 14 0 Hereford and Worcester 42 18 6 0 Hertfordshire 43 9 6 1 Humberside 50 13 9 0 Isle of Wight 16 9 3 0 Isles of Scilly 2 3 0 1 Kent 87 23 13 4 Lancashire 63 17 7 2 Leicestershire 33 17 4 0 Lincolnshire 48 11 4 0 London 170 43 43 15 Merseyside 42 13 10 0 Mid and West Wales 72 36 12 0 Norfolk 52 11 9 0 North Wales 54 31 9 1 North Yorkshire 45 18 5 2 Northamptonshire 28 9 4 0 Northumberland 23 0 3 0 Nottinghamshire 36 9 6 3 Oxfordshire 36 8 6 1 Royal Berkshire 24 10 6 1 Shropshire 33 15 3 1 Somerset 40 17 5 0 South Wales 64 57 12 3 South Yorkshire 32 8 6 1 Staffordshire 48 17 7 0 Suffolk 47 18 4 0 Surrey 36 19 9 0 Tyne and Wear 33 9 7 2 Warwickshire 26 8 4 1 West Midlands 62 13 14 6 West Sussex 46 28 6 0 West Yorkshire 66 14 10 3 Wiltshire 38 18 6 0 Total 2,296 874 382 61