§ Lieut.-Colonel Moore-Brabazonasked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the fact that it is proposed to appoint a fire brigade authorities council to consist of 34 members, 16 to be drawn from the Association of Municipal Corporations, 10 from the Urban District Councils Association, and eight from the Rural District Councils Association, to consider and report on fire brigade matters referred to it, and of the highly technical nature of many fire brigade matters, he will consider the advisability of widening the personnel of the projected council so as to permit of adequate representation from fire-fighting technicians, nominated by such bodies as the Greater London Professional Fire Officers' Board and the Institution of Fire Engineers, in order that the deliberations of the projected council shall have the advantage of expert advice from those with actual fire-fighting experience?
§ Sir S. HoareThe formation of a fire brigade authorities' council on the lines mentioned by my hon. and gallant Friend was suggested to the Home Office by certain representatives of local authorities, but I do not anticipate that the proposal will be given effect in that form. It would undoubtedly be desirable to have some representative body available for consultative purposes on matters affecting the Fire Service as a whole, and I hope to make provision for that purpose in the forthcoming Fire Brigades Bill. I have not yet reached a decision as to the appropriate constitution for such a body, but I agree that provision should be made for associating with it representative Chief Officers of Fire Brigades.