Firemen

HC Deb 06 December 1977 vol 940 cc614-6W

Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will allow firemen who wish to do so to resign their position and to go on to their earned pension rights in the same manner as a retiring policeman.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

The police and firemen's pensions schemes are similar in that they provide for a pension after 25 years' service, and for maximum pension after 30 years. The firemen's scheme provides that the pension cannot be put into payment until age 50 although some firemen have reserved rights to retire with a pension in payment after 25 years' service whatever their age. All policemen currently retiring after 25 years' service enjoy such reserved rights. This is because they joined before 1961 when a change was made in the Police Pensions Scheme to provide that a pension should not be put into payment until age 50 or on completion of 30 years' service. There are no plans to change the schemes to put everybody in the position of those who now hold reserved rights.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what amount the pay of firemen falls short of the national average wage.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

The current weekly rates of pay of whole-time firemen were given in my Answer to a Question on 16th June 1977 by my hon. Friend the Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Lewis).—[Vol. 933, col.225] Information about the national average wage is not available. Information about average weekly earnings is given in the New Earnings Survey carried out by the Department of Employment. Subject to what I said in the Answer which I gave on 1st December to a Question by the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Penhaligon)—[Vol. 940, c. 317]—about the basis on which average weekly earnings estimates are compiled, in April 1977 the average weekly earnings of firemen reported as being affected by NJC agreements were £69.80 and those of all occupations in all industries and services was £78.60, a difference of £8.80.

Mr. John Page

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate what percentage of a fireman's time, excluding false alarms, is spent in dealing with incidents which are not fires.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

I regret that the information needed to provide the estimate requested is not available.

Mr. John Page

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents per annum over the last 10 years excluding false alarms have been attended by the Fire Service which are not fires; and whether attendance at such incidents is a statutory obligation or are at the discretion of the local fire authority.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

In the last 10 years the number of special service calls, that is calls other than fire calls and false alarms, to which brigades responded, was as follows:

1967	49,479
1968	60,481
1969	51,690
1970	54,150
1971	53,030
1972	61,588
1973	71,586
1974	65,764
1975	60,000 (estimated)
1976	81,500 (estimated)

Fire authorities have an obligation under section 1 of the Fire Services Act 1947 to make provisions for fire-fighting purposes, which is defined as the extinction of fires and the protection of life and property in case of fire. They have discretion under Section 3(1)(e) of the Act to employ the fire brigade maintained by them and its equipment for purposes other than fire-fighting purposes for which it appears to the authority to be suitable, and may make arrangements under this section to respond to special service calls.