§ Mr. Pattieasked the Secretary of State for Defence why the specialist RAF fire fighting units were not brought in to assist the Army from the first day of the firemen's strike.
§ Mr. MulleyFrom the beginning, units from all three Services have been involved. Fully trained RN and RAF firemen were deployed to Northern Ireland from the beginning of the strike. In the rest of the United Kingdom, such experts as could be released from their normal duty, by thinning out the fire cover at Service establishments and reducing the staff at Service fire fighting training establishments, were deployed to active fire fighting duties on 17th November, three days after the strike. Prior to this deployment RAF and RN expert firemen were engaged in the first priority of ensuring that sufficient Service men received basic training in fire fighting.