§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the saving to public funds as a result of the non-payment of wages to firemen during the recent strike; and what is his estimate of the sum to be paid by his Department to the Ministry of Defence for the fire-fighting service provided by the Armed Forces.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesThe reduction in local authority expenditure, arising from the non-payment of wages to firemen during the recent strike, will not be known until the outturn of fire authorities' expenditure for the year ending 31st March 1978 is received later in the year. As my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Ministry of Defence explained on 24th January in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Sowerby (Mr. Madden)—[Vol. 942, c. 1153–5]—it would be premature at this stage to try to give an estimate of the total extra cost incurred by the Ministry of Defence in providing assistance to fire authorities during the strike.