HC Deb 14 December 1993 vol 234 c532W
Sir Ivan Lawrence

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which proposed combined lire authority Swansea will be included.

Mr. Charles Wardle

In the light of representations, I have received in response to proposals in the White Paper, "Local Government in Wales: A Charter for the Future", of advice received from the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council, and of advice received from Her Majesty's chief inspector of fire services, I have decided that it would be in the best interests of operational efficiency not to split the area of the existing West Glamorgan county fire brigade between different combined fire authorities. I propose, in drawing up combination schemes under the Fire Services Act 1947, to take effect when local government in Wales is reorganised, to include the proposed new unitary authorities of Swansea and of Neath and Port Talbot in the combined fire authority which will cover Mid and West Wales. The Mid and West Wales combined fire authority will include the following unitary authoritiesCardiganshire (Sir Abertefi); Carmarthenshire (Sir Gaerfyddin); Pembrokeshire (Sir Benfro); Mid Wales (Canolbarth Cymru); Swansea (Abertawe); and Neath and Port Talbot (Castellnedd a Phort Talbot).

The North Wales combined fire authority will include all those Welsh unitary authorities to the north of that group; and the South Wales combined fire authority will include all those to the south.