HC Deb 20 December 1994 vol 251 c1206W
Sir Irvine Patnick

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of firefighters serving(a) the city of Sheffield, (b) South Yorkshire, (c) Greater Manchester and (d) the west midlands; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Information on the number of firefighters in each fire authority is published annually in the reports of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire Services for England and Wales. The latest report, for 1993–94, column2679, contains on page 14 a table giving brigade establishments and strengths as at 1 January 1994. I understand from South Yorkshire fire and civil defence authority that on that date there were 471 regular firefighters and 62 retained firefighters based at fire stations in the city of Sheffield.