§ Mr. O'HaraTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what penalties are incurred by a fire and civil defence authority which exceeds its capping limit in the necessary pursuit of its statutory responsibilities;
(2) what action he intends to take to ensure that the Merseyside Fire and Civil Defence Authority is financially able to fulfil its statutory duties;
(3) what was (a) the budgetary requirement and (b) the provisional standard spending assessment for 1994–95 of the Merseyside Fire and Civil Defence Authority; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Charles WardleMerseyside Fire and Civil Defence Authority's budgetary requirement for 1994–95 is a matter for the authority. Its standard spending assessment for next year is £46.116 million. It is for the authority to set its budget taking account of all appropriate considerations806W including its statutory duties. Under the provisional capping criteria announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment on 2 December, Merseyside Fire and Civil Defence Authority would be able to increase its budget by 1¼ per cent. Any major precepting authority which is required to set a substitute budget as a result of capping may be liable for any administrative expenses incurred by a billing authority as a consequence of that substitute budget.
§ Mr. O'HaraTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when the report of the inspection by Her Majesty's inspector of fire services of the Merseyside Fire and Civil Defence Authority which took place on 5 July 1993 was published; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will make a statement on the value of annual inspections carried out by Her Majesty's inspectorate of fire services when its findings can be reversed by another inspection team within a period of five months;
(3) in what circumstances the findings of an annual inspection by Her Majesty's inspectorate of fire services in respect of a particular authority may be reversed, following inspection by another team in the period before the next annual inspection; and if he will make a statement;
(4) what representations he has received about the inspection carried out by Her Majesty's inspectorate of fire services which reversed within five months his professional assessment of the establishment requirements of the Merseyside Fire and Civil Defence Authority; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Charles WardleThe report of the special inspection of the Merseyside fire brigade which took place during the week commencing 5 July 1993 was published on 11 January. My right hon. and learned Friend does not accept that the report reverses the findings of Her Majesty's inspector of fire services' 1993 annual inspection of the Merseyside fire brigade. Annual inspections of fire brigades serve the purpose of reporting to my right hon. and learned Friend and informing the fire authority on how effectively the brigade concerned is carrying out its statutory functions.
The 1993 annual inspection of the Merseyside fire brigade identified a number of concerns about the way in which the brigade was carrying out its functions, and about its financial position. The special inspection was carried out in the light of those concerns, and of the concerns of the Merseyside fire and civil defence authority itself about the brigade's financial position in the 1993–94 financial year. The special inspection was carried out by a team led by the inspector who had conducted the 1993 annual inspection. The detailed findings of the special inspection reflect the fact that the enlarged inspection team, which included independent financial and accountancy consultants, was able to examine the brigade's organisation and effectiveness in considerably greater detail than is possible in annual inspections of fire brigades. My right hon. and learned Friend has received correspondence from a number of hon. Members about the special inspection.