§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the total transition cost for the new Welsh fire services; and what are the expected figures for the total cost of new services in each of the next five years expressed(a) in real terms and (b) as a percentage of the cost of the services they replaced. [11065]
§ Mr. Sackville[holding answer 22 January 1996]: The position will depend on key decisions yet to be made by the authorities concerned. The three new combined fire authorities were established in shadow form on 11 December. They are engaged in the planning and preparation for taking over their full function from 1 April. The scale of the transitional costs will depend largely on the approach which the new authorities, once fully constituted, take on the pace and degree of the changes required to amalgamate the existing brigades into the new structure. Supplementary credit approvals of up to £2.7 million have been provisionally set aside for this purpose in 1996–97.