HC Deb 19 February 1998 vol 306 cc782-3W
Mrs. Gorman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the percentage of fire service call outs which were due to road traffic accidents in each of the last five years. [29548]

Mr. George Howarth

The readily available information is given in the table.

Road traffic and total incidents attended by local authority fire brigades, 1992–96 United Kingdom
Thousands1
Type of incident 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 4
Fires2 425.8 451.5 479.5 604.1 532.5
Fire false alarms 448.5 455.8 488.3 506.8 490.4
Special service incidents3 159.1 164.7 172.1 199.1 195.6
Total 1,033.5 1,072.0 1,139.8 1,310.1 1,218.5
of which:
Fires resulting from accidental vehicle crashes or collisions2 1.2 1.0 1.1 1.0 1.0
Road traffic accidents (no fire)3 31.5 31.5 31.4 34.4 34.9
Total 32.7 32.6 32.5 35.4 35.9
Percentage 3% 3% 3% 3% 3%
1 Figures are rounded and the components do not necessarily sum to the independently rounded totals.
2 From 1994 includes "late" call and heat and smoke only incidents.
3 Special service incidents (for example road traffic accidents and incidents of flooding or spilling of toxic substances) are counted for calendar years up to and including 1992 (England and Wales), 1993 (Scotland) and 1996 (Northern Ireland) and for financial years subsequently.
4 Provisional.