§ Baroness Hanhamasked Her Majesty's Government:
Following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, what additional responsibilities were placed on fire authorities; what progress fire authorities have made in taking on these responsibilities; and whether they have received additional funding to support them. [H16142]
§ The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker):Under a memorandum of understanding between the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions and the Department of Health in January 2002, each fire authority was asked to draw up a local agreement with the health service organisations for their area covering areas of mutual interest. This included the 131WA circumstances which would lead to the delegation of operations from the local ambulance service to the fire service where mass decontamination is required.
To take the above work forward, fire authorities have been involved in the establishment of regional planning teams in England and Wales, the specification and order of equipment and the development of training.
Her Majesty's Government have agreed that £43 million should be provided for mass decontamination equipment, including personal protective equipment for firefighters, in addition to £13 million for revenue costs. In July the Deputy Prime Minister laid a minute before Parliament providing an indemnity, above the limits of public liability covered by normal commercial insurance, to fire authorities engaged in providing a mass decontamination facility.
Mortgage costs as a percentage of gross household income: households with a mortgage in Great Britain percent 1995–96 1996–97 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 North East 8 8 9 8 8 North West and Merseyside 8 7 8 8 8 Yorks and Humberside 8 7 8 8 7 East Midlands 8 7 8 7 8 West Midlands 8 8 8 8 9 Eastern 9 8 10 8 8 London 10 9 10 10 9 South East 10 9 10 9 10 South West 9 9 9 8 9 England 9 8 9 8 9 Wales 7 6 7 6 7 Scotland 9 8 8 8 8 Great Britain 9 8 9 8 8 Source: Family Resources Survey, Department for Work and Pensions.
1 Total mortgage costs of owner occupiers consists of mortgage payments, endowment policies, structural insurance and service payments.
2 Total household income consists of gross income from all sources before deduction of income tax and national insurance.