HC Deb 28 October 2002 vol 391 cc522-5W
Dr. Cable

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what action he plans to take to deploy additional fire prevention and emergency resources in Twickenham on dates for events to be held at the rugby stadium in the event of industrial action by the Fire Brigades Union; and if he will make a statement. [76927]

Mr. Raynsford

Places of work and entertainment are already subject to a range of duties under fire safety and health and safety legislation. The owner or operator of a building or other type of site is responsible for safety on site and emergency evacuation arrangements. Organisers of public sporting events should therefore check their preparedness and review their contingency arrangements accordingly, in consultation with the local Chief Fire Officer as appropriate. The command and operational structure for emergency fire cover has been designed to enable maximum flexibility and use of available resources, and deployment of resources will be kept under continual review.

Dr. Cable

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what action he plans to take to deploy additional military resources to(a) Greater London and (b) Inner London in the event of industrial action by the Fire Brigades Union; and if he will make a statement. [76928]

Mr. Raynsford

Emergency cover in the Greater London region will consist of a number of elements including 90 Green Goddesses, 20 breathing apparatus teams, a rescue team equipped with specialist equipment and the police. These will be deployed in four sectors, so a breakdown across Inner London is not practicable. The provision of MoD emergencyfire cover has been planned in consultation with the Chief Fire Officer to maximisethe effectiveness of call-outs and the availability of a range of firefighting capabilities.

Mr. Laws

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to make available the existing stock of Fire Service fire fighting vehicles and appliances to members of the armed forces in the event of a strike by firefighters; and if he will make a statement. [76999]

Mr. Raynsford

We have no immediate plans to seek to use the existing stock of local fire authority owned or leased fire fighting vehicles and appliances in the event of a strike by firefighters as this would pose serious logistical and training problems. The position will be kept under review. The safety of the public in the event of a strike will remain the government's overriding objective.

Mr. Laws

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to(a) restrict the marketing and use of fireworks during strikes by firefighters and (b) introduce special measures for areas with a high proportion of thatched properties; and if he will make a statement. [77000]

Mr. Raynsford

We have no plans to restrict the marketing and use of fireworks during any strike by the firefighters, and no plans to introduce special measures for areas with significant numbers of thatched cottages. I have publicly said that people would be better advised to attend organised public firework displays than use them at home. Guidance has been issued to organisers of public displays. We are pleased that the Fire Brigades Union has now agreed and suspended its proposed strike action in this period leading up to Bonfire night.

Mr. Laws

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his estimate is of the number of fire fighting emergency vehicles which will be available in Somerset in the event of a firefighters strike; how many are available in a non-strike situation; and if he will make a statement. [77002]

Mr. Leslie

Emergency cover in Somerset, as for the rest of the country, will consist of a number of elements including Green Goddesses, breathing apparatus teams, rescue teams equipped with specialist equipment and the police. The Somerset Fire Brigade has 40 pumps and 15 special appliances. The provision of MoD emergency fire cover has been planned in consultation with the Chief Fire Officer to maximise the effectiveness of call-outs and the availability of a range of firefighting capabilities. The command and operational structure for emergency fire cover has been designed to enable maximum flexibility and use of available resources, whether from within a county or from assets deployed nearby in neighbouring counties.

Michael Fabricant

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many green goddess tire engines will be allocated to(a) Staffordshire and (b) the Lichfield Tamworth district during industrial action taken by the FBU. [77135]

Mr. Raynsford

In the event of a firefighters' strike, emergency cover in Staffordshire, as in the rest of the country, will consist of a number of elements, including Green Goddesses, breathing apparatus teams, rescue teams equipped with specialist equipment and the police. The provision of MoD emergency fire cover has been planned in consultation with the Chief Fire Officer to maximise the effectiveness of call-outs and the availability of a range of firefighting capabilities. The command and operational structure for emergency fire cover has been designed to enable maximum flexibility and use of available resources, whether from within a county or from assets deployed nearby in neighbouring counties.

Michael Fabricant

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will issue mobile radio communications equipment to crews operating Green Goddess fire engines to communicate with emergency control centres. [77136]

Mr. Raynsford

Mobile telecommunications have been procured for use by the crews of the Green Goddesses in the event of a firefighters' strike, to facilitate communication with control centres.

Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average length is of firefighting training given to members of the armed services covering for the striking firefighters; whether all service personnel carrying out firefighting duties have been issued with protective clothing; under which health and safety guidelines the armed service personnel will be operating; what personal liability the members of the armed forces will have whilst attempting to rescue or help people in their firefighting role; and what life insurance he provides to armed service personnel carrying out firefighting duties. [77262]

Mr. Raynsford

Personnel have been trained and equipped to provide basic emergency fire and rescue cover. The level of training is dependent on the skills already held by personnel and the role that they would perform in the event of a strike. Drivers and basic crew only require a short training package because of the simple nature of the equipment. Fire Rescue Teams fulfil a more difficult role, which utilises technical equipment in dangerous situations. Some Fire Rescue Teams are already trained and experienced in the use of breathing apparatus and other specialist equipment but additional personnel have also been trained in these techniques. Other support training as well as driver training includes first aid training and specialist equipment maintenance training.

Basic training for fire rescue team personnel lasts up to five weeks, depending on skill levels and role, plus any other necessary follow on training. All military personnel carrying out firefighting duties are being issued with protective kit. While providing the emergency cover, military personnel would follow standard health and safety guidelines, and members of the Armed Forces would not be subject to personal liability. Normal insurance cover and support would be provided to all members of the Armed Forces, as they would be for any other operational duty.

Mr. Simon Thomas

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) if he will list by constituency in Wales the number of Green Goddesses that will be available in each in the event of a Fire Brigade strike; [77437]

(2) if he will list by constituency in Wales the number of (a) specialist breathing apparatus rescue teams and (b) rescue equipment support teams that will be available in each in the event of a Fire Brigade strike. [77436]

Mr. Leslie

Emergency cover in Wales, as elsewhere, will consist of a number of elements including Green Goddess crews, breathing apparatus rescue teams (BARTs), regional equipment rescue teams (RESTs) equipped with specialist equipment and the police. The provision of MOD emergency fire cover has been planned in consultation with the Chief Fire Officer to maximise call-out response times and the availability of a range of firefighting capabilities.

The command and operational structure for emergency fire cover has been designed to enable maximum flexibility and use of available resources, whether from within a county or from assets deployed nearby in neighbouring counties. The deployment of fire fighters will be based on the assessment of how best to respond to an emergency in the quickest time possible.

Mr. Evans

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what preparations he has made to ensure the safety and continuity of service to the public in the event of a firefighters' strike. [77670]

Mr. Raynsford

As the Deputy Prime Minister set out in his statement to the House on 22 October, the Government have put a range of measures in place to secure public safety in the event of industrial action by the FBU. Our focus has been on taking what steps we can to safeguard life and, as far as possible, to protect property where the normal fire cover is not available. Detailed planning began in August and training started on 28 August. The plans are based on support from the armed services, and the acceptance by the police of additional responsibilities during an industrial action.

There are three main elements to the plans. First, on the assumption that the fire control centres will not be operating during the strike, arrangements are being made for fire service 999 calls to be redirected. Every call will be answered. Secondly, emergency cover will be provided by a range of appliances staffed by crews from the Army, RAF and Navy. Nationwide, there will be 827 Green Goddesses, which will be able to provide a basic firefighting capability. There will also be 331 specialist breathing apparatus rescue teams and 59 regional equipment support teams that will offer specialist skills.

Thirdly, the Government has made available basic safety guidance and information to the public and to business. That is being supplemented by a range of other measures such as a public information campaign on radio and television, a mail drop to some 4 million households and a letter to the 15,000 largest businesses giving specific advice on fire safety and general health and safety issues. In the event of a strike by the FBU, the military and police, assisted by those firefighters and fire officers who choose to continue to work, will be in a position to provide a basic emergency service. We have always emphasised that the military cannot seek to replicate the cover provided by the Fire Service. With that in mind, the government has been working with industry and other players to introduce a range of measures to mitigate the effects of a FBU strike.