§ Mr. MaplesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence further to his answer of 10 February 2003,Official Report, column 506, on the Defence Fire Service, who made the decision locally not to respond to requests for assistance outside the perimeter; whether this decision was made 298W (a)with the knowledge of and (b) on the instructions of a Government Minister; when the instruction was recognised as unnecessary; and whether the order was revoked (i) on the instructions of and (ii) with the knowledge of a Government Minister. [98938]
§ Mr. IngramThe decision that the fire appliances based at Kineton would not respond to requests for assistance outside the perimeter on days on which local fire brigades were taking industrial action was made by the Fire Station Commander, on the advice of the Commandant of the Depot, and an order to this effect was issued on 1 November 2002. An investigation into the circumstances at Kineton was carried out in early February and as a result the order was revoked on the authority of the Defence Fire Service (Army).
Neither the decision to issue the original order nor its revocation was made on the instructions of, or with the knowledge of, a Government Minister.