HC Deb 07 January 2003 vol 397 cc113-4W
Mr. Paul Marsden

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2002,official Report, column 702W, if he will place in the Library e-mails containing information given by his officials to the Fire Service Employers since the beginning of 2002 regarding the pay dispute with the Fire Brigades Union. [86500]

Mr. Leslie

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is withholding this information under exemption 2 (internal Discussion and Advice) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information on the basis that the release would be prejudicial to ongoing negotiations.

Mr. Andrew Turner

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the timetable for the publication of the fire cover review pathfinder document. [88531]

Mr. Raynsford

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to my Hon. Friend, the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak, Lynne Jones, on 7 January 2003,official Report.

Tim Loughton

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to publish the pathfinder review of the fire service. [89319]

Mr. Raynsford

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak, (Lynn Jones), on 7 January 2003,official Report.

Mr. Carmichael

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the likely impact of a reduction in fire personnel during night hours on the number of(a) deaths and (b) injuries resulting from fire. [88254]

Mr. Raynsford

The final report of the Independent Review of the Fire Service puts forward a series of common sense reforms which will lead to a better service, to a safer service, and to a service which saves more lives. These include the recommendation that the service should move to a system of targeted (or risk based) fire cover, based on a careful, professional assessment of the real risk of incidents in the each local area.

Risk based fire cover is not about cutting fire stations or firefighters. Risk based fire cover is about making sure that local fire service resources-fire engines, fire stations and firefighters-are in the right place at the right time to respond to community fire needs.

The Government will produce a White Paper on the Fire service in the spring in order to fulfil our part of the programme of modernisation. The White Paper will set out in detail the legislative and other changes required to modernise the fire service.