§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many protective suits for use in mass decontamination have been provided for the Tyne and Wear Fire Brigade; and what proportion of the Brigade can be supplied with such suits. [103836]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe extra 4,000 gas tight suits being purchased under the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's £56 million New Dimension programme will be deployed flexibly, on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of risk, to meet the needs of all fire authorities including those of Tyne and Wear. This represents a doubling of existing capacity.
§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what finance has been set aside for the funding of new special purpose vehicles for use in mass decontamination; and how many such vehicles, and at what cost(a) have been ordered and (b) are in the hands of fire authorities. [103838]
990W
Essex county council £ million Central Government Redistributed business rates Police grant Capital grants Specific grants inside AEF Total 1997–98 306.8 — 3.2 331.0 340.9 1998–99(c) 260.9 — 4.6 36.0 301.6 1999–2000 284.5 — 6.4 49.3 340.1 2000–01 323.5 — 122.9 79.3 415.8 2001–02 318.4 — 23.4 51.1 392.8 2002–03 349.6 — 25.9 110.7 486.2 Note:
Figures are not necessarily comparable between years due to changes in function and responsibility. The main changes are listed:
(a) Between 1990–91 and 1992–93, all redistributed non-domestic rates for shire areas were paid direct to the collection funds of district councils:
(b) Responsibility for policing transferred from Essex county council to Essex Police Authority on 1 April 1995.
(c) The area covered by Essex county council decreased on 1 April 1998 when Southend and Thurrock became unitary authorities.
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has made available, from its own and Treasury funds, £56 million under the New Dimension programme to finance the purchase of 80 new vehicles and 190 purpose built decontamination units. They will be deployed flexibly, on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of risk, to meet the needs of all fire authorities. Delivery of the equipment for training purposes will take place in the next few weeks.
§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many new special purpose vehicles for mass decontamination are(a) planned for and (b) in the hands of Tyne and Wear Fire Brigade. [103837]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's New Dimension programme will provide 80 special purpose vehicles for carrying mass decontamination equipment. They will be deployed flexibly, on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of risk, 991W to meet the needs of all fire authorities including those of Tyne and Wear. Delivery of equipment for training purposes will take place in the next few weeks.