Fire and Rescue Service (Hansard, 27 January 2004)

§ Mr. Jenkin
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister under what powers he would implement the regionalisation of the Fire Service in Essex without the consent of Essex County Council. [149698]

§ Miss Kirkbride
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister under what powers he would implement the regionalisation of the Fire Service in Hereford and Worcester without the consent of Herefordshire and Worcestershire county councils. [149838]

§ Mr. Raynsford
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Members for Buckingham, Taunton, North Thanet, North Wiltshire, Runnymede and Weybridge, South-East Cambridgeshire, Brentwood and Ongar, Poole and Spelt home on 22 January 2004,Official Report, column 1458W.

§ Miss Kirkbride
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what research he has assessed that indicates that the optimum structure for the Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service is one based on the existing Government Office West Midlands Region. [149834]

§ Mr. Jenkin
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what research relating to Essex he has commissioned to provide the evidential basis for his plans to regionalise the Fire Service; [149701]
305W
(2) what research he has assessed that indicates that the optimum structure for the Essex Fire and Rescue Service is one based on the existing Government Office East of England Region. [149694]

§ Michael Fabricant
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what research relating to Staffordshire he has commissioned to provide the evidential basis for his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service. [149849]

§ Mr. Raynsford
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Members for Buckingham, Taunton, North Thanet, North Wiltshire, Runnymede and Weybridge, South-East Cambridgeshire, Brentwood and Ongar, Poole and Spelthorne on 22 January 2004,Official Report, column 1453W.

§ Miss Kirkbride
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what estimate he has made of the change in the number of jobs in Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service that will be consequent on the proposed regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service; [149836]
(2) what change in the number of managerial jobs he expects to result from the regionalisation of the Fire Service in Herefordshire and Worcestershire. [149837]

§ Mr. Jenkin
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what estimate he has made of the change in the number of jobs in Essex Fire and Rescue Service that will be consequent on the proposed regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service; [149696]
(2) what change in the number of managerial jobs he expects to result from the regionalisation of the Fire Service in Essex. [149697]

§ Mr. Raynsford
I refer the hon. Members to the answer given to the hon. Members for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow), Taunton (Mr. Flook), North Thanet (Mr. Gale), North Wiltshire (Mr. Gray), Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond), South-East Cambridgeshire (Mr. Paice), Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles), Poole (Mr. Syms) and Spelthorne (Mr. Wilshire) on 22 January 2004,Official Report, column 1456W.

§ Mr. Mark Field
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the Greater London Authority on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service. [149891]

§ Mr. Raynsford
The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority already operates on a region wide basis.

§ Mr. Djanogly
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many retained firefighters were employed by the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service on 1 January. [149672]

§ Mr. Raynsford
Information provided by the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service shows that there were 384 retained firefighters employed by them on 15 January 2004 (including 19 volunteers).