Communities and Local Government CommitteeWritten evidence from Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Services (FR 07)

Firstly, I would state that we in Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service welcome the report and recognise the issues it raises. I am reminded that the function of the committee is to monitor the policy, administration and spending of the DCLG. Sir Ken raises the matter of the wide range of funding levels between Fire Authorities. I would therefore be interested to learn more of why the department feels it is worth maintaining the wide variance in “gearing”, which means that some Fire Authorities are two thirds funded by government grant whilst others are funded conversely to around one third by government grant.

I agree that mergers of Fire and Rescue Services will be required so as to deliver better and better value services to citizens. In the absence of some further incentivisation from Government (even accounting for the fund creation in the chancellors statement), it seems unlikely that councillors who serve on Fire Authorities will be willing to vote for such mergers.

Sir Ken calls for reform of the National Joint Council arrangements. I would advocate their abolition. Fire Authorities need to be free to negotiate with their own employees and to set terms and conditions locally. Such a step would greatly reduce the possibilities of national industrial action whilst also lowering the onerous administrative costs which are met by Fire Authorities when they are forced into the NJC arbitration processes. These bodies appear as anachronisms and, despite many years of aspersions as to their efficacy, no-one has grasped the nettle regarding their continued existence. Risk and demand has changed over the years, which was highlighted in the report, however the national terms and conditions for fire fighters have not, creating a barrier to ensuring that appropriate resources are matched to the local risk and demand profile.

As things stand, Fire Authorities cannot apply their enhanced redundancy policies to fire-fighters and this creates an anomaly. The government need to amend the pension regulations to allow fire-fighters to be treated as any other staff member in this regard.

June 2013