Anne Main's debate provokes Government statement on fire and rescue services

Anne Main has welcomed yesterday's statement by the Secretary of State for Environment and Rural Affairs, in response to the Pitt Review on flooding, but criticised their woolly words on a statutory need for fire services to respond to flooding incidents.

Anne Main, MP for St Albans, has welcomed yesterday's statement by the Secretary of State for Environment and Rural Affairs, in response to the Pitt Review on flooding, but criticised their woolly words on a statutory need for fire services to respond to flooding incidents.

Whilst the Pitt Review, published in June 2008 in response to the summer 2007 flooding, recommended a statutory obligation for fire services to respond to flooding, which many feel would bring extra resources to the services, the Government only undertook to 'consider' this matter in their response.

Anne said:

"I was pleased that my debate, and my recent Parliamentary Question on the subject, has provoked the Minister to make this statement. However, he could have gone much further in his commitment to our fire and rescue services.

I held my debate because our local fire services told me that more firemen were dying on duty and resources are being stretched without proper recognition of the work the services do. I made a commitment to them to raise their concerns, one of which was the Government's failure to implement the Pitt Review.

However, the statement that the Government will 'consider' whether there is a need for statutory obligation underpinning the role of our fire services on flooding is a woolly one. The Government has already had six months to 'consider' this recommendation and now they need to show a firm commitment on the matter. If the fire services are to be routinely expected to react to these incidents, they need to be properly funded and equipped to do so."

Link to Government response to the Pitt Review (December 2008)"