Fire service review
Sir Ken Knight’s review of the fire and rescue service in England is to be discussed by the House of Commons communities and local government select committee. It is expected that Knight will give evidence to the committee later this month.
Knight’s terms of reference for the review were “to review the ways in which fire and rescue authorities may deliver further efficiencies and operational improvements without reducing the quality of front-line services to the public [and to] examine options for savings both within and beyond the current Spending Review period”.
In his review, Knight, who recently retired as the government’s chief fire and rescue adviser, claimed that “huge variations” exist between how the 46 different fire authorities operate, with the cost per head of providing a service almost double in some areas to that of others.
The report said that if those authorities spending above the average found ways to reduce their spending to the national average, then the money saved or reinvested could amount to nearly £200 million a year.
The unions see Knight’s review as merely an excuse for unacceptable cuts. Matt Wrack, general secretary of the FBU fire brigades’ union, said the review was “just a fig leaf for slashing our fire and rescue service to bits”.
The service has already been hit by fire station closures and, last year alone, a further 1,200 firefighters’ jobs were cut. “All these cuts mean a poorer service for the public,” said Wrack.