TORY-LIB DEM GOVERNMENT FIRE CUTS WILL PUT LIVES AT RISK

The public and firefighters are being put at risk as a result of irresponsible cuts being forced on fire authorities across England.

I wrote to the Fire Minister, Brandon Lewis, before the Government announced its latest funding plans for the fire and rescue service. I asked him to spare it from further punitive cuts, but my exhortations fell on deaf ears and the next wave of reckless cuts were announced on 19th December.

Almost 5,000 firefighters have either already been laid off or will be over the next two years in addition to more than 1,000 key support staff. Scores of fire stations and dozens of appliances will also be lost across England.

Only last month we saw what an important role the fire and rescue services play in dealing with flooding across the country. But this is not a statutory function and the latest cuts will make it increasingly difficult for them to respond future flooding episodes. Fire chiefs are warning that they simply will not be able to cope if the planned cuts go ahead on top of those they have already had to absorb. In other words this Government is putting lives in jeopardy.

By contrast, under Labour, the number of people killed in fires fell by 30 per cent between 2000 and 2010. The number of fire casualties also dropped by a massive 40 per cent during the same period. The Metropolitan fire authorities – that are set to absorb 62 per cent of the cuts between them – have warned Ministers that the progress made in the last decade is likely to be reversed under the Tory-Lib Dem Government.

The public have a right to expect protection from properly resourced emergency services. The Government should urgently change course.