RESPONSE BY MID AND WEST WALES FIRE AUTHORITY |
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| Eich Cyf/Your Ref: Fy Nghyf/My Ref: JM/AEP |
Gofynner am/Please ask for: |
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14 April 2003 Carys Evans |
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Dear Ms Evans |
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| At the meeting of
the Mid and West Wales Fire Authority on Monday, 10th February 2003,
Members considered the document "The Powers of the National
Assembly for Wales : issues and questions for consultation"
and resolved to forward the following response to the
Commission which focuses on the relationship between the Fire Authority and the National Assembly for Wales. |
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| Members of the Authority have in the past debated the key issue of whether policy responsibility for fire matters should transfer to the Assembly, a matter that has also been referred to in the text of the recent Report of the Independent Review of the Fire Service by Professor Sir George Bain. You will be aware that responsibility for the Fire Service was held within the Home Office up until 2001 when responsibility was transferred to the Department of Trade, Local Government and the Regions for a brief period prior to being transferred again to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister where responsibility has, to date, remained. | |
| The Authority’s response may be divided into two parts, the first dealing with policy and then secondly finance. | |
| Policy. | |
| The Authority would very much wish to comment on the effective relationship that has been developed with the National Assembly. Particular mention must be made of the considerable enthusiasm and tangible support given by the Minister for Finance, Local Government and Communities and officers of the Assembly to community focussed risk reduction initiatives such as "Wired for Safety" and "Up in Flames". This has placed the service in Wales at the forefront of proactively campaigning for sprinklers in vulnerable buildings and tangibly supports a range of fire safety measures in domestic, commercial and public buildings | |
| The establishment of the Wales Community Fire Safety Trust is another example of how the Assembly has demonstrated, and financially supported, an important Wales initiative, which will be instrumental in assisting the three fire authorities with the implementation of their community fire safety strategies. Furthermore the Local Government and Housing Committee has received a presentation on the work undertaken by the Fire Service in Wales as part of its policy review of Community Regeneration. | |
| Mid and West Wales Fire Authority has previously expressed a cautious interest in the transfer of policy responsibility for fire to the National Assembly but has been unable to take or recommend any decision on the issue of the transfer of responsibility until the full implications were made available for consideration. Members feel that perhaps now would be an opportune time to engage in a formal debate, involving all stakeholders in Wales and elsewhere, and in particular the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, on the relative merits and demerits of transferring policy responsibility for the Fire Service in Wales to the National Assembly Government. Such a debate, if conducted in an open and transparent way, would allow the Fire Authority, in association with the other two Fire Authorities in Wales, to consider the continuing validity of its current policy stance in this important area. A discussion on the future roles and responsibility of the Assembly Government provides a useful framework for conducting this debate. | |
| Finance | |
| It is evident that the current funding mechanisms for the Fire Service in Wales can result in some ambiguity for the Fire Authority. Basic Credit Approvals, and other capital financing items, including of course PFI credits, are determined and allocated to each of the three Fire Authorities in Wales by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, whilst responsibility for distributing the allocations lies with the National Assembly. Similarly, the spending assessments for fire authorities is subsumed into the unhypothecated revenue grant settlement for local authorities. This presents real difficulties at National Assembly, and Local Authority levels, in ensuring that particular pressures facing fire authorities, which may be recognised within the overall spending allocations made by central government, are reflected in the budget provisions for individual fire authorities in Wales. | |
| The other matter relating to funding that has recently been considered by Members is the question of changing the funding model for combined fire authorities from levying to precepting. The Authority has again considered this previously, and has concluded that whilst the argument is finely balanced, the case for change is not yet absolutely compelling, although it is noted that the Government proposes that English Combined Fire Authorities will become precepting bodies in the fairly near future. | |
| The Assembly itself, in response to this proposal by Government last year, sought a position where it would reserve the power to decide whether this was appropriate in the Wales context. At that time, the Assembly saw no case for an immediate change, and was supportive of the position adopted by this Fire Authority in maintaining the current funding model. The ability of the National Assembly Government to maintain the current funding status of fire authorities may of course depend upon whether it secures policy responsibility for the service. | |
| This remains the most fundamental issue and is something that must be resolved, one way or another, if we are to remove the current ambiguities. | |
| Conclusion | |
| In conclusion therefore the Authority would therefore wish to reiterate its previously declared policy position in expressing "cautious interest" in the transfer of policy responsibility to the National Assembly and would wish to endorse all work that has been undertaken in partnership with the Assembly on initiatives to reduce the incidence of death, fire related injuries and the protection of properties in Wales. | |
| It is right to seize the opportunity offered by a review of the Assembly’s functions to conduct a wide ranging debate on the question of where policy responsibility should lie, taking into account the views of all stakeholders, and also any potential implications that might emerge from a settlement of the current pay dispute. | |
| I trust that the above comments will be useful as the Commission gathers evidence for its final report. Should you however wish to receive any further information or clarification on any of the above matters then please do not hesitate to contact me. | |
| Yours sincerely |
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| A T Howells Clerk to the Mid and West Wales Fire Authority |
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