Eich Cyf/Your Ref:
Fy Nghyf/My Ref: JM/AEP |
Gofynner am/Please ask for:
Mrs J Morris
Est/Ext: 4460
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14 April 2003
Carys Evans
Secretary to the Commission on the Powers
and Electoral Arrangements of the National Assembly
for Wales
Caradog House
1-6 St Andrews Place
Cardiff
CF10 3BE
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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. |
| 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.
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| 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. |
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Yours sincerely
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A T Howells
Clerk to the Mid and West Wales
Fire Authority |
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