Clause 10 - Directions relating to particular
Fire and Rescue Services Bill
4:15 pm
Mr Nick Raynsford (Minister of State (Local and Regional Government), Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; Greenwich and Woolwich, Labour)
The hon. Gentleman is always quick to jump up and ask questions before I have even been able to explain how we intend to use particular powers. If he can restrain himself for a moment, I hope to reassure him.
We are talking about major incidents, when the normal Cabinet Office briefing room procedures for dealing with serious incidents would inevitably be implemented. Ministerial responsibility would rest with the appropriate Secretary of State, while operational responsibility would rest with the relevant senior officers in the relevant services. That could be the area's chief police officer or, if it was simply a fire incident, a senior fire officer. It is important to recognise that the Secretary of State would have a potential and significant role and would want to make a statement to the House—I hope that
the hon. Gentleman is listening, because my words are chosen carefully—before exercising the powers in the Bill.
Those are the circumstances in which we envisage direction being used to deal with extreme emergencies, and I hope that the hon. Gentleman recognises that the powers will, we hope, be used only very occasionally, if ever. However, it would be irresponsible to fail to make provision for the kind of extreme emergency that we have, sadly, seen across the Atlantic in the past two and a half years and which may occur here. That is why we are making prudent and appropriate provision, although it will be used only in extreme circumstances. With that assurance, I hope that the hon. Gentleman will be content for the clause to stand part of the Bill.
Question put and agreed to.
Clause 10 ordered to stand part of the Bill.