Clause 9 - Emergencies
Fire and Rescue Services Bill
3:30 pm
Mr Nick Raynsford (Minister of State (Local and Regional Government), Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; Greenwich and Woolwich, Labour)
I am not sure that amendment No. 31 recognises how the clause will be used. I understand that it was tabled before the hon. Gentleman saw the draft order, as he explained, but it implies an obsessive view, which I am afraid we are becoming accustomed to hearing from the Conservative Opposition, about the ''regional threat'', as though a move toward regional co-operation on matters of resilience, which is what we are talking about, was undesirable. Most people who have looked carefully at how we are to enhance our resilience know that authorities that are organised on a regional basis, such as the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, are far better placed than others to be able to respond as necessary to some of the potential threats that we must now make provision to face. It is in order to ensure that there is a comparable arrangement in all parts of England that we are requiring authorities to work together, through regional management boards, to put in place robust arrangements that can ensure regional resilience.