Operational and training duties
Fire and Rescue Services Bill
4:30 pm
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative)
I support the hon. Gentleman's underlying intention in once again looking for ways to address the problem of recruiting and retaining enough retained firefighters. One aspect of that is incentivising potential retained firefighters. Another aspect is ensuring that, as with the Territorial Army, their employers are willing to co-operate in a scheme that may bring some indirect benefits to their operations but will certainly bring some inconveniences. We should not rule out the possibility of compensating employers.
However, I take issue—I know that it is not the hon. Gentleman's principal purpose in raising these points—with the idea that the Secretary of State could give directions. I hope that what the hon. Gentleman meant was that the Secretary of State might commit the fire authorities to doing these things. I certainly favour making the arrangements at the local level. The situation varies in different parts of the country and different authorities. I would favour the maximum
discretion for fire authority employers to put together schemes with other local employers to release retained firefighters.