PCCs to net ability to create single employer for police and fire personnel

The Government is to bring forward legislation that will allow Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to make the case for taking responsibility for the functions of fire and rescue services.

The plan is part of a package of changes aimed at bringing about closer working between the police, fire and rescue and NHS ambulance services.

The Home Office said the proposal would mean that PCCs could potentially create a single employer for both police and fire personnel if they were able to demonstrate a clear business case for doing so.

The Government will also legislate to:

• Introduce a statutory duty to collaborate on all three emergency services, “to improve their efficiency or effectiveness”;
• In areas where a PCC has not become responsible for fire and rescue, enable them to have representation on their local fire and rescue authority with voting rights, where the fire and rescue authority agrees; and
• Abolish the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority and give the Mayor of London direct responsibility for the fire and rescue service in London.

Mike Penning, Minister for Policing, Fire, Criminal Justice and Victims, said: “We believe that better joint working can strengthen the emergency services, deliver significant savings and produce benefits for the public.

“Strong leadership will be required to drive greater efficiencies and improved outcomes. Directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners are clearly accountable to the public and have a strong incentive to pursue ambitious reform and deliver value for money. We will enable them to take on responsibility for fire and rescue services where a local case is made.

“This is about smarter working. It simply doesn’t make sense for emergency services to have different premises, different back offices and different IT systems when their work is so closely related and they often share the same boundaries.”

The Government’s response to its consultation can be viewed here. The consultation received more than 300 responses.

Last month ministers announced that responsibility for fire and rescue policy would be transferred from the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Commenting on the plans, law firm Weightmans said: “There are no major surprises in what the Government is proposing in view of its manifesto commitments around increased blue light collaboration, designed to generate both fiscal savings and improved service as well as increased local accountability, based on the proposed enhanced role and responsibilities of PCCs.

“The Government gives no further detail on the timescale for its legislative proposals so developments on this will be closely monitored and keenly awaited. What is abundantly clear however is that the implications for fire and rescue authorities are hugely significant, while the new statutory duty to collaborate will affect all the emergency services in some way and ensure that this aspect of service delivery in the public sector will never be the same again.”