Jonny Bugg, Head of Home Office Fire Strategy and Reform Unit, to attend.
Minutes:
The Chair invited Jonny Bugg (JB), Head of Home Office Fire Strategy and Reform Unit, and Stuart Harwood, Home Office Head of Governance, to give a presentation on the White Paper.
JB set out the Government’s case for the reforms proposed in the White Paper, with Covid 19, HMICFRS inspection reports and the Grenfell Tower and Manchester Arena disasters all highlighting the need for change in how FRSs are run. JB briefly ran through some of the proposals in the White Paper under 3 headings:
1) Professionalism
· Establishing an independent College of Fire & Rescue
· Introducing minimum entry requirements and development schemes
· A mandatory 21st Century leadership programme
2) People
· Carrying out a review of the pay structure
· Defining the role of a firefighter
· Unlocking talent and diversity
· Developing a firefighter’s oath
3) Governance
· Transferring FRA functions to a single elected (ideally directly-elected) individual
· Introducing operational independence for CFOs
· Separating strategic Fire and Rescue Plans from operational Independent Risk Management Plans.
JB stressed that the Home Office was keen to work closely with local areas, particularly around governance reform, to try and come up with solutions that were acceptable to all parties. He encouraged members to respond to the consultation which would be running until 26 July. Regional roadshows would also be organised.
Lucy Ellender (LE), LGA Senior Adviser, expanded upon the proposed governance changes and their implications for FRAs and highlighted the table in the White Paper on potential demarcation of responsibilities between the political (executive) leader and the Chief Fire Officer (CFO). LE explained that the White Paper poses the question of whether, apart from combined authority mayors and PCCs, there is anyone else who fire governance could be transferred to that would fit the Government’s vision. The LGA had done some preliminary work on what could be possible within the current framework of Combined Fire Authorities (CFAs) and had sought legal advice. This would be brought to the Fire Commission on 10 June for further discussion.
The Chair urged any members/FRAs submitting responses to the consultation to copy in Lucy at the LGA so these could be taken into account in the LGA’s own response.
Members’ comments and questions:
· Members agreed that it would be helpful for the LGA to share its work on alternative governance options at the Fire Commission.
· Members welcomed the decision by the Minister not to include mandation of governance transfer to PCCs and/or Mayors in the White Paper but queried whether CFAs would be forced to adopt a new model. There was evidence from HMICFRS that CFAs were working well in many areas and so abolishing them was considered unnecessary. PCCs still had very little public recognition and turnout in PCC elections remained very low and so the value of transferring fire governance to them was a moot point. The link with the Levelling Up White Paper and its proposed expansion of the Mayoral model of local government was also discussed in relation to fire governance. Reservations were expressed about how the proposals would achieve the Government’s stated aim of simplifying governance of fire. In response to these points, JB stressed that this was a consultation process and the Home Office wanted a dialogue with local areas about what would work best within the parameters set in the White Paper. The original plans for mandation would have simplified governance significantly but the Government had listened to people’s concerns. The Levelling Up White Paper would clearly impact on fire governance and would need to be taken into account in the final proposals.
· The importance of having effective scrutiny of executive functions was emphasised. The example of Gloucestershire County Council, where an executive Cabinet Member is scrutinised by a committee of elected members, was cited as a strong governance model. With a single, directly-elected individual there was a danger of personality clashes with the CFO and no effective mechanism for holding them to account. JB recognised that effective scrutiny was happening in some areas and that the Government didn’t want to lose this expertise.
· It was considered important that Government make it clear that operational independence could not mean that CFOs would be able to instruct their employees to carry out any task they saw fit. Employment law and terms and conditions would still need to be followed, unless secondary legislation was introduced to specifically change this. JB agreed but stated that it was important that CFOs had the flexibility to respond to fast-changing situations.
· The White Paper relates to English FRAs only yet contains a proposal to review the UK-wide National Joint Council (NJC). How would this work in practice? JB confirmed that they would be working with colleagues in the devolved administrations to resolve this.
· On minimum entry requirements, members felt it was important not to lose the ability of firefighters to join, with minimal qualification, and work their way up to the top. JB agreed that social mobility was important and confirmed that graduate entry was not being considered.
· Support was expressed for the proposed College of Fire & Rescue but it was stressed that lessons should be learned from the experience of setting up a College of Policing.
· Members queried why it was deemed necessary to introduce a firefighters’ oath. JB said that the oath was about serving the community first and foremost and would be similar to that currently sworn by the Police.
· How would the consultation work in the south-west in terms of dealing fairly with the issue of lack of co-terminus boundaries. JB said that they would be working closely with members in the south-west to try and come up with a workable solution.
· It was suggested that there was an equally good case for having an individual with direct responsibility for ambulance services, given the problems they have been experiencing for a number of years.
Decision:
Fire Services Management Committee noted the presentation and agreed that the comments made by members be incorporated into the LGA’s response to the White Paper consultation.