MULHOLLAND BACKS CAMPAIGN TO DELAY REGIONAL FIRE CONTROL CENTRES

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 5th Oct 2005

Greg Mulholland, MP for Leeds North West, has backed a campaign in Parliament to delay the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's plans to create seven Regional Emergency Fire Control Centres in England, at the detriment of fire services.

The campaign, which has received considerable cross-party support from MPs, expresses concern about the financial and service standard implications for central and local government and the Fire service if the government's plans for Regional Emergency Fire Control Centres go ahead. The campaign also calls for an independent assessment of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's final business case before the project proceeds further.

Commenting, Greg said:

"In the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Fire Control Business Case report, its own civil servants warned that the project has a 'high risk' of 'total project failure'. If this happens, lives could potentially be lost, which is completely unacceptable."

"The plans would signal the closure of around 46 local emergency fire control rooms, which would lead to the loss of 900 skilled and experienced staff. The government cannot simply force through these proposals without there having been an independent assessment of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's final business case."