Commenting on the news that the government will not be transferring responsibility for fire and rescue services to Police and Crime Commissioners, Cllr Jeremy Hilton, Lib Dem Fire Spokesperson at the LGA said:

“The future of the Fire and Rescue Service is best served by it remaining under the governance of democratically elected councillors sitting on local Fire and Rescue Authorities.

The controversial proposal to transfer responsibility of the fire and rescue service to Police and Crime Commissioners was advocated by Conservative government ministers. They did not get their way.

I am pleased that Liberal Democrats in government thwarted this plan. It was outside the Coalition agreement.

The proposal would have placed an extra burden on the Police and Crime Commissioners and removed the excellent democratic contribution that councillors make in the running of the fire and rescue services throughout England.

“There is important work to be done in developing better collaboration between all blue light services. Changing the governance of the fire service at this time would just be an unnecessary distraction.”

ENDS