Date: 3rd July 2003
Released by: ANDREW TURNER

The Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, has come under attack by Island MP Andrew Turner for his dismissive attitude toward the Island’s Fire and Rescue Service and his thinly veiled threat to regionalize it. In a statement to the House of Commons on Monday 30th June, Mr Prescott gave a clear steer that the Isle of Wight’s fire service would be abolished because it was a very small authority compared with that of London.

Mr Turner has previously warned the Isle of Wight Council to “act to keep the Island’s brigade before Ministers act to close it.” However, it appeared that the Isle of Wight Council have done little to halt the Deputy Prime Minister’s drive for regionalization. Said Mr Turner,

“I have tried very hard to make the Council aware of the gravity of this situation. I have offered them suggestions on how the situation could be resolved that would encompass both the interests of Island residents and the objectives of central Government. However I am not at all clear what the Council has done to take the initiative – for example by joint working with other services on the Island – and consequently the integrity of Island’s health and safety sector is now in doubt.”

Mr Turner went on to add:
“The Deputy Prime Minister’s plan for the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service shows a deep contempt for the Island. First, our police control room was transferred to the mainland. Second, proposals to de-scale our accident and emergency department at St. Mary’s were announced and now the Government wants to transfer the Island’s Fire and Rescue Service to the mainland. How does the Government expect people to live on the Island without these vital services that residents have paid for via taxation?

“I am seeking an urgent meeting with the Minister to establish exactly what he has in mind, and I plead with the Isle of Wight Council to act immediately to safeguard our emergency services and especially to keep the remaining emergency controls on the Island.”

Notes:

Extract from Hansard, 30th June 2003, col. 32:

Mr. George Mudie (Leeds, East): I welcome the Deputy Prime Minister's reference to the importance of fire services being local, so I must express my worries about West Yorkshire fire service being abolished and becoming part of a regional service. We in Leeds often worry about our fire service having that local touch, and we can only fear for the worst if it disappears and is replaced by a regional service. Is this matter one for debate, and is it not a step too far in terms of local awareness?

The Deputy Prime Minister: I understand my hon. Friend's point about West Yorkshire. I face a difficult situation, in that there is a fire authority covering just the Isle of Wight, which makes it a very small authority, compared with the London authority, which is responsible for millions of people. West Yorkshire may reside somewhere between the two. On effective representation in the regions, I believe that certain things have to be delivered at a regional level because that is more effective, but certain authorities cannot do that. As my hon. Friend knows, some authorities are smaller than West Yorkshire's, and I have to make a judgment in this regard. However, the Government take the view that we would like to see regional government. It makes a lot of sense to strike a balance between giving regional functions to an elected regional body, and delivering service locally where it is decided, in determining risk and the allocation of resources, that it is best to do so. I am discussing with the local authorities exactly how we can achieve that.