SOUTH WEST REGIONAL FIRE AUTHORITIES' CONTROL CENTRE

Early day motion 1458, tabled 6 July 2004 by Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 12 members.

That this House notes that the South West Regional Fire Authorities are required to combine their individual control rooms into one emergency control centre; acknowledges the opposition to the general centralising policy expressed by many parties, including the Trades Union Congress and some of the fire authorities involved; expresses concern at the effects of such a move on the response to emergency calls; further notes that in the event of such measures being forced upon the region's fire authorities, the excellent facilities and favourable position of Avon Fire Authority's control centre at Lansdown near Bath makes it an ideal candidate to become the South West Region's Control Centre, that the centre was purpose-built and recently upgraded, that with only minor adaptations it would meet all the functional, resilience and security specifications, that additional facilities which are part of the region's civil emergency contingency arrangements are already housed there and that it does not make financial or environmental sense to build new facilities; and calls upon the south West Fire Authorities' Regional Management Board favourably to consider the site and submit a proposal to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and for the Deputy Prime Minister to accept such a proposal.

Signatures by party: Labour 6, Liberal Democrat 5, Labour/Co-operative 1.