Oral Answers to Questions

Emma Dent Coad Excerpts

Monday 1st April 2019 Commons Chamber

[Caroline Nokes]

I thank the hon. Lady for that question. It is important to note that just last week I held a roundtable with representatives from the Scottish and Welsh Governments, and civil servants from Northern Ireland. It is important that we make sure we have a future immigration system that works for the whole of the UK, and we are determined to do so.

[Emma Dent Coad (Kensington) (Lab)]

11. What recent assessment he has made of the capacity of fire inspectors to assess the fire risk of commercial and residential buildings.

[The Minister for Policing and the Fire Service (Mr Nick Hurd)]

As the hon. Lady knows, each fire and rescue authority is required to have an integrated risk-management plan and risk-based inspection programme, and the adequacy and effectiveness of those arrangements are now subject to independent inspection.

[Emma Dent Coad]

Following the Grenfell Tower fire, the London fire brigade implemented a more rigorous and detailed building inspection programme, which has brought up additional issues that need enforcement action. That inevitably takes up a great deal of time and limits the brigade’s ability to assess premises. Will the Minister agree to review funding, to improve the recruitment and retention of the suitably qualified officers we need to ensure that people are safe in their beds?

[Mr Hurd]

I understand the hon. Lady’s point. Core spending for the Greater London Authority has increased by 6.3% in 2019-20. We are reviewing the funding arrangements for the fire service as part of the spending review, and I will note the hon. Lady’s intervention in that context.