Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Minister in his Department approved the recommendation, as set out in the Capita review of fire risks at Faslane and Coulport naval bases, to reduce fire response services crew by 15 per cent, and if he will place a copy of that report in the Library.

Defence Fire and Rescue has responsibility for oversight of the Defence Fire and Rescue Project contract outsourced to Capita. Capita Fire and Rescue's (CFR's) specific proposals to reduce the level of cover at Faslane and Coulport, following their recent review of fire risks, do not require approval at Ministerial level. The workforce change proposals were endorsed by the Naval Base Commander of HMNB Clyde, and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have been extensively consulted. The reduction in firefighter resources from a six person 24/7 watch to a five person 24/7 watch will not impact CFR's ability to respond to an incident effectively.