Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of thefts of hydraulic rescue equipment from fire and rescue stations on the operational capacity of fire and rescue services; and what steps her Department is taking to address such thefts.

Decisions on station security, the replacement or reallocation of stolen equipment, working with Police, and the continuity arrangements needed to maintain local cover, are all matters for each Fire and Rescue Service (FRS), informed by its assessment of local risk.

The Department does not hold central data on these thefts.

The Department also is, however, working with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and FRSs to improve information sharing within the sector on break-ins and equipment thefts, such that it can facilitate better understanding of the pattern of incidents and inform local protective measures within the sector.