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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what role her Department has in setting (a) standards and (b) contents of training for firefighters.

It is the responsibility of Fire and Rescue Authorities to ensure that firefighters receive the appropriate equipment and training they need to safely respond to the wide range of incidents which they attend. The Government will continue to work closely with the National Fire Chiefs Council to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to keep the public safe.

The Fire Standards Board is chaired independently of the Government and oversees the identification, development and maintenance of fire standards for fire and rescue services in England.

The Government has accepted in principle the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry’s recommendation to establish a college of fire and rescue. A necessary first step will be to consult on the most appropriate functions for a college – which could, as recommended by the Inquiry, include training provision and standards – and how it could best be structured and delivered. We expect to launch this consultation later in 2025. Implementing a new professional body for the fire and rescue sector would be a complex, long-term project requiring legislation and investment.