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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether fire services are classified as safety-critical work for the purposes of the HSE's classification of 12-hour shifts as undesirable for such work.

The Government recognises the risks that firefighters face and is grateful to them for their bravery.

The maximum working hours for Fire and Rescue Service personnel are prescribed by the Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR), which implement the provisions of the EU Working Time Directive, and include specific exemptions applicable to civil protection roles. These statutory requirements apply to fire and rescue personnel, subject to limited derogations during declared emergencies.

Each Fire and Rescue Service is responsible for establishing work patterns that reflect its assessment of operational risk and local circumstances balanced against their responsibility for the health and wellbeing of firefighters. The government-issued National Framework directs that all Fire and Rescue Authorities should have a people strategy which sets out the mental and physical health and wellbeing support available to firefighters.