Bob Neill said it's time to stop tying fire and rescue services in red tape

Individual fire and rescue services are to be given more autonomy with the announcement yesterday that they no longer have to work through regional management boards.

The move comes as part of the government’s policy of cutting regional bureaucracy and handing back powers to local communities, and was first hinted at during fire minister Bob Neill’s address at Fire and Rescue 2010 last month, when he announced a strategic review of the fire and rescue service.

In effect this means that while the 2008/11 National framework remains in place, individual fire and rescue services will be able to work on a collaborative basis that works best for them and which  is not determined by regional boundaries.

Regional management boards were established in 2003 and are made up of fire and rescue authorities grouped together by their relevant government office region.

Other aspects of the new policy include government no longer enforcing and monitoring compliance with equality and diversity targets; not telling fire and rescue services how to recruit or develop their staff; and not interfering with the management of fire service assets.

“The coalition government is committed to stopping regional government and cutting away unnecessary layers of bureaucracy by pushing power into the hands of communities,” said Mr Neill.

“We have fantastic fire and rescue services in this country and it’s time we stopped tying them up in red tape and give them more freedom to serve their communities. We rely on our firefighters to keep us safe, not waste resources on bureaucracy.

“Fire and rescue services are mature enough and professional enough to make their own decisions and to work together to make continuous improvements. I know the sector is keen to step up and show that they are more than capable of supporting their own.”

One of the immediate effects of the new policy is that the government will end its formal engagement with Cornwall Fire and Rescue Authority, which came about after last year’s poor assessment of its performance by the Audit Commission. This work will now be carried on by the Chief Fire Officers’ Association and the Local Government Association.