The Fire and Rescue Services (National Framework) (England) Order 2008

Made: 23rd May 2008

Laid before Parliament: 3rd June 2008

Coming into force: 30th June 2008

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 21(6) of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004¹, makes the following Order:

Citation, commencement and application

1

• (1) This Order may be cited as the Fire and Rescue Services (National Framework) (England) Order 2008 and shall come into force on 30th June 2008.

• (2) This Order shall apply in relation to fire and rescue authorities in England only.

The Fire and Rescue National Framework

2

The Fire and Rescue National Framework prepared by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and entitled “The Fire and Rescue National Framework 2008/11” which was published by the Department for Communities and Local Government on 20th May 2008 shall have effect as a revision, which appears to the Secretary of State to be significant, of the Fire and Rescue National Framework 2006/08².

Signed

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

Parmjit Dhanda — Parliamentary Under Secretary of State — Department for Communities and Local Government — 23rd May 2008

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Section 21 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 requires the Secretary of State to prepare a Fire and Rescue National Framework setting out the priorities and objectives for fire and rescue authorities and providing guidance. Fire and rescue authorities must have regard to the Framework in carrying out their functions.

Article 2 of this Order, which applies in relation to fire and rescue authorities in England only, substitutes the 2008/11 Framework for the 2006/08 Framework. The 2008/11 Framework will have effect from 30th June 2008.

The principal differences are:

• (1) The duration of the Framework is three years, subject to review, compared to the two-year duration of previous Frameworks, to tie in with authorities’ budget cycle.

• (2) Integrated Risk Management Plans are to contain cross-border arrangements with neighbouring authorities and a strategy for enforcing the provisions of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/1541).

• (3) Fire and rescue authorities are required to implement the electronic Incident Recording System by 31st March 2009.

• (4) The Framework gives greater priority to the delivery of core resilience objectives such as moving to regional control centres.

• (5) The fire and rescue authorities are expected to implement the Fire and Rescue Service’s Equality and Diversity Strategy.

• (6) Regional Management Boards are expected to ensure that fire and rescue authorities consider collaboration to deliver efficiencies.

• (7) Changes which take account of the introduction in 2008 of new duties on the fire and rescue authorities under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.

Copies of the 2008/11 Framework may be obtained from Communities and Local Government Publications, PO Box 236, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23 7NB (Tel: 08701 226 236). It is also available on the Department for Communities and Local Government website: www.communities.gov.uk/fire.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no impact on the public, private or voluntary sectors is foreseen.

Footnotes