Agenda item

This report introduces a presentation by the Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) on her proposal for the future governance of North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue in order to support enhanced collaboration between emergency services.  It also suggests a number of issues arising from the PCC’s consultation document that committee members may wish to consider in greater depth during the course of the meeting.

Members gave consideration to a report and presentation by the Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) on her proposal for the future governance of North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue in order to support enhanced collaboration between emergency services. The report also suggested a number of issues arising from the PCC’s consultation document that committee Members considered during the course of the meeting.

Members were asked to:

i)             Consider the views of the invited consultees listed at paragraph 13 & 14 above

ii)            Consider and comment on the LBC at Annex A

iii)          Consider and comment on the North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority response and alternative proposal at Annex B

Julia Mulligan, North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner was in attendance to present the report and answer Member questions.

In response to Member questions she stated:

·        She would vote against any further cuts to staffing within the fire service as she had concerns around the risk this was creating.

·        Any savings realised would be put back into front line services.

·        There would be no conflict when budget setting under the governance arrangement, as there would still be two legally separate precepts and budgets and legislation to ensure they remained separate.

·        The scale and breadth of collaboration between the emergency services could definitely improve and the proposal reflected this.

Councillor Backhouse, Chair of the Fire Authority was also in attendance to offer his thoughts on the proposal and answer Member questions.

In response to the points raised by the PCC and Member questions he stated:

·        It would be a risk to leap straight into the governance model, as once this in place there would be no going back to a representation model.

·        NYFRS was high performing, not a failing service and so there was no rush to change the governance model.

·        There was strong York representation on the Fire Authority and a local knowledge base. This would be lost with the governance model.

Councillor Mason was also in attendance to represent the Police and Crime Panel, for which he was Vice Chair. He stated that he felt there was a rush towards this change and that it was felt by the Panel that the NYFRS offer was a fair one. If this did not go far enough there would still be a chance to move up to a governance model. He also felt that it would make proper scrutiny impossible for the Police and Crime Panel if they were to also take on board the Fire Service.

Having considered the information provided  Members agreed that:

• A direct move to the governance model would prevent any future

return to the representation model.

• There was insufficient evidence to support the financial savings

stated as a result of a move to the Governance Model (as identified within the LBC).

• There was no evidence to suggest that the improvements in frontline services suggested in the LBC could not be achieved through greater collaboration, as a result of a formal move to the Representation Model.

• The Governance Model would reduce the opportunity for local

elected Members to influence and monitor the delivery of Fire & Rescue Services across North Yorkshire

• A move to the Representation Model now would not rule out a move to the Governance Model in the future, should it prove appropriate based on evidence and good practice

Following this discussion it was: -

Resolved:  That Members recommend the representation model of future governance to Executive.

Reason:     To facilitate the effective consideration of the Police & Crime Commissioner’s LBC ahead of the Executive’s consideration in order to inform their consultation feedback.