• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 08 November 2006

Thank you, Sir Ken. I think we would all like to congratulate those success stories that you have just highlighted. Obviously the picture we are getting is that it is a patchy performance across London. Would you agree with that?

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 08 November 2006

Indeed. That is showing up in the home safety checks which I think have risen from around 9,000 a couple of years ago to approximately 20,000 in the year that has just ended and the target for the current year is approximately 30,000. Even if you add all that up, that is 40,000-50,000 home safety checks. One or two per cent of Londoners have had a home safety check. Should we not be looking for a real huge step forward in this area?

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 08 November 2006

You will obviously keep us updated as you make your progress round?

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 08 November 2006

If some can achieve above 20 per cent, can we not encourage the others too?

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 08 November 2006

I appreciate one size does not fit all and I totally agree with that. Would it be fair to say that the way to go forward would be where there is an excellent product, that you would like to use best practice principles in order to extend those practices across the capital?

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 08 November 2006

Am I right in saying that the target for the percentage of time spent on community fire safety at station level has risen from 6 per cent to 8 per cent? Looking at the actual performance last year, over a third of our stations exceeded 10 per cent and one of them, Sutton, according to the figures, spent 25 per cent of their time on community fire safety. Is not 8 per cent really too low as a target, therefore, and should we not be getting the average a lot higher?

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 08 November 2006

Can I ask the Commissioner, in relation to community fire safety, your views on the sale of fireworks? I have had a number of complaints from constituents over the availability of fireworks in supermarkets. Indeed, in my local branch of Tesco they were on sale between the Golden Delicious and Bananas, with a special two-for-one offer. Do you share concerns of a number of us on the easy availability, in supermarkets in particular, of fireworks?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 08 November 2006

John Biggs (AM): I agree absolutely with what you as Chair have said, and I am somewhat satisfied by the responses from the Fire Authority, but I am wondering whether, rather than resting on a sort of annual flurry of sound bites about this, we should develop a strategy across the whole Authority - Borough Authority, Mayor, lobbying for legislation which actually helps to take this forward - without denying people the opportunity for pleasure and innocent fun.

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 08 November 2006

But is it either or?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 08 November 2006

I was delighted to hear the Chair's reference to Bromley as I am always delighted to hear references to Bromley. Would perhaps the Commissioner agree that one thing that would assist and enhance response times in the London Borough of Bromley would be the provision of a suitable vehicle, perhaps four-wheel drive or similar, at Biggin Hill Fire Station to reflect the particular circumstances of the ground which Biggin Hill has to cover, being large semi-rural, having to deal with haystack fires and a lot of things that do not occur elsewhere in London?