• Question by: Meg Hillier
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

So you do see it as a core role of the Fire Service, to go to someone in a trapped lift?

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

You don't think yesterday they were actually sabre rattling and that the Government, perhaps within the month, will have to take positive action to resolve the strike unilaterally?

• Question by: Meg Hillier
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

I wanted to ask about the lifts issue that you raised. You talk about possibly levying a fine on the maintainers of the lifts, or the owners of the lifts. Would you envisage the Fire Service having a role in doing that, but perhaps getting more money, more funding from other sources, to rescue people from lifts that have broken down? Or do you see that as something that should not be a core role for a modern Fire Service?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

We intend that the impact of the Bain Review, the modernisation agenda, would be very far-reaching in London. It would be about being able to broaden the services we provide to cover a wider variety of dangers and risks in London. It would be about us prioritising prevention work and reduction of fires and fires and deaths and other injuries. It would be about us applying the staff and the other resources we've got much more effectively than we do at the moment. The Fire Service at the moment basically is operating on a 50-year-old resource allocation mechanism, that tell...

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

Will you continue to try and push for a negotiated settlement?

• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

Thank you very much indeed. Can I ask both you, Valerie, and Mr Bishop a question in two parts? First of all, Valerie, have you publicly criticised the fire union for going out on these strikes during this period, when everybody knows the Metropolitan Police is on the highest alert in London that it has ever been? And Mr Bishop, have you had further discussions with the other public services, emergency services, in the event, God forbid, that in fact there should be some kind of terrorist incident on a day when the Fire Service is actually on strike? What...

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

I understand, okay. Because I understood there was a confusion with an intervention from Downing Street. I just want to be assured that there was no confusion over this, because the people in Haringey were obviously anxious when they heard about it. But that was after this confusion had been solved.

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

Well, was that 24 hours after it was first announced?

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

: With the recent ricin incident in Wood Green, my understanding is that - I'm not sure about the local authority - but the police commander and the Chair of primary health trust, both had a delay of something like 24 hours after the incident before they were even informed of what was happening. My question is at what point in that was the Fire Service aware?

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

Obviously this is quite difficult to discuss here, if you haven't got the information in front of you, but my understanding is that there was a serious delay, and, therefore, a confusion around the co-ordination. You have stated you think it is excellent. I would say that given that is my understanding, it was not excellent on that occasion. And I want your assurance that firstly I will get the answers, and secondly that I will be informed of what exactly did happen, and thirdly, that if it is as I say it is, that something will be done about...