• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

So what you're saying is that actually the implementation of Bain would possibly help towards sorting out the situation and membership of the FBU?

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

I recognise that the problem seems to be partly to do with the fact that the membership of the FBU extends right the way up, as I understand it in some cases, to borough commanders, who've been seen on picket lines. And this is absolutely unacceptable. I recognise that you feel that there is a problem there. My question is what could be done? As I understand it, you can't actually enforce a situation in which you would ask senior officers to step out of the union, nor indeed, presumably, even by offering an alternative union, can you force them...

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

Are you sure it doesn't depend which Government it was?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

So if the Government took that step, would you support them?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

Coming to the question, would you agree with me that it is time for us to outlaw this type of industrial action that puts lives at risk?

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

Well, of course, those of us with long memories heard this sort of argument at the time of the miners' strikes. "Oh you can"t go in there. It will be dreadful. It will sew up seeds of disaster for ever'. Look what happened there. It may well be that there are substantial lessons that management could learn from the way that those strikes were resolved, and the way that that particular industry is now managed. Perhaps the whole thing is now completely anti-diluvian. You say that nothing has happened in 25 years. What particularly makes me sorry is that nothing...

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

You have been in control for two years. LFEPA has been established for two years. You knew that this problem existed. You knew that these difficulties were there. In effect, you're telling us that you feel that there was no time when you could have instituted these changes. You have used what I consider to be a most inappropriate phrase, saying you don't want to "inflame" the situation. The truth of the matter is that to ordinary Londoners, it looks as though you are appeasing the firefighters, and even when the strike is resolved, it will have been demonstrated that...

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

I spent about two hours yesterday with the London Ambulance Service, and yes, the Fire Service is keeping their progress back, because they have moved on tremendously. They have got a four-year programme. They're in the third year of that, and they are looking to all sorts of pilots. And the Fire Service should be coming in with them, because the most important thing, as we're saying, is to get there quickly, and save more lives.

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

You talked about blockages from the union, but surely if the firefighters didn't block a decent pay settlement, there would be a real scope for taking on extra responsibilities and working more co-operatively with the other emergency services.

• Question by: Samantha Heath
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

How many now do carry this equipment?