• Question by: Joanne McCartney
• Meeting date: 13 February 2025

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): Assembly Member McCartney, please. Joanne McCartney AM: Thank you. My initial question is to the Commissioner. Can I again thank you for your leadership over the last few years and echo everything that everybody has said. I want to pick up about the changing risk with regards to climate change. We have talked about that already this morning and you said, currently, you are satisfied with the level of resourcing that you have but you know that risk is going to increase in the next few decades. Over the next 40 to 50 years, we are...

• Question by: Keith Prince
• Meeting date: 13 February 2025

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): Assembly Member Prince, please. Keith Prince AM: Thank you. Andy, I would like to say thank you on behalf of the people of Havering and Redbridge, but particularly Havering, for all that your people did do during the Wennington fire. You saved a lot of property and a lot of lives. Thank you. I was going to ask a question about whether you feel you are adequately equipped to deal with fires like the one we had in Wennington, but you pretty much answered that to my colleague’s question. If you want to add to that...

• Question by: Elly Baker
• Meeting date: 13 February 2025

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): There is no news. The timings will be adjusted. Can we now move on to the next question? It is Assembly Member Baker, please. Elly Baker AM: Thanks, Chair. Yes, apologies, Assembly Member Bailey. It was not because we were that excited about what you were saying. The consternation over here was as our time ticked down while you were speaking. Apologies. Commissioner, I wanted to ask you about updates on progress around the culture review, specifically the most recent inspection report in November 2024, where some key areas -- obviously, there was lots in it...

• Question by: Lord Bailey of Paddington
• Meeting date: 13 February 2025

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): Thank you. Assembly Member Lord Bailey, please. Lord Bailey of Paddington AM: Thank you, Chair. Just to continue this conversation about lithium batteries, I am going to start with the buses, because they will eventually have an enormous battery on them. Do we have the ability to put them out? Also, lithium-ion batteries are not the only way to power vehicles. Has the LFB looked at different forms of chemical to power these buses that might be a lower fire risk?

• Question by: Krupesh Hirani
• Meeting date: 13 February 2025

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): Thank you. Assembly Member Hirani, please. Krupesh Hirani AM: Thank you, Chair. On Sunday, 12 January, a fire broke out from a studio flat on the ground floor of a three-storey building in Wembley Park from which 21 people escaped and one needed treatment for smoke inhalation. The LFB attributed the cause of the fire to an overloaded extension lead. My question is to you, Commissioner, what is the LFB doing to highlight the dangers of overloading electric sockets?

• Question by: Thomas Turrell
• Meeting date: 13 February 2025

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): Thank you. Now we come to Assembly Member Turrell, please. Thomas Turrell AM: Thank you, Chair. If I may just add, Andy, on your retirement, that in the short time I have been on the Fire Committee, your pride and passion for the LFB is really showing, it has been good to see how you have used that as a force for change in the organisation. If I can address my first question to you, which continues on the theme of tall buildings on the fact that London is going to get considerably taller and look...

• Question by: Zack Polanski
• Meeting date: 13 February 2025

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): Thank you. Fascinating discussion. Assembly Member Polanski, please. Zack Polanski AM: Thank you, Chair. Good morning, both. Commissioner, I was really struck by Assembly Member Duvall’s words at the beginning where he said that there has been robust exchanges and we have had some of those in the past and he is right to say that as scrutiny we are not in your pocket and your only job is to tell us the truth, even if we do not like it, and I think you have always done that. I thank you for that. I also...

• Question by: Leonie Cooper
• Meeting date: 13 February 2025

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): Assembly Member Cooper, please. Léonie Cooper AM: Thank you, Chair. Following on really from where Assembly Member Hall had left off, I was going to ask you what you thought the single biggest challenge for the LFB is going forward, but you have narrowed it down to three areas, therefore I am not going to press you on which one of those is the most challenging. It comes down to do you feel that overall, the LFB has enough firefighters and appliances available to meet London’s needs? The appliances have changed. We have got 64m ladders...

• Question by: Susan Hall
• Meeting date: 13 February 2025

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): Thank you. The first supplementary question is from Assembly Member Hall. Susan Hall AM: Good morning, both. Andy, you know I often get phone calls from firefighters, which has been the bane of your life at times. One of the things that is constantly brought up as a concern is the fitness of firefighters. As you know, years gone by, they used to keep fit by putting out all the fires. Thank God that is not the situation anymore. We have dumbed down what they have to do in order to get in, as in they...

• Question by: Andrew Boff and Chair, London Assembly
• Meeting date: 13 February 2025

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): Commissioner, if you would like to also answer the question about the key priorities for the LFB this year.