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Fire Services: Equality

Volume 487: debated on Thursday 29 January 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what (a) advice and (b) guidance (i) her Department and (ii) the Fire Service College have given to fire services on diversity (A) quotas and (B) recommendations for operational fire and rescue roles. (252292)

In June 2008 Communities and Local Government published the Fire and Rescue Service Equality and Diversity Strategy (the strategy). The strategy provides advice for Fire and Rescue Services on equality and diversity issues. The Fire and Rescue Service national framework requires Fire and Rescue Services to implement the provisions of the strategy. A copy of the strategy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Guidance on setting specific local minority ethnic recruitment targets were provided to the Service under cover of Fire Service circular 55-2008 published on 23 October 2008. The circular is available at:

http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/fire/pdf/frc552008.pdf

The Fire Service college does not issue advice or guidance to the Fire and Rescue Service on diversity targets or recommendations for operational fire and rescue roles.