Overseas Aid: Emergency Services

Mr. Andrew Mitchell
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2009, Official Report, column 834W, on overseas aid: emergency services, what estimate he has made of the expenditure which will be incurred by the UK Fire and Rescue Service in undertaking its duties under the agreement on organisation of the overseas search and rescue capability in disaster response.

Mr. Michael Foster
Expenditure incurred by the UK Fire and Rescue Service in undertaking overseas search and rescue operations cannot be predicted in advance but will depend on the requirements in each response.

The Department for International Development (DFID) has agreed a budget for the UK Fire and Rescue Service to train, equip and maintain its readiness to provide search and rescue response of £241,230 over the three years 2009-10 to 2011-12.

Mr. Andrew Mitchell
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2009, Official Report, column 834W, on overseas aid: emergency services, what plans there are for members of the UK Fire and Rescue Service to attend international disaster-related training events and conferences in the next 12 months.

Mr. Michael Foster
The UK Fire and Rescue Service so far plans to take part in the following events in the next year:

October, 2009 - International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) Africa, Europe and Middle-East Regional Meeting in Hungary.

2010 - Regional Team Leaders Meeting in Abu Dhabi; and

possibly a multi-regional INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting, location to be determined.