State of Fire and Rescue 2019 – Annexes
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Annex A: Fire and rescue service areas
Annex B: About us
Our history
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary – as it then was – was established in 1856 to “inquire into the state and efficiency of the police”. Our role and influence have evolved over the past century and a half.
In 2017, we saw the biggest change in our remit with our expansion to take on inspection of fire and rescue services in England. This was one element of the Government’s fire reform programme announced in 2016, enacted in the Policing and Crime Act 2017.
We are independent of Government, as well as fire and rescue authorities and police forces. Both our independence and inspection rights are vested in Her Majesty’s Inspectors, who are Crown appointees (section 28(A1), Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004).
Our statutory responsibilities
We must inspect and report on the efficiency and effectiveness of fire and rescue authorities in England (section 28(A3), Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004).
The Secretary of State may at any time direct us to carry out an inspection of one or all fire and rescue authorities in England (section 28A(3), Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004).
We can carry out an inspection that hasn’t been set out in our inspection programme. We must consult with the Secretary of State before we do so (section 28A(5) and (6), Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004).
We don’t have any statutory responsibility to inspect any other fire and rescue service, other than fire and rescue services in England.
Publishing reports
We must publish our reports (section 28B(1), Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004).
We must not publish anything the inspectors believe would be against the interests of national security or might put anyone in danger (section 28B(2), Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004).
Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector (HMCI) of Fire & Rescue Services must each year submit to the Secretary of State a report on our inspections carried out in that period. A copy of this report must be laid before Parliament (section 28B(6), Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004). The report must include HMCI’s assessment of the efficiency and effectiveness of fire and rescue authorities in England for the period the report covers (section 28B(5), Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004). This is his State of Fire and Rescue report.
Producing our inspection programme and framework
HMCI must prepare and publish an inspection programme (section 28A(1)(a), Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004) and framework (section 28A(1)(b), Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004).
The chief fire and rescue inspector for England must obtain the approval of the Secretary of State to an inspection programme or inspection framework before we can act in accordance with it (section 28A(2), Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004).
Acting as a check on the removal of senior officers
Fire and rescue authorities are responsible for the fire and rescue services in their areas. Authorities differ in size and governance arrangements. For authorities that are run by the police, fire and crime commissioner, arrangements for the dismissal of the chief fire officer are similar to those covering the dismissal of a chief constable.
If a police, fire and crime commissioner in England is proposing to dismiss their chief fire officer, they must invite HMCI to give his written views on the proposed removal. The police, fire and crime commissioner must consider his views before they make a decision (Article 18, Fire and Rescue Authority (Police and Crime Commissioner) (Application of Local Policing Provisions, Inspection, Powers to Trade and Consequential Amendments) Order 2017). These written views should be given to the appropriate police, fire and crime panel when considering the police, fire and crime commissioner’s decision.
No police, fire and crime commissioner asked for written views during the period covered by this report.
Our powers
Amendments made by the Policing and Crime Act 2017 to the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 created inspectors of fire and rescue services. They also created a duty to inspect and report on the effectiveness and efficiency of fire and rescue services in England, and created new powers of inspection.
Access to information and premises
Inspectors have powers to obtain any information or documents they reasonably need to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of a fire and rescue service (paragraph 6, Schedule A3, Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004). Inspectors also have powers to access premises used by fire and rescue services or those providing a service to a fire and rescue service. They can seek access for the purpose of assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of the fire and rescue service. This includes obtaining information, documents, evidence and other things on those premises (paragraph 7, Schedule A3, Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004).
Power to delegate functions
Inspectors have the power to delegate any of their inspection functions to another public authority (paragraph 2, Schedule A3, Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004).
Power to act jointly with another public body
We can act jointly with another public body, when appropriate, to work efficiently and effectively (paragraph 5, Schedule A3, Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004).
We can also help another public authority carry out its role, if HMCI considers it appropriate. This includes facilitating a ‘best value’ inspection under section 10 of the Local Government Act 1999.
Amendments made by the Policing and Crime Act 2017 to the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 created inspectors of fire and rescue services.
Who we are
Sir Thomas Winsor
HM Chief Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services
Zoë Billingham
HM Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services
Phil Gormley
HM Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services
Matt Parr
HM Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services
Dru Sharpling
HM Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services
Wendy Williams
HM Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services
How we are accountable
The first Inspectors of Constabulary were appointed under the County and Borough Police Act 1856. This Act required them to inspect and report on the efficiency and effectiveness of most of the police forces in England and Wales. Substantially the same functions covering the inspection of fire and rescue authorities in England were created by the Policing and Crime Act 2017, which amended the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004.
There are six Inspectors of Fire and Rescue Services. These inspectors also hold the separate appointment of Inspector of Constabulary. They are neither civil servants nor fire or police officers, and are appointed by the Crown for a fixed term of up to five years. That means we are independent of fire and rescue services, fire and rescue authorities (and their equivalents), police, Government, police and crime commissioners (and their equivalents), other agencies and all outside parties.
However, independence doesn’t mean a lack of accountability. We are accountable in these ways:
- our statutory duties, enforceable through judicial review or by action for breach of statutory duty;
- our obligation to submit an annual report to the Home Secretary under section 28B of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, which must be laid before Parliament;
- our obligation to seek approval to our inspection programme and framework from the Home Secretary;
- written Parliamentary questions;
- our obligation to give written and oral evidence to Committees of Parliament, including the Home Affairs Select Committee, the Public Accounts Committee and any other select committee that may call on us to give evidence;
- our obligation to carry out other duties the Home Secretary directs us to (section 28A(3), Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004); and
- our obligation to comply with the rules of administrative law and the rules of good public administration, enforceable in the High Court by judicial review.
As a public body, we are also subject to the legal obligations imposed on public authorities, including:
- Official Secrets Acts 1911 and 1989;
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974;
- Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection
- Regulation (2016/679/EU);
- Human Rights Act 1998;
- Freedom of Information Act 2000; and
- Equality Act 2010.
How we work with other organisations
We are mostly funded by the Home Office and are accountable to the Home Office for our spending, even though we are neither a subsidiary nor a part of the Home Office. For fire inspections, all our funding comes from the Home Office.
We have a concordat with the Home Office that explains the material parts of the relationship between our two organisations. The concordat sets out our respective roles, and the responsibilities of the main people involved in running, sponsoring and overseeing our affairs. The concordat is published on our website.
Work is under way to establish a concordat with the recently created Fire Standards Board, which will set out our respective roles and responsibilities, and how we will work together. This concordat will be published on our website.
Our regions
Our purpose, values and objectives
Our purpose is to promote improvements in policing and fire and rescue services to make everyone safer.
Our values of respect, honesty, independence, integrity and fairness are at the heart of how we work. They act as a touchstone to help us make decisions – both as individuals and as an organisation.
Annex C: Our finances
As an inspectorate, we are mainly funded by the Home Office. All our funding for our fire inspection work comes from the Home Office.
We spend just over 80 percent of our funding on our workforce, with the rest spent on travel, subsistence, accommodation and other expenses.
Expenditure breakdown 2018/19
Our workforce
Our workforce comprises the Inspectors of Fire and Rescue Services, civil servants, and secondees from fire and rescue services and police forces. We also have a register of associate inspectors.
Staffing breakdown 2018/19
Promoting improvements in policing and fire and rescue services to make everyone safer
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) independently assesses the effectiveness and efficiency of police forces and fire and rescue services – in the public interest.
In preparing our reports, we ask the questions that citizens would ask, and publish the answers in accessible form, using our expertise to interpret the evidence and make recommendations for improvement.
We provide authoritative information to allow the public to compare the performance of their police force or fire and rescue service against others. Our evidence is used to bring about improvements in the services they provide to the public.
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State of Fire and Rescue: The Annual Assessment of Fire and Rescue Services in England 2019