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• Reference: 2003/0320
• Question by: Sally Hamwee
• Meeting date: 12 November 2003

What steps are you taking to ensure that the increasing budget cost associated with pensions are fully covered by the government and not by London residents through the Council Tax precept? .

• Reference: 2003/0323
• Question by: Sally Hamwee
• Meeting date: 12 November 2003

What progress has been made in recruiting (and retaining) more people from minority ethnic backgrounds and women into the Fire Service? What specific policies are in place to tackle age discrimination within the Fire Service? .

• Reference: 2003/0001
• Question by: Sally Hamwee
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

What are the financial implications of the medium and long term modernisation programme needed for the London Fire Brigade? .

• Question by: Sally Hamwee
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

The Bain Review also talked about middle managers and their reward structure, saying their terms and conditions should be based on similar principles to those of the main pay group. There has not been a great deal of discussion about this. Are you able to tell us anything about them, and are they included in that £2 million?

• Question by: Sally Hamwee
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

Finally, on pensions - in what seems a wonderfully naïve paragraph, the report says, "The Government should address the longer-term future of the firefighters" pension scheme, and take early decisions to ensure that suitable arrangements are provided for the new, reformed Fire Service'. Do you have any information as to whether the Government has made any progress in reacting to that paragraph?

• Question by: Sally Hamwee
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

And what about investment in order to modernise? Will there have to be money put in to achieve the objectives of the review, in addition to the imbalance in timing in the modernisation effects coming through on pay?

• Question by: Sally Hamwee
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

What about the £2 million?

• Question by: Sally Hamwee
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

Have you made an assessment of the extra costs that might be required for investment?

• Question by: Sally Hamwee
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

Pursuing the same subject if I may - the Bain Review in a paragraph headed, "Local Leadership" said that it was disappointing to have been told that the leadership and general input from local politicians to the fire authorities is poor. I am not suggesting that this necessarily relates particularly, or indeed perhaps at all, to LFEPA, but there is a point, I think, which arises, for LFEPA in it. It goes on to recommend that the Local Government Association, "takes steps to develop the contribution of elected members on fire authorities and to ensure that they give stronger leadership...

• Question by: Sally Hamwee
• Meeting date: 29 January 2003

I hope not. I am aware that the employers welcomed the statement. Were the employers consulted by the Deputy Prime Minister before yesterday's announcement?