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20/09/2011
Fire Control Scheme 'Flawed From The Outset'
It has been revealed that a fire service project has 'wasted' nearly £500m and been pegged as a 'complete disaster'.
According to a committee of MPs the scheme did not achieve any of its objectives.
The Firecontrol project, which cost £469m, was designed to replace the 46 existing control rooms with nine up-to-date regional centers in the hope of providing a more co-ordinated response.
However, the project, which was set up in 2004 under the Labour government, was ditched in 2010 without meeting its objectives.
Margaret Hodge, who chairs the MPs' committee, said the project had been "flawed from the outset" and one of the worst wastes of public money for many years.
Meanwhile Fire Minister Bob Neill said Labour must be held accountable for the "comprehensive failure".
The reasons for the schemes failure where listed in the committees conclusions of the project, in which they gave several reasons for the schemes downfall.
A lack of co-operation and support of local Fire and Rescue Services was placed top of the blame list with ineffective checks of the projects coming in as a close second.
In addition the committee criticised the management and oversight of the project describing it as "weak".
A call has now been made to ensure further funding is not wasted. The Department has made new money available to local Fire and Rescue Services with the committee urging that the further £84.8m "deliver value for money".
Eight of the purpose-built regional control centres remain empty and continue to cost the taxpayer £4m per month to maintain. It is likely that Fire and Rescue Service will only use five.
The Government must urgently undertake a review of fire, ambulance and police services to develop better co-operation and integration between the emergency services.
(LB/BMcC)
According to a committee of MPs the scheme did not achieve any of its objectives.
The Firecontrol project, which cost £469m, was designed to replace the 46 existing control rooms with nine up-to-date regional centers in the hope of providing a more co-ordinated response.
However, the project, which was set up in 2004 under the Labour government, was ditched in 2010 without meeting its objectives.
Margaret Hodge, who chairs the MPs' committee, said the project had been "flawed from the outset" and one of the worst wastes of public money for many years.
Meanwhile Fire Minister Bob Neill said Labour must be held accountable for the "comprehensive failure".
The reasons for the schemes failure where listed in the committees conclusions of the project, in which they gave several reasons for the schemes downfall.
A lack of co-operation and support of local Fire and Rescue Services was placed top of the blame list with ineffective checks of the projects coming in as a close second.
In addition the committee criticised the management and oversight of the project describing it as "weak".
A call has now been made to ensure further funding is not wasted. The Department has made new money available to local Fire and Rescue Services with the committee urging that the further £84.8m "deliver value for money".
Eight of the purpose-built regional control centres remain empty and continue to cost the taxpayer £4m per month to maintain. It is likely that Fire and Rescue Service will only use five.
The Government must urgently undertake a review of fire, ambulance and police services to develop better co-operation and integration between the emergency services.
(LB/BMcC)
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