01 April 2004
Fire authorities are being dilatory in implementing the modernisation agenda due to come into force following last year's firefighters' strike, the Audit Commission says.
In a report this week the commission slammed the slow pace of change in areas such as overtime, duty systems and part-time working.
Using a red-amber-green traffic light system, the commission rated 48 of the 50 authorities examined amber, and two – the Isle of Wight and Derbyshire – red. None justified the green top rating, signifying good progress. All Scottish authorities assessed by the Accounts Commission in a parallel examination were rated amber.
The changes 'will be crucial to creating a modernised fire service', says the report. 'Relatively few authorities are able to demonstrate progress in these areas.' The commission warns that when auditors make repeat visits in the summer they expect to see concrete evidence of change for the better.
Jane Hobday, chair of the Local Government Association's fire executive, said: 'It's encouraging that progress has been made in the vast majority of authorities so early in this radical change. We expect to see even greater progress made by the summer.'
The Fire Brigades Union said that the report showed sufficient progress for the 3.5% pay award outstanding from November to be delivered. General secretary Andy Gilchrist said: 'The audit was carried out in January but there will have been much more progress since. This could not have been done without the work of the FBU at local level.'
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