STATUTORY FIRE SERVICE DUTY TO RESPOND TO MAJOR FLOODING

That this House acknowledges 2012 as the second wettest on record in the UK, according to the Met Office; notes that in 2012 there was a 73 per cent increase in firefighters attending over 22,500 flood incidents across the UK, compared with 13,000 in 2011; further notes that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' Climate Change Risk Assessment warns of the increased risk of flooding in the future; is aware that, unlike in England and Wales, the law in Scotland and Northern Ireland requires the fire and rescue service to respond to serious flooding; recalls the recommendation of the Pitt Review supporting a statutory duty on fire and rescue services to respond to major flooding; welcomes support for a statutory duty from key stakeholders in the sector, particularly the Fire Brigades Union and the Chief Fire Officers Association; understands that such a change would not require primary legislation; and calls on the Government to implement as soon as possible a statutory duty on fire and rescue services to respond to major flooding in England and Wales.