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Fire and Rescue Services: Standards

Asked by Victoria CollinsLiberal DemocratMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled Answered 18 November 2025UIN 89927

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce national response standards for (a) service levels and (b) response times for all fire and rescue services.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

The Government has accepted, in principle, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s recommendation to establish a national college of fire and rescue. The Inquiry report suggested a range of potential functions for a college to fulfil, including the development and assurance of national standards relating to various aspects of the work of fire and rescue services.

Any future college function relating to national standards would build on the work already undertaken by the Fire Standards Board (FSB), which currently develops and maintains a suite of professional standards for fire and rescue services in England. The 19 standards currently published by the FSB cover a range of topics relating to operational management, leadership and ethics.

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