Government confirms plans to consult on fire and rescue college

In response, Alex Norris, minister for local growth and building safety, said: “The government will continue to work closely with the National Fire Chiefs Council to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to keep the public safe.

“The Fire Standards Board is chaired independently of the government and oversees the identification, development and maintenance of fire standards for fire and rescue services in England.

“The government has accepted in principle the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry’s recommendation to establish a college of fire and rescue. A necessary first step will be to consult on the most appropriate functions for a college – which could, as recommended by the inquiry, include training provision and standards – and how it could best be structured and delivered.”

Mr Norris said the consultation will be launched later this year, but acknowledged that a new professional body for the fire and rescue sector “would be a complex, long-term project requiring legislation and investment”.

This response comes after it was revealed that the Building Safety Regulator and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government are planning a dedicated unit to enforce cladding remediation.

Last week, the government announced an extension and cash top-up to the Waking Watch Replacement Fund 2023.

The original £20.6m fund will now run until March 2026 and the government has pumped an additional £21.1m into the programme, bringing the total to more than £41m.

This cash will support the installation of a common alarm system, replacing waking watch measures in all residential buildings where it is currently in place in England, regardless of where the costs of the waking watch fall.