NFCC Chair Mark Hardingham is set to give evidence to the government’s Home Affairs Committee later this week. The non-inquiry session on the ‘State of the Fire and Rescue Service’ is set to take place on Wednesday, November 9th at 9.45am and can be watched via Parliament TV.  

Hardingham will join Roy Wilsher, HM Inspector of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services and Matt Wrack, General Secretary, Fire Brigades Union. 

It follows up on a previous session held by the committee in March this year. The catalyst for the session was HMICFRS’s annual assessment of fire and rescue services in England, published at the end of 2021. 

This previous session examined a range of areas related to fire, through the lens of the HMI inspections and recommendations, and had a focus on equality and diversity and the inclusive nature of fire and rescue services. 

As well as taking questions from the committee on the state of the fire and rescue service, the NFCC Chair will also take the opportunity to discuss the response of fire and rescue services during the recent heatwave, challenges currently facing the sector – including the cost-of-living crisis – and the prevention, protection and response work taking place across the UK.

The committee is a cross-party committee of MPs responsible for scrutinising the work of the Home Office and its associated bodies. 

There will also be opportunities for the committee members to ask a range of questions about what challenges and opportunities fire and rescue services currently face.