To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to establish national standards for fire and rescue services.
Answered on
9 June 2025
The Government funds the independent Fire Standards Board (FSB) to develop and maintain a comprehensive set of professional standards for fire and rescue services in England. The FSB has published 19 national standards for fire and rescue services: these cover a range of topics relating to operational management, leadership and ethics.
The Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry’s phase two report recommended the establishment of a college of fire and rescue and suggested that it should have a role in the development and maintenance of national standards. The Government has accepted in principle the recommendation to establish a college, and we plan to hold a public consultation on the college and its proposed functions later in the year. Any future college function relating to national standards would build on the work already undertaken by the FSB.