Fire consultants spending attacked

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The Fire Brigades Union said a "staggering" £29 million had been spent on consultants since 2006, enough to pay for 1,000 frontline firefighters.

A further £15 million has been spent by the Department for Communities and Local Government on temporary staff on fire service projects, which would pay for a further 570 firemen and women, said the union.

Most of the money has been spent on a radio system project which has been delayed for 18 months, and the building of new fire control centres, said the FBU.

General Secretary Matt Wrack said: "This soaring spending on consultants is a national scandal. Consultants are swimming in cash while this year during the floods fire crews had to wade through water filled with excrement without even welly boots to protect them.

"Cash-starved fire authorities are looking at station closures and the loss of frontline firefighter jobs while consultants are cashing in. No-one ever dialled 999 and asked for a management consultant."

The Chief Fire Officers' Association has warned that the service faces "tough financial challenges" in 2008 after a spending settlement it said would lead to below-inflation rises for many fire authorities.

A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said it was "nonsense" to suggest the fire service faced funding cuts.

"They will receive a 2.4% increase next year. In addition to this core funding they will also receive extra resources through private finance initiative and capital grants totalling £80 million. Alongside the efficiency savings that they and all public services are expected to achieve this means the service will be well placed to continue to deliver an effective service for the public.

"Deaths and injuries from fire are at their lowest levels since records began. This consultancy spending is to ensure that this trend continues and Government's £1 billion investment in the service is money well spent - effectively equipping the service to meet the challenges of today's world, such as terrorist incidents, natural disasters and industrial accidents."