Written question asked by Bob Russell (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 9 October 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 11 October 2006. It was answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon (Labour) on Monday, 16 October 2006 on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Green Goddesses

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Green Goddess emergency fire appliances are available for use in emergencies; and how many were available in (a) 1997, (b) 2001 and (c) 2005.

Answer: There are no Green Goddesses available for use in emergencies. Green Goddesses, built in 1953-56, lack the range of advanced fire fighting equipment carried by modern appliances; their acceleration and handling is worse than modern appliances and Green Goddesses only possess low-pressure pumps, whereas modern high-pressure pumps are capable of shooting out a dense spray. The Green Goddess fleet is outdated and we are now able to use modern fire appliances as part of our contingency planning arrangements. The Fire and Rescue National Framework 2006-2008 makes clear that fire and rescue authorities will be responsible for supplying all appliances and equipment in the event of any industrial action.The size of the fleet in previous years was: (a) 1,085 in 1997; (b) 1,040 in 2001; (c) 975 in 2005. These figures include Green Goddesses held by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Scotland and ‘Yellow’ Goddesses for Northern Ireland.

Secondary information