The Policing and Crime Act 2017 introduces the most significant change to the governance of the fire and rescue service since 1974. The legislation places all three emergency services under a statutory duty to collaborate where it improves efficiency or effectiveness. It enables police and crime commissioners (PCCs) in England to take over fire and rescue services in their area.
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has assessed and reported on the efficiency and effectiveness of police forces and policing, in the UK since its establishment in 1856. As result of the Act, HMIC (renamed HMICFRS) will take on inspections of England’s fire & rescue services, assessing and reporting on their management effectiveness and leadership.
The authors have previously investigated the antecedents of both the new inspectorate and the wider changes to the strategic and operational environment of the emergency services1.
This paper will build on these foundations and look specifically at the establishment of HMICFRS from the passing of the Act in April 2017 until its proposed dates of implementation which will be immediately before the Conference.
The paper will critically appraise the policy development and implementation process and report on emerging arrangements in practice. It will compare the new arrangements with previous inspection regimes both for the police and fire services and for other public services in the UK. The paper is intended to inform the future development of the new inspections.
Key Words: Police, Fire and Rescue, External Inspection, England.
References:
Home Office 2017 Major expansion of HMIC to take on inspection of fire and rescue in England Press Release 19th July 2017. Available at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-expansion-of-hmic-to-take-on-inspection-of-fire-and-rescue-in-england
Corresponding Author: Pete Murphy, Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University. 0115 848 8092 peter.murphy@ntu.ac.uk
