Question
Following this summer’s wildfires, we saw that the devolution of fire policy was no barrier to mutual aid co-operation between the UK Government and the Welsh Government. Can the Minister tell me how any additional air firefighting capability will be allocated fairly across the nations of the United Kingdom?
Answer
I commend the fire services across Wales, England and Scotland, given the challenges they faced. I know that aerial support was needed in Wales, and we looked at that as part of the wildfire summit that we held. We will continue to work with them and that aerial support will be available across the UK so that people can use it when they need it.20% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (30/100)
The reply only partly answers the question, which asked how aerial firefighting capability is shared out between the UK nations. It says aerial support is available across the UK when needed, but it does not explain how that capability is allocated or what would make the allocation fair. The mention of a wildfire summit and continued work with fire services describes the process rather than the allocation method. The answer is therefore largely hedged, and the person who asked would likely need to ask again for specifics.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| How any additional air firefighting capability will be allocated across the nations of the United Kingdom, including the basis on which allocation will be made fair. | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply says aerial support will be available across the UK for use when needed, which gestures at a shared, need-based allocation, but it never explains how capability will be allocated between nations or what basis would make that allocation fair. The reference to the wildfire summit and continued work with fire services describes process rather than the allocation method. |