The Home Secretary has today announced that Julia Mulligan, elected Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire, will take on the governance of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.
This decision means that Julia and North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service can now start preparation work in earnest for the formal transfer of governance, planned for this autumn. Julia’s local business case, which was submitted to the Home Office in September, sets out at least £6.6m of savings, proposals for streamlining senior management, collaboration on back office support services and sharing buildings between the two services.
Julia said:
First of all I would like to thank the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service for the excellent work they do in keeping the people of North Yorkshire safe. There is a lot to do, but I am very much looking forward to working with them, and I thank them for their help, and for being so candid during last summer’s roadshows.
I’m pleased that the Home Secretary has recognised the benefits that joint oversight of police and fire services will bring to the people of North Yorkshire. By bringing both organisations under the same governance, we can increase the speed and depth at which we collaborate, improve transparency and efficiency of both organisations, saving at least £6.6m, to be reinvested into frontline policing and fire services.
This process has not been without controversy, and I would like to thank and acknowledge all the Councillors and MPs that have contributed to, and scrutinised, my business case and consultation to make sure that this was a robust process. I’d also like thank the public for their clear support – we received over 2,500 responses to our consultation, of which 71% preferred PCC-led oversight.
