FIRE SERVICES IN CORNWALL

That this House notes with concern proposals to withdraw 24 hour whole-time cover from fire stations in Falmouth and Camborne; states that such proposals will leave the county entirely reliant upon the availability and good will of retained firefighters at night; believes that retained fire cover in Cornwall has provided an excellent service while it has had the support of full-time fire officers; considers that neither retained nor full-time firefighters provide the answer to fire cover in Cornwall alone and that the two types of cover are complementary; praises the West Briton newspaper's campaign against the proposals and all those who participated in the `Station to Station' march on 29th September; further notes that Cornwall's local government has one of the lowest levels of funding in the UK and is therefore forced to make further cuts to balance budgets; recognises the inevitable impact that this will have on frontline services; and calls on the Government to reconsider the way fire services in rural areas are funded and commit to awarding Cornwall a fair funding deal, reflecting its position as a peninsula with no neighbouring fire services to the north, south or west, and a much increased population in the summer months.