Member

Once this thing gets going, it is really important to sort it out. I do not accept for a moment that the HSE is the competent authority to put out these fires. The Minister referred to applying additional burdens on fire authorities if we go through this process. It is the fire authorities in Norfolk and Essex that have asked me to raise this issue, because there is no statutory duty for the promoters to consult them. They are concerned about it; they have public, fire and environmental safety at the forefront of their minds. The law does not permit them to execute what they consider to be their statutory duties.