MPs' concern growing over FireControl IT plan

A growing number of MPs are backing calls for an urgent review of the government's plan to create fewer regional control centres for the Fire Service.

An early-day motion tabled by Andrew Dismore MP in the House of Commons expresses concern that the business case for the FireControl programme warns of a high risk of total project failure.

It also notes the government's poor record on major IT implementations, and calls for an independent assessment before the project proceeds.

There are 96 supporters of the original motion, and a further 48 supporting an amendment calling for the plan to be scrapped altogether.

FireControl has already been delayed because the specification process took longer than expected (Computing, 10 February), and the IT contract due to be signed in February is now not expected before the end of this year at the earliest.

The costs of the programme are also escalating, says the Fire Brigades Union (FBU). Government figures show consultancy fees rising to £31m over the life of the plan, and overall projects costing up to £988m, 31 per cent higher than the £754m quoted in January's outline business case.

'Costs are spiralling out of control,' said FBU general secretary Matt Wrack. 'This is an expensive and very risky project. The government should invest the money directly in frontline fire services instead of chasing another technology rainbow hoping there is a pot of savings at the end of it.'

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), which is running the project, says the figures have been distorted.

FireControl is the outcome of an independent review of control rooms conducted by engineering and management consultancy Mott MacDonald, which concluded that the current arrangements are costly and inefficient, says the ODPM.