European Working Time Directive: Firefighters
Philip Dunne raises his concerns about fire protection cover in Shropshire if the EU abolishes the retained firefighters' opt-out of the European Working Time Directive.
Mr. Philip Dunne (Ludlow) (Con): In his continuing negotiations in Europe and in the context of his remarks about protection and well-being, what would the Secretary of State say to the constituents of Ludlow, not a single one of whom has anyone other than retained firefighters to protect their well-being, if, as a result of the loss of this opt-out, we have no fire protection cover in Shropshire?
Alan Johnson: This is the position. The retained firefighters need the opt-out. We have protected the opt-out since 1998, and against the most vehement criticism from other member states. The reason why SiMAP and Jaeger could not be sorted out-and this is a negotiation, of course-is that some member states put the solution of those judgments together with the opt-out. They then said to the UK and other member states, "You can get a solution to SiMAP and Jaeger only if you give up your opt-outs."
