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1. The Fire Service Inspectorate in Scotland is a small organisation [ See Annex A for summary.] . It is independent of the fire service and currently provides an independent audit regime of the fire service in Scotland.
2. It seeks to use a high quality evidential base with wide links to the whole of the Scottish brigades and fire authorities. This gives it a powerful position to work within the public sector from a national viewpoint. It is committed to the promotion and improvement of the public fire service and seeks to communicate and consult with a wide range of bodies and the public.
3. The Inspectorate has legal powers derived from the Fire Services Act 1947 [ Fire Services Act 1947, Geo. 6, Ch. 41 and Fire Services Act 1959, Eliz. 2, Ch. 44.] , Section 24(1), which provides for Inspectors of Fire Brigades. The Act states "For the purpose of obtaining information as to the manner in which fire authorities are performing their functions under this Act and as to technical matters relating to those functions, Inspectors may be appointed by His Majesty and the Secretary of State may appoint assistant Inspectors and other officers". A Royal Warrant is therefore held by all principal Inspectors.
4. The organisational position of the Inspectorate is within the Scottish Executive Justice Department, so supporting policy advice to the Scottish Parliament. The Inspectorate has routinely provided inspection reports on each of the Scottish brigades, together with a Chief Inspector's Annual Report. Previously the Annual Report was placed before the UK Parliament by the Secretary of State for Scotland. In future this report will be laid by Scottish Ministers before the Scottish Parliament [ The Scottish Parliament assumed its full powers 1 July 1999.] . Working in this way the Fire Service Inspectorate seeks to ensure that its inspections are relevant and sharply focused, in terms of observations of the public fire service, to help aid improvement and to provide public information to support the constitutional position being developed by the Scottish Parliament.
5. The Inspectorate, through inspection of all Scottish Fire Authorities and the Scottish Fire Service Training School, helps identify best practice by commending good work and suggesting areas for improvement. The Inspectorate also supports the Scottish Executive with technical knowledge and analysis of issues within the public fire service.
6. Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire Services for Scotland determined to conduct a review of current arrangements with the purpose of identifying options to be introduced, after consultation, from 1 January 2000. This report provides the background and thinking which stimulated the options presented.
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