THE Home Office’s call for emergency services to share control rooms in a bid to improve 999 response times has been welcomed by a senior Cheshire Police boss.

Mike Penning, a Home Office minister, has called for Police, fire and ambulance services in England to handle 999 calls from a shared control room.

The plans, published today, will also see measures introduced to allow police and crime commissioners (PCCs) to take responsibility for their local fire and rescue authority.

John Dwyer, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, said: “I welcome the Government’s announcement today to provide a statutory ‘duty’ for emergency services, and primarily police and fire, to work more closely together with the aim of encouraging greater operational collaboration.

“The Home Office has recognised that a ‘one size fits all’ approach is not the right way to go forward, and that a ‘duty’ to collaborate will enable Police and Crime Commissioners to work closely with colleagues on fire authorities and ambulance services to agree local solutions that are best for local people.

“The key is to build strong and effective working relationships between the emergency services, and it is what we have done here in Cheshire.”

“It’s why our ground-breaking plans to bring police and fire closer together are some of the most advanced in the country.”

Mr Dwyer said the programme will establish a single, shared headquarters by 2018 and create a single employer for support functions for both services.

He said the move is estimated to produce combined annual savings of more than £1.5 million.

“But it won’t just be more efficient – both organisations recognise that closer collaboration will make us more effective, making Cheshire residents safer,” My Dwyer said.