The Government wants to close all 46 Fire Service 999 call centres in England and replace them with nine large regional centres to be developed by the private sector. The “Firecontrol” project — part of the modernisation agreed with the Fire Brigades Union when the recent pay dispute was settled — could push up council tax and lead to a reduced service, cuts in staff, and losses rather than savings, the report admits.

It says that although savings over ten years could amount to £42.3 million, the programme could also run into losses of £107 million. Creating nine regional centres will cost £754 million. The report concedes that the expected job cuts — which the union calculates at 900, leaving 600 people to staff the whole emergency control system — could lead to further industrial action.

Fire chiefs are furious that the report from John Prescott’s office was sent to them with the figures blanked out because they were thought so sensitive.The full report, including the figures, has now been leaked to the union, which is stepping up calls for the scheme to be abandoned. The FBU is angry that the report admits there has been no estimate of whether the changes will save more lives.

The report cites the Government’s poor record with large technological projects. It says: “The recent history of delivering IT/change projects in the public sector has demonstrated a less than 50 per cent success rate. There is therefore a risk of unsuccessful delivery . . . which could result in delay or even total project failure.” It rates the risk of failure as high/very high.

Emergency calls could be handled by staff hundreds of miles away from the incident.

Andy Gilchrist, the leader of the FBU, said: “This dangerous plan will axe all our excellent command-and-control centres and be a financial burden on the Fire Service and council tax payers for years to come.

“It’s expensive, it’s risky, it won’t save a single life. If such a key part of the Fire Service collapses into total failure, it may well be that lives are lost.”

On council tax rises and a risk to service the report says: “Achievement of business benefits depends on the ability of regions to deliver change. Failure to deliver economies would reduce the resources available to further service objectives and might impact on council tax.”

But the scheme should go ahead, the report says, because it could produce savings and will create a more co-ordinated service better able to manage resources across regions.

Jeremy Hilton, the Liberal Democrat in charge of Gloucestershire fire services, said: “It is disgraceful that we have not seen the full business plan and that the numbers were blanked out. How are we supposed to decide whether it is cost-effective? We have an integrated emergency service that works brilliantly and the Government wants to scrap it. It is only two years old and we have spent £6½ million on it.” Cornwall and Cumbria are among other fire authorities that oppose the project.

Nick Raynsford, the minister responsible, said: “We are using the best available technology based on the most advanced existing fire controls . . . Firecontrol will provide a better and more efficient service.”

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