Introduction
1.These explanatory notes relate to the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, which received Royal Assent on Thursday 22 July 2004. They have been produced by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in order to assist the reader in understanding the Act.
2.The notes need to be read in conjunction with the Act. They are not, and are not meant to be, a comprehensive description of the Act. So where a section or part of a section of the Act does not seem to require any explanation or comment, none is given.
3.The Act applies to England and Wales only, with the exception of the provisions relating to pensions in Part 4 and consequential provisions and repeals in Schedules 1 and 2 which also apply to Scotland.