THE board of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) are due to meet to discuss the results of a public consultation into whether the region's mayor should assume responsibility for the fire service.

Plans to transfer responsibility for the fire service from the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority (WMFRA) to mayor Andy Street were first outlined in March, with the proposals put to a public consultation between January and March 2018.

Under the current system the WMFRA, according to its website, "is made-up of 27 councillors from the seven different councils that make up West Midlands Fire Service."

It continues: "The authority ensures that the brigade is performing its functions properly, that taxpayers are getting good value for money and that it's serving its communities."

However under the new proposals these responsibilities would be transferred to the mayor, who would also be responsible for appointing the Chief Fire Officer (CFO), setting a community safety plan and budgeting and setting of the council tax precept for the fire service across the seven constituent councils.

It is also noted that the mayor would likely appoint his own Mayoral Fire Advisory Committee from members of the constituent councils, which would effectively provide the same service that WMFRA does now, assisting in advising and supporting the mayor in relation to the West Midlands Fire Service.

The report notes that the day-to-day running of the fire service would remain in the hands of the CFO, though, as is the case with the current arrangement.

However, judging by the results of the consultation, members of the public are still unsure of the proposals.

Forty seven per cent of those questioned either agreed or strongly agreed with the basic principle of the Mayoral WMCA taking on the responsibilities of the WMFRA, but 40 per cent also disagreed with the proposals.

There was broader agreement for the idea of a Fire Advisory Committee assisting the Mayor in his running of the fire service, with 59 per cent agreeing with the proposals, but more people disagreed that transferring powers to the WMCA would improve the statutory functions in the Combined Authority area, reflect the local communities or secure effective and convenient local government, with 41 per cent against 39.

On the issue of whether the WMCA taking over the powers would lead to improved services across the West Midlands, the public were split 41 per cent to 41 per cent.

There were also a series of comments left by members of the public after the consultation.

These included concerns over the capacity and expertise of the WMCA to run the fire service, concerns that a transfer would lead to a lack of accountability, and concerns that the current system was adequate and did not need changing.

Results of the consultation will be discussed and debated by the WMCA board on Friday.

The plans are also supported by the current chair of the WMFRA, John Edwards, making it even more likely that responsibility for the West Midlands Fire Service will eventually be transferred to the WMCA.