NFCC responds to Local Government Finance Settlement

Responding to the Local Government Finance Settlement, National Fire Chiefs Council’s Finance Lead, Ben Ansell, said:

“It is crucial that fire and rescue services have the funding they need to remain financially and operationally resilient, and this year’s settlement could make meeting that objective harder.

“We welcome that fire and rescue authorities have been given the ability to increase their share of Council Tax by up to £5 per household* and the resulting increase in their core spending power. However, having more funding will be determined not only by authorities taking that decision to increase the Council Tax Precept, but also by the impact of the employer’s national insurance contribution increase and the result of upcoming pay negotiations. Some fire and rescue authorities will fare worse than others, with some facing a real terms funding cut.

“We are completely committed to meeting the Government’s ambitions for fire and rescue service reform, some of which were reflected in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report. That work is already underway, but it requires significant investment.

“Fire and rescue service staff do an incredible job, sometimes in the most challenging of circumstances. But fire and rescue services are already significantly stretched, and we have seen the impact of that most acutely with the reduction of more than 10,000 fulltime firefighters over the last 15 years, which has led to a much greater reliance on part-time on-call firefighters.

“When you consider some of the biggest new and emerging risks we are facing, such as the impact of fires in increasingly complex buildings, emerging energy technology and extreme weather events, it is fire and rescue services that are at the forefront of responding and it is, therefore, vital that firefighters are trained and equipped to do so.

“Ahead of the next comprehensive spending review, we would urge the Government to look at increasing both capital and revenue funding for fire and rescue to ensure we can continue to keep the public safe, support the safety and wellbeing of firefighters, and properly maintain core infrastructure such as fire stations and fire engines.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

• *£5 for a band D property.
• The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) is an independent membership association and the professional voice of the UK Fire and Rescue Service. NFCC supports fire and rescue services to continually improve, helping them to save lives and keep their local communities safe. NFCC is a charity and a membership association supporting and representing the UK Fire and Rescue Service. Founded in 1941, NFCC was established as a company and charity in 1998 as The Chief Fire Officers’ Association, transforming into the NFCC in 2017.