Rt. Hon. John F. Spellar MP

John Spellar MP pushes Government over Fire and Rescue Authority Budgets 

This Government has imposed back-loaded cuts that could severely affect the level of service people receive from their FRA, yet this Government has yet to notify FRAs of their budget allocations for 2013-2015; the period in which FRAs will experience the largest proportion of the cuts.

Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to notify fire authorities of their budget allocation for 2013-15. [79932]

Robert Neill: The Government set out consultation proposals this summer for changes to the funding of local authorities, including fire and rescue authorities. We are considering responses to the consultation and anticipate introducing the new funding arrangements from April 2013.

During 2012 we will work with the sector on how to set the baseline for the business rates retention system before consulting formally in summer 2012.

We expect to announce the settlement for local authorities for 2013-14 and the provisional one for 2014-15 at around the same time frame as is usual for the start of a multi-year settlement. Statutory consultation on the 2013-14 settlement will start around late November/early December 2012. Ministers will then take final decisions on the allocations and these will be announced in mid to late January 2013.

Commenting on the issue John Spellar, MP for Warley, said:

“FRAs are being tested to the limit by these back-loaded cuts, imposed by this Tory-led Government, and constituents are concerned about the level of service they will continue to receive from the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority.

“It is important the Government makes FRA budget allocations clear as soon possible. In the face of large back-loaded cuts FRAs are unable to fully prepare for the worst as the Government has failed to notify the FRAs of their budget allocation for 2013-2015.”