Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of changes in Government funding for fire and rescue services on (b) the ability of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service to protect people’s lives and (b) public safety.

Fire and rescue services have the resources they need to do their important work.

Overall fire and rescue authorities will receive around £2.3 billion in 2020/21. Standalone fire and rescue authorities will see an increase in core spending power of 3.2 per cent in cash terms compared with 2019/20.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service will receive a core spending power of £67.1 million in 2020/21, an increase of £2.0 million since 2019/20 (3.1%).

Decisions on how resources are allocated across prevention, protection and operational functions are best deployed to meet core functions are a matter for each fire and rescue authority.