Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) firefighters and (b) firefighting appliances were available to the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service in each year since 2010.

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) publishes local government finance annual settlements for all local authorities including fire and rescue authorities. These documents include table showing funding provided to all local authorities in England. These can be found by following the links below.

2010-11 http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140505104649/http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1011/grant.htm

2011-12 http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140505104649/http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/grant.htm

2012-13 http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140505104649/http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1213/grant.htm

2013-14 http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140505104649/http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1314/settle.htm

2014-15 https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/final-local-government-finance-settlement-england-2014-to-2015

2015-16 https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/final-local-government-finance-settlement-england-2015-to-2016

2016-17 https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/final-local-government-finance-settlement-england-2016-to-2017

2017-18 https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/final-local-government-finance-settlement-england-2017-to-2018

2018-19 https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/final-local-government-finance-settlement-england-2018-to-2019

The number of firefighters employed by Merseyside Fire and Rescue service from 2010 to 2017 can be found in the link below.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/675778/fire-statistics-data-tables-fire1005.xlsx

The number of operational appliances recorded by Merseyside Fire and Rescue service for 2010 to 2017 can be found in the link below.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/696917/fire-statistics-data-tables-fire1101.xlsx

The average response time to primary fires in Merseyside in 2009/10 to 2016/17 can be found in the link below.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/675793/fire-statistics-data-tables-fire1403.xlsx

All local authorities hold a general reserve which provides contingency funding for any unexpected costs. As at March 2017, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority held £31.9 million in reserves (an increase of £14.1m), equivalent to 53.5% of their core spending power. This included £2m in the general reserve.

Spending Review 2015 provided a firm, four-year settlement to local authorities including fire and rescue authorities, giving greater certainty of funding until the end of 2019/20. Funding information can be found in the link below.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/679611/Core_Spending_Power_Supporting_Information.xlsx

Single purpose fire and rescue authorities will receive a 0.3% increase in core spending power over the four years of this spending review. The 2019 Spending Review will set overall local government resourcing from 2020-21.