Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provisions will be made to compensate county and unitary councils who suffer a financial loss as a result of Fire and Rescue Services being transferred to Police and Crime Commissioners; and how much has been made available for that compensation.

The Policing and Crime Act 2017 enables PCCs to take on responsibility for local fire and rescue services where a local case is made.

It is for individual PCCs to consider whether to bring forward such a proposal. The Secretary of State will only give effect to the proposal where it appears, in her view, to be in the interests of economy, efficiency and effectiveness or public safety to do so.

It is expected that a PCCs proposal will take account of transition costs, the impact on existing collaborations and where the fire and rescue authority is integrated within a local authority, the impact on wider council functions.