Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of changes in the level of funding on the resilience of the fire and rescue service.

Fire and Rescue Authorities have delivered significant savings since 2010, and fire deaths and injuries are at a near historic low.

Authorities can still work smarter to reduce costs. Since 2009/10 single-purpose fire authorities’ non-ringfenced reserves rose by 150 % to £595 million. Those resources should be targeted at achieving long-term efficiencies