Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the impact of increases in inflation on (a) Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and (b) other fire and rescue services.

The Government understands that inflation is placing a financial pressure on Local Government, including all Fire and Rescue Authorities.

Local government funding allocations and the council tax referendum principles for 2023/24 will be announced by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement next month.

In advance of this, we are working with the Local Government Association, National Fire Chiefs Council, DLUHC and HM Treasury to obtain the right settlement for Fire and Rescue Authorities taking into account, among others, evidence of inflationary pressures. The provisional settlement will set out funding allocations and the precept referendum limits for Local Government as a whole.