Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government how they intend to address inequalities in Fire Authority budgets in (1) the Fair Funding Review, and (2) the 2023/24 Local Government Finance Settlement, to ensure funding is fairly distributed on the basis of (a) local levels of deprivation and need, and (b) rates of price inflation and wage inflation.

The Government is committed to ensuring funding allocations are based on an up-to-date assessment of councils’ needs and resources. We will always work with local partners, including Fire and Rescue Authorities, to take stock of the challenges and opportunities they face as part of any potential reforms to local authority funding.