Fire chiefs go to Westminster to plea for more funding

Jan 7 2008 by Nick Moreton, Liverpool Daily Post

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A DELEGATION from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority is meeting Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Iain Wright today to ask for a fairer grant settlement.

Merseyside’s proposed grant increase, announced last month, totals 2% over the next three years, despite the Government’s inflation targets indicating a 6.5% rise during that period.

The proposed settlement is the lowest in the country and compares poorly with many other fire services, such as Cheshire at 12.6%, and Nottinghamshire at 17.7% over the same period.

Tony Newman, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority chairman, said: “The Government has acknowledged the flaws in the Government’s grant formula by announcing a review of the system, but we need action now to change an unfair and in some ways perverse settlement.”

Eddie Clein, Liberal Democrat leader on the Authority, said: “Merseyside receiving the lowest grant settlement yet again is clearly wrong, particularly set against the inflation-busting increases many other authorities are going to receive.

“We hope the minister will accept that we can’t wait for the formula review to confirm the whole system needs changing and that the minimum any fire service receives should be increased.”

Les Byrom, Conservative leader on the Authority, said: “The formula doesn’t take full account of the link between social deprivation and the risk of fire deaths and injuries.”

The Merseyside delegation also includes Tony McGuirk, Chief Fire Officer; Mike Hagen, Deputy Chief Fire Officer; Kieran Timmins, Executive Director of Finance and Resources; and Les Skarratts, FBU Secretary.

If it goes ahead, the settlement would see the Merseyside Fire Service receive just 1% this year and 0.5% in the following two years.

A spokesman said when it was announced: “Merseyside has once again had the lowest grant allocation of any fire and rescue service in the country.

“The 2% rise over three years leaves us with a 4% or £2m shortfall against our proposed budget. The pay award to staff this year, alone, is almost 2.5%.

“We are currently delivering savings in 2007 of £5m and are now looking at how we can continue to provide an excellent service to the people of Merseyside and balance our budget over the next three years.

“One element of good news from the Government is that they have accepted the recommendation from ourselves to not change the funding formula in favour of rural areas and that the formula needs much more detailed consideration.”

There was further controversy when, just days after the proposed grant allocation was announced, plans to more than double the allowances paid to councillors on Merseyside’s fire authority were revealed, although those plans were later shelved.