Reserves held by fire and rescue authorities

Conference notes with some alarm the increase in reserves that some Fire and Rescue Services appear to be amassing. It is a cause for greater alarm that of those Fire and Rescue Services that have the largest amount of reserves held it appears that these are generated by large annual underspends achieved by cuts to the frontline firefighter jobs.

The Minster responsible for fire has, in January 2018 stated, in response to a question in the House of Commons regarding the impact of reduced funding for the Fire and Rescue Service, that funding will continue to flatline due to the millions held in reserves by the Single Authority Model, as in the Government’s view this demonstrates that Fire Services have adequate funding.

Whilst a modest reserve is financially prudent this should be limited to less than 10% of the total annual budget and Conference therefore calls on the Executive Council to urgently meet with the Employers and call for an end to this practice of cutting the frontline in order to generate reserves of up to 90% in some cases, of total annual budgets.