Fire and Rescue Services: Finance
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of climate-related wildfires on fire service budgets; and what steps she is taking to ensure sustainable funding for fire (a) response and (b) prevention.
Answered by Samantha Dixon
In 2024/25, the Government funded a National Resilience Wildfire Advisor to assess what additional wildfire national capabilities might be needed to increase resilience to wildfire risk and to ensure coordination of approaches across the sector.
Preparing for the future not only means tackling climate and nature emergencies but also adapting to the changes they will bring to our environment. A coordinated approach is essential to mitigate the impact on people, property, habitats, livestock, natural capital and wildlife, and to plan the most effective response to incidents.
The Ministry maintains close working relationships with the National Fire Chiefs Council and England and Wales Wildfire Forum, and will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.
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