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Fire and Rescue Services: Surrey

Asked by Rebecca PaulConservativeMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled Answered 10 March 2026UIN 117023

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Local Government Finance Settlement 2026-27 to 2028-29 on the financial sustainability of Surrey Fire and Rescue Service.

Answered by Alison McGovern

Multi-year funding allocations were published at the final Local Government Finance Settlement on 9 February 2026.

The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. By the end of the multi-year Settlement (2028-29), the government will have provided a 15.5% increase in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England, worth over £11.4 billion, compared to 2025-26. Surrey Fire and Rescue Service is primarily funded by the Central Government and council tax precept via its parent authority, Surrey County Council. In 2026/27 Surrey County Council will have a core spending power of £1271.2 million, an increase of 6.6% compared to 2024-25.

For Surrey County Council, the Settlement will make available up to £1275.2 million in Core Spending Power by 2028-29, an increase of 6.9% since 2024-25. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.

Fire and rescue services play a crucial role in making our communities safer, both in prevention and in responding to emergencies.

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