AUSTIN DEMANDS MEETING WITH MINISTER OVER FIRE SERVICE FUNDING CUTS

Dudley MP Ian Austin has demanded a government minister meets local MPs and fire service bosses to discuss how the West Midlands service is funded.

Austin was speaking during a debate in the House of Commons yesterday on fire service funding arrangements.

He highlighted figures which showed the West Midlands fires service has had severe cuts to its formula grant while areas like Cheshire, Essex and Hampshire will actually receive more money in formula grants. Government figures show that the West Midlands Fire Service has been hit hardest of all with cuts at twice the national average. The total budget will go down from £112.3million in 2011/12 to £109.8million in 2012/13

His words come just over a fortnight after it was announced that Dudley fire station is to lose one engine and have its Targeted Response Vehicle replaced by a Brigade Response Vehicle - an adapted Range Rover.

The Minister agreed to meet with Austin, colleagues and the fire authority to discuss the funding arrangements and the case for safety net payments to be made where the funding would otherwise be below that required by a force to meet the Integrated Risk Management Plan

Ian Austin MP said:

"The Conservatives promised that front-line services would be safeguarded, yet fire services are being cut back and public safety is being put at risk as a result of central Government cuts.

“The way the Government has allocated funding penalises the West Midlands and the system for deciding funding must be reviewed.

“I’m worried that there is substantial risk of some authorities having less funding than is required to fulfil their duties. The Minister has agreed to meet with me, colleagues and representatives of the fire authority and I will be impressing on him the unfairness of this settlement for the West Midlands and the importance of taking action to ensure that lives are not put at risk.”