Rewiring the State Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Rewiring the State

Freddie van Mierlo Excerpts
Wednesday 2nd September 2026

(1 month, 1 week ago)

Commons Chamber
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Louise Haigh Portrait Louise Haigh
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We are incredibly conscious of the historical underfunding of fire services across the country. That is why the previous Administration committed an additional £100 million to local fire and rescue services. Future funding decisions will be for the Budget.

Freddie van Mierlo Portrait Freddie van Mierlo (Henley and Thame) (LD)
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My summer tour took me to such wonderful villages as Forest Hill, Little Milton, Stanton St John and Warborough, and no one I met wants to be part of the new proposed Greater Oxford authority. These parishes have been pressganged into a new authority they do not want to be part of. Will the Government review the decision to split Oxfordshire into three—a messy solution—and support other solutions, such as the two-and-one local authority proposals?

Louise Haigh Portrait Louise Haigh
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The Prime Minister has been clear that we do not want to impose anything centrally on areas that do not want to combine areas. I am sure that we can facilitate a meeting or discussion in No. 10 North to ensure that we get the right authority, powers and resources for the hon. Gentleman’s area.