Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

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.

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.