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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of remuneration for firefighters in retaining staff at the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service; and what steps her Department is taking to increase central government (a) funding and (b) investment into the frontline of fire fighting in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The government is committed to ensuring fire and rescue services have the resources they need to keep communities safe.

Firefighter pay is the responsibility of the National Joint Council (NJC), made up of the National Employers and trade unions. The government has no role in the NJC negotiations or in setting firefighter pay.

On 9 February, the Ministry published the 2026/27 Local Government Finance Settlement which sets out funding allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue.

This marks the first multi-year funding Settlement for local government in 10 years, giving local authorities the certainty to plan and invest for the long term.

The Local Government Finance Settlement made available almost £1.95 billion in core spending power (CSP) for standalone fire and rescue authorities in England (excluding York & North Yorkshire and Greater Manchester), an average 4.71% increase compared to 2025/26. By the end of the multi-year period, we will have provided a 12.75% increase in CSP compared to 2025/26.

This financial year, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority will have a core spending power of £105.36 million, an increase of 3.80% compared to 2025/26. Decisions on how their resourced, retained and best deployed to meet their core functions are a matter for each fire and rescue authority.