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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether additional funding has been provided to fire and rescue services for protecting (a) large-scale solar farms that are nationally significant infrastructure projects and (b) their respective battery storage infrastructure.

Decisions on how fire and rescue services’ resources are best deployed to meet their core functions based on local needs and risks are a matter for each Fire and Rescue Authority, in line with their Community Risk Management Plan. The 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement, published on 3 February by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, sets out funding allocations for all local authorities, including Fire and Rescue Authorities. Standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities will see an increase in core spending power of £65.5 million in 2025/26. Including the National Insurance Contribution Grant, this is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25. We will continue to work closely with Fire and Rescue Services to ensure they have the resources they need to help keep their communities safe.