Shropshire MPs slam unfair fire service cash

Shropshire MPs today spoke with one voice over an 'unfair' fire service funding settlement after it emerged the county lags way behind other regions.

Now they are demanding fairer Government funding for Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service after it emerged a similar sized brigade serving Humberside gets £28.60 per head of population compared to just £16.60 for Shropshire.

North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson is in talks with fellow Government ministers about Shropshire's 'unfair deal' compared to other brigades.

He said: "I am a strong supporter of Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service and have long made the case for the imbalance in funding across a range of public services already impacting on thinly populated rural areas."

Telford MP David Wright said the service received just 38 per cent of its funding from central Government compared with 44 per cent in Staffordshire and 69 per cent in the West Midlands.

He said the county brigade managed to look after 192,000 households and 15,000 businesses with just 28 fire engines and 23 of them 'on call'.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that cutting the fire service while increasing the number of households reliant on that service puts people and property in greater danger," he said.

Ludlow MP Philip Dunne has campaigned to see the extra cost of providing services in rural areas recognised in Government formulae.

He said he was pleased that recognition of the cost of providing the service in sparsely populated areas is under serious consideration for the first time in years'.

Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard said: "The Government needs to recognise the particular challenges facing rural fire authorities," he said.

Figures show Shropshire and Wrekin Fire Authority will get £16.63 per head of population in grant for 2012/13 while Cleveland will get £35.29, the West Midlands will get £27.34 and Devon and Somerset will get £19.54.

The funding formula increases funding for coastline, population density, deprivation, high risk sites, property and societal risk and community fire safety.

See also:

• Shropshire fire chiefs lobbying for fairer funds deal

• Fire chief warns of need for extra funds

• Shropshire council tax rise on cards to keep fire stations open