The police funding settlement provided territorial policing in England and Wales with additional funding of £230.3 million in 2025/26 to support forces with the cost of the changes to employer National Insurance Contributions set out in the Autumn Budget. Allocations were based on forces’ share of the total national workforce headcount as at 31 March 2024, which was 245,765.

Separately, in recognition of the decision to increase employer National Insurance Contributions, MHCLG provided £515 million to local authorities in England. This includes standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities, as well as Fire and Rescue Authorities that are part of a county council. Allocations are based on local authorities’ net current expenditure.

While the Home Office has responsibility for overarching policy and legislative changes to the firefighters’ pension scheme regulations, the firefighters’ pension scheme is locally administered by each individual Fire and Rescue Authority. The regulations governing the McCloud remedy for the firefighters’ pension schemes were made in July 2023.

The Home Office continues to work with the fire sector to support the effective implementation of the McCloud remedy for all affected individuals.

As the designated scheme manager, it is for each Fire and Rescue Authority to determine their administrative timetable, in accordance with the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022, including when remedy payments will be distributed.

The Government funds the independent Fire Standards Board (FSB) to develop and maintain a comprehensive set of professional standards for fire and rescue services in England. The FSB has published 19 national standards for fire and rescue services: these cover a range of topics relating to operational management, leadership and ethics.

The Government has accepted, in principle, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s recommendation to establish a national college of fire and rescue. The Inquiry report suggested a range of potential functions for a college to fulfil, including the development of policies and procedures to ensure both the effectiveness of fire and rescue services and the safety of firefighters and the public. The Government response to the Inquiry’s report notes that a necessary first step in the process will be to consult on the functions a college should have and how it could best be structured and delivered. We expect to launch this consultation later in the year.

Any future college function relating to national standards would build on the work already undertaken by the FSB.

Responsibility for recruitment of firefighters in pursuit rests with individual fire and rescue authorities in England.

Government funding for fire and rescue services is provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through the Local Government Finance Settlement.

Overall, fire and rescue authorities will receive around £2.87 billion in 2024/25. In 2025/26, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority has a core spending power of £74.9m, an increase of £2.4m or 3.3% compared to 2024/25.

The Final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025/26, (published on 3 February 2025) sets out that standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities, such as Dorset and Wiltshire, will see an increase in core spending power of up to £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.

It is the responsibility of each Fire and Rescue Authority to determine how to allocate the funding that they receive based on its analysis of risk and local circumstances. Officials in the Home Office and MHCLG are working with the National Fire Chiefs Council to collate evidence on the fire and rescue sector’s funding needs to HM Treasury. Decisions on any capital funding will be subject to an assessment at the next Spending Review.

Government funding for fire and rescue services is provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through the Local Government Finance Settlement.

Overall, fire and rescue authorities will receive around £2.87 billion in 2024/25. In 2025/26, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority has a core spending power of £74.9m, an increase of £2.4m or 3.3% compared to 2024/25.

The Final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025/26, (published on 3 February 2025) sets out that standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities, such as Dorset and Wiltshire, will see an increase in core spending power of up to £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.

It is the responsibility of each Fire and Rescue Authority to determine how to allocate the funding that they receive based on its analysis of risk and local circumstances. Officials in the Home Office and MHCLG are working with the National Fire Chiefs Council to collate evidence on the fire and rescue sector’s funding needs to HM Treasury. Decisions on any capital funding will be subject to an assessment at the next Spending Review.

Government funding for fire and rescue services is provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through the Local Government Finance Settlement.

Overall, fire and rescue authorities will receive around £2.87 billion in 2024/25. In 2025/26, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority has a core spending power of £74.9m, an increase of £2.4m or 3.3% compared to 2024/25.

The Final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025/26, (published on 3 February 2025) sets out that standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities, such as Dorset and Wiltshire, will see an increase in core spending power of up to £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.

It is the responsibility of each Fire and Rescue Authority to determine how to allocate the funding that they receive based on its analysis of risk and local circumstances. Officials in the Home Office and MHCLG are working with the National Fire Chiefs Council to collate evidence on the fire and rescue sector’s funding needs to HM Treasury. Decisions on any capital funding will be subject to an assessment at the next Spending Review.

Government funding for fire and rescue services is provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through the Local Government Finance Settlement.

Overall, fire and rescue authorities will receive around £2.87 billion in 2024/25. In 2025/26, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority has a core spending power of £74.9m, an increase of £2.4m or 3.3% compared to 2024/25.

The Final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025/26, (published on 3 February 2025) sets out that standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities, such as Dorset and Wiltshire, will see an increase in core spending power of up to £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.

It is the responsibility of each Fire and Rescue Authority to determine how to allocate the funding that they receive based on its analysis of risk and local circumstances. Officials in the Home Office and MHCLG are working with the National Fire Chiefs Council to collate evidence on the fire and rescue sector’s funding needs to HM Treasury. Decisions on any capital funding will be subject to an assessment at the next Spending Review.

Decisions about how Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) are run, and how their resources are allocated are a matter for Chief Fire Officers and their democratically elected Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs). They are responsible for meeting the needs of local communities in accordance their Community Risk Management Plans (CRMPs).

His Majesty’s Inspectorate for Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) carries out inspections for each FRS in England to give the public a clear, independent and impartial assessment of performance in each service.

Government funding for fire and rescue services is provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through the Local Government Finance Settlement in the form of revenue support grant (RSG) and retained business rates.

As a recommendation in phase 2 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Prime Minister has announced a Machinery of Government change, which will see all responsibility for fire and rescue transfer to MHCLG from 1st April.

Overall, fire and rescue authorities will receive around £2.87 billion in 2024/25. Additionally, Government supports fire and rescue authorities in responding to flood incidents by providing national resilience High Volume Pump (HVP) capability comprising 45 HVPs. These are available to be used by fire & rescue services across the country during major flood incidents.

The Government maintains regular engagement with the National Fire Chiefs Council to monitor and review sector led improvements to wildfire response and mitigation. In addition, the Government will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.

Government funding for fire and rescue services is provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through the Local Government Finance Settlement in the form of revenue support grant (RSG) and retained business rates.

MHCLG published the Final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025/26 on 3 February 2025 which sets out grant allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue. Standalone fire and rescue authorities will see an increase in core spending power of up to £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.

Officials will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.

Government funding for fire and rescue services is provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through the Local Government Finance Settlement in the form of revenue support grant (RSG) and retained business rates.

As a recommendation in phase 2 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Prime Minister has announced a Machinery of Government change, which will see all responsibility for fire and rescue transfer to MHCLG from 1st April.

The Home Office collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) through the Incident Recording System (IRS), with this including non-fire incidents such as suicide / attempts. This data is published available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fire-statistics.

The latest available data on the number of suicide / attempts incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services in England is published in FIRE0901: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6787b920868b2b1923b64653/fire-statistics-data-tables-fire0901-230125.xlsx

The table below provides the number of suicide/attempts incidents in England between the years ending March 2011 and March 2024.

The data in this table are consistent with records that reached the IRS by 26 November 2024, and was published on 23 January 2025.

The Government is committed to seeing more and better collaboration between emergency services to increase efficiency and public safety outcomes. The Policing and Crime Act 2017 sets out a statutory duty for ambulance trusts, fire and rescue bodies and police bodies in England to keep collaboration opportunities under review and, where it is in the interests of their efficiency or effectiveness, to put those collaboration opportunities into practice. It is for local fire and rescue services, working with emergency services counterparts, to decide what collaborative activities will be best to take forward.

The HMICFRS framework considers collaboration as part of its inspections, and we continue to work with the sector to learn more about good examples that can be shared.

The Home Office works closely with the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) to ensure that all actuarial advice, guidance and tools provided to Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs) actively reflect changes to the firefighters’ pension schemes and regulations.

GAD, in partnership with the Home Office, support FRAs by providing appropriate actuarial guidance to pensions administrators, ensuring they have the means to accurately calculate pension entitlements for retired firefighters, where necessary.

While the Home Office has responsibility for overarching policy and legislative changes to the firefighters’ pension scheme regulations, the firefighters’ pension scheme is locally administered by each individual FRA.

Fire and Rescue Authorities have duties under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) to prepare for emergencies, including major flooding. Fire Rescue Authorities also have discretionary powers to respond to incidents under their general powers in the Fire and Rescue Services Act (2004) and in response to the risks set out in their Community Risk Management Plans prepared under the National Framework.

The Home Office is undertaking further work alongside Defra, National Fire Chiefs Council and other relevant stakeholders to understand in more detail if there are gaps in the Fire and Rescue Services flooding response and resilience system.

While the Home Office has responsibility for overarching policy and legislative changes to the firefighters’ pension scheme regulations, the firefighters’ pension scheme is locally administered by each individual Fire and Rescue Authority.

The Home Office continues to work with the fire sector to support the effective implementation of the McCloud remedy for all affected individuals.

As the designated scheme manager, it is for each Fire and Rescue Authority to determine their administrative timetable, in accordance with the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022, including when remedy payments will be distributed.

The Policing and Crime Act 2017 requires ambulance trusts, fire and rescue bodies and police bodies in England to consider collaboration opportunities.

These include, where appropriate, sharing estates and assets where it is considered that it would result in improved efficiency or effectiveness for one or more partner.

Police and Crime Commissioners in several areas have also taken responsibility for governance of local fire and rescue services, and the Government is bringing forward legislation to establish more mayoral authorities which could be responsible for both police and fire and rescue.

I met with Anthea Sully, the Chair of the National Fire Chief’s Council’s (NFCC) Independent Challenge and Support Panel, prior to the report’s publication to discuss the panel’s work and its findings.

I welcomed the work of the panel, and its importance given my previous involvement with this work as the Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee and now in my ministerial role.

The Government is committed to working with the fire and rescue sector to drive meaningful culture change.

Both the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and several independent reviews of culture in specific fire and rescue services have concluded that poor culture can lead to operational incompetence and therefore present a risk to public safety.

Following the publication of this report, the Government will work where appropriate to support the sector in the delivery and implementation of the 7 calls to action set out in the report to stop racism, misogyny, and other forms of criminal and unacceptable behaviour in the workplace.

Whilst the Government is committed to ensuring fire and rescue services have the resources they need to do their important work, it is individual fire and rescue authorities that are responsible for recruitment and decisions around deployment of resources.

With the local government finance settlement now agreed, standalone fire and rescue authorities will see an increase in core spending power of £65.5m 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.