§ Mr. TruswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to mitigate the reductions in the 2001–02 budgets of fire and civil defence authorities arising from the fire call element of the standard spending assessment. [13598]
§ Dr. WhiteheadAll metropolitan fire authorities received an increase in grant in 2001–02 and will receive an increase in grant, as a result of the floor and ceiling mechanism, in the 2002–03 local government finance settlement.
We recognise that the fire calls element of the fire Standard Spending Assessment is a perverse incentive and are committed to removing this indicator as part of the current review of local government finance. That review, which is being undertaken in partnership with local government, is looking at a number of ways in which the fire calls indicator might be replaced from 2003–04.