Fire service cuts will cost lives, warns John Healey

WENTWORTH and Dearne MP John Healey says more people will die if cuts to the fire service go ahead as planned.

Mr Healey told a debate on fire and rescue funding that deep cuts over the last two years to the funding of the country’s six metropolitan fire areas, which include South Yorkshire,  were “unfair, unequal and hard to justify”.

Richer, rural counties had seen their funding increased under a new funding formula which gave an advantage to areas which were able to raise more in council tax.

“In South Yorkshire alone, we have to cut one in seven of our full-time firefighters,” said Mr Healey.

“If the pattern of years one and two is repeated in years three and four, our areas together will be looking at axing an extra 1,000 firefighters, 150 extra staff and another 40 fire engines,” Mr Healey added.

“Bluntly, more people will die.”

Speaking for the Government, Mark Prisk MP, said a consultation was under way on local government funding, which is had an impact on fire and rescue authority funding, and that the Government would listen carefully to representations.

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