Hampshire County Council
21 February 2008
HFRA Budget 2008/09
Report of the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority
Contact: Mr. K. Ridout on 01962 847356
1. The Fire Authority at its meeting on 13th February 2008 approved a budget of 64.6m for 2008/09 which is a 3.5% increase on the previous year, and enables current service levels to be maintained. This budget will require a council tax increase of 3.85% and brings the council tax to a level of £58.23 at Band D.
2. Feedback from the consultation exercise, which also examined cost and service pressures identified during the budget process, considered the proposals to be very reasonable and the containment of any council tax increase within that of state pensions to be particularly welcomed.
3. The Government's Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 delivered the expected tightening of finances for the Fire Service through its proposed grant settlements over the next three financial years. It also set a target of cashable efficiency savings of over £1m for the Authority each year which have been assumed to bridge any gap between pressures on expenditure and limited increase in revenue from tax and grant. The Authority has therefore introduced an Efficiency Plan to progressively identify savings which will be used primarily to fund growth and modernisation projects emerging from the Integrated Risk Management Plan for 2008-11.
4. Other features of the financial policy include the use of specific reserves to enable continuity of both capital and modernisation programmes, and the retention of a general reserve sufficient to protect against strategic risks. The prospects for years two and three of the medium term will require the Authority to continue tight financial management but the Audit Commission's latest Performance Assessment of both the Service and Use of Resources indicates that Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority is well positioned to meet these challenges.
M.F. Cartwright
Chairman