Hampshire County Council Item 13(a)

21 February 2007

HFRA Budget 2007/08

Report of the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority

Contact: Mr. K. Ridout on 01962 847356.

1. The Fire Authority has approved a budget of £62.4m for 2007/08, an increase of 4.8% on the previous year, which is sufficient to deliver further progress on the Integrated Risk Management Plan and maintain service levels currently regarded as excellent. This budget will require a council tax increase of 4.5% and a council tax level at Band D of £56.07. Feedback from the consultation process which examined the cost and other pressures faced by the service considered a 4.5% increase to be "reasonable in the circumstances".

2. Significantly, these circumstances include the Authority's achievement in meeting its financial policy objective of containing council tax increases at or below the level of state pension increases, averaged over a 3 year period. Other features of the financial policy are the retention of sufficient reserves to protect against strategic risks assessed annually, and the continued funding of vehicle replacements from revenue rather than borrowing. This leaves the Authority better placed to finance the remainder of its future capital programme.

M.F. Cartwright

Chairman

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