I met with Chris Lowther, Chief Fire Officer for Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS), to discuss the current consultation on proposed changes to the Service’s operational response. The consultation is in response to the Conservative Government forcing the TWFRS to find a further £3.6 million in savings over the next three years. The TWFRS has been disproportionately impacted by Government austerity over the past eight years. The Fire Service has already seen more than £25 million cut from its budget since 2010. The
Government’s approach is unfair, with Metropolitan and northern fire and rescue services losing out most from the funding reductions. A Labour Government would reverse the current trend by recruiting 3000 new firefighters, reviewing staffing levels and consulting on national minimum standards for the service. The TWFRS’s consultation closes in mid-January. I take these issues seriously and will follow the outcome of the consultation closely.