THE Government has ignored the pleas of fire chiefs – and hundreds of Press readers – and imposed an effective cut in funding on North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service.

Ministers have confirmed that the fire authority’s grant for 2009/10 will rise by only 0.5 per cent, as was provisionally proposed last year – well below the rate of inflation –with the same percentage increase likely to be imposed in the following year as well.

A fire service spokeswoman said today it was “extremely disappointed” at the decision, which came after the authority had been actively campaigning for a fairer allocation of the grant.

She said the campaign message had been that the Government could maintain the same total spending while making its allocation to authorities a lot fairer.

“It is still too early to say how that shortfall will be met in the future,” she said.

“However, we want to reassure local communities that our first priority is to protect our emergency response service and there are currently no plans to reduce this service.”

She said the service was continuing to carry out “best value-style” reviews to see what, if any, further savings could be identified in its support functions.

“Longer term, this low settlement, together with the current prospects for future settlements, may affect the broader preventative activities of the service, which have had a significant impact in driving down risks and the consequences of fires and road accidents,” she said.

“These include education initiatives, home fire risk checks, the fitting of free smoke alarms, fire safety advice to businesses and close partnership working, along with other initiatives aimed at community safety both in the home and on the road.”

York MP Hugh Bayley, who took The Press’s Fight The Fire Cuts campaign to the heart of Government by handing over our petition to the Speaker of the House of Commons, said: “I am disappointed with the decision.

“I gave the campaign my full support and mobilised MPs from all ten local authorities to jointly lobby the government.

“I won’t let this matter drop and hope that our fire service does better next year.

“In the meantime, it’s essential for front-line services to be protected and I know this is what North Yorkshire’s fire chief’s will do.”

The Press’s petition called for North Yorkshire to be given fair Government funding so it could carry on fighting and preventing fires across the region.

Mr Bayley insisted the campaign had been worthwhile, saying it would focus the Government’s mind on the need for a better increase in the next funding round.