Karen Lee MP, Labour’s Shadow Fire Minister, speaking in response to the latest data on fire service incidents which has shown that the number of incidents the Fire Service are responding to has increased by 18,000 incidents compared to last year, said:

“These latest figures show that Tory cuts to our fire service must end because our communities are at ever greater risk.

“The next Labour government will recruit new firefighters and prioritise the safety of all our communities. The Tory cuts must stop.”

Ends

Notes to editors

• FRSs attended 566,572 incidents in the year ending September 2017. This was a three per cent increase compared with the previous year (548,899)
• https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/679924/fire-and-rescue-incident-sep17-hosb0418.pdf