“I am relieved that the Fire Authority has decided not to waste even more taxpayers’ money by challenging the Home Secretary’s decision to merge the governance of the police and fire services” says Michael Fabricant.

“They had been planning to call a judicial review into the decision which would have been very costly.

“I have been disappointed with the Fire Authority over the years from their management of fire stations to their aborted plans for a multi million pound fire prevention “theme park” in Stafford.  A monument to their incompetence has been the construction of a brand new fire station in Lichfield with fewer fire fighting appliances.  I hope that under the guidance of Matthew Ellis, the Staffordshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Staffordshire’s Fire Service will enjoy a renaissance.”

Michael raised this matter in the House of Commons Chamber (on Monday 16^th April) with the Home Secretary.

He asked  “Is my right honourable Friend (the Home Secretary) as pleased as I am to hear that Staffordshire fire service is now not going to take to judicial review her decision to merge the governance of Staffordshire’s police and fire services?  Does she agree with me—and, more importantly, with Matthew Ellis, our excellent PCC—that this merger will mean that an additional £10 million a year will be saved, which can go into frontline services?”

Amber Rudd, The Home Secretary replied  “Yes, and I thank my honourable Friend for his local leadership in achieving this. It was not uncontroversial for a while, so I am grateful that it has been able to go through, and that he accepts and the local authorities have accepted the independent advice we have received. I hope he and Matthew Ellis, and all the other organisations involved, will make a great success of it.”