Transparency data
Fire and Rescue Authority financial reserves: March 2023
Provides information on the level of financial reserves held by each standalone fire and rescue authority in 2022 to 2023.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs) can keep part of their funding in financial reserves to:
- help manage financial risk
- fund major future costs, such as change programmes aimed at improving services to the public
Usable financial reserves are split into:
- resource - these include a general fund to cover unforeseen pressures and earmarked reserves which are held for a specific purpose
- capital - these are ring-fenced for capital investment
As at March 2023, standalone fire and rescue authorities’ resource reserves stood at £499 million. This is equivalent to 32% of their core spending power.
Updates to this page
Published 18 December 2025