While our RNLI, Mountain and Cave Rescue and Air Ambulance services do amazing jobs saving lives across the UK they are not currently given any funding by government. You can use this council motion to call on government to do more to back our overlooked emergency services.
This motion is adapted from the work of Oldham Liberal Democrat group.
Government funding for our overlooked emergency services
Council recognises, with pride and gratitude, the tremendous professionalism and commitment shown by our emergency services personnel (ambulance, fire, police and coastguard) day-in-day out, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, three of our essential emergency services currently remain almost completely unfunded by central government and largely run with financial support from the public by selfless and dedicated volunteers; these being the UK’s mountain and cave rescue services; air ambulance services; and the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI).
Many injured or ill residents and visitors to this area have been beneficiaries of the services provided by the Mountain Rescue Team and Air Ambulance Service, and some residents will have also been assisted at sea by the RNLI, yet these services almost wholly rely upon public donations, which are uncertain, rather than having any guarantee of their costs being reimbursed by central government.
Council believes this is unfair, and that some government funding should be provided to guarantee these invaluable services a certain level of income every year.
Council resolves to ask the Chief Executive to:
- Write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to request that the UK government provide annual funding to these services on an ongoing basis as a clear commitment in the 2022 March Budget.
- Copy in our local MPs seeking their support.