§ Baroness Gardner of Parkesasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have reached any conclusions on the review of the Civil Defence College.
§ The Earl of ArranYes. My right honourable friend the Home Secretary has today placed a document in the Library setting out the ground covered by the review and the decisions which he has taken as a result.
The college will have a greater analytical and developmental role in civil defence policy, within the framework of Home Office policy objectives. It will concentrate on training at senior level. The numbers of general courses will be reduced and replaced by workshops for civil defence planners. The college will continue to advise and assist local authorities with their training at local level. Some limited development in planning for peacetime emergencies within the framework established by the Civil Protection in Peacetime Act 1986 will be initiated. There will be new arrangements for liaison and advisory groups on which the local authorities and their staff will be represented. The co-ordination of volunteer effort in civil defence will be further examined.
The work of implementing these changes will now be taken foward by Home Office officials. There will be full discussions with the local authority associations, the professional organisations and the Trade Union Side of the Home Office Departmental Whitley Council as the work progresses.