§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will list the civil defence grant allocations by local authority, in(a) cash and (b) real terms; and if she will make a statement on civil defence in Scotland. [87035]
§ Mrs. LiddellCivil Defence grant to Scottish local authorities ceased with the signing of the Civil Defence (Grant) (Scotland) Regulations 2001 in March 2001. Financial support for local authorities for the emergency planning work which they carry out continues to be provided at the request of local authorities through the normal GAE mechanism.
In Scotland there are well-established procedures for dealing with a wide range of civil emergencies. Following the events of 11 September a range of additional measures have been put in place. These provide significant funding for new equipment for the emergency services; new procedures for dealing with suspect packages; and guidance on dealing with the threat from, and consequences of, chemical and biological incidents. In addition my Department and Scottish Executive colleagues are fully involved in the work being led by the Cabinet Office in resilience planning across the UK.