§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many county emergency officers are in post; in what salary range; what are their primary duties; who is responsible for co-ordinating their activities and duties; what total funds are spent in this regard annually; and what criteria they observe before declaring a disaster.
§ Dr. SummerskillI have been asked to reply.
The Greater London Council and the 53 counties in England and Wales have all appointed an emergency planning officer, usually assisted by a small team, to undertake the statutory home defence planning functions of the local authority and to assist with the co-ordination of peacetime emergency plans. Guidance on the policy aspects of peacetime emergency planning is given by the appropriate Government Departments, but it is for the local authority concerned to determine the duties of the emergency planning officer. Annual salaries range from £4,345 to £7,927 and total expenditure on emergency planning teams in 1976–77 was £1.376 million. The response to peacetime disasters is determined by the circumstances, rather than predetermined criteria.