§ Mr. Stephen Rossasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will reconsider, as a matter of urgency, 292W the role which local authorities ought to undertake in collaboration with the other services when different parts of the country are struck by emergencies such as recent flooding and heavy snowfalls.
§ Mr. ShoreI am considering what lessons can be learnt from recent emergencies and whether local authorities need fresh advice on how to deal with them. Initial reports from the affected areas indicate that the response of the local councils and other agencies was generally very prompt and effective, and that the advice already available to them in the circular issued on 2nd September 1975 (ES7/1975) by the Home Office jointly with my Department (DOE Circular No. 80/75) and the Welsh Office (Circular No. 146/75) has proved to be satisfactory.