§ Mr. ThorneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what booklets and information are currently available to the general public about home defence and civil protection;
(2) what current efforts are being made to increase public awareness of home defence and civil protection; and what plans he has for any future campaign.
§ Mr. John PattenIn 1985 we published the emergency planning guidance to local authorities which provides detailed planning advice on wartime and other emergencies. It is accompanied by handbooks on communal shelter, protective qualities of buildings and emergency feeding. Work is in hand on new handbooks on communications and environmental health. A booklet entitled "Domestic Nuclear Shelters—Technical Guidance", published in 1981, is still in print.
The booklet and video entitled "Civil Protection", published in 1986, give a general introduction to the subject of civil defence and emergency planning. There are no immediate plans to revise this material. The quarterly magazine "Civil Protection" provides information on matters of current interest. Copies of all publications are in the Library.
§ Mr. ThorneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many local authorities have been required to draw up an emergency plan; which have complied and which have not; and if he will make such plans available to the general public.
§ Mr. John PattenAll 54 county councils and fire and civil defence authorities in England and Wales are required to draw up emergency plans under the Civil Defence (General Local Authority Functions) Regulations 1983. Monitoring of their performance in doing so will not be completed until the end of 1989, but none is refusing to meet its statutory obligations. The Government encourage the publication of plans, but this is a matter for individual local authorities. Additionally, local authorities have responsibilities under the Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1984 in relation to the preparation of plans to deal with any off-site consequences of accidents at certain major installations in their areas.
§ Mr. ThorneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the financial arrangements with local authorities for the funding of works in connection with home defence and civil protection; and if he will set out the sums expended to the present date.
§ Mr. John PattenGrant-aid is payable towards the cost of the discharge by local authorities' of their statutory civil defence functions, including works in connection with the establishment of emergency control centres for use in the event of hostile attack or its threat. There is central funding of some works connected with communications. The Civil Protection in Peacetime Act 1986 allows civil defence resources to be used in response to peacetime emergencies. The expenditure figures do not specifically identify the funding of works. Overall local authority expenditure which attracted civil defence grant was as follows: 191W
£ million 1983–84 11.20 1984–85 13.27 1985–86 15.25 1986–87 16.90 1987–88 121.26 1 estimated
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what practical equipment has been supplied to the South Yorkshire fire and civil defence forces for combating the after effects of a possible nuclear attack or accident.
§ Mr. John PattenThe Home Office has supplied radiation monitoring equipment and communications equipment to the South Yorkshire fire and civil defence authority for civil defence purposes. Information about equipment obtained from other sources is a matter for the authority to provide.