Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what measures are available to him to deal with local councils that(a) have not submitted a design for an emergency control centre, (b) have not identified a site for an emergency control centre and (c) have stated that they will not comply with the latest civil defence regulations;
(2) what is the deadline set by his Department for local councils to agree to comply with the latest civil defence regulations; and by what date councils will have to identify a site and complete a design for an emergency control centre;
(3) what reasons have been given by local councils for not implementing the civil regulations set by the Government.
§ Mr. John PattenNo local authority has refused to discharge its responsibilities under the Civil Defence (General Local Authority Functions) Regulations 1983. There are many reasons why individual authorities may not yet have fully implemented the regulations and the planned programme for implementation of the regulations ensures that the Home Office is in touch with them all. The regulations do not provide for the setting of a deadline for compliance.
The Civil Defence (General) Regulations 1949 contain sanctions which are available to the designated Minister if he is satisfied that any local authority has failed or refused properly to discharge any of the civil defence functions conferred on it; alternatively the Civil Defence (Grant) Regulations 1953 provide for the withholding of grant.
Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a list of local councils that(a) have so far failed to comply with the latest civil defence regulations, (b) have not chosen a site for an emergency centre and (c) have not yet submitted designs for an emergency centre.
§ Mr. John PattenI refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Lancashire, West (Mr. Hind) on 10 May at column198.