HC Deb 22 November 2000 vol 357 c225W
Mr. Martyn Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to review the definition of a designated disaster area. [139590]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

I have been asked to reply.

There is no formal definition of a "disaster area".

The common working definition of a disaster is any event (happening with or without warning) causing or threatening death or injury, damage to property or to the environment or disruption to the community, which because of the scale of its effects cannot be dealt with by the emergency services and local authorities as part of their day-to-day activities.

There are no plans to review this definition.

Back to