§ Baroness Blatchasked Her Majesty's Government:
What arrangements they have made with the media, and in particular the BBC, for the public to receive information in the case of emergency situations. [HL 1743]
§ The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Lord Macdonald of Tradeston)Standing arrangements are in place with broadcasters to convey information to the public in a time of crisis. Complementing these arrangements, the BBC, with the support of the National Steering Committee on Warning and Informing the Public (NSCWIP), recently publisedConnecting in a Crisis, which advises local broadcasters and emergency planning communities on the development of effective local relationships.
A working party established early in 2002 by the Media Emergency Forum (MEF) to review the arrangements for keeping the public informed through the media in the event of a major emergency or crisis reported to Ministers in July 2002.
The working party report and Connecting in a Crisis are available on www.ukresilience.info.
In addition, the National Attack Warning System draws extensively on the support of the BBC network. This arrangement enables government to issue public information at very short notice in the most extreme situations.