HC Deb 21 March 2003 vol 401 cc957-8W
Mr. Keetch

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make a statement on his Department's(a) responsibilities and (b) assets with regard to civil contingency planning; what funds are committed; what action he is taking within his Department to improve such planning; and what action he is taking in collaboration with other departments. [102625]

Mr. Alexander

I refer the hon. Member to the statement my hon. Friend the Home Secretary made on civil contingencies on 3 March 2003,Official Report, column 72WS, as part of the debates on the approval of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 Order 2003 and the Intelligence and Security Committee report on the Bali bombing. The statement refers to the Lead Government Department Paper which Cabinet Office placed in the Library of the House on 23 July 2002 and which sets out the role of the lead Government Departments in planning for and managing crises.

The Civil Contingencies Secretariat, a part of the Cabinet Office, supports the Home Secretary in co-ordinating the work to enhance civil contingency planning.

Its current objectives are to:

  1. 1. lead horizon scanning activity to identify and assess potential and imminent disruptive challenges to the domestic UK and assist in the development of an integrated response. Build partnerships with other organisations to develop and share best practice in horizon scanning and develop the knowledge of the UK's critical networks and infrastructure.
  2. 2. ensure that the Government can continue to function and deliver public services during crises, working with Departments and other Secretariats in the Cabinet Office to ensure that plans and systems to cover the full range of potential disruption are in place and exercised. CCS would provide support to the Civil Contingencies Committee which would meet in the case of a specific emergency to co-ordinate the government's response.
  3. 3. lead the delivery of improved resilience to disruption across Government and the public sector, including supporting Ministers in developing policy, agreeing priorities and planning assumptions and ensuring that core response capabilities are developed accordingly. This includes the development and promulgation of doctrine.
  4. 4. improve the capability of all levels of Government, the wider public sector and the private and voluntary sectors to prepare for, respond to and manage potential challenges, through development of key skills and awareness.

To carry out this role, £39.5 million was allocated to the CCS in February 2003. This included the £10 million administration and capital costs of the Secretariat, the £19 million Local Authority Grant and £10 million to the Met Office. In addition the Office of the e-Envoy has a budget of just over £6. 9 million for the Emergency Communications Network.