§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Defence (Mr Adam Ingram) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
Civil Contingency Reaction Forces (CCRFs) achieved full operating capability by 31 December 2003 as planned. Fourteen CCRFs are now available to support the civil authorities if they ask for military assistance.
The emergency services would lead on the response to any incident and can call on a range of support, which includes the specially trained CCRFs as 16WS required. A programme of exercises between local CCRFs and emergency services began in 2003 to test how they would work together in an emergency. CCRFs will provide general duties support consistent with the established military aid framework, and the normal Ministry of Defence command structure.
It is important to remember that CCRFs are just one of the ways in which the Armed Forces can provide support, and that support itself would be part of a much wider response.