Civil Contingencies Bill Seminar

On 22 July, GOL's London Resilience Team co-organised a seminar on the Cabinet Office's draft Civil Contingencies Bill which was published in June.  The seminar was hosted by the Corporation of London and was attended by over 300 representatives of the emergency planning community, including representatives from the emergency services, local government, transport and utilities sectors, business and the health service.

The keynote address was delivered by Nick Raynsford, the Local Government Minister with responsibility for Civil Resilience who described the main aims and objectives of the Bill. These are to create new regional and local civil resilience structures - to ensure greater consistency and transparency in emergency planning across the country - and to provide for a more up-to-date and flexible application of emergency powers.

Mr Raynsford said:

"I believe that the proposed new arrangements will be of benefit to all those involved in emergency planning, by reducing obstacles to co-operation and by bringing greater certainty and transparency to the emergency planning process at all levels. The Bill also provides – for the first time – for an organised regional response to an emergency situation."

The audience then heard more detailed explanations of the various elements of the Bill from Susan Scholefield, Head of the Civil Contingencies Secretariat, and Zyg Kowalczyk, Director of the London Resilience Team.   Both stressed that the Government is keen to hear the views of the emergency planning community on all aspects of the Bill before they are finalised.  A useful and interesting question and answer session followed with members of the audience questioning aspects of the proposals and giving their views on the various key points which the Government is consulting on.

Copies of the draft Bill and consultation document are available online at www.ukresilience.info. The seminar was part of the London Resilience Team's wider work to strengthen the capital's preparedness and to improve emergency planning structures at both the regional and local level in the Capital. Further information about London Resilience http://www.londonprepared.gov.uk/