Question
As a Cornish MP, I can tell the House that we had 18,000 off-grid again this weekend with Storm Austen. We all worked together closely during Storm Goretti, and I want to mention Cormac, our farmers, the National Grid and our parish councils. National guidance was missing during Storm Goretti. It is really important that we now have it and that we have a locally led response, with parish emergency plans in place. Other countries have been doing this for years and I am really pleased that this Government have finally brought it in and have launched the campaign. One issue we will always have, though, is comms. We do not have copper wire any more. Perhaps internet and mobile phone providers should be category 2 responders under the Civil Contingencies Act. I wonder if the Minister could comment on that.
Answer
I am very grateful to my hon. Friend, not least because the Cornwall experience and the experience of Storm Goretti has been genuinely important in shaping this campaign. I am grateful to her and her Cornish colleagues for the important role they play. A storm summit will be taking place in Cornwall towards the end of November. I have asked the director of Cobra and his deputy to be there. That will provide a really important forum for discussing the kinds of issues my hon. Friend has raised today.
Verdict: RED (10/100)
The question asked whether the Government would designate internet and mobile phone providers as Category 2 responders, and the reply does not state a view on that. It mentions a forthcoming storm summit and Cobra attendance, and says the Government will discuss the kinds of issues raised, but it gives no position on the designation itself. The asker would most likely need to ask again to get an answer.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is the Government's view on whether internet and mobile phone providers should be designated as category 2 responders under the Civil Contingencies Act? | Not Addressed | Generic | The question asks for the Government's view on designating internet and mobile phone providers as Category 2 responders, and no statement states a view on that designation. The reply only mentions a forthcoming storm summit and Cobra attendance, and says it will discuss 'the kinds of issues' raised, which is a gesture rather than a position on the specific question. |