Question
I welcome the statement and I support the Be Ready campaign. The Committee heard from the fire and rescue service, which is very much in support of the whole society resilience approach. A constant theme was the need for clarity on the role that the Government would like the fire and rescue service to play in this space. Essentially, when looking at the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, I urge the Minister to think about the role that the fire and rescue service could play and to make sure it is part of the process.
Answer
The Chair of the Select Committee raises an important point, which I know was discussed at the Prime Minister’s inaugural wildfire summit just last week. It is absolutely on the Prime Minister’s mind and it has been raised with me on a number of occasions at a local level. I know that colleagues in other Departments are looking, along with my own Department, at what more we can do.20% vibes
Verdict: RED (14/100)
The reply discusses the wildfire summit, ministerial attention and cross-departmental work, but it does not say what role the fire and rescue service is expected to play in the whole-society resilience approach, so the first part of the question goes unanswered. On the second part, the reply only says the Department is 'looking at what more we can do', which is vague and does not mention the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 or any commitment to involve fire and rescue services. The asker would most likely need to submit a follow-up to get a specific answer.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What role does the Government envisage for the fire and rescue service within the whole society resilience approach? | Not Addressed | Generic | The reply mentions the wildfire summit, ministerial attention and cross-departmental work, but never says what role the fire and rescue service is envisaged to have within the whole-society resilience approach. |
| Will the Minister consider the role the fire and rescue service could play under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and ensure it is included in the relevant process? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply says the Department and colleagues are 'looking at what more we can do', which gestures at consideration, but it never mentions the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, the fire service's role under it, or any commitment to include the service in the relevant process. |