Cabinet Office UK Resilience

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Interim Report - November 2001

Lead Responsibilities

Where there is a clear responsibility placed on a particular agency to provide public warnings, and the necessary resources are made available to achieve this, considerable improvements result in the way in which the public are both alerted and kept informed during major emergencies.

Due to the threat of litigation, there is obvious reluctance by agencies to voluntarily assume a responsibility for warning the public, or to willingly take on a statutory responsibility to do so, unless Government:

• Provides the resources [in the case of public agencies (e.g. emergency services or local authorities)] or

• Allows private companies (e.g. privatised utility companies) to recover their costs through increased charges.

The review of national emergency planning legislation currently being undertaken by the Cabinet Office provides a unique opportunity to examine the need to clarify the statutory responsibilities in respect of public warning. The NSC feels that Government should make the best use of this opportunity to clarify roles and accountabilities.

The NSC is of the opinion that the Government should take a more positive and proactive role in the development of improved arrangements to warn and inform the public during major emergencies and that responsibility for the overall co-ordination of this should rest with the Cabinet Office.

Recommendations on lead responsibilities
The NSC recommends that:

• The review of national emergency planning legislation being undertaken by the Cabinet Office clarifies the statutory responsibilities in respect of public warning.

• That Government takes a more positive and proactive role in the development of public warning arrangements.

• The Cabinet Office is made responsible for the overall co-ordination of public warning arrangements and initiatives.