---

Pitt Report

I want to acknowledge the excellence of the work done by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee in looking at this matter. This is a job for all of us to work on. I have announced the first six authorities today. The plan is to fund another 44 or so to complete that work over the next couple of years. We are going to do that in order, depending on where the risk is greatest. However, I take the right hon. Gentleman's point about the increasing unpredictability of the weather. In agreeing with Sir Michael's recommendations, we are saying clearly today that this is a responsibility for all of us, everywhere. All local authorities need to think about what they would do in such circumstances. During the summer, and subsequently, we saw the benefit of advance planning and of the emergency rescue services. By and large, those arrangements worked pretty well over the summer of 2007, and that was because people had got organised and because the Gold Command system worked.