Written question asked by Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party) on Monday, 11 January 2016, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 14 January 2016 (named day). It was answered by Oliver Letwin (Conservative) on Thursday, 14 January 2016 on behalf of the Cabinet Office.

Civil Contingencies Secretariat

Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will direct the civil contingencies secretariat to ensure there is liaison with the devolved nations on best practice procedures in its area of practice.

Answer: The Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat routinely works with the devolved administrations, including in the sharing of best practice. They are represented on official-level governance boards that cover all the key areas of resilience, including risk assessment, protection of critical national infrastructure, and capability planning. There are also established arrangements in place for linking the UK Government’s emergency co-ordination structures with those in the devolved nations, to ensure a co-ordinated response.

Secondary information