Emergencies: Planning
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of mechanisms of accountability of Local Resilience Forum Chairs to Members of Parliament.
Answered by Samantha Dixon
Under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, statutory duties for emergency planning rest with individual Category 1 responders, who fulfil these duties collaboratively through Local Resilience Forums (LRFs). LRFs are not statutory bodies and therefore hold no independent legal responsibilities.
Each Category 1 responder remains accountable through its own governance arrangements—for example, local authority leadership or Police and Crime Commissioners.
LRF Chairs are drawn from Category 1 organisations and serve in a coordinating and facilitative role, bringing partners together to plan for emergencies.
Guidance encourages LRF Chairs to maintain constructive relationships with elected members and MPs to support awareness, communication, and public confidence. This government recognises the valuable role MPs play in emergencies, strengthening community preparedness and supporting local response efforts.
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