Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Deferred
Gain assurance on local organisations' capacities, capabilities, and risk registers and plans.
Recommendation
Local organisations have a critical role to play in developing UK resilience, but the Cabinet Office does not know if they have the capacity or capability to fulfil their role effectively. Local organisations, such as the local responders represented in local resilience forums and other voluntary and community organisations have a critical role in making the UK resilient. For example, each forum produces a community risk register setting out the greatest risks to their local area, what is 8 Government resilience: extreme weather being done to manage them and where the public can get help or advice. They also prepare supporting emergency plans, that may either be generic plans that describe a response to a wide range of possible scenarios, such as a major incident plan, or specific plans that deal with a particular kind of emergency, such as a flood. However, central government does not check local plans to see if they are fit for purpose and does not know if local organisations have the capacity and capability to fulfil their functions effectively. The Cabinet Office, in its 2021 integrated review of security, defence, development and foreign policy, recognised the that the roles and responsibilities of these forums needs to be strengthened. The Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities plans to pilot ways to strengthen their leadership and accountability by 2025. Recommendation 7: The Cabinet Office, working with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, should put measures in place to gain assurance on local organisations’ capacities and capabilities and to gain assurance on local risk registers and plans so support and resources can be targeted where improvement is most needed. Government resilience: extreme weather 9 1 Building resilience
Government Response Summary
The government is deferring a response until a review of national resilience has concluded, overseen by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and will write to the new Committee in the meantime.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced that he would oversee a review of national resilience. A Treasury Minute will be published once this review has concluded. The Cabinet Office will write to the new Committee in the meantime.