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6 Feb 2004 : Column 1083W—continued
CABINET OFFICE
Civil Contigencies
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has for the training of personnel in multi-agency roles in civil contingency. [153039]
Mr. Alexander: The Emergency Planning College, which is part of the Cabinet Office, has been the long-standing primary provider of training in emergency planning. All of this training is conducted in a multi-agency environment and students are drawn from the local, regional and national levels.
The College's forward plan is based on a progressive expansion of its current programme designed also to meet the growing demand for training arising from the Civil Contingencies Bill. This expansion programme will include the recruitment of additional instructors, a wider range of courses and the exploitation of its new teaching and accommodation facilities.
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how he intends to ensure that there will be a common training programme for those involved in contingency planning at regional and national level. [153040]
Mr. Alexander: The Emergency Planning College, has been the long-standing primary provider of training in emergency planning. Government delivered or sponsored training in contingency planning, including that of the College, accords with the common doctrine laid out in 'Dealing with Disaster' produced by the Civil Contingencies Secretariat within the Cabinet Office. This publication, revised and re-issued in Summer 2003, gives the overall guidance on terminology, practice, procedure and principles for the management of major emergencies.
Once the Civil Contingencies Bill passes into law, 'Dealing with Disaster' will be replaced with new guidance.
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how he intends to ensure that those responsible for competence and continuity in regional and national contingency planning fully discharge their responsibilities to the public. [153041]
Mr. Alexander: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary chairs Cabinet Committees overseeing this work. Their membership includes Ministers representing the Government Departments that have responsibilities in this area as well as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, which is responsible for Regional resilience, and senior representatives of the emergency services and intelligence and security services. These Committees drive and monitor both
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contingency planning and the resilience capability building programme. The Cabinet Secretariat, under Sir David Omand, provides central co-ordination for this activity, including monitoring relevant training and exercising of emergency capabilities.
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Government Departments are involved in civil contingency co-ordination at (a) national and (b) regional level. [153042]
Mr. Alexander: The Home Secretary has overall responsibility for co-ordinating the Government's response to major emergencies at both national and regional levels. He chairs the Civil Contingencies Committee.
At the national level, the Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS) in the Cabinet Office, under the Security and Intelligence Co-ordinator, Sir David Omand, has the task of driving, monitoring and co-ordinating the range of departmental work necessary to develop the UK's resilience and contingency planning ability. The core frameworks through which the CCS co-ordinates the contingencies planning of Government Departments are the Capabilities Programme, announced by the Home Secretary in a statement to the House on 3 March 2003, and the Lead Government Department list, announced in answer to a Parliamentary Question on 23 July 2002.
At the regional level, the Government has established a new civil protection tier designed to provide a strong bridge between civil contingency planning at national and local levels. This activity is co-ordinated through the Government Offices for the Regions and the Regional Co-ordination Unit in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Departmental Staff
Mr. Russell Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what percentage of staff employed within the Office are over 55 years of age; and what (a) number and (b) percentage of staff recruited over the last 12 months are over 55 years of age. [145769]
Mr. Alexander [pursuant to his reply, 20 January 2004 Official Report, c. 1130–32W]: The following answer should be used.
Table A shows the number and percentage of staff in departments and agencies aged 55 and over at 1 April 2003. Table B shows the number and percentage of recruits to departments and agencies over the period 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 who are aged 55 years and over. The figures in both tables are based on the headcount of permanent civil servants. The numbers and totals are rounded to the nearest 10 from the raw data, while the percentages shown are calculated using the raw data alone. Hence the percentage does not always appear as if calculated from the rounded numbers. Any numbers and percentages less than five have been suppressed and are displayed as a dash.
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| Department | Age 55+ | Others | Total | Percent 55+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabinet Office | 180 | 1,780 | 1,960 | 9.4 |
| COI | 30 | 330 | 360 | 8.1 |
| Sec & Int Services | 490 | 4,200 | 4,690 | 10.4 |
| DCMS | 50 | 640 | 690 | 7.5 |
| MOD | 18,550 | 74,900 | 93,450 | 19.8 |
| ODPM (excluding Agencies) | 350 | 2,600 | 2,940 | 11.9 |
| DfES | 470 | 4,760 | 5,220 | 8.9 |
| DEFRA | 1,410 | 9,680 | 11,080 | 12.7 |
| Home Office | 1,900 | 20,520 | 22,420 | 8.5 |
| Charity Commission | 50 | 520 | 580 | 9.0 |
| HM Prison Service | 6,100 | 38,060 | 44,160 | 13.8 |
| Crown Prosecution Service | 550 | 6,890 | 7,440 | 7.4 |
| Legal Secretariat | 10 | 30 | 30 | 16.7 |
| Treasury Solicitors | 40 | 500 | 540 | 7.8 |
| CPSI | 10 | 40 | 40 | 11.9 |
| DCA | 2,210 | 10,310 | 12,530 | 17.7 |
| HM Land Registry | 1,100 | 7,840 | 8,940 | 12.3 |
| Trade and Industry | 1,280 | 8,970 | 10,240 | 12.5 |
| ACAS | 150 | 750 | 900 | 16.8 |
| ECGD | 50 | 340 | 390 | 12.7 |
| OFGEM | 10 | 260 | 270 | 2.9 |
| Health & Safety Executive | 580 | 3,680 | 4,260 | 13.6 |
| OFWAT | 10 | 230 | 240 | 5.4 |
| OS | 140 | 1,640 | 1,780 | 7.6 |
| DfT (excluding Agencies) | 250 | 1,700 | 1,940 | 12.7 |
| HM Treasury | 60 | 980 | 1,040 | 5.4 |
| Customs & Excise | 2,490 | 20,470 | 22,950 | 10.8 |
| GAD | 10 | 90 | 100 | 10.3 |
| Inland Revenue | 8,580 | 74,260 | 82,840 | 10.4 |
| ONS | 340 | 3,130 | 3,470 | 9.8 |
| Royal Mint | 90 | 720 | 810 | 10.6 |
| DWP | 11,860 | 122,410 | 134,270 | 8.8 |
| Northern Ireland Office | 320 | 160 | 190 | 17.7 |
| Privy Council Office | — | 30 | 30 | 8.8 |
| Scottish Executive | 1,190 | 10,920 | 12,110 | 9.8 |
| Crown Office & PFS | 80 | 1,380 | 1,450 | 5.4 |
| General Register Office (Scotland) | 40 | 180 | 220 | 17.7 |
| National Archive for Scotland | 20 | 130 | 150 | 12.6 |
| Office SOS for Scotland | 10 | 90 | 100 | 11.7 |
| Registers of Scotland | 90 | 1,280 | 1,370 | 6.8 |
| National Assembly of Wales | 430 | 3,290 | 3,720 | 11.6 |
| OHMCI | 10 | 80 | 90 | 14.6 |
| Wales Office | 10 | 40 | 50 | 18.8 |
Source:
Mandate: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Rounding may lead to inconsistencies between the sum of individual cells and the totals are calculated from the unrounded numbers. Numbers and percentages less than five have been suppressed and are represented by "—".
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