AQW 24331/22-27

Mr Andrew McMurray
Alliance Party
South Down

Tabled Date: 12/03/2025
Answered On Date: 01/04/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister to detail any action their Department is taking to ensure that local authorities have up-to-date emergency response plans.

Answer:

The Executive Office co-ordinates civil contingencies planning across the Executive, in line with the NI Civil Contingencies Framework – ‘Building Resilience Together.’

The Framework lays out arrangements for effective emergency management for preparing for, responding to and recovering from an emergency across Government, Local Government and responding agencies.

The Northern Ireland Emergency Preparedness Group (NIEPG) is jointly chaired by PSNI and Local Government. Its purpose is to ensure that work at local level is in line with strategic direction set out in the Framework or provided by CCG (NI).

Whilst the Executive Office provides best practice and guidance in the form of the Framework and contributes to greater planning and exercising expertise via the Civil Contingencies Division Learning & Development strategy, it is for local authorities to ensure they have up-to-date emergency response plans.