Resilience under review with new ‘call for views’ on Civil Contingencies Act

Undertaking its five yearly review of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, the Cabinet Office is seeking views on the impact on resilience of changes to the way that local authorities and emergency services are governed, how to strengthen the local resilience system and whether national resilience arrangements should be reworked and brought under the auspices of the Act.

The consultation paper published this week comes after considerable changes in the way that emergency services will be governed as devolution moves ahead at pace in England. With the introduction of Strategic Authorities and Mayors in England; the abolition of Police and Crime Commissioners in 2028 and the impact of local government reorganisation on fire and rescue services, the context will change meaning that the role and leadership for resilience and emergency planning is ripe for review.

The Civil Contingencies Act includes a definition for an emergency and sets out two types of responders: Category 1 is mostly statutory agencies like fire, police and ambulance; Category 2 include utilities and transport and are not always responding immediately the emergency. The consultation asks whether the current definition works and if other organisations should be added to the mix.

Looking at the arrangements for resilience at a local level, the consultation asks if the existing Local Resilience Forum set up with strategic and tactical groups works to deliver at the planning and preparation stage as well as response and recovery. It looks at the profession, the geographical extent and – referring to the structural review of police forces being undertaken by Lord Bernard Hogan Howe, whether the link to police force areas should remain in place.

It also looks at the way that the lead government department model works for resilience and whether it should be directed from a single government body with powers in legislation that could mean a change to the 2004 Act.

Responders with a link to Critical National Infrastructure and the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector are also included in this consultation with questions about their roles in emergencies and whether the way they work under the current legislation is effective. The role of the VCFS was captured under a previous separate consultation where government did not commit to place their activity on a statutory footing.

Read the full consultation – Civil Contingencies Act 2004: Call for Views – open for responses until 5 October 2026.

Resilience is a big topic at this year’s Emergency Services Show with panels on climate and health resilience on the Protecting the Protectors stage and a conference for Local Resilience Forums running alongside the show. Launching this year, the show will also host Resilience 360 to widen out the debate about resilience. Register to attend here.