Recommendation MAI-142: Compel LRF attendance from Category 1 and 2 responders

The Civil Contingencies Act (2004) Regulations (2005) (Cabinet Office) set out requirements for the attendance of both Category 1 and 2 responders at meetings including the Local Resilience Forum. For example, the 2005 regulations require relevant Category 1 responders to hold LRF meetings to which the chief officer of each relevant general Category 1 responder and each relevant general Category 2 responder is invited, at least once every six months (known as the “Chief Officers Group”). Category 1 and 2 responders (if invited) must, so far as reasonably practicable, attend meetings of the Chief Officers Group or be effectively represented by another responder there. More broadly, under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and the 2005 Regulations, Category 1 and 2 responders each have statutory duties to co-operate and to share information in the context of emergency preparedness. In practice, this generally results in regular participation in LRF and other meetings. The 2022 Post-Implementation Review (PIR) of the CCA considered the LRF participation, including broadening the duties on Category 2 responders; changes were not supported by the evidence gathered in consultation. However, the Cabinet Office continues to keep the legislation under review and will consider any future changes as appropriate, including considerations of the findings of the DLUHC-led Strengthening LRFs pilot. As part of the Government’s ambition to strengthen Local Resilience Forums as laid out in UK Government Resilience Framework , DLUHC is working with other government departments and inspection agencies to develop new approaches to the assurance of Local Resilience Forums. HMICFRS are independent of Government. They set their inspection frameworks and programme independently of us, and in consultation with the sector. Their current fire inspection framework already includes an examination of Fire and Rescue Services’ engagement with LRFs. However, the existing frameworks for police inspections do not examine how police forces engage with LRFs. There are a number of levers we can use to influence HMICFRS’ inspection programmes. Through upcoming consultations on HMICFRS’ frameworks and inspection programmes, we will explore the possibility of HMICFRS carrying out some assessment of police forces’ engagement with LRFs. We will also continue to work with HMICFRS to explore the way fire inspections examine FRS’ engagement with LRFs further in any future iterations of the fire inspection framework.