Require voluntary sector partnerships in contingency planning
Regulation 23 of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (Contingency Planning) Regulations 2005 requires a Category 1 responder to have regard when making its plans to the activities of relevant voluntary organisations. We therefore recommend that the regulation be amended to require Category 1 responders to establish and maintain partnerships with the voluntary, community and faith organisations in the areas in which they are responsible for preparing for and responding to emergencies. (113.68)
How was this assessed?
Response
Accepted in Part
Response
Accepted in PartThe government accepts this recommendation in principle. We acknowledge the vital role of the voluntary, community and faith sector (VCFS) in all aspects of resilience and are committed to building stronger relationships and collaboration with these groups. However, due to the diverse nature of the sector, we propose a rapid consultation and will confirm the outcome later in 2025. We must consider if placing a statutory duty is the best means to achieve stronger engagement and what burdens any new statutory duty might have on both emergency responders and VCFS organisations themselves, especially on those small organisations embedded in communities, like those that were so critical in supporting the Grenfell community.
Progress Timeline
A consultation called Stronger Partnerships" received 165 responses. The government published its public response on 16 December 2025 and will consider regulatory changes while conducting impact evaluation in 2026."