Clause 18 - Meaning of ''emergency''
Civil Contingencies Bill
3:15 pm
Ms Fiona Mactaggart (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Race Equality, Community Policy and Civil Renewal), Home Office; Slough, Labour)
I would be prepared to reconsider the drafting of the subsection. We disagree here about what we are seeking to achieve.
The power in subsections (5) and (6) is a limited power that does not change the definition of an emergency, but allows us to retain the Bill's framework, which is to have a comprehensive definition of what represents a serious threat to human welfare. In my view, the power increases the clarity and accountability of the Bill.