Clause 23 - Regional and Emergency Coordinators
Civil Contingencies Bill
3:00 pm
Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Parliamentary Leader; Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, Plaid Cymru)
When the Joint Committee considered the draft Bill, it contained a let-out allowing the Government not to consult the National Assembly, the Scottish Parliament or the Northern Ireland Assembly on matters of urgency. That let-out was deleted early in the Bill in clauses that related to designated areas of emergency, but it seems to have reappeared in another form under this clause. What is the logic of saying that the urgency clause should be dropped in favour of the absolute duty to consult the devolved Administrations when declaring an emergency, yet leaving it to cover the appointment of the regional co-ordinator? To be fair, the Government accepted the arguments about the other urgency clause.