Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (Contingency Planning) Regulations 2005

We on these Benches wish to use the opportunity afforded to us by the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Chesterton, to make the major points that we have consistently made about the Act. In the National Assembly for Wales debate in June, Brynle Williams raised our concerns about the need for tighter security. He said that,"““we are living in dangerous times. So far, we have been lucky, mainly due to the efforts of our security forces. It is amazing that we had to wait for over two years following the devastating events of 11 September for a Civil Contingencies Bill””." The Conservative Party, being a constructive opposition, has supported most of the measures in the Bill, but remains concerned about the operation of emergency powers. The stark fact is that Britain is woefully unprepared for a terrorist attack. We as a nation need to see a dedicated Minister for homeland security, so that preparations for a potential disaster are realistically exercised. I can assure the Government that we shall be united on that front if it moves in that way. Here we are, June has gone, and we are almost in November—again, woefully unprepared. This time, there is a potential bird flu epidemic. The dead parrot sketch has a more deadly ring than was ever suggested when it was first broadcast. A recent survey has shown that nine out of 10 poultry farmers have not been contacted by the Government offering advice and guidance on how to prepare for a bird flu epidemic and what steps to take to prevent it. The Government are failing hopelessly to prepare for a possible epidemic. My colleague in another place, Oliver Letwin, described the recent survey as ““deeply disheartening””. Government Ministers and officials are not doing enough to stop a preventable crisis. We need greater co-ordination and political will to ensure proper emergency planning. The only way to do that is for the Government to appoint a single Minister in charge of civil contingencies. We on these Benches will not oppose the regulations, but we urge the Minister to encourage his Government to rethink how emergencies are planned for and to ask again if they will consider appointing a homeland security Minister, once and for all, for the protection and safety of our country and its people.