Minutes:
The Committee considered the undernoted report:
“1 Background Information
1.1 The
Civil Contingencies Group for Northern Ireland (CCGNI) is the
principal strategic emergency preparedness body for the public
sector and is chaired by the Head of the Northern Ireland Civil
Service. Further to work carried out on behalf of CCGNI in February
of this year the NI Executive agreed a number of measures to
enhance civil contingencies arrangements at a local
level.
1.2 These agreed measures provide for:
· Establishment of four additional ‘Sub-Regional Civil Emergency Preparedness Groups’ (SCEPGs). The new SCEPGs will between them provide cover for the rest of NI outside of Belfast with the Belfast Resilience Forum already providing this function for the Belfast area.
· Establishment of a CCGNI Sub-Group to oversee the work of the sub-regional groups.
· Establishment of a CCGNI work stream to identify the need to formalise the District Council civil contingencies role and how this could be done. This work will include consideration of the need for wider civil contingencies legislation.
· Presentation of a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to Local Government Emergency Management Group (LGEMG) and CCGNI for agreement which sets out how district councils should continue to discharge their civil contingencies role at sub-regional level, and how CCGNI member organisations should support councils in the execution of that role.
The purpose of this report is to bring the MoU to the attention of Members and to seek approval for it to be signed by the Chair of LGEMG on behalf of Belfast City Council.
2 Key Issues
Memorandum of Understanding
2.1 The purpose of the MoU is to set out and confirm cross-organisational commitment to how civil contingencies roles and responsibilities should be discharged at a Sub-Regional level. Belfast is considered as one of the five sub regional areas.
2.2 The parties to the MoU are the 26 district councils and CCGNI member organisations, which includes Government Departments and their relevant agencies. The MoU also takes account of local government reform and the need to revisit the agreement with the 11 new Councils in April 2015.
2.3 The MoU sets out the basic roles and responsibilities of the respective parties in relation to preparedness, response, cooperation and information sharing. In particular it agrees that:
· District councils shall in conjunction with PSNI co-ordinate the development and maintenance of multi-agency preparedness for their respective sub regions. Belfast City Council currently does this through the Belfast Resilience Forum.
· District councils shall coordinate the local/sub-regional level multi-agency response to and recovery from emergencies in accordance with the terms of the CCGNI protocol for the multiagency coordination of local level response and recovery, and the protocol for escalation of the multiagency response. Again the arrangements for implementing the CCGNI protocols are included within Belfast Resilience planning arrangements.
· CCGNI member organisations shall co-operate fully with district councils and PSNI in the execution of the district council responsibilities.
· CCGNI member organisations shall provide information on civil contingencies matters for their sector to assist sub-regional preparedness.
2.4 Belfast City Council has been undertaking the responsibilities detailed in the MoU for many years and has demonstrated its robust planning arrangements during numerous major emergencies and disruptions over those years.
3 Resource Implications
3.1 Belfast City Council requires a high level of resource to enable it to respond effectively to major incidents. The Council’s costs can normally be reclaimed from DOE Local Government Policy Division under its Scheme of Emergency Financial Assistance.
3.2 Belfast City Council employs the Programme Manager for Belfast Resilience; this is a post which is fully funded by DOE Local Government Policy Division and which supports the Council in undertaking its responsibilities as set out in the MoU.
4 Equality and Good Relations Implications
None
5 Call In
5.1 This decision is subject to Call In.
6 Recommendations
It is recommended that Committee agrees the MoU and authorises the Chair of Local Government Emergency Management Group to sign it on behalf of Belfast City Council”
The Committee adopted the recommendations and endorsed the contents of the Memorandum of Understanding, a copy of which was available on the Council’s website.